Have you Met Grace? Why could Paul never stop talking about grace Leyff Wenderson

Jun 28, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Meeting Grace on the Road to Blindness

A man falls to dirt, blinded by heavenly light, and hears his true name. Grace isn’t a theory to dissect but a person who interrupts destructive paths. When Saul became Paul, he didn’t receive a theological manual—he met Jesus. This collision with divine love reorders priorities, silences excuses, and rewrites identities. True grace dismantles old selves to birth new creations. [05:11]

“As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” (Acts 9:3-5, ESV)

Reflection: When has Jesus interrupted your life in a way that initially felt disorienting? How did that encounter soften areas where you once felt justified in stubbornness?

Day 2: Standing Unmoved in the Storm of Chains

Chains clatter, prison walls tighten, yet Paul’s feet remain planted. Grace isn’t a temporary relief but a fortified position. To “stand in grace” means anchoring in Christ’s finished work rather than scrambling for human approval. This unshakable footing turns trials into testimonies—not because pain vanishes, but because presence stabilizes. [10:19]

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2, ESV)

Reflection: What current challenge tempts you to abandon your stance in grace? How might standing firm in Christ’s victory shift your perspective today?

Day 3: Grace as the Gym Trainer of the Soul

Grace sweats with us in the spiritual workout room. It doesn’t excuse laziness but trains believers to lift holiness. Like a coach correcting form, grace reshapes desires, teaching us to reject what harms and embrace what heals. This isn’t self-improvement—it’s Christ’s strength rewiring our reflexes. [27:55]

“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.” (Titus 2:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Which “spiritual muscle” feels weakest in you right now? How could leaning into grace—not guilt—strengthen that area this week?

Day 4: Strength Perfected in Weakness’s Embrace

Thorns pierce, prayers seem unanswered, yet sufficiency whispers. Paul’s chronic pain became a megaphone for Christ’s power. Grace thrives in admitted inadequacy, turning frailty into a stage for divine strength. What we call limitations, God calls launchpads. [33:14]

“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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you resent your weaknesses? How might Christ’s power manifest if you stopped hiding that area?

Day 5: Grace’s Demolition of Dividing Walls

Ethnic tensions, cultural divides, and personal prejudices crumble where grace walks. The early church’s unity wasn’t forced—it flowed from shared awe at Christ’s mercy. Grace doesn’t homogenize but harmonizes, proving family ties outlast tribal lines. [44:16]

“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14, ESV)

Reflection: Who feels “other” to you right now? How could seeing them through grace’s unifying lens change your next interaction?

Sermon Summary

Grace meets Paul on the road before Paul can define it. The risen Jesus brings light around him, drops him to the ground, and identifies the persecuted church as “me,” turning Paul’s whole world inside out. Grace for Paul is not a doctrine discovered but a person encountered; that encounter becomes the explanation for his salvation, his service, his endurance, and every victory. Acts 20 shows the result: chains and tribulations do not move him, because the ministry he received is to testify “to the gospel of the grace of God,” and the race is finished with joy, not fear.

Grace then becomes a place to stand. Romans 5 speaks of “this grace in which” the believer stands, and Ephesians 6 shows how that standing works: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace—each piece is Christ himself. The command is not to muscle through but to “be strong in the Lord.” The Christian life does not start in grace and continue in effort; it begins, stands, grows, and finishes in grace.

Grace is also power at work. First Corinthians 15:10 puts it straight: “By the grace of God I am what I am… I worked… yet not I, but the grace of God.” Titus 2 calls this grace a trainer. Grace does not lower the standard; grace instructs, corrects, and disciplines the heart to renounce ungodliness, to live self-controlled, upright, godly lives now. Like a gym for the soul, grace forms a softened heart that repents quickly and returns to God.

Grace flows most freely through weakness. The thorn is not wasted; “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Deliverance is not always the gift; dependence is. The deepest revelation of grace for Paul does not come atop victories but inside limitation, where Christ’s power rests on the one who has stopped pretending to be strong.

Grace replaces the old system of the law. Romans 6:14 declares sin shall not have dominion because the believer is not under law but under grace. Law reveals sin; grace overcomes. If righteousness comes by law, Christ died in vain. Grace changes the order: not “perform to be accepted,” but “receive Christ and then walk in what he supplies.”

Finally, grace creates a new kind of people. “Grace and peace” is not small talk; it is the gospel in a greeting—charis for the Gentile, shalom for the Jew—because Christ himself is our peace, making both one. The cross kills the hostility, and a real family appears where walls once stood. Every church is a living proof that grace has created peace.

