Grace Given Abundantly

God will not be moved.

His word is truth.

He loves you with an everlasting love. 

Abundant grace available through Christ, there is salvation in no one else.

In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. - 1 John 4:10

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. - Romans 5:10

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. - 1 John 4:9

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. - 1 John 2:2

Where Have All The Leaders Gone

There is a time to go home.

Death comes to all.

Are you ready to step up? 

Church leadership has to be strategically filled with younger people.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

Characteristics of a Great Leader

Leaders demonstrate love.

That person is kind.

They love you in truth.

Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. - Exodus 18:7

Moses is humbled by his father in law.

He bows out of respect.

They love each other.

Are you committed to loving people?

God uses you to demonstrate His love for others.

Boldly preach the word of God.

Share the good news of Jesus Christ everywhere.

Jesus saves!

What a mighty God we serve.

Love people regardless of their level of education, color of skin or socioeconomic status.

God alone is good!

Leaders credit others

8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

9 And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. - Exodus 18:8-9

Leadership is understanding where the people need to go, lead them there and then give them credit when you arrive.

Doing it together is key, God works through His people, giving them His wisdom.

Faith in God alone!

I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.  - Isaiah 42:8

For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.  - Isaiah 48:11

And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. - Deuteronomy 8:10

11 "Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today,

12 lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them,

13 and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied,

14 then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery,

15 who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock,

16 who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end.

17 Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.'

18 You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

19 And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

20 Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the LORD your God. - Deuteronomy 8:11-20

And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. - Judges 2:10

Teach the generations, God alone is good!

Thanks Pastor Kevin!!

We Work by Grace

By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

Paul realized that the first part of this verse might be misunderstood: “I worked harder than any of them.” So he goes on to say, “Though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”

Paul does not trace his obedience back to his thankfulness for past grace. He traces it up to moment-by-moment, ever-arriving grace. He is banking on the promise of God’s future grace to arrive at every moment of need. In every instant of Paul’s intention and effort to obey Christ, grace was at work to produce that intention and that effort. Paul did not bring about his work merely out of gratitude for past grace, but in moment-by-moment reliance on the arrival of promised grace. Paul wants to emphasize that the ever-arriving grace of God is the decisive cause of his work.

Does it really say that? Doesn’t it just say that the grace of God worked with Paul? No, it says more. We have to come to terms with the words, “Though it was not I.” Paul wants to exalt the moment-by-moment grace of God in such a way that it is clear that he himself is not the decisive doer of this work.

Nevertheless, he is a doer of this work: “I worked harder than any of them.” He worked. But he said it was the grace of God “toward me.”

If we let all the parts of this verse stand, the end result is this: grace is the decisive doer in Paul’s work. Since Paul is also a doer of his work, the way grace becomes the decisive doer is by becoming the enabling power of Paul’s work.

I take this to mean that, as Paul faced each day’s ministry burden, he bowed his head and confessed that, unless future grace was given for that day’s work, he would not be able to do it.

Perhaps he recalled the words of Jesus, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So he prayed for future grace for the day, and he trusted in the promise that it would come with power. “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Then he acted with all his might.

John Piper 

Does God love you because you're so lovely?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Grace is the most beautiful word in the Bible other than Jesus. Grace is why God loves us when there is nothing lovely about us.

We are not loved because we are valuable. We are valuable because we are loved. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

That, friend, is God’s amazing grace. We are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

I love Him for His grace. It is all Jesus. It’s not the church. It’s not good deeds. Amazing grace is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves you. He died for you.

ACTION POINT:

Thank God for the justification you have through Jesus Christ. Thank God for the grace He has abundantly given you.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Ministry — More Important Than Life

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:24)

According to the New Testament, “ministry” is what all Christians do. According to Ephesians 4:11–12, pastors have the job of equipping the saints for the work of ministry. But ordinary Christians are the ones who do the ministry.

What ministry looks like is as varied as Christians are varied. It’s not an office like elder or deacon; it’s a lifestyle devoted to making much of Christ and meeting the needs of others.

It means that we “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Whether we are bankers or bricklayers, it means that we aim at advancing other people’s faith and holiness to the glory of God.

Fulfilling your ministry is more important than staying alive. This conviction is what makes the lives of radically devoted people so inspiring to watch. Most of them speak the way Paul did about his ministry here in Acts 20:24: “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.” Doing the ministry that God gives us to do is more important than life.

You may think you need to save your life in order to do your ministry. On the contrary, how you lose your life may be the capstone of your ministry. It certainly was for Jesus — only in his thirties.

We need not fret about keeping ourselves alive in order to finish our ministry. God alone knows the appointed time of our service. He will decide when our death is not an interruption of our ministry, but the last act of our ministry.

Henry Martyn was right when he said, “If [God] has work for me to do, I cannot die.” In other words, I am immortal until my work is done. Therefore, ministry is more important than life.

John Piper 

What do the wounded really need?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“If a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

As a young boy in Florida, I loved to collect coconuts and sell them. One day while up a tree, I was using my right hand to disconnect a coconut when the palm frond let go. I fell on the grass, but my left arm fell on the sidewalk. It was a bad situation. My brother was there, and he saw what happened to me.

As I was lying there, having fallen, what did I need? Well, I didn’t need a lecture. I didn’t need my brother to go around to the community and say, “Did you hear about Adrian?” I didn’t need for him to come along and shoot me to put me out of my misery. What I needed was restoration.

ACTION POINT:

Do you have a brother or a sister in Christ who is overtaken with a fault? If so, go and restore him; restore her.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Your's, O Lord

11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all.

12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.

14 "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. - 1 Chronicles 29:11-15

To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. - 1 Timothy 1:17

And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!"  - Revelation 5:13

I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. - 1 Kings 3:13

wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like." - 2 Chronicles 1:12

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. - Romans 11:36

and said, "O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. - 2 Chronicles 20:6

"The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine. For you are strangers and sojourners with me. - Leviticus 25:23

He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.  - Job 14:2

My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.  - Psalm 102:11

Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.  - Psalm 144:4