Running out of time (The God of All Grace part 2)

"But may the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you." (1 Pet. 5:10)

I have a limited amount of time to write this before getting to my next scheduled thing. In fact I always have a limited amount of time. In reality I have a limited amount of everything – time, energy, opportunity, money, etc. and if you want to know the truth, so do you! We are finite every day and in every way.

As we think on the second part of the description of God as being “the God of all grace” I want to dwell on the “all” part. He is not limited in His grace. It never is in short supply, the transportation system to bring grace from the throne to you is never disrupted, it never runs out no matter how much you need. He is a God of unlimited grace. He is infinite every day and in every way.

So the next time you feel like your needs exceed God’s ability, or the reach of His compassionate grace – let this verse stop you and redirect you. He has not used up His allotment of grace on all the other needy people and left you without – He is the God of all grace. Thank Him for that today and live like that today – you had better get started time is short.

Jesse

Video version of this teaching

Here are some recent family pictures - enjoy!

The God of All Grace (1 Pet. 5:10) part 1

"But may the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you." (1 Pet. 5:10)

For some reason a phrase from this verse had lodged itself in my mind over the past few days. Did you notice how Peter addresses God? He calls Him "the God of all grace." Stop what you are doing for a few moments and think about that. We have in our lives, caring for us the God of all grace. I will address the last two thirds of that phrase later but think for a moment about the fact that He is the GOD of all grace. If he were gracious and not God, He at best would be a benevolent person but not have the ability for that good will to do anything in our lives. No the "all grace" is empowered by the omnipotent God!

God has never seen a tight spot He could not get us out of. He has never faced a dilemma that did not have a third option. He had never faced a disease He could not heal. He has never encountered an obstacle he could not overcome or a roadblock He could not remove. He is able to deliver grace to you.

Are you in need of some encouragement today? If so, remember this; the God of all grace is on your side and He delights when His children turn to Him in faith and seek His help. So...what are you waiting for?

Jesse

Video Version of this teaching

A (non) Drive Time Video on Gratefulness

As many of you know it has been sometime since I have made any new Drive Time Videos - I will spare you the details for the absence but I am make a new series of videos that while not from the road are from the heart and more importantly from God's Word. As always I appreciate your support and feed back. Just click the play button on the video below or if that is showing click the link to go to a webpage where you can view it.

Blessings,
Jesse


Click here to go to video page

Know your preacher?

I need your help. Usually I try to write items on this blog to inform, entertain or inspire you but this offering is a little different. As most of you know I am working on my Doctoral Dissertation and as part of that project I am doing some original research. My subject is the role of the hearer in the preaching process. What I need is your opinion. Since I spend most of my time behind the pulpit I need to know what the person in the pew is thinking. I will do these polls over a period of time in three question segments. It should only take a minute or two of your time but your input will be a great help to this seminary student.

Just click the link below to get started and let me thank you in advance for your participation, Also, please feel free to pass this on to anyone you may like, I could use all the opinions I can get. All responses are anonymous; so tell me what you think of preaching, listening and preachers like me.

Jesse

Please note that after you click "VOTE" after each set of answers, you will be taken to a results page, use your browser's "Back" button to return to the page to answer the following queston.
TAKE THE POLL

Who is in Charge?

So who really is in control on the field during an NFL game? The picture above that I took last Sunday in Dallas may give you a hint (you can click on the picture for a bigger version – you may have to use your browsers “back” button to back to the blog). In the picture you see players – it’s not them. You don’t see any coaches but it is not them either. How about the referees in their snazzy striped uniforms? Nope. Photogaphers? No. Cheerleaders? No again. It is really the man with the weird looking orange gloves. His title is NFL liaison or sideline coordinator. It is his job to get the word from the TV director in a control truck outside the stadium that the TV commercials are over and the game can restart after a break. The Refs cannot start until the sideline coordinator tells them to, on the field nothing happens until he says so. The orange gloves are so that the refs can easily see his hand signals to start or stop the game.

This got me to thinking about this – the person who is really in charge of something is rarely the person you see in the foreground. Perhaps in this political season a few folks would do well to remember that there is something more in play than just the acquisition of political power. Leaders in the church would do well to remember that no matter the title there is someone more unseen to who we are responsible. On an even more personal level we are each in charge of very little and all of us are persons under authority. So, we should all act like it.

Perhaps this would be a good time to express you submission to the God Who rules over all by offering your words of acknowledgment of His place and power to Him in prayer. As you practice the discipline of submission not only will He be honored and pleased, it will help you refocus to see His hand in your life, and you don’t even have to look for orange gloves!

Jesse

A few more pictures from our trip