Grace for Your Space

The grace of God is everything He has. Your space is everything you need. You have needs, and God has the supplies. God has given you grace for your space, and not just a little, but a lot! We need to better understand the grace of God and tap into it in a greater measure.
In this text, what is the grace that Paul is talking about? It is the grace of giving and receiving! We all want to abound in faith, in speech or teaching/preaching, in knowledge, in diligence and in love. That’s all well and good. But the Bible says, “See that you abound in THIS GRACE (grace of giving) also.”
2 Corinthians 8 shows us seven blessings of the grace of God in the space of the believers at Macedonia. Realize that God can do the same for you.
1. Because of the grace of God, They had an abundance of joy. (v. 2)
2. Because of the grace of God they became more liberal and generous even while experiencing their own season of lack. (v. 2)
3. Because of the grace of God, their willingness exceeded their ability, God enabled them to take action regardless of their circumstances. (v. 3)
4. Because of the grace of God, they literally begged Paul to come and receive their gifts in support of relieving the suffering of other believers. (v. 4)
5. Because of the grace of God, they exceeded Paul’s expectations. They first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to Paul as God’s servant. (v. 5)
6. Because of the grace of God, their example inspired a larger and wealthier congregation to step up. (v. 6)
7. Because of the grace of God, the Macedonians redefined the practical meaning of grace as it related to giving and receiving. (v. 7)
Ask God now to fill every space in your life with His grace!

The Power of Perfect Love

1John 4:16, And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
We live in a confused and troubled generation. While this has always been true in the past, it seems to ring more true today. Along with all the information tools that we have today such as e-mail, social media, 24 hour news and gossip media, cell phones and texting, and much more, has come a much greater opportunity to become distracted, discouraged, and deceived.
The list of problems in our community and world is long. But the solution to all these problems is the same: the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God. Now this might seem like a simplistic statement. Even worse, it could sound like platitudes such as “Hold on to God’s unchanging hand” or “God works in mysterious ways” or “He won’t put more only you then you can bear.”

A Father's Blessing

Like it or not, fathers provide both a present provision and a future prosperity for those who properly honor the office and principle of fatherhood.

Straight Talk About Marriage, Pt. 1

Insights on healthy marriage from an real, more than an ideal, perspective. Bryan & Patricia have been married for 30 years on March 24, 2009

Principles of Movement

A summary of the series on the NCC Vision for 2009

NCC Vision for 2009, Part 3

The message,"A New Design for a New Season" sharing a fresh direction for New Covenant Church and the unveiling of a new purpose statement

NCC Vision for 2009, Part 2

Topic for Part 2: "The Church God is Looking For."

NCC Vision for 2009

The message,"A New Design for a New Season" sharing a fresh direction for New Covenant Church and the unveiling of a new purpose statement: "Loving God, Love People, Serving the World."

First Things First

2009 will be a year of being blessed and blessing others as we put "First Things First." Our Lord Jesus put it this way: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matt. 6:33)

Courage in Changing Time, Part 3

Genesis 26:1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous;