The Grace Game

[squirt]

Mothers are definitely part of God's amazing Grace ... Amen

[squirt]

[squirt]

O' Lord I want to lie down - So that You'll pick me up
I've been defined by being found - By Your perfect love
And so I'll pick up my cross - And follow hard after You
Your grace is more than enough - Please help me get through

Teach me to die - That You might live and reign inside
This heart of mine - Is Yours to keep
And Yours to define - Yours to define

O' Lord I accept this gift of grace You offer me
Jesus I'll keep my eyes on You - Please lead me

I don't need signs only You - I don't need wonders only You
I don't need miracles only You - I don't need anything but You

[squirt]

God's Grace

Yes, it is truly amazing! We don't deserve it, and there is nothing
on this earth that we can do in order to be deserving of His grace.
Yet, God's grace is freely offered to all of us, regardless of what
we have done or where we have been. God's gift of grace... it's His
free gift to us; the price has already been paid. Our debt has been
cancelled and paid in full. God's wonderful gift of grace, the gift
of salvation through His son Jesus Christ, is the best gift of all!

Grace... Grace... God's Grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within.
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

His marvelous grace really is greater than all our sin! That
covers a lot, huh? Our debt has already been paid, and if we
accept His gift of grace by asking for forgiveness of sin and
by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, then we shall receive
the gift of salvation and eternal life. If you have not already
claimed this gift, I pray that God will place a burden on your
heart to receive Him now. Just as you are right now, He loves
you and wants you to be a part of His family.

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

[squirt]

"The Blessing of a Storm"

I did not know His love before
The way I know it now
I could not see my need for Him
My pride would not allow
I had it all, without a care
The "Self-sufficient" lie
My path was smooth, my sea was still
Not a cloud was in my sky

I thought I knew His love for me
I thought I'd seen His grace
I thought I did not need to grow
I thought I'd found my place
But then the way grew rough and dark
The storm clouds quickly rolled
The waves began to rock my ship
I found I had no hold

The ship that I had built myself
Was made of foolish pride
It fell apart and left me bare
With nowhere else to hide
I had no strength or faith to face
The trials that lay ahead
And so I simply spoke His name
And bowed my weary head

His loving arms enveloped me
And then He helped me stand
He said, "You still must face this storm
But I will hold your hand."
So through the dark and lonely night
He guided me through pain
I could not see the light of day
Or when I'd smile again

Yet through the pain and endless tears
My faith began to grow
I could not see it at the time
But my light began to glow
I saw God's love in a brand new light
His grace and mercy, too
For only when all self was gone could
Jesus' love shine through

It was not easy in the storm
I sometimes wondered why
At times I thought, "I can’t go on."
I'd hurt, and doubt, and cry
But Jesus never left my side
He guided me each day
Through pain and strife
Through fire and flood
He helped me all the way

And now I see as ne'er before
How great His love can be
How in my weakness He is strong
How Jesus cares for me!
He worked it all out for my good
Although the way was rough
He only sent what I could bear
And then He said, "Enough!"

He raised His hand and said, "Be still!"
He made the storm clouds cease
He opened up the gates of joy
And flooded me with peace
I saw His face now clearer still
I felt His presence strong
I found anew His faithfulness
He never did me wrong

And now I know more storms will come
But only for my good
For pain and tears have helped me grow
As nothing ever could
I still have so much more to learn
As Jesus works in me
If in the storm I'll love Him more
That's where I want to be!

[squirt]

There was a school with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off from this school in one year by the unruly students. A young man, just out of college, heard about the class and applied to the school.

The principal asked the young man, "Do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students. You are just asking for a terrible beating.” After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked at the principal and said, “Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis.”

The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, "Young people, I came here today to conduct school. But I realize I can't do it by myself. I must have your help."

One big boy they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered to his
buddies, “I won't need any help. I can lick that little bird all by myself.”

The young teacher told the class that if they were to have school, there
would have to be some rules to go by. But he also added that he would allow
the students to make up the rules and that he would list them on the
blackboard. This was certainly different, the students thought!

One young man suggested “NO STEALING.” Another one shouted “'BE ON TIME FOR CLASS.” Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board.

The teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules. “Rules are no good unless they are enforced,” he said. Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken, they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with their coat off. The teacher thought that this was pretty harsh, so he asked the class if they would stand by this punishment. The class agreed.

