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The Dynamic Duo - Grace & Mercy (North OC)
It takes two to make a thing go right. Whether it is peanut butter and cheese or Batman and Robin, the combination of two great components can make something special. With God, the greatest combination of grace and mercy are transformative. May this message bless your souls to recognize the greatest dynamic duo of God.
Transcript
Well, good morning, brothers and sisters.
Speaker:My name is Marcel Hall.
Speaker:And, uh, can we go ahead and thank the worship team?
Speaker:We appreciate them every week leading us.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:Appreciate Nick.
Speaker:Boy, Nick gets into it.
Speaker:Boy, how powerful he was.
Speaker:I'm like, boy, boy, there you go.
Speaker:Nick is into it.
Speaker:If you ain't into it, you better get into it.
Speaker:Appreciate that so much.
Speaker:Amen.
Speaker:We're excited to have, uh, this time in God's word.
Speaker:I don't know about you, but I'm excited.
Speaker:Uh, we had a little pre meeting before the service and I was getting a little
Speaker:giddy, uh, about the service there.
Speaker:And so I'm excited.
Speaker:Jacob, are you excited?
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:I said, Jacob, are you excited?
Speaker:And this is Jacob.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That, that is excitement for Jacob, those who know Jacob, that, that,
Speaker:that's excitement right there.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:That's good.
Speaker:Well, um, I want to, uh, mention, you know, it was a, it was a great time.
Speaker:Uh, it obviously it's, it's bitter and it's sweet, uh, for the, uh,
Speaker:uh, funeral and celebration of life for Bobby Goodell yesterday.
Speaker:Appreciate all those who helped make that special.
Speaker:Uh, so we had that in the morning and it's just, Encouraging to see
Speaker:a saint die faithful in Jesus.
Speaker:Amen.
Speaker:And so we saw that in the morning and in the evening time, we
Speaker:saw, uh, uh, uh, uh, um, uh, uh, uh, the baptism in the evening.
Speaker:And so we saw this, this, this cool thing.
Speaker:You know what I mean?
Speaker:Like, I was there just at, at nighttime reflecting like, wow,
Speaker:I saw somebody finish the race.
Speaker:And then to see someone begin the race, And it was just encouraging
Speaker:for my soul, but we're not going to talk about that today.
Speaker:I want to ask you a question.
Speaker:Um, well, there's a saying, I think there's a couple of songs with this title.
Speaker:It takes two to make a thing go.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:John John's about to start singing and dancing.
Speaker:Look at it.
Speaker:He's like, Oh, that's my jam right there, Marcel.
Speaker:It takes you to.
Speaker:So I want us to think through some famous dynamic duos.
Speaker:What are some famous or some dynamic duos?
Speaker:You can think of right now Batman and Robin the original dynamic duo.
Speaker:They're okay So we got dynamic duo Batman and Robin.
Speaker:What are some other ones?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Now we're getting really excited here.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:It's Kyle's the first one I heard.
Speaker:Yes Shaking Kobe.
Speaker:Okay, come on.
Speaker:All right There you go.
Speaker:Shaking Kobe.
Speaker:All right, what else?
Speaker:The Dukes of Hazzard are we're showing we're showing the
Speaker:generation and ages right now.
Speaker:Okay, that's good.
Speaker:Yes, sir Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Speaker:Interesting.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Yeah, there you go.
Speaker:Splash Brothers.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:When you say to the Splash Brothers, okay, that's a basketball reference.
Speaker:All those who don't know, that's the Shaq and Kobe thing too.
Speaker:All right, go ahead.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Simon and what?
Speaker:Yeah, I always forget the second dude's name.
Speaker:How you say that dude's name?
Speaker:Garfunk.
Speaker:I always want to say Garfield, but I know that's wrong.
Speaker:So I'm sorry.
Speaker:Don't throw any apples or anything at me.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:One more.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:Bert and Ernie.
Speaker:Yes, we got Bert and Ernie.
Speaker:What about Woody and?
Speaker:Buzz Lightyear.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:What about Frodo?
Speaker:Sam, come on now.
Speaker:Come on.
Speaker:You guys got it.
Speaker:This side.
Speaker:What's going on over here?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:We got, uh, Sherlock Holmes and?
Speaker:Dr.
Speaker:Watson.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Captain Kirk and?
Speaker:Spock.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Uh, Chewbacca and?
