Reckless Grace E-Book

Bill Vanderbush

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 234

Beschreibung

Grace is the ultimate expression of love. We all know we need grace and forgiveness, but why is it so difficult to extend them to ourselves and others? In Reckless Grace, Bill Vanderbush and Brit Eaton challenge our understanding of forgiveness with powerful biblical evidence and show us how to step into the fullness of grace, bringing reconciliation and restoration to our relationships using:  - practical steps and accessible tools to help identify and overcome barriers to grace - carefully crafted exercises and reflections that explore past and present hurts and work toward healing - gentle guidance in becoming gospel-centered and releasing grace into a fallen world. God isn't reckless, but the way he extends grace defies all reason. We can learn to freely give what we have been freely gifted.  

Leseprobe

Bill Vanderbush is reckless, and by that, I mean he serves with total abandon each person whom God has entrusted to him, demonstrating a regard for others that is both radical and unmatched. In his phenomenally written book, Reckless Grace, Bill ushers readers on a journey through grace that curiously meanders and guides us over barriers that many deem too steep to navigate. It’s by the grace of God on Bill’s life that those who voyage with him through this book are undeniably changed. Reckless Grace is a requisite for all who are struggling in the quicksand of unforgiveness. It’s a way-maker for anyone who is trudging through unresolved relational issues both with others and with themselves. In these pages, you’ll find a treasure map that will guide you out of the unrelenting desert of disconnection and into the plush gardens of God’s mystically wild heart for you and others. It will forever impact your life.

KRIS VALLOTTON, LEADER, BETHEL CHURCH; CO-FOUNDER OF BETHEL SCHOOL OF SUPERNATURAL MINISTRY; AUTHOR

I was feeling the sting of sloppy messages of grace and its messengers when I met Bill Vanderbush, who unpackaged the foundational truth that is in this book. I am convinced this message from Bill and Brit saved my ministry and gave me proper boundaries to bring myself and my church into the image of Christ. I highly recommend both authors and this book.

PASTOR CHARLIE COKER, SENIOR LEADER, IDENTITY CHURCH

Finally, a clear understanding of how we receive and give away the grace of God. This is a message of grace in full bloom.

PASTOR BILL HART, SENIOR PASTOR, AUSTIN CATHEDRAL; FOUNDER, THE FATHER’S HEART

Bill points people to Jesus. I’ve watched his revelation of grace make old preacher’s marvel in wonder, new believers hunger for more of God, and people stuck in shame and sin weep at the feet of Jesus as they find freedom.

JIM BAKER, SENIOR LEADER, ZION CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP; FOUNDER, WEALTHWITHGOD.COM

Bill Vanderbush has grasped one of the greatest revelations of Jesus Christ in the Bible and shares it in Reckless Grace. I wholeheartedly recommend making it a daily study until you, too, walk in the full revelation of God’s amazing grace. This is definitely a book that can awaken the sleeping church and bring about a spiritual revival.

NEIL RHODES, PHD, SENIOR PASTOR, CROSSROADS CHURCH

I grew up listening to Bill’s father, Henry Vanderbush, preach the gospel before Bill was even born. Henry was a dynamic evangelist who was overflowing with grace and joy, and I watched him live this out on and off the platform. Henry authentically preached the good news, and Bill grew up soaking in literally thousands of hours of a life of grace lived before his eyes. This is Bill’s heritage and foundation, and from that revelation of joy comes this message of grace. It’s a grace that doesn’t grant a license to sin but instead is a key to empowered freedom, supernatural strength, and abundance of life. Through the grace of Christ, you will find the freedom to step into a joy that has overflowed in this family from generation to generation.

DR. JIM GARLOW, SENIOR PASTOR, SKYLINE CHURCH; FOUNDER, WELL VERSED

In Reckless Grace, Bill unpacks and biblically proves truths founded upon the bedrock Scripture in John 20:23. I believe there is a real and profound shift taking place within the church in how people understand judgment, and when they read Bill’s book, they will capture the heart of Jesus and the Father. They will choose to release grace over their lives and others. Over cities and nations. This book is a manifesto for an authentic grace revolution.

