Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images and lyrics from the group Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … Your Grace Still Amazes Me … poignantly singing of the wonders of God’s free gift of grace which saves and sustains all who come to Christ in faith to receive His gift[s].
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Highlight Verse[s]: Ephesians 2:4-5 [NLT] …
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
… God’s amazing grace!!
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Highlight Passage [context]: Ephesians 2:1-10 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… God, thru Paul, teaches on the amazing results of blessing afforded by God’s grace to those who truly believe in Christ and humbly receive His saving grace.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Romans 10:9-13 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK ...
… What it takes to receive God’s wondrous gift of saving grace.
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … 1st Corinthians 1:4-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul thanks God for giving us, thru His grace, all we need to reflect that grace to the world as His Church.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Keila Ochoa, used a familiar image from Mexican lore to teach about God’s amazing grace. The ODB author wrote: There cannot be a Mexican party without a piñata—a carton or clay container filled with candies and treats. Children strike it with a stick and try to break it, hoping to enjoy its contents.
Monks used the piñatas in the sixteenth century to teach lessons to the indigenous people of Mexico. Piñatas were stars with seven points [see photo] that represented the seven deadly sins. Beating the piñata showed the struggle against evil, and once the treats inside fell to the ground, people could take them home in remembrance of the rewards of keeping the faith.
Wow! … Almost 35 years ago, when, in my brokenness, I humbly opened up to receive God’s amazing, saving grace, I really broke open God’s piñata of love. And from that day forward He has never quit pouring out the sweetness and glorious riches of His sanctifying grace into my life. And that’s the way it is - or should be - for any/all who humbly come to receive the free gift of God’s amazing grace [see Rom. 10:9-13].
And when any reading and meditating here have taken in the wonderful song, linked above by Phillips, Craig, and Dean, and then mediated on the truth provided by God’s word today, I’m sure you’ll be feeling the gratitude I feel today for all the grace which poured forth from God’s heart when we, in faith, broke open the piñata of God’s mercy to allow the sweetness of His grace to shower our lives with His love.
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … Lord, truly it is Your amazing grace which has saved me and now sustains me. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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