Life Lessons

What must you and I do that God will not do for us?  Answer:  we must choose. 

Joshua said, “Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”   Paul said, “live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”  Again our choice.  Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned…”  Our choice again.

All of creation is under compulsion…the caterpillar must become a butterfly; the chicken must lay an egg; only man has a choice of what he will be.  Choice must have…well, …a choice.  We cannot choose if there is only one thing to choose from.  Example:  Would you like a glass of water, a glass of water, or a glass of water?

We cannot choose heaven if there is no hell.  We cannot choose a blessing if there is no curse, and we cannot choose single life if there is no married life.  Or again we cannot choose to walk in the spirit if there is no flesh.  So, how can we choose faith if there is no doubt? 

Many believers are distraught when they see doubt creeping into their lives, but doubt must appear if there is to be a faith choice.  God’s word tells us “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we cannot see…and without faith it is impossible to please God.”  (Hebrews 11:1, 6)

LIFE LESSON: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)   So in the future don’t be undone when you hear or see doubt creeping in.  Move past it, push it aside on the way to a faith choice. 

Doubt is the signal…that we must choose faith…

as the other option.                 

There is no doubt in this truth.  Don’t hesitate, choose faith.  And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and financial support.

Sad to say, but true, many Christians today are aware of only half a gospel message, that is the forgiveness of sin part. 

Salvation is not just reconciliation (forgiveness) of sins and Jesus dying for us.  Salvation is also receiving a New Life.  Truth is we are not saved by the death of Jesus; we are saved by the life of Jesus.  Scripture teaches “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (I John 5:12)   Forgiveness is a solution for sin; however, only life is the solution for death.  Forgiveness alone cannot make a dead man alive; a dead man needs new life.  “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23)   Well, there it is!

In Romans 5:10, it says “For if, when 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!”  You see, eternal forgiveness and eternal life go together.  You can’t have one without the other; otherwise it is only temporal life. 

It’s a two-part gospel…reconciliation and life.  These two belong together and we need both, but don’t mistake one for the other nor think they are the same.

Jesus died for us (reconciliation)…to give His life to us (born again/New Life) … to live His life through us.  That’s the good news.  Jesus does it all; He is the provision and the provider.  Many accept the provision, but that is not the gift.  The provision was His shed blood; the gift is His life.  His death freed us from the penalty of sin; His life frees us from the power of sin.  We don’t fight for victory; we already have victory.  It is total victory in Jesus.  Well, there it is again!

Isn’t the Gospel message wonderful?

LIFE LESSON:  As born again believers we are to offer up our bodies to Him as living sacrifices which is our spiritual service of worship, and He does all the rest in and through us.  That’s the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; so help me God!  On the cross Jesus said, “It is finished.”  Praise be to God.  “Therefore, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  (Hebrews 12:2) His work now fully completed.  Praise be to God again.

Through our faith in the risen Savior we have received reconciliation and life. 

He is risen indeed! 

Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement, and financial support. Growing in His Grace

The divider page in your Bible placed before the Gospel of Matthew has the words New Testament written on it, but is that where the New Testament actually begins?

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Why are so many Christians today still dealing with sin, still mixing law and grace and not experiencing the abundant life available to them, when Jesus said “It is finished” at the cross two thousand years ago?

Could the answer be that they don’t know where the New Testament really begins?

Let me ask you, where in the Bible does the New Testament begin, at the birth of Jesus in the manger or after the death of Jesus on the cross?

Because of the divider page many Christians think that the New Testament begins in Matthew, Chapter one at the birth of Jesus in a manger. Because of this misunderstanding, they believe Jesus is teaching born again Christians how to live their life by keeping all the rules and regulations under the law that are in the Gospels.

However, until after the cross there were no born again Christians, neitherJew nor Gentile.

In the Gospels Jesus was teaching the Jewish people, “…the lost sheep of Israel” that the law of Moses would not save them. They would need Him as Savior but they instead wanted to crucify Him, and they did!

Jesus’ crucifixion changed everything.

