Grit & Grace: Week 2

Good morning, and welcome to Church at the Crossing. My

name is Andrew. If you are new or if this

is your first time, I'm so glad that you decided

to be here today. We are in a message series

called Grit and Grace, and in this series, we're talking

about the type of church that we want to be.

We want to be a people of grit and grace.

We want to be a people who will roll up

our sleeves, get our hands dirty to fulfill the mission

of God. We're going to do whatever it takes to

get what matters done. We want to be a people

of grit and grace. And so that's why I'm wearing

a baseball jersey today because as we talk about the

people we want to become, I'm speaking as one of

our coaches, and so the front of the jersey it

says we are Church at the Crossing, We are the

ninety nine and then we go love one more. That's

part of our mission, that's our vision. And so today

we're going to be concentrating on being a people of grace,

and I want to invite you to open your Bible

to John twenty one, which we'll be looking at in

a moment. But first, let's pray together to prepare our

hearts to receive from God. Father, God, thank you for

your grace and thank you for your presence. God. We

come today in these next few moments to hear from

your word. God. We pray that these next few moments

would be a supernatural spiritual encounter with your word. By

your spirit. God, we want to dedicate our attention, our

concentration to receiving from you. Would you challenge us, would

you convict us? Would you inspire us by your word?

And may we have the faith to be obedient to

what we receive from you today. I pray all of

this in Jesus' name. Amen, if you ever wanted to

have a do over, you ever have a moment where

you just blew it, you just messed up, like you

want a second chance, Well, that's what grace is. Grace

very simply is a second chance for the millionth time.

That's what grace is, a second chance for the millionth time.

Let me tell you three stories about when I wish

I had a second chance. So the first story, when

I was a teenager in the church where I was

growing up, I served in our youth ministry on the

tech team, and my youth pastor was preparing a sermon

to give to our youth service, and he wanted to

show a movie scene from a movie, and so he

gave me the name of the movie, and he told

me exactly what time to start the movie scene on

the movie, like like one hour and twenty three minutes

and twelve seconds. That's when we hit play to show

this clip for his teaching his lesson, and so he

was teaching to the whole group of students and parents.

And then the moment came and I had queued up.

I put the DVD into the DVD player and scanned

to that exact moment that he told me, and he

set up the movie scene and I hit play, and

the movie came onto the screens, and the actors on

the movie started saying bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, please bleep.

It was the wrong movie scene. Expletives, curse words, very inappropriate.

I was horrified. My youth pastor was horrified. He looked

at me like he could kill me. What went wrong?

It was the wrong scene? What went wrong? Well, I

double checked, I had queued it up, set it up

to the right time. That he had told me. Here's

the thing. I was using a DVD of the movie.

He gave me times from a VHS version of the movie.

I wanted a second chance. I once was officiating a

funeral that was about an hour away, and so I

got in the car and had plenty of time to

make it there with time to spare. But I did

not expect to encounter construction traffic on the highway, and

there was nothing I could do to avoid it. I

got into this traffic. I got stuck. There was no

off ramp, there was no shoulder like I was stuck

in standstill traffic. I mean standstill, like we were not moving.

And I was watching the clock because it was still

moving and I was gonna be arriving with five minutes

to spare.

Then I was gonna be arriving on time, and then

I'm gonna be five minutes late, like I'm panicking imagining

this grieving family, like sitting in the front row of

the funeral home, waiting for the pastor to arrive.

Finally, the traffic cleared up, and I floored it like

I gunned it, and I threw caution to the wind,

speeding down the highway and as I was speeding down

the highway, I saw something in my rearview mirror. It

was the flashing red and blue and police officer pulled

me over. And police officer did not care that I

was on my way to funeral, did not care that

I was on officiating the funeral. And police officer gave

me a ticket and a very very stern warning. And

when I finally did make it to the funeral home,

the family member who had asked me to officiate was

standing on the corner of the street waiting for me.

I wanted a second chance once Ii'm on our Thursday

night service over in the Haverstick worship had just started.

I was sitting in the back during service and I

got a text message on my phone from a pastor

friend from another church, and the text message said, Hey, Andrew,

I hope you're on your We're starting soon. He had

invited me to come speak and share at his church,

but I didn't have the right date, and so panic

filled me and I stepped out of the worship service

and I called him and I said, I'm at my

church today. I don't have your church on my calendar.

