"At its root, sin is simply grabbing for ourselves what God has not given to us. In this realm, our best intentions can draw us into as much bondage as our most indulgent desires" (Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me!, p. 89). What does this statement implies for our lives?
How would the following observations help you answer the question quoted above?

As he comments Jesus' response to the temptation by the devil in the desert, which story is told in Luke 4, Wayne Jacebsen says of Jesus: that He "trusted his Father to bring him everything he needed" (Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me!, p, 90):

Commenting the first temptation of a human being by Satan ever recorded, found in Genesis 3, and applying it to us today, W. Jacobsen asks "Why didn't [God] intervene?" and provides the following to our consideration: "God sees something redemptive even in letting us fail. He seems less concerned about our mistakes than how we respond to them" (He Loves Me, p. 93).

So, why would even our best intentions sometimes lead us on paths that are wrong and sinful?

All quotes are from chapter 11, «He Loved You Enough to Let You Go», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How does reading chapter 12, Who Needed the Sacrifice, of Wayne Jacobsen's He Loves Me! help you come to grips with shame?

As you do, please ponder the following quote, from Jacobsen (2007, p. 101), : "Can you recognize the effects of shame in your own life? What effort will you extend to make yourself look better to others, to yourself, or even to God? In your relationship with God, do you think more of what you have to do for him or what he has already done for you? Ask him to show you how appeasement distorts your relationship with him, and ask him to free you from it so that you can participate in what he wants to do in you."

So, how does the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross helps you deal with the issue of shame in your own life?

Quote is from chapter 12, «Who Needed the Sacrifice», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

Please read chapter 13, «The Hen and Her Chicks», of Wayne Jacobsen's He Lives Me! Are you like the chick that runs under the hen for protection against God's judgement for sin? Can you relate somehow with the apostle Paul who, according to Jacobsen, confesses that his most earnest attempts at obeying the law contributed to driving «his sin ever deeper underground» (p. 107)?

As you attempt answering the above questions, ponder over the following quote from Jacobsen (2007, p. 107-108): «Why did Jesus save Paul? In Paul's words, "I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life" (1 Tim 1:16). I've sat with people convinced they were far too evil for God to want them. I've often referred to this passage, asking them if they had done worse than Paul had done [which includes persecuting and killing Christians], and I haven't ever had people tell me they had. God saved Paul so the most broken, devastated, and sinful person would feel free to come running under his wing. All that persons has to do is come».

Whether you are into rejecting God and calling yourself a non believer of any stripes or whether you are into covering up your sin through religious practices, even those that come right out of the pages of the most authoritative persons you know of, please do understand that God loves you deeply and is willing to accept you into the Kingdom of His Son, if you simply turn to Him.

Quotes are from chapter 13, «The Hen and Her Chicks», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

Please read chapter 13, «The Hen and Her Chicks», of Wayne Jacobsen's He Lives Me! Are you like the chick that runs under the hen for protection against God's judgement for sin? Can you relate somehow with the apostle Paul who, according to Jacobsen, confesses that his most earnest attempts at obeying the law contributed to driving «his sin ever deeper underground» (p. 107)?

As you attempt answering the above questions, ponder over the following quote from Jacobsen (2007, p. 107-108): «Why did Jesus save Paul? In Paul's words, "I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life" (1 Tim 1:16). I've sat with people convinced they were far too evil for God to want them. I've often referred to this passage, asking them if they had done worse than Paul had done [which includes persecuting and killing Christians], and I haven't ever had people tell me they had. God saved Paul so the most broken, devastated, and sinful person would feel free to come running under his wing. All that persons has to do is come».

Whether you are into rejecting God and calling yourself a non believer of any stripes or whether you are into covering up your sin through religious practices, even those that come right out of the pages of the most authoritative persons you know of, please do understand that God loves you deeply and is willing to accept you into the Kingdom of His Son, if you simply turn to Him.