Speaker:Come on, Star Wars.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:Uh, oh, here we go.
Speaker:Uh, Andre 3000 and And Marcel Ho Big boy.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Outcast.
Speaker:Come on.
Speaker:I'm expecting more from the church right there.
Speaker:Come on.
Speaker:Sonny and?
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:This quiet, this side was quiet right now.
Speaker:Did you notice that?
Speaker:Sonny and Cher came through over here and they were like, who?
Speaker:Sonny, who?
Speaker:Sunny from down the street.
Speaker:No, Sonny.
Speaker:Okay, Sonny is shared.
Speaker:But let's think of other things.
Speaker:We got a burger and Fries, okay, of course right bacon and bacon and eggs macaroni
Speaker:and Cheese, let's go back to sports.
Speaker:All right magic and Kareem there you go.
Speaker:All right cookies and What y'all say Well, that was a tough one.
Speaker:I was thinking cookies and milk.
Speaker:Okay cookies in there.
Speaker:Oh, yeah, that was a tough Well cookies go with a lot of stuff, right?
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:All right, but this one peanut butter and Peanut butter and jelly.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right, and my favorite dynamic duo Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippin.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right splash brother Okay, there you go.
Speaker:The greatest duo of all time, but here's what I want to talk about
Speaker:Let's talk about the dynamic duo of God The dynamic duo of God.
Speaker:What's the dynamic duo of God?
Speaker:That is grace and mercy.
Speaker:The dynamic duo, and I would argue the greatest dynamic duo.
Speaker:And that's the dynamic duo of God's grace and mercy.
Speaker:Let's go to God in prayer.
Speaker:Father, thank you so much already.
Speaker:We've had a chance by your grace and your mercy to worship you.
Speaker:God, we've had a chance to connect through the fellowship.
Speaker:We got a chance to be encouraged in our faith and in our sacrificial giving
Speaker:God, we've had a chance to worship you in song and God, we're grateful for
Speaker:this opportunity to get into your word.
Speaker:And father, I pray right now that you will speak clearly.
Speaker:You articulate this powerful, I believe it's powerful message, God, that you
Speaker:have transformed me over the last week as I, as I've been hit with this.
Speaker:And God, I pray in your name that you will put all to the side, any
Speaker:distractions that will take away from people from hearing your message.
Speaker:We pray in the name of Jesus.
Speaker:Amen.
Speaker:Amen.
Speaker:We're going to start off here in Nehemiah chapter nine,
Speaker:Nehemiah is in the old Testament.
Speaker:God's people had returned from captivity.
Speaker:We're just going to take up a one little sentence here because it's so powerful
Speaker:because it shows God's character and it says, but in your great mercy,
Speaker:you did not put an end to them or abandon them for you are a gracious.
Speaker:And merciful God through in the old covenant, it was clear that
Speaker:God has been gracious and merciful.
Speaker:And then we come over to the new covenant in the new Testament and a letter
Speaker:that was written to the church in the city of Ephesus by the apostle Paul.
Speaker:And we're just going to take it up in chapter two.
Speaker:And it says here, as for you talking to the church, and this
Speaker:applies to you and me today.
Speaker:You are dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live
Speaker:when you follow the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom
Speaker:of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
Speaker:All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings
Speaker:of our flesh and following his desires and thoughts like the rest.
Speaker:We were by nature deserving of wrath.
Speaker:But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made
Speaker:us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in transgressions.
Speaker:Transgressions in that little fancy word for for sin.
Speaker:It is by grace.
Speaker:You have been saved and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him
Speaker:in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
Speaker:In order that in the coming ages, he might show the incomparable.
Speaker:Riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus,
Speaker:it says God is rich in mercy.
Speaker:He's not poor.
Speaker:He's not middle class.
Speaker:He's rich in mercy.
Speaker:And then it says he has incomparable.
Speaker:You can't even compare the riches of his grace.
Speaker:What image comes to mind?
Speaker:When you think of God being rich in mercy and then his riches
Speaker:of grace being incomparable.
Speaker:Write that down right now.
Speaker:Those of us taking notes, write that down.
Speaker:What comes to mind as you think of that?
Speaker:And those who are worshipping with us online, if you could go ahead and
Speaker:write in the chat as well, we'd love to hear from you what you're thinking.
Speaker:When you think of God being rich in mercy and rich in grace.
