In this episode:
This week, Michelle explores the powerful topic of reimagining what it means to be good and godly in a grace-centered gospel. She candidly reflects on the pressure and expectations placed on families and our children, challenging us to question the consequences of not fitting the mold. Michelle shares her personal experiences and struggles, opening up about the dangers of labeling and excluding others based on their choices and lifestyles. With warmth and compassion, she emphasizes the core message of Christianity: love, grace, and redemption for all.
Michelle invites us to embrace humility, vulnerability, and authenticity in our faith journeys, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can find hope, repurpose their lives, and discover the transformative power of the gospel.
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Show Notes
This week, Michelle explored a deeply thought-provoking topic that challenged many conventional beliefs tied to goodness and godliness. She discussed the pressures and expectations placed on families and individuals within religious communities.
During the episode, Michelle questioned what happens when someone within a family or community does not fit the expected mold, using the example of a daughter marrying someone who doesn't align with the prescribed expectations. This led to a broader discussion about the role of friends, our own silence in uncomfortable situations, and the consequences of creating an environment that privileges certain choices over others.
The episode covered the dangers of overemphasizing labels and conformity within Christianity, where non-conformity can lead to the marginalization and exclusion of those deemed "less godly" or "less good." These harmful mindsets can hinder the central message of love, grace, and forgiveness that Christ taught.
Michelle gave nine factors that identify fundamentalism in conservative Christianity and then explained how that ties to this goodness gospel we accidentally share.
If you missed the list of nine factors the identify fundamentalism or the eight tips for how to transform our mindset, those will be available in a printable sheet to Patreon members of Life Repurposed Plus.
Instead of judgment and exclusion, the episode encourages humility, empathy, and understanding. We explore the importance of creating safe spaces where people can share their vulnerabilities without fear of judgment. True Christian faith calls us to model humility and vulnerability, fostering authentic relationships with God and others.
Michelle also provided eight tips for how we can transform our mindset and speech to be something that promotes the grace of the gospel rather than the false gospel of performance or goodness.
By shifting our focus from judgment to understanding, from exclusion to inclusion, and by embracing the power of God's unconditional love, we can break free from the harmful equation of godliness and goodness. This emphasis on grace-centered gospel leads to a repurposed life, one where authenticity and love guide our interactions.
As we navigate our faith journeys, may we remember that no one is without flaws and imperfections, and it is through acknowledging our own shortcomings that we can fully comprehend the depth of God's grace and mercy.
Resources
A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing
Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer (father/daughter team)
The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth
Beth Allison Barr
Mentions:
Renewed: A 6-Week Personal or Small Group Study (REMADE) (Michelle’s Bible study)
From Good to Grace: Letting Go of the Goodness Gospel (Christine Hoover)
A printable discussion guide for this episode will go out to Michelle's mailing list. If you miss it, past resources are available forever to Patreon monthly subscribers to Life Repurposed Plus at patreon.com/LifeRepurposed. You can get a 7-day trial membership to see what resources are in the growing library there.
PLUS, there are bonus resources in Patreon ONLY available to subscribers.
(Please note: many books posted here on my blog are purely because I want to share them. Sometimes I receive free copies for review, and other times I purchase the books. Some I get from the library. Either way, any endorsement I offer here on the blog is simply because I want to talk about the book.)
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