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Thursday, June 6, 2024
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"Effective Grace"
Message summary: Let us join with Paul and together proclaim, "His grace to me was not without effect!"
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"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect" (1 Corinthians 15:10).Yesterday I (Stephen) attended a community luncheon and heard a message from Mark Unger, the new executive director of Rainbows End, our local interdenominational youth ministry. Their purpose is expressed, "Our Mission Is To Reach Local Youth With The Life-Changing Gospel Of Jesus Christ". Amen!
Mark's
message was
focused on
God's grace
and he shared
a portion of
his testimony.
Early in his
marriage he
came home and
found a note
from his wife
informing him
that she
didn't love
him anymore
and was
leaving. Mark
cried out to
God for His
help. God
heard and
answered his
cry and their
marriage was
restored. He
and his wife
have served
the Lord
together as a
married couple
now for 42
years. They
experienced
one of the
effects of
God's grace:
restoration.
Mark has an
old testimony,
a testament to
faithfulness.
Emily
worked at
White Oak
Display in
Palmyra as a
temp for an
extended
period of
time. She was
a good,
dependable
worker and in
due time was
hired
full-time.
Later on, for
several weeks
she was not at
work. It was
then that I
learned that
she was an
addict, had
relapsed
during a
crisis
situation and
attempted
suicide (not
her first
time). God
spared her
life and I met
with her after
her return to
work about six
to eight weeks
ago.In today's text Paul is sharing his personal testimony. The biographical information we have in the book of Acts and Paul's letters truly indicate that the grace of God made a wonderful change in his life. Today we focus on the phrase, "His grace to me was not without effect".
I can imagine when people first heard of the Apostle Paul's (Saul at that time) conversion they shook their heads in disbelief, "Oh, I can't believe he could ever change!"
Then years later when Paul shared his testimony and people heard his violent past and persecution of the church, they surely shook their heads in disbelief, "Oh, I can't believe he was ever like that!"
Can you think of some people who’ve changed like that?
In his own written testimony Paul states, "I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man" and "the worst of sinners" (see 1 Timothy 1:12-17).
But the one time persecutor became the persecuted. He who had consented to the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1) was himself stoned (2 Corinthians 11:25). Years later Paul was able to declare this marvelous truth, "His grace to me was not without effect".
Authentic grace makes a major difference in one's life. Titus 2:11,12 states, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." For some the change is more dramatic than others, but genuine grace will always bring about transformation in every recipient.
What about you today?
- Do you need to turn you life over to Christ? Repent!
- Has Christ changed your life? Rejoice!
- Is He still working on you? Respond and be resolute in your walk with Jesus!
Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
only through
the death of
Your Son could
we know the
full extent of
Your grace.
Though our
sins bring
untold loss,
Your grace
brings
infinite gain.
Your grace
exceeds our
rebellion and
points us to
the Refuge for
our weak and
sin-filled
souls. Thank
You,
Father!
You don't
grant a
partial
pardon, but
You extend a
full pardon to
all who call
upon Your
name. Your
grace is
incomprehensible,
infinite, and
indiscriminate
to all of Your
creation. Help
us to extend
grace to
others as You
have richly
extended Your
grace to
us.
Amen.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Abide"
Watch
on YouTube
Aaron
Williams
For
my waking
breath
For my daily
bread
I depend on
You
I depend on
You
You’re
the way the
truth and the
life
You’re the
well that
never runs dry
I’m the branch
and You are
the vine
Draw me close
and teach me
to abide
Brooksyne's note: We recently heard this on the radio and it was new to us. I can't get the tune or thoughtful lyrics out of my mind and forwarded it to several who are going through major struggles. The lyrics drive home the fact that we must depend on Christ from our "waking breath" in the morning to our "last breath" at the end of life as we know it on this side of glory. If you find yourself anxious, lacking peace, or you know someone who might be caught up in fear due to their life circumstances listen to this song and pass it on to those who might benefit.
Be
my strength,
my song in the
night
Be my all, my
treasure, my
prize
I am Yours,
forever Your
mine
Draw me close
and teach me
to abide
When I pass
through death
as I enter
rest
I depend on
You, I depend
on You
For eternal
life to be
raised with
Christ
I depend on
You, I depend
on You
Note from Melodie, a local reader: Your "stranger" story brings to mind something that happened to us when our youngest was a toddler. We went to visit relatives down in Texas. My aunt, who was brought up in Pennsylvania went to pick him up and remarked, "He's not strange, is he"? Her son, my cousin, said, "Mom, what a terrible thing to say!" But I knew she meant he wasn't afraid of her. Different meanings in different areas.
Melodie's
story reminds
me (Brooksyne)
of the years
we spent in
New England
(1993-2001).
We had to
adjust not
only to their
accents but
their idioms
sometimes had
different
meanings than
what we were
familiar with,
for instance:
In church one
Sunday I heard
a mother
scolding her
six year old,
"Tommy, don't
get fresh with
me!" In
Northern PA
and the
Midwest where
we had
previously
lived, that
meant, "Stop
flirting with
me" indicating
someone who
had a sexual
interest in
another. (a
peculiar
expression
from a mother
to her son!)
After awhile I
heard many
parents say
"Don't be
fresh with me"
and in that
area "fresh"
means the
child is being
disrespectful!
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version and a variety of other versions.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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