The old became new after the cross.

A picture is worth a thousand words

NOTICE…The Gospels are before the cross.

The dividing line between law and grace is the cross.

The Gospels are the conclusion of the Old Testament.

Can you now see why many Christians are still dealing with sin, still mixing law and grace, and not experiencing the abundant life?  They don’t know where the New Testament begins.

So let’s stop all the confusion once and for all.  Just move the divider page (in your mind) to its rightful place before the book of Acts. That’s where the New Testament really begins.

The Church was established when the Holy Spirit came first to Jews at Pentecost (Acts Chapter 2),then to Samaritans (Acts Chapter 8), then to Gentiles (Acts Chapter 10). 

LIFE LESSON:  The teachings of Jesus Christ in the Gospels were all meant to be applied to the New Spirit Life (the abundant life) He places within every born again believer, Jew or Gentile, from that point on.  His Life in us, the hope of glory.  That’s the gospel truth…Believe it and receive it. 

Jesus Christ is The New Testament Alert!

Flyers with this message are now available for your use. You can see the flyer here. Please contact us if you’d like us to send you some. 

Thank you for your prayers and financial support.  You are the best!

In Proverbs 23:7 it says “For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.”

Did you know that people can say one thing but really be thinking another?  Just listen to them talk.  People actually live according to what they say after the word “but.”  I don’t care what they say first before this conjunction; it’s what comes after that you hear what they are really thinking and believing in their heart.

Example: “So and so is a good man, we are lucky to have him for a pastor; but…” now we are going to hear what they really think about the pastor.  “But he talks too much.”  “But his sermons are a bit dry.”  “But…But…But.”

Sadly, most Christians typically say the wrong things after the but.  We put God’s truth before the but and our situations or feelings after.  We say things like, “I know Jesus loves me, but it doesn’t feel like it” or “I know God is my sufficiency, but I don’t really have what I need,” or “I know I can do all things through Christ, but that’s easier said than done”, or “but I’m only human,” etc.

Now when we do this to ourselves, where are we living?  We are living in the negative thinking within.  Remember, “For as a man thinks within himself, so he is.” 

We need to learn to live out of God’s truth, to live out of the life of Christ within us.  Our enemy the devil doesn’t care how much God-talk we use in our lives as long as we put it before the “but”.  God’s truth belongs after the “but”.  (I pray you are grasping this.)

A name for putting God-talk after the “but” where it belongs is The Holy But.  Our Lord used it in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He said, “Father, take this cup from me, yet not my will be done, but yours.”

The Holy But is a bridge.  It moves us from our negative thinking to faith in Christ Jesus.  We don’t deny our circumstances because they are real, but they should prompt us to move through faith into living in the truth of the life within. 

LIFE LESSON:  To operate the Holy But, we have to put our circumstances first and God’s truth last.  This will move us from our circumstances to the solution – the life within… Christ in you the hope of glory.  Here are a couple examples:

“I feel awfully weak, but Christ is my strength.”

“I’m in pain, but Christ is my sufficiency.”

Bottom line…we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.   As a man thinketh, so is he…no ifs, ands, or buts. Thank you for your prayers and financial support, we appreciate you as a partner with Growing in Grace Ministries for the Glory of God.  You are the best!

Napoleon Hill in his best selling book Think and Grow Rich wrote that the mind is like a garden.  If you plant positive seeds, it grows flowers.  If you plan negative seeds, it grows weeds.  It doesn’t know the difference between positive or negative, it just takes whatever you give it and grows and grows.  What are you feeding yourself?

Every day at work a man complained about his peanut butter and jelly lunch to his co-workers.  Finally, one day tired of hearing his complaining, someone said, “Why don’t you tell your wife that you don’t like peanut butter and jelly?”  He replied, “Leave my wife out of this; I make my own lunch.”  Pogo was right when he said we have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.  What are you feeding yourself?

