4: Space for Grace
The story of Paul and how grace completely turned his life around.
FROM GRACE TO GRACES. “Grace spreads itself out in all directions and we receive the following “graces” in Christ.
- Freedom
- Justification, or being declared right with God
- Eternal life
- Sanctification, or being made holy
- Reconciliation, or being at peace with God
- Blessed with every spiritual blessing
- Raised and seated with Christ in God’s presence
- Created to do good works
- Forgiveness
- Peace
- Our needs met
- Faith and love”
ORDINARY PEOPLE TOO. “God’s grace makes ordinary people better.” The story of Tara Beth.
GRACE: SHORT STORY Or FULL STORY. Grace does not begin with God’s anger; it begins with his Yes-ness of love. And then it continues to empower us. “Anne Lamott once put it, “I do not understand the mystery of grace — only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us there.””
GRACE TRANSFORMS. Paul writes that his transformation and his work is all due to grace.
GRACE FOR A MAN NAMED JACK. The story of C. S. Lewis’ conversion and how it was grace driven.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GRACE TAKES ROOT? “Let us remind ourselves that a local church shapes the Christian life. Let us remind ourselves that the challenge is to establish a grace-created and grace-creating fellowship of differents. But a Christian life shaped for that kind of fellowship will require not only grace but also love.”
Quotes from: Scot McKnight. “A Fellowship of Differents.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/9W9u1.l