Speaker:You know, as we think about God's grace and mercy many times, and this
Speaker:is 100% accurate and true, but we think of the eternal and we think of
Speaker:the afterlife, we think of grace and mercy and we think of hallelujah.
Speaker:I'm saved.
Speaker:And so I know my eternal destiny.
Speaker:You with me church.
Speaker:But here's the thing that floored me this week.
Speaker:Is this, is that grace and mercy affect more than eternity,
Speaker:but also our everyday lives.
Speaker:Grace and mercy affect more than just eternity.
Speaker:It's more than just eternal judgment.
Speaker:They are present every single day of our lives and every
Speaker:single day of the lives of the 7.
Speaker:8 billion people who live on this planet.
Speaker:So let's break this down.
Speaker:First off, mercy.
Speaker:It's not getting in simple terms, not getting what you deserve.
Speaker:This is what mercy is.
Speaker:I've committed a crime and I do not pay the penalty for that crime.
Speaker:You with me church?
Speaker:So that's mercy.
Speaker:So then what is grace?
Speaker:Well, grace is this it's getting what we don't deserve.
Speaker:So I don't deserve to go to Chick fil a.
Speaker:This is what happens with my kids.
Speaker:One of my kids is right here.
Speaker:She knows what I'm talking about.
Speaker:Actually, it's a sore spot right there because they asked for Chick fil A and I
Speaker:didn't take him to Chick fil A yesterday.
Speaker:Wasn't in the budget.
Speaker:Sorry.
Speaker:Can't do this.
Speaker:Good life lesson.
Speaker:All right, there you go.
Speaker:But we give and you don't earn it.
Speaker:You didn't deserve it.
Speaker:That's a form of grace.
Speaker:Church, are you with me here?
Speaker:And so, God, for those of us who are in Christ Jesus, Hallelujah.
Speaker:We have not received and will not receive the punishment that we have earned.
Speaker:Yet God gives.
Speaker:His salvation to us, though we did not deserve it.
Speaker:Let's be reminded of something here in Ephesians or Romans chapter six.
Speaker:Whoa.
Speaker:Okay, here we go.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:For the wages of sin is death.
Speaker:And the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Speaker:We also saw in Ephesians, it says that we were by nature deserving of wrath.
Speaker:So what does that mean, brothers and sisters?
Speaker:That means that you and I.
Speaker:And everyone else, every part of the 7.
Speaker:8.
Speaker:8 or 7.
Speaker:88 billion people on this planet earth, we all deserve hell for a sin.
Speaker:But those of us who are in Christ, we do not and will not receive that punishment.
Speaker:Hallelujah for that.
Speaker:God doesn't give us what we deserve.
Speaker:Now, here's the thing.
Speaker:Grace and mercy of God is more than just the eternal.
Speaker:In fact, we are lavish.
Speaker:In grace and mercy every single day of our lives, we are lavished in grace and
Speaker:mercy every single day of our lives.
Speaker:And if you and I were able to fully grasp this concept and then recognize the mercy
Speaker:and grace that we have in our lives.
Speaker:I truly am convinced now that it will change our lives and our faith.
Speaker:It'll change the way we wake up in the morning and the way we approach the
Speaker:day, which therefore would change our decisions, which would change our lives.
Speaker:And we can grasp mercy and grace and see it's not just something
Speaker:to come, but it's something that is present right now as we speak.
Speaker:So let's grasp mercy and grace.
Speaker:I have a Emily Alexander.
Speaker:Where's Emily Alexander?
Speaker:Come on down.
Speaker:Emily Alexander.
Speaker:Give it on up for Emily.
Speaker:She's, she's going to our high school teen camp coming up this week here.
Speaker:Uh, you know what?
Speaker:Let's go down here for a second.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Here we go.
Speaker:Here's what we're going to do here.
Speaker:Um, we're going to play a game.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:We're going to play a game.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:I need something here.
Speaker:Now you told me earlier that you like chocolate candy bars.
Speaker:You do.
Speaker:And you said you like, uh, what kind did you say you like?
Speaker:It was Hershey's.
Speaker:It was Hershey's right there, right?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So here we go.
Speaker:This is a good Hershey's to right here.
Speaker:Something.
Speaker:Oh, the Hershey's with a she in there.
Speaker:Come on now.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:That was divine.
Speaker:I'm telling you that was not playing.
