Living in Grace: Strength for Life's Burdens
Summary
### Summary
Good morning, everyone. It's wonderful to be back from Indonesia, where Helena and I had the privilege of ministering alongside Pastor Alvons and Lily. We celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary and Lily's 49th birthday, and also witnessed the graduation of over 200 Bible college students. We were deeply honored to be part of their community and to see the impact of their work.
Today, I want to talk about the weight of life and how we often feel burdened by various responsibilities, whether it's family, work, or leadership roles. These weights can be overwhelming, but there is a way to live that offers more than just temporary relief. This way is through the grace of God. Grace is not just a theological concept; it is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges.
We read from Ephesians 2, which reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith. This grace is a gift from God, not something we earn. But grace doesn't stop at salvation; it continues to be a vital part of our daily lives. It empowers us to handle the weights and responsibilities we carry. Grace is God's unmerited favor, and it is sufficient for every aspect of our lives.
We also explored other scriptures like 2 Corinthians 9:8 and 1 Corinthians 15:10, which emphasize that God's grace is abundant and sufficient for every good work. It changes our capacity for work, suffering, and obedience. Grace is not just for salvation; it is for our everyday living, helping us to cope with the pressures and challenges we face.
Finally, we looked at Hebrews 4:16, which invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in our time of need. This is a powerful reminder that God's grace is always available to us, not just for salvation but for every moment of our lives.
### Key Takeaways
1. Grace for Everyday Life: Grace is not just a one-time gift for salvation; it is a continuous resource that God provides for our daily lives. It helps us handle the weights and responsibilities we carry, offering us strength and support in every situation. [01:21:37]
2. Unmerited Favor: Grace is the unmerited favor of God, a gift that we do not earn but receive freely. This favor extends beyond salvation to every aspect of our lives, empowering us to do good works and live in obedience to God. [01:26:54]
3. Capacity for Suffering and Work: Grace changes our capacity for work, suffering, and obedience. It equips us to handle life's challenges and pressures, enabling us to live a life that honors God even in difficult circumstances. [01:32:54]
4. Boldly Approaching the Throne of Grace: Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in our time of need. This is a powerful reminder that God's grace is always available to us, offering practical help and support. [01:35:26]
5. Grace in Community and Mission: Grace is not just for individual benefit but also for community and mission. It empowers us to extend God's love and support to others, whether through local ministries or international missions, as we saw in our recent trip to Indonesia. [01:23:54]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:09:17] - Introduction and Indonesia Trip
[01:13:18] - The Weight of Life
[01:15:23] - The Role of Grace
[01:16:13] - Reading from Ephesians 2
[01:19:18] - Saving Grace
[01:20:53] - Grace Beyond Salvation
[01:22:13] - Walking in Grace
[01:23:54] - Grace in Mission
[01:26:54] - Grace for Every Good Work
[01:29:20] - Extending Grace to Others
[01:30:07] - Humility and Grace
[01:32:54] - Grace for Suffering and Obedience
[01:35:26] - Boldly Approaching the Throne of Grace
[01:38:15] - Practical Help Through Grace
[01:40:09] - Walking in Obedience
[01:43:19] - Invitation to Salvation
[01:45:08] - Closing Prayer and Fellowship
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Ephesians 2:1-10 - "And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins... For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."
2. 2 Corinthians 9:8 - "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
3. Hebrews 4:16 - "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
### Observation Questions
1. According to Ephesians 2:8, how are we saved, and what is the significance of this method of salvation? [01:17:08]
2. What does 2 Corinthians 9:8 say about the sufficiency of God's grace in our lives? [01:26:54]
3. In Hebrews 4:16, what are we encouraged to do, and what can we expect to receive when we do it? [01:35:26]
4. How did the pastor describe the role of grace in handling the "weights of life"? [01:14:12]
### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean that grace is an "unmerited favor" from God, and how does this concept impact our daily lives? [01:26:10]
2. How does the idea of coming "boldly to the throne of grace" change our approach to prayer and seeking help from God? [01:35:26]
3. In what ways does grace change our capacity for work, suffering, and obedience according to the sermon? [01:32:54]
4. How does the pastor's experience in Indonesia illustrate the communal and missional aspects of grace? [01:23:54]
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed by life's responsibilities. How did you experience God's grace during that period? [01:14:12]
2. How can you remind yourself daily that grace is a continuous resource, not just a one-time gift for salvation? [01:21:37]
3. Think of a situation where you need to extend grace to someone else. How can you practically show them unmerited favor this week? [01:23:54]
4. What steps can you take to approach God's throne of grace more boldly in your prayer life? [01:35:26]
5. Identify a specific area in your life where you need God's grace to increase your capacity for work or to endure suffering. How can you seek His grace in that area? [01:32:54]
6. How can you incorporate the understanding of grace into your leadership roles, whether in your family, workplace, or community? [01:14:12]
7. Reflect on the pastor's mission trip to Indonesia. How can you be involved in extending God's grace through local or international missions? [01:23:54]
Devotional
Day 1: Grace for Everyday Life
Grace is not just a one-time gift for salvation; it is a continuous resource that God provides for our daily lives. It helps us handle the weights and responsibilities we carry, offering us strength and support in every situation. Grace is God's unmerited favor, and it is sufficient for every aspect of our lives. This grace empowers us to handle the weights and responsibilities we carry. It is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges. Grace is not just a theological concept; it is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges. [01:21:37]
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV): "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Reflection: Think about a specific responsibility or burden you are currently carrying. How can you rely on God's grace to help you manage this weight today?