A church goer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.  “I’ve gone over 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons.  But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them.  So I think I’m wasting my time, and the pastors are wasting their time by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the “letters to the editor” column, much to the delight of the editor.  It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I’ve been married for 30 years now.  In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.  But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu of a single one of those meals.  But I do know this, they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.  If my wife did not feed me those meals, I would be physically dead today.  Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”  What are you feeding yourself?

LIFE LESSON:  In this New Year of 2022 let us all continue to feed on the Word of God that will never bring us void.  God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.  It is our daily bread of life.  Jeremiah 15:16 says, “I ate your words and they brought me great joy.”  Psalms 119:103 says, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.”   Let’s feed on that.   Amen!

Thank you for prayers, faithfulness, and financial support.  May God continue to bless you, your family, and this ministry in this New Year.

In Luke 2:10, 11 an angel of the Lord said to the shepherds in the fields, “Behold I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people; for today in the City of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”    

This year’s Christmas Life Lesson comes with permission to use from Pastor Brian Biggers at Lamb’s Chapel Church in Burlington, N.C.  Thank you Pastor Biggers.  His Christmas message has blessed me so many times and to not share this gift with you at Christmas would…well…just not be right. 

I have always loved the simplicity of this great verse in Luke where the angel announced the message of Jesus’ arrival to earth. The message of Jesus, or as we call it “the gospel”, according to the Bible is supposed to be “Good News” that should bring us “great joy.” However, the “gospel” I heard when I attended church was anything but good news and it sure didn’t bring me great joy! You’ve got to stop cussing, drinking, smoking, hating, fighting, fishing on Sunday, amongst a host of other “thou shalt nots.” Plus, you’ve got to throw away your Leonard Skynard (it is spelled correctly even if spell check disagrees) and start listening to organ music that no doubt was intended for a wake, stop laughing, stop enjoying your life, stop hanging around with normal people and a pile of other stops!

Then there were the “tries”. Try to be nicer, try to talk spiritual, try to think better, try to serve, try to forgive! Then on top of all that they wanted you to try to talk other people into joining in the misery! I tried till I almost died! And you call this good news? It may be good advice, but where I’m from it sure ain’t no good news! And it causes great stress more than great joy!

So what was the problem? Looking back after these years I can clearly see that what I heard wasn’t the gospel of Jesus; it was the gospel of religion. The gospel of Jesus according to the Bible is truly good news! It is an oasis of hope in a weary land of self-condemnation. Religion says “do”, Jesus says “done”! Religion says “try”, Jesus says “trust”! Religion says “better”, Jesus says “believe”! Religion says “wrestle”,

Jesus says “rest”!  Religion causes you to worry because of your performance; Jesus causes you to worship because of His power in you!

Just imagine a gospel that tells you trust Jesus to be all you need for salvation. “We believe that Pastor Brian.” Now imagine a gospel that tells you trust Jesus to be all you need for everything else! “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, so live in Him.” What if the Jesus that was your Savior became your sanctifier? What if the Jesus that was your sin bearer became your burden bearer? You want to hear some good news? The Jesus that tells you to love your neighbor will be the one to love your neighbor through you! The Jesus that tells you to serve others will be the one to serve others through you!

The Bible never says “you trying harder is the hope of glory.” It says “Christ in you is the hope of glory.” Christ in me by the person of His Holy Spirit is the one that lives through me. Why don’t you give up on trying to live the Christian life? You heard that right. Give up and tell Him, I can’t do it. He already knew that. Then tell Him “I’m trusting you!” If you don’t do it in me, it won’t be done. Watch what He does!

LIFE LESSON:  The same Grace that saved a wretch like me is the same Grace that can change a wretch like me?  Jesus is the only person that can be Jesus! And He will be glad to be Jesus in you when you give up and trust Him!  Thank you Jesus for being all I need for all I need!

Now that’s Good News!

Merry Christmas from all of us at Growing in Grace Ministries!

Please keep the ministry in mind as we approach this yearend giving deadline.  Thank you for your prayers and financial support. 

Joy to the World, the Lord is Come.

