Beliefs, Experiences, & Convictions

I have had several people either comment on my post about my class or made comments in person. So, with that said, I thought I would write a bit more about what's going on there.

The one thing that has really been good from the textbook we've been reading is the notion of beliefs, experiences, and convictions. (By the way, the book is The Adventure of Worship by Gerrit Gustafson. You can order on Amazon if you like.) 

Beliefs are just that – the things that we belief. Experiences are just that – things that we personally experience in life. DUHH! But the key is how they go together. Many times, people have beliefs and experiences separately. But the amazing thing  about the two of these together is that the form a conviction.

BELIEF + EXPERIENCE = CONVICTION

You can have beliefs and experiences separately. Separately, they produce nothing. However, together they produce a conviction. Convictions are those things that we not only believe in, but are also those things that we are convinced of because we have personally experienced them. 

As you think about your own life, what do you really believe in and what are you convinced of? The only difference between the two is the experience that produces the conviction. We need both! 

In my next post, I'll explain what a conviction produces vs. what a belief produces.

Author: Pastor Jon

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