Speaker:I was totally divine.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:You know, can you take a step down?
Speaker:I want you being taller than me.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Here we go.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:We're going to play a little game here.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So here's the thing.
Speaker:So if you, you get it right, I'm going to give you this lovely chocolate bar.
Speaker:However, if you get it wrong, then I'm going to pour this water upon you.
Speaker:You've already agreed to do this, all right?
Speaker:Rusty and Gene, I know you're fine with this, all right, here we go.
Speaker:She signed a waiver a long time ago.
Speaker:It was a verbal waiver, that holds up in court, all right.
Speaker:So here it is, all right, um, I want you to guess the number
Speaker:between one and ten right now.
Speaker:Six.
Speaker:What a great guess, however it was nine, there you go.
Speaker:A six upside down.
Speaker:That's, I like the way you're thinking.
Speaker:He's a teacher though, so I don't believe that you do that with your grades.
Speaker:But look how he wants to give some grace and mercy to his daughter.
Speaker:Look at him.
Speaker:Okay, so what's the punishment for it?
Speaker:The water in the face.
Speaker:You know what?
Speaker:Hold on.
Speaker:I got something for you so we don't make a mess here.
Speaker:All right, here we go.
Speaker:All right, let's just go ahead.
Speaker:I'm a kind man.
Speaker:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker:All right, here we go.
Speaker:Here we go Oh, no, what is that?
Speaker:What is that?
Speaker:Okay, we got a little poncho here for you.
Speaker:Okay, so that we don't get a mess Upon you there.
Speaker:Look, this is love Jasmine.
Speaker:This is love right here.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right, here we go.
Speaker:So go ahead here and I think that's fine.
Speaker:You don't need to put it on girl.
Speaker:All right, here you go.
Speaker:All right, can you hold it?
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:Where'd that water go here that water's over here.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So here you go So what was the punishment again?
Speaker:It was water in the face, right?
Speaker:We played the game and she failed.
Speaker:I know this is church.
Speaker:Where's the mercy and grace?
Speaker:It's a tough game.
Speaker:Here we go.
Speaker:Now, here we go.
Speaker:Here we go.
Speaker:Now she deserves this.
Speaker:However, mercy steps in and says, no, we're going to pardon you.
Speaker:So now she's received what?
Speaker:Mercy.
Speaker:She does not get what she deserves.
Speaker:She earned it with that terrible six.
Speaker:I'm just playing with you.
Speaker:Okay, but she earned it.
Speaker:It's true.
Speaker:It's a matter.
Speaker:You are all witnesses.
Speaker:It's black and white.
Speaker:It's true.
Speaker:We know it to be the case.
Speaker:However, mercy stepped in and say, you will not receive that punishment.
Speaker:You are pardoned.
Speaker:And now grace follows and grace says, look, you didn't, you
Speaker:didn't earn this great Hershey's.
Speaker:But you know what?
Speaker:I'm going to give that to you.
Speaker:And there she fired up, but here's what grace does as well.
Speaker:Grace, the grace of God says, you know what?
Speaker:That that's not enough here.
Speaker:Here's what I'm going to do.
Speaker:Grace says every single day, here you go.
Speaker:There's the Hershey.
Speaker:That's a good white almond chocolate, whatever that's called, right?
Speaker:Here's another grace tomorrow.
Speaker:Wait, can you guess my number again?
Speaker:Please guess it.
Speaker:No, it was six.
Speaker:Okay, here we go, but you still get it.
Speaker:She's partying but look at every day.
Speaker:She wakes up.
Speaker:There's love There's relationships every single day Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and
Speaker:next month and next year she gets grace
Speaker:Girl, I'm gonna need all that chocolate back.
Speaker:No, I'm just playing go on ahead Give it on up for Emily right there
Speaker:You see, she received mercy.
Speaker:She didn't get what she deserved.
Speaker:We didn't have to argue about that.
Speaker:What did she deserve?
Speaker:Okay, let's stop right there.
Speaker:Everybody's asking for chocolate.
Speaker:This isn't like, you know, free t shirts at a game.
Speaker:You know what I'm saying?
Speaker:Now, here's the thing.
Speaker:Here's the thing, brothers and sisters.
Speaker:You and I are Emily with God.
Speaker:We've
Speaker:missed the mark.
Speaker:Sometimes we've tried and we just messed up.
