More Than A Second Chance - God's Grace BNewton, June 9, 2004 at 6:13:00 PM BST
by Barry Newton Perhaps you have read a book or heard a sermon about the God who gives second chances. Scripture is filled with stories about lives which had been ruined in one way or another only to be picked up out of the ashes by God. The hope of a second chance strikes a resonant chord. We recognize that our only hope is for a fresh start made possible by God. But just how good is the news of a second chance? Is this really an accurate way to speak of God's grace? After all, if you could not lift up 1000 pounds before, do you really want another opportunity to prove you can do it? With a second chance, the burden and responsibility still lies upon you. If you could not live a sinless life before, how well do you think you would do with a second chance? We need God's grace to provide us with much more than another shot at failure. Through Jesus, God sees His people as being blameless before Him, not because they were finally able to master perfection but because they receive what Jesus achieved, sinless perfection. Through Jesus' death as a perfect and sinless lamb, God extends to us what we could never achieve on our own - blamelessness! Through His grace, God has acted in a much greater way than merely giving us a second chance. Through His Son, God did it for us! Here is a message filled with real hope for the whole world. Footnote - While Scripture is clear that we can not be good enough to merit salvation, Scripture is equally forceful in asserting that God's people have been charged to live in the light and to do the good which God has prepared for them to do. While salvation is made possible through Jesus, the servant who is lazy and does not fulfill His Master's will shall be cast out. The life of the disciple is not "thanks for salvation, now I'll do my own thing." The Christian life is "thank you for saving me and taking me to be your servant. Now I will do my duty as an unworthy servant." What tremendous grace God has given us that we might be called the children of God! We do not deserve this. ... subscribe
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Update on FMag Forthright Magazine continues, more dynamic than ever! We have groups created for FMag on Facebook and the Churches of Christ Network. Announcement blog is up and going on Preachers Files. Email lists about FMag and FPress are available both on Yahoo and GoogleGroups. And, to top it all off, we're twittering for both on Twitter.com. by randal @ 1/20/09, 11:55 AM How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:24--47 How to Make Sure That Your Judgment Is Flawless Yes, it is popular to say that we are not supposed to judge, but the truth is we all make judgments about many things daily. Otherwise, we would never succeed in life. The real question is what is our guide for judging. Why can we not simply follow the example of our Master and Lord? He said, 30 "I can of Myself ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:08 AM Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read First Chronicles 1--3 Do You Ever Feel Like Just a Name? Think on the manner, in which the Book of First Chronicles begins, 1 Adam, Seth, Enosh (1 Chr. 1:1). In this way begins the longest genealogy in the Bible. The names continue to the end of the ninth chapter! Were these just names? Adam; who is he? You know there is more in the Bible than the mere mention of his name in ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:05 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 5:1--23 Jesus healed a man. Praise God! However, Jesus healed him on the Sabbath. Uh oh. Some people were ready to kill Jesus for this perceived violation of the Sabbath Law. 16 For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath (Joh. 5:16). Jesus did a good thing. Yet, people criticized Him severely for it. And they were not people ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:03 AM They Were His Servants by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 24 and 25 They Were His Servants As the writer of Second Kings explains whom the Lord sent against Judah, the writer said that this was 2 ...according to the word of the LORD which He had spoken by His servants the prophets (2 Kin. 24:2). Those great men we have honored for centuries were nothing more than servants of the Lord God. What does that make us? Do you do something ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 5:01 AM ...
by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This evening read John 4:30--54 The disciples went into a town to buy food while Jesus remained out of the town. There He engaged a woman in conversation. When the disciples returned, here is what happened, 31 In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." 32 But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know" (Joh. 4:31, 32). As you read the Gospel According to John, watch ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:59 AM Having a Tender Heart by Don Ruhl Read the Bible in a Year This morning read Second Kings 22 and 23 Having a Tender Heart When Josiah heard the word of God for the first time, he tore his clothes, knowing of the wrath that was upon Jerusalem for the idolatry of his forefathers. Therefore, he sent messengers to a prophetess to inquire of the Lord. He did have a message for Josiah. God said through the prophetess, 19 "...because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before ... more ... by diane amberg @ 5/18/05, 4:56 AM
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