Welcome And Series Context

Hello my friends and welcome to Everyday God for Your Every Day with Kathy, a space where we'll discuss real practical ways for life with God, especially for those days when life is hard, complicated, and messy. How do we apply biblical principles such as God's love, mercy, grace, and wisdom to our daily grind? Well, join me each week as we do just that together. So wherever you may find yourself today, please know that you are seen, held, accepted, loved, and never alone. So let's get to it. Hello, friends, and welcome back to another episode of Everyday God for your everyday. I can't believe it. This is episode seven. Oh my. Okay, so I'm really excited. I have to say, probably a little bit more excited than I have been in previous episodes. I think, you know, episode seven, I'm getting my bearings about me. And I'm a little like, you know, I've been geeking out a little bit about a lot of this as I've been doing research and I've been reading Dallas Willard. And I told you guys that I was reading Foster, Richard J. Foster, as well. I'm excited to share some of the revelations and knowledge that I've kind of gleaned over the past couple of weeks. But in addition to that, I am excited because I think I'm finally getting to a point where I am embracing this new endeavor. I am embracing what God is doing through this podcast, understanding that it is a collaborative approach. I give God the glory and the, you know, the credit here because this is again, I think I've shared this. This is not something that I would have done. And I was, you know, terrified. And but through the journey, through each episode, he's really helped me to see how, again, this is not just this thing that he's asking me to do in obedience, but it is an extension of the journey that I have been on with him. And I was having this conversation with a friend of mine earlier this week. And we were talking about this concept. You know, I write. So I've been, you know, busy writing this book. And I talk about it in terms of my faith walk with God and how if I really go back through my life, it's been an adventure. But one of the things that we talked about is it depends on one's perspective. And I would say, probably in the last month or a couple of months or a few months, whichever, I've not necessarily viewed my current faith walk or journey with God as an adventure. I've been anxious, uh, a bit fearful, and sometimes a bit almost like passive aggressive with God. Um, I'm gonna admit it, he knows it already. Um sometimes we'll do that. We'll be a little bit passive aggressive with God. In researching and preparing for this episode, I really he again walked me through it's like experiencing each episode, each topic myself. What can happen to us when we're not accepting of God's grace and all of the different ways and all of the different things and grace and all its characteristics, right? And it's been really interesting as I've thought about, you know, as I was writing this episode, and I'm like writing, I'm writing, because I'm like, oh my gosh, you know, grace, if we think about it, can be really confusing for a lot of people. And I wanted to do my best, you know, that's the trainer in me, to really go into like, okay, let's let's read, let's find out what I can listen to and read, you know, not overcomplicate it because I do think that that is ultimately my unique perspective, like my point of view. Christian life should not be as difficult as we make it, it should not be as complicated as we make it. I wanted to demystify grace in the same way that I hope that I've demystified some other aspects. Because if we think about the very practical name of everyday God for your everyday, that is not terribly, if you think about it, creative, right? It's everyday God for your everyday. I I told you it was God's idea, but it says exactly what it's supposed to be. And I also started thinking about through this whole kind of like journey, why I had such a very specific idea for the artwork, which was God holding my hand, your hand, as we journey together. And that's what everyday God for your everyday is supposed to be. And that's what every episode and every topic that we discuss as I'm helping and as I'm imparting knowledge and imparting just my passion about God and how awesome and wonderful He has been in my life and how he's made my life easier, how he's made parenting easier for me, how he's made being a friend easier, how he's made how he made me a better leader and leading people easier and working for people easier because I am not doing it on my own and I'm doing it with him. All of this to really kind of say thank you for being on this journey with me. And I know that last episode was a tad bit longer than normal. And I'm not entirely sure where we're gonna end this episode, but I promise that I will try to make it as exciting as possible so that as you're listening, time goes by fairly quickly and you don't realize that you're actually learning. And by listening and learning this, that you yourself are becoming a theologian. Okay, so let's start. This again is going to be a continuation of our series on acceptance. Last episode, we covered acceptance of God's love, which is the foundation for living an abundant life. And that's what Christ came on this earth to do. Yes, he came to save us, but salvation was not just, oh, you're I saved you from your sins, and now you can just wait until you die so you can have eternity with me. That's not the point. That's why he said, I came, they may have life and have it abundantly. So we have to take a hold of that. And so acceptance of our identity in Christ, who God says we are, and then acceptance of ourselves. So if we think about the rhythm and the order of acceptance as I listed them in the previous episode, we started with the acceptance of God's love because