David Bahn – Reflections

And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. ¹² The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

¹⁴ And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. ¹⁶ And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. ¹⁷ And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

²⁰ And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” ²¹ So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” ²³ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

²⁴ And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. ²⁵ And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. – Genesis 1:11-25

We had an unexpected guest in our container garden pepper plant. A tomato plant appeared. Uninvited but welcome. Unexpected but not a mystery. Simple explanation: either a seed from a nearby tomato plant made its way into the soil, or the pepper plant seedling we bought had accidentally contained also a tiny too-difficult-to-notice tomato seedling. We know the pepper plant didn’t produce tomatoes. Horses don’t bear baby pigs. 

This is a reflection of a phrase that runs throughout this first chapter of Genesis: “According to their kind.” 

I learned long ago of several scientific arguments against evolution. From the amount of dust on the surface of the moon, to the decay of the strength of the north and south pole’s magnetic energy, to the second law of thermodynamics: entropy increases. I find these arguments interesting, and worthy of note. They form a significant foundation for rejecting the idea that all life evolved from a single cell from some sort of primordial soup. 

The Answers from Genesis website offers some helpful arguments that are based on both scientific investigation as well as the Genesis account of creation:

The strategy of using design arguments which are divorced from Scripture was tried once before, in the early 19th century, and it failed to convert people or to overcome the growing skepticism in the once-Christian cultures of Britain and America. In our evangelism we need to present design arguments and the Scriptures at the same time.

They also point out that, “Gecko feet, bat wings, and horse leg bones are among many structures that defy evolution. Design implies a Designer, and life certainly looks designed!”

I like to use the found watch argument: If you find a watch, you naturally conclude that someone lost it, that it was made for the purpose of telling time, and didn’t just happen to come into being over billions of years. It had its origin in a watch factory. We believe that without ever actually seeing a watch factory. 

When you go to the grocery store and buy a can of beans you fully expect to get beans. They don’t morph on the way home into corn or deviled eggs. If you do discover your can of beans to be filled with beets, you naturally conclude that there was a labeling mistake. 

We take the orderliness of our world for granted. Instead we ought to thank God for creating a world in which there is an orderly progression of life, and marvel at the created beauty of flowers, the near miraculous experience of newborn life, and the majesty of mountains, seas, and stars. These all reflect the glory of God and point us to our incredible privilege of knowing him and experiencing his creation. 

Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” ⁷ And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. ⁸ God called the space “sky.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. ¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. ¹² The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

¹³ And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.

¹⁴ Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. ¹⁵ Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

¹⁹ And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day. – Genesis 1:6-19

Once in a while I win a photo club competition ribbon. These days it’s a virtual ribbon: a graphic image of a blue, red, white, or green ribbon, superimposed on a PowerPoint slide. And it feels pretty good to see my photo next to the ribbon. Most of us consider the green “Honorable Mention” ribbons to be little praise. But at least we still get the mention. Most veteran photo club members worry less about ribbons and seek to learn more about their photos through the discussion and critiques of our images. But even the veterans enjoy winning. 

Winning or losing is not the issue in the case of the days of creation. Light, which was first created, was not an end in itself. Light was created to illuminate that which God was yet to create on the following days of creation. It would allow stars to be stars. People to see flowers. Planets to reflect their presence in the night sky. So too with the separation of the land and waters. They would support the presence of plant life and water and land animals, and ultimately man. 

There is a reason for the unfolding nature of creation’s order. And every step of creation will find its purpose in that which follows. Light doesn’t exist for its own sake. Neither does the dry ground or gathered waters. Planets and stars mark season. Wildlife and plants provide food and adorn the creation with beauty. All these will both serve man. And man will have dominion over them – serving creation itself.

All creation declares the glory of God (Psalm 19:1-6; 148). The Creator – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – has made us and all that exists. His orderly unfolding of the heavens and the earth reveal a thoughtful and purposeful intention. That purpose is ultimately expressed in the delightful relationship between earth, heavens, man, animals, plants, and God himself before the fall into sin. 

The planets and stars of day four needs the events of days one, two, and three to have happened. And day one is not complete until God is finished with his work on the sixth day. Now God is forming and filling that which was empty and formless. As we see it unfold we can delight in that which God says is good. 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. – Genesis 1:1-4

“It’s a sine qua non,” said my seminary Greek professor. “Sine qua non? What is that?” “It means, ‘without which there is nothing,’” he answered. You can’t go on if you don’t pass Greek. I was in no little danger of not going on (hope you can follow the double-negative!). 

