The church is a place of grace

From Chuck Swindoll's blog...he's one of my favorites...

A Contagious Ministry Is a Place of Grace
When considering church growth, we must think strategically . . . we must preach creatively . . . and our worship must connect. Absolutely. But we must also be careful. A marketing mentality and a consumer mind-set have no business in the church of Jesus Christ. By that I mean, Jesus is NOT a brand . . . human thinking does NOT guide God’s work . . . and the church is NOT a corporation. The church of Jesus Christ is a spiritual entity, guided by the Lord through the precepts of His Word.

If we sacrifice the essentials of teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer on the altar of strategy, creativity, entertainment, and “relevancy,” we have abandoned the main reasons the church exists. We should build on those essentials, not attempt to replace them.

In his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul underscored the principles of a contagious church. He began chapter two with a command that provides a church environment that is both biblical and attractive:

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1)

From the verb, be strong, we glean this distinctive for a contagious church: It is always necessary to be strong in grace. That sounds simple, but it will be one of the most difficult principles to apply in a consumerist culture.

Where does the application of this principle begin? With church leaders. Paul could write this command because he himself exemplified it. He proclaimed grace. He promoted grace. His message was the gospel of grace. He modeled grace. He relied on grace. Paul never forgot the importance of God’s unmerited favor in his own life . . . and it permeated his entire ministry (Romans 3:23–25; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:4–7).

Isn’t it amazing that this former legalistic Pharisee—this violent man whose life was once characterized by making sure that Christians were wiped out—was stopped in his tracks by grace? As I’ve studied the life of Paul, I find grace woven like a silver thread through the colorful tapestry of his ministry. Paul became the preeminent spokesman for grace.

Paul’s message offers the good news of grace to the lost. Imagine the impact our churches would have on our communities if each Christian were firmly committed to sharing the gospel of God’s great grace once a week with someone who expresses a need. The lost need to hear how they can cross the bridge from a life filled with emptiness and guilt and shame to a life flowing with mercy and peace and forgiveness . . . all because of His grace. We help build this bridge when we lovingly and patiently communicate the gospel.

You don’t need a seminary degree. You don’t have to know a lot of the religious vocabulary or even the nuances of theology. In your own authentic, honest, and unguarded manner, simply share with people what Christ has done for you. Who knows? It may not be long before you will know the joy of leading a lost person from a dark dungeon of death across the bridge to the liberating hope of new life in Christ.

How exciting . . . how contagious!


—Chuck

The purpose of trials

The purpose of trials James 1:2-12

Intro… Trials are a part of life. The scale of trials….my car won’t start… to the recent deaths of the young girls here in SD county. So often the question is, “God, why am I going through this?” or, “How can you allow this to happen?”

• How many of your feel like you are going through some kind of trial in your life right now…today? Think of that as we go through this text.


Thesis: The purpose of trials in our lives is to draw us closer to God.
Text: James 1:2-12

v. 2 Consider it pure joy?
• God is not asking us to pretend to be happy, but to do our best to see things through HIs eyes as we go through trials.
• We need to consider what trials can produce in our lives, which is maturity, peace and a time of learning.

What we can learn from trials: (v. 2-4)
• God allows trials into our lives to test our faith (can we look to God?)
• which develops perseverance (learning to “handle” it)
• which brings maturity (there’s got to be something bigger to learn)
• which brings a sense of understanding (seeing God’s hand in this)
• which renders us complete, lacking in nothing. (able to share with others lessons we’ve learned, having a stronger faith in God.)

In the Christian life, we “continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”
Phil. 2:12-16a,
• Obey, God who works in you, no complaining, become blameless and pure, hold out the word of life.
1 Peter 1:6-7, 2 Peter 1:5-11

When experiencing trials we need to ask God for wisdom, His perspective.
(v. 5-8)
• When we ask, we’ve got to be able to accept God’s answer (yes, no, wait etc.)
• When asking don’t doubt God.