Quotes are from chapter 13, «The Hen and Her Chicks», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.
In light of the above, are we sometimes unwittingly driving sin ever deeper underground through our very best religious practices?

So what is it that did really take place on the cross of Calvary when Jesus died for our sins?

Question inspired from the title of chapter 14, «What Really Happened on the Cross», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

In light of the apostle Johns' saying, that "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10, NIV), how would you respond to the following statements:

"God has never run from sinful humanity. He didn't hide from Adam and Eve in the Garden. They hid from him as he sought them out" (Wayne Jacobsen, 2007, He Loves Me!, p. 114) ?

"He didn't just deal with our sins, but with the very nature of sin itself [...] This underscores the fallacy of any law-based or performance-based approach to God. Jesus became sin for us precisely because we were powerless to deal with it ourselves" (Wayne Jacobsen, 2007, He Loves Me!, p. 115)?

"No, the cross was not primarily about exacting punishment; it was about prevailing over sin's power. In the Son, God didn't just punish sin, he served up the antidote that Christ was able to endure until sin itself was destroyed. Now, all who embrace him can live in the effects of that antidote, prevailing over sin through a growing relationship with the Creator of all" (Wayne Jacobsen, 2007, He Loves Me!, p. 116)?

In sum, who hides from whom? God from the sinners we are? or us from a God who wants to rescue us from sin's destruction?

Quotes are from chapter 14, «What Really Happened on the Cross», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following statement and question?

"It's not people God seeks to destroy but the sin that destroys his people. In that sense God's wrath is far more curative than punitive. Its primary purpose is not to hurt us, but to heal and to redeem us" (Wayne Jacobsen, 2007, p. 119-120).

"How does seeing God's wrath as the antidote for sin, rather than its punishment, affect your view of God and the cross? " (Wayne Jacobsen, 2007, p. 124)

Quotes are from chapter 15 «The Antidote for Sin», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following statement: "When the enemy drove a wedge between Eve and her Creator, he had won the moment. Everything we do as a result of not trusting God and his intentions toward us draws us into the ever-deepening bondage of sin. That's true of indulging our selfish desires as it is of trying to appease him " (Wayne Jacobsen, 2007, p. 125)?

What we do as a result of not trusting God and his intentions toward us draws us into bondage of sin. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Quote is from chapter 16, «In the Darkest Moment... Trust», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement, and why or why not? "The key to living a productive Christian life is not waking up very day trying to be loved by God, but waking up in the awareness that you are already his beloved" (W. Jacobsen, 2007, p. 138).

Quote is from chapter 17, «Trying to Earn Points with Someone Who Is No Longer Keeping Score», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following statement (Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me!, 2007, p. 146)?

"In fact, the New Testament has nothing to say to people who want God's salvation without wanting him. The Scriptures are an unabashed invitation to live as a child of the most incredible Father in the universe. As you do, you will yearn to be like him. You will discover that God's way is better than anything you can imagine, and you'll lay down your agenda to embrace his."

So, are you after the gifts or the giver? Do you want to receive the blessing without wanting to get to know the One who blesses? Are we after the gifts and the blessings without wanting to know the One who gives and blesses? Really? What are we seeking after?

Quote is from chapter 18, «So Sin Isn't Important to God?», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following statement (Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me!, 2007, p. 147)?

"The purpose of grace is to grant us access into his presence every day. Grace qualifies us for the relationship we could never earn on our merits."

So, what is the purpose of grace, and how has God's gracious grace manifested itself in your very own life?

Quote is from chapter 18, «So Sin Isn't Important to God?», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following statement (Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me!, 2007, p. p. 151)?

"By taking our sin into himself and destroying it at the cost of his own life, he showed us the lengths to which his love would go for us. The act provided a source of trust as constant as he is"

So, what does Christ's sacrifice on the cross mean to you personally? Does it lead to trust Him, not only for your eternal salvation, but for all aspects of your life and of whatever you attempt to do in service of Him? Does such trust in Him help you rejoice in Him as you consider your life globally from beginning to end, under His loving care? Do you live under the conviction that Christ is trustworthy?

