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Also, let me say this before anyone else does: I know it sounds like a country song.

This makes me all the more grateful to Jesus.

Same as yours,

Dad

Wait, wait, wait–I call shenanigans. That can’t be your list too, Dad, or there are a lot of interesting stories you never told us.

Your son,
Karsten

1) Wrath.
2) Myself.
3) Things.
4) Nihilism.
5) Gluttony.
6) Boredom.
6) Other people. Sentimentality.
9) A variety of isms.
10) Calvinist ancestry.

Maybe it’s time to write some new songs…

How odd. Two sixes and no 7 or 8. Number 11 would have been tiredness, but apparently that’s not made the list.

when were you a successful rockstar?

Esther,

I was saved from success through complete failure.

i see!

my acting career met a similar demise. for which i am now deeply and utterly thankful to God.

1. Independence
2. Indifference
3. Ignorance
4. Immorality
5. Immaturity
6. Indulgence
7. Idolatry
8. Marijuana, Mushrooms, Suicide

God saved me, is saving me, and will save me from these…

1) World of Warcraft Binges
2) The Emo scene
3) Fundamentalism

1 - bitter sarcasm
2 - loneliness
3 - lying (most days)
4 - using alcohol
5 - cynical academic achievements
6 - believing things have to go through my head to get into my heart
7 - reflexively defending my flaws and sins (Now I count ten and deny that I’m about to before I start…)
8 - confusing brains & coping skills with lovability & righteousness
9 - bleeding to death out of the lining in my own stomach
10 - obliviousness to beauty

(OK, this was really hard to do candidly and specifically. I suggest that if you want this meme to take off, you get us to start listing things we’d be happy for God to save our coworkers / pastors / wives / enemies / presidents from…)

KP

I second most of your list. Even #10 — what’s up with #10? - (we almost got hit by a train once in the middle of the night at a train crossing with no safety arms.)

I’d also add: all cigarettes and illegal drugs (never saw the appeal) and gambling (never saw the appeal of that, either.)

God is so good- thanks for sharing Abraham.

1. Terrible money management
2. Being incredibly judgmental (still in progress)
3. Cheesy Christian music
4. Childlessness (which is of course not a sin, but I’m grateful he brought us out of it)
5. Divorce

Oh, and
6. Sharks. Or really any kind of animal attack. Thus far hath the Lord helped me.

Pride that would burst the solar system (and think it could)

callous controversy and domineering

reckless escapades looking for thrill

Being a rockstar (O how I wanted it and O how I’m glad I never got it)

Lust, lust, lust

fearing people

cynical criticism

time wasting

apathy

materialism

(He saved and is saving…

-depression/isolation
-vain intellectualism
-idolatry of rationalism
-fear of man
-insensitivity and a terrible temper
-guilt, guilt, guilt
-journalism school
-pride in achievement
-divorced parents (they got saved too, and just in time)

[...] 10 things we don’t mention in worship songs, but that I’m happy God saved me from. « 22 Words [...]

1.myself
2.selfishness
3.bitterness
4.people pleasing
5.depression
6.poverty
7.drunkeness
8.addiction
9.hoplessness
10.hell

pretty much all these lists and more…
i think “pride that would burst the solar system” belongs in a sovereign grace song…

Ph.D.
Poetry
great hair

I enjoyed this post Abraham. Thanks for putting this together.

I’m grateful I was saved from the self-righteousness that happens when you grow up as a pastor’s kid…

Myself…If left to myself I am capable of these and much more, because things lurk around the corner that I haven’t dreamed of indulging in. But, the all sufficient power of God to deliver us from ourselves when we had not seen the need to be so delivered, is worth singing about.

STDs….I wonder how that would sound in a song?

I think that a worship song that included each of those ten things would make for a very interesting benediction indeed. And probably scare any visitors.

I’m glad Jesus saves even while these things remain problems. He died for me while I was yet a sinner. Still am.

That being said I understand and appreciate your post. I have my own list.

1. Riches
2. Poverty
3. Singleness
4. Friendlessness
5. Facebook Frenzy
6. Not-Knowing-God
7. Being-a-father-lessness
8. CAMPONTHIS Criticism
9. Pre-anaesthetic dentistry
10. Impact of my stupid choices
None of these things have touched me, praise Him

Melissa
STDs….I wonder how that would sound in a song?

Check out: Larry Norman - Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus
http://youtube.com/watch?v=TliWDSLrYb8&feature=related

If I had thought of it at the time I would have included PERFECTIONISM, but know I see my #8 being out of alignment (I typed in Word then cut and paste!) and it is really bothering me, so maybe it was right not to have included it! Sorry mom, hope I didn’t dissapoint you

1) As an apologetics major, I must say I’m a little put off by “philosophy” being on the list. Philosophy has such radical implications for everyday life. Wouldn’t you agree that a person’s eternal destiny depends ultimately about what they believe about God in Christ (aka theology, a discipline of philosophy)?

