This week we are beginning a new series on the promises of God. Our direction for this series is to investigate the various benefits that the Lord has promised his followers. There are many. We will only focus on a few of them and in particular we want to ask what we should expect as followers of Jesus in regard to everyday living. In what way do the promises of God affect my family, friends, work, health, etc?

In our text this week the Apostle Peter is emphasizing that the believers to whom he is writing should take confidence in their knowledge of God. Evidently some false teachers were confusing them with ideas that unless they obtained some special knowledge only available to a select few, they really did not participate in the life of God. This mysterious, special information supposedly was not available through the Apostles or the usual Gospel message.

Peter refutes this idea by emphasizing that the followers of Jesus he was writing to had everything they needed for salvation. "His divine power has given everything we need for life and godliness." (1 Peter 1:3) Our knowledge of God and Jesus initiated by the apostolic message was all that was needed. His power, glory and goodness has resulted in everything we need to live a life pleasing to the Lord. We have been given terrific promises to pass on to others about participating in the divine nature and escaping the corruption of this world. This participation in the divine nature is not that we become gods but that Christ lives in us and we live in him. We have become one in nature as in the vine and branches of John 15. By "escaping the corruption" of this world Peter is referring not only to the idea that our citizenship is in another world (the Kingdom of God) but that someday we will enjoy heaven, the home of righteousness (3:13). Righteous people will go to a righteous place where they will never again be touched by the corruption so prevalent in this world. Certainly a great and precious promise for those suffering in the midst of that corruption.

This week we are beginning a new series on the promises of God. Our direction for this series is to investigate the various benefits that the Lord has promised his followers. There are many. We will only focus on a few of them and in particular we want to ask what we should expect as followers of Jesus in regard to everyday living. In what way do the promises of God affect my family, friends, work, health, etc?

In our text this week the Apostle Peter is emphasizing that the believers to whom he is writing should take confidence in their knowledge of God. Evidently some false teachers were confusing them with ideas that unless they obtained some special knowledge only available to a select few, they really did not participate in the life of God. This mysterious, special information supposedly was not available through the Apostles or the usual Gospel message.

Peter refutes this idea by emphasizing that the followers of Jesus he was writing to had everything they needed for salvation. "His divine power has given everything we need for life and godliness." (1 Peter 1:3) Our knowledge of God and Jesus initiated by the apostolic message was all that was needed. His power, glory and goodness has resulted in everything we need to live a life pleasing to the Lord. We have been given terrific promises to pass on to others about participating in the divine nature and escaping the corruption of this world. This participation in the divine nature is not that we become gods but that Christ lives in us and we live in him. We have become one in nature as in the vine and branches of John 15. By "escaping the corruption" of this world Peter is referring not only to the idea that our citizenship is in another world (the Kingdom of God) but that someday we will enjoy heaven, the home of righteousness (3:13). Righteous people will go to a righteous place where they will never again be touched by the corruption so prevalent in this world. Certainly a great and precious promise for those suffering in the midst of that corruption.

To follow-up on our series on Grace and conclude the Initiative we are looking at the story of Zacchaeus. It is a favourite for Sunday School teachers because it is a story of transformation and the depiction of Zacchaeus as a short, curious, wealthy, scoundrel certainly adds to the drama. Luke places the story shortly after the account of the rich ruler (18:18-30). In that story the rich man is told to sell everything and give the money to the poor. The man goes away sad because he had great wealth. In our story this week the rich chief tax collector voluntarily offers half of his wealth to the poor and repays those he has wronged. This lends credence to the comment of Jesus regarding the difficulty for rich people to enter the Kingdom "What is impossible with men, is possible with God." Zacchaeus then becomes the illustration of this truth. Only grace can save him.

The story picks up many of the themes of Luke's Gospel. The Good News appeals to a wide variety of souls – even tax collectors. It illustrates the problem of wealth for Jesus followers. It shows how the Gospel appeals to social outcasts. It illustrates the urgency of the message and the joy of those who receive it. Some believe verse 10 is the key verse in Luke's account of the ministry of Jesus. "For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost."

