URBAN DICTIONARY # 3 GRACE

GRACE

WORDS WE HAVE LOOKED AT SO FAR:

LOST

SIN

Grace

A extremely beautiful and lovable girl who is very talented and intellegent. She is very musical and has a great singing voice, but Grace sometimes lacks self-confidence and doesn't believe that she can achieve what she wants to, she can. Grace is a brilliant listener and gives great advice for friendship or boy problems! But she needs someone to listen to her and give her advice. If you have a Grace you are very lucky , use her wisely, encourage her and give her advice as she needs someone to listen to her once in a while !

“Patience is a virtue, Virtue is a grace. Grace is a little girl Who would not wash her face.” (LADY DAISY)

DICK-KING SMITH - CHILDRENS AUTHOR

NOW JUST IN CASE YOU DO NOT KNOW WHO THIS AUTHOR IS HE WAS THE AUTHOR

Ronald Gordon King-Smith OBE, Hon.MEd (27 March 1922 – 4 January 2011),[1] was a prolific English writer of children's books, primarily using the pen name Dick King-Smith. He is best known for The Sheep-Pig (1983), or Babe the Gallant Pig in the US. It was adapted as the movie Babe (1995) and translations have been published in fifteen languages

HE WROTE OVER 100 CHILDRENS BOOKS

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Grace

GRACE (חֶסֶד, chesed; “grace, mercy, steadfast love, compassion”; חֵן, chen; “grace, graciousness, kindness”; χάρις, charis; “grace, favor, graciousness, goodwill”). Gracious or merciful behavior of a more powerful person toward another. Displayed by the Lord toward humankind and by people towards each other in the Old Testament. Used to describe God or Christ in their merciful character or actions toward humankind in the New Testament. Spiritual gifts are described as “graces.” A literary device used at the beginning or end of many New Testament letters.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Grace in the Old Testament

The Lord shows grace towards His people in the Old Testament. A common way of describing human graciousness toward another person is “to find favor in [their] eyes.”

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Divine Grace

Examples of God’s grace in the Old Testament:

• (Gen 6:8) Noah “found favor (חֵן, chen) in the eyes of the Lord” (HCSB).

• (Exod 33, 34) Moses found favor in the eyes of the Lord so that He did not judge the idolatrous children of Israel. As the Lord was preparing to rewrite His commandments on tablets of stone, He passed before Moses and said, “Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth” (Exod 34:6 HCSB).

• (Pss 86:15; 103:8; 111:4; 112:4; 116:5; 145:8) The Psalms are filled with praise of God’s grace and graciousness. Grace was a major theme in Israel’s worship.

• (Jer 31:2) The Lord looked back on His favor toward Israel in the wilderness after coming out of Egypt, implying He would do the same thing in graciously bringing His people out of Babylon.

• (Zech 12:10) Zechariah foretold of a time when the Lord would “pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the house of David and the residents of Jerusalem, and they will look at Me whom they have pierced” (HCSB). This passage is cited in Rev 1:7 along with Dan 7:13.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Grace in the New Testament

Grace in the New Testament

In addition to the Old Testament aspects of grace, the New Testament focuses upon:

• Grace in relation to salvation.

• Spiritual gifts being referred to as “graces.”

• The literary use of grace in beginning or ending of many New Testament letters.

The Grace of God and of Christ

God and Christ are described in terms of their graciousness throughout the New Testament:

• (1 Pet 5:10) The Father is called “the God of all grace” (HCSB).

• (Eph 1:7) Speaks of “the riches of His grace,” the recognition of which should be to “the praise of His glorious grace” (HCSB).

• (John 1:14) Describes Jesus as “full of grace and truth” (HCSB).

• The majority of Paul’s letters end with “the grace of our Lord Jesus” (e.g., Rom 16:20; 1 Cor 16:23; Phlm 25).

• (2 Thess 1:12) God and Christ are linked in regard to their χάρις (charis), “the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (HCSB).

read from back of book

WHAT EXACTLY IS GRACE?

IMAGINE YOU ARE WOKEN UP BY SOMEONE BANGING ON YOUR DOOR AND SHOUTING AT YOU AND WHEN YOU OPEN IT UP THERE IS THIS MOB OF ANGRY MEAN PEOPLE THAT DRAG YOU INTO THE STREET AND MARCH YOU DOWN TO THE CHURCH AND THRUST YOU INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE SPEAKER OF THE TIME AND SHOUT AT HIM SAYING THE LAW SAYS NOT TO DO THIS SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?

IN FACT WE ARE TOLD TO STONE THEM TO DEATH AND AS YOU SINK TO YOUR KNEES IN SHAME AND BURY YOUR FACE IN EMBARRASMENT AND EVEN THINKING THIS IS IT, TODAY I DIE.

JOHN CHAPTER 8 TELLS OF JUST SUCH A STORY

John 8:1–11 NIV

but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ANGRY MOB LET ME TELL YOU IT IS PRETTY SCAREY.

