Grace Faith and Fellowship

Taking notes I was on the video of Sunday:

Faith does not move God it moves us.

Faith is the way we move toward Grace.

Loved this

"Faith is not a pry bar to move God"

My thoughts:

In Jesus we have received grace upon grace upon grace.

John 1:16-18

16 For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. NASB

Doug, was listening to the video (preaching to me is less a visual event than an auditory one) about Faith being the way we "move" toward grace.

Would say two things;

1 The last few years it seems to me that faith is becoming more a corporate function (which fits nicely with "connections")

2 The corporate aspect is becoming more important than almost any other aspect

3 The most child like way to look at "grace" is shown in John 1

John 1:16-18 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. NASB

You were saying, " faith is "Moving toward grace"

It seems to me that in those verses in John 1:14-16

Grace is how we move toward faith!

The fellowship, the corporate, the "we can do this together" component , is to be the spine of the church. Man o man the Lord really used you to minister to me. The older I get the more I find needs for an all encompassing fellowship.

We are to see faith lived out daily, moment by moment in the lives of those around us which should be our brothers and sisters in Christ!!

Our relationship to Christ is to be a full contact event. No pulling of punches, no fluff and definitely NO lonliness or maybe we should say "alone ness"

The eyes, ears and lips of Jesus (his humanity) is a premiere means of grace. Those eyes ears and…lips become point of contact between the resources of heaven and our needs. Jesus has gone back to heaven, but His body is still here. NOW I have your eyes ears and lips to meter grace to me. They are the same you know. Your humanity is the same as His and mine. There is where the grace upon grace upon grace upon grace comes from. How much more of resource do we need than is supplied by

John chapter 1 verse 14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. NASB

Much of the preaching i've heard for the last few years makes grace and faith a solitary pursuit! Obscure, terribly difficult, largely something that happens only in the presence of God, remote and difficult!! The presence of God part i like, because that is what we are to be, in our fellowship, the presence of, the actual body of Christ!!  Please, please continue on just a bit!!

The church is to be an swirling daily cultural milieu faith and grace.

We become what our friends are, what our peers are. The Church is to be the body of Christ in nearly every conceivable way. It is tightly focused, powerful and daily acted out in each others presence. All around us we should see others involved in the same pursuits. dealing with the same issues. Having similar priorities moving toward the Kingdom of God.

Some of my CAD software (which I own, having no pirated software) will allow me to create a virtual representation of the thing I'm designing. It's called solid modeling. I recently designed something, presenting the idea to my boss. I think what sold him on the idea was "beauty" of the virtual representation. He had a traveler created and had me pick a part number. It is now a legitimate part that I've actually designed and manufactured with all the "blessings" of my boss.

The virtual sold him on the actual. The virtual lubed the ramp to the actual! Grace is what we need. Fellowship is one of the major means of grace. It is not good for man to be alone, said God in the garden. I need those around me to model the grace and mercy of Jesus. Their modeling sells me, motivates me to move on toward the actual. When they do, grace abounds!!!!! John1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth". "Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it." Faith is ultimately realized when we stand before God and hear Him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant" I'm motivated to be more faithful by the gracious lives of those around me. The premiere means of Grace was the humanity of Jesus. Shall i abandon that model now in these latter days??? It worked for the God head. It will work for you and me!!! 'For by Grace we are saved..." Eph 2:8,9

Thanks my sore friend, hope you are feeling better soon!!!

The other guy who loves coffee!!!!

David