RYAN KIBBE, LEAD PASTOR, ELEVATION CHURCH

I’ll never forget walking with Bill one night after enjoying a casual dinner together and being blown away as we came across a young man having car trouble on the side of the road. I had no intention of stopping, but Bill immediately darted to this stranger and engaged him as if he were a close friend or relative. I was simultaneously impressed with Bill and disappointed in myself! My point is that Bill lives what he preaches and displays what he has written about in this book. You cannot give what you do not possess. You cannot possess what you haven’t received. Bill is a man who receives, possesses, and generously gives the grace that he so eloquently describes in Reckless Grace. Read the book. Be stretched by the enormity of grace that God is lavishly pouring out upon you. Enjoy!

JEFF STRUSS, FOUNDING PASTOR, LIFE CENTER LYNCHBURG

When I met Bill Vanderbush, he stated, “I want to rebrand God to our culture.” With Reckless Grace, Bill corrects the false narrative that God is a condemning entity and presents the true character of God found in Jesus Christ—that of love and grace.

WILLIAM LEWIS, PHD, SENIOR PASTOR, COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

John begins his Gospel with the astounding declaration: “From His fullness we have all received grace on top of more grace!” Bill carries the revelation of this limitless deluge of grace in his heart. You will hear it loudly and clearly in the pages of this wonderful book. Prepare to be increasingly amazed at the amazing grace of our God!

DAVE HESS, AUTHOR; SENIOR PASTOR, CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH

The message and meaning of eternal grace are beyond anything we have ever heard or experienced in our finite human existence. It deserves the depth, beauty, and mystery Bill has given them in this book. Don’t miss an opportunity to explore with him.

JAKE HAMILTON, WORSHIP LEADER; SONGWRITER

I want to applaud Bill’s courageous effort to expound upon the grace of God through this writing. May God use this book as a powerful tool in his hands to raise up a generation that is free from the power of offense, understands their union with God through Christ, and exudes his nature to a world desperate to see authentic faith in action.

DARREN DAVIS, FOUNDER AND SENIOR LEADER, HARBOUR CHURCH

Bill has truly captured the reality of grace, and it will transform your soul to deeper realms of understanding.

RYAN BASTRESS, EVANGELIST

I used to associate grace as something that I needed when I stumbled or sinned. I have since come to understand that view of grace as the shallow end of a deep pool. Grace is so much greater than providing a bandage for our failures; it empowers us to live an impossible lifestyle. In this book, Bill Vanderbush invites us to wade through the shallow end and dive into the depths of God’s reckless grace. This message is dangerous—the kind of dangerous that has the power to transform your life forever. Dive in.

BRAD MCKOY, AUTHOR

Read Reckless Grace with an open heart, and you’ll never be the same. Bill and Brit reveal what has been hidden in plain sight for ages in a way that will not only challenge what you thought you knew about grace but will also change your life.

JOEL & LAUREN LOWRY, LEAD PASTORS, SOZO CHURCH

My friend Bill Vanderbush writes from the perspective of someone who has not only educated himself on the topic of grace but has also encountered and fully embraced Jesus, the very source of grace. Reckless Grace challenges our distorted views of God and changes how we see ourselves and those around us. Reckless Grace is not another exposition of theological principles but an invitation to lay our heads on the bosom of Jesus and hear the heartbeat of our Father’s magnanimous intention for us.

RANDALL WORLEY, PHD, AUTHOR

Grace is not simply a topic; it’s a life-altering and life-empowering gift from God to fulfill all that he has destined for us to accomplish. Reckless Grace is a journey that requires you not to live a static life but to function as the co-heir you are destined to be. Bill is a master weaver as he pens revelation and wisdom that is both intellectual and mystical. It’s refreshing to read a work that causes you to think and believe at the same time. I have had the privilege of seeing the work of this book ground out in the grace-filled life of Bill. Reckless Grace is not theoretical; it’s the inevitable collision of the Godhead upon humankind. I highly recommend this book!

