The Way to Grace...The Way to God

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No comes to the Father except through me." With that statement we see Jesus establish Himself as the way that we can come to God. Romans 3 tells us that we can be made right with God because of His grace which came through Jesus Christ.

Some people think because Jesus said, "I am the way..." that Christianity is exclusive. But the grace of God is very inclusive, because Christ died for all the sins of the world, including anyone who would receive the gift of grace provided them by a loving God.

Jesus is the way to God. Follow Him and you will follow to an eternity with God the Father.

Peace found in the Richness of God's Grace

In Monterey there is an area called Restless Sea, where waves converge from different angles and make the sea look angry and in turmoil. I have stared at the sea and thought of how often my life has felt like that...Restless, without peace.

I was talking with some people this week and we got talking about the fear, the restlessness, the guilt that comes from living life our way...making sinful decisions apart from God. So often we trade the peace of doing things God's way, living in God's grace for the restlessness of making our own way.

In Philippians 4, we are told that in Christ we can have "peace beyond all understanding". To be so peaceful in the midst of the restlessness around us that even we can't explain except to say it is the grace of God. Choose Christ...Choose peace. Let me know what you think about this. E-mail me at jim@orchardchurch.com.

Season of Grace: The Throne of Grace

My son, Ben, loves the movie "A Knight's Tale". He loves the chivalry, the jousting ("bonking" as he calls it), the action. I love the relationship between Sir Ulrich (a man posing as a Knight so he can compete in the Joust) and Prince Edward. Everyone is afraid of Prince Edward, intimidated by his presence and position, except Ulrich. Ulrich seems to have an understanding that Prince Edward is looking for the opportunity to have relationship with people, to compete, to like "just one of the Knights".
This week I realized that often I have been intimidated by God, his position and presence, and feared being open with Him. But we have a God who so desires relationship that He did become "one of us" through the life of Jesus. And now He welcomes us as friends, children to His presence to know Him and to be known, honestly, just as we are. When we go to Him, He gives us His grace, mercy and forgiveness that we need to keep on living a to build a "rich" relationship with Him.
Those are my thoughts this week as I try to get a grasp on God's amazing Grace. E-mail me your thoughts at jim@orchardchurch.com.

Receiving God's Grace...Giving God's Grace!

All last week my thoughts cenetered around our ability to give away the grace and love that we have received from God. Jesus tells us (and the religious law expert) that we are to be like the Samaritan, who shower mercy to the man in need. We have the opportunity to touch people's lives with the hope of Christ be being the hands and feet of God, giving away grace, mercy, and love.
The great thing about Jesus' desire for us to be His instruments of love is that we don't (we can't) do it on our own. We are to be filled by the Holy Spirit who brings God's love into our hearts and through Him we can love others.
We can't give away what we haven't received. Make sure you have received God's great gift of Grace and then you can give it away to friends, family members who desperately need it.
See you at communion on Wednesday at 7:30 am at the office. Let me know you thoughts. You can e-mail me at jim@orchardchurch.com.