Ep. 10 Scars of Grace: Embracing Our Woundedness for Wholeness | Russell Joyce

Living the Grace Life

"What parts of your story would you prefer to keep hidden?"

My guest today poses this probing question as the starting point for embracing our woundedness on the way to wholeness. Why would anyone risk such exposure? Because rather than love us despite our brokenness, God bends low and welcomes us amid our weakness.

Russell Joyce was born with a rare craniofacial disorder called Goldenhar syndrome, where the left side of his face was underdeveloped. Multiple surgeries marked Russell with scars that went deeper than the procedures themselves. Following an intimate moment with his then-fiance Anna, Russell began the arduous road of identifying his deepest wound and living with the conviction that the Lord desires to meet us in our woundedness.

In this episode of 'Living the Grace Life' with Jennifer Sakata, guest Russell Joyce shares his profound journey of embracing scars and experiencing wholeness through woundedness. In his book, His Face Like Mine: Finding God's Love in Our Wounds, Russell reminds his readers that Jesus went first. Hope lives in the scars of Jesus and what He's done. In our conversation, you will hear: The three movements of grace in Russell's book His Face Like Mine:

• truthfulness around our woundedness
• grace as God's Presence and welcome
• scars as an invitation to live the grace life

Russell is the director of Four Square Multiply, the church planting movement of the Foursquare denomination. He also serves as lead pastor of Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon with his wife Anna and their two sons.

Tune in to hear how God's love unfolds in the depths of our brokenness and how embracing our woundedness is the transformative journey of grace toward wholeness.

Grace Quotes from Russell Joyce:

"It's in the depth of our deepest woundedness that God is most clearly revealed."

"In this house, we don't take a sip of grace. We pour our entire souls into that cup of life."

"On the cross, we realize there's no part of the human condition too ugly for the lips of Christ."

"The most important thing that the church can offer the world is the courage to boast in our scars, to hold up what were previously embarrassing wounds that have been healed for a watching world that is still dying in its own woundedness, afraid to show its own wounds and say, 'Hey, look what Jesus did in me.'"

Key Scripture from our conversation:

"Each time he said, 'My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weakness, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Resources mentioned:

• Russell Joyce's website
• Same Jesus Podcast with Russell Joyce and AJ Swoboda
• Russell Joyce on Instagram
• Information about Grief Journaling here

Complete show notes here

Connect with Jennifer:

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