God is the ultimate sine qua non. Without him there is nothing. We cannot go on without God. Had God not said, “Let there be light,” there would be no light. Without light there is no life. Too many people try to do a work-around in this regard. Too many people try to live as though God is deus qua non: God is nothing to them. He’s a non-factor. There is no creator. There is no accountability. We, not God, will determine that which is good or evil. That, after all, is the Original Sin: Adam and Eve decided to determine for themselves that which was good or evil.

God calls the light good. He names the day and night. He orders time. He ordains the rhythms in which we live. The result of all this: we are accountable to him. We will answer about our thoughts, words, and actions as to whether they be good or not.

Ever since we decided that the idea of creation was outside the realm of science, and regelated it to the naive Sunday school children’s simplistic faith, we have abandoned morality and decency in favor of our own brand of goodness and light. We’ve become too smart for God. We don’t want him to determine what is good or evil in our lives.

Holding to God’s definition of good and evil is no easy task. There are forces and enticements that push us off the path of righteousness and pull our hearts away from the source of life. Sometimes resisting temptation to the easy way, or the imagined delight is dreadfully difficult, and even painful.

But the One who created the heavens and the earth and made them very good, is himself good. He is the source of goodness and the One who brings good things to us. The first thing he brought was light. And when the light of God’s love shines in our hearts in the face of Christ, we are eternally blessed (2 Corinthians 4:6). In him is the light of life (cf. John 1:4-5). That Light is the ultimate sine qua non. 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. – Genesis 1:1-4

What time is it as you read this? Morning for many. Evening for some. We reckon our days and times in these terms because God has ordered our world in these terms. “Evening and morning, the first day…” All comes ab out because God created light and separated the light from the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness he called night. Evening and morning: it was all his idea. His determination. 

But there are not only evening and morning times. There are also seasons: Springtime, summer, fall, and winter. Each with its own unique characteristic. Some think of their lives in terms these seasons, so that as they age, they speak of entering the autumn of their lives.

Although I’m not thinking of being in the autumn of my life, I am entering a new season of life. I’ve ended my service as a pastor – though I’ve not abandoned my calling to serve Christ. But just as morning is different from evening, one season is different from another. My challenge is to define what that new season will be. 

As much as is possible, I hope not to acquiesce into a long winter of discontent. While I need to power down for a while, there will be days of opportunity that challenge that I will face. During these down times, I hope to rest in anticipation of the new tomorrow that will dawn. 

It is important to remember – in the face of our quest to define our lives and determine our seasons – that our days are all numbered. There is a limit to them. And every breath we take is possible only because the God who created the universe makes it possible. He sets the times and seasons. And it all started that first day. 

And the rhythm of evening and morning may also point to a different way of thinking. The rest of evening makes the opportunities of the morning possible. So I rest, in anticipation of the opportunities of the mornings yet to come. How about you?

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. – Genesis 1:1-4

Today is the first day of my retirement. I tried to sleep in, but that seldom happens. So I got up and actually did the zoom workout with our friends at PG Fit. I’ve toyed briefly with taking a mid-morning nap. But that looks to be replaced by other pressing issues. At this moment, my day is somewhat formed and filled. 

That is a faint echo of God’s creative work. When the heavens and earth were first created, they were “formless and void.” That was one of the first Hebrew phrases I learned, “tohu vav vohu“. The remainder of Genesis chapter one describes how God gives form to the formless, and fills that which was empty. 

That is my challenge for the days ahead. To form some sort of healthy and productive daily rhythm, and fill my hours with good things. In fact that is what God calls us all to do – within the bounds of our vocation and faith. Being made in his image, we are to reflect the work and fulfill the purposes of God. 

As you encounter this day, there may be some degree of formlessness or emptiness facing you. There are good ways and evil ways to fill and form the day before you. We all know the evil ways: pining, envying, decrying, revolting, and despairing. The good ways to fill our days are praying, meditating on God’s word, loving our neighbor and doing good to those nearby. We can also form our days with around our own self-interests and selfish pursuits. Or we can form them around the Spirit-inspired calling to love God and love our neighbor.

I hope to keep that in mind these days. 

I’m not certain how I’ll be engaging in my Sunday morning routines these next weeks and months. One thing is for sure, it will be different. Today (January 31, 2021) is my last Sunday as Senior Pastor at St. John in Cypress, Texas. I have very mixed feelings about all this. But I believe that the goodness of God, his grace, mercy, and love in Jesus will continue to shape my life and yours, dear reader. With that in mind, here are today’s Psalms for January 31, 2021. If you don’t know my technique, I use the day of the month to highlight verses from certain Psalms. On the first, I highlight verses from Psalm 1; 31; 61; 91; 121. On the second, it’s Psalm 2, 31; 62; 92; 122, and so on. In this manner, if you read the whole psalm each day, you will have worked through the entire book of Psalms in a month. On the 29th comes Psalm 29; 59; 89; 119; and 149. Psalm 119 deserves its own day, so I skip it and come back to it on the 31st. So here it is…all of it!

