Sonship part 2

Well, we are into the middle of the first full day and Sonship has been awesome. The teachers/speakers have really brought home the reality of the Grace of Jesus Christ and our small group discussions have been pretty open and honest.
Question: What do you call God? Do you call him anything at all? There are a thousand good answers but do you call him, with your whole heart, Father? Realizing that He is your True Father who will never leave nor forsake you.
Question: (and tougher for me) What do you think God calls you? My head says many things like son, redeemed...but my heart, honestly, often says things like "loser," "incompetent one" and "hypocrite." But that isn't what God really calls me. He has redeemed me and continues to redeem me by nothing but the blood and righteousness of Christ, not myself. The great truth that I was saved by His Grace and will continue to be saved (sanctified) by nothing but His Grace is awesome. Paul in Galatians questions us clearly: If you were saved by Christ, then why do you keep running back to yourself to grow in Christ. It is by him, through him and for him that we are and forevermore will be his.

(Gal 3:1-3 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?)

I have a lot to learn and there seems to be such a hard barrier around my heart. But by the Lord's blessing this stuff will sink in beyond the words and theology, into the heart and the way I think, feel, believe, act, react, minister and love.

I'll catch you up in a few days.

Grace and Truth....Brian Land