BRIAN ORME, AUTHOR; IBORME.COM

BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Savage, Minnesota, USA

www.broadstreetpublishing.com

RecklessGRACE: The Gift. The Mystery. The Embrace

Copyright © 2020 Bill Vanderbush and Brit Eaton

978-1-4245-6111-7 (paperback)

978-1-4245-6112-4 (e-book)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org. Scriptures marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked CPG are taken from the Cotton Patch Gospel. Copyright © 2004 by Smyth & Helwys. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked INT are taken from The Interlinear Hebrew Greek English Bible. Copyright © Interlinear Bible © 2011 - 2013 by Biblos.com in cooperation with Helps Ministries. Section Headings Courtesy INT Bible © 2012, Used by Permission. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries.

Stock or custom editions of BroadStreet Publishing titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, ministry, fundraising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [email protected].

Cover and interior by Garborg Design at GarborgDesign.com

Printed in the United States of America

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Dedication

To Traci. My soul is healed by being with you.

To Britain and Sara. It is impossible to imagine my life without both of you. There is a love that appears only as those who call you “Dad” grow older. Language is incapable of describing my love for you that warms me to life in every moment of my day. Watching you both journey into your destinies has been my greatest joy. I bless your quest into the Father’s heart.

To Jesus. It is the greatest desire of my existence that you would manifest yourself strongly to my children all the days of their lives. May they know you more intimately than I have imagined and prayed.

Foreword by Lacey Sturm

Foreword by Dr. Jack R. Taylor

A Note from Bill

A Note from Brit

Introduction

PART I THE GRACE MESSAGE

Chapter 1: Grace Redefined

Chapter 2: Grace Received

Chapter 3: Grace Released

Chapter 4: Grace of God

PART II THE COST OF GRACE

Chapter 5: The Problem with Grace

Chapter 6: Count the Cost of Grace

Chapter 7: Pillars of Grace

PART III GRACE AND GLORY

Chapter 8: Grace in Action

Chapter 9: Opportunities for Grace

Chapter 10: The Embrace of Grace

Epilogue

About Bill

About Brit

Bill’s Teaching Materials

Bibliography

Foreword

BY LACEY STURM

I almost died using grace as an excuse to sin. I wrote about this in my second book, The Mystery. So the first time I heard this message from Bill, I was suspicious that it would be very close to passing out a license to sin. I viewed it just as Bill expected many Christians would; he actually addressed my exact concern in this book. But I kept reading despite my judgment because I couldn’t reconcile my suspicions regarding his message with the reality that Bill and his wife, Traci, produce the most heavenly fruit from their lives—it is miraculous.

There is a powerful purity in their joy and love. The fragrance of hope that exudes from Bill’s life is the same life-giving fragrance Jesus was drenched in when I met him on the day God rescued me from suicide. It’s the fragrance that saved my life. I recognize that my Savior, in all his miraculous love, is so alive in Bill. The holiness of God’s gracious love is evident in the way Bill lives his life. This paradox bothered me so much that I simply couldn’t, as I was inclined to do, write off his grace message as another people-pleasing, watered-down message to excuse sin. It bothered me to the point of testing everything he said with Scripture to see if it was true… and I was shocked.

Everything Bill shares about grace is true. It is written plain as day in Scripture, in context, over and over. I did my own study of all this before this book was written because of an interview I did with Bill that went way over my head. I spent months going over all of the verses Bill rattled off one by one. (And Bill spoke in Scripture for an hour and a half!) I looked up every passage to see if he had used it in the right context because the way he interpreted the words of Jesus was so full of reckless grace! Really, God? Did you say that? Let me check and see… oh my goodness… it’s all true.

It is all in accord with the Holy Scriptures—undiluted truth that will set us free! And without this truth, I believe that the world we are living in right now will not receive the gospel message we share. Many will fall away in the midst of trying to discover this missing piece, this reckless grace, because they will find counterfeits of love better displayed elsewhere since we as a church have missed it. The gospel language that addresses today’s restlessness must have this truth of reckless grace in it. This is the key to unlocking the massive harvest that is ripe and ready to be brought in. It is the key to a true response of love for God that will overcome sin in the hearts of every generation. Our lovesick response will be joy-filled, free, and willing holy living. It is the key to revival and reform in the church that God will release to his sons and daughters through anyone who receives it. It has already been given. So let’s believe it, receive it, release it and repeat, just like Reckless Grace tells us to!