that is first, first things first. God's love for us is truly the foundation of everything. And what I mean by that is that his love is not only his heart for us, but it is just simply who he is. God is love, which means that it is his character. So it's fundamental to our relationship with him, how we view him, how he relates to us, and in turn, how we should and ought to relate to him. So then it goes back to this idea of if we seek God, again, being first, if we seek God first, if we make that our practice, if we make that our aim, if we seek to draw closer to him, if we seek what matters to him, then ultimately, as Jesus said in Matthew 6.33 when he was delivering his famous Sermon on the Mount, seek first the kingdom of God and all its treasures and everything else will be given to you. That means if we make God our aim, then everything else falls into place. You cannot fully integrate anything else in your life. I truly believe that if at the end of the day you are not anchored in God's love first, his love roots us, it securely holds us together and grounds us so that all of the things that go on around us, life's cares, its concerns, our circumstances, the pain we go through, suffering, loss, the distractions, comforts, vices, social media, whatever it is, none of that can devour you or me if we are anchored in God's love, if we are rooted and established in his love. So today we are going to concentrate talking about accepting God's grace. So before we can talk about acceptance of God's grace, we have to talk about grace itself, because quite frankly, um, as I said before, grace is not only expansive, but grace is a word that we use often in Christianity. But there's a lot about grace that is misunderstood. I know that I've talked about this idea of practical theology, right? I've I've always said that I am a flawed Christ follower. I am not an expert, but I am a Christ follower. And I am one who seeks God continually, who reads his word, I commune with God, I pray to God, I study his word, meditate upon his word. Not that I'm boasting, but to say that theology for me is practical. And I want us as we talk about these different topics, but at the core of it all should be the knowledge of God, service to God, seeking wisdom, his counsel, all of that should be part of our everyday. Our lives should not be compartmentalized into, oh, our regular or secular life and spiritual life and religious life. It shouldn't be that way. Because the reality is, as I stated, Jesus came to give us an abundant life. And there's no way that you can live an abundant life unless you have a life where God is fully integrated into every facet of that life. All that I endeavor to do and how I live my life is either in service to God or committed to Him. Not that this makes me perfect or any more righteous or holy than anyone else, but I know that God is at the center of all that I do. As such, imparting knowledge that I've gleaned through my own study of scripture and other Christian writings and teachers, and of course, my own life's experience walking with God should be par for the course. Sometimes we make it incredibly difficult or complicated that only pastors and preachers should share God's word because they are equipped. They've studied, they have the knowledge, they have the degrees. But the reality is we are all called to share the gospel. We are all called to share our testimonies, our stories of God with others. That is just part of being a Christ follower. So with that, let's unpack grace. We're going to discuss why the acceptance of grace is so crucial to our lives, not only for ourselves, but also in the way that we live with others. It is said that grace is at the heart of the Christian faith. And of course, that makes perfect sense, right? Because as Christians, we know that Ephesians chapter two, verse eight through nine says that it is by grace that we have been saved through faith. And it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. And Romans 11:6 states that if by grace, then it cannot be based on works. If it were, grace would no longer be grace. So going back to that conversation that I had with my husband regarding grace and those two kind of groups of people, those who believe that, hey, if I'm saved by grace, I don't need to do anything. And of course, there are those who believe that, hey, you need to do works. Scripture says that it is by grace that you have been saved. It is not from yourselves. It is a gift from God, not by works, so that no one can boast. See, God already knows us. God already knows that if we think that we can, I mean, that we can earn salvation, then we're gonna make it all about ourselves. It's not gonna be a gift from God, and we have nothing to be thankful for, and we certainly will not humble ourselves. But it also doesn't mean that you are saved by grace, and so therefore, grace is like a permission to just do whatever you want to do. And so I'm going to explain why grace is not that. I'm gonna go back to the seeking episode where I said, if you seek God with all your heart, then you will find him. Because you can say that you're seeking God, but you're not truly seeking God. You ain't fooling nobody but yourself, because you certainly are not fooling God. Grace works in the same way. If you are truly saved, truly saved, and you are attached to God, you are admitting, you are saying that I believe that Christ died for my sins, that he was the Son of God, and he came on this earth and he took my sins upon him. I believe with all of my heart that he died and rose again. And as a result of that, I have died to sin and live in Christ. It doesn't mean that you immediately from saying that, you become perfect. None of us become perfect, first of all, on this side of heaven. Okay. None of us. There's only one perfect being, Jesus. God is the only perfect