Day 2: Unmerited Favor
Grace is the unmerited favor of God, a gift that we do not earn but receive freely. This favor extends beyond salvation to every aspect of our lives, empowering us to do good works and live in obedience to God. Grace is not something we earn; it is a gift from God. This grace empowers us to handle the weights and responsibilities we carry. It is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges. Grace is not just a theological concept; it is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges. [01:26:54]
Titus 2:11-12 (ESV): "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where you felt undeserving of God's favor. How did His grace manifest in that situation, and how can you extend that grace to others today?
Day 3: Capacity for Suffering and Work
Grace changes our capacity for work, suffering, and obedience. It equips us to handle life's challenges and pressures, enabling us to live a life that honors God even in difficult circumstances. Grace is not just a theological concept; it is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges. Grace is not just a one-time gift for salvation; it is a continuous resource that God provides for our daily lives. It helps us handle the weights and responsibilities we carry, offering us strength and support in every situation. [01:32:54]
1 Peter 4:10-11 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you are struggling to cope with suffering or work. How can you invite God's grace into this area to transform your capacity to endure and thrive?
Day 4: Boldly Approaching the Throne of Grace
Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find help in our time of need. This is a powerful reminder that God's grace is always available to us, offering practical help and support. Grace is not just a theological concept; it is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges. Grace is not just a one-time gift for salvation; it is a continuous resource that God provides for our daily lives. It helps us handle the weights and responsibilities we carry, offering us strength and support in every situation. [01:35:26]
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV): "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Reflection: Think of a current challenge or need in your life. How can you approach God's throne of grace with confidence today to seek His help and mercy?
Day 5: Grace in Community and Mission
Grace is not just for individual benefit but also for community and mission. It empowers us to extend God's love and support to others, whether through local ministries or international missions. Grace is not just a theological concept; it is a practical, everyday resource that God provides to help us navigate life's challenges. Grace is not just a one-time gift for salvation; it is a continuous resource that God provides for our daily lives. It helps us handle the weights and responsibilities we carry, offering us strength and support in every situation. [01:23:54]
1 Peter 4:10 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."
Reflection: Consider how you can extend God's grace to someone in your community or mission field today. What specific action can you take to be a steward of God's grace in their life?
Quotes
1. "At times we feel like we carry the weight of the world upon our shoulders. Now, I use the world and we say it in a very kind of generalised term. But if you want to be a little specific, we might say carry the weight of your family on your shoulders. Or the weights of life. The weights of decision. The weights in leadership." [01:13:18] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "There's a word called grace. And it plays a really significant role in our everyday life, or at least the grace of God should play a significant role in our everyday life and our commuting from this to that and from one aspect of responsibility to another and back and forwards." [01:15:23] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Salvation comes through grace. You're likely here today because someone's preached the good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, to you, and you have come to a place to say, I need the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you make a commitment to make Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior." [01:18:08] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "The grace of God is there for our each and every day. And the grace of God is there for us, for the weight of the world. That we would have on our shoulders. The weight upon our shoulders. The grace of God is there, for you each and every day." [01:21:37] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "We beg you not to take the marvelous grace of God for granted. Don't take your salvation for granted. Don't take the grace of God. It's sufficient for you for every day. It's sufficient for you unto salvation and it's sufficient for your every day from then on." [01:24:49] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Grace does not stop at the point of salvation is the essence of the message today. I want to explore three passages of scripture. I'm going to have each of them come up on the screen. Three passages of scripture that, again, just expand on this aspect that, yes, it's grace unto salvation, but grace goes on day by day and moment by moment as we push into God and see the grace of God as a resource for our everyday living, for the weights of the world." [01:26:10] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than you all, yet not I, but the grace of God, which was in me. This is the humility aspect of it. Yeah, I may have done that, or I may go here, or I may do this, or you may look at me and what I may have accomplished, but in response, the words of Paul says, by the grace of God, and only by the grace of God, I am what I am, and I've done what I did." [01:30:07] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "The grace of God, hear that bit, has the capacity, changes our capacity for work, for our everyday life, for our coming and for our going, it changes our capacity for suffering. Be mindful of those people that are under the weight of persecution against Christianity that is global. They live and operate but by the grace of God." [01:32:54] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "The grace of God is first directed towards you unto salvation and then the grace of God continues to work through you and empowering you to the practical help that you will now give to others. Grace of God is sufficient for our everyday lives." [01:38:15] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "Realising that we are only who we are because of God's grace humbles us. Our skills are not because of our works but because of His grace. Our blessings are not because of because we deserve them but because of His grace. The grace of God but by the grace of God I am what I am and that last bit certainly echoes the words of Paul the writer of many parts of the Gospels and letters of your Bible. But by the grace of God I am what I am." [01:38:55] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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