Psalm 119 

Beth

Gimel

Daleth

He

Waw

Zayin

Heth

Teth

Yodh

Kaph

Lamedh

Mem

Nun

Samekh

Ayin

Pe

Tsadhe

Qoph

Resh

Sin and Shin

Taw

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:2-10

Perhaps you’ve seen the movie Captain Philips. It stars Tom Hanks who plays Philips, the captain of a large ocean-going ship that is hijacked by Somalian pirates off the coast of east Africa. He and the pirates ultimately leave the ship by means of an orange lifeboat/escape pod. These escape pods provide safety and distance from danger. As long as you’re in the pod, you’re safe. 

I think of that as I think of being “in Christ.” If I’m in him, I’m safe. I’m taken away from danger. I’m saved. To be in Christ is to believe in him. It is to trust in him. It is to acknowledge that he is Lord. It is to look to him for hope, life, forgiveness, and salvation. It is a very good place to be. 

Paul uses the term “in Christ” here in these verses in a similar but different way, having to do with our election as God’s beloved and chosen people. Election is for many a troubling idea. Am I truly “chosen?” Am I one of the elect? Has God predestined me? Am I on the short list? The guest list? Do I have a seat at the heavenly banquet feast of the Lamb of God?

If we try to fathom this from the viewpoint of God we will get lost. We cannot possibly discern election from God’s perspective.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

³⁴ “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”
³⁵ “Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. – Romans 11:33-36

We can rejoice in the unfathomable mind of God because we can see our place in his heart and kingdom through the cross of Jesus. We need not try to figure out if we’re chosen or not. Look to the cross! Did Jesus die for you? Did he suffer in your place? Is his righteousness your righteousness? Did he die for the sins of the world? If so, he died for your sins. He chose to die for you. 

Believing that is what it means to be “in Christ” and that’s a good place to be. 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸ For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. ⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

People, Preaching, and Prayer: Those were early priorities of my ministry which have remained a significant focus for my service as pastor over the past nearly 42 years. I look forward to sharing some stories about how that played out during my ministry at St. John as well as other places I have served. Underneath it all lies the Word of God, and we’ll be looking at specific Bible passages that sustain those priorities. 

But when it comes to people, this passage raises the issue in a most edifying manner. Paul thanks God for the people in Philippi who have been partners in the gospel. This first church on European soil proved to be a launching pad for further spread of the gospel and support of Paul in his missionary effort. The people there received an extraordinary amount of attention and appreciation. More than any other church, Paul was thankful for the Philippian Christians. 

In each of the four places I’ve served, I’ve received one blessing or another. My experiences in Vernal and Roosevelt, Utah involved much grace on their part and lots of learning on my part. Arkansas was a place where we were blessed so deeply by individuals of the congregation. When we visited there last year, we were reminded of how precious those folks were to us and our young and growing family. Arlington, Texas was a place of incredible grace and personal, emotional, and spiritual growth and healing. And St. John has been a true partner in the mission of God for these 16 years. 

From mission starts, to mission trips, to staff growth, to prayer priority, the people of God at St. John have been incredibly supportive of God’s mission at home and around the world. We’ve traveled from Cypress to Kenya, Tanzania, Guatemala, the Philippines (Diane with PLI), Baton Rouge, and downtown Houston for the sake of God’s mission to seek and to save the lost. Others have traveled from St. John to Haiti, New Orleans, Colorado, and Mexico to share the message of Jesus. 

I thank God for you who have partnered with me in those efforts. This is one facet of my thankfulness. But there is more. We have also discovered deep friendships along the way. From Utah, to Arkansas, to Arlington, and now Cypress, we know people we can call friends. This is a great blessing! We thank God for our friends!

We all join in thanking God for his work in, through, and sometimes, in spite of us. It’s clear that God works through us to bless others. We may offer a prayer, a listening ear, a clarification of the Gospel, or an introduction to Jesus. And God works through us in those moments. But as he is working through us, he is also working on us. He is gaining a stronger disciple when we do his calling. We are brought closer to him when we serve the goals and purposes of his reign and rule. 

But sometimes God must work in spite of us. That is all too often true. Luther’s Sacristy Prayer comes to mind: 

“Lord God, You have appointed me as a Bishop and Pastor in Your Church, but you see how unsuited I am to meet so great and difficult a task. If I had lacked Your help, I would have ruined everything long ago.” 