being. Grace means that it's it's a free gift. There's nothing I did to deserve it, there's nothing I can do to earn it. But it also means that grace, and we're going to talk about this, that grace also does a work in your heart so that you start to transform and you don't want to do the things that you used to do. It doesn't mean that we become perfect again. It doesn't mean that we become completely sinless, but it does mean that every day we are becoming better versions of ourselves because of the work that grace is doing in us. For the group, especially those who quote James. It is James chapter 2, verse 18. Faith and action or deed are inseparable, meaning, show me faith without works. It's dead. It's it's faith without works is dead. You just said that I'm saved by grace. Let's not get it confused. You are saved by grace and grace alone. You didn't do anything, you don't have to strive, you don't have to work for your salvation. That's what I love about Christianity. It requires nothing of you to be saved, but for the acceptance that Christ died for your sins and rose again. You are saved, it is finished. Christ did it all on the cross. What James is talking about is the fact that faith and action are inseparable, meaning that works, although not a requirement of salvation, works is an evidence of it. Meaning it's all about the concept of fruitfulness. The Bible is full of God telling us to be fruitful. When we start looking at the New Testament, we also see that we are to be fruitful and that our abiding in God, meaning drawing close to Him, living with Him, means that our faith life will be fruitful. They will know you by the way you love one another. They will know that you are my disciples by the way you love one another. Love is a fruit of the spirit. Our ability to have compassion towards one another, fruit of the spirit. Our ability to subvert our own passions and our own selfish desires to our spirit, to God, to be to have a sound mind. That's a fruit of the spirit. Jesus says it. Listen, I am the vine, you are the branches. The closer you stick to him, the more fruit you will bear. Walking, practicing the way of Jesus as a Christ follower is that you should be fruitful. That's why, you know, the early church, Paul had to talk about it, Peter had to talk about it, James had to talk about it. There's this concept that we have to do more for salvation. No, we don't. We couldn't, even if we tried. We couldn't do more. Jesus did it all, it is finished. However, grace, God's grace working in me is transforming me and helping me to be fruitful. We're going to talk about that a little bit more. So grace is commonly defined as God's unmerited or undeserved favor, or also referred to as common grace or provisional grace. So this is what we discussed again, going back to the second episode of seeking God. So sometimes you're seeking God without even realizing because there's a power that's at work that is drawing you closer to Him. That is grace. This is the manifestation of God first loving us before we ever loved Him. This grace is available to all, means you don't have to even know. We talked about this. You don't even have to know who God is yet. But there's obviously you might be listening to this podcast or another podcast, or you're seeking, you might open your Bible. There is something at work within you. That is God's grace, his unmerited favor for all who sin. So grace itself is core to God's character, who he is. Scripture says that God's nature is full of grace or abounding in grace. Specifically, that was said in Exodus 34, 6, when God reveals his nature directly to Moses. We've talked about the fact that God is love. And the more and more I, you know, was writing and researching and again spending time with God, and as you'll see as we delve into the characteristics of grace, I would say that God's grace is an extension of his love. God's grace is the fruit of his love. It is the manifestation of his love for us. Because God loves us, and because God himself is love, he forgives us. He accepts us into his family, washes us clean of our sins. He also makes his dwelling within us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. And he empowers us through his power, which is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. So then grace, if we think about it, is described also as God's saving grace or just justifying grace, i.e. verse 8 and 9 in Ephesians chapter 2, which I covered just a few minutes ago, which states that it is by grace that we have been saved, being a gift from God. That means we cannot boast about deserving or having earned salvation because it was given by grace, a free gift. This is the forgiveness of sin, our acceptance into sonship, as we've discussed in previous episodes. The fact that we have been given the right to be called children of God, not because we deserved it, not because of what we've done, but because of what Christ did on the cross over 2,000 years ago. Christ Himself is referred to in scripture as God's grace becoming flesh. All of God's goodness and compassion towards us embodied in the man Christ, our Messiah. In the same way that Exodus describes God's nature, you know, being abounding in grace, is the same way that John chapter one, both verses 14 and 17, describe Jesus as being full of grace because Jesus himself is God and He's the embodiment of every good thing about God. So there's also sanctifying grace, which is the transformative work that God does in us through our acceptance of Christ as our Savior. So this grace enables us, it transforms us more and more as we walk with God. Philippians 2.13 states, for it is God who works in us both to will and to do for his good purposes. So as God Himself in Zechariah says, not by might nor by power, but by his spirit, that we are able to do the things that he has called us to do. And