The hymn says that Grace is amazing. And it is. But Grace does so much more than save us. It sustains us. It protects us. It provides for us. It keeps us. Grace does not stop at salvation; it continues on with us for ever!

The scribes and Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to Jesus one day to test Him. The law said that this woman should be stoned to death for her act. But, then they asked Jesus what He thought should happen to her. He told them that he who is without sin should cast the first stone. He stooped down to her extended His Grace to her.

Grace is so much more than just salvation! Are you thankful for Grace this morning?

Have you ever had anybody ask you, "If God is so loving and good, then why do bad things happen to good people?" Why do kids get cancer? Why do innocent people die? Why go good people suffer? It's a difficult question, and not always easy to answer. But it's especially difficult to answer when it is asked by a non-believer. Spiritual applications don't mean as much to a non-believer. So how can you help an unbeliever understand suffering?

Jonathan and David had a true, genuine friendship that stood the test of time. Jonathan's own father, King Saul, wanted to kill his friend David. But Jonathan stood up for David, challenging his own father, and even gave David warnings that he should flee and hide. He protected his friend, and they made a covenant to remain friends for life and take care of each others' families.

Do you have that type of friend in your own life? If you have even one person that you would call a true friend, then you are a blessed person. True, genuine, Biblical friendships are hard to come by and are one of the greatest blessings that God can give us on this Earth.

If you do have such a friendship, we encourage you to reach out to them today and let them know just how much you love and appreciate them.

Everyone falls short in the eyes of the Lord. Even the saved stumble and sin and fail Him. We all think things, do things, and say things that would be considered a failure. Pastor Justin says that this is something every believer needs to remember, every new member needs to learn, and every non-believer needs to know; we WILL fail the Lord!

Failure is a reality. But the question is, what do you do when you fail the Lord? How do we react? What is Jesus's response? And what are the end results?

In basketball, even the best of all shooters, who make millions of dollars to play a game for a living, still miss over half of the time. If they are an outside shooter, the ratio changes to roughly 2 misses out of 3 shots. They miss a lot!

But there is a subset of players who receive college scholarships and NBA contracts who specialize in rebounding. They are not good ball handlers, can't shoot very well, and might be a little bigger and slower, but they are rebounding machines, and a vital part of the team. The whole purpose of rebounding is that you get a second shot!

Christianity is a lot like basketball in this sense. We are going to miss the mark; A LOT more than half the time! We are going to fail often. And we need to get ready to rebound each and every time.

But how do you rebound? The mechanics are the same in basketball as in life. Bend your knees, raise your arms, look up, and steady your feet!