Everything went along pretty good for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion that little Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seen little Timmy with Big Tom's lunch! The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the room. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom's lunch.

So the teacher asked him, "Do you know the punishment?"

Little Timmy nodded that he did. “'You must remove your coat,” the teacher
instructed.

The little fellow had come with a great big coat on. Little Timmy said to the teacher, “I am guilty and I am willing to take my punishment, but please don't make me take off my coat."

The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. The little fellow started to unbutton that old coat. As he did so, the teacher saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And even worse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without a shirt on. Little Timmy replied, “My daddy's dead and my mother is very poor. I don't have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I wore my big brother's coat so that I could keep warm.”

The young teacher stood and looked at the frail back with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out. He wondered how he could lay a rod on that little back and without even a shirt on. Still, he knew he must enforce the punishment or the children would not obey the rules. So he drew back to strike little Timmy. Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, “Is there anything that says that I can't take little Timmy's whipping for him?”

The teacher thought about it and agreed. With that Big Tom ripped his coat
off and stooped and stood over little Timmy at the desk.

Hesitatingly the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back. But for some
strange reason after only five licks that old rod just broke in half. The
young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob.

He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye in the room. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around the neck apologizing to him for stealing his lunch. Little Timmy begged Big Tom to forgive him. He told Big Tom that he would love him till the day he died for taking his whipping for him.

Aren't you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us? That He shed His
Precious blood on Calvary so that you and I can have eternal life in Glory with Him? We are unworthy of the price He paid for us, but aren't you glad He loves us that much?

[squirt]

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4: 10-11 NIV

God has given each of us a unique and special gift, and as Christians, we should use our gifts to the fullest and to the glory of God. No, we can't all be great musicians, but we can all be thankful for what God has given us and use our gifts to the best of our ability to glorify Him.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
Theodore Roosevelt

"Use what talents you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best!"
Henry Van Dyke

[squirt]

At Calvary

Years I spent in vanity and pride
Caring not my Lord was crucified
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary

Mercy there was great, and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

By God's Word at last my sin I learned
Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary

Now I've given to Jesus everything
Now I gladly own Him as my King
Now my raptured soul can only sing
Of Calvary!

Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!

Mercy there was great, and grace was free
Pardon there was multiplied to me
There my burdened soul found liberty
At Calvary

[squirt]

Grace and Mercy

Mercy and Grace The Big Picture Before the foundation of the world
John 17:24b for You loved Me before the foundation of the world
Eph. 1:4b just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world
Matt. 13:35b I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.

God had a plan of Salvation – before the foundation of the world

MERCY is God withholding the punishment we deserve because of our sinfulness. The consequences of sin is death, yet Jesus paid this penalty for us.

If it wasn’t for God’s mercy you would not be here. We are deserving of judgment, of destruction, punishment and condemnation.

GRACE is the unearned gifts the Father gives to His children. The Lord relates to us by His grace. Grace has provided salvation to all who come to Him, though we deserved destruction. God knew that the man He created would sin.

FIRST SIN – Adam and Eve ate of the tree that God had told them not to eat.
NO BIG DEAL -- only eating fruit; disobeyed and sinned against God.
In God's eyes sin is sin, no different than us trying to justify the "little sins" that we do.
Anything that violates God's Word is sin, regardless of the size or magnitude of it
Man has softened sin so the ‘little sins’ are no big deal

Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and to go their own willful way.
God is a God of love and gave man the ability to love and to make choices (not robot)
And all of us have inherited the results of Adam & Eve
They covered themselves with fig leaves; but God stepped in with his own covering
Adam & Eve sinned but God had a plan to redeem (buy) man back.
First physical evidence of God initiating His plan of redemption
Whom God created He also loves
God would send His only Son, Jesus Christ, who is God himself and sinless, to earth and would willingly go to the cross and die for the sin of all mankind.

[squirt]

Since the first sin, all mankind has been born with a sin nature.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death

CONSIDER God created the universe, stars, planets ,living beings, seasons, time,light, etc
Since he created life He also controls life and death.
He literally holds us in His hand and at any moment can cause us to be no more

DOWN THROUGH TIME consider Gods grace at Adam&Eve, Sodom & Gomorrah, Jericho, Nineveh

God’s Plan also for you God made a way for us to be saved because we are sinners
THOMAS WATSON said "How many steps may a man take in the way to the kingdom of God, and yet miss it?"