Where the grace of God is missed, bitterness is born. But where the grace of God is embraced, forgiveness flourishes.
Today, far too many people are waiting for a voice from heaven or looking to the sky for some cloud-formed message or listening late at night for the whisper of God. God doesn’t usually speak to us in those ways. He talks to us His Word. His message to us today is this: “Read My Word. It’s all there.”
People tend to be down on what they aren’t up on. Informed members are effective members, whereas uninformed members, regardless of talent, can’t do much.
You are saved, not because of what you do, but because of what Christ did. And you are special, not because of what you do, but because of who you are. And you are his.
We as followers of Christ need to cultivate skills for handling the Word of God responsibly and accurately. The Bible is not a code book reserved for the most advanced scholars. It doesn’t contain secret messages hidden on the page. God’s Word was written for ordinary people-like you and me-to help us understand He will and walk in his ways.
Solid, stable churches are not built in a day. When God wants to make a mushroom he takes six hours. When God wants to build an oak tree he takes sixty years. Do you want your church to be a mushroom or an oak tree?
You wonder why God doesn’t remove temptation from your life? If he did, you might lean on your strength instead of his grace. A few stumbles might be what you need to convince you: His grace is sufficient for your sin.