The Free Believers Network - Into the Wild

Darin and Aimee talk about what “relationship with God” looks like outside organized religious meetings. So many of us have been given a picture of exactly what to strive for with God. Each of us has been raised in a system that gives us stock answers and expectations. If we take away the clichés and super spiritual pictures of what it’s supposed to look like, what will we have left? For some reason there is a constant tug in each of us to acquire the type of relationship with God that Moses had. We want to see God with our eyes, hear Him with our ears and touch Him with our fingers. The idea of Him living inside of us and being ONE with us has become unattractive to modern day Christians. What does the New Testament relationship have over the Old?

Darin and Aimee talk about how institutional christianity constantly looks at issues and makes judgments based on law and doctrine rather than looking at the real heart of the matter. The love of God goes deeper into the individual and has a different answer for each person according to their heart. Learning to function in that love is not something that can be taught or mapped out. Seeing the heart of the matter takes authentic love and is nearly impossible for the religious. This is an amazing conversation about refocusing our eyes to what really matters in any situation.

Darin and Aimee talk about learning the language of the heart and not having to hear things in the prescribed churchy “lingo” we’ve been raised with. Often times people become so inundated with the language and mannerisms of a group they are involved with that they can no longer look past external expressions and see the heart. This is a human problem of the flesh. Heart people can see past any language or action and get straight to the meaning that lies behind. Living in the wild requires us to speak a thousand languages and understand them all. Only through love is this possible.

Darin and Aimee talk about how sometimes we are baited back into the “performance christianity” world with super spiritual stories we hear from traveling evangelists. For some reason there is a part inside of all of us that desires a fleshy relationship with God rather than an intimate internal relationship. Walking away from modern day Churchianity is like putting down a pornography addiction. It continues to entice you and call you back. The excitement of what is promised in the Church sometimes outweighs the consistency of what is actually possible. Finding contentment in the real thing is what it’s all about in the end.  

Darin, Aimee Dassele and Amy Ramos talk about Darin's latest Blog post, "Ready, Set, LIVE" and how people have responded to it. This is a discussion about how there is a point in each of our walks where we must move on from the IC conversation to actually living life. The revelation of grace and love is something that brings us all back to the starting line of life. Many people confuse that starting line with the finish line and they mistakenly believe that their freedom from the IC is what it's all about. Living life in our new freedom and moving on from the same conversation about our past bondage is a necessary part of life in the wild. 

Darin, Aimee Dassele and Amy Ramos talk about how in the Institutional world we are often convinced to ignore what we really want in life and desire what we should want. In the midst of trying to want what you “should” want, many of us lose track of who we really are. Sometimes in life you have to come to a point where you are just truthful with yourself about who you are and what you desire. Whether right or wrong, knowing who you really are is key to knowing and relating to the Father. We spend more time trying to be something we aren’t then we do just being who we are and living life from there.

Darin and Robert discuss the institutional mentality that tells us we have to stay in relationships that are abusive because it’s the “Christian” thing to do. As each of us take responsibility for our own lives we come to a point where we must decide if we want real friends or fake friends. The Church world has taught many of us to give in to having fake friends in the Name of Jesus. Authentic relationship happens when you are honest with yourself about who is taking from you and who isn’t. It’s not a matter or being unforgiving or hateful, but it IS a matter of standing up for yourself and demanding authentic relationship. Real relationship adds too life. It doesn't deplete it. 

Darin and Aimee talk about the modern day Christian view of God and punishment. It seems we attach our fear of punishment on just about everything having to do with God. Our theology plays a big role in our thinking this way. If it is true that "perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment;" we must be missing something. Until we understand exactly what happened on the cross we will always be tied to this fearful way of thinking.

Darin and Aimee talk about whether or not it's okay to distance ourselves from abusive family members. At what point is it okay to pull someone from your life? Are we supposed to endure regular abuse because we're Christians? This is a great talk that most Free Believers can relate to. Getting out of the institutional church world is one thing, but getting that world of fake friendships out of you is another. Many Free Believers find that once they're out of the religious system, they have to re-prioritize their "relationships." Getting rid of "fake friends" and demanding real relationship is perhaps the hardest step that any of us could take. There's a wilderness of loneliness that's inevitably at the beginning of that process.

Darin and Amy have a brilliant conversation about the difference between institutional relationships and real relationships. Everything in Christianity is separated into categories. Prayer, worship, giving, bible reading, etc..... However, when you have a real relationship with God everything melts together and happens naturally on it’s own. You don’t have to keep track and count everything you do. Leaving the world of categories and trusting that something natural may develop is the first step for most Free Believers to find something authentic with God.

Darin and Amy Ramos question whether the revelation on God’s heart is God’s responsibility to give it or a person’s responsibility to receive it. How much of this is in our hands and how much is in God’s hands? The discussion takes a turn about midway and they begin talking about the lopsidedness through which many people view the heart of God today. Many hurting Free Believers find themselves creating their own safe version of God because they’ve been spiritually abused for so long in the past. While this is fine for a season and many times completely necessary, could it be that we are cheating ourselves out of having the full package relationship with God thats out there for each of us?

Darin and Robert talk with David Fredrickson from Family Room Media. The three talk about what it means to have our identity in Christ. This is a topic that is so over taught in Christian circles that it seems to have lost it’s punch. Many of us have either freely given our identities away or they been stripped from us by our religion. The sad result is seen in the lost mindsets of this generation. People have almost completely lost touch with themselves. Helping believers rediscover the path to finding their identity once again is a passion that The Free Believers Network and Family Room Media share together.

Darin and Robert have a great discussion with David Fredrickson from Family Room Media in Sacramento California. David is a man of great wisdom who has been a Free Believer for many years. He is a former Pastor who came to the knowledge of the truth and proceeded to take his entire congregation out to the wild and release them. This is a great discussion between three friends who love people and are committed to spreading freedom as far as it takes to reach the world. 

Darin and Aimee have an interesting discussion about how easy we Christians tend to bring judgment down on ourselves for taking part in anything that could be considered "self medicating." Most Christians have been confronted at least one time in their life about their consumption of things like caffeine, Nicotine, Alcohol or any other mind altering substance. Many of us fall into the trap of over analyzing our every motive with everything we do. We worry excessively whether or not we're self medicating or slowly becoming addicted to something. Are we running from our problems? Are we rejecting what God has for us and relying on something else? Are being mastered by something other than God? Are we not finding enough joy in Christ that we have to substitute it with medication? These questions can drive us crazy and deplete our happiness in the wild.

Darin and Robert have an interesting discussion about embracing our humanity. So many times in Christian circles we are encouraged and even dared to step outside of our humanity, despise it, ignore it and even lie to others about it. We have been raised to believe that there is something wrong with our flesh. Many Christians have fallen into the trap of trying to make believe that they are all spirit and they should reject any human part of themselves. Could it be that true spirituality is actually embracing our humanness and living openly and honestly within that realm?