I want to focus on a couple of key points in the story. First of all, grace comes to the unlikely. Zacchaeus is three times unlikely. He is a chief tax collector, a sinner and wealthy. He is perhaps the most despised man in town. It isn't just the teachers of the law and Pharisees that complain about Jesus going to his place. "All the people saw this and began to mutter." (7) Grace isn't really grace unless it is completely undeserved.

Secondly, Grace turns scroogy hearts around. The man is more than generous with his wealth, he goes beyond even what the law demands (Lev. 5:16) in terms of restitution. Jesus comments that his behavior is evidence that salvation has come to his house and that he too is a son of Abraham. Not that his generosity earned him salvation, but it was evidence of its presence in his life. For those who believe, the fruit of grace is generosity.

Questions for Discussion:

1. How did Jesus handle the grumblers in the story?

2. What is the connection between grace and generosity? How do you handle grace in the lives of people around you? Do you ever feel cheated? Why?

3. Are you rich? In what ways can you share the gifts God has given you? How important is generosity in the Kingdom?

4. In your world, who are the people most unlikely to receive grace?

5. To live like Jesus we must be ready to distribute grace. When the call comes, it tends to be urgent. What might you do to be ready for grace moments?

6. How can you live like Jesus in your workplace? What might you change in order to be more prepared for those grace moments?

To follow-up on our series on Grace and conclude the Initiative we are looking at the story of Zacchaeus. It is a favourite for Sunday School teachers because it is a story of transformation and the depiction of Zacchaeus as a short, curious, wealthy, scoundrel certainly adds to the drama. Luke places the story shortly after the account of the rich ruler (18:18-30). In that story the rich man is told to sell everything and give the money to the poor. The man goes away sad because he had great wealth. In our story this week the rich chief tax collector voluntarily offers half of his wealth to the poor and repays those he has wronged. This lends credence to the comment of Jesus regarding the difficulty for rich people to enter the Kingdom "What is impossible with men, is possible with God." Zacchaeus then becomes the illustration of this truth. Only grace can save him.

The story picks up many of the themes of Luke's Gospel. The Good News appeals to a wide variety of souls – even tax collectors. It illustrates the problem of wealth for Jesus followers. It shows how the Gospel appeals to social outcasts. It illustrates the urgency of the message and the joy of those who receive it. Some believe verse 10 is the key verse in Luke's account of the ministry of Jesus. "For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost."

I want to focus on a couple of key points in the story. First of all, grace comes to the unlikely. Zacchaeus is three times unlikely. He is a chief tax collector, a sinner and wealthy. He is perhaps the most despised man in town. It isn't just the teachers of the law and Pharisees that complain about Jesus going to his place. "All the people saw this and began to mutter." (7) Grace isn't really grace unless it is completely undeserved.

Secondly, Grace turns scroogy hearts around. The man is more than generous with his wealth, he goes beyond even what the law demands (Lev. 5:16) in terms of restitution. Jesus comments that his behavior is evidence that salvation has come to his house and that he too is a son of Abraham. Not that his generosity earned him salvation, but it was evidence of its presence in his life. For those who believe, the fruit of grace is generosity.

Questions for Discussion:

1. How did Jesus handle the grumblers in the story?

2. What is the connection between grace and generosity? How do you handle grace in the lives of people around you? Do you ever feel cheated? Why?

3. Are you rich? In what ways can you share the gifts God has given you? How important is generosity in the Kingdom?

4. In your world, who are the people most unlikely to receive grace?

5. To live like Jesus we must be ready to distribute grace. When the call comes, it tends to be urgent. What might you do to be ready for grace moments?

6. How can you live like Jesus in your workplace? What might you change in order to be more prepared for those grace moments?

Followers of Jesus have their "ups" and "downs." Nobody is perfect. Even Jesus' own disciples were fallible – and they lived with Jesus for three years. They saw the water turned to wine, they saw the dead raised and they knew he was the Son of God. They didn't have to walk by faith, at least when he was close by, they could walk by sight. Yet they failed him at his most urgent hour of need. And to make matters worse – Jesus knew it would happen!

