Grace

Find Time For Your Heavenly Father

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“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Ephesians 4:2-6 NIV

God cares for and loves each and every one of us

As our good Father He is constantly giving us the opportunity to come to Him or come back to Him

Take time to be with your heavenly Father

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“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

1 John 3:1 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)

God’s Mercy and Grace

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“The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.“

Psalm 103:8-12 NIV

Though we can’t earn it God offers us grace and gives us the opportunity to be free from sin

He loves us so much that He willingly went to the Cross to pay to price for our sins

Think of it this way you were charged with a crime and were brought to court…

You are found guilty and convicted…

Then as you are about to be led away…

The judge comes down from the bench and says He will take the punishment you deserve and you are set free

That is what Jesus Christ has done for you and me…

He has made a way for us to be reconciled with God

Thanks be to God for His forgiveness, His mercy and His grace

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“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV

(This photo was taken near Winterset, Iowa)

Grace…Hope…Peace

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“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Romans 5:1-4 NIV

God’s love for us is unconditional

This is God’s Grace…His love does not change based on our behaviors

It is hard for us to understand because we are human and He is God

The truth is He cannot love us any more and He cannot love us any less than He does right now

He is the only one we can truly count on in this life

He sent His Son as a sacrifice to allow us to be reconciled to Him

If we are willing to believe in Jesus Christ and seek a personal relationship with Him we will be filled with Hope that only comes through Jesus

By the Grace of God…we can have Hope that brings us Peace that surpasses all understanding

May God’s peace be with you and flow through you into this world

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.“

Romans 15:13 NIV

(This phot was taken at a lake in Glacier National Park in Montana)

Seek Him And His Kingdom

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“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matthew 6:33 NIV

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:7-8 NIV

Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to the world

Give us courage and strength to follow Him in the New Year

Regardless of our trials or temptations, help us to seek Him each day

Give us wisdom and endurance to pursue Him above all else

Guide us on sharing Him with others

In Jesus name, Amen

We Believe by Newsboys

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“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

John 3:16-17 NIV

(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Today And All Throughout the New Year

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“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28 NIV

Nothing in our lives is wasted

God is still working

Do not be deceived by the enemy

God loves you

God wants you to live life to the full

Don’t give up

Don’t give in to sin

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10 NIV

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“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:6 NIV

(This photo was taken at Kathio State Park in central Minnesota)

A Better Way…Come Near To God

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“The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.”

Psalm 145:18 NIV

Father God, we want to seek You with all of our hearts

You are our everything-so let our actions match our words

Each day, help us draw closer to You

Guide us through each decision, and inspire us with new dreams and wisdom

We want to honor You in all that we do

We want to live a better way

In Jesus name, Amen

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“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:8 NIV

(This photo was taken at Temperance State Park on Lake Superior)

The Compassion Of Christ

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“A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.

41 Moved with compassion,[a] Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.”

Mark 1:40-42 NLT

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“Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Matthew 9:35-36 NLT

(This photo was taken at a lake in central Minnesota)

Amazing Grace

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“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.  21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:20-24 NIV

Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin

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“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV

(This photo was taken near the border of Minnesota and South Dakota)

Compassion

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“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100:5 NIV

To be helpful…thoughtful…aware of the suffering of others…a desire to provide help and support…understanding the needs of another

One of the strongest elements of humility is compassion

Being aware that others are suffering and need assistance and then going and doing something that provides help and support

We all have different roles in our relationships with others, which means there are many different ways for us to provide help and support depending on who needs us and what has happened to them

When you know or get a sense inside you that you should do something for someone else but you are unsure what it is you should do, do not ignore that feeling, turn to the Lord and ask Him to help guide you to what the other person needs…then listen and watch for His reply

Be careful not to do something you believe they need from your perspective, rather be sensitive and aware of what they say they need

Compassion does not have to be something difficult and complex in order to be helpful…often times it is the simple and thoughtful things that make the biggest difference for others

May God’s grace and mercy flow through us and into our relationships

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“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9 NIV

(This photo was taken near the border between Minnesota and South Dakota)