"Bible" Dipping

I found this assignment title very fitting and timed perfectly. I've come to believe that God works that way. Beth, I promise to also "dip" from our book, but I also feel very compelled to "dip" from the sermon this week at College Park Church. It is exactly what we talked about in class, and I can honestly say I have never been more proud to be a member of my church. Our pastor, Mark Vroegop gave specific examples as to why living by religeous rules can do a lot more harm than good. He abosolutely affirmed why I can (and will) succeed in this class and still absolutely hold tightly to my core beliefs. I won't ramble on about why this hit home for me, but I want to share some of the key elements that I found to be very applicable to our class.

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Why Man-Made Rules Don't Work
1. You are complete in Christ
2. It is all about don'ts that never last
3. It is man-made
4. It looks spiritual but really isn't
5. It doesn't alter who you really are

Pastor Mark compared legalism (living by the rules) to alcoholism with this quote:
"Legalism is a more dangerous disease than alcoholism because it doesn’t look like one. Alcohol makes men fail; legalism helps them succeed in the world. Alcoholism makes men depend on the bottle; legalism makes them self-sufficient, depending on no one. Alcoholism destroys moral resolve; legalism gives it strength. Alcoholics don’t feel welcome in church; legalists love to hear their morality extolled in church."

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If anyone is intrigued even in the slightest by this, I dare you to check out the rest of the manuscript from the sermon or listen to the audio version. It really stirred something in me and just might do the same for you.

http://www.yourchurch.com/sermon/why-man-made-rules-dont-work/