Difference & Differents - Part 1: GRACE

3. Jon Albert

4. ~GRACE
~

5. “When I first began walking with Christ,
I felt an immediate, and authentic connection
with any other Christian who crossed my
path…we were family. But as I walked with Jesus,
somehow my ‘growth’ had been coupled
with increasingly stronger opinions
about the ‘right’ way to be a follower.”

6. “I started keeping people I didn’t enjoy,
or agree with, at arms lengh...categorizing them,
and ‘gracefully shunning’ them, all while
appearing to be both spiritual, and community
oriented, (but in reality) I (really only)*
chose to build community with
people with whom I could pretty
much agree on everything.”
*summary/emphasis added

7. ~GRACE
~

8. “The God of Christians
is too often looked upon
as an old gentleman
of irritable nerves
who beats people
for whistling.”
Dorothy Day

9. Grace,byJeremyShellhorn
“This piece tries to
shift the idea of God
constantly saying
‘NO!’ (& for bad
reasons), but to one
of Him saying, ‘YES!’
over & over & over
again, & the
transformation
that can bring…”

10. The Son of God, Jesus the Messiah,
who was proclaimed among you by Silvanus,
Timothy, and myself, wasn’t a Yes-and-No
person; in Him, it’s always Yes! All God’s
promises, you see, find their Yes in Him:
and that’s why we say the Yes, the Amen,
through Him when we pray to God…
2 CORINTHIANS 1:19-20
(KNT)

11. ~GRACE
~

12. - Forgives
- Heals
- Transforms (and WILL transform…)
- Ennobles
- Empowers
- Makes people in the salad bowl
comfortable with one another…
EXAMPLES of WHAT GRACE
DOES:
The free/unmerited favor of God…
WHAT GRACE IS:

13. - Forgiveness
- Freedom
- Justification (being declared right w/God)
- Eternal life
- Sanctification (being made holy)
- Reconciliation (peace with God)
- Blessed with every spiritual blessing
- Raised/seated with Christ in God’s presence
- Created to do good works
- Peace that passes understanding
EXAMPLES of GRACE WE
RECEIVE:

14. For Everyone:
Intentionally look for an opportunity
to show grace to someone that:
- You’re tempted NOT to
- Didn’t do ANYTHING to earn it
- May have actively done the OPPOSITE; by…
• Praying for them, seeking their good
• Tangibly blessing them in some way
SOUL TRAINING EXERCISE

15. Specifically for parents of young children:
Try to minimize the number of “NO!”s
you give to your kids this week!
(“Don’t waste your no’s!”)
- Say “YES!” as often as is reasonably possible
- Say “NO!” as little as possible, & when you do,
make sure it’s for good reason, & stick w/it
- If you realize it WASN’T for a good reason,
own up to it, ask for forgiveness, & move on!
SOUL TRAINING EXERCISE

16. ~GRACE
~

17. 1. Because of the grace shown to us
WHY SHOW GRACE…?

18. Then Peter came to Jesus, and asked,
“Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother
or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times,
but seventy-seven times. Therefore, the kingdom
of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle
accounts with his servants. As he began
the settlement, a man who owed him
10,000 bags of gold (@ 200,000yrs of hard labor!)
was brought to him...
MATTHEW 18:21ff

19. “Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered
that he, and his wife, and his children, and all that
he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant
fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he
begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’
The servant’s master took pity on him,
canceled the debt, and let him go.”
MATTHEW 18:21ff

20. “But when that servant went out, he found
one of his fellow servants who owed him
a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him,
and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what
you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant
fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient
with me, and I will pay it back.’”
MATTHEW 18:21ff

21. “But he refused. Instead, he went off, and had
the man thrown into prison until he could pay
the debt. When the other servants saw what
had happened, they were outraged, and went,
and told their master everything that
had happened...”
MATTHEW 18:21ff

22. “Then the master called the servant in.
‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all
that debt of yours because you begged me to.
Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow
servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master
handed him over to the jailers to be tortured,
until he should pay back all he owed. This is how
my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless
you forgive your brother or sister from
your heart.”
MATTHEW 18:21ff

23. 1. Because of the grace shown to us
2. Because of the suffering shared by humanity
WHY SHOW GRACE…?

24. It’sQuietUptown,fromHamilton
There are
moments
that the words
don’t reach,
There is
suffering
too terrible
to name…

25. There are
moments
that the words
don’t reach,
There is
grace
too powerful
to name…
It’sQuietUptown,fromHamilton

26. If you see him
in the street,
walking by
her side,
talking by
her side,
have pity,
they are working
through the
unimaginable…
It’sQuietUptown,fromHamilton

27. ~GRACE
~