The Power of Grace Grace: The Gateway Gift to More Growth & Influence - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

The Power of Grace

Grace: The Gateway Gift to More Growth & InfluenceSlide2

I’ve heard of Grace, but what does it look like?

What & Why of GraceSlide3

Matthew 26:33-35

33

Peter

answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 

Jesus

said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night,

before

the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 

Peter

said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same

.Slide4

Matthew 26:69-75

69

Now

Peter was sitting outside

in

the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus

of

Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for

your

accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus,

“

Before the rooster crows, you will

deny

me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly

.Slide5

Acts 9:1-2

1 But

Saul,

still breathing

threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to

the

high priest 2 and asked him for letters

to

the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to

the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

15 

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of. Whom. I. Am. The. foremost.

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Ephesians 3:8Slide6

Matthew 1:1-6

the genealogy of Jesus Christ,

the

son of David,

the

son of

Abraham. 2

Abraham

was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah

the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of

Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the

wife of

UriahSlide7

Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 2:18

12-14 

Call me “the Quester.” I’ve been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there’s not much to write home about. God hasn’t made it easy for us. I’ve seen it all and it’s nothing

but smoke—smoke

, and spitting into the

wind.

15

Life’s a corkscrew that can’t be

straightened, A

minus that won’t add up. 16-17 I said to myself, “I know more and I’m wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I’ve stockpiled wisdom and knowledge.” What I’ve finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind. 18 Much learning earns you much trouble. The more you know, the more you hurt. 2

 1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke. What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane!

Inane! My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it? With the help of a bottle of wine and all the wisdom I could

muster, I

tried my level

best to

penetrate the absurdity of

life. I

wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might

do during

the years we spend on this

earth.

I

Never Said No to

Myself

4-8

Oh, I did great

things: built houses, planted vineyards, designed

gardens and

parks and

planted a variety of fruit trees in them

,

made pools of water to irrigate the groves of

trees.Slide8

I

bought slaves, male and

female, who

had children, giving me even more

slaves; then

I acquired large herds and

flocks, larger

than any before me in

Jerusalem. I

piled up silver and gold, loot from kings and kingdoms. I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,

 and—most exquisite of all pleasures—voluptuous maidens for my bed. 9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work! I Hate Life 11 

Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing. 12-14 And then I took a hard look at what’s smart and what’s stupid. What’s left to do after you’ve been king? That’s a hard act to follow. You just do what you can, and that’s it. But I did see that it’s better to be smart than stupid, just as light is better than darkness. Even so, though the smart ones see where they’re going and the stupid ones grope in the dark, they’re all the same in the end. One fate for all—and that’s

it. 15-16

When I realized that my fate’s the same as the fool’s, I had to ask myself, “So why bother being wise?” It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke. The smart and the stupid both disappear out of sight. In a day or two they’re both forgotten. Yes, both the smart and the stupid die, and that’s

it.

17

I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It’s smoke—and spitting into the

wind.

18-19

And I hated everything I’d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can’t take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me

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Keys That Unlock Grace

Take off the Mask

Stop relying on Self

Realize everyone walks with a Profound Limp

Allow yourself to be fully known

Don’t let anything remain hidden

Stop trying or expecting to “arrive”Slide10

Peter – Acts 2

Paul – 1 Timothy 1:13-16, Eph. 3:2,7-9

David – 2 Samuel 7:12, 2 Timothy 2:8

Soloman

– 1 Kings 4:29

Stories of RedemptionSlide11

Fertile Soil

Miracle-

Gro

= GRACE

Soft

Pliable

Rich

Receptive

Vulnerable

OpenWelcomingDirty

Equally Flawed

God, I know I’m dirt… but please use me