Continuing on from Part 1 and for that matter, reflections on 2 Corinthians.

• Everything is rubbish next to knowing Jesus.
• True joy results in overflowing generosity. Therefore, it is possible (as ridiculous as it seems) to avoid joy in order to avoid giving.
• The life of faith is not about gathering resources to increase effectiveness, it’s about falling in love with Jesus.
• You can’t win spiritual battles with worldy weapons and the attempt to do so amounts to idolatry.
• The mobilisation of people begins with the loving of people.
• Paul’s poise in crisis extends from a 100% certainty of experience with Jesus.
• Before there is an authority problem, there’s a relationship problem.
• Resilience and stability are NOT learnt behaviours, they are an outflow of knowing the truth.
• God does not fix or delete our weakness because his power is displayed thru it.
• You can’t let two lights shine at once, one will always be brighter than the other.
• It is because God is passionate for HIS glory that he uses the weak.
• To the unrepentant heart, the purest of loves looks toxic.
• Greater self-awareness brings greater responsibility to make the right choice.
• Nothing implies crucifying the flesh like leading by example.
• Look for points of similarity not difference.
• Ambition is like fire, used with wisdom it can provide warmth for  others but without wisdom it can burn your house down.
• The testing of faith is really the only doorway to certainty of faith.
• Heroes require the ones they save in order to justify their existence. Jesus needed no one, hence why he could take the role of servant.
• As long as you want to be the hero, you’ll struggle to tell people about Jesus.
• Introspection has its limits, put down the mirror that you may draw water

Lastly, the journey thru Exodus began.

• It was God’s plan that got them in, it was God’s plan that will get Israel out.
• The best way to resource people is to teach them how to pray.
• If Satan can swindle one generation, the whole story is lost.
• Satan can manipulate the hearts of kings, but God allows the thrones to be occupied in the first place.
• God doesn’t appoint slave drivers, Satan does.
• Slavery is the first step to extermination.
• The promises of God always outweighs the odds against their fulfilment.
• The midwives know that there is no point in negotiating with evil…and they are rewarded for their discernment.
• It’s easy to argue from scripture surrounded by your mates, but only true faith can perceive a great cloud of witnesses that exist in every context.
• Miracles happen where there is courage.
• The answer that seems most accessible is not necessarily the most powerful, helpful or suitable.
• When words of encouragement don’t sink in, it’s often because deep down we’re asking mortals to do only what God can; quell the fear of inadequacy.
• By faith Moses’ mother relinquishes him. By faith she receives him back.
• It’s important to take care of yourself, but what really wears us out more than anything is constant self-concern.
• The first task of leadership is to recognise that you’re not the one in leadership. God is.
• Stay with God long enough to ‘take your shoes off’ and hear how he plans to navigate the future.
• Pay attention to the fact that God is always paying attention.
• Prayer is where decision and response collapses down into the same moment.
• God gives Moses a sign that Moses is only going to actually see if he takes God at his word first. (Ex 3:12)
• Failure always raises the question of identity.
• God answers protest with assurance….because he knows where our protests really come from. Our fears.
• I worry less post-prayer.
• Nothing causes us more misery than the desire to be fulfilled by God more than to worship God.
• Discernment trumps strategy.
• God sows peace that he may be worshipped.
• If you  have to ‘sell a vision’ it’s not God’s will.
• When we give God excuses, he says “give me what you have.”
• God prepares both the task and the hands to perform it.
• The idea that once something is resolved, it will never have to be addressed again in future is stupid, even arrogant.
• To lead a people who are addicted to the familiar, God prepares a person who knows precisely what it is to be addicted to the familiar.
• God knows how much allowing Moses to have Aaron with him with cost him in the future.
• A command from God is perfect in its suitability and timing.
• God keeps us on our knees until we learn to pray standing up.
• You can’t really love unconditionally without faith. Without faith you’re looking to the object of affection for relationship outcomes.
• God educates Moses as much as he is freeing Israel. That is, He is already preparing the message for Israel in 40 yrs time.
• Being God’s servant requires faith more than it requires breathing.
• When all the gods are dethroned, if you don’t have the one true God, what do you have?
• It is a privilege to learn from the judgement of others. It is wisdom to make the most of the opportunity.
• The devil is not in the detail. The truth is in the detail, the devil is in the assumption.
• The prayer life of the idolaterer exists only in times of crisis.
• The quest for true love is really the quest for true rest.
• Philosophy: the attempt to explain why things aren’t quite right without mentioning God.
• God is either the focus of our worship or the biggest inconvenience in our lives.
• Judgement is revelation.
• You don’t really trust God until you trust his timing.
• God’s wrath is timed and scheduled, not sporadic or unpredictable.
• It’s possible for short term obedience to be produced by a self-ish aching for relief.
• The impulse of sin is to present one’s self as a living sacrifice to..the self.
• Maybe someone can regularly go a few days with out prayer and reflection. I can’t, so I’ll glory in that weakness.
• Nothing is more dangerous that strategy informed by panic.
• How can doubt ultimately survive a 2-way conversation?
• The more you have to lose, the more difficult it is not to fall into the illusion of immortality.
• It’s possible to engage in confession without repentance.
• To be absolutely accepted by someone is the most affirming and terrifying thing. They won’t run when you’re at your worst…and hence you have no excuses for not traversing the valleys.
• God confronts Moses, on the way. (Ex 4:24)
• Power can induce reverence, but worship comes out of an experience of personal love.
• Unrelenting urgency leads to idolatry.
• When God reveals his name, he reveals his desire to be known.
• Israel, when Moses turns up, have spent their entire lives hearing stories of God’s power and  provision whilst living according to Pharaoh.
• The first and most valuable answer to prayer is that prayer is the answer.
• Reticence is not automatically humility, but more often pride in sheep’s clothing.
• Clarity costs time.
• God uses people for reasons rendered invisible to the eyes of men.
• My greatest mistakes have often come about thru the pace at which i have made my decisions.
• For the hardened heart, authority is always tied to ability or power.
• An external miracle is never going to fix only what an internal miracle can. (Ex 7:8-9)
• God knows the heart. Through prayer he reveals its condition back to us.
• It’s not about what we do, it’s about who we do it with.
• Satan loves compartmentalised spirituality as you can never see you need for grace until you really consider how much God sees every facet of your being.
• To choose to overlook an insult for the sake of the unity of God’s people is an act of worship.

So there we go, that was my ‘spiritual year’ in a collection of insights.

Hope some of it was helpful.

Bless ya:)