Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Grace”

Our Bible verse for today: “God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Romans 5:8 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Grace comes first.”

Are you familiar with the term “prevenient grace”? No? That’s ok, neither was I. It turns out that “prevenient” is a fifty-cent theological word that means “preceding”. It simply means that if something is “prevenient” it came first and enabled some other thing to happen. So “prevenient grace” is a kind of grace that comes first and then makes it possible for more grace to be experienced.

But since you and I don’t live in the world of theologians, I vote that we simply call it “enabling grace”. “Enabling” grace enables more grace to happen. It’s in the category of God’s “special” grace and it’s what Paul was referring to in Romans 5:8 when he explained that even though we were lost in our sins, Christ died for us. His sacrifice preceded our faith and enabled our salvation.

The Apostle John wrote about this too in 1 John 4:10, “Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” And in 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.”

You see, God started it. He loved us before we loved Him. Jesus died for us even though we were steeped in sin and couldn’t have cared less about Him. God’s grace preceded our faith and enabled our salvation.

The great theologian John Wesley taught that “prevenient” or “enabling” grace is the force that is at work on the heart of a lost sinner and which brings forth the first dawning of awareness that the individual needs Jesus. Prevenient or enabling grace enables salvation, transformation, and ultimately glorification to begin.

What does all this mean for us? Well, we commonly think of people searching for and reaching out to God, but actually it’s the other way around. God started this. He goes first. He is searching for you; He is reaching out to you. His grace is extended to you and He is knocking on the door of your heart even though you don’t deserve it and you may not have the first thought about needing or wanting Jesus. Accept this gift of enabling grace and the door opens wide for much, much more grace.

He’s reaching out to you. Are you willing to receive Him?

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Grace”

Our Bible verse for today: “Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Special grace comes to us through our relationship with Jesus.”

So far in our study of grace we have learned that grace is “Undeserved blessings freely bestowed upon people by God.” And we learned that “common grace” is called common because it involves the blessings of God which are automatically available to and experienced by all people, simply by being inhabitants of planet earth.

Today we want to turn our thoughts to “special grace”. The Dictionary of Evangelical Theology defines it like this: “Special grace is the grace by which God redeems, sanctifies, and glorifies his people.” This is different from common grace in that special grace is bestowed only upon those who have received the gift of eternal life by coming to God’s Son Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.

Rather than just experiencing the simple benefits of common grace such as sunshine, rain, social order, etc, those who receive special grace are blessed with redemption, sanctification (transformation), and glorification. Special grace is the conduit through which the best and most important blessings of God come to us. Think of it as common grace on steroids. This is a completely different level of being blessed by God.

But please remember, just like common grace, special grace comes to us as a free gift from God. We don’t deserve it, there is nothing we can do to earn it, and therefore we certainly should not be prideful about the fact that we have it and someone else doesn’t.

Please note the way Paul phrased 2 Corinthians 5:18. First of all, special grace comes from God. He is the originator of it. Second, it comes through Christ. Were it not for Jesus, there would be no special grace. Third, God reconciled us to Himself. We didn’t reconcile ourselves. The action was taken by Him. And fourth, once you have been reconciled and therefore have received this gift of special grace, God then tasks you with the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, you now have the privilege and the responsibility of sharing Jesus with others so that they too can be reconciled to God and thereby experience His special grace.

Special grace is deep and rich and there is more that needs to be said about it. We’ll continue exploring it tomorrow.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Grace”

Our Bible verse for today: “For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Everyone gets to experience God’s common grace.”

Yesterday we defined grace as “Undeserved blessings freely bestowed upon people by God.” But in His divine wisdom God created varying degrees of grace, and how much of His grace any individual gets to experience depends on that individual’s relationship with God.

Basically there are two broad categories of God’s grace, “common grace” and “special grace”. Then within the broad category of “special” grace, there are four sub-categories. Today we will think about common grace. In the days to come we will explore special grace.

Common grace is so called because it is common to all mankind. Everyone gets it whether they seek it or not, and whether they want it or not. In Matthew 5:45 Jesus gave us two examples of God’s common grace – sunshine and rain. Everybody gets to experience the blessing of sunshine and everyone gets some rain. Good people and evil people, the righteous and the unrighteous, everyone gets sunshine and rain as a result of God’s blessing upon the human race in general.

