A parable about what the progression into becoming a spiritually mature people might look like.

1. The Adventures of Jerkface A Roadmap to Being Set Free

2. I would like to introduce you to the MHGS test dummy, Jerkface

3. Jerkface never knew that pouting, when he didn’t get his way, was not a good thing.

4. Jerkface never knew that pouting, when he didn’t get his way, was not a good thing. That’s what he did as a kid, and it seemed to work, in fact, it helped him to always get his way.

5. Jerkface never knew that pouting, when he didn’t get his way, was not a good thing. That’s what he did as a kid, and it seemed to work, in fact, it helped him to always get his way. I suppose by now, you know how he earned his nickname, he was a real Jerkface

6. So one day, Jerkface is wondering why he doesn’t have friends and prays to God. “ Why am I such a Jerkface ?”

7. He comes across a Bible that say something like “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

8. Jerkface instantly knows, somehow inside, that this is what he wants, even though he doesn’t understand it.

9. Jerkface then prays to God, “ Set me free!”

10. Jerkface then prays to God, “ Set me free!” And in spite of the fact that Jerkface doesn’t really know what that means, God himself, answers that prayer.

11. The very next day, Jerkface’s friend says to Jerkface, “ Jerkface, you are a real Jerkface. Every time you don’t get your way, you pout. And I, for one, am sick of it!”

12. So… as usual Jerkface goes and pouts.

13. So… as usual Jerkface goes and pouts. And as was his norm in these types of things, Jerkface went and pouted to another friend about the complaint of friend number 1.

14. Friend number 2 said, “ Well, I don’t know how to say this, but friend number 1 is right.”

15. Though hurt and even more pouty, somehow, Jerkface recognizes that his friend is correct and upon reflection thinks,

16. Though hurt and even more pouty, somehow, Jerkface recognizes that his friend is correct and upon reflection thinks, “ Hey! Maybe this is what God wants set me free from. I am a Jerkface. And I need to stop pouting.”

17. Jerkface has now arrived at the first stage of the Roadmap to Being Set Free.

18. Jerkface has now arrived at the first stage of the Roadmap to Being Set Free. He was PROMPTED by another person to recognize what God was up to in his life.

19. Jerkface has now arrived at the first stage of the Roadmap to Being Set Free. He was PROMPTED by another person to recognize what God was up to in his life. Now remember, he couldn’t recognize it himself, but unlike anytime before, the friends prompting helped him to recognize this whole mess for the first time.

20. Now I would love to tell you that Jerkface instantly became happy face, but I can’t. Why? Jerkface has been a Jerkface for over twenty five years, and well, these kinds of things just don’t happen over night.

21. But Jerkface is on the move. He keeps praying about it.

22. Jerkface even asks his friends, “Hey friends 1 and 2, I know I am a real Jerkface sometimes.” They both nod silently and look at each other and shrug.

23. “ But could you let me know when I do the Jerkface thing I don’t recognize. I really need your help.” Well, they did and it was really annoying, but it helped Jerkface, and even started to help friends 1 and 2 to recognize their own tendencies towards being Jerkfaces in their own sort of way.

24. Then one day, miracle of all miracles, Jerkface noticed on his own, a time that he pouted.

25. He was talking to another friend who disagreed with his take on politics and then, you guessed it, Jerkface pouted and acted like a Jerkface.

26. This time though, three days after, Jerkface remember that he acted like a Jerkface.

27. Immediately, (actually three more days) he called up his friend and said, “ Hey, this is Jerkface. Sorry I acted like a Jerkface the other day when we were talking about politics.”

28. Thus, Jerkface, though it was six days later, recognized all by himself, that this is the one area of life that God was working on and graduated to stage 2, the “ AFTER THE FACT ” stage”

29. Now I would love to tell you that this transition from Jerkface to Happyface only takes a couple of days, but it is pretty complicated and generally takes years, yes I said years, with moments of victory and moments of failure. Let me repeat myself, YEARS!

30. I would also love to stop and talk about why it takes years when God could just do it in blink, but I actually don’t really know. I think it’s cause it helps us to mature in our faith as opposed to becoming selfish little, “give me give mes” ,who are addicted to instant gratification, which isn’t really any better than being a Jerkface, but I am not too sure on all of that either.

31. Back to the main feature.

32. Three years, two months, six days, seven hours, and a second or two later, Jerkface is now to the point where he recognizes almost instantly his horrible need to pout so he can get his way, even though he knows that pouting is really being a Jerkface

33. He doesn’t like it and is sincerely remorseful each and every time, which is approximately 32 times a day - double that if he has to hang out with his parents.

34. He prays to God, “Why are you not setting me free? God says “I am, but stop being a Jerkface about it. Look at all the progress you have made.”

35. Instantly, Jerkface notices that he even pouts to God when he doesn’t get his way and is faced with a huge decision and cries out, “To pout or not to pout. That is the question!”

36. Jerkface then pouts about his pouting.

37. But as more time passes, Jerkface starts to recognize IN THE MOMENT the pouting thing. Right in the middle of conversations he can make the choice to pout or not to pout. At first he chooses to pout. He doesn’t like it. In fact, he hates it. But, it is easier, not to mention the Jerkface pout is all he has ever known.

38. One day, he says, “ What the hey!” and decides not to pout. And guess what, he liked it. It was weird. Really weird.

39. And his friends didn’t know what to do when he said without pouting, “I know we disagree, but I think there are some right things and wrong things about both of our viewpoints.”

40. After their shock of Jerkface’s new attitude, everyone was resuscitated, and they celebrated Jerkface’s new found freedom.

41. Now I would love to tell you that it was this way all the time and with everyone, but it wasn’t that easy.

42. Jerkface was really good with his close friends, but when he hung out with his parents, well you know, they were all Jerkface’s too, which made the whole, IN THE MOMENT thing a little more difficult to master.

43. After more and more victories with his friends, Jerkface soon came to love his newfound choice to be Happyface in the midst of conversation, even disagreement, and learned how to live in the paradox of being both true to himself and to still be a loving friend.

44. Even with Mr. and Mrs. Jerkface Sr.

45. Without much notice or fanfare, this lifestyle actually became his habit. What used to be a bad habit, has now over the course of many PROMPTINGS , a year or so of AFTER THE FACTS , several months of bad choices IN THE MOMENT , followed by some really great choices IN THE MOMENT , is now a SPONTANEOUS happening that is rarely ever Jerkfaced upon.

46. He doesn’t even have to think about it, in fact, the only thing he thinks about is, “ Why did it take me so long to see that I was a Jerkface?”

47. Then God tapped Jerkface on the shoulder and said, “I would like to set you free from your eating habits.” And guess what, Jerkface didn’t even pout about it.

48. WHEN PROMPTED Rod Map to Being Holy IN THE MOMENT AFTER THE FACT SPONTANEOUS With prompting from someone else, I realize “something” about myself that I never noticed With no prompting, I realize this “something” on my own – but after I already did it In the moment, I chose to do the old “something” or the new “something” The norm for my life becomes the new “something” Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.