Speaker:Most times it's intentional.
Speaker:It's deliberate.
Speaker:We defy the Holy God.
Speaker:However, he pardoned our sins, but guess what?
Speaker:He pardons us on a daily basis.
Speaker:Here's the thing we have to understand.
Speaker:Every day we live is an act of God's mercy.
Speaker:Every day that we live is an act of God's mercy.
Speaker:If God gave all of us what we deserve, we would all be right now
Speaker:condemned to eternity or for eternity.
Speaker:But as people who are saved, those of us who are saved, we can, and sometimes
Speaker:need to plead with our father for mercy.
Speaker:And, and what are we doing?
Speaker:We're asking God on a daily basis.
Speaker:God, please don't treat me as my sins deserve.
Speaker:And God continually shows us mercy.
Speaker:And just so you know, quick side note, it hit me like, wow, it's so
Speaker:foolish and so ridiculous when we feel like God owes us something.
Speaker:Well, I did this.
Speaker:I said, Jesus is Lord.
Speaker:I've shared my faith.
Speaker:I've given sacrificially for years.
Speaker:I tried and you owe me God.
Speaker:We don't maybe get that bold in our prayers, but in our
Speaker:heart, that's what we're saying.
Speaker:And then when God doesn't give it, what happens?
Speaker:Get bitter.
Speaker:Some of us drift.
Speaker:Some of us even quit on God because you didn't give me what I deserve.
Speaker:You're right.
Speaker:He did not give you what you deserve.
Speaker:Condemnation is what you and I deserve.
Speaker:So every day we live is an act of God's mercy.
Speaker:And so here's the thing is that this, I mean, I'm telling you this, this is so
Speaker:incredible is this look, grace is anything and everything we receive beyond mercy.
Speaker:You see, when you get pardons today, you are living.
Speaker:That's a grace of God.
Speaker:I mean, that's the mercy of God.
Speaker:Now, anything and everything you receive after that is grace.
Speaker:God is gracious and merciful.
Speaker:Even to the wicked and the disobedient.
Speaker:This is what some call common grace.
Speaker:In which every single person on this planet right now who is living.
Speaker:Has received an act of mercy and grace.
Speaker:Why?
Speaker:Because they're not condemned.
Speaker:They have not received punishment yet, and they're given the
Speaker:opportunity to enjoy certain aspects of life and the opportunity
Speaker:to have a relationship with God.
Speaker:But as disciples of Jesus, we are given so much more of God's grace and mercy.
Speaker:We've been given the Holy Spirit.
Speaker:Think about this.
Speaker:God's spirit dwells in you.
Speaker:Did you earn that?
Speaker:No, but he freely gave it to you on the day of your baptism.
Speaker:God's transformation of your life, your character, and your
Speaker:heart is through the Holy Spirit.
Speaker:That's grace to be a part of his eternal family and kingdom.
Speaker:That is grace to be given faith, hope, love.
Speaker:That is grace to be given a chance at transformation and lives that are changed.
Speaker:We've been given a new worldview, a new perspective on life.
Speaker:We've been freed from the chains of our past and our sins.
Speaker:The relationships that we have and oh, I love this fellowship because of
Speaker:the relationships that we have that are so fulfilling and transformative.
Speaker:We've been given a purpose.
Speaker:We've been given a mission and the opportunity to be a part of an
Speaker:eternal impact upon the planets.
Speaker:All of that is God's grace.
Speaker:Now, again, if we can grasp God's grace and mercy.
Speaker:When we do that, we ought to recognize his grace and his mercy, and we must
Speaker:recognize this that every blessing is an act of mercy and grace out of God's love.
Speaker:Every blessing is an act of grace and mercy by God from
Speaker:his heart of love for you.
Speaker:I love this way that I read this quote and I wanted to share it with you.
Speaker:It says the radical beauty of grace is that it is totally
Speaker:unmerited and unconditional.
Speaker:We don't deserve the free gift of salvation.
Speaker:We don't deserve the constant help of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker:And we don't deserve all the joys and the pleasures of this life.
Speaker:And yet, because of God's unthinkable love for us, we get to experience
Speaker:all of these forms of grace and more.
Speaker:All around us, all around us is the evidence of God's grace.
