As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector?s booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."Matthew 9:9-13
How do we live out the message of Jesus in today's ever changing culture? The church is facing its greatest challenge - and its greatest opportunity - in our postmodern, post-Christian world. God is drawing thousands of spiritually curious "imperfect people" to become his church. But how are we doing at welcoming them? No Perfect People Allowed encourages us to deconstruct the barriers standing between emerging generations and our church by creating the right culture.
by Perry Brown
Media
If we begin to see the needs of people with the eyes of Jesus, how might we relate to the people who live around us?
by Perry Brown
Media
We all know deep inside that we?re not yet all of who we were intended to be.
We all know, if we?re honest;
Truth is, we all have room for improvement. This is why we say, ?Come as you are - but don?t stay that way.? God loves us ?as is,? he accepts us ?as is? by his grace - but he loves us too much to leave us floundering, chasing down dead-end streets. He gives us grace so we can grow. Sometimes people misunderstand this. They like ?Come as You Are? acceptance and ?No Perfect People Allowed? authenticity but they don?t hear the rest: grow and change.
by Perry Brown
Media
There is not one person who has escaped being marked on and muddied up by our broken, fallen world and our part in it.
For all have sinned; all fall short of God?s glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. Romans 3:23?24
There are no perfect people. Look at the person next to you. Looks like they have it all together, don?t they? Maybe not! That person has said things, done things, thought things that would shock you. And yet, we pretend we?re perfect. People play games. We run and hide, because the rules of the world have told us ?If they knew that? if they saw that? they?d judge you, they?d run away, and you?ll be alone?feeling condemned.? And so God, by his grace has set us free?if we?ll just receive it, take it in, let it mark us indelibly. He has declared us not guilty, not condemned?fully forgiven, accepted, adopted, loved by the only One who really knows our true identity.
by Perry Brown
Media
Most people, deep down, fear judgment and condemnation from God and others, because when we get honest with ourselves, we know something's not quite right. Yet instead of turning to God for help, naturally we run from God. We run from the only One who can heal us, change us, and give us life. This is the central message of faith in Christ - that God will take anyone willing, regardless of what they've done or how bad they've been or how much they've tried and failed. And he will move us from this sin-cycle of shame, condemnation, and death to this state of full acceptance as adopted children.