We see another example of common grace in the way in which God created human governments to impose order on societies. Common grace is also expressed in the inborn understanding that all human beings have between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, and the awareness that we are accountable to each other. These are essential elements of living in any community and they are common throughout the human race.

Jesus is an expression of both common and special grace. With respect to common grace, God sent Jesus to the whole world. While it’s true that not everyone accepts Him, it’s still true that Jesus was sent into the world and for the world. The world and everyone in it has been blessed in some manner because Jesus came. This world is a better place because Jesus came.

God’s common grace demonstrates His continuing care for all of His creation. It’s a very good thing and we should thank Him for it. But “special” grace is the grace you really want. We will spend the next several days exploring what it is, what it does, and how you get it.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Grace”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Grace is amazing!”

 

In my personal opinion one of the most important and helpful Bible studies written in the last thirty years is Philip Yancey’s “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” The reason I say that is because so much of Christianity has been, and still is, steeped in “un-grace”, or the lack of grace.

 

Philip calls the word grace “the last best word” in the English vocabulary. The reason he says that is because so many of our words have lost or changed their meanings and therefore no longer carry the weight they once did. But grace is still grace. It has held its meaning through centuries of use. In its purest form it still means “Undeserved blessings freely bestowed upon people by God.”

 

The grace of God is not only a prominent theme in the New Testament but it is the foundation upon which the Good News of the Gospel is based. The undeserved blessing of forgiveness of sins, freely given through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, is the greatest and best news the world has ever known. It is the very essence of grace.

 

Then, grace in all its ramifications and applications is preached and taught and modeled all throughout the New Testament. Not only does God freely bestow grace upon us, but He calls us to freely bestow grace on others.

 

But therein lies the problem. Historically we haven’t done that. Far too often the Christian church has been the recipient of grace but not the dispenser of it. In too many cases we have been, and continue to be, more like modern-day Pharisees. Rabid fundamentalism continues to infect the church in our day. Way too often the church is the dispenser of “un-grace”.

 

This month we will explore grace as it is taught and modeled for us on the pages of Scripture. I’m looking forward to growing in grace with you.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “When Job’s three friends … heard about all this adversity that had happened to him, each of them came from his home. They met together to go and sympathize with him and comfort him … Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense.” Job 2:11; 13 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Have the confidence to simply be there.”

We need each other – especially when times are tough. When we’re going through hard times one of God’s greatest gifts is a friend who will simply be with us. It’s called “The ministry of presence” and it involves just being with someone and entering into their suffering with them. You don’t have to do anything, you don’t have to say anything, just be there.

As much as we’re critical of Job’s three friends for the way they ended up being so unhelpful, we need to acknowledge that they started out well. They heard their friend was suffering and so they went to him and simply sat with him. They entered into his suffering and they mourned with him, they comforted him, and they blessed him with their presence. That was good – it was very good.

Pastor and author Tony Campolo tells the story of the time he was going to the funeral of a friend but accidently ended up in the wrong funeral home. When he got there he found a widow mourning her husband and the funeral was about to begin. But there was nobody else in the room. Tony realized that the widow was the only one who was going to be there. So he sat down and attended that funeral even though he didn’t know the man. Then he went to the cemetery too and attended the burial. As they were leaving the cemetery the widow thanked him for being there. Tony sheepishly admitted that he didn’t know the man. The widow just smiled, patted his arm and said, “I know that. My husband didn’t have many friends and I didn’t recognize you. I realized you were just being kind -and it means more to me than you will ever know. Thank you very much.”

The ministry of presence is one of the most meaningful things we can do for others. But it is also something that many of us don’t have the confidence to do. It makes us uncomfortable because we don’t know what to say, we don’t know what to do. We have the mistaken belief that we have to do or say something that will make things better for our suffering friend. But that’s just not true. Most of the time there is nothing you can say or do. The person needs to go through the stages of the grieving process and that takes time. But it helps to have someone there.

Philip Yancey once asked a group of people to name someone who had been a great source of comfort to them during a difficult time in their life. He reported that not one of the people named a famous philosopher or self-help guru. Many people named a quiet, unassuming individual who was simply there when they needed them to be; a person who didn’t do or say much, but just sat with them, hugged them, cried with them.

