Acts 14-16

God is busy at work in Acts 14-16.  There is opposition and struggle along the way.  Paul, Barnabas, and Silas (and their crew) keep traveling all over the place spreading God's good news about Jesus.  These missionaries meet hostility at times, face abuse, even serve jail time.  Those struggles prove to be powerful faith builders in their own right.  They are the places and times when God does some of His best work.


Speaking of God's best work…check out what God did and does for us, His believers, because of Jesus' great everlasting sacrifice.  The news is so good and the promise so sweet that the words were zooming off the page at me, like sparkly fireworks this morning.

9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith…

11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.

Acts 15: 9, 11

God's grace feels too good to be true, even the disciples have to work to understand what God's grace really means.  But guess what?  Pinch yourself.  It's true. 

Grace is real.

Being a Christian is about our personal relationships with Christ, not how well we follow religious rules and rituals. 

No, God doesn't love us if...  He loves us so… 

We have to own this amazing grace God gives us SO we can see what God has in store next...

A prayer for today-

Dear Lord,

I thank you for your amazing love and your precious grace in my life.  Thank you for my struggles and the ways you work them for good. Purify my heart by my faith.  Strengthen my relationship with you, and give me the courage and peace to share your grace with all the people you bring into my life.

In the name of Jesus I pray,

Amen

Grace and peace,