Genesis 37:12-36
Before we can be great leaders in exile, we have to embrace rejection and identify as outcasts.

Welcome to our new series! We will be looking together at the life story of Joseph, son of Jacob (Israel), and thinking about the topic of rejection for the Kingdom's sake. Human beings are hard-wired by God to feel pain and discomfort when we experience rejection; this is because we are made for community, closeness and deeply satisfying fellowship. At the same time, though, we serve a God who knows what it's like to be rejected, who can redeem rejection by saving those who endure it for Him!

When we studied Romans 14 and discussed the practical grace of accepting a person without approving of his or her behavior, many of you followed up with me and shared strong interest in going further. I have been led to revisit this topic today and go further, especially in terms of practical issues we all face in applying this concept. This is where our love for the Truth, our love for the lost and our efforts in outreach all come together - we need to know how to navigate this complex crossroads with grace!

Guest speaker, Dr. Paul Patton of Spring Arbor University, brings insight to the topic of scripture memorization and recitation. 

In this final (though out of sequence) message in our Practical Grace series, we will be looking at the difference between condemnation and connection. Life teaches us to be quick to judge and skilled at jumping to conclusions; it's a sort of protective profiling that we think will protect us from hurts and misunderstandings. In the end, though, practical grace requires that we learn to reach out and connect with others when there is a misunderstanding, sin, or hurt to address!

This message celebrates the way in which God provides all we need to share the gospel with all peoples recklessly, trusting in him to do the interior work of conviction, conversion, and sanctification in each heart. Salvation is offered to everyone; practical grace demands that we reach out to include all peoples in the Kingdom! 

Today's culture insists that the only way to accept someone is to approve of all their choices, interests, and affiliations. Whenever someone's conscience won't let them do so, they are at risk of being perceived as a bigoted, intolerant person We are not called to agree with everyone or condone every person's behavior; if that were the case, we wouldn't need grace, just enlightenment or reeducation. Grace comes into play EXACTLY when we love and accept a person but cannot approve of their choices.

Listen to a message on Psalm 139, brought to you by a Seminarian student, Mr. Benjamin Gandy. 

When we are wronged, we naturally grieve the injustice and loss of the mistreatment. This is entirely understandable. The question is usually not, "have I been hurt," but rather, "what should happen next?" The world says, "don't get mad, get even," and "do unto others before they can do it unto you." Practical grace, on the other hand, requires that we release others from their guilt against us and relinquish our rights for revenge, just as God did in forgiving each of us.

No one ever said following Jesus was going to be easy, simple, or free from pain. It's a journey. Jesus leads us into the unknown, into the hurt of others, into the shadow of death. Following Jesus is, frankly, too much for anyone to consider attempting on our own. Praise the Lord that we follow Jesus and shine the light of the gospel, not through our own strength, but the strength of the one we follow. The day is new. The path is marked before us, even though we may not see every turn yet. So, let's run!