The Cure: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you?

First a little backstory. I'm a pastor in a church community that went through a pretty hefty transition in the last two years. A couple in our community saw all the backed-up broken ways that we as a pastoral staff were living (If you want a summary read "How The Mighty Fall" by Jim Collins. He might as well be writing about us). Safe to say, we were a mess. And worse, we didn't even know we were in a mess. It just was miserable and seemed to be the reality of ministry. Endless doing hoping to make people and God happy with us, trying to get on the good side of the One who made us, so that He wouldn't punish us. Or something. It's been awhile. I try not to think about it too much. But what I really remember was that it wasn't fun. It wasn't real. It was hopeless and we were on a fast track to burnout or worse. So this before-mentioned couple paid to send us all to a TrueFaced conference. One of the pastors transitioned out before the conference, so it was just myself, my wife and the other pastor & his wife. John Lynch, Bruce McNicol, and Bill Thrall, in those few short days, changed everything for us. Everything they were identifying as broken, as living in "The Room of Good Intentions" was us.Without fail.We were a desperate bunch, hiding behind masks and playing "church" - we barely knew each other or how to move forward (in spite of our knowing each other for years). But they started to talk about something else - a "Room of Grace" - a place where we could be truthful and honest about who we really were, that we no longer had to try and please God because He was already pleased with us in His Son. That He was crazy about us, that we didn't need to impress Him. That He didn't count our sins against us, but rather stood with us and we sorted through our sin. That we were not sinners, but saints who sin. That sin didn't define us, He did. And we didn't need to hide in our shame of who we thought we were still, but who He says we are now.We needed to trust Him.We sat at the back of the room and wept as the Holy spirit moved in us.Everything changed.When we went home we decided to live this out.There was something that the TrueFaced [TF] Experience conferences had - a dynamic and deeply personal story - that was incredibly helpful in understanding and moving toward living in grace. It was these conferences & the original TrueFaced books that we continued to bring teams to and talk about as a Community. Along with the original TrueFaced books, in the last couple years, the TF team put out another book called Bo's Cafe (also excellent) - a fictional story based in and telling of the principles of living in a community of grace. It was in this story that the heart of TF was explained and shown in a incredibly simple way - one that connected to many within our Community and moved a lot of folks out of the "Room of Good Intentions". It put the concepts of the conferences/books into a everyday context that was honest and helpful. This fall, The Cure (or TF 2.0) came out, and it put into words so much of what we had heard in different contexts and places from the TF team, embodying the further telling of the story in a consistently personal and theological way (the footnotes alone are worth the price of admission). It delves deep into what it looks like to live out our lives out of who He says we are. I'm excited to have this tool to help our folks continue to grow in their knowledge of who we are in Christ.The real core of what The Cure talks about are the many things that are expounded through the lives of John, Bruce, Bill, David & the folks at/around around the TrueFaced ministry. It is a distillation of the conferences, books, podcasts and blogs that have talked about/modeled extensively Who He is, and His love for us. This is what makes it so helpful. It isn't just a book that you will read and think - "Man, I would love to live that way - but I have no idea how to get there - so why bother?" Instead, it is based out of lives lived in the Room of Grace - and because of that - it will startle you with it's honestly and frankness on the struggles to live out a life really trusting Him. It isn't a solo effort, and because of that the TF team offers a community of folks and a ton of resources that will help you on the journey.It's powerful and simple. It will change how you see Him & yourself. It will change everything.

The Cure is an immensely powerful book. It reminds us to be the kind of Christians we think we are. It delves deeply into the topic of judgmentalism, something we all have, but are loathe to admit.

My daughter read The Cure referred it to me. I read it and bought it for a Christian friend. All three of us gave it five stars.