I have the wrong date. And he was shocked. He

was stunned, he couldn't believe it. And then I'll always

remember what he said to me on the phone. He said, Andrew,

the devil would love to get in between us right

now with division and mistrust and anger. But I'm not

gonna let that happen. It's gonna be okay. Grace, Grace, Grace.

I love you, Grace. But now I need to hang

up the phone and go get a message ready in

the next ten minutes. I wish I had a second chance.

Grace is a second chance for the millionth time. In

that story about the police officer pulling me over, that

police officer showed me justice, showed me, It gave me

a punishment appropriately for what I was doing wrong. But

that pastor for of mine showed me grace, showed me grace.

He could have blamed me, he could have thrown me

under the bus and told his church that I messed up,

but he showed me grace. Grace is the second chance

for the millionth time. If you want a more formal definition,

grace is unearned, undeserved blessing at the expense of the giver.

Look at this definition. Grace is at the expense of

the giver. This is critical because grace is not free.

Grace costs the giver something to give it. It cost

my pastor friend, he absorbed the cost of frantically scrambling

to put a message together with no prep It cost

him the chaos of that evening. It cost him maybe

looking a little foolish with his church. It cost him

to show me grace. And you know what he did.

He covered for me. He didn't blame me, he didn't

throw me under the bus. He covered for me. And

it makes me think of what we read in First Peter,

chapter four, verse eight. Above all love each other deeply,

because love does what covers over a multitude of sins.

That's what grace does. It covers. This is the gospel

of Jesus, that the grace of God covers us. Because

of our sin, because of our disobedience, we are separated

from God. We deserve justice, we deserve to spend eternity

in hell because of sin. But God, in his love,

sent his son Jesus to be a sacrificial payment for

our sin. When Jesus died on the cross, he died

as our substitute. He absorbed the wrath of God for

your sins so that we could receive grace. Because grace

costs the gift giver. It costs God, the father's sending

his son, It costs the sun, it costs Jesus his blood.

We are covered in the blood. The worst thing you've

done in your life, the thing you wish you had

to do over a second chance, that is covered by

the blood of Jesus. It's all about grace. It's the

Gospel of grace that we are covered. And so Peter,

who writes these words in verse eight, he says love

covers multituis sins. Peter wrote these words because he knows

what he's talking about. These words love covers multitus sins

is not just a philosophical idea for Peter. It's not

just a theological or religious concept. For Peter. These words

have a deep personal and emotional connection to Peter because

there was a time that Peter really really messed up,

and Peter needed a second chance, wanted a second chance.

I shared three stories about when I messed up and

wanted a second chance. Let me tell you about when

Peter messed up three times. It was the night when

Jesus was arrested. He was in the garden praying, and

the mob and his accusers came and they seized him,

and they dragged Jesus to a trial, and Peter, being

a loyal friend, followed at a distance to see what

would happen to Jesus. And here's what we read in

Matthew chapter twenty six. Now Peter was sitting out in

the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. You

also were with Jesus of Galilee, she said, But he

denied it before them all. I don't know what you're

talking about, he said. Then he went out to the gateway,

where another servant girl saw him and said to the

people there, this fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth. He

denied it again, with an oath, I don't know the man.

After a little while, those standing there went up to

Peter and said, surely you are one of them. Your

accent gives you away, and he began to call down curses,

and he swore to them, I don't know the man.

Imediately a rooster crowed. Three times. Peter denies knowing Jesus

three times. He fails. Three times, he blows it, he

messes up. And then we read verse seventy five, Peter

remembered the word Jesus had spoken just hours before, when

they were at a meal together. Jesus said, Peter, before

the rooster crows, you will disown me. Three times, and

he went outside and wept bitterly. He wept. He knew

he had messed up. He knew he wanted a second chance,

he wanted a do over. Have you ever seen a

grown man weep? It's heartbreaking. A good friend of mine

was in a car accident that night. He had had

too much to drink, and he has no memory of how.

He ended up in the back of an ambulance and

a neck brace on his way to the hospital. And

when we saw each other for the first time after that,

I really didn't know what I was going to say

or what to expect. And when I saw him, he

had the neck brace and his beard pushed up over

his chin, and he had no words. He was at

rock bottom. And this grown man with a big, thick

beard just wept and sobbed, and through the tears he whispered,

I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. And

the only thing that I could say was I love you,

I love you. I love you, because in that moment,

he was at rock bottom. My friend did not need

someone to jump up and down on him to tell

him what a knucklehead he was for doing something so ridiculous.

