Pride, Self-Sufficiency
Pride makes us strive to meet all the demands of others. We want to show that we can “do it all” but in the end all we’re doing is frantically sprinting through the day.
The word grace is a short, simple word. But understanding the biblical depth and meaning of grace can take a lifetime of study and application. It's almost a shame that a word describing suppleness of movement or a short, quick prayer before a meal is the same word we use to describe God's unfathomable love for sinners. Nevertheless, it is grace that moves Him to offer us the free gift of salvation and forgiveness.
Grace is what compelled the Apostle Paul to write of a mystery never understood before (1 Corinthians 2:7-13). Grace is also what allows us to relax into another's accepting embrace as he or she gives us the freedom to discover our unique journey laid out by God. So relax as we journey together down the path toward freedom and the wonderment of the surpassing riches of God's grace!
Pride makes us strive to meet all the demands of others. We want to show that we can “do it all” but in the end all we’re doing is frantically sprinting through the day.
With all we have on the go, it’s easy to get tunnel vision and only focus on our own lives. But God desires us to be winsome people who model grace and godliness to a lost and hurting world.
We seem to accept cynicism and doubt in all professions except preaching. There seems to be an unwritten law that says, “Thou shalt not doubt, struggle, or rebel.” But the truth is, pastors are human too. They need the same grace as everyone else who has questions.
Those who God saves by His grace need to look out for those who haven’t yet come to the Saviour. Don’t make it hard for others by insulting those who aren’t living the life you would like them to live.
Coming to grips with God’s grace will loosen your inclination for sin. Once your faith is placed in Jesus and you’ve experienced His forgiveness, sin’s dominance will be loosed from your life.
Everyone in Nazareth would have known Jesus’ mother, Mary, was pregnant before she and Joseph were married. While everyone knew about the scandal, no one understood Mary’s conception was miraculous and one day her baby would save the world.
God is gracious to include us in His plan to reach the lost. He uses people like us to tell others about his unfathomable mercy and grace.
Marriage, as God intended it, is a mutual thing. It goes both ways—God never asks more of one than the other, though He asks the maximum of everyone.
Think of someone who may have blown it. He or she needs your love, not your judgment. Leave grudges to the world and open your arms with a forgiving embrace.
The word says “there ain’t no free lunch,” but God says “but to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”