On March 8, 2009, 45-year-old Pastor Fred Winters was shot through the heart by 27-year-old Terry Sedlacek as he preached to his congregation.
• His wife, Cindy Winters, spoke to the church one day before the first anniversary of her husband’s death.
• “But did you ever wonder where was God on March 8?” posed the widowed mother of two during a special service commemorating her husband’s death.
• “God was in that dark room with me. That’s where God was,” Winters later said in recalling the hospital room she waited in immediately following the death of her husband.
• Before the congregation of First Baptist Church in Maryville, Ill., Winters shared about the day of her husband’s death and the struggles she encountered since.
• She also recalled the moments when she felt the presence of God, who gave her the strength to go on.
• “God was providing us with a sense of peace. And I really believe that God was right next to Fred that day and took him home to heaven,” Winters recalled

This wisdom God gives us is not just knowledge, but the ability to make wise decisions in difficult circumstances.
• This wisdom that God gives us is a practical discernment wisdom.
• Gaining that wisdom begins with respect for God and grows into Christian maturity and being able to tell right from wrong.
• Romans 5:1-5

When God puts us in humble circumstances, we should thank him. (v. 9-11)
• This can happen by either losing money or possessions or going through a trial that helps you realize what is most important in life.
• When we are going through a trial, we are forced into a position of humility.
• Often we don’t know why this is happening, it’s humbling.
• Even when we do know why we are in this trial (if we got ourselves into it) it’s still a humbling experience.
• That’s when God can teach you a lot if you are willing to learn.
• Otherwise, if we get too full of ourselves, we will fade away like a wild flower in San Diego in August… (recent rain, flowers everywhere, gone by summer, wildfire threats…the So. Cal. Pattern)
• If we are rich in ourselves, (not willing to learn through the humility of trials), we too will fade away.
• So whether we are talking about earthly riches or humble circumstances brought on by trials, we need to remember that riches mean nothing to God.
• We find true wealth by growing spiritually, closer to God.
• Wealth, power and status mean nothing to God, so let’s focus on the spiritual growth in our lives.

God will bless us when we persevere under trial. (v. 12)
• Coming full circle in this discussion on trials, when we persevere and trust God through the trial, we will be blessed.
• Notice how this is a long, complicated process? No one said going through trials would be easy.
• Going through trials with a godly perspective helps ease some of the pain and confusion.
• Exactly how we’ll be blessed no one knows. The blessing may come in a form or at a time you never expected.
• When we continue to love God through the process and stand the test, God will give us a crown of life.
• We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure when those trials come.
• God wants us to be mature and complete, not keep us from all pain.
• Romans 8:24-28

I believe God develops our character the deepest when we are going through trials.

"One of the purposes for which God instituted prayer may have been to bear witness that the course of events is not governed like a state but created like a work of art to which every being makes its contribution (in prayer) a conscious contribution and in which every being is both an end and a means."
-C.S. Lewis

I have no doubt that God allows trials into our lives to bring us closer to him.

Conclusion: VIDEO “Haiti, a call to fasting and prayer.”

God’s love for us Romans 8:31-39

Intro…Talked with my older sister this week about some parenting issues, struggles…it’s not an easy job. I gave my parents grief, my kids will…
• I believe when you become a parent, new “senses” kick in…
• You develop this amazing love for your children, that somehow will always be there, it’s a limited, human love, but it’s there.
• Imagine how God’s love is for us…way beyond any human level.

Text: Romans 8:31-39

Thesis: If we have sincerely given our hearts and lives to God through Jesus Christ, then somehow in His amazing grace and mercy, we can never lose His love and our salvation.

