Posts with the tag “grace”

Have you ever met someone who claimed to follow Jesus but seemed to live like a GrINO? They mentioned grace a lot but misrepresented what it was and manifested so little of it. Maybe they met you with expectations, exhortations, and laws but very little love or acceptance. For others it’s the variety found in Jude 3-4 instead of the Rom. 1:5, 5:20-6:2. Grace isn’t vain. It is life-giving because it deals with sin: self-righteousness and license. We make it visible and accessible to others by committing to never being a GrINO (Grace In Name Only)! Jesus tells a story to affirm the rightness of forsaking all to build God’s kingdom not our own. Where many find principles of equity, equality, and one’s rights the story reveals a principle that is not so obvious about living in God’s economy: Amazing grace (From Matt. 20:1-16).   Read More

Have you ever been perplexed by a decision you or someone you know has made? What was I thinking! What were they thinking!? We all have! Good or bad decisions have consequences. We control the choices but not the consequence. In fact, when we find ourselves facing problems because of poor choices, we may not be able to change the past, or present circumstances, but we can change our attitude and approach to the problem in a way that positively affects the future. The harmful ways people choose to handle problems, the ruin wrought in relationships, the things they turn to, run from, or attempt to hide in the midst of fears, failures, and faults is legend – and it goes all the way back to the beginning: (From Gen 2:15-17, Gen. 3:1-8). One little bite changed everything! Humanity happens to us all. Blame Adam! But how we respond to the messes we make is consequential. Friend don’t run and hide. God will meet you in the crises, calamities and conundrums of our own making. Let's look at three questions God asks when were in a conundrum and hiding from Him:   Read More

If you could choose the greatest challenge to unity in the church, what would you pick? What stumbling-block or sin separates us the most? Is it an action or an attitude? 1 Corinthians deals with both. Winning people from our culture gets messy and problems manifest themselves at times within the church. We complicate it with our contentions. But he starts with arguably our greatest challenge: Self-will. (From 1 Cor. 1:10-18)  Read More

If you’ve ever been around someone who sensed a “call” upon their life and took it, you know how influential their testimony is. They were living a certain way, struggling with some challenge, viewing life through a distorted lens… Then came the call, they answered it, and everything changed! The Christian’s calling changes everything too! We’re called to radical transformation via urgent evangelization while in a continuous state of spiritual development, all by the power of the same indwelling Spirit of Jesus Christ and His word. It started when we answered the gospel call (From 1 Corinthians 1:1-9)  Read More

Have you ever found yourself pointing out the errors, defects, failings, or sins of another at church, even making demands upon them and yet failing to see or be honest about your own? Beam in eye meet mirror! What do you do when you look into the mirror and see the nakedness of your pride and harm you’ve done to others? Well, besides having a mess to clean up, first put some clothes on! Start with humility. (From 1 Peter 5:1-12)  Read More

Have you ever visited someone for the first time and realized all at once that it felt like home? Maybe you knew instinctively that “this is what a home should be and feel like.” There is a warm, inviting atmosphere that says it’s okay to let your guard down and be yourself: Make yourself at home. Speaking to displaced believers in need of refuge from spiritual warfare and cultural hostility toward Christ-followers, God’s word gives an encouraging command that resonates with any weary traveler, wanderer, or worshipper of Jesus who feels a bit out of place: A hospitality command. (From 1 Pet. 4:7-10)  Read More