Philippians 1.6 says, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day that Christ Jesus returns. Speaking of the second coming. So in other words, it is by God's grace that we are transformed, that we are made new. It is not by the works of our own hands or by our will that we become more holy or more like Christ. It would be impossible for us to accomplish that on our own. It is God's grace working in us. That's why none of us have to fix ourselves or wait until we clean up our messes or get ourselves together before we come to Christ. His grace is sufficient to get us to where he wants us. So if we remember what I shared with you guys last episode, that God made me this promise about two years ago. What I didn't even realize was the beginning of this journey, that he would get me to where I needed to be. And I told you that it's not only been a promise, but it's been a command. And sometimes I am so hard on myself. I didn't do this right. And God am I reacting the way that I should be reacting? And why can't I just be a robot and do everything that I'm supposed to do? And he has to keep reminding me that's not what the journey is about at all. I'm not expected to do that myself. It is his grace in me that's transforming me. That's why it's a promise. It comes from his own word, comes from scripture that I will get you to where you need to be. Just need to be willing and obedient. His grace, again, is sufficient to get us to where he wants us. His grace is more than enough. It is by his grace that we can come to him as we are and be cleansed of our sins and iniquities. It is by God's grace that we produce the fruit of the Spirit, as is mentioned in Galatians 5, verses 22 and 23. It is by God's grace that enables us to produce love so that we may love God with all our hearts, soul, and strength, because the reality is we would not be able to do that on our own. It is by God's grace working in us that we are able to love ourselves and thereby also love our neighbors as ourselves. It is by God's grace that we are able to have joy, true joy, that is not defined or limited by circumstances or the whims of our emotions or that of others. It is by God's grace that we have peace that surpasses all understanding. It is by God's grace working in us that we have patience in the seasons of waiting, that we can be patient with ourselves, that we can demonstrate patience with others. It is by God's grace at work in us that we can be kind to ourselves and to those around us, especially those that are seemingly undeserving, those who may not have been kind to us. It is by God's grace working within us that we can be an extension of God's goodness and serve the church and others who may not be part of the church body. It is by God's grace working within us that we can share the good news of God's love for everyone and the gift of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God who died a demeaning death on a cross, being innocent for the sake of our guilt and sins, for the sake of guilt and sins of every human being. It is the grace of God working within us that we have the ability to control our passions, our easily angered souls. It is by the grace of God at work within us that we can have power and a sound mind that enables us to submit and subvert the flesh to the spirit. It is by God's grace working within us that we can give up our lives and live through Christ. It is by God's grace working within me that I can sit before you and share all of this and be on episode seven. It is by God's grace working within you that you are even listening to everyday God for your everyday. There's also the serving grace or strengthening grace of God, which sustains us. This grace enables us to persevere under trials, to be able to have peace regardless of our circumstances. It is by that grace that the apostle Paul and Silas could praise while in prison, opening the prison doors. It is that grace that accompanied and stayed with Joseph through being sold into slavery by his brothers, betrayed by Potiphar's wife, and falsely imprisoned, then forgotten again after doing a favor for Pharaoh's cupbearer. It is that same grace at work within David, which enabled a shepherd boy to bring down a giant with a few stones in a sling. It is that same power at work within us that enabled Esther, in spite of the cultural norms and royal protocols, to go before the king at the threat of death itself to ask for mercy for her people and herself. There are countless stories of that grace at work in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. There are plenty of stories of that grace at work within the church, within God's people, within you and me right now. There's plenty of stories of that same grace, that same power at work for the prisoner that is in prison right now. There is that same power at work within us that quite frankly helps us through financial hardship, personal challenges, through unimaginable loss. It is God's grace working within us that enables a mother to go on after the loss of a child and still praise God and see his goodness. It is that grace at work within us that enables a parent or sibling or a spouse to forgive and show genuine care to a person responsible for taking the life of their loved one. It is that grace, God's grace and power working within us that enables us to do and say that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. See, grace is goodness and kindness towards us. Grace is God's power at work within us. Grace, as we have learned with love, acceptance, and knowing and seeking. See, grace is not a passive concept. It's not this docile notion. It is action. It is active, it moves, it saves, it transforms, and it empowers. It really does help us to look at grace as progressive, meaning as a progression, that it starts out kind of silently moving in us to draw us closer to