Lacey Sturm

Singer, songwriter, and former lead singerof the multiplatinum rock band Flyleaf

Foreword

BY DR. JACK R. TAYLOR

As I skimmed through the first few pages of Reckless Grace, I was struck by the realization that this is a highly extraordinary book. In my opinion, it is the most significant work you or I will ever read on the subject of God’s grace… and I mean ever! There have been and will be other books on grace, but I do not expect to see another in our lifetime like the one you hold in your hand.

Due to a cancelled flight, I was given an unexpected gift of unhindered time, so I was able to keep reading—slowly and carefully this time, like the book deserves. I continued to be impressed with what I found in its pages. I have never witnessed a speaker and an editor working so effectively in tandem, and I was overwhelmed with the sheer quality of the writing in general.

I was conquered by truths that I felt should have been obvious! Breakthroughs about grace came a mile-a-minute. It became clear that my understanding and practice on the subject were shallow and incomplete. One of the strongest points in the book is the discussion of receiving grace, which is brilliantly presented as a vital feature in its study and practice. Grace can and must be a gift: it is not only something God gives us, but it is also something that, having received, we in turn have the immense joy of sharing with our world. We will be equipped to walk tall, forgiving offenses and giving grace, supported by the marvelous privilege of a constant and continual reception of it!

The book you hold can be a quick, one-way journey from trouble to triumph! For me, Reckless Grace will be a much-read book for personal study as well as a reference for counseling those who find the “dumps” a too-frequently visited place. It is not an overstatement to say that this book has changed me and will likely continue to affect both my life and ministry as I return to this valuable resource repeatedly. A big thanks to both Bill and Brit for this masterpiece!

Dr. Jack R. Taylor

President of Dimensions Ministries

A Note from Bill

Fallen from grace. Every time a prominent figure is involved in a scandal, this phrase gets tossed around like a declaration that balance has been restored to the universe and someone who rose beyond his or her proper place got humbled. If you’ve ever needed grace just to feel like you’re worthy to breathe again, this book will be life to you. If you’ve thought grace was merely God’s medicine for the morally sick, then put this book away until you find yourself broken on the wheels of life. You see, grace is not something you fall from but Someone you fall into.

When I meditated deeply on this reality many years ago, feeling the overwhelming peace of God flood my heart, I revisited the Gospel of John and saw with fresh eyes verses I had ignored. It was that part of the gospel that suggested that I was included in Christ, intrinsically entwined with his death, burial, and resurrection. John 14:20 overwhelmed me with promise. “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” By the time I got to John 20:23, I knew I was in unfamiliar territory: “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” Exploring the forgotten parts of the Bible, those sections between the ones you’ve highlighted, can be a priceless and glorious moment of revelation. John 20:23 and John 14:20 have since been my life message.

I don’t believe I’ve preached a sermon in the last ten years where I haven’t included one or both of those verses in some way. The message has set captives and prisoners free, unmasked hidden lifestyles, released tears that haven’t flowed in decades, unlocked healing and wholeness where hope was gone, and opened the door of salvation to thousands to hear the words Welcome home. The challenge before me that people often repeated was that I needed to put this in a book.

“Give it away, Bill.” I couldn’t shake that phrase. Every time I sat down to write this book, no matter what I tried, it was futile. First I tried to type it, but my fingers would freeze on the keyboard. Perhaps writing it longhand would work, but the pen would tremble in my hand. Maybe if I dictated it, but the words wouldn’t come. How do you have something placed into your hands and heart and then, when it comes time to commit it to print, you can’t find the grace to write a book on—grace?

In 2015, I was given the beautiful honor of writing a book with a dear friend and brother, Ted Dekker. The message of identity and union was one we shared, and in collaborating, he was gracious enough to invite me, someone virtually unknown by comparison, to share a writing credit. Now I found myself in a position to pay it forward by inviting someone to share in giving this message away, but where would I find that person? My wife, Traci, is an outstanding writer and had more exposure to this message than anyone else, so she seemed like the obvious option. But her work on her own novels and children’s books was an overwhelming focus for her, and I knew that this had to move beyond my own house.

