September 8
Relational Grace
Psalms 133
How delightfully good when brothers live together in harmony! Psalm 133:1
Grace flows in two directions: vertical grace flows down from God, and horizontal grace flows from you to others, and from others to you. This week, we'll concentrate on giving grace to others, the kind of horizontal flow that pours outward from you to others.
Relationships with people we enjoy are one of life's great pleasures. I learned this vividly in my athletic career. For most of my childhood, I was a competitive swimmer. Then I found out about Water Polo. Water Polo ruined swimming for me.
From ages 9 to 14, I loved competitive swimming. I loved working out, traveling to various pools, racing, improving my times, and collecting ribbons and medals. That all changed two weeks before I entered high school, when preseason water polo practices began. Suddenly, instead of swimming for myself, I was swimming for a group of guys who were committed to working together.
I loved everything about water polo – except not being able to wear goggles. Goggles and being hit in the face (either with a hand or a ball) don't go together. So, at the end of two-hour practices, my eyes were on fire from the chlorine. I loved running plays, learning my teammates' strengths and weaknesses, and working together for a common goal. Once I experienced teamwork, swimming was never the same for me.
As a young man, David learned the wonder of working with and depending on others during his days spent running from King Saul. 1 Samuel 22:1-2 says, “David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there. 2 In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”
Adullam is in the hill country of Judea, about 13 miles south of Bethlehem, and a few miles west of the Dead Sea. Imagine 400 men coming together, learning to live together and survive in the wilderness while ever-vigilant for the troops of Saul. They relied on each other for food, protection, and encouragement.
David thought about this in his elder days, remembering “How delightfully good” it was to live together with a band of like-minded brothers (Ps. 133:1).
The phenomenon around that cave was a forecast of God's intention for His church. Like the cavemen, Christian brothers and sisters are united in a common cause (building Jesus' church), with a common spirit (the Holy Spirit), and a common Lord (the Lord Jesus).
The church has always been an oasis of blessing for those who are united in Christ. It's the place where we were intended to know and be known, love and be loved, serve and be served, celebrate and be celebrated. It's the place where we learn to be like Jesus and practice expressing love. It's the place where we employ our spiritual gifts for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7).
For the church to be what the Lord intended it to be, its members must be ever aware of God's grace and practice it on one another. That's what this week is about: learning to live in and by grace, and practice it on the brothers and sisters of your church.
Here’s a quick forecast of what that looks like:
Encouragement, spiritual gifts, forgiving others, and generosity = four ways of giving grace to others.
Lord Jesus, I pray that Your church will excel in grace towards one another: in unity, in encouraging each other, in serving each other, and in forgiving and sharing. Help me to personally excel in these things and improve in each of them this week. In Jesus' name, Amen!
Grace flows in two directions: vertical grace flows down from God, and horizontal grace flows from you to others, and from others to you. This week, we'll concentrate on giving grace to others, the kind of horizontal flow that pours outward from you to others.
Relationships with people we enjoy are one of life's great pleasures. I learned this vividly in my athletic career. For most of my childhood, I was a competitive swimmer. Then I found out about Water Polo. Water Polo ruined swimming for me.
From ages 9 to 14, I loved competitive swimming. I loved working out, traveling to various pools, racing, improving my times, and collecting ribbons and medals. That all changed two weeks before I entered high school, when preseason water polo practices began. Suddenly, instead of swimming for myself, I was swimming for a group of guys who were committed to working together.
I loved everything about water polo – except not being able to wear goggles. Goggles and being hit in the face (either with a hand or a ball) don't go together. So, at the end of two-hour practices, my eyes were on fire from the chlorine. I loved running plays, learning my teammates' strengths and weaknesses, and working together for a common goal. Once I experienced teamwork, swimming was never the same for me.
As a young man, David learned the wonder of working with and depending on others during his days spent running from King Saul. 1 Samuel 22:1-2 says, “David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there. 2 In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”
Adullam is in the hill country of Judea, about 13 miles south of Bethlehem, and a few miles west of the Dead Sea. Imagine 400 men coming together, learning to live together and survive in the wilderness while ever-vigilant for the troops of Saul. They relied on each other for food, protection, and encouragement.
David thought about this in his elder days, remembering “How delightfully good” it was to live together with a band of like-minded brothers (Ps. 133:1).