Our text this morning comes from Romans 8, a chapter that reminds us that the life we live in Christ is:
• A life that is set free from the law of sin and death. 8:2
• A life that is led by the Spirit of God. 8:14
• A life where all things work out for the good, to those who love him and have been called according to his purpose. 8:28
• (And in our verses today) A life that cannot not be separated from the love of God. 8:35-39

This month, we’ve talked about how we need to love God with everything we are, heart, soul and mind.
• Today is a reminder of God’s unending love for us.
• Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. We can choose to reject it, but it will always be there. Just like a healthy parent-child relationship.
• When Paul says in vs. 31, “What shall we say in response to this?” he is referring to the previous verse taking that says we are: predestined, called, justified and glorified.
• When we are assured of this, then we can say, (v. 31) “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

• God’s love will always be there for all humans. When someone decides to accept that love and become a Christian, then they enter into a special relationship with God where they can never be separated from him.

How do we enter into this eternal, loving relationship with God? (This is how God set it up, spelled out in our verses starting in v. 32…)
• It starts by accepting Jesus’ death on the cross as forgiveness for your sins…
• V. 32 Makes that clear for us…”He who did not spare his own Son..”
• God wants to “give us all things,” that is, the things we need according to His perspective. V. 32
• We are justified, (made right) only by God and no man can bring any charge against us. V. 33
• Christ was raised to life (resurrected) and now sits at the right hand of God interceding for us. V. 34
• We make a choice to follow Jesus (although we were predestined to make that choice).

It’s a great place to be, a Christian in a loving relationship with God. But then doubt and sin enter the picture.
• When we continue to do things that displease God, we may wonder if he still loves us.
• Or if awful things happen in our lives, we may wonder it God still loves us.
• Or if someone claims to be a Christian and then chooses to live a sinful lifestyle, others may wonder if they’ve lost their salvation.

To calm our fears, Paul goes into a list of those things that seem like they could separate us from God’s love:
• Trouble
• Hardship
• Persecution
• Famine
• Nakedness (losing all)
• Danger
• Sword (facing death, led to slaughter)
• Death
• Life
• Angels
• Demons
• The present
• The future
• Any powers
• Height
• Depth
• Or anything else in all creation

v. 37 No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
So as we go through life, when we hit those times when it seems like God has abandoned us, or maybe doesn’t love us anymore, we need to remember these verses.

The bigger picture we are talking about this morning is eternal security, or can we lose our salvation?
• As human’s we are born into sin. (Original Sin)
• There is nothing we can do to earn God’s mercy and salvation.
• Not everyone will accept Jesus.
• Once you do become a Christian, there is nothing you can do to lose your salvation. This is known as:

Perseverance of the Saints (Once Saved Always Saved)
You cannot lose your salvation. Because the Father has elected, the Son has redeemed, and the Holy Spirit has applied salvation, those thus saved are eternally secure. They are eternally secure in Christ.

Watchman Nee tells about a new convert who came in deep distress to see him. "No matter how much I pray, no matter how hard I try, I simply cannot seem to be faithful to my Lord. I think I'm losing my salvation." Nee said, "Do you see this dog here? He is my dog. He is house-trained; he never makes a mess; he is obedient; he is a pure delight to me. Out in the kitchen I have a son, a baby son. He makes a mess, he throws his food around, he fouls his clothes, he is a total mess. But who is going to inherit my kingdom? Not my dog; my son is my heir. You are Jesus Christ's heir because it is for you that He died." We are Christ's heirs, not through our perfection but by means of His grace.

A Biblical basis for eternal security:
• John 6:47 “he who believes has everlasting life”
• John 10:27-28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
• Romans 8:1 “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
• Of course Romans 8:37-39

I know this can be a tough concept for some people to understand.
• When you wonder if someone can lose their salvation (because of a continually sinful lifestyle) what we really need to question is their original commitment to Christ.
• Did this person really ever give their heart and life fully to Jesus?
• Have they chosen to daily be filled with the Holy Spirit and live the life of a disciple of Jesus?

Predestination/eternal security is the concept that whenever God creates faith in our hearts and thereby joins us to Christ and His saving work, He will sustain that faith, that saving relationship with Christ, causing us, by His grace, to persevere in faith.

Conclusion: The Love of God, Cheri Keaggy Slide Show