His prayer for his soon to be wayward sheep – and for us – reveals some interesting things about Jesus' expectations for his disciples. He expected them to find their way back into the fold. He prays as if their desertion would only be temporary. He expected their witness to bring many others into the family and in fact he was envisioning us coming into the fold, even now in the 21st Century. He also expected unity among his disciples and that this unity would be a major factor in showing the world that he and the Father were one in the same kind of unity. He also expected a great reunion in heaven one day. In fact he longs for us to see him as he truly is in all his glory. He longs for us to know the love of the Father in its fullest without the human limitations of our earthly life. Imagine that! Just think of really examining Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – in all of his majesty and knowing love like we have never know it before – indescribable.

Jesus can pray with such great expectation knowing he has left something in us to help us along the way. 1. He has given us his Spirit as a deposit on the future Kingdom. It is like a stamp on our hearts reminding us of our destination. (2 Cor. 1:22) And 2. He has given us his grace which teaches us to say "no" to those things which would hinder us from being his kind of people. (Titus 2:11-13) Note again the "antibiotic" effect of grace that we mentioned in the first study in this series. We remain on the straight and narrow, not because of fear of hell or because of rules but because we know his grace. Grace lifts us up. It makes us want to be all that God wants us to be.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Do you know you are going to heaven? Do you need or want a grander vision of what heaven will be like? Talk about what Jesus will look like in heaven. Look at passages in the book of Revelation 19:11-16; 14:1; 1:12-20. What about God's love in heaven unfettered by our human condition. What will that be like?

2. The 2 Cor. passage and the Titus passage (2 Cor. 1:22; Titus 2:11-13) tell us that Jesus has not left us without help in the journey to heaven. How do these texts help you hold on to faith when your world is a bit shaky? Discuss how God refuses to use pressure tactics to make us obedient. Reflect on the power of grace to hold us steady. How might we hold on to grace?

3. How important is Christian unity is our witness to the world? What can we do to promote unity? What is the difference between unity and uniformity? Discuss the vine and branches analogy that Jesus uses in John 15. How does that help us understand unity as "one in nature but not uniformity?" Remember, just as Jesus and His Father were one in nature they were not entirely the same in that they have different roles in the Trinity.

Followers of Jesus have their "ups" and "downs." Nobody is perfect. Even Jesus' own disciples were fallible – and they lived with Jesus for three years. They saw the water turned to wine, they saw the dead raised and they knew he was the Son of God. They didn't have to walk by faith, at least when he was close by, they could walk by sight. Yet they failed him at his most urgent hour of need. And to make matters worse – Jesus knew it would happen!

His prayer for his soon to be wayward sheep – and for us – reveals some interesting things about Jesus' expectations for his disciples. He expected them to find their way back into the fold. He prays as if their desertion would only be temporary. He expected their witness to bring many others into the family and in fact he was envisioning us coming into the fold, even now in the 21st Century. He also expected unity among his disciples and that this unity would be a major factor in showing the world that he and the Father were one in the same kind of unity. He also expected a great reunion in heaven one day. In fact he longs for us to see him as he truly is in all his glory. He longs for us to know the love of the Father in its fullest without the human limitations of our earthly life. Imagine that! Just think of really examining Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords – in all of his majesty and knowing love like we have never know it before – indescribable.

Jesus can pray with such great expectation knowing he has left something in us to help us along the way. 1. He has given us his Spirit as a deposit on the future Kingdom. It is like a stamp on our hearts reminding us of our destination. (2 Cor. 1:22) And 2. He has given us his grace which teaches us to say "no" to those things which would hinder us from being his kind of people. (Titus 2:11-13) Note again the "antibiotic" effect of grace that we mentioned in the first study in this series. We remain on the straight and narrow, not because of fear of hell or because of rules but because we know his grace. Grace lifts us up. It makes us want to be all that God wants us to be.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Do you know you are going to heaven? Do you need or want a grander vision of what heaven will be like? Talk about what Jesus will look like in heaven. Look at passages in the book of Revelation 19:11-16; 14:1; 1:12-20. What about God's love in heaven unfettered by our human condition. What will that be like?

2. The 2 Cor. passage and the Titus passage (2 Cor. 1:22; Titus 2:11-13) tell us that Jesus has not left us without help in the journey to heaven. How do these texts help you hold on to faith when your world is a bit shaky? Discuss how God refuses to use pressure tactics to make us obedient. Reflect on the power of grace to hold us steady. How might we hold on to grace?