I encourage you to have the confidence to be there for others. We need each other.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Stay focused on what really matters.”

In his book, “The Purpose Driven Life” author Rick Warren includes a wonderful chapter about how to focus on the eternal things that really matter, rather than on earthly things which are temporary at best. He writes,

“To make the best use of your life, you must never forget two truths: First, compared with eternity, life is extremely brief. Second, earth is only a temporary residence. You won’t be here for long, so don’t get too attached to it.”

To help make his point he builds on Paul’s analogy in 2 Corinthians 5:20 where Paul explains to us that we are in this world only as Christ’s ambassadors. Our real home is in heaven. Our loyalty belongs to the Kingdom of Heaven. We are on temporary assignment in this foreign land only to represent our King and to conduct His business. And while we necessarily have to be involved in the life and activities of this land in which we live, we are not to become so involved in it that we become part of it. Our loyalty is to our homeland in Heaven and our conduct and values are to be those of our homeland.

Therefore we should not expect to be rewarded or honored by the land in which we live. The rewards and honors for years of faithful service will be waiting for us when we get to our real home in heaven. Rick writes,

“In God’s eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life as a temporary assignment and serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.”

As you go about your business this week, whether at work, at home, in school, or wherever your current assignment takes you, stay focused on the business of your King whom you are here to represent. And if you don’t appear to be reaping a bounty of rewards and honors from the culture around you, don’t worry about it. You’re not supposed to. Just confidently and faithfully represent the One who sent you, trusting that in due time you will receive your reward and it will be better – much better – than anything this foreign land has to offer.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “Have confidence in God to help you withstand temptation.”

Today you are going to be tempted. Not once and not twice, but many times. Some of those temptations may be big, most will be small, but they will all require strength of character and discipline to resist.

The problem is that we are often weak in the face of temptation. This is an individual issue which varies considerably from person to person. Something that is very tempting to me might not be a problem for you, and visa-versa. I have a sweet tooth and find it difficult to resist ice cream, donuts, and jelly beans. But a big juicy steak appeals to me not at all. For one person alcohol holds no attraction but for another, take that first sip and he will soon be gutter-crawling drunk.

So when it comes to resisting temptation we must first of all know our weaknesses and then take steps to protect ourselves. If I need to lay off the donuts then I need to bypass the parking spot right in front of the donut shop.

But even still, I have little confidence in my own ability to be strong in the face of temptations. I need more than just my own will power – much more. Fortunately, God provides the strength that I lack. That is what Paul was writing about in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

First, he tells us that we will never be faced with any temptation that isn’t common to all people. You’re not the only one dealing with this issue. Second, God will never allow us to be faced with any temptation that we are not able to withstand. No matter how strong the pull seems, it will not be more than we can bear. Third, and this is the key, God Himself will show us a way of escape from the power of that temptation. We just have to turn to Him and ask Him to show us the way out. And then we have to take it.

When it comes to resisting temptation my confidence cannot be in myself and in the strength of my own willpower. If it is, no donut in Cumberland County Tennessee is safe from me. My confidence is in God and in the power of His promise. He will always provide a way out. I just need to ask for it, look for it, and then take it. That’s true for you too.

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” Acts 17:23 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “We must confidently tell people about Jesus.”

I once read a very provocative statement about man’s search for God which has stuck with me for many years. The writer claimed that, “Every man lying in the arms of a prostitute is really searching for God.”

What he meant was that there is an empty place in the human heart which can only be filled by God. It’s what King Solomon was referring to in Ecclesiastes 3:11 when he wrote, “He has set eternity in the hearts of men.” God created us as spirit-beings designed to live forever. Eternity is in our DNA. That’s why virtually every person who has ever lived has had a sense that this life is not all there is. It’s why every culture that has ever existed has always had a theology of an afterlife and worship practices designed to help them to connect with the spirit world.

God has created us for eternity and deep in our heats we know it. There is a space in the human heart, an emptiness that longs to be filled. But in our human nature we try to fill that place with everything except God. We try to fill it with achievements and possessions, with earthly relationships and sex, and often we end up relying on addictive substances such as drugs, alcohol, or food which all provide a temporary (and false) sense of fulfillment.

