Friday, February 06, 2009
GRACE
- Our goal everyday should be to show to others the same grace and the same mercy that God has shown us. We might not think they deserve it ... but neither do we.
- Churches ought to be competing to "out-grace" their rivals.
- I hate the fact that Jesus saw a need to add the ungracious older brother into the story of the Prodigal son. I've played the older brother too many times in my life.
- It's God's grace, and He can give it to anyone He chooses.
- The church should love the blue haired 16 year-old teen who looks like he's just crawled out of a tackle box as much as they do their blue haired little old ladies.
- Everyone is important to God. He loves the man in prison just as much as He loves me. God loves the homeless man just as much as He loves me. God love the unemployed on welfare as much as He loves me. God loves the 3-time divorcee as much as He loves me.
- Jesus met a woman who had been married five different times and was shacking up with another man. Yet Jesus found her incredibly important and salvation worthy.
- If God can forgive me of my sins, then I have no right to hold a grudge against someone who's wronged me.
- Grace should be Christianity's best gift to the world.
What are your thoughts on grace?
(COMMENT OF THE DAY: jerriann said... "If only you knew the real me, like God does, you wouldn't like me, you would find nothing good in me. Without Christ, I am every sin He paid for. We never really know what other people are dealing with. If we can begin to see, as God sees, then we could come to understand the love that God has for His children. Hurting people hurt people.Ephesians 3: 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Amazing Grace.")
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20 Comments:
Of course, the older brother was the whole point of the story when Jesus told it. I think all too many times we leave him out of the telling, forgetting what God wants to tell us about how we treat others.
Great reminder. Thanks!
I think some churches need to spend more time remembering the blue haired old ladies and less time catering to the blue haired 16 year olds. Everyone needs Christ, and some churches forget that with their attempt to maintain 'relevance'.
This is one of my favorite quotes, "The biggest difference between you and God is that God doesn’t think He’s you.” ~ Anne Lamott
Once I began to have a more open mind and heart to the Grace of God...it changed my life!!! I don't know of any other way to say it......peace...
I have learned so much about grace in the last few years, and it is absolutely a most beautiful and incredible gift from our Father-which He has also asked us to bestow upon others in a different way.
Grace really IS amazing, and I am so thankful for the way God rains His grace on us!!
Great post-thanks for sharing!! :)
Grace is beautiful...and you have described it beautifully.
May Grace abound!!
Great post, Trey! I remember years ago when a visiting preacher spoke at the church in Florida. His topic was on the vineyard workers who were paid the same for working an hour as the ones who had worked all day. His point was that we don't understand grace and we don't like grace. I had n ever heard anything like it in churches of Christ and it opened my eyes in many ways. When I began to talk more about grace, I was chastised both publicly and privately by the other preacher.
Great post Trey,
I just pray that I learn to have the grace needed to see people the way Jesus did!
Grace...what a concept! Thanks God!
In the words of a wise Blogger I know, "Church is for wierdos" and so is grace. We lead more people to God through showing grace than passing judgement.
AMEN, Trey. I love your spirit, brother. Sadly, it's 180 degrees opposite from the message of the lectureship I just attended at one of "our" schools.
Keep proclaiming the message of God's wonderful love. The world about us is starved for it, especially the church!
Blessings, Jeff
Just this morning I was pondering this grace thing in light of the woman at the well. I've always assumed she was told to go and sin no more....yet, I assumed she surely did.
I wondered if I "assumed" such because I lack the understanding of God's grace...His powerful grace.
It matters not really how it worked out. For certain, it is spelled out in the Word; grace abounds over sin....not the other way around.
Saul to Paul...grace doesn't get much larger than that. And I'm all for church's "outgracing" one another, as long as they maintain reverence for God among their relevance.
Great thoughts!
I did a class from Yancy's book on grace a couple of years ago. I remember seeing very bewildered faces in the crowd (probably because I didn't know what I was talking about). It is a subject that frees people much more than others feel it should.
"Churches ought to be competing to "out-grace" their rivals."
Churches and Rivals in the same sentence......hmmmmm...but I understand your point.
Lance
God's grace is found in the life and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. Thanks to God and his Son. AMEN
One of my goals in life is to NOT become a bitter, resentful, and defensive old man. God's grace is my only hope in reaching that goal.
Have to admit that I'm kinda struggling a bit with the concept of Grace when it comes to people who deliberately light fires in the middle of an excessive heatwave. :( I know, they deserve it as much as anyone does.
Have you heard the news of the horrific number of deaths due to bushfires over here (well, not near me - in another state)?
Grace is a gift which will never be deserved nor will ever need to be earned as if one could. We must be willing to give this same grace we yearn so much to receive in return and yet we so many times can't afford to give it back. Not that we can't but that we just won't! Can't and won't 2 very different concepts.
Thanks again Trey! God bless and have bookoos of fun with your new Blackberry! :)
The most gracious thing about God's grace is that is teaches us how to live.
Titus 2:11-12 - "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."
I am thankful God didn't leave me ignorant of who I am supposed to be.
If only you knew the real me, like God does, you wouldn't like me, you would find nothing good in me. Without Christ, I am every sin He paid for.
We never really know what other people are dealing with. If we can begin to see, as God sees, then we could come to understand the love that God has for His children. Hurting people hurt people.
Ephesians 3: 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Amazing Grace.
I love your blog, great inspiration.
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