3. How important is Christian unity is our witness to the world? What can we do to promote unity? What is the difference between unity and uniformity? Discuss the vine and branches analogy that Jesus uses in John 15. How does that help us understand unity as "one in nature but not uniformity?" Remember, just as Jesus and His Father were one in nature they were not entirely the same in that they have different roles in the Trinity.

I don't know of anybody that has a perfect life. Even those I think have a pretty easy life probably have it harder than I think; I just don't see their problems. This applies to followers of Jesus just as it does to everyone. Nobody has a perfect life; nobody.

The Apostle Paul had more than his share of hardships. In the book of Acts we read of shipwrecks, beatings, and a man on the run from authorities. To top all that off Paul struggles with some sort of physical malady. Something he called a "thorn in the flesh" a "messenger of Satan." People have speculated on what it could have been but there are no conclusive answers. It was unpleasant, it was physical and it was chronic; that much we know.

When Paul pleaded for deliverance from his problem he was given an answer from Jesus that basically said "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." (The Message) Paul had already written that God's power is demonstrated in physical frailty in 2 Cor. 4:7-15 "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God." But the theory becomes very practical when it is you that is hurting. Who doesn't pray for deliverance? We all do. But sometimes we suffer on and the Lord's words to us is that his grace is magnified in our weakness. Just think of Jesus on the cross. At his weakest moment physically he did his greatest work for us. This is the way of the Kingdom.

Knowing this, we can take our limitations in stride. In fact, we can look at them with good cheer. Bring it on! If that’s what it takes.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What kinds of things are "thorns in the flesh" today?

2. How does the Lord use, "messengers of Satan" to accomplish his purposes? We live in a broken, fallen world. Why does Paul call a physical ailment a messenger of Satan? What message is Satan trying to get across by our affliction? What is God trying to say in the midst of our afflictions? To whom do we choose to listen?

3. What does it mean to live courageously in light of Jesus' promise: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

I don't know of anybody that has a perfect life. Even those I think have a pretty easy life probably have it harder than I think; I just don't see their problems. This applies to followers of Jesus just as it does to everyone. Nobody has a perfect life; nobody.

The Apostle Paul had more than his share of hardships. In the book of Acts we read of shipwrecks, beatings, and a man on the run from authorities. To top all that off Paul struggles with some sort of physical malady. Something he called a "thorn in the flesh" a "messenger of Satan." People have speculated on what it could have been but there are no conclusive answers. It was unpleasant, it was physical and it was chronic; that much we know.

When Paul pleaded for deliverance from his problem he was given an answer from Jesus that basically said "My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." (The Message) Paul had already written that God's power is demonstrated in physical frailty in 2 Cor. 4:7-15 "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God." But the theory becomes very practical when it is you that is hurting. Who doesn't pray for deliverance? We all do. But sometimes we suffer on and the Lord's words to us is that his grace is magnified in our weakness. Just think of Jesus on the cross. At his weakest moment physically he did his greatest work for us. This is the way of the Kingdom.

Knowing this, we can take our limitations in stride. In fact, we can look at them with good cheer. Bring it on! If that’s what it takes.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What kinds of things are "thorns in the flesh" today?

2. How does the Lord use, "messengers of Satan" to accomplish his purposes? We live in a broken, fallen world. Why does Paul call a physical ailment a messenger of Satan? What message is Satan trying to get across by our affliction? What is God trying to say in the midst of our afflictions? To whom do we choose to listen?

3. What does it mean to live courageously in light of Jesus' promise: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

The day before Jesus was crucified he had a long talk with his disciples. This is often called "The Upper Room Discourse" and it is found in John's Gospel chapters 13-17. The disciples celebrate a meal together, probably not the traditional Passover because Jesus dies at the moment the Passover lambs are killed, and so the Passover must follow the crucifixion. Normally before dinner a servant or slave would wash the guests' feet as a show of hospitality and respect. Jesus, seeing that this has not been done, interrupts the meal and surprisingly takes on the task himself to everyone's dismay. This is not a job for their teacher and Lord.

We have the advantage of knowing things the disciples did not know at that moment. Every one of them would shortly desert the Lord, Judas would even sell him out to their enemies. Yet Jesus washed their feet as a sign of grace and humility. In so doing, he challenges their view of leadership and servanthood. He directs them to follow his example in their lives of service.

