Happy last Saturday in May, my friend! Today, I plan to sing, pray, and praise God for extending me His Mercy and Amazing Grace...
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- I HEAR! Amazing Grace how sweet the SOUND of "forgiven!"
- I SEE! Amazing Grace...I was blind, but now I see my God who is all about life and livin'!
A few must do's on this post about GRACE... about your encouragement... about Lauren Schwamb...
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1. GRACE...on Sunday, Steve's sermon was entitled GRACE TEACHES. I've shared a little this week. Many of you have said that one powerful sermon would forever change the way that you view God's grace. Here are a few things in summary:
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From Deuteronomy 7-9:
- BY GRACE: God still chose Israel to be His people!
- BY GRACE: God led, fed, humbled, and blessed Israel!
- BY GRACE: God revealed Himself, His will, His way!
- BY GRACE: His people bless God for His goodness
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From Ephesians:
- BY GRACE: God had mercy and made us alive in Christ
- BY GRACE: God raised us up and seated us with Christ in heavenly places
- BY GRACE: God saved us through faith
- BY GRACE: God brought us near by Christ's blood
- BY GRACE: We are ONE in Christ through the cross and share the same Spirit...
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From Romans 5-6:
- BY GRACE: God loved us; Christ died for us
- BY GRACE: We have been saved!
- BY GRACE: We are to live holy lives and become slaves of righteousness
Maybe you've seen the game show on TV where the "cash cab" stops people on the street of NYC and asks them to hop in and play the game...answering some questions. They get $$$$ for correct answers and a little grace along the way... For instance, if they don't know one answer, they can get a "freebie" and roll down the window and ask someone on the street to help them answer the question. That's called a "shout out!" Steve encouraged us to not just "shout out" what we don't know, but "shout out" what we know about what GRACE TEACHES:
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- shout out: WE NEED GRACE!
- shout out: GOD GIVES GRACE!
- shout out: WE WERE CREATED TO BE VESSELS OF GRACE!
- shout out: GRACE SAVES!
- shout out: GRACE JUSTIFIES!
- shout out: GRACE TRANSFORMS!
2. This week, whether or not my facebook and blogger friends heard Steve's sermon, I was encouraged by different "shout out's" about God this week -
- M.C. - "Small amounts of grace are welcome spices of life. But the radical grace of God? It’s still shocking, offensive, and off-putting. Doesn’t it imply a lack of fairness and justice?...From a distance, we like to condemn the elder brother. Up close and personal, however, we secretly cheer him on..."
- A.O. - "Our preacher spoke on God's Grace. It struck me that his grace is so awesome that I'd name a child Grace, so I'd never forget what God has done."
- C.U. - "God is called the Author and the Finisher of our faith (Heb. 12:1&2) He will never start something that He cannot finish. That promise He put in your heart—that you’re going to be healed, that you’re coming out of debt, that your family will be restored—God has every intention of bringing those promises to pass."
- C.U. - "2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare."
- L.B. - "As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. James 5:11"
- L.B. - "But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. James 3:17"
- C.D. - ""God doesn't love me because of my performance. He loves me in spite of my performance."
- D.O. - "God's grace is sufficient!"
- D.A.O.- "Live in the moment because you never know how God will use the simple moments of your day for his purposes."
3. God have mercy! Christ have mercy! God have mercy! Christ have mercy! God have mercy! Christ have mercy! God have mercy! Christ have mercy! God have mercy! Christ have mercy! ...on Lauren Schwamb and her family... it's been a long 5 months in Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for 3 year old Lauren and her mom Cristi. There's good news and bad news for Lauren. First the bad: Lauren has norovirus and has had to be returned to quaratine. GOOD NEWS: Lauren's little friend at "CHOP", who has been awaiting a heart since Thanksgiving got her new heart yesterday. We praise You God for Your mercy and grace on behalf of little Sarah. We ask for mercy, grace, and a new heart for Lauren soon!
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Micah 6:8
"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to LOVE MERCY and to walk humbly with your God."
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Ephesians 2:1-10
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked...we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by GRACE you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His GRACE in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by GRACE you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works..."
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May you extend fresh and new mercies to those you touch each day in the same way that Christ extends mercy to you! Be blessed!
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Hebrews 4:16
"Let us therefore draw near
with confidence
to the throne of GRACE,
that we may receive MERCY
and may find GRACE
to help in time of need."
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