Nick’s Walk

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 NLT I attended my first connect group meeting at our church for the fall semester last night. It was good. It was a men’s only meeting studying Larry Stockstill’s Model Man. The message was very simple: Tell the truth. Keep your word. Pay your bills. It seems a bit sad that we need to hear a message so simple these days. Even sadder is that next week we talk about purity and that’s a message needed even more. It was the first of a six-week set of meetings. The book is very simple. I read it in one sitting. We watched a video then had a discussion. All of it was great. It was great to connect with other Christians, especially other men. It was great to get out of the house. It only lasted an hour but I know it will make a difference in my week. It’s not too late to join a group. Check out the possibilities.  You can fit in an hour in your week. Especially one […]

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— Romans 3 If our experience of grace isn’t everything I’ve been talking about, it’s because we have tried to take a short cut to it. Romans 3:21-25 is the Gospel. I believe this is so because of the way Satan tries to chip away at the elements contained in these verses. See how he tries to drag the law back in. See how he tries to cast doubt on faith being enough. See how he tries to label only the “worst” as sinners. See how he tries to convince that nothing that’s free can be worth anything. Perhaps these days Satan has been most successful in taking […]

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16  We usually think of Mercy and Grace together like ham and eggs or biscuits and gravy. (I really should have breakfast BEFORE I write these things.) However, mercy and grace or different. Mercy is forgiveness for what we have done; grace is the power to not do it again. Mercy is God withholding the punishment we rightfully deserve. Grace is God not only withholding that punishment but offering the most precious of gifts instead. Mercy pays the penalty for our sin at the cross. Grace substitutes the righteousness of Christ for our wickedness. Jeremiah, David (2006-03-07). Captured by Grace: No One Is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God (p. 23). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. We can be merciful, in fact, God tells us that unless we forgive we won’t be forgiven, but we can’t pass out Mercy and Grace like God can. God forgives even though He has perfect knowledge of just how sinful we are. He also knows how soon we will repeat our sin. For us, it […]

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. —ROMANS 5: 11 The last treasure is a trumpet of joy. The grace experience should cause joy to swell up inside us. That should lead us to joyful worship of God and joyful testimony to man. If as a Christian, we find either worship or testimony more an obligation than a privilege perhaps we need to recheck our grace experience. It is fitting, then, that the last treasure is a call to worship. What else could it be? I defy you to read Romans 5: 1– 11 slowly, thoughtfully, and prayerfully, as you meditate upon the seven wonders in your own life, without experiencing a renewed urge for worship and praise of Christ. His riches continue to shower upon us year by year, day by day, and moment by moment. I dare you to contemplate the power and love and goodness of the living God, to let His love flow over you today, and not feel a soul-deep joy, an all-encompassing peace, and a rising courage to face the challenges that this week brings to your life. […]

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:9-10 Sometimes it’s easier for us to grasp that Jesus died to save us than it is to understand that he remains concerned as we try to live out our lives as His disciples. Perhaps this is because the life part is completely personal. Although we say Jesus would  have died for me if I were the only person on earth, we don’t really have to rely on that because we aren’t alone on this planet. He does care what each of us does with the grace He gives us. Part of what we get with grace is a life map. This is not a map that tells us exactly where we will go; it is a promise that He will be our life and our Lord, that He will accompany us and empower us for every destination and every path. Jeremiah, David (2006-03-07). Captured by Grace: No One Is Beyond […]

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —ROMANS 5: 5– 8 I had given up watching the news. It was too discouraging. I have gotten drawn back in the last few days. Nothing much has changed. I am reminded of that Dione Warwick song, “What the World Needs Now.” With all the violence, murder, hate on television, it’s clear most of the world has forgotten how to love. They have even forgotten what it is. Probably saddest of all is that many Christians have forgotten. We have manufactured a loveless gospel. Our testimony seems to be law based. Our message seems to be get right or go to hell. Somehow we are shocked that the world is not listening. We have forgotten that our Lord […]

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. —ROMANS 5: 3– 4 After glorying in our righteousness in Christ, our personalized access to God, and our promise of eternity with Him, we get hit with tribulations, and not just tribulations, but glory in tribulations. Has Paul lost his mind? He certainly knew about tribulation, he had much of it. I speak as a fool— I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes […]

And rejoice in hope of the glory of God. —R OMANS 5: 2 We have considered the seven treasures of grace from the first few verses of Chapter 5 of Romans. We have considered the treasures of the declaration of righteousness and the access to God. Grace also blesses us with the promise of Heaven. We get glimpses of what heaven will be like that can sustain us in a world that often reminds us that it is not our home. It’s like a music box that has the enticing melody of a far country, one that lies ahead. A music box is only a simple piece of machinery; it cannot suggest what the full orchestra can produce. But it is a reminder, and our imagination does the rest. This is a fine treasure indeed— a treasure that offers hope— and the traveler cherishes it. Jeremiah, David (2006-03-07). Captured by Grace: No One Is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God (p. 89). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition Our frustration with earth increases as the end draws near. On Sunday our senior pastor announced a teaching series for men whom he described as the only hope for our nation. Men […]