Grace

Be Humble

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Treat others with respect…be willing and able to ask for help…be grateful…be patient.  When you are using your gifts to help and benefit others, they may say kind things to you and about you…give glory to God not yourself.  He created you and blessed you…give Him thanks for your blessings and be thankful for the courage to use your gifts.  The more we learn to be humble the greater we can be used by God.  May God’s peace be with you.  Amen.

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“ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 14:11

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)

Rich In Love

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No matter how far we wander off…God will invite us to come back to Him.  His grace…His mercy…His compassion is all encompassing.  Whatever your circumstances are…turn towards Jesus Christ…He died to save you and He is ready to walk with you.  Amen.

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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.”

Psalms 145:8-9

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 while traveling through Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Compassion

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Understanding…care…concern…warmth…kindness…gentleness…mercy…love.  God’s loves you…He knows everything about you and your life, everything.  Even still He loves you and wants to have a relationship with you, so much that He sent His Son as a sacrifice to pay for your sins.  Think of it this way…you have committed a crime and you are in a courtroom before the judge, you know what you have done, you know it was wrong…everyone else knows it was you…yet out nowhere a completely innocent man steps forward and says ‘I will take the punishment this person deserves’ and you are set free…that is exactly what God in the form of Jesus Christ has done for you…why?  Because that is how much He loves you.  Amen.

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“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”

Psalm 103:8

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)

Reflect And Give Thanks

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When someone asks us, “Where have you seen God in your life?” We often quickly scan the last few days and maybe even the last week in our minds and come up with something…mostly in order to not disappoint those who are asking the question.  What if we took more time to reflect?  What if we look back 5 years ago or back to our childhood or teen years depending on what season of life we are in?  The next time you are alone with God think about it, looking back now…”Where have you seen God in your life?”  After all, He has been there all along, even when we were completely oblivious to Him.  Thanks be to God for His love, His mercy and His grace.  Amen.

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“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.  Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

Psalm 100

(This photo was taken in September of 2016 at a lake place in central Minnesota)

Offer Kindness

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Every single person is fighting a personal battle within themselves…every single one of us.  Don’t be so quick to judge and assume your knowledge about any situation or individual.  Be different, be kind…listen and seek to understand.  The quickest way to diffuse an escalating situation is kindness and compassion, not pushing your personal agenda.  Turn towards Jesus and ask that you are filled with courage and the ability to see others with His eyes.  Amen.

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“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10

(This photo was taken in August of 2016 in Glacier National Park in Montana)

The War Between Guilt And Grace

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We are forgiven…Jesus Christ has paid the price for our sins…we can let go of our guilt and live in God’s grace…because in the battle that rages on within us and within others…Grace wins everytime.  Amen.

Grace Wins by Matthew West

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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—”

Ephesians 2:8

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 at a lake place in northwestern Wisconsin)

Forgiven

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As we grow on our faith journey it seems some behavior changes happen somewhat easily and for others, we keep going the wrong way.  We get stuck and feel powerless to change what we know needs to change.  It is at this point that the road to the Savior seems to narrow and we begin to see how truly amazing God’s grace can be…learning to have humility…to surrender…to admit we need Him even when we know we don’t deserve it…this can be a difficult step in our lives and it takes courage, yet it is the only way, Jesus is the only way to joy and everlasting life.  From the most tragic events can come the greatest joy…if you ever doubt it…remember what happened between Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.  May God’s grace wash over you.  Amen.

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“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”

Psalms 51:1-2

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 at a park near Bayfield, Wisconsin)

Extending His Grace to Others

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We have been blessed to be a blessing…He provides amazing grace to flow through us, so that we show His love to others with our actions and behaviors.

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) by Chris Tomlin

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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.”

John 3:16

(This photo was taken in June of 2018 near the border of South Dakota and Minesota)

Alive With Christ

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All people are unique and different in some way.  Yet all of us suffer from similar temptations and the sinful nature.  We are sinners because of things we do and the things we do not do.  Because of God’s love, God’s mercy and God’s grace we have been saved and we can become a new creation that is alive with Christ.  He took upon Himself the punishment we all deserve and He did this because of His love for each of us.  Nothing and no one on earth can do what Jesus Christ has done for us.  Amen.

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

Ephesians 2:4-5

(This photo was taken in July of 2016 along Beartooth Pass near the Montana and Wyoming border)

God’s Grace

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We see it on display in His actions…He sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world to save us…He gives us an opportunity to learn from Him through His Word…even while we are still sinners He forgives us…He gives us the Holy Spirit as a guide through our daily life…He will never leave us or abandon us no matter what.  That is truly amazing grace.  Amen.

This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham

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

Ephasians 2:8-9

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 while traveling through southern New Mexico)