Jesus' footwashing activity, perhaps more than any of his other lessons and demonstrations of servanthood really exemplifies grace in action. Judas was seemingly unaffected by Jesus' actions. He betrayed him anyway. Nor do we see how this demonstration of love and affection changed any of the disciples, at least in the short term. They all fail to stand up in his hour of trial. Grace is like that. There are no guarantees. But it does change the life of the giver. We see no bitterness in Jesus as he hangs on the cross. There is no recrimination directed at his followers throughout his ordeal. It seems that this footwashing drama set the stage for how Jesus determined to view the whole affair. He determined to love the Disciples throughout the whole ordeal. Grace givers don't allow a root of bitterness to grow.

Footwashing is an attitude. It is the determination to serve others in spite of their ability to reciprocate. While grace is infectious, it may not spread. This depends on the attitude of the recipients. But there is a promised blessing for those who pass it on.

Questions for Discussion:

1. In the footwashing episode Jesus sets the bar high for the disciples. What does this mean for us today? Which roles in modern life might be equivalent to footwashing? Which roles in the organized church?

2. How might the footwashing attitude of Jesus be present or absent from specific jobs? In other words, can someone do something very "lowly" without this attitude and can someone do something very "significant" with this attitude? How might this be done? Or what is the difference in attitude that makes one a true footwasher?

3. How tempting is it to use grace as a way to manipulate people into doing something we want them to do? Or to reward people with grace? How do we avoid this temptation?

4. What is the Beatitude or Blessing that comes to grace givers? How does it change us? What are the dangers of not giving grace to others?

5. In what ways can we distribute grace this week? What situations might you find yourself in where grace is needed?

The day before Jesus was crucified he had a long talk with his disciples. This is often called "The Upper Room Discourse" and it is found in John's Gospel chapters 13-17. The disciples celebrate a meal together, probably not the traditional Passover because Jesus dies at the moment the Passover lambs are killed, and so the Passover must follow the crucifixion. Normally before dinner a servant or slave would wash the guests' feet as a show of hospitality and respect. Jesus, seeing that this has not been done, interrupts the meal and surprisingly takes on the task himself to everyone's dismay. This is not a job for their teacher and Lord.

We have the advantage of knowing things the disciples did not know at that moment. Every one of them would shortly desert the Lord, Judas would even sell him out to their enemies. Yet Jesus washed their feet as a sign of grace and humility. In so doing, he challenges their view of leadership and servanthood. He directs them to follow his example in their lives of service.

Jesus' footwashing activity, perhaps more than any of his other lessons and demonstrations of servanthood really exemplifies grace in action. Judas was seemingly unaffected by Jesus' actions. He betrayed him anyway. Nor do we see how this demonstration of love and affection changed any of the disciples, at least in the short term. They all fail to stand up in his hour of trial. Grace is like that. There are no guarantees. But it does change the life of the giver. We see no bitterness in Jesus as he hangs on the cross. There is no recrimination directed at his followers throughout his ordeal. It seems that this footwashing drama set the stage for how Jesus determined to view the whole affair. He determined to love the Disciples throughout the whole ordeal. Grace givers don't allow a root of bitterness to grow.

Footwashing is an attitude. It is the determination to serve others in spite of their ability to reciprocate. While grace is infectious, it may not spread. This depends on the attitude of the recipients. But there is a promised blessing for those who pass it on.

Questions for Discussion:

1. In the footwashing episode Jesus sets the bar high for the disciples. What does this mean for us today? Which roles in modern life might be equivalent to footwashing? Which roles in the organized church?

2. How might the footwashing attitude of Jesus be present or absent from specific jobs? In other words, can someone do something very "lowly" without this attitude and can someone do something very "significant" with this attitude? How might this be done? Or what is the difference in attitude that makes one a true footwasher?

3. How tempting is it to use grace as a way to manipulate people into doing something we want them to do? Or to reward people with grace? How do we avoid this temptation?

4. What is the Beatitude or Blessing that comes to grace givers? How does it change us? What are the dangers of not giving grace to others?

5. In what ways can we distribute grace this week? What situations might you find yourself in where grace is needed?