The early followers of Jesus understood grace as the desire and the power to live their daily life. Paul stated to the Corinthians, "But by the grace of God I am what I am . . . I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." To the Colossians, he stated, "Whereunto I also labor, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily." Finally, he wrote to the Philippians, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."  Paul's labor was not by his effort but by the grace of God which was with him.  His striving, his labor, was according to God working in him.  Paul's desire and the power to do what he desired was not a product of his endeavoring, but it was God working in and through him. In pure Christianity, it is God who is active in the believer producing His own will. In the final analysis, only God Himself can accomplish His will. Amazingly, the "to will" and the "to do" of God’s will are done by God Himself in and through the believer. (3 Forty Minutes Sessions )     

The deliverance of the Children of Israel out of Egypt bears record of the power of God but it also reveals the continual weakness of man in his human condition. From the opening dialogue between God and Moses at the burning bush to the last words of Moses to God at the river Jordan, man’s inability to hear what God intended is demonstrated again and again. Moses is recognized as the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, and rightly so, but Moses allowed something to occur that eventually would prove to be devastating. It first began when he expressed his lack of being eloquent of speech and God said that Aaron could "be thy spokesman . . . and thou shalt be to him instead of God." It continued when the people told Moses that they were fearful of hearing God speak: "Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die." Finally, the conspiracy developed to its final error when Jethro suggested that Moses should "provide out of all the people able men . . . and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens." It sounds so noble but it proved to be so devastating. Neither Moses nor the first generation who came out of Egypt went into the promised land. God said to gather the people and He would speak to them. Yet, a man was put between God and the people causing the people to fall far short of what God intended. (3 Forty Minute Sessions)

The story of my salvation from religion has been a long journey to Jesus. Although I have been involved with the activities of churches for over forty-five years, the real essence of my salvation is just now becoming clear. I have been a pastor (17 years), a Bible college and seminary professor (14 years), and a Christian consultant (20 years). I have written over twenty Christian books. It would seem that I should know something about what it means to be a Christian. Until recently, however, I have to confess that I knew much about religion but very little about true Christianity. I found myself actually in need of salvation from religion. Amazingly, I needed to be saved primarily not from bad things but from good things. I needed salvation from the bondage of seeing Jesus as the object of my devotion, my piety, and my worship. Seeing Jesus as the object of my action, I was being driven to greater acts of devotion, piety, and worship. The increased effort, with its motivation and consequential guilt when the effort failed, brought me into greater and greater bondage. The harder I tried the worse it became. I needed salvation from the religion that was killing me. My journey to Jesus has brought Him into focus as my breath and my heartbeat. He is becoming the very essence of my life. In Him I live, and move, and have my being. He is making Christianity true life rather than a religion that kills. (4 Forty Minutes Sessions)

Life began very simply. God "formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." The lifeless structure of the body became a living, breathing creature as it experienced the breath of God. Newly formed man lived his life in simplicity. As a child experiences life in the warmth and safety of his earthly father, the first man experienced his life as the object of the love of his heavenly Father. God provided all that was needed to experience the glory of paradise, the simple life. It would not be long, however, until all would not be well in paradise. Man desired not to live in the simplicity of the innocence of a child enjoying the continual expression of God’s love. He began to think that it would be better for him to be as God himself. With the now perceived ability to discern good and evil, he would attempt to control his experiences based upon his own perception. Paradise was soon to be no more. Man would come to trust no one. Corruption now violated all relationships. Man began to hide his true feelings. Others were blamed for his difficulties as his life began to escalate out of control. It now seemed that life was cursed. The solution to paradise lost, the losing of the simple life, is given by Jesus in His parable of the sower. He that has ears to hear let him hear and he will be restored to the simple life: all things are of God, through God, and to God. (5 Forty Minute Sessions)