The God of creation, the God of the universe, the God of all, values you individually and infinitely.. God loves you and desires to know you personally, because you are created for great things and a great life! He has bought us with a great price, the very life of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. May you be lavished by His grace as you trust in Him, enjoy Him, seek Him, and know Him.
We know our imperfections and mistakes and sin.. how we fail ourselves, others, and our God. But He accepts you the way you are, where you are, and desires to help you and encourage you in every way to grow in the riches of His grace.
Accept now His forgivenss as you confess your frustrations and failures, your need for Him, and He will grant you the strength for a new start. There’s nothing like a fresh start and a clean conscience.
Lots of people talk about the doctrines of grace, but few demonstrate it. How have I experienced grace? People have shown it to me by their acceptance and forgiveness. By their grace to me, and their showing me that I have worth
because of God, then I’ve received true healing and freedom. Now to live by grace is to forgive others when offended. To live by grace is to forgive myself and to have another chance.
Thus, we aspire toward holiness because God has given us grace so abundant so rich and free. It’s not that we try to be good enough, we can’t be. Let’s stop trying, and just relish and rest in grace.
Here are some books that tell the story of how grace can be yours:
What’s So Amazing About Grace? ~ Philip Yancey
I’m in the process of reading this book, and it is an awesome collection of stories of grace. Stories that touch the heart and reveal so vividly the lavish richness and depth of God’s grace are poured out through the chapters of this book.
Perhaps the most refreshing book you’ll ever read.
The Longing for Home : Reflections and Reflections ~ Frederick Buechner
This book is the first one that I’ve read that resonates with my soul. The fallenness and pains and misunderstandings of this world can be oh so discouraging, but the hope I cling to is that this place is not home yet. I long to be home, a
place where I belong, and am accepted for who I am, and where we all are accepted, because it is only in a community like that where we can grow and be all that God’s created us to become. Oh how I long to be home..
Yearning : Living Between How It Is and How It Ought to Be ~ M. Craig Barnes
This book may share the same theme as Buechner’s, I’ve yet to read it, but the title caught my eyes!
In the Grip of Grace ~ Max Lucado
Walking through the doctrines-filled book of Romans, Lucado graciously shows how doctrine too reveals the grace of God in a tangible and soul nourishing way.
Desiring God : Meditations of a Christian Hedonist ~ John Piper
This book is the first book I’ve ever read that deals with my personal struggle of connecting my feelings with my actions. I had been so bound by duty, and resisted feeling. I now know that life is not one of duty but one of desire, and the
ultimate desire is God! I was created to glorify God by enjoying Him forever!
The Grace Awakening ~ Charles R. Swindoll
The definitive book on a life of true freedom and liberty in Christ, said to be the most significant book by George Verwer of Operation Mobilization (a big missions speaker). I am reading through the book for my second time, and relish in the
grace of God that frees me up from other’s expectations or rules, and rejoice in pleasing God alone.
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made ~ Paul Brand & Philip Yancey
The Jesus I Never Knew ~ Philip Yancey
I can’t wait ’til I have time to read this; so many have a stereotype of Jesus that puts him in a box. Jesus is so much more, and I think this book brings it out. Nothing more awesome than a living encounter with Jesus! Yes, Philip Yancey is
fast becoming a favorite of mine, next to Larry Crabb.
In Pursuit of Happiness : Finding Genuine Fulfillment in Life ~ James Houston
The pursuit of happiness was deemed an inalienable right by America’s founding fathers, but now it seems to have degenerated into “everyone doing what is right in their own eyes”. This book examines not only different philosophies of how to get
happiness, but also surveys how different personalities seek to be happy, concluding with a good summary of what truly satisfies.
Seeing God: Twelve Reliable Signs of True Spirituality ~ Gerald R. McDermott
This is the best book I’ve read to date, for it shows us what really makes a Christian a true Christian. In an imperfect world where there is much hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and religiosity, this book sorts through the posturing and false humility and ticket-punching Christian life, and shows us what a genuine life in Christ looks like.