Knowing God/being still
Read Ephesians 5:1
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children" (Ephesians 5:1 NIV). Maybe you never realized such a statement was in the Bible. What a strange command: "Be imitators of God"!
Sharing 101
Philippians 2:1-11
As our world is getting smaller, our minds seem to be following suit. Our level of selfishness is increasing by the day. Suddenly, nobody wants you to invade his or her "space." Sharing may be the major subject in a primary-school class, but somewhere on the way to adulthood the lessons get erased.
A few actions that signify grace
1 Corinthians 9:20
I want to focus our attention today on the concluding verses in Romans 14. Read verse 19 slowly and thoughtfully. "So then let us pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another." On the basis of that great statement, consider the first of four action steps.
Guiding grace
Colossians 3:17
In his letter to the Romans, Paul goes into great detail regarding the issue of personal freedom—greater detail than almost anywhere else in his writings. In the 14th chapter, for example, he sets forth four very practical guidelines that can be followed by all who are serious about releasing others in grace. My hope is that we not only learn what they are but, equally important, that we spend our days following them.
Two-dimensional grace
Psalm 85:2
Grace comes to us in two dimensions, vertical and horizontal. Vertical grace centres on our relationship with God. It is amazing. It frees us from the demands and condemnation of the Mosaic Law. It announces hope to the sinner—the gift of eternal life, along with all its benefits.