The phenomenon around that cave was a forecast of God's intention for His church. Like the cavemen, Christian brothers and sisters are united in a common cause (building Jesus' church), with a common spirit (the Holy Spirit), and a common Lord (the Lord Jesus).
The church has always been an oasis of blessing for those who are united in Christ. It's the place where we were intended to know and be known, love and be loved, serve and be served, celebrate and be celebrated. It's the place where we learn to be like Jesus and practice expressing love. It's the place where we employ our spiritual gifts for the common good (1 Cor. 12:7).
For the church to be what the Lord intended it to be, its members must be ever aware of God's grace and practice it on one another. That's what this week is about: learning to live in and by grace, and practice it on the brothers and sisters of your church.
Here’s a quick forecast of what that looks like:
- Encourage each other daily. Heb. 3:13
- Use your spiritual gift(s) to serve others. 1 Pet. 4:10
- Forgive others, as your heavenly Father has forgiven you. Mt. 6:12
- Excel in the grace of giving. 2 Cor. 9:8
Encouragement, spiritual gifts, forgiving others, and generosity = four ways of giving grace to others.
Lord Jesus, I pray that Your church will excel in grace towards one another: in unity, in encouraging each other, in serving each other, and in forgiving and sharing. Help me to personally excel in these things and improve in each of them this week. In Jesus' name, Amen!
September 9
The Gift of Encouragement
Hebrews 3:13
Encourage each other daily, while it is still called today. Hebrews 3:13
During college, one of the last swim meets of the year was our conference
championships. The night before the meet began, my coach, Bill Graves, said, "Hal, I want to enter you in the 200 freestyle tomorrow."
On the first day of championship meets, I usually swam the 200 individual medley, so this threw me for a bit of a loop. “The field this year is not particularly strong, and Paul (a teammate) can represent us in the I.M.” I said, “Okay. How do you think I can do in this?”
Bill said, “I think you can win it.”
In the morning, I qualified for the finals, coming in just a few hairs out of first. If I upped my game slightly, I could fulfill the coach's confidence in me.
As the starter called us to the blocks and commanded, “Swimmers, take your marks,” I was pumping massive adrenaline!
At the 100-yard mark, I led the field by a full body length. Each time I turned my head to breathe, I could see my teammates lined up at the edge of the pool, waving towels, grinning, and shouting for me. That pumped more adrenaline!
By the 125-mark, a thought crept into my mind. “I may have taken the pace out a bit fast.” I was in oxygen deprivation, and feeling it than I should have with 75 yards left to go.
By the 150-yard turn, my competitors were creeping up on me. The guys on the poolside were shouting louder. At that point, I should have shifted into higher gear, but I didn't have one. My arms felt like bricks; my torso was no longer riding high in the water.
Somewhere between 150 and 175 yards, a phenomenon happened to me that swimmers call "the bear and the piano." What they mean is, if you swim too fast too soon, there comes a moment when it feels like a bear and a piano have both jumped on your back. That definitely happened to me. My mind was shouting "Go!" but my body was screaming "Whoa!" I was gasping for air and desperately trying to hold the lead as four enemy swimmers rapidly caught up with me.
At the finish, there was no joy in Mudville. I was just a few hairs short of first, and
second, and third, and fourth. To this day, whenever I'm with one of my college swim team buddies, they inevitably bring up my freshman "bear and piano" moment.
I’ve long since gotten over the embarrassment of my rookie mistake. What sticks with me is how I felt when Bill said, “I think you can win it.” Those six words injected massive courage into me. It felt good then, and it feels good remembering it today. I bring this up because everyone you know can use a shot of grace, delivered in a vile of encouragement today. God thinks the act of encouraging others is so important that in Hebrews 3:13, He says we ought to do it daily. “Encourage each other daily, while it is still called today.”
“Encourage” is a compound word. The core of the word is “courage.” It’s preceded by the prefix “en,” which means “to make,” or “put in.” When you en-courage someone, you are putting courage into them.
Think of someone in your life you’d like to put courage into today. What could you say or do that would lift their spirit and enable them to do whatever they need to do, with greater confidence and joy?
Proverbs 12:25 paints a wonderful word picture: Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up (Pr. 12:25, NIV).