Key Takeaways

1. Meet Grace before defining grace Grace arrives as a person, not a concept. The Damascus light surrounds before it fills, and the question “Who are you, Lord?” precedes any tidy definition. Real change flows from encounter, and understanding chases behind it. [12:11]
2. Stand firm in Christ’s grace Grace is ground underfoot, not a feeling in the air. The armor is Christ himself, so standing is possible because the believer is located in him. Trials do not move a life that is fastened to Jesus as the belt, breastplate, and shoes. [22:47]
3. Grace trains real holiness The same grace that saves also schools. It corrects desires, reshapes habits, and builds a tender conscience that runs to God, not away from him. Holiness becomes possible because grace supplies both want-to and follow-through. [26:47]
4. Weakness becomes grace’s doorway The thorn closes self-reliance and opens trust. When strength is gone, Christ’s power can rest on the soul without competition. Dependence is not defeat; it is the space where sufficient grace proves enough. [32:55]
5. Grace creates one new family Charis joins shalom because Jesus himself is peace. Grace does more than reconcile individuals; it tears down old walls and forms a people who cannot despise each other without striking Christ’s own body. Peace is the fruit of grace at work. [44:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:14] - From Pentecost to Paul’s race
[02:51] - “Remember Grace” confirmation story
[04:35] - Have you met Grace?
[07:31] - Grace as God’s empowering presence
[09:44] - None of these things move me
[12:11] - Paul met Grace before doctrine
[15:18] - Light around, not yet within
[19:56] - The grace in which we stand
[21:32] - Be strong in the Lord
[24:34] - I am what I am by grace
[26:32] - Grace that trains holiness
[32:38] - Sufficient grace in weakness
[38:45] - Not under law but grace
[41:09] - Grace and peace as gospel
[44:16] - Christ our peace makes one
[50:53] - Every church as proof of grace
[58:10] - Call to encounter Grace again

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24, ESV)
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)
“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” (Ephesians 2:14, ESV)

Observation questions

In Acts 20:24, what does Paul prioritize over his own safety or comfort?
According to 2 Corinthians 12:9, how does God respond to Paul’s weakness, and what does this reveal about grace?
What specific action does Ephesians 2:14 say Jesus took to create unity between divided groups?
The sermon emphasized that grace "trains" believers (Titus 2:11-12). What habits or attitudes does grace train us to renounce or embrace? [26:47]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-5) fundamentally changed his understanding of persecution?
How does standing in grace (Romans 5:2) differ from relying on personal effort when facing trials or spiritual battles?
Why might God’s power be most evident in human weakness rather than human strength, as seen in 2 Corinthians 12:9?
How does grace create a new kind of family dynamic in the church, as described in Ephesians 2:14?

Application questions

In what areas of your life do you still try to “muscle through” challenges instead of relying on Christ’s strength? What practical step could you take to depend on grace this week? [21:32]
When have you experienced God’s sufficiency in a situation where you felt weak or limited? How did that shape your view of dependence on Him?
The sermon described grace as a “gym for the soul” that softens our hearts to repent quickly. What habits or relationships might need repentance or adjustment in your life to stay tender toward God? [29:54]
How can you actively demonstrate unity with believers who are different from you (culturally, generationally, etc.) to reflect Christ’s work in breaking down walls?
The sermon asked, “Have you met Grace?” How would you describe your personal encounter with Jesus, and how has it reshaped your priorities or identity? [04:35]
What “thorn” or ongoing weakness in your life could you surrender to God this week, trusting His grace is enough?
How might embracing grace as a daily “place to stand” (Romans 5:2) change your response to fear, failure, or criticism?

Sermon Clips

39s

#LifeInGrace

“So, again, it's like the Christian life does not begin in grace and and continue in effort. It begins in grace, stands in grace, grows in grace, and finishes in grace. I mean, he could. He never stood in his gifting. He never stood in his apostleship, or he never stood in his experiences, but he stood in grace. Yeah. Number three,”

34s

#GraceNotPerformance

“A law would say, perform this or do this six hundred and fourteen, thirteen. Right? Law. Perform this and be accepted. Grace would say, accept Christ, and then you do it. Your strength to do it doesn't come from you. It comes from him. So and you don't do it to get accepted. You accept him, then you do it. It changes the order. It's not like based on performance.”

40s

#GraceChangesHearts

“But, you know, thank god. That that's the thing, though. I I I really wanted to see this. If if you forget everything about this message, remember this. Have you met Grace? Have you had this encounter with Jesus to such a degree that you become softened and not hardened? Because if God can save a soul and turn him into a Paul that writes two thirds of the New Testament, it is not like, oh, man. No. That person, forget about it. I mean, I don't know anybody worse than Saul.”

34s

#GraceInTheThorn

“Now think about this. Paul prays for removal. God offers grace. Paul seeks deliverance. God offers dependence. So I I do. I think the greatest revelation of grace did not come in Paul's victories. It came in his thorn. Right? Again, let's go to the sum. Because when you get the word, if you have a strong concordance or something like that, or you can research it online, the Greek word is like we've heard.”

