Sunday we turned the corner and began discussing the expression of experiencing God’s grace. Time in the presence of God assures us that he is in control of this world and our lives. He has placed his Son on the throne, and Jesus rules over all his creation. In addition, as we engage him, we are reminded that everything we have is a gift of his mercy. This will always result in overwhelming gratitude. Our expression of experiencing God will be trust and gratitude. In short, worship!

But God has more for us. Time in the presence of God assures us of cleansing work of Christ on our behalf. Every day we fall short of the obedience God calls us to. David Powilson says that our growth in obedience is like slowly walking up stairs while operating a yo-yo. We’re making progress but it’s up and down. How we respond to sin, ours and others, has a direct relationship to our understanding and experience of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Do we excuse, minimize, or hide our sin? Maybe we’re overly hard on ourselves or set up pharisaical expectations? How we respond to our own sin directly impacts how we respond to the sin of others? Come Sunday and let’s consider how our ministry of grace is based on our experience of grace.

For several weeks now we’ve been discussing God’s goodness and the importance of accessing His grace. We have every reason to approach God’s throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace in our time of need. But, have you ever considered the warning signs that you need more than you have? This week we’ll consider a few red flags that should prompt us to get more from God. Looking at it from another angle, what are the signs that you’re filled with the grace of God? What will others experience from you if you are soaking up the favor and gifts of God?

By design, God made us dependent upon him for our function in this world. Adam and Eve were built to engage God: learn from him, walk with him, interpret life through him. Sin didn’t change our dependence, but it complicated it. No longer are we naturally prone to live in dependence, rather we’re prone to independence. The Scripture refers to this as “leaning on our own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5) Trust in the Lord is more than faith as it includes our humility as God dependent. This Sunday we’ll begin to consider the fruit of soaking up the grace of God. Join us.

Sunday, we began to examine the Scripture’s use of the word “grace.” The word is used to refer to God’s favor and his gifts to us. While we looked briefly at the favor God bestows upon us, this week we’ll examine just a few of the many gifts the come to us because we’re favored. Some of the gifts that come to us are already given, like our justification. The Apostle Paul says, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 3:24. Notice that justification is the gift that come to us through “grace.” This a gift that all believers currently enjoy.

But there are gifts that God bestows when we ask. Consider James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Now praying this just before taking a test I didn’t study for probably stretches the meaning of this text, but asking God for wisdom in life’s challenging situations is encouraged. James’ encouragement comes in the context of trials and temptations, and he assures us that God will not scoff when we ask. Often, when I pray for wisdom, I linger in God’s presence waiting for his wisdom. Sometimes I have ideas in those moments, sometimes I move on and trust God to lead in my decision-making process. Sometimes, God answers my prayer during the day through the wisdom of my counselors. The point is that wisdom is a gift I can ask for and receive because I enjoy God’s favor.

There are more gifts that God stands ready to bestow if we will engage him and ask. Join us Sunday as we consider these graces.

Sunday we’ll continue our study of God’s abounding grace. Our author says that in God’s throne room we discover or “find” grace. The idea of discovering grace does not imagine that we must look for it like Indiana Jones, but that we’re surprised by what we receive from the Lord. As we engage God, ministered to by our High Priest Jesus, we discover the grace of God being dispensed through the Holy Spirit.

But what is grace? I’ve asked that question of many during my ministry. Most answer, “unmerited favor.” Yes! Absolutely! But it’s more than that. Grace is two-pronged: God’s favor and his gifts. This week we’ll explore the favor of God. As we explore this, we need to consider how experiencing the favor of God helps us. The author is adamant that the mercy and grace we receive “helps” in our moment of need. How does “unmerited favor” help me in the moment? Let’s explore this Sunday.

Sunday, Rev. Tom Breeden will minister to us on how we become peacemakers in a world of deepening polarization. His first session, at 9am in the youth room, will focus on answering the question, “How did we get so divided?” In our video promo, I told the story of my conversation with Tom at a convention seminar where he said to me, “Polarization only exists in the presence of a threat.” Then we listened to a speaker who recounted multiple threats that we face and urged us to act. But that’s not action, that’s reaction. Motivated by fear or a sense of righteousness, our actions often make the problem worse.

If the threats are real, the first job of any believer is to bathe them in prayer and ask God to give us courage to act, and clarity in how to act. Then we might engage trusted brothers and sisters to evaluate our plan, listen to the Holy Spirit speak through them, before we act. The Spirit might lead us not to act but endure the threat (think of Daniel in Babylon). The Spirit might lead us to act more patiently because there are bigger priorities than eliminating the threat (think of King David and King Saul). He might move us to immediate action (think of Paul confronting Peter). 

