For as in Adam all die, so
also in Christ all will be made alive.
1 Thessalonians 5:5 NASB
for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not
of night nor of darkness;
Both verses are from the
message I shared with our church yesterday, and they remind me of the things
God says are true about me. I have been
made alive through Jesus. I am a child
of God and of light.
That is not easy to apply
because as a human we aren’t always able to understand spiritual concepts and
truth. God says we are forgiven and
changed by the grace of God through the death of Jesus. My mind tells me that I am unworthy. God says otherwise. It is not natural to think the way God
thinks, but that is where the grace of God comes in to place.
Often I am overwhelmed by
God’s grace. That begins with how He
treats me and how He loves me. I am
overwhelmed by the way that God’s grace has brought people far from God back to
Him. Several people come to mind, some
in our church and some outside.
That’s where I am going to
start this Monday mind dump, with God’s grace.
> On New Year’s eve
Julie and I spent some time on the Blue Ridge parkway. The creation declares God’s glory. The valleys and the mountains scream the
goodness of our God. I enjoy that.
> Looking back on 2015
there are many things that stand out to me as God’s grace. It is often the unexpected blessings that
remind me of how much God loves us.
Before I knew my need, God knew my need and began to meet that
need. That is God’s grace.
> As I was preaching
yesterday a message about letting go of lies that keep us from believing God, I
noticed a person at church that has an incredible story. This person made some horrible choices over
the last couple years and lost most of their possessions and
relationships. The awesome thing is that
person was sitting next to their spouse as their marriage was restored as was
their faith. That’s grace.
> Over the last few
weeks I’ve asked my kids to step up in a few areas, and I watched as they did
more than I asked. I am proud of my
kids.
> My dad called one day
last week. I love to talk to him and to
hear that he’s doing good. Sure do miss
my mom, and I am grateful that dad seems to be doing well. Pray for him as I am.
> There was a situation
last week I had to be part of that was very hard. One of the things that helps me be strong are
the people around me that encourage me to do more and to do what is right.
> For the last 10 weeks
I have been meeting with a group of men.
In our time together last week I listened to these men talk about their
desires for the New Year and becoming better men, fathers, husbands and Christ
followers. These guys make me better. That is God’s grace too.
> We began a challenge
at church yesterday at church to raise $25,000 over the next two months to help
us move in to our new campus. One of our
leaders shared with me some of the money that has already been given. We’re off to a great start. More news on that later.
> Scripture is another
place where I can be embraced by the grace of God. From the Old Testament and on to the New
Testament the past week has been amazing through the verses I’ve read. Grace was almost jumping off the page. You really can experience the peace of God.
The year ahead has days,
weeks and much opportunity ready for you and for me. The opportunity for spreading God’s grace is
abundant. Share your stories of how you
meet God and how He shows you His grace.
There’s much more
ahead. Have a great week!
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
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