But that’s what God does. He works through and sometimes in spite of us sinners. That’s grace. Glorious grace. And I thank God for your partnership in that grace as well!

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:2-10

Paul and Silas are in prison. They’ve been beaten with rods. It’s midnight. And what are they doing? They’re praising God! I’m imagining that they are bolstering their courage by singing those hymns. It may have been their only option other than sitting and licking their wounds in self-pity. But that’s what they do. And God shakes the foundations of the prison, opens the doors, looses the chains, and the jailer is ready to take his own life, fearing that his prisoners had escaped. The whole account may be found in Acts 16:16-34. The outcome of the encounter is is the conversion of the jailer and the baptism of his whole family. That’s grace in action!

I share this because I don’t always handle stressful situations in the most spiritually-healthy manner. I’m not inclined to sing hymns at midnight when I’m under duress. I do pray. But in the other hours of the day I might give in to other less-healthy coping behaviors. Maybe a search for comfort food. Possibly daydreaming of places far away and fantastic (not the real world!). 

But there is the grace of God. That’s the constant. And when I realize my need for God’s grace it becomes a cause for praise. Part of that praise is the recognization of my urgent need for grace. So in some manner the justice of God sets this up. It is his justice and righteousness that stands me up and awakens me to the precious nature of God’s grace. 

I like to say that God’s truth makes his grace precious. And God’s grace makes his truth bearable. If I reduce my life to finding ways to be happy and at peace, healthy and reasonably comfortable, I have not likely encountered God’s truth. And his grace will become a trite religious concept: quaint and forgettable. If I live a life of cheap grace, I will never bump up against the truth of God that challenges me and makes me grow. 

The illustration of the Biosphere comes to mind. This enclosed perfectly-balanced eco-environment was set up to provide the perfect conditions for for plants to grow. They grew alright. But when the apples began to come onto the trees, the branches began to break off! Then they discovered why: because there was no wind the tree limbs were never stressed as they grow. Micro-fissures never formed and healed. The limbs were weakened because of it.

God in his grace will occasionally stress us. Sometimes it will come with life’s natural challenges and difficulties. Other times it will come because he will not allow us to ignore the truth of our need for his grace, help, and salvation. In those moments there is grace. Glorious grace. And that’s the truth!

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴ even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ ¹⁰ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. – Ephesians 1:2-10

Lord willing, I will be preaching on this passage this coming Sunday, January 31, 2021, for my final message at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. I’ve served here for 16 years and continue to be thankful to God for his faithfulness and grace to me. 

Early on in my encounter with Lutheran teachings, I learned of the centrality of God’s grace. It’s where we go. In fact, my son once offered a thinly veiled bit of constructive criticism. “Dad,” he said, “I notice that whatever you preach about, you always come back to Jesus.” Indeed. On purpose. God’s grace in Jesus is central to my identity as his follower. It’s central to my motivation for ministry. It’s the fuel for God’s mission to and through me. 

God’s grace is glorious. I’ve been to Las Vegas: Glamorous. Not glorious. I’ve been to Times Square: Glitzy. Not glorious. I’ve been to Paris: Grand. Not glorious. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon: Great, and almost glorious, a reflection of the glory of God, its creator. Same for Mount Denali, Pike’s Peak, the oceans, and even the starry sky. All of the latter of these are a reflection of the glory of God. 

God’s creative majesty and grandeur is testimony to his glory. His might, justice, righteousness, and holiness are reflections of his glory. So too, God’s sovereign power. But note here what gets the nod of praise in the eternal moment when all things are united in Jesus Christ – things in heaven and on earth. God’s glorious grace takes center stage. God’s glorious grace sets the heavens afire with joy, worship, and honor. We will praise God’s glorious grace!

We were at a church leadership conference at Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago area. On the second night of the event John Ortberg (author of several books, including The Life You’ve Always Wanted) spoke. He had provided the 2500 of us in attendance with a 3X5 inch index card and asked that we write the following on it: You are precious and honored in my sight and I love you. It’s a quote from Isaiah 43:4, and it had a profound impact on us all. That message is a message of grace. Glorious. Praise-worthy. 

Philip Yancey has written a book, What’s so Amazing About Grace?. In it he spells out how “grace is the church’s great distinctive. It’s the one thing the world cannot duplicate, and the one thing it craves above all else–for only grace can bring hope and transformation to a jaded world.” 

Max Lucado says in his book, When God Whispers Your Name, “I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgment—but I’m still stunned by his grace!” 

I am deeply thankful for God’s glorious grace!