Quote is from chapter 19, «A Lifetime of Learning to Trust», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following statement (Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me!, 2007, p. 152)?

"Through the cross God provided a way for us to trust him that would transcend our own preferences and intellect, a way that is able to take us through the darkest circumstances, not doubting his live, but resting in it"

So, do we - in light of the cross - rest in God's love for us? Do we trust that He loves us? Do we trust His love for us?

Quote is from chapter 19, «A Lifetime of Learning to Trust», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following statements (Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me!, 2007, p. 153-154)?

"Trusting the Father's love for you simply means that every day, in every circumstance, you can rest assured God knows who you are, cares more deeply about you than you do yourself, and is capable of working out his glory in you.

When you trust him, you will find yourself cooperating with his work going on in you and around you. Trust is not coasting through life assuming that whatever happens must be God's will. Rather it is an active partnership that rises out of your relationship with him. Without that, what many call trust is simply a Christian version of fatalism or complacency. [...]

When Jesus asked people to 'repent and believe' the gospel, he was not asking them to be sorry for their sins and embrace orthodox theology. He was asking them to forfeit their own agenda and embrace his. That's the invitation to the kingdom. It is not whether we want to go to heaven or hell, but whether we want to trust God or continue trusting ourselves."

So, what does trusting Christ actually and specifically mean to you? In your circumstances of today? of this period in your life?

Quotes are from chapter 19, «A Lifetime of Learning to Trust», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.

How would you respond to the following extract from Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves Me!, 2007, p. 163-164?

«This story has always amazed me. A woman whose reputation for sin was well known in her community, walked into the home of a Pharisee while a group of them were sharing a meal with Jesus. She made her way around the table until she found him, then she poured expensive perfume over his feet and wiped them with her hair.

How could she even go into a home of those who despised her so much? And how could she touch Jesus that way when surely everyone in the room would misinterpret her act of love? Shouldn’t she have been too ashamed to even show her face there? You would think so, but no! Obviously she had been deeply touched by Jesus, her sins had been forgiven, and now the only thing that mattered to her in that room full of disparaging looks was the look of appreciation she saw in his eyes.

[...] Discovering how much the Father loves you will increasingly set you free to walk without shame, before God and with other people [...]

«Because your sin was consumed in Jesus on the cross, there is absolutely no condemnation or guilt for anyone who lives in him. You can taste this miracle of the cross every day. Now you can be with your Father just like you are, still in the process of transformation, and not have to hide anything. You can share with him your darkest secrets as you learn from him how to walk free of it. He knows you cannot fix it yourself and only awaits for you to recognize it and invite his help.

As he teaches you how to walk shamelessly with him, you’ll also discover yourself walking shamelessly in the world. Having been bullied by shame all of your life, often without even recognizing it, you will be amazed at how much your life will change in its absence.

It’s an incredible gift that Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy:

Would you like to have no need for others to praise you, and would you like not to be paralyzed and humiliated by their dislike and condemnation? Wouldn’t you also like to have a strength and understanding that enables you genuinely and naturally to bless those who are cursing you—or cheating you, beating you out on the job, spitting on you in a confrontation, laughing at your religion or culture, even killing you?

Those who are no longer influenced by shame can finally live authentic lives—the same outside as they are inside. It is a tremendous relief to be known exactly for who you are, allowing people to know both your strengths and your weaknesses. Shame-free people champion reality over image, sincerity over pretentiousness, and honesty over deceit. Admittedly there is a cost to living authentically in a broken world as others try to take advantage of you. But no one I’ve met who has done so would go back to the land of pretense.»

Are you trusting the Father's love toward you? Are you experiencing the freedom to walk without shame, before God and with people?

The above quotes are from chapter 20, «Shamelessly Free», of Wayne Jacobsen's, He Loves me!, Second edition, 2007. Remember that the first edition, 2000, of He loves me! (pdf), is offered free of charge by its author at, LifeStream.org.