Grace

Forgiveness

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“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Matthew 6:14-15

Forgiveness by Matthew West

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“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?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”[a]

Matthew 18:21-22

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 in a neighborhood near Plymouth, Minnesota)

Everyone Is Carrying A Burden

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Evey person you encounter everyday is fighting a battle you know nothing about…we all have burdens of some kind.  We are not here to judge whether one persons burden is greater than another…in love we are to strive to help others carry their burdens as much as we need someone to help us carry our own.  We should strive to ask the question…”how can I help?” more often than “why isn’t someone helping me?”  Jesus set the example for us and we would do well to follow Him.  Amen.

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“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:1-4

(This photo was taken in March of 2018 at White Sands National Park in New Mexico)

Attitude

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It is your choice what attitude you present in the world, what you believe and what actions you will take.  You can choose to let the circumstances in the world and what other people think, say and do drag you down and present yourself in an unpleasant way…or you can choose to believe in God’s Word and to follow Jesus Christ and His attitude and be encouraged by good things that you and others can do.  The choice is yours everyday with every sunrise.  Amen.

This Could Change Everything by Francesca Battistelli

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“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:8-9

(This photo was taken in June of 2016 while traveling through western Minnesota)

Help Others

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Do whatever you can, whenever you can, as often as you can, wherever you are to help others who are in need.  Amen.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Matthew 25:31-36

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“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:37-40

(This photo was taken in October of 2018 at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)

The Goodness Of God

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All that is good is from God…all that is suffering, troubling and leads to struggle is from darkness and evil…these are not from God.  Jesus Christ was sent by God to save us becasue the darkness has come from our sins.  Amen.

“I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

John 12:46

Goodness Of God – Jenn Johnson

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

9 The Lord is good to all;
    he has compassion on all he has made.”

Psalm 145:8-9

(This photo was taken in July of 2018 on Lake Superior near the Apostle Islands)

Compassion

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Sympathy…empathy…understanding…tenderness…gentleness…mercy…love.  Amen.

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

Psalm 103:8

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“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:6-8

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 along the North Shore of Lake Superior)

To Know Him And To Make Him Known

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Our purpose…our ministry.  Amen.

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“This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
    or the strong boast of their strength
    or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
    that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
    justice and righteousness on earth,
    for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:23-24

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

Our Good Father

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God cares for 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.  Amen.

“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

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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

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

Grace

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Love and mercy from God, not because we have earned it, rather because He wants us to have it.  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— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

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

Come Near To God

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Jesus Christ came down from heaven to live as one of us…throughout the Old Testament there is a back and forth between God and humans as they would come close to Him and then wander off into sin.  God would save them and they would come close again and then wander off again…and on and on it went.  Then God changed everything by sending His one and only Son into the world.  Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Redeemer, He has paid the price for our sins and reconciled us back to God, forever.  Come near to God and stay close to Him…no matter what comes your way.  Amen.

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

James 4:8

(This photo was taken in May of 2020 at Temperance State Park on Lake Superior)