God. And then it saves us. It gives us salvation where we are no longer bound to the consequences of our sin and death. Then it transforms us as we accept salvation as a free gift given by grace. Then that grace starts to transform us so that again we start to look more and more like Christ. We start being fruitful. It is through grace that we are fruitful. It is through grace that others can look and see the light of Christ in us. It is that grace that empowers us to do things that we could never imagine or think that we would be capable of doing. Unmerited favor, free gift, divine power, blessing, kindness, goodness. You know, as I discussed before, God's love is just difficult to wrap our heads around. Not only because of its vastness, but simply because as human beings who are inherently limited and flawed, we struggle to understand the love of a God who is not only perfect, but is without limit, but also whose very essence is love itself. Just like understanding God's love, as I've shared before, is not a prerequisite of accepting his love. Well, the same goes for grace. We don't have to understand everything about grace, because quite frankly, we won't. We don't have the capacity to. And that holds true for just about everything as it pertains to God. I think the sooner that we as human beings humble ourselves to the fact that understanding the fullness of God is, well, simply outside of human capacity, it's an impossibility. Just as his peace and love and grace and mercies transcend or surpass human knowledge, so does his very being. I mean, I'm not gonna understand, quite frankly, how I'm an heir to God's kingdom, but I'm gonna accept it. God's grace enables us to forgive ourselves and move forward. Gosh, I'm I know that full well. It gives us the sustained ability to go before God to not only confess our sins, but also to surrender the shame and the guilt that comes with that. When we are unable to or unwilling to accept God's grace, we can stay stuck in unforgiveness of ourselves and others, or we can stay stuck in a perpetual state of guilt and shame. Sometimes we get stuck because we're either unwilling to accept that we might have been wrong, which is pride, by the way. And isn't it wonderful that grace works to transform us so that we might have the humility of Christ? Or sometimes, if we accept that we were wrong, we hold on to that mistake or that thing for dear life, unwilling to move on and move forward. The chains that bind us to sin and shame, it enslaves us. But God, Christ through grace, sets us free. It's like, because I've done this, it's like being in a long line, realizing it's not moving and you've been there for a minute. And even though there's a way out, like grace, because grace is our ticket out, you're unwilling to take it because you're convinced that you've spent far too much time already to not see it through. Like punishing yourself. We're willing to sacrifice our time in the present and future time for time that you've already spent, time that's gone. I mean, think about that. We are willing and often, by the way, do so. We sacrifice our today, our present, and our tomorrows for a yesterday that's done and gone, but for God's grace. Accepting God's grace is the means by which we can live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us. It enables us to be and do all that God has prepared in advance for us to do. Grace, quite frankly, is our vehicle to purpose and wholeness in Christ. Well, thank you very much. I have felt the grace of God through this episode and through God's word and research and preparing and writing this episode. And I hope that in listening, if you haven't been willing to accept God's grace, that you are now more receptive to it than you were at the beginning. So we will end this episode as we have become accustomed to doing. We will pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you. I thank you for all that you are doing in our lives, Lord. I thank you for your grace. I thank you that grace not only moves us closer to you when we ourselves are not bright enough to draw close to you, that grace does the work in helping us to seek you. Father God, I thank you for grace, the grace of Jesus coming and dying for our sins and giving us salvation that we could have never earned, that we could have never worked, that quite frankly, through the law, we could not have accomplished. Father God, I thank you that it is by your grace that I can accomplish and do all of the things that you have already prepared for me to do. And that it is by that grace that all of us can be the people that you created and that you are transforming us to be. Father, I thank you for your grace that strengthens us, that gives us power to live through some horrible times, to live through circumstances that threaten to overwhelm and break us, but for your grace that strengthens us, that gives us new life, that gives us power and a sound mind. Father, I thank you for the opportunity through this podcast to share the hope of Jesus, to share the love that you have for us, Lord, to share your heart, to share my experience of your goodness, the fact that I have lived your goodness, Lord. I have tasted your goodness in my life. And it has made all the difference. Father God, I pray for every ear that is hearing and is listening to this podcast. I pray for every heart that is opening and softening right now. I pray for every life, oh Lord, that your word would touch and transform. Father God, I pray for every person who has ever heard or listened to this podcast that they would have an encounter with you, Lord, that would change them, that they would be changed by your grace, that they would be moved by your grace. It is in your holy and mighty name Jesus. I pray. Amen. I look forward to sharing with you and then continuing our series on acceptance on our next episode.