While I was traveling with my friend, Dale, across Ohio on the way to speak at a church, he expressed what so many had repeated: this message needed to be a book. As I explained my difficulty in trying to do just that, he went on to say, “You need a professional ghostwriter.” We arrived at the church, and that day, I was introduced to Brit Eaton, who turned out to be a professional ghostwriter. I was intrigued, since that’s not an occupation one runs into often. She knew the message, carried the joy, and had the skill to put this out there in the way I had always envisioned. But the most important thing here was that she could take this message and, rather than transcribe it word for word, could make this her own.

As a result, this book is Brit Eaton’s language and interpretation of my life’s message of grace, identity, and union. It’s my greatest joy to launch and empower others to run where I may have no opportunity to go. In reading through the manuscript, I was delighted to see how Brit received, interpreted, and applied the message to her life and language. And now she has imparted it back to me and to all of you with her unique brand of conversational wit and spiritual wisdom. I believe she has proven what I had always hoped: that the message of the grace of God can be made personal to everyone who surrenders to fall into him.

Bill

A Note from Brit

Confession: The first time I heard Bill Vanderbush preach on grace, I was offended. As Bill spoke to a crowd of thousands in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I knew his words were for me. But I didn’t dare receive them. Even if I wanted to, how could I possibly forgive the mounting offenses against me when I wasn’t convinced I was forgiven? It seemed risky, irresponsible—reckless even. I didn’t yet understand the grace and peace he carried, but I knew I wanted it. In months and years that followed, Holy Spirit-led grace overwhelmed me. God released me from decades of bondage and faithfully restored every broken part of my life—my marriage and family, my mental and physical health, and my true identity as a daughter of the King of heaven and a coheir with Jesus Christ. Out of that new identity, God ushered me into a season of breakthrough. He birthed new ministries, cultivated new discipling opportunities, and launched a new writing business that transformed my career into a calling.

On the heels of a whirlwind trip to Israel and Palestine for missions, a fellow traveler shared an opportunity to hear Bill speak near my home in central Ohio. On the drive over, I admitted to my friend, Kelli, that I wondered if there might be an opportunity to do some writing work with Bill’s ministry. “I’ve followed his teaching for years; why else would he be here?” I joked. Kelli told me exactly what I would have told her, “Just go up and talk to him!” Feeling insecure, I told her if this was of God, Bill would have to approach me. I wasn’t about to insert myself without a clear leading. Thankfully, God has quite the sense of humor and didn’t seem to mind my little test.

To my amazement, after the message, Bill and his friend Dale bypassed the receiving line and walked straight over to introduce themselves. We talked excitedly about what God was doing in our lives, and Dale mentioned a recent conversation about a book Bill needed to write. My jaw dropped, and Kelli giggled, “Oh, did you know Brit’s a ghostwriter?”

In the following weeks, Reckless Grace emerged as the message God wanted to reveal in our unquestionably offense-obsessed culture. Needless to say, I was all in this time around. I was humbled beyond words when Bill asked me to step out of my ghostwriter role to coauthor this work with him publicly, pairing the fruits of my own grace encounter with his transformative life message. Bill truly is a hero maker and a grace conduit in the kingdom, and I’m so honored to have him as my big brother in Christ.

In the pages that follow, you’ll encounter a fresh revelation of the love of God and the unthinkable grace that comes along with it. You’ll revel in Bill’s comprehensive case for grace—his spoken words and unmistakable voice via my written words. You’ll walk through practical applications of grace that will undoubtedly change your life and relationships. Finally, you’ll catch a glimpse of the grace-filled future you’re being invited into—a grace revolution in the body of Christ.

And once you discover the fullness of God’s reckless grace? You’re going to want to spend the rest of your life giving it away.

Brit

Introduction

The scandal of grace is offensive, for it reveals the uncomfortable reality that the redemptive power of God is able to take everyone—from wicked Old Testament kings like Manasseh to religious New Testament Pharisees like Paul—and restore them. To the self-righteous, the gospel is offensive. To the rest of us, it’s resurrection power.

To launch you into the revelation of new covenant grace, I want to take you to the old covenant prayer God gave to the priests (Numbers 6). God told the priests to ask him to bless the people with a declaration that includes the phrase “be gracious.”

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them: The Lord bless you, and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance on you, And give you peace.’ So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them.” (Numbers 6:22–27)