Weekly Grace

We live in a confused environment that fosters a love/hate relationship with work. The world lavishes attention on people who work hard to earn what they want in life, but we often see that the empires they spend so many years building crumble and collapse. There’s nothing wrong with working, but only if the mindset behind it is on God. True success comes when we rest in Jesus while we work.

The motivation behind what we do matters. Whatever we do, we’re encouraged to do it heartily, as to God and not to men. Paul exhorted the Ephesians to labor doing work with their hands, so they would have something to share with those in need. Minding our own business and working with our hands is pleasing to God.

On its own, there’s no profit in laboring under the sun. It’s all vanity; one generation passes away and another one comes. We accomplish far less laboring in our own works with fretful, anxious minds than if we rested in God’s grace and let Him do the work. Too many people worry constantly because of the pressure to perform; grace is available to everyone, and there’s no rest without it.

For those who don’t know God, fear of the future is widespread. No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow; this causes stress for many people. Turning over all our tomorrows to God and embracing an attitude of “I’ll do whatever He directs me to do” empowers us for success. It’s not up to us to direct our own steps in life.
God wants to work in us, through us, and for us. When we’re tired, worn out, and burned out on religion, Jesus wants to show us how to take a real rest. He wants to teach us the unforced rhythms of grace, so that we can live freely and lightly. Whatever work is involved in trusting Him is well worth the effort.

 

Prayer:

Lord, You want to be involved in all our daily work activities. This requires setting aside all fear, anxiety, and worry, and simply resting in You. Thank You for caring enough to show us how to do this through Your Son. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Scriptures:

Colossians 3:23

Ephesians 4:28

1 Thessalonians 4:11, NKJV

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 3

James 4:14, 15

Jeremiah 10:23

Matthew 11:28-30, MSG

Our beliefs are very important to God. What we think determines whether we struggle along and live in defeat, or walk in the grace that causes us to win. We all want to live right, but that’s only possible when our belief system lines up with God’s Word. Getting born again and immediately receiving a new spirit that’s as perfect and blameless as Jesus is just the first step; change begins in us only when we wholeheartedly believe that we’re new creations.

If we struggle with the idea of receiving good things we don’t deserve, it’s because it seems so foreign to us. God has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness, but we won’t understand this until we change our mindset. New Christians are still burdened with their old, unrenewed minds. To see things from God’s perspective, we need to renew our minds to the Word of Grace; as we think in our hearts, so are we.

The world reminds us that we’re not perfect, and that’s true for anyone living in the flesh and relying on themselves to behave right. However, we’re in Christ. Instead of being conformed to this world, we’re to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is how we find out God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will for us.

With Christ in us, we can be presented to God as perfect. This isn’t arrogance, but biblical truth. On our own, we don’t have what it takes to be perfect, but we do when we rely on Jesus. We were previously sinners, but now we’re saints in God’s eyes.

The challenge comes when we face the world’s direct contradiction of who the Bible says we are in Christ. Others will tell us we’re still sinners when they see us sin. Thankfully, we’re not what we do, but what God says we are; loved, forgiven, holy, and righteous, despite our behavior. Internalizing this truth is the key to our transformation.

 

Prayer:

Lord, You showed grace to us even before we knew You, and perfected us through Your Son. When we were newly-born again baby Christians, You stayed by our side and walked with us every step of the way. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Scriptures:

2 Corinthians 5:17

2 Peter 1:3

Proverbs 23:7

Romans 12:2

Colossians 1:28

Psalm 16:3

Psalm 30:4

Romans 8:27

Jude 1:3

Are you tired? Worn out from trying to measure up? Jesus offers us a different way of living by calling us to walk with Him and learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Unlike religion, which demands and exhausts, God’s grace invites and empowers.

Grace isn’t a passive concept; it’s the power of God at work in our lives through Jesus Christ. We no longer live by our own strength or faith, but by the faith of the Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself for us. His faith is perfect, full, and complete. Transformation begins when we rest in His finished works.

Godly transformation starts with surrender. We offer ourselves, imperfections and all, as living sacrifices. This isn’t about earning God’s approval, but about responding to His mercy by yielding every part of ourselves to Him. True change is only possible when we allow the Holy Spirit to shape the way we think.

The Spirit can do things we can’t. When we’re trapped in wrong thinking, He can renew our thoughts and attitudes. We can then put on our new nature, which was created to be just like God—righteous and holy.

God’s goodness, not fear or guilt, leads us to repentance. To repent is to change our minds, which leads to a change in behavior. Repentance under grace isn’t about self-condemnation but about letting God renew our minds and redirect our lives.

Without grace, no one is righteous. The law exposes our guilt, but grace reveals God’s righteousness through Jesus. The Gospel of Grace isn’t about what we do wrong, but about what God has done right through His Son.

Today, we can rest in the truth that we’re accepted, loved, and made righteous through Jesus. We can walk in His rhythms, trust His faith, and let His grace lead us to change. This is the rhythm of life God wants for us.

Prayer:

Lord, when we were trapped in the religious cycle of guilt and condemnation, You rescued us. You offered us Your Son, who taught us a new way of living. Thank You for that. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Scriptures:

Matthew 11:28-30, MSG

Galatians 2:20

Romans 12:1, 2

Ephesians 4:23, 24, NLT

Romans 2:4

Romans 3:10

Galatians 3:19, AMPC

Grace is more than divine favor we don’t deserve. It’s God’s powerful, loving way of drawing us toward Himself. Instead of condemning us for our sins, God reveals His mercy through Jesus Christ. When the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him the woman caught in adultery He refused to judger her; instead He didn’t condemn her, and told her to go and sin no more.

