Velvet Elvis: Repainting The Christian Faith

This sermon provokes the one who has had their own hearts weaken to seek holiness from the transformation of love. Wesley desires every Christian to attain the status of perfect love, where the love of God and neighbor would reign in their hearts. As evidence he quotes St. Paul, “Earnestly desire the higher gifts, and I will show unto you a more excellent way.” (The More Excellent Way,

This passage shows how Christ set the example for all to follow by giving his life for us and that if these people coming to the world would follow Christ’s pattern, they in turn could be an example to others one day.

The only way sinners can save themselves is by accepting Jesus Christ, Jonathan Edwards expresses that Christ “has thrown the door of mercy wide open” (Edwards 9) and he is calling out to “poor sinners” (Edwards 9). Edwards asserts that if sinners welcome Christ into their lives, their hearts will be “filled with love” (Edwards 9) and Jesus will “wash[ed] them from their sins in his own blood” (Edwards 9) and they will rejoice “in hope of the glory of God” (Edwards 9). As well as in this sermon, the acceptance of Christ is expressed in the Bible: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” (Philippians 2:10-11New International Version (NIV) ). Edwards wishes for people to understand the seriousness of their sinful ways, and that letting Jesus into their lives is the only way to God and eternal life. Jonathan Edwards uses vivid imagery in his sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” to make puritans of his congregation fear God and choose the path of righteousness by accepting Jesus

I choose this quote because it is a prime example of the major theme in this book, which is ultimate freedom. McCandless displays his naiveness as well as his view on what is socially valued. This quote is a prime example of Chris’s hunger for ultimate freedom.

Textual-“The Faith, in that wild frontier, is like a buried treasure; they guard it, but they do not know how to use it to their soul’s salvation. A word, a prayer, a service, is all that is needed to set free these souls in bondage. I confess I am covetous of that mission. I desire to be the man who restores these lost children to God.” (p. 207).

The quote is a representation of willpower and

light of all Mankind!" This quote shows that the thoughts of one man taught him more than prestigious

“We’re not meant to disregard others and their stories and simply live these lives unto ourselves”(Rev.

“Everyone has a moment in history which belongs particularly to him. It is the moment when his emotions achieve their most powerful sway over him, and afterward when you say to this person "the world today" or "life" or "reality" he will assume that you mean this moment, even if it is fifty years past. The world, through his unleashed emotions, imprinted itself upon him, and he carries the stamp of that passing moment forever.” This quote established the knowledge of one’ route of life, how one simple moment can change the lives of many for the good or for the bad.

QUESTION: To what extent does this quote connect to the message regarding power in each of your texts?

“When you serve others, you give a piece of your soul away. In return, God comes to fill that empty piece with a piece of Himself.”

“The world we see that seems so insane is the result of a belief system that is not working. To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds”

These pieces of text were considered inspiring. Unlike others, which were not considered inspiring because they were not believed by everyone.

I want to see every situation in light of this truth. I want to understand my own circumstances in light of this truth, and I want to relate to others with the understanding that I am as—if not more—broken and in need of serious repairing as they are. Understanding these verses is how I have come to understand my own brokenness and the grace I have received through healing. It is how I process hurt from and within a broken world. It is how I distinguish lies from truth. It is how I have grown—physically and emotionally—from my frail, shattered past. It is why I dream the way I do. I want to see young lives lifted out of brokenness and see those suffocated by the weight of sin in a fallen world be uplifted and transformed within the spaces in which they spend most of their days. I believe we are called to be an example of this newness and love God extends with no

“Never will I seek nor receive private, individual salvation; never will I enter into final peace alone; but forever and everywhere will I live and strive for the redemption of every creature throughout the world from the bonds of conditioned existence.”