I WORKED IN THE CITY OF JOHNNESBURG MORE SPECIFICALLY INSIDE THE UNIVERSITY AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DEMONSTRATIONS AND ALMOST ALWAYS THEY TURNED INTO RIOTING MOBS. ONE PARTICULAR DAY - TELL STORY

PERHAPS YOUHAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ANGRY MOB?

JUST THE SAME WAY THAT THOSE SECURITY PERSONEL STOOD BETWEEN US AND THE MOB THAT DAY JESUS STEPS IN AND TAKES OVER. - GRACE ABOUNDS

JAWS DROP AND STONES DROP AND THEY WALK AWAY

JESUS ASKS - WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE ARE YOUR ACCUSERS, THOSE WHO CONDEMNED YOU?

THOSE VOICES OF CONDEMNATION REVERBERATE IN OUR LIVES AS WELL

YOU AREN’T GOOD ENOUGH

YOU’LL NEVER IMPROVE

YOU NOTHING BUT A FAILURE

THE VOICES IN OUR WORLD AND IN OUR HEAD

WHO IS THIS ACCUSER

SATAN

Revelation 12:9–10 ESV

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

THIS IS HIS FULL TIME JOB - ACCUSING

SATAN WILL REPEAT THIS ADULTROUS WOMAN SCENARIO AS OFTEN AS YOU ALLOW HIM TO

LAST WEEK PASTOR KALEB SPOKE ABOUT SIN - THE VERY THING THAT SEPERATES US FROM GOD.

HE SPOKE OF:

ACTIONS THAT VIOLATE THE MORAL LAW OF GOD

DOING THINGS THAT TAKE OUR FOCUS OFF GOD / MISSING THE MARK - STRAYING OFF.

SATAN WILL PUSH YOU INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE CROWD AND MEGAPHONE YOUR SIN

THIS PERSON WAS CAUGHT IN THE ACT OF:

IMMORALITY

STUPIDITY

DISHONESTY

IRRESPONSIBILITY

AMAZING GRACE STORY IN HERE:

JOHN NEWTON 1725-1807

11 WENT TO SEA

GOT HIMSELF TRADED TO A SLAVE SHIP

BECAME THE SERVANT OF AN ABUSIVE SLAVE TRADER

HE BECAME VERY ILL AND ASKED GOD FOR HELP AND PROMISED TO CHANGE HIS LIFE AROUND. HE WAS HEALED AND SPOKE OF THE CHANGE OF HEART HE HAD.

DID NOT STOP SLAVE TRADING BUT BECAME AWARE OF HIS WRONG DOING

HE GOT SICK AGAIN AT THE AGE OF 29 AND STOPPED BEING IN THE SLAVE TRADE

AT THE AGE OF 32 ENTERED MINISTRY - IT TOOK HIM 7 YEARS TO GET ACCEPTED AS A PARISH PRIEST

WROTE THE SONG AMAZING GRACE AT THE AGE OF 47 AND IT WAS PUT TO MUSIC ABOUT 7 YEARS LATER.

HE REGRETTED HI INVOLVMENT IN THE SLAVE TRADE AND BECAME A HUGE ADVOCATE OF ABOLISHING SLAVE TRADE AND WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN BACKING WILLIAM WILBERFORCE THE POLITICIAN AND ENCOURAGING HIM TO LOBBY FOR THE ABOLISHING OF SLAVERY.

ALMOST BLIND AND NEAR DEATH NEWTON LIVED TO SEE THE LAW COME INTO EFFECT.

BUT THE ACCUSER DOES NOT HAVE THE LAST WORD:

JESUS DOES

AS MAX LUCADO GOES ON TO SAY

HE STOOPED FOR YOU AND ME:

MANGER

CARPENTRY

FISHING

SLAPPED AND SPAT ON

BUT THEN HE STOOD UP - HE STOOD UP FOR YOU AND ME

HE STOOD UP FROM THE GRAVE

SHUTTING THE ACCUSER UP FOR GOOD

JOHN STOTT QUOTE -

GRACE IS GOD LOVING, GOD STOOPING, GOD COMING TO THE RESCUE, GOD GIVING HIMSELF GENEROUSLY IN AND THROUGH JESUS CHRIST!

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WE ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE USED BY THE ACCUSER WHEN WE ARE THE MOB HOLDING THE STONES AND WE START TO THROW THEM AT PEOPLE AROUND US.

WE JUDGE THEM AND RIDICULE AND EVEN PASS SENTENCE ON THEM.

YOU:

BUT WHO NEEDS A MEASURE OF UNDESRVED FAVOUR FROM YOU THIS WEEK.

TELL STORY OF PARKING LOT -

GRACE IS UNDESERVED FAVOUR IT IS EXACTLY AS MAX LUCADO DECRIBES IT IN HIS BOOK ON GRACE:

BOTTOM LINE:

MAX LUCADO COINED IT:

WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE AND WE ARE SUSTAINED BY GRACE.

GRACE IS MORE THAN WE DESERVE AND GREATER THAN WE IMAGINE