Here is a personal reflection from Susan Medlin, on her experience leading Forming: Changed by Grace.
Have you ever found yourself trying to live up to religious expectations? Do you find yourself struggling to hear from God? Or ever feel like a “bad” Christian? Me too. A few years ago, God started to reveal to me that the burden of trying to make myself “right” before Him was actually creating a barrier between us. Instead of living in the freedom that Christ offers, I was struggling in bondage, self-condemnation, and frustration; feeling distant and defeated. If you have ever felt or feel as I did, then this course may be for you.
I grew up in a Christian home and have spent most of my adult life working in the Church. I have noticed that many people struggle to know what God is saying to them, so they often walk around feeling like they never measure up. I think we can all try to earn the intimacy and connection that God freely gives because we do not know how to relate in any other way. When I was introduced to Forming: Change by Grace, I was excited to learn more about this group experience because it teaches people what Grace is and how it truly plays out in our lives. Whether someone is a new Christian or one who has walked with God most of their lives, this group teaches us how to slow down and listen to the many ways that God is speaking to us.
Throughout the course, we use the metaphor, rowing vs. sailing. Are we rowing and striving to become who we believe that God wants us to be? Or are we aligning our sails so that the Spirit of God can change and transform us into the person that He has called us be? Rowing is exhausting work, and you sometimes feel like you are going in circles; however, sailing gives you a chance to lean back and enjoy the path God has you on. God invites us to sail with Him and Forming: Changed by Grace shows us how to do so.
If any of this blog resonates with you, then I would like to invite you to sign up for this group experience. Each session provides a safe place for you to learn what God is saying to you personally and an opportunity to actively practice what is being taught; Together, we dig deeper and learn about the many ways that God speaks to us, and it tangibly demonstrates for us how we can hear from God, even on the busiest of days. Simply, Forming: Changed by Grace teaches us to connect with God.
Matthew 11:30 says that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. God is a loving Father, and He made a way for us to have a loving and life-giving relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus. Jesus gave his life for us to be able to spend all eternity with Him but to also walk with us in this journey that we call life. Join us as we learn to experience this truth more fully.
Click here for more more information about Forming: Changed by Grace. The Fall session will meet on Wednesday evenings starting September 6th. If interested, please email Susan Medlin, at smedlinjcm@gmail.com. The deadline to sign up is August 23rd.