The radical love God shows us through Jesus changes hearts far more effectively than judgment ever could. He didn’t come to condemn the world, but to save it. In a world quick to criticize, His gentle forgiveness and compassion stand out. He meets us in our brokenness and lifts us up, not by force, but by the beauty of His character.

To help us let go of worldly attachments, God offers two powerful motivations: the glory of heaven and the temporary nature of earthly life. He urges us to think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. When our eyes are fixed on the eternal, the temporary loses its grip on our hearts.

Jesus endured the cross because of the joy awaiting Him. That same joy awaits us. Grace teaches us to live with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, as we look forward with hope to that wonderful day. By keeping our eyes on Jesus, this hope becomes our anchor.

The apostle Paul reminded the Corinthians that the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we can’t see will last forever. What’s visible is passing, but God’s promises remain. Those promises are many, and they’re all good.

Grace calls us higher—not through fear, but by showing us something better. Heaven is real, Jesus is alive, and the best is yet to come. Let your heart be drawn by the attractiveness of His grace.

 

Prayer:

Lord, grace is the way You express Yourself. It came to us in human form to show us how much You love us. Thank You for using it to draw us to You by showing us how attractive it is. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Scriptures:

John 8:3-11

John 3:17

Colossians 3:2, NLT

Hebrews 12:2, NLT

Titus 2:11-13, NLT

2 Corinthians 4:18

God wants to bless us in all areas of our lives. However, some things that we do, such as finding fault with others, block those blessings. His grace meets us where we are, but never leaves us there. He wants to give us His best—but we must cooperate for that to happen.

As free moral agents, we can quietly block God’s blessings with criticism and blame. Jesus faced this head-on in His ministry. He healed, taught, and loved with authority and compassion, but the religious leaders still nitpicked His every move. When He healed a man of palsy and forgave his sins, some of the scribes said to themselves that He was blasphemous for doing so.

Instead of celebrating healing, the scribes were determined not to cooperate. They criticized Jesus’ method, choosing to focus so much on His perceived faults that they missed His miracles. This is a dangerous way of thinking, and we must ask ourselves if we’re like them. Like Jesus, we must keep in mind that those who are sick, not those who are whole, are the ones needing a physician.

When Jesus encountered the naysayers and the doubters, He didn’t stop to argue with them, but kept His eyes on the harvest. He knew people needed to be saved, and time was too valuable to waste with cynics and critics. He told His disciples that the harvest was plenty, but the laborers were few.

Criticism still happens today. People bite and devour one another to the point of destruction. However, we don’t have to come down to the level of our critics when we’re working to spread the Gospel of Grace. Like Nehemiah, we must say, “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”

Dispensing with criticism and judgment allows us to receive from God. Walking in love enables us to see the big picture. Cooperating with God positions us for blessings. Top of Form

 

Prayer:Bottom of Form

Lord, when we do the right thing and avoid finding fault with others, we allow You to use us to fulfill Your plan of reaching lost souls. Thank you for entrusting us with this lifesaving task. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Scriptures:

Matthew 9:2, 3, 37

Mark 2:17

Luke 5:31

Galatians 5:15, NLT

Nehemiah 6:3, NLT

There’s a vast difference between how God operates and how we, as humans, often think He should. Unlike us, He thinks and works on a much higher level than we’re capable of. God tells us plainly that His thoughts and ways are far higher than ours. While our mindset leans toward earning, deserving, and repaying, God’s ways are rooted in grace, which is completely unearned, undeserved, and unconditional favor.

We often think that good happens when we’re good, and bad happens when we’ve failed. We assume that we must earn God’s blessing and prove our worth. However, although all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, we’ve been justified freely by His grace. His favor has nothing to do with our behavior.

The woman caught in adultery was one example of this. According to man’s law, she deserved condemnation and death. Jesus, operating in God’s higher way, extended mercy and declared, “Neither do I condemn you.” Grace came first, then the call to go and sin no more.

Religious tradition teaches us to “clean up our act” before coming to God. Thankfully, He knows this is impossible without His help.  He doesn’t use fear of punishment to get us to behave right, but love. Perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment, which just isn’t God’s way.

God doesn’t threaten us, but works much more effectively to gain our cooperation. The kind of harsh measures the world uses only causes resentment and resistance. By comparison, He wins us over and gets us to change our minds with His mercy and compassion. The goodness of God leads us to repentance.

Doubting that Jesus took all our punishment causes us to live anxiously, trying to earn back God’s love through perfect performance. This is no longer necessary; our strength comes from His grace, not from rules that don’t help anyone trying to follow them. Our peace comes from knowing that Jesus has already done everything needed to make us right with God.

 

Prayer:

Lord, You’ve freed us from the pressure to perform. We’re already loved and accepted, and we can rest in that. Thank You for sending Your Son to model how You think and operate. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

Scriptures:

Isaiah 55:8, 9

Romans 3:23, 24

John 8:10–11

1 John 4:18

Romans 2:4

Hebrews 13:9, NLT