Apr 16, 2018
Who is God and what is He like?
Paul Gray, author of Convertible Conversations and The Fish Net Experience, and co-author of Godly Men Make Godly Fathers discusses these questions and more.
As a musician starting out in the mid-60’s, Paul and his band, the Gaslite Gang, made several national television performances and recorded five albums. Paul was inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as a member of the Junkyard Jazz Band. Paul owned a variety of businesses ranging from five retail music stores to a long-distance telephone company, as well as Paul Gray’s Jazz Place, a popular Lawrence, Kansas, jazz venue where he performed with his group. Concurrently, he served in the United States Army National Guard and Army Reserves for 24 years as a bandmaster.
In 1991, Paul and his wife founded New Life In Christ church and Lawrence, Kansas where to this day they continue to facilitate growing in grace through their members and community. In 1999 their church started a medical clinic for homeless individuals, The Heartland Medical Clinic, where Paul was CEO for 7 years. It continues to serve the medical needs of thousands of patients each year.
Paul’s message “Grace Is Unconditional Love In Action” focuses on helping people experience and enjoy God’s love WITHOUT CONDITIONS for all people. He has found that knowing God personally leads to enjoying and experiencing life at a much higher level.
In today’s chat with Paul, he shares what led him to leave a successful entertainment career to pursue a life in ministry and his deeper discovery of God. He addresses some tough questions about who God is and what He is really like, from his own experience, candidly speaking out about the way many churches have incorrectly approached Christianity and what he believes is the true nature of God. We also discuss Paul’s book Convertible Conversations and how God shows up in the midst of tragedy.
A refreshing look at Christianity and the love that God has for all of us, Paul points out that Jesus hung out with the worst people in society at that time, and actually liked them. This being a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for us, no matter what we’ve done or not done. He also explains how we can hear God, and call on Him whenever we need. Imagine what it would be like to talk with God and have Him guide you through life’s ups and downs! Paul explains how that is possible in your life and mine.
Key Takeaways
1) God is love (agape) – a supernatural love of another kind, unconditional.
2) Jesus hung out with the worst people in society. He liked them.
3) There is a misunderstanding that God is all about rules. He’s not like that at all. He’s about restoration and showing unconditional love.
4) When we hear from God (Truth) something inside of us vibrates – similar to the concept of sympathetic tuning in music.
5) God speaks to us through music, art, literature, other people, nature…it can be an impression, a thought, a word.
6) The church is shifting away from fear-tactics to unconditional love – the true nature of God.
7) God never leaves us - He is with us in the midst of tragedy.
Episode Show Notes: https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/spirituality/173-paul-gray-true-nature-of-god
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