He didn't need to be judged him. He needed a

friend at rock bottom to say I love you. Peter

was at rock bottom, broken and ashamed. Grace picks you

up from rock bottom. And you may not be in

a car wreck or in a neck brace, but if

your life feels like a wreck, Grace meets you in

the wreckage. When you've been wrecked by sin or wrecked

by grief, Grace meets you in that broken when you've

been wrecked by addiction, erecked by brokenness. There is grace

for you. For the person who's thinking that you've run

out of second chances, I'm here to tell you that

God does not run out of second chances. There is

no sin too great that grace cannot overcome. There is

no pit, there is no rock bottom too deep that

the grace of God cannot meet you there, because Grace

picks us up from rock bottom. And that's where Peter

was weeping, bitterly, broken, ashamed, depressed, alone, he messed up.

After Peter's threefold denial, Jesus was condemned. The next day

he was crucified, and his dead body was placed in

a tomb. And three days later the stone in front

of that tomb rolled away, and Jesus rose from the

dead victorious. And after the resurrection, Jesus and Peter met

face to face. There's a conversation. It's in John twenty one.

And I wonder if Peter was a little bit nervous.

I wonder if Peter struggled to make eye contact with

Jesus in this conversation. But I want us to look

at John twenty one, Starting in verse fifteen, Jesus said

to Simon, Peter, Simon's son of John, do you love

me more than these? So notice here that Jesus calls

him by his full name. Jesus had given him the

name Peter to signify his strength and his leadership, but

his given name was Simon's son of John. And so

this is kind of like when you get middle named

by your parent. If my mom growing up ever, said

Andrew David, I knew she was serious. So Jesus is serious.

He says, Simon's son of John, do you love me

more than these. He's probably talking about the other disciples there.

Do you love me more than your friends? Do you

love your friends? Yes, Lord, he said, you know that

I love you. Jesus said, feed my lambs verse sixteen.

Again Jesus said to Simon's son of John, do you

love me? He answered, yes, Lord, you know that I

love you, and Jesus said, take care of my sheep

verse seventeen. The third time he said to him, Simon's

son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt

because Jesus asked him the third time? Do you love me?

He said, Lord, you know all things. You know that

I love you, and Jesus said, feed my sheep. So

notice here it says that Peter was hurt why because

Jesus asked him the third time. Peter was hurt because

he asked him a third time. Do you see the

pattern of three in this story? In this text, Peter

denied Jesus three times. Now Jesus asks him three times,

do you love me? Three times? Peter says yes. Three instructions,

Jesus gives Peter pattern of three, and Peter sees what

Jesus is doing one by one Jesus is addressing each

of Peter's denials systematically, intentionally. He's addressing each denial, each failure,

with grace because he loves Peter. I told you about

when I let down my pastor friend. He showed me

so much grace. Shortly after that, we met in person

together and I continue to apologize and ask for his forgiveness,

and he continued to show more grace. In fact, he said, Andrew,

I still want you to come and share at my church.

And I said, no way, like you shouldn't trust me.

I don't deserve that like no, but he insisted, He

insists he's like for our friendship, he still wants you

to come. Grace preserves relationships. Grace heals relationships, strengthens relationships.

What relationship in your life needs a little more grace?

Where do you need to show a little more grace?

Who needs a little more patience forgiveness? Who needs your encouragement?

Grace is what preserves relationships. Jesus knew that Peter was broken.

He saw Peter's repentance, and so the grace of Jesus

restores the friendship between Jesus and Peter, and it also

restored Peter to leadership because the three instructions that Jesus

has for Peter, feed my lambs, take care of my sheep,

feed my sheep. Those are leadership instructions, Jesus saying, Peter,

preach the gospel, lead the church, pastor the people of God.

Be a leader, because Grace transformed Peter into a humble leader.