Who would you like to pump courage into today? What could you say to them that might transform a downhearted person and cheer them up?
Some suggestions:
Lord, help me to say words that will lift _____’s heart today. Help me to find the right moment, connect eye-to-eye, and be part of Your grace-infusion into his/her heart, soul, and mind. If possible, I’d like to say something that will go deep, and that they’ll remember for a long, long time. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
During college, one of the last swim meets of the year was our conference
championships. The night before the meet began, my coach, Bill Graves, said, "Hal, I want to enter you in the 200 freestyle tomorrow."
On the first day of championship meets, I usually swam the 200 individual medley, so this threw me for a bit of a loop. “The field this year is not particularly strong, and Paul (a teammate) can represent us in the I.M.” I said, “Okay. How do you think I can do in this?”
Bill said, “I think you can win it.”
In the morning, I qualified for the finals, coming in just a few hairs out of first. If I upped my game slightly, I could fulfill the coach's confidence in me.
As the starter called us to the blocks and commanded, “Swimmers, take your marks,” I was pumping massive adrenaline!
At the 100-yard mark, I led the field by a full body length. Each time I turned my head to breathe, I could see my teammates lined up at the edge of the pool, waving towels, grinning, and shouting for me. That pumped more adrenaline!
By the 125-mark, a thought crept into my mind. “I may have taken the pace out a bit fast.” I was in oxygen deprivation, and feeling it than I should have with 75 yards left to go.
By the 150-yard turn, my competitors were creeping up on me. The guys on the poolside were shouting louder. At that point, I should have shifted into higher gear, but I didn't have one. My arms felt like bricks; my torso was no longer riding high in the water.
Somewhere between 150 and 175 yards, a phenomenon happened to me that swimmers call "the bear and the piano." What they mean is, if you swim too fast too soon, there comes a moment when it feels like a bear and a piano have both jumped on your back. That definitely happened to me. My mind was shouting "Go!" but my body was screaming "Whoa!" I was gasping for air and desperately trying to hold the lead as four enemy swimmers rapidly caught up with me.
At the finish, there was no joy in Mudville. I was just a few hairs short of first, and
second, and third, and fourth. To this day, whenever I'm with one of my college swim team buddies, they inevitably bring up my freshman "bear and piano" moment.
I’ve long since gotten over the embarrassment of my rookie mistake. What sticks with me is how I felt when Bill said, “I think you can win it.” Those six words injected massive courage into me. It felt good then, and it feels good remembering it today. I bring this up because everyone you know can use a shot of grace, delivered in a vile of encouragement today. God thinks the act of encouraging others is so important that in Hebrews 3:13, He says we ought to do it daily. “Encourage each other daily, while it is still called today.”
“Encourage” is a compound word. The core of the word is “courage.” It’s preceded by the prefix “en,” which means “to make,” or “put in.” When you en-courage someone, you are putting courage into them.
Think of someone in your life you’d like to put courage into today. What could you say or do that would lift their spirit and enable them to do whatever they need to do, with greater confidence and joy?
Proverbs 12:25 paints a wonderful word picture: Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up (Pr. 12:25, NIV).
Who would you like to pump courage into today? What could you say to them that might transform a downhearted person and cheer them up?
Some suggestions:
- "I believe in you, Noah!"
- “Emma, I see you doing great things with your life!”
- “Jacob, you’re a winner!”
- “Ava, I prayed for you this morning. You’re going to crush it today!”
Lord, help me to say words that will lift _____’s heart today. Help me to find the right moment, connect eye-to-eye, and be part of Your grace-infusion into his/her heart, soul, and mind. If possible, I’d like to say something that will go deep, and that they’ll remember for a long, long time. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
September 10
Grace Gifts
1 Peter 4:10
Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good
stewards of the varied grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10
According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use
it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if
teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with
generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-7
stewards of the varied grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10
According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use
it according to the proportion of one’s faith; 7 if service, use it in service; if
teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with
generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-7
September 11
Grace to Forgive
Matthew 6:12-14
“… And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And
do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 “For if
you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as
well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your
offenses.” Matthew 6:12-14
do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 “For if
you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as
well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your
offenses.” Matthew 6:12-14
September 13
Giving Grace to Others
Ephesians 4:29-32
No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger, and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. Ephesians 4:29-32