26s

#UnityInChrist

“That rejection don't exist. It is like, I accept you. You accept me because we are in Christ. We are a new creation, and the two of us become one in Christ Jesus. We're part of the same body. I'm not gonna attack you. You don't attack me because we're in him. And if we are in him, we cannot do that because you would be me hitting myself because I don't like a part of me.”

37s

#GraceTransformsLife

“this is what it is. You know, if we're talking about grace, there's no way to talk about grace and have division. Really. Really. It's gonna be hard. I mean, it's impossible, really, because Paul, he hammers over and over again grace for living, grace for surviving, grace for strength, grace to continue, grace to love, grace to have joy, grace to be happy, grace to have strength. It all goes back to that first encounter where he met grace.”

37s

#ReturnToGrace

“And this is what we have because of grace. It's not like I'm not gonna go to God if I do something wrong. I run back to him. I embrace him. I renounce whatever I did, and I receive God's grace to do better and do right and continue moving. So it's like the devil is not gonna stop me for one thing, but I have to have a softened heart so that the holy spirit can say, that's not it. Because if I think I can never do wrong, I mean, that was Saul.”

34s

#BecomingLikeJesus

“The you know? No. Really. It's it's like, there is no way. It's like, yeah. I'm not like that. Neither was I, but grace. I look more like Jesus, or do I look more like me or what I used to be? Because if I do, I'm not I didn't met Jesus. Or I'm limiting just to the page or I'm limiting just to something I've heard, and I should be open to this encounter because it's transformative.”

59s

“it's like the Christian life does not begin in grace and and continue in effort. It begins in grace, stands in grace, grows in grace, and finishes in grace. I mean, he could. He never stood in his gifting. He never stood in his apostleship, or he never stood in his experiences, but he stood in grace. Yeah. Number three, Paul discovered that grace is the power of God at work in men. He discovered that grace is the power of God at work. Because it's not only the grace to stand. It's not only the grace that saved me. It is the grace to be and to do, which, know, we need to understand that.”

58s

“If if you forget everything about this message, remember this. Have you met Grace? Have you had this encounter with Jesus to such a degree that you become softened and not hardened? Because if God can save a soul and turn him into a Paul that writes two thirds of the New Testament, it is not like, oh, man. No. That person, forget about it. I mean, I don't know anybody worse than Saul. That should be encouraging to us. And that's why to me, every time you talk about grace, over a 100 times, and now he's talking about training us to renounce. And then one of the lines of the prophet was this. It's like, you know how we change? We go we grow into intimacy with God.”

59s

“Depending on people's group, depending where they come from, depending what they do, it is like and that's why we need to be careful because if we truly believe in the gospel, those barriers, they they don't exist. That rejection don't exist. It is like, I accept you. You accept me because we are in Christ. We are a new creation, and the two of us become one in Christ Jesus. We're part of the same body. I'm not gonna attack you. You don't attack me because we're in him. And if we are in him, we cannot do that because you would be me hitting myself because I don't like a part of me. If we're one in Christ, it means that Jew and Gentile become one. How can I attack one another? Do you see that? It's me against myself. And that's why we gotta be careful because we gotta keep going back to this. Oh, god. Help me. Help me to love like you love.”

47s

“You know, if we're talking about grace, there's no way to talk about grace and have division. Really. Really. It's gonna be hard. I mean, it's impossible, really, because Paul, he hammers over and over again grace for living, grace for surviving, grace for strength, grace to continue, grace to love, grace to have joy, grace to be happy, grace to have strength. It all goes back to that first encounter where he met grace. He was declaring Jews and Gentiles are now one. The dividing wall has fallen. The cross has succeeded. Grace has created a new family.”

52s

“It's it's like, there is no way. It's like, yeah. I'm not like that. Neither was I, but grace. I look more like Jesus, or do I look more like me or what I used to be? Because if I do, I'm not I didn't met Jesus. Or I'm limiting just to the page or I'm limiting just to something I've heard, and I should be open to this encounter because it's transformative. Now think about this. Paul prays for removal. God offers grace. Paul seeks deliverance. God offers dependence. So I I do. I think the greatest revelation of grace did not come in Paul's victories. It came in his thorn.”

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Have you Met Grace? Why could Paul never stop talking about grace Leyff Wenderson

Devotional

Day 1: Meeting Grace on the Road to Blindness

Day 2: Standing Unmoved in the Storm of Chains

Day 3: Grace as the Gym Trainer of the Soul

Day 4: Strength Perfected in Weakness’s Embrace

Day 5: Grace’s Demolition of Dividing Walls

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Have you Met Grace? Why could Paul never stop talking about grace Leyff Wenderson

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