Has there been any time in our lifetime when we needed Thanksgiving more than in the year 2021?  This has been a year of unprecedented loss, deep heartache, and debilitating stress for so many.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in I Thessalonians 5:18 “…to give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  

So this Thanksgiving is a day for us who belong to Jesus Christ to look within and count the many blessings we have in Christ and say “Thank you Lord”.  These three beautiful words can completely change how we look at our circumstances.

Here at Growing in Grace Ministries we say, “Thank You Lord!” a lot for:

• Our lives, families, good health and for the ability to pray and care for one another even through the difficult times.
• Answered prayer concerning a need for a new place to have the Phoenix Bible Study group meeting.  We now have a group of approximately 30 people meeting weekly at Living Stream Church in Central Phoenix, many hearing the Gospel of Grace message for the first time!
• A Senior (at Grand Canyon University) who attends the Central Phoenix Bible Study group is very excited about the Galatian Road message and has been given permission to address the student body about the blessings he has received from the message in this minibook.  Our ministry has provided 3,000 books for this occasion. 

• Our dear sister in Christ, Maxine Amen, who on her mission trip to South Africa, in June 2021, shared four (4) Galatian Road minibooks with the pastors there who are now all excited and anxious to teach this truth to their congregations.  They are now in the process of training local pastors using our online materials we have provided for them.
• Kyle Aulerich, our expert technical talent who designed our website and made all our material easily accessible to users worldwide.
• The testimonies from all of you who have identified the number of years you have been born again but did not know about your new life for many years. 
• All who continue to pray for and support our ministry. 
• All who have brought me to grateful and thankful tears for your love, prayers, and concern regarding my recent bout with Covid.

LIFE LESSON:  Isn’t perspective a wonderful thing?  Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don’t have! The Apostle Paul said “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and all situations, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Phil 4:12)

THANKFUL – EVEN NOW!  We serve an awesome God!  Happy Thanksgiving.

Please keep Growing in Grace Ministries in mind as you think and pray about your year-end giving.  Thank you for your prayers and faithfulness. Growing in His Grace

“Is it possible to live a sinless life here on earth?”  How would you answer that question?  How about “Yes and No”?  Truth is you cannot sin when walking in the Spirit.  However, until we leave this earth we still have the flesh to deal with, but our loving and Almighty God will use the flesh to drive us back to the Spirit.   He does it all the time!

The Apostle Paul tells us in I Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.  And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out, a way of escape so that you can stand up under it.”  And that way out, when tempted, is to get out of the flesh and back in the Spirit.  Christians have to make these decisions daily.

Here is a flesh vs spirit illustration.  A new pastor in a big city decided to take a bus ride to check out the downtown area before his first Sunday at his new church.  When he gets to his seat in the back of the crowded bus he realizes that the bus driver gave him a quarter too much change.  He thinks to himself, no big deal, it’s only a quarter and the bus is crowded, and besides, they charge too much to ride anyway.  So don’t worry about it.

As he gets to his stop, he makes his way up to the bus drivers and hands him the quarter, saying you gave me too much change.  The bus driver says, aren’t you the new pastor in town?  I was checking you out.  I’ll see you at the church on Sunday.  The pastor gets off the bus, grabs hold of a light pole and says, “Dear God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter. “

My friends of Christ, in the world today there are those who watch us upon our way, and they look to the things we say and do to measure our Christian standard true.  Now some will follow the Gospel of Christ with His love so unfailing and true, but what will they think and what will they say about the Gospel according to you?  Each day you are writing a letter to all.  Take care that your writing is true, because the only Gospel that some will see, is the Gospel according to you.

LIFE LESSON:  “WALK IN THE SPIRIT and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.”  (Galatians 5:16)

We appreciate your continued prayer and financial support.  Thank you for your faithfulness to this ministry and the Gospel of Grace!

The Galatian believers compromised their freedom with legalism.  Angrily the Apostle Paul wrote, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?”  (Gal 3:1)  “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1) (Yoke of slavery meaning law)

The book of Galatians exposes the most popular substitute for spiritual living that we have in our churches today-legalism, mixing law and grace.  Millions of believers think they are spiritual based upon what they do and what they don’t do, their behavior. 