Speaker:The fact that you can hear and see what I'm saying or look on the screen, the fact
Speaker:that you're able to comprehend the words that are coming out of my mouth, the fact
Speaker:that you can pray and seeing that you are sitting down right now, whatever the case
Speaker:may be, that's God's grace upon your life.
Speaker:Did you earn that?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:Did you deserve that?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:But he freely gave it to you.
Speaker:Boy, oh boy, we serve a good God.
Speaker:We serve a good God.
Speaker:Well, we are, we are so blessed.
Speaker:The fact that you got here was an act of grace.
Speaker:The fact that you can do whatever it is, fill in the blank.
Speaker:It is by God's mercy and it is by God's grace, the dynamic duo.
Speaker:What if we recognized God's grace and mercy in our lives?
Speaker:What if going forward, you started to recognize God's
Speaker:grace and mercy in your life?
Speaker:For me, What it's already started to do, it's brought so
Speaker:much humility and gratitude.
Speaker:I have a different perspective as I start today and thinking
Speaker:about what am I complaining about?
Speaker:I'm humbled knowing I didn't earn anything.
Speaker:I'm grateful because I'm like, wow, God, you have blessed me so much.
Speaker:I can look at my kids and go, wow, what a blessing from God.
Speaker:What an act of grace.
Speaker:It's maybe just want to worship you by hallelujah, hallelujah,
Speaker:hallelujah, hallelujah for your grace and your mercy in my life.
Speaker:I want us to get real practical right now and here's an action step here
Speaker:for the week for the next seven days.
Speaker:Try this out with me.
Speaker:Just for the next seven days spend a portion of your personal devotional time.
Speaker:Many of us call those quiet times Reflecting on God's mercy and grace
Speaker:for that day However long that be maybe it's five minutes in whatever it is Just
Speaker:take a portion of your time with God that day and reflect upon His grace and
Speaker:mercy in your life just for that day.
Speaker:I Want to do something real quickly here.
Speaker:I forgot to mention we're gonna do something.
Speaker:You know, I like to try things And if they work, hallelujah.
Speaker:And if they don't, you know, we won't do it again.
Speaker:And so I want to call up some people onto the stage here.
Speaker:I'm going to call up Chuan, uh, Nick, and Savannah.
Speaker:Can you guys come on up to the stage here real quickly?
Speaker:Give it on up for them.
Speaker:We're going to do a little interview with them.
Speaker:And so I asked them earlier in the week if they would come up, but they
Speaker:don't, they have no idea what the questions are or anything like that.
Speaker:You guys wanna sit a little closer on this side?
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:We can do that.
Speaker:You don't have to be, I don't, I don't have cooties.
Speaker:Alright, here we go.
Speaker:We just wanna try something here today.
Speaker:We just want to get, uh, just some, some initial response to, to the
Speaker:message of God and what they've received and hopefully that might...
Speaker:Spark some interest, or maybe the spirit might minister to you in
Speaker:some form or fashion, uh, just by the things that are mentioned here.
Speaker:So, uh, first up, if you guys can just go ahead and, uh, and share
Speaker:your name and how long you've been a, uh, a disciple of Jesus.
Speaker:My name is Tuan Nguyen.
Speaker:I've been a disciple for, I think, 31 years.
Speaker:My name is Savannah Creo, and I've been a disciple for almost 6 years.
Speaker:My name is Nick Lubey, and I've been a disciple for about 7 years.
Speaker:Alright, come on!
Speaker:Thank you very much.
Speaker:Alright, so, all of you guys could answer this one here.
Speaker:What are some of your initial thoughts and reflections on God's mercy and grace?
Speaker:Some of your initial thoughts and reflections on Okay.
Speaker:Um, yeah.
Speaker:Um, yeah.
Speaker:So I think, um, what I think about, uh, when it comes to God's mercy and grace is
Speaker:that, um, you know, when I entered into a relationship with God, that, um, someone
Speaker:willingly ransomed his life for mine.
Speaker:Um, so everything that I thought I possessed and owned was no longer mine.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Because, uh, I had been saved.
Speaker:And so, um, I feel really strongly that, you know, the motivations that
Speaker:I have and the things that I do, um, they ought to come from that
Speaker:source, which, which is that, you know, like, none of this is mine.
Speaker:It's all his, you know, that he granted me to have some
Speaker:responsibility over it, you know.
