Grace Study – Edition #3

July 4^th to 6^th, 2007

Grace Study – Edition #3

(Notes from Edition #1)

Grace (noun):

Chên (Prounounced: khane)

• Graciousness, that is, subjectively (kindness, favor) or objectively (beauty): - favor, grace or gracious, pleasant, precious, favored or well favored.
• Favor, grace or charm; in elegance or in acceptance.

Grace (noun):

• Of form or person (Proverbs 1:9; 3:22; Psalm 45:2).
• Favor, kindness, friendship (Genesis 6:8; 18:3; 19:19; 2 Timothy 1:9).
• God's forgiving mercy (Romans 11:6; Ephesians 2:5).
• The gospel as distinguished from the law (John 1:17; Romans 6:14; 1 Peter 5:12).
• Gifts freely bestowed by God; as miracles, prophecy, tongues (Romans 15:15; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 3:8).
• Christian virtues (2 Corinthians 8:7; 2 Peter 3:18).
• The glory hereafter to be revealed (1 Peter 1:13).

And now, Edition #3

TODAY’S NEWS!!!

Subject: ANOTHER TERRORIST

At New York's Kennedy airport today, an individual later discovered to be a public school teacher was arrested trying to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, the attorney general said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He is being charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction. “Al-gebra is a fearsome cult," a Justice Department spokesman said. "They desire average solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'there are 3 sides to every triangle'."

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes".

Two brothers go camping. Billy is wearing his FAVORITE shirt in the whole world!

Suddenly, Philip gets bit by a poisonous snake. Billy calls the doctor.

He tells the story and they reply back. "This is TERIBLE! Quick, wrap his bite with something like your shirt or he might die."

Philip cries out a question, "What did the doc... ouch... say?"

"Doctor says you’re going to die!"

Romans 11:1-6
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

Grace is what saves me. Nothing else. I can't "earn" salvation, but I can't sit around and do literally nothing, either (see James on that one).

A dude gets into a taxi after a long night at the bars and halfway home decides he needs some fast food.

He taps the driver on the shoulder and suddenly the driver SCREAMS!! --swerves across the road and jumps the sidewalk stopping just short of a cement barrier.

Then driver turns around and says "Don't EVER, EVER tap me on the shoulder while I'm driving!!"

The passenger says, "GEEZ. I'm sorry; I didn't know it would scare you so much."

The driver replies, "before this I drove a HEARSE for 25 years!!”

Ephesians 2:1-10
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

This scripture simply reiterates that grace is what saves. I couldn't give enough money to the church, walk little old ladies across the street, work at a food bank enough to earn the gift God gives.

An elderly man had serious hearing problems for many years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed him to hear 100%.

The elderly man went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor diagnosed, “Your hearing is perfect! Your family must be very pleased.”

To which the elderly man said, “Oh, I haven't told them yet. I just sit and listen to their conversations. I've already changed my will three times!”

I liked putting the jokes here... if you stop to think about them, it hits home... what I like about this little study is that it shows that the grace of God is what saves me. It doesn't mention everything in the Bible, obviously... like baptism saves and faith saves. It's one piece of the puzzle. Anyway, Johnny Out.