Grace
Do You Want More Strength?
An AT&T commercial once asked a group of children, “Who thinks more is better than less?” A little girl quickly responded, “We want more. We want more.” We can identify with her plea for more when we’re going through a difficult time. We want more of God’s strength. We want more of His grace to get us through our day. The truth is, we already have it. Second Corinthians 12:9 reassures us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
What does it mean that God’s grace is sufficient? Does it mean barely enough? No. Rather, the Biblical word means, “to be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong, to be enough.” God’s strength is the answer to our cries when we are weak. Call on Him. Yield to Him. Ask Jesus to fill and empower you. He will.
Heavenly Father, thank You that when we’re weak, You respond to our cry for help. Thank You, that Your grace is SUFFICIENT.
Would you like to experience God’s sufficient grace and peace in your life? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.
3 Cheers for Lavish Living
Are you living lavishly? I am. It’s so wonderful to have more than I need or could use in my lifetime. I feel blessed beyond measure. I hope the same is true for you. Peace replaces worry when we know we are safe, secure, and covered regardless of what comes our way. Oh, I’m sorry. Did you think I was talking about money? No, I was talking about grace. Money doesn’t get you into the kingdom of heaven. Grace does. Money doesn’t satisfy. Grace does. Money doesn’t make your heart sing. Grace does. Money runs out. Grace doesn’t. Oh, friend, are you mindful of the riches of God’s grace? Are you living in the joy and reality of it? Ephesians 1:7-8 calls us to praise and sing.
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”
I often look up words in their original language to get a deeper grasp of the fullness of their meaning. The word “lavish” comes from the Greek word perisseúō which means to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; abundant, enough and to spare. So, yes, I’m living lavishly. Daily, His lavish grace sustains me for heaven. When I sin and turn to God in genuine repentance, He responds with lavish grace. It’s amazing, friends, and we ought to be living joyfully, mindful of God’s superfluous grace that He continually pours on us. If you’re not a Christian, I pray you’ll join me in living lavishly. No cash can substitute for grace.
Heavenly Father, we are dancing in our spirits and souls over your LAVISH GRACE. Help us live mindful of it with joy in our hearts and a smile on our faces. We love You and thank You!
Would you like to experience more of God’s lavish grace? Check out Debbie’s Bible study, “Experiencing Grace and Peace in Cultural Chaos” by clicking HERE. You can also access the free accompanying videos and podcasts by clicking HERE.
Jaw Dropping Love
Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love is in the news? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’ love for us so jaw dropping.
Think about it for a minute. Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in so doing claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’ baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.
“Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son.
Yes, believers are sons and daughters of God. Yet when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice in sending His favorite only begotten Son to die for our sins (John 3:16), and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for us, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love.
Heavenly Father and BELOVED SON, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice. Thank You! We love You.
Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly video teachings and Listening Guides are added HERE each week so you can use for individual or group Bible Study.
Jaw Dropping Love
Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’s love for us so jaw dropping. Think about it for a minute. Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying,
This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17.
“Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are sons and daughters of God. Yet when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice when He sent His favorite Son to die for our sins (John 3:16), and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’s sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for us, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.
Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You! Thank You! We love You.
Jaw Dropping Love
Have you noticed that hate between people seems to be in the news more than love? That’s what makes God the Father and Jesus’s love for us so jaw dropping. Think about it with me for a minuted. Jesus, at age 12, described the temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so claimed familial intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, His Heavenly Father claimed intimacy with Him, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17. “Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are sons and daughters of God. Yet, when we ponder the magnitude of our Heavenly Father’s sacrifice when He sent His favorite Son to die for our sins (John 3:16) and when we think of the magnitude of Jesus’s sacrifice when He left His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for our sins, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.
Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnanimous love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You. We love You.
What Love is This
Jesus, at age 12, described the Jerusalem temple as the house of His Heavenly Father and in doing so laid claim to intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, our Heavenly Father laid claim to intimacy with Jesus when He said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17. “Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are the sons and daughters of God. Yet, when we ponder the magnitude of the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father giving up His favorite Son for our sins (John 3:16) and Jesus leaving His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for our sins, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.
Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnamious love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. Thank You. We love You.
What Love is This
Jesus, at age 12, described the Jerusalem temple as the house of His Heavenly Father. He laid claim to intimacy with God. At Jesus’s baptism, our Heavenly Father laid claim to intimacy with Jesus when He said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17. “Beloved Son” is a term that means esteemed, dear, favorite Son. Yes, we are the sons and daughters of God. Yet, when we ponder the magnitude of the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father giving up His favorite Son for our sins (John 3:16) and Jesus leaving His Heavenly Father to come to earth to die for our sins, we can’t help but have profound gratitude and wonder at their love for us.
Heavenly Father and Beloved Son, we praise You for Your magnamious love, grace, and sacrifice so we can live with You in eternal glory. We love You.
Stand UP
I'm Mad
No. I'm FURIOUS. If you know me or have been around me, you know that's not my normal state. But, last night, I was jolted to the core. I'd like to overturn some tables like Jesus did in the temple. I wonder if you might feel the same.Read more...
GOD of ALL GRACE
“After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”
1 Peter 5:10
Do you feel a bit dischelved? Perhaps incomplete or imperfect? Do you ever feel a bit shaky or wish you were stronger in your convictions and stable in your walk with the Lord? Do you ever wonder how God could love and forgive you? GRACE. The answers to our questions are summed up in that one word. Notice that 1 Peter 5:10 doesn’t say that we will one day pull ourselves up by our boot straps and viola, we’ll be perfect, confirmed, stengthened, and establised. Rather, the verse states, “God Himself will.” The God of all grace has called us to His eternal glory in Christ and He will finish by grace what He began in grace. Remember: He’s the God of ALL grace.
GOD of all GRACE, I love You and praise you! Thank You for calling me to eternal glory in Christ. Thank you for taking it upon Yourself to complete what You began – my perfection, confirmation, strengthening, and establishment in Christ Jesus.
Share the encouragement of 365 DAYS of PRAISE by forwarding it to your friends and church members. To subscribe, click HERE.
Have a comment or thought? You can leave it HERE.