I love the scene in Acts 17:23 where the Apostle Paul was in Athens. As he looked around he noticed that the Athenians had images and altars of worship for multitudes of false gods. Clearly these were a spiritual people; observably they were seeking after spiritual fulfillment; and Paul recognized this for the opportunity it was. He immediately began explaining to them that although their spiritual yearning and searching was a good thing, they were looking for God in all the wrong places. He then went on to tell them about the One True God.

People all around us today are seeking after God, and most of them don’t even know it. What they think they’re yearning for is the next promotion, a big raise, a new car, the next meal, or physical satisfaction in the arms of a prostitute. But what they’re really yearning after is God. They’re trying desperately to fill the emptiness in their heart with the things of this world when in fact that place can only be filled by God Himself.

Like Paul, this presents great opportunities for us to tell people about God. We can do so with confidence because even if they don’t realize it, God is who they’re really looking for. I encourage you to be confident as you tell people about Jesus today. He is who they need, and He is who they’re really looking for.

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “… and they sent out Barnabas to travel as far as Antioch … for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.” Acts 11:22; 24 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “It takes a healthy sense of self-confidence to stay focused on blessing others.”

Barnabas is one of my favorite people in the New Testament. “Barnabas” was not his given name. His real name was Joseph but we learn in Acts 4:36 that once they got to know him the Apostles nicknamed him “Barnabas”, which means “Son of Encouragement”.

The Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about Barnabas but what we do know is that he was a generous man who shared his resources joyfully with his church family (Acts 4:36); he was not afraid to befriend outcasts such as the new convert Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:27); he was a dependable man who could be trusted with important ministry tasks (Acts 11:22); he endured hardship and danger for the cause of Christ (Acts 13:3); he was willing to serve as a mentor to younger Christians such as his nephew John Mark (Acts 15:39); and of course, he was a great encourager of people (Acts 4:36).

I believe it requires a great deal of self-confidence and spiritual maturity to continually focus your time and attention on being a blessing to others. The natural human tendency is to be self-centered – to worry about our own wants, needs, and desires. It takes a contented and confident person, one who fully trusts in the Lord’s provision and protection for his own life, to continually focus on blessing and encouraging others. Barnabas was that man. In his example we see the words of Jesus come alive, “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.” (Matthew 20:26)

I want to encourage all of us today to be intentional about blessing and encouraging others. Trust the Lord to take care of you and your needs, while you bless others in His Name. Wouldn’t this world be a better place if all of us were striving to be “Sons and Daughters of Encouragement”?

God Bless,
Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Confidence”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, who we can appoint to this duty.” Acts 6:3 (HCSB)

Our thought for today: “It takes confidence to serve humbly.”

Soon we will be celebrating Easter. For many people Easter, like at Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is an extra emphasis on serving others – especially those in great need.

This Easter, since we’re also gearing-up for another election cycle, we will soon be seeing stories on the television news of high profile politicians with their sleeves rolled up, on the serving line at a Rescue Mission, serving dinner to homeless people. At best these scenes remind us of the importance of service. At worst it’s a staged photo op for a politician trolling for votes. They’re doing it for the attention it gets them.

However in the scene described in Acts 6:3 we find another standard for service. In this case there were widows in the early church who needed special attention. The Apostles were concerned about it, but tending to that need themselves took them away from their primary roles of prayer and preaching and teaching. So they needed dependable men to assume responsibility for ensuring the widows were properly cared for.

Now look at the qualifications they felt were necessary for those who would fulfill this ministry role of mercy and compassion. They were to be of good reputation, full of the Spirit, and wise. As we read on we come to realize that each of these godly men could probably just as easily have filled the role of Apostle, or preacher or teacher or elder. But instead they gladly assumed the responsibility of distributing food to widows.

I personally believe it takes spiritual maturity and confidence for a person to serve in a low profile ministry and to do it humbly, joyfully, and with a commitment to excellence. People like that serve in those ministry positions, and with that attitude, out of great love for the Lord and for His people. Such servants are a joy and a blessing to any church.

As a pastor I am very thankful for the faithful saints who serve in the multitude of low profile, but essential, ministry positions in the church. Without their service the church will be very ineffective. The widows would go hungry, the children would not be cared for, and the Pastor would be a worn-out wreck. Thanks for all you do!

God Bless,
Pastor Jim