grace during struggle

There are so many things in life that we just don’t understand. There are also lots of things that are out of our control. Difficult times are going to come our way. Let’s get some perspective.

James 1:2-4 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Think about and hold on to joy when the difficult times come your way. That doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. What does make sense is that there is something or best yet someone who has everything in control when it is out of my control. That same person knows all will be ok when those difficult times seem overwhelming.

The struggle is real. But so is God’s Amazing Grace. It is a must to decide before something happens how you are going to respond. You cannot predict everything, but we can plan and do our best. That is to lean on the one who has control and will get me through.

That is where faith comes in. Real faith is amazing. And real faith is resting in His amazing grace.

We continue a series at church based upon the hymn Amazing Grace, and Sunday I focused on the third verse.

verse 3

Through many dangers, toils and snares

We have already come

'Twas grace that brought us safe thus far

And grace will lead us home

That is only o verse of the song, but that has to be our reality. When the tough times come, we have to have something or someone to hang on to. And that is our God who gave us Himself. He gave us His love and passion to care us though the most difficult times.

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

May our lives demonstrate the truth of God’s grace.

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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