Alive - by Dave Smith

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ock on which he would build his Church. Yet God had other ideas, giving Peter a second chance (or was it a 50th chance?!). Jesus not only forgave him and freed him; he did so with the ultimate purpose of restoring and recommissioning him. Having three times questioned Peter’s love and received his response, ‘you know that I love you’, Jesus gave him a three-fold commission: ‘feed my lambs…take care of my sheep…feed my sheep’ (John 21:15–17). With hindsight we can look back and see the effectiveness of this restoration and recommissioning. The early chapters of the book of Acts show Peter as the stand-out leader of the early Church. Moreover, his story of restoration and recommissioning can be of great encouragement to us today. After all, who of us have not failed or fallen in some way? Yet none of us are outside the reach of God’s restoring love and grace! PAUSE AND PONDER Take a moment to thank God that he has a great plan for your life. If you feel like you’ve lost (or never experienced) a sense of his destiny for you, invite him to come in and restore and recommission you. FREEDOM FROM COMPARISON Before we leave the story of Peter, there’s one last amazing truth to glean: God wants to free us from the trap of comparison. Comparing ourselves with others is a sure way of ensuring that we will fail to fulfil our unique destiny. Comparison takes our eyes off our own calling and can lead to either prideful superiority or an insecurity whereby we waste emotional energy, wishing we were running someone else’s
ace. In the age of social media, falling into this comparison trap has become a whole lot easier! But comparison is an age-old human problem. Having just experienced a wonderful moment of restoration and recommissioning, Peter gets distracted by comparing his own future with that of ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. On one level this is entirely understandable, given what Jesus told him about his own future: ‘“when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”’ (vv18–19). The reference to Peter’s hands being stretched out probably alluded to his martyrdom through crucifixion, which history bears out. I don’t know about you, but I would have wanted to know as many details as possible – as well as whether there was any possible way of avoiding it! However, Peter immediately fell into the comparison trap: ‘Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them…When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me”’ (vv20–22). Jesus’ simple question, ‘what is that to you?’ followed by a simple exhortation ‘you must follow me’ is life-changing advice that will help you and I avoid the comparison trap. Over the years, I’ve found that the number one way for me to not compare myself with others is to get a clear understanding of my own unique calling and pathway and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to live this out daily. This is something that requires considerable effort, and will also necessitate others helping us, but the results are worth it. (We’ll explore this more in Chapter Five.)
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Dave Smith invites us on a journey
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and fulfilled. A life where it’s
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I want to say a huge thanks to a nu
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Instagram a while back: ‘You wake
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eyond our physical and psychologica
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4. A future life in heaven Widely a
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only £150?’ The wife replied,
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3. On the first Easter morning, the
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second question of how Jesus’ res
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At 2.20pm, 5 April 1982, I ‘fell
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used to refer to romantic or sexual
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and controversial biblical characte
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teach us about the seeming absence
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testimony of female witnesses would
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16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ S
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What’s clear is that this was not
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THE ETERNAL DIMENSION OF LOVE One o
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know how much, in Christ, we are
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FURTHER REFLECTION 1. In the light
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It was a day not to be forgotten in
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group that didn’t survive: ‘The
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an all-loving, all-powerful God who
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25 He said to them, ‘How foolish
Page 48 and 49: By the end of the journey, their
Page 50 and 51: deliverer had just suffered the mos
Page 52 and 53: of Paul’s conversion on the road
Page 54 and 55: HE’S WELCOMED Despite Jesus being
Page 56 and 57: Presumably there was something abou
Page 58 and 59: FURTHER REFLECTION 1. Take a moment
Page 60 and 61: The longing for inner peace is univ
Page 62 and 63: For example, it may be that as you
Page 64 and 65: True peace was at the heart of God
Page 66 and 67: sense of release, turn your palms u
Page 68 and 69: esponse to a perceived threat or po
Page 70 and 71: Spirit.’ The word ‘righteousnes
Page 72 and 73: To fulfil this new purpose, we must
Page 74 and 75: encounter may be of special encoura
Page 76 and 77: Spirit) when his followers are meet
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Page 80 and 81: CHAPTER FOUR LIVING IN FREEDOM
Page 82 and 83: • Sweetheart died in 1835. • Ha
Page 84 and 85: est predictor of future behaviour i
Page 86 and 87: completely implausible to think tha
Page 88 and 89: FISH Afterward Jesus appeared again
Page 90 and 91: PAUSE AND PONDER If you are current
Page 92 and 93: Bible, he also speaks specifically
Page 94 and 95: vital that we don’t let it stop u
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Page 100 and 101: Peter clearly took Jesus’ advice
Page 102 and 103: FURTHER REFLECTION 1. Are you strug
Page 104 and 105: I’ve always been a bit of a dream
Page 106 and 107: Neither - Emmons had hit the wrong
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Page 110 and 111: 1. A TRANSFORMED MOTIVATION Saul’
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Page 120 and 121: of what that this will look like. T
Page 122 and 123: PATHWAY So far we’ve established
Page 124 and 125: sanctified by faith in me’ (Acts
Page 126 and 127: just that we can meet with the rise
Page 128 and 129: CONCLUSION FULLY ALIVE, FOR THE RES
Page 130 and 131: utilise the prayer of invitation th
Page 132 and 133: Even if you are convinced in the re
Page 134 and 135: his death under Pilate and his gath
Page 136 and 137: APPENDIX B: HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT
Page 138 and 139: to the fact he was about to suffer
Page 140 and 141: TOMB As we look at the accounts of
Page 142 and 143: • To groups of men and groups of
Page 144 and 145: them by others. The apostles died f
Page 146 and 147: ENDNOTES INTRODUCTION: FULLY ALIVE
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The book is also the basis for a sm
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Demands a Verdict (Nashville, Tenne
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FURTHER ALIVE RESOURCES Now you hav
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Alive - by Dave Smith

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