Gracehouse

Coming to the Lord and receiving salvation is a profound experience. Too often though we settle for a 'future' salvation rather than a salvation that begins to take place here and now. God's desire is to not only forgive our sins but to release us from the bondage and heal the effects of sin as well. Not only in your life but in the lives of everyone you meet.

Do you know that your Father in heaven actually loves you... for you? That he truly enjoys you? That he watches over you with pride in his heart? In fact, the Bible reveals to us that he loves us with the very same love that he has for Jesus.

Jesus said that the glorious revelation of his Father’s matchless love would bring about perfect oneness in his church, and the great harvest of the lost. Knowing the Father’s love changes everything.

There are so many ideas competing to shape the way that we as Christians think about everything. We know however that we are called to live lives as image bearers of God and no longer be conformed to the ways of the world. In Jesus we see the humility of God on display. As we behold the glory of His character on the cross we should be transformed by that image. What does it look like to renew our minds in light of God's humility?  

The voice of the Lord can easily get lost in the static noise of life. There is always something to take our eyes and our hearts away from Jesus. The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way. God is speaking all the time. We need to make sure we are listening.

The kingdom of God belongs to the lowly and it’s the meek who will inherit the earth.   

When Jesus came he demonstrated the matchless power and wisdom of living this way. He proved once and for all that selfless love and humble service are an unstoppable force.   

The church needs to unlearn the ways of the world and come back to the wisdom of the cross.

Life and death are in the power of the tongue. The book of James tells us that tongue is a restless evil full of deadly poison.   

So do you think about the words you speak? How they affect the world around you? Our words have the power to build someone up or to tear someone down...  What are you going to do with yours?

The Christian life is full of power precisely because it is full of weakness. The more we embrace our own insufficiency and rely upon the sufficiency of Jesus, the more we experience the grace of his resurrection power. The confidence of the clay jar doesn’t come from itself — it comes from the matchless treasure of Christ who dwells within.

Consecration is essential for the church! Without consecration we cannot host the presence of God, and all our efforts will be empty and powerless. But how can we consecrate ourselves without falling back into striving and works? The answer is grace!

God’s faithfulness is entirely reliable. He provides for us in the valleys. He pursues us in our rebellion. He protects us from our enemies. He carries us when we are weak. Take time to remember the faithfulness of God towards you. Just as he was faithful yesterday, he will be faithful tomorrow.