Childcare will be provided for children ages 3 to 7
Immersion in Grace 2013 (8-18-13 Evening Service) Rev. Louis Carr, Pastor – Thompson Chapel UMC Prevenient Grace Scripture Reference: Exodus 14:20-21 - "The God of the Nightshift: Ain’t He Alright?
Immersion Notes: When we answer the above question, "Ain't He Alright?", we are responding to how God loves us, recognizing that He is still here. God IS Alright! The above text reminds us that we serve a God who gives his love freely. Grace is so amazing because through it all, God still loves us. The text also reminds us that God IS working it out. He’s working on the night shift.
God may need us to be in our mess so we can hear. When we are in the valley, we are in the middle of two mountains. One where we saw God work it out, and the other where God is going ahead of us to work it out!
We are reminded to say “thank you”, God is getting the glory because of everything before us. The text also reminds us of location. Sometimes God needs to bless us in the face of our haters to let them know that God is STILL in control. Some of the things we go through are for others to see God work through them. We are reminded that it is not done, until God says it is done.
The key to the text is that God "showed up” with a plan. When God shows up, he can’t help but to be God. Maybe because he showed up, he wants us to know he can’t help but to “show out”. *************
Immersion in Grace 2013 (8-19-13 Evening Service) Rev. Kyland Dobbins - UMC Central Texas Conference Missions Coordinator Justifying Grace Scripture Reference: Psalm 32 – “Sinners and Saints at the same time”
Immersion Notes: If you’ve ever messed up, if you have ever been out of the will of God, if you have ever disappointed God, sinned, then you need to read Psalm 32. This Psalm reminds us of recognizing sin and embracing God’s forgiveness at the same time.
Forgiveness is available to us regardless of what we have done. God just give it to us. He wipes the slate clean – he doesn’t hold anything against us. In Psalm 32, David recognizes the blessing of being forgiven. You can’t experience the comfort of forgiveness without going through and confessing sin. The message of this text reminds us to confess because confession moves us from prevenient grace to justifying grace.
To accept work of Christ on the cross, to know he loves us and did it just for us, that’s justifying grace. We must confess that Jesus is our Lord. Confess Jesus is our Savior and we must also confess our sins. God extends the opportunity for us to be freed from our guilt and shame. A benefit of confession is knowing that we are blessed and that God doesn’t hold the sin against us.
We “used to be” but it doesn’t matter anymore to God – confess and trust that God will forgive you and that God calls us to a higher place. **********
Immersion in Grace 2013 (8-20-13 Evening Service) Rev. Charles Robinson – Meadowbrook UMC Sanctifying Grace Genesis 39:6-23, Romans 6:1-2, Eph. 2:8 – “Started from the bottom, now I’m here…and I’m here to stay”
Three days. Three days of change. Three days of being Immersed in Grace! God’s Grace. Immersion Notes: We must remember that our experiences start at the bottom. We move from Prevenient Grace, to Justifying Grace and then on to Sanctifying Grace, the sum total of where everything collides with God’s Will.
To stand in the Sanctifying Grace of God we must remember our bottom experiences; the point where we decided to live unwavering to God, where we hit that last thing that drew us to God. Romans 6:1-2 remind us that we cannot continue in our sin. We must remember our responsibility to Grace (Eph.2:8). This is Salvation, a free gift of God. We don’t “do” to acquire God’s love; it is because God loved us first.
God’s grace is an empowering favor. It empowers us to stand up. The text from Genesis reminds us that Joseph prospered from everything he did. It shows us God was “all” over his life.
“I started from the bottom, but I’m here to stay”. Go where God wants you to go. Do what God wants you to do. Say what God wants you to say! And continue to be Immersed in Grace.
