Bookends Experience

I was reading and discussing Jerry Bridges book Bookends of the Christian life with a couple of friends last weekend. As we read and confessed that we all were in the crosshairs of Bridges' description of self-righteousness, one of the guys who had read the chapter earlier that week said, "I feel like I never read this book until now." He had read it, but it was not until we read outloud and confessed sin togther that he was gripped how much he really needed the gospel. It reminded me too of how we learn: in community with honest and vulnerable friendships.