Speaker:Yeah, I think similarly, I think that I just, I don't know, it's just, I'm I
Speaker:can't comprehend it, you know, I'm like, oh wow, I get this gift and almost like
Speaker:a new toy, like how do I use it, like different ways to use it and I just, I
Speaker:get to experience that on my own and just figure out new ways to like fall in love
Speaker:with God and his mercy all over again too.
Speaker:Um, for me, I find it in like lots of the little things because it
Speaker:feels like, Oh, you know, if you work hard and you are in the right spot,
Speaker:like big things can happen for you.
Speaker:Um, but God's grace and mercy is in all the little mercies and the little graces
Speaker:from, you know, just like desperately looking for a parking spot or, you
Speaker:know, finding like enough money to like.
Speaker:You know, buy yourself a little treat or two, or even the fact that like God can
Speaker:provide, um, abundantly in these little things daily, just like, it's, it's always
Speaker:amazing to me, God's attention to detail.
Speaker:Amen.
Speaker:So maybe just one or two of you, let me ask you this.
Speaker:What would you, what would it do for you to recognize God's grace
Speaker:and mercy in your daily lives?
Speaker:What would it do for you?
Speaker:Yeah, I think for me, I can be very.
Speaker:Critical right when I wake up, you know, I just automatically think of
Speaker:all the things I haven't done or I need to do or what I'm lacking in
Speaker:or how I'm already failing at 7 a.
Speaker:m.
Speaker:Um, and I think just taking that time to realize what God's already given me,
Speaker:you know, to sit down and like think about how grateful and thankful I am
Speaker:for Like Nick said, like the little small intentional things, I think can
Speaker:go a long way, you know, changing your mindset really does a 180 in how you
Speaker:view and your perspective changes on how you even think of and love people, so.
Speaker:Any others want to answer that?
Speaker:Um, yeah, it fills me with, um, tremendous gratitude.
Speaker:Yeah, cause, um, it, it does remind me that, um, I don't
Speaker:deserve anything that I receive.
Speaker:You know, that, I mean honestly, the actions that I take, even After having
Speaker:been saved and resaved and, you know, like, um, having so many chances, um, I
Speaker:really, you know, God seems to shower me with, uh, abundance, uh, of His blessings.
Speaker:And, um, you know, it, it really helps me to just be super grateful that, um,
Speaker:this life of mine gets better and better.
Speaker:Amen.
Speaker:Let me ask you guys this again.
Speaker:One or two of you.
Speaker:How can you recognize God's grace and mercy more in your life?
Speaker:I think for me, it's looking to other people, uh, and choosing to be
Speaker:thankful because I know from myself, I can get very self focused and self
Speaker:centered and what am I thinking?
Speaker:What am I doing?
Speaker:Um, but looking out and recognizing like, How God has moved, changed
Speaker:in people's lives to even bless me, you know, see his grace through
Speaker:them, see his mercy through them.
Speaker:Um, I know for me personally, that's huge when it comes to
Speaker:seeing God's grace very visibly.
Speaker:Um, and latching on to that, um, is just seeing it like just in, in
Speaker:places where you wouldn't normally wouldn't be paying attention.
Speaker:Yeah, I think about, um, a couple of years ago, my best friend gave me this
Speaker:book called Book of Togetherness, and it was like a daily exercise thing,
Speaker:and one of them was to write a list of all the things that I was grateful for.
Speaker:And even though it's just a list, it like kept going.
Speaker:Like it was like all the big things, you know, like my mom, my dad, my sister.
Speaker:And then it just went into like more specific things.
Speaker:So I really think like intentionality with yourself.
Speaker:Take, like, really setting apart even 30 minutes to just write down things
Speaker:you're grateful for today alone.
Speaker:I, I mean, it, it really does change.
Speaker:Well, I appreciate that.
Speaker:One last question.
Speaker:What do you see could be the challenges going forward and
Speaker:how can you overcome them?
Speaker:It's easier to talk about it, right?
Speaker:But then we know there's going to be some challenges.
Speaker:So what do you see could be some challenges, but then quickly,
Speaker:how can you overcome them?
Speaker:Um, biggest thing when it comes to challenges is not being aware that they
Speaker:come up, like just being caught off guard.
Speaker:Jesus even warns us in this world, you will have trouble.
Speaker:Well, I'm speaking more of the challenges of us recognizing God's grace and mercy.
Speaker:Right, of course.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Um, when it comes to specifically that is, is being aware that trouble doesn't
Speaker:change the grace that's already been given or the mercy that's already been given.