This is a transforming book. It reads both like a fictional story and a non-fiction investigative report into your spiritual wellbeing. Over the years I have read a lot of books and workbooks to clear out the lies of the enemy. So, I was surprised how this book still hit my heart. Poignant questions have you probe your heart to determine what you actually believe about God and yourself versus what you thought you believed or what you like to present to the world.I think if you honestly considered the questions presented there is no way you can leave this book without being transformed. With only seven chapters and seven discussion guides it is an easier read. However, it’s probably best to do one chapter and one discussion guide per week to let things settle in. I did this by myself, but it would be very rewarding to do it with a partner or group.

i decent read depending on your beliefs. I enjoyed the book and also Bo's Cafe. Please see my guide belowSummary“The Cure” is a book about your relationship with God. Love, Grace and Authenticity.• We can never resolve sin by working on it (PG 17)• The real trick is to allow the desires of the new heart come out (PG 20)• Self protection is one of the world’s greatest oxymorons. We’re the only person in the world we don’t have the potential to protect (PG 24)• No one told me that when I wear a mask, only my mask receives love (PG 30)• Maybe we’ve learned a new vocabulary and can rearrange the furniture on our behaviors (PG 33-34) reference from Bo’s café.• Among damaging behaviors (PG37)o We become Highly sensitized to our sin and judge the sin of otherso We lose our objectivity in crisis and become the issueo We hide our sinful behaviors and become vulnerable to more sino We are unable to love or be lovedo We become more susceptible to wrong life choiceso We attempt to control other• Trusting and leaning upon Christ in you is the source of every shred of strength, joy, healing and peace (PG 45”)• We watched an inevitably tightening cyclone of increasing despair (PG 61)o Building defenseso Thinking unhealthy self-thoughts (shame-driven Lies)o Being temptedo Trying to resist sino Hiding secretso Acting outo Withdrawing from otherso Justifying behavioro Blaming people and circumstanceso Feeling shameo Losing hope• You can another what is going on inside before it happens. And the moment you do-at any point along the way- the cycle stops. The power of sin is broken. (PG 61)• Learn to confess the sin I intend to commit rather than confessing the sin I’ve carried out. (PG 62)• What if repentance wasn’t a promise from you to God but a gift from God to you? (PG 71)• Order of forgiveness (PG 73-77)o I have to admit something has happenedo I must get in touch with the consequences of the act done anainst meo I must tell God what happened to meo I must forgive the offender, for my benefito I tell the offender I’ve forgiven him when he repents, for his sakeo I must distinguish between forgiving and trusting my offendero I must seek reconciliation, not just conflict resolution• One of the most satisfying, visible gifts of the room of grace is rediscovering vulnerable life giving relationships (PG 83)• There are two very distinctly different kinds of friends (PG 88)o Negative influencers will demand your trust of them, as a condition of their support. But it is a trust for their benefito Positive influencers ask permission to earn trust. They will wait for permission to be let in• The entirety of your life in Christ is about learning to receive love (PG 90)• Life in the room of grace teaches us to wait for God’s exaltation rather than to pursue position or power. The timing is perfect. We’re no longer in a hurry. For one thing, our dreams are being clarified as our sin is being resolved (PG 103)• Life in the Room of Grace might be put into 3 phraseso Healing the woundedo Maturing the healingo Releasing the maturing

I love the story in this book because it gives such great perspective. The author does a great job of explaining what it is like to try to please God versus living in HIs grace. This is such a wonderful book at explaining God's heart and causes you to see areas that you may be striving to please God by the things you do in your life rather than trusting that God loves you and that you don't have to do certain things or act certain ways to get his approval.

This book is so amazing for our days!!!It's necessary for all kind of people!To live without masks today is a big challenge, but the love of Jesus encourages us ever and ever.

An incredible resource for the journey. I was encouraged and challenged...the truth always serves to bring freedom. I've begun giving this book out regularly as gifts and will continue to have this book as a go to for giving away. It is a FANTASTIC small group resource for those who are serious about being real in their walk with Jesus, focusing less on performance and more on learning to trust God and others with who we really are.(Note: This particular book when ordered on Amazon didn't include the DVD of the newest version in print ordered straight from TrueFace.)

Outside of the Bible, this is the most helpful and profound book I’ve ever read about God. It has helped me move away from trying to manage my sin to please God to living in grace through Jesus by trusting God and the new identity Jesus has given me. I have a new heart, nature, identity, and life because of Jesus. We mature by believing our new identity and what God says is true about us, not by trying harder to not sin. I read this book about once per year and have done so the past 4 years, and I almost never read a book more than once. I can’t fully tell you the good God has used this book to do in my heart and life. If you only read one more “Christian Living” book the rest of your life, make it this one.

Loved this book, so worth reading

I had to return the book to the publisher due to the poor binding quality. Hope to get a different copy through some other publication in the future.