Legalism leads to some very odd but logical conclusions.  Legalism as a means of control, teaches that Jesus gave you a standing with God, but it’s your job to keep it.  It further teaches the gift was free, but it is up to you to hold on to it through performance.  Actually, under legalism you would be performing much harder than you would be in any other religion, because the standard (which is Jesus Christ) is much higher. 

If you are a born again believer, you have been given the very nature of Jesus Christ. 

You have been “created in His righteousness.  It isn’t up to you to improve yourself, but instead to recognize and appropriate the truth concerning who you already are. 

There is only one who has ever lived the Christian life and there is only one who ever will.  His name is Jesus and He will live His life in and through you,…by faith.

“But don’t we have to do our part?” the legalist will ask.  Of course we do.  Our part is to trust and obey.  It isn’t a passive lifestyle at all.  If you think it is, I challenge you to try it.  Trusting continues to be one of the most challenging aspects of our faith.  It is easier for us to do something, to do anything, than to trust.

We are like the Apostle Peter chopping off a soldier’s ear, blind to the big picture.  Do something, even if it’s wrong.  That fits more comfortably for many.  However, that isn’t what we’re called to do.  We’re called to trust in the life of the vine…it’s called abiding life. It’s called abiding. 

LIFE LESSON:  The Bible tells you to “examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you-unless, of course, you failed the test?” (II Cor 13:5)   It doesn’t get any better than that.  That is the mystery of our faith.  Jesus is the only one who can be Jesus, and He will be glad to be Jesus in you when you trust in Him to live His life in and through you by faith.

We appreciate your continued prayer and financial support.  Thank you for your faithfulness. 

The Master was searching for a vessel to use.

On the shelf there were many.  Which one would He choose?

“Take me,” said the gold one, “I’m shiny and bright. 

I am of great value and I do things just right.

My beauty and luster will outshine the rest.

And for someone like You, Master, I would be best.”

The Master passed on with no word at all.

He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall.

“I’ll serve you dear Master; I’ll pour out your wine

And be at your table whenever you dine.

My lines are so graceful and my carvings so true,

And silver will always compliment you.”

Unheeding, the Master passed on to the brass,

It was wide-mouthed and shallow and polished like glass.

“Here, here,” cried the vessel, “I know I will do. 

Place ME on your table for all men to view.”

“Look at me,” cried the goblet of crystal so clear.

“My transparency shows my contents so dear. 

Though fragile am I, DON”T CROSS ME OFF.

I will serve you with pride

And I’m sure I’ll be happy in your house to abide.”

The Master came next to a vessel of wood,

Polished and carved and it solidly stood.

“You may use ME dear Master,” the wooden bowl said.

“But I’d rather you’d use me for FRUIT, please…NO BREAD!”

Then the Master looked down and saw a vessel of clay.

Empty and broken, it helplessly lay.

No hope had that vessel that the Master might choose,

To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.

“Ah, THIS is the vessel I’ve been hoping to find.

I will mend it and use it and make it all Mine.”

“I need not the vessel with pride in itself,

Not the one so narrow to sit on the shelf,

Not the one that is big-mouthed and shallow and loud;

Not the one that displays its contents so proud.

Not the one who thinks he can do things “just right”,

But THIS plain, earthen vessel filled with my power and might.”

Then gently, He lifted the vessel of clay,

Mended it, and cleansed it and filled it that day.

He spoke to it kindly, “There’s work you must do.

You just pour out to others and I’ll pour in to you!”

                                                                      (Anonymous)       

Jesus said, “I am the potter, you are the clay…out of you will flow rivers of living water.”  We are to be the Masters’ vessel, the body of Christ.  

LIFE LESSON:  The Apostle Paul writes “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”  (Rom 12:1)  God’s Word also tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and as a man thinketh so is he.  Oh, the joy of being His instruments of righteousness.  Amen!

Thank you for your prayers, partnership, and financial support.  You are the best!

Growing in His Grace