2) Just to make you think, I am seriously considering completely banning the phrase “illegitimate children” from my vocab. It is such a fundamentally confused term; there are NO illegitimate children, just illegitimate and unwise parents. I know it’s not Christian kosher, but I would say “bastard child” 1000 times more quickly than illegitimate.

In no particular order
1. STD’s
2. Illegitimate Children
3. A life of loneliness
4. Criminal charges of any sort (For the drugs or underage drinking)
5. Homelessness
6. The type of divorced parents that don’t get along (mine do)
7. Premature menopause
8. Carbon Monoxide poisoning
9. Traumatic Brain Injury
10. Flunking out of college

*Sam, you can change my #2 to “Illegitimate and unwise parentage”

1. Myself
2. Abortion
3. Politics
4. Mental Illness
5. Self Esteem / Health Wealth Gospel
6. A severe personality disorder that pushes people away.
7. Greed
8. Comparing my Heavenly Father with my earthly father.
9. Complacency
10. My past

1. Materialism
2. Vapid emotionalism
3. Robotic obedience
4. Boys who I thought were marriage material but (God knew) they were not

1- Jesus Worship
2- Getting caught driving DUI
3- republican politics
4- pre arthroscopy knee surgery
5- believing the doctor who told me to get spine surgery
6- The Unification Church
7- confusing G-d for my father
8- Living anywhere except Georgia
9- cable television
10-Making complete lists

[...] newest frequentfolder blog is twentytwowords. He posted a thingie today called “10 things we don’t mention in worship songs, but that I’m happy God saved [...]

Don’t worry, Sam. Not everyone needs to be saved from the same stuff.

I needed out of philosophy, but I’m glad others don’t.

Regarding the phrase “illegitimate children,” you’re right. I actually have a post about it ready to go, but you pretty much covered it.

I use it because people know what it means, not because it’s ideal.

1. The pride of completing my seminary degree (not that its bad to have one, but I was pride bound)

2. The hopelessness of utter failure because I could not complete my seminary degree.

3. A ruptured appendix that set up gangrene and later abscessed.

4. An adulterous affair (thank God for my faithful wife)

5. The cocaine habit

6. Attempted murder charges

7. Being able to play the blues

8. Deep seated pride (still in progress)

9. Living in my car

10. Always getting what I want (still in progress too).

1. Total Depravity
2. Cocaine/Heroin
3. Homosexuality
4. Prostitution
5. Homelessness
6. Dereliction
7. Institutionalization
8. Humanism
9. Eternal Death
10. Isolation from the brethren

1. Achy-Breaky Heart
2. The Macarana
3. Having to attend a Celine Dion concert

Truly saved me from, or kept me from? They are two different things.

I am thankful, also, for the thinks He has allowed me to go through! Those illegitimate children for instance. [I've always loved that phrase. My children were legitimate children - they were the same as every other child!] God used them to pull me from the Roman Catholic Church because of my indignance at them not wanting to baptize them for me. It was then He drew me to Him.

Praise God and His sovereign grace!

Death (deserved or self-inflicted)
Self-injury
Immorality
Loneliness
Pride
Self-Centeredness
Fearing what people are thinking
Addictions
Unwise relationship choices
The need to please

Robin,

You’re right. It is good that what I have been saved from is not that same as what everyone else has been saved from.

Also, you’re right about the phrase “illegitimate children.” It misplaces blame. I only used it because people know what it means, not because it is accurate.

Abraham,

I didn’t take offense, I promise. I’ve just always found that phrase to be humorous.

I think, in my unsaved state, I said something like “Really? Don’t tell the government because I plan on claiming them!” when the priest suggested my twin boys were illegitimate children.

In no particular order

1) Myself
2) Wasted Life.
3) Getting wasted.
4) The need to be better than others
5)Wrath
6) The need to swear and be cynical
7) Prosperity “gospel” Sexual Immorality
9) Weed.
10) Wasted suffering.

Ah -

So it was eight bracket that became the shaded smiley. I did wonder…

1-Eternal damnation
2-Living hell
3-Myself
4-Armenian theology
5-Suicide
6-Despair
7-Going to college when I was sixteen and totally unprepared (maybe at 18 I still am?)
8-Foolish friends
9-Home-churching (not that it’s inherently bad, but I’m so glad to be in the church that I’m at now)
10-A life without purpose

[...] The past few days Speaking of cleverness and virtue… This blog post was one of the most helpful thing I read all week.  There’s not too much to it, [...]

1) chat rooms
2) expensive things
3) people-pleasing
4) scaring girls with declarations of undying love
5) denial
6) emasculation
7) misplaced shame parents
9) MySpace
10) self-pity

being ashamed of admitting my mistakes

1. Suicide
2. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
3. Sexual perversion and depravity
4. Successful Rockstardom
5. Pornography
6. Fornication
7. Drunkeness
8. Depression
9. Broken back and paralysis after an ATV accident
10. Guilt (still struggle with this one, but I believe I am saved anyways)

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