this present revival – BY GRACE

In prayer for you this morning. The impact of second chapter of Ephesians covers many areas. One of those is grace. Grace is greatly misunderstood among legalistic Christians. That results in many unanswered prayers and many illicit assumptions of others. The one who lives by grace has opportunities to love and enjoy.

In the book, BY GRACE: Passion for People in Community, we explore the varieties in the kingdom through stories based on experiences in outreach and fellowship. Kingdom living includes pain and progress and problems and power. All of that and all the types of people are for our joy. Only by grace do we enjoy them.

What does grace do?
. Brings us the love of God
. Raises us together
. Seats us in the heavenlies alongside Jesus
. Provides a future of hope and power
. Overwhelms us with kindness
. Rescues us from ourselves
. Crafts us for usefulness in the kingdom
. Makes us family
And grace does all this through no earnings. We do not earn any of this. Our actions are useless in acquiring any of this.

Let’s list the things that are useless in the economy of grace
. Church attendance out of duty and habit
. Tithing because of the regulations
. Serving in front of others for approval
. Positions of power such as pastor, bishop, deacon, elder, apostle, prophet

Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! Really. Are not those the focus of the church? No, they are the focus of the flesh.

Let’s list the things that are wonderful in the economy of grace
. Speaking words of encouragement to the downhearted
. Visiting the sick and imprisoned and probationer with compassion
. Church attendance for fellowship and sharing love and worship
. Giving out of a heart of joy and thankfulness
. Serving as a normal part of being in the family and loving others
. The least of these
. A life of Christian discipleship following Christ
. Prayers that get answered and those that don’t
. Fellowship with the Holy Spirit

Today, I speak GRACE over you. I remember when I failed another and failed offer grace. I remember the Lord continued to love and build me and so He does you.

Let’s Pray:
Father, we come as sinners saved by grace. We are not ashamed. We are completed in Christ. We are competent in Christ. We are crowned in Christ. All by grace. Our money means nothing. Our position means nothing. Our accomplishments mean nothing. You have bestowed on us goodness and glory simply out of Your motivation of love. Thank you.
Father, let us extend grace to others. Help us to see the one that is struggling and come alongside. Help us to extend forgiveness and trust and reconciliation to another that has no hope and no expectation of good. Help us remember we have earned nothing, will earn nothing, and have no value outside of Your grace. Help us remember our failure to live up to Your holiness when the one beside us falls and fails. Let us come alongside like You in the days of destruction and be instruments of grace.

We are family
You are loved
Jesus is Our Grace Giver

Pastor Phil Larson

“among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:3-4, 6-8, 10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

By Grace: Passion for People in Community by Philip Larson https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M1AAH3K/