The point is that God has grace for us to evaluate threats from his perspective and act in accordance with his wisdom, working toward unity in love. Join us Sunday as we explore these important themes.

Sunday we’re going to examine the heart of our text, “mercy and grace.” The author tells us that when we approach God, engaging him with our trials and temptations, we receive and discover something. We receive mercy. Literally, God’s compassion. That doesn’t seem all to surprising, but we receive mercy regardless of our situation. You gave into a besetting sin, but you receive compassion. You made poor financial decisions and now bear the consequences, but you receive compassion. The point is that God doesn’t greet you with disapproval, disappointment, or disdain. He greets you with compassion. He knows our weaknesses, the power of our flesh, and he greets us with tenderness.

Second, we discover or “find grace.” Grace has two-pronged meaning. Throughout the Scripture, grace refers to God’s favor toward us. We typically think of grace as “undeserved favor.” Here grace refers to our standing with God through Jesus Christ. Paul brings this out strongly in Ephesians when he talks about all that God has done for us, “in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). Because of Christ, my status has moved from fallen, sinful image-bearer to adopted child. God always favors his own children! That’s encouraging, but when I’m in crisis I need more than a hug and a reminder that God loves me. This is where “grace” has another meaning, referring to the gifts that God gives because of my standing with him. This requires discovery!

Sunday, we’ll explore God’s disposition to us and discover the gifts he gives to help us. Join us!

Sunday we will consider our opportunity to “receive” aid from God to “help in our time of need.” Before we consider what “grace and mercy” are, let’s notice three things. First, we are told that in God’s presence we can expect to “receive” from God. We walk into God’s throne with our hands open, with our requests ready. That’s the kind of confidence the author speaks of.

Second, consider that what we receive “helps” us. The word comes out of the fishing and boating culture. When the wooden ships faced intense storms, they pulled out bands that were wrapped around the ship to hold it together. What God does for us as we engage him is give us what we need to hold us together, to brace us against the storms of life.

Third, notice that what we receive from God is said to help us in our immediate experience. The Apostle knows that God’s people are facing intense persecution and the temptation to abandon their confession of faith in Christ. These “moments” were not first world problems but the intense pressures of a world turned against them. The mercy and grace from God that we receive sustains us in those moments. Join us Sunday as we explore these statements!

The reign of grace began before time, before creation, before sin. God designed a covenant of grace with his son, his beloved. God's love for us is expressed through Jesus Christ. All Christ has done and is doing is the fruit of God's love. This Sunday, let us praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the glorious grace he has lavished on us in the Beloved.

Sunday, we considered the “throne of grace,” mentioned in our primary text. The Apostle says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need,” Hebrews 4:16. That throne room sets the pattern for the earthly spaces (Eden, Tabernacle, Temple) that were created for God to dwell with his people (Hebrews 8:5). The writer of Hebrews wants us to connect the elements of the heavenly throne room with these earthly spaces as the elements of these places speak to us about the gospel of reconciliation.

As we spend time with God in his throne-room, we are not alone! Our High Priest, Jesus Christ, is present with us, ministering to us and for us as we approach God for help. In the previous verses of our text, the author says, “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin,” Hebrews 4:14,15.

Notice that Jesus’ presence gives us confidence to approach God, knowing that he has opened the throne-room by his atonement. It also gives us hope that the Son of God, whose prayers are always heard, is tender with us, sympathetic, because he suffered with us. He comes alongside us in this court with gentle empathy. The Apostle gives us a great “about” section for our Savior. Let’s explore him this Sunday.

Sunday we began our series, Abounding Grace. We’re exploring the grace that God has for us and how we experience and express that grace in God’s world. We want to be counter-cultural, as the Apostle says, “Strive for peace with everyone,” Hebrews 12:14. One part of striving for peace is resisting bitterness, as he continues, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled,” Hebrews 12:15. Did you catch the path to peace? He says, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God.” We kill the weed of bitterness and pursue peace with everyone by obtaining God’s grace for ourselves.

How do we kill bitterness by obtaining grace? By spending time before the “Throne of Grace,” Hebrews 4:16. The grace we experience before the throne of grace, enables us to extend grace to others. This throne room of grace is a place that God has established for his people to meet with him. It is a sanctuary created for us. The tabernacle and temple of the Old Testament were patterned after this “true tent,” this “true” sanctuary that God created for us to commune with him. Sunday, we’ll take the tour. Join us!