Speaker:Um, and keeping that mindset of okay, like.
Speaker:Even if I don't feel his grace and mercy right now, it's already been given and
Speaker:is being given and will continue to be given because that's who our God is.
Speaker:And just hanging on to that belief and remaining, uh, strong in it.
Speaker:Good.
Speaker:Yeah, I guess, um, uh, truthfully, um, my, the challenge with, uh,
Speaker:recognizing God's grace is, uh, like me, Uh, accepting his blessings and
Speaker:then, um, viewing myself with a self importance, you know, like, Uh, thinking
Speaker:that, uh, instead, you know, like, thinking that I worked for this, right?
Speaker:Thinking that, you know, like, uh, I've been good, God has blessed me, so, you
Speaker:know, I'm really, really important, right?
Speaker:And, um, I think, uh, the truth is that, you know, I'm, I'm still that,
Speaker:you know, like, um, that rag that he found by the, by the road, right?
Speaker:And he chose to pick it up, clean it and save it.
Speaker:Amen.
Speaker:Let's give it on up here for our interviewees.
Speaker:Appreciate that.
Speaker:Good stuff.
Speaker:Good stuff.
Speaker:That was shared.
Speaker:In a second.
Speaker:Now, we're going to take the emblems that represent Jesus's body and
Speaker:blood that was sacrificed and we call this communion and God's grace
Speaker:and mercy again stems from his love.
Speaker:God's grace and mercy, they are displayed and given through Jesus and
Speaker:his sacrifice and the resurrection.
Speaker:And you know, we mentioned earlier, right?
Speaker:Going back to this, this example in which we had the, uh, uh, we, we had Emily and
Speaker:here's the incredible thing that God does.
Speaker:Is that God goes ahead and he says, you know what?
Speaker:My son is going to take your penalty.
Speaker:He's going to take the, the, the, the punishment for you.
Speaker:And so in that scenario, it would be like, Emily, you know what?
Speaker:No, you're not going to, you're not going to go ahead and
Speaker:have this water dumped on you.
Speaker:And in fact, I'm going to give you what you didn't deserve.
Speaker:I'm going to give you all those things.
Speaker:And then what I'm going to do and replace of your punishment is that I'm
Speaker:going to take the punishment myself.
Speaker:I was supposed to put that on,
Speaker:but I sacrifice for the Lord.
Speaker:Think about that for a second, brothers and sisters.
Speaker:Think about this for a second.
Speaker:Jesus said, I'm not going to allow you to suffer.
Speaker:And then I'm going to give you the gift of salvation.
Speaker:And then I'm going to take the punishment for you.
Speaker:Watch.
Speaker:We would have said just enough of the pardon.
Speaker:We would have loved just the grace, but he said the only way you can be pardoned, and
Speaker:the only way you can have his grace, is if that sin is still judged and dealt with.
Speaker:But you can't do it.
Speaker:So I will.
Speaker:I will take the condemnation for you.
Speaker:So that you can have eternal life, not just for...
Speaker:The afterlife, but you can begin it the very moment that you get saved.
Speaker:The dynamic duo, God's grace and mercy.
Speaker:Let's pray for the communion of God.
Speaker:Thank you so much for your love, your mercy, your grace.
Speaker:Thank you so much that we not only see grace and mercy.
Speaker:When it comes to our salvation, but we see our grace and mercy in our everyday lives
Speaker:and God, we know that came at a cost.
Speaker:It was not free, but it came at the cost of the cross of your son, Jesus.
Speaker:Lord, we never want to take that lightly.
Speaker:We never want to be immune to this.
Speaker:We never want to get numb to what Jesus did for us.
Speaker:Yeah, we want to be moved and stirred.
Speaker:We want to be motivated by the cross and have hope through the resurrection.
Speaker:And so God, we thank you for your mercy for allowing us this day.
Speaker:Thank you for your grace to be able to respond to your mercy and grace.
Speaker:Even our repentance is an act of mercy and grace.
Speaker:Lord, we thank you.
Speaker:We thank you for your dynamic duo.
Speaker:We thank you for your sacrifice, your love, your patience, your goodness.
Speaker:Thank you for the Holy Spirit.
Speaker:Thank you for your word.
Speaker:Thank you for your son.
Speaker:Thank you for your love.
