Tag: grace

Us vs. Them

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There is no such thing as “us” and “them” in the kingdom of God.

There is just us.

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

One who has been touched by grace will no longer look on those who stray as “those evil people” or “those poor people who need our help.” Nor must we search for signs of “love-worthiness”.  Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are.

– Phillip Yancey

We are all in need of the grace and mercy of God…everyday.

Give some to yourself today and give some to someone else too, I guarantee they need it.

Worth Having

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God doesn’t say, “it will be easy” nor does He say ” there will be no battles”.

He says:

“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

No matter what is happening around you, you are not alone and you have God’s presence within you.

Rest in His love, power, grace, peace, knowledge, goodness and faithfulness.

Your journey to freedom is not going to be easy but it is going to be worth it.

Expansive Grace

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God’s love is so expansive that there is room enough for you and room enough for every person you know. The cross does not have a “Limited Space Available” sign on it. Jesus stretched out His arms for all. God has embraced you and placed you within the unearned luxury of His love.

“But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am.

And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste.”
1 Corinthians 15:10 MSG

Don’t let God’s grace go to waste.

Don’t let your insecurities dictate your obedience.

Don’t let fear hold you back from living and giving God’s love.

God has placed you where you are for such a time as this. Embrace it in grace. Engage in it with grace. Generously receive it and generously give it.

When you find yourself embraced in the center of God’s grace, you can’t help but reach out to those who don’t know that there is enough room in God’s love for them too.

Don’t waste a second.

Someone out there desperately needs to know it.

Not Normal

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I want to remind you that there is no such thing as “normal”.

Life does not move in simple horizontal lines, plotting along the connecting dots.

We are not given a coloring page per season of life and asked to simply color inside the lines.

Life happens…death happens. Circumstances arise that are far out of your control but with Jesus, you are created to deal with the reality.

You are empowered to fill the need presented to you with all the gifts and grace God has given to you.

You are a child of God who has been made to rise to the occasion. To deal with the reality. You have been empowered to fill the need presented to you with all the gifts and grace God has given to you.

“Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.”

Romans 12:2 MSG

Don’t worry about defining yourself within our culture. Don’t limit yourself by trying to find a place to fit. Do all that you are called to do, all that you are called to be, in the season you find yourself in, with the tools that you have in your hands.

With bold and strong colors – fill in the lines of your season then draw outside of them. Live outside of the lines of other’s expectations. Your voice matters. What you are doing is important. Your input is vital and needed.

Quit trying to be normal and live boldly in faith today.

Gracefully

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“It was God giving me the work to do and God giving me the energy to do it.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:10-11‬ ‭MSG

It is a sweet moment, a defining moment even: The moment you realize that the work of God doesn’t depend on you but that you get to join in the work of God by depending on Him more and more.

“So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15:10-11‬ ‭MSG‬‬

What only God can do: set people free, love them relentlessly, deliver them consistently, fill them with His Spirit and His Love.

What only you can do: point people to Jesus.

Love people grace-full-y, speak God’s truth and then let Him do the heavy lifting of changing people’s lives.

By the Grace of God

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Good morning.

I wanted to remind you that you are saved by grace so that you can:

Love by grace,
Forgive by grace,
Grow by grace,
Give by grace,
Work by grace,
Eat by grace,
LIVE BY GRACE

“And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭NIV‬

Grace, as in – God’s work for you vs. my work in me.

We begin to start working on “being better” and “doing better”.  We begin to work on being a good Christian. But it doesn’t work, does it?

How easy it is to slip into the “flesh work” after we accept Christ’s gift of salvation. Sometimes it takes minutes not days.

“Self -improvement is no more God’s plan than self-salvation. God’s plan is not just for us to be saved by grace -it is for us to live by grace. God’s plan is for my daily life to be given, guided, guarded and energized by the grace of a God.”

– John Ortberg,
The Me I Want to Be, pg 39.

God hasn’t redeemed you so that you can be a “good Christian”, He has redeemed you to love you and empower you to love others.

Jesus has opened wide the door for you to walk with Him every day and draw from His unquenchable source of love to pour into every area of your life.

May you be so drenched in His love that is drips off you and onto everything you touch.

Hemmed In

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“You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139:5-6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

You may feel like you are on your own to deal with life.

That you are on your own to deal with stress.

On your own to make it happen, whatever “it” is, but you are not on your own, you are God’s beloved child.

His love goes before you and His grace follows behind you.

You are cherished and provided for, guided and anointed to walk confidently in God’s love.

God goes before you to make a way where there seems to be no way, He sets up divine appointments for you to walk in and he brings people across your path that need you.

He blesses you with what you need, to do what He has called you to do.

His hand of blessing is on your head. He has hemmed you in His love.

That means in ALL that you do, big or small, his hand of blessing is on it- because his hand of blessing is on you.

My prayer for you is that you will begin to see yourself in the light of God’s passionate love for you:

He has chosen you.
Rescued you.
Provided for you.
Forgiven you.
Equipped you.
Goes before you.
Follows up after you.

God’s love is not like man’s love. He is not controlling you, He is surrounding you with Himself and there is more freedom in his presence than anywhere else in the world.

“For in him we live and move and have our being.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Jesus, you have permission to live fully in God’s grace and walk confidently with His hand of blessing on you.

You are beloved and surrounded by Him. Set your fear aside and walk confidently in His love today.