If you know Peter's life and you can read it

throughout the Gospels, before this moment, before great Peter was

not a very humble leader. Peter was pretty self confident,

pretty self assured. Peter was a little bit cocky before

Grace changed him. I want us to go back before

Peter denied Jesus. So go back to John thirteen, before

the denial. Go back to before Jesus was arrested. Jesus

and the disciples are sharing a meal, and Jesus tells

them trouble is coming, and then Peter speaks up. In

John thirteen, verse thirty six Simon. Peter asked him, Lord,

where are you going? Jesus replied, where I'm going. You

cannot follow, but you will follow. Later, Peter asked, Lord,

why can't I follow you? Now? I will lay down

my life for you. Another Gospels say, he says, I'll

go to prison for you, I'll sacrifice for you, I'll

die for you. Jesus. I mean, this guy sounds pretty common.

He sounds that he's got a lot of grit. You know,

he's courageous, litle bit cocky because he doesn't know what

he doesn't know. Grace prevents a humble church from becoming

a cocky church. In my doctorate program or class, got

to meet and learn from church leaders around the country.

And I remember one interview listening to a church leader

talk about a big change that they made at their church.

And this large church had purchased a new building in

many miles from their original location, and they moved the

whole church to this new place because they felt like

that's where God wanted them, and that was the mission

of God was to be in that place. However, the

church leadership did not expect some of the fallout because

they moved so quickly and so hastily and so confidently.

Somewhere maybe around fifty percent of the people in the

church did not move with the relocation and they just

left the church. And it made an impression on me

listening to this leader talk. It didn't seem to bother

him that much. He just kind of shrugged and said, well,

we knew we would you get the numbers back with

new people after we relocated. There wasn't a lot of

grace or patience to make a decision slowly and appropriately.

Grace prevents a humble church from becoming a cocky church.

Before grace, Peter was overly confident. Peter was cocky. He

was self assured, he believed he had what it took

to get it done. But then Grace changed him. I've

been here at Church of the Crossing from here it'll

be seven years this summer. And when I first arrived

here about seven years ago, I shared some things in

common with Peter. You see, Peter thought he was the expert.

Peter thought he knew better than Jesus. And I'll tell

you when I first arrived here, I had more confidence

in my experience, my training, my ability, and I had

an attitude of I am the expert I know best.

And over the last seven years, God has shown me

that there is only one expert in the Kingdom of God,

and it's the Lord Jesus Christ. He is an expert

in humility. He is an expert in compassion. He's an

expert in grace, and this one and only expert invites

us calls us to follow him in the way of grace.

Grace prevents a humble church from becoming a cocky church

church of the Crossing. If we become a graceful church,

God is going to use us for his kingdom. If

we embody grace, it will exponentially multiply what God can

do through us. If we humbly submit to God, He's

gonna lead us. If we decide to be a better church,

not a bigger church, then we're gonna see the Kingdom

of God advanced. We're gonna see more lives changed. We're

gonna see more marriage is restored. We're gonna see addiction broken.

We're gonna see children growing up. Generation is growing up

knowing the Gospel. If we choose to follow the path

of grace, following Jesus, we're gonna see more people saved

and more people baptized. Because that's the type of church

that God works with. It's a graceful church following the

way of Jesus. Peter was transformed by grace. He was

changed by grace. Grace healed the relationship between Peter and Jesus.

But that was not the only relationship that needed to

be healed. Remember, as Jesus and Peter are talking, who

else is listening? But the other disciples, they're there, they're

watching this happen. In fact, that's why John records it.

He saw it happen, and so Jesus wanted to make

sure that that relationship was healed between Peter and the

other disciples. I mean, think about the other disciples. It's

possible that they were skeptical of Peter after the way

he failed so miserably. It's possible that they they were

doubting Peter's loyalty, doubting his leadership. They might have even

questioned the commitment of his faith because he had messed up.

And yet Jesus restores Peter and forgives Peter and shows

grace because he wants the other disciples to trust Peter.

To grace protects a church from division. A divided church

as a church with no grace. A church without grace

is full of factions, silos, and ministries that compete and

compare against one another. When I was a youth pastor

many years ago, I believed that the youth ministry I

was leading was the most important ministry in the church,

and I believed it should be acknowledged as the most

important ministry. And I'm ashamed to say that. In a

conversation with my executive pastor at that time, I told

him that the youth ministry deserved more resources because the

youth ministry baptized more students than the adult ministry had

baptized that year. I'm still like, I regret that. I

wish I had a second chance, but I'm committed to

protecting our church from that type of attitude, a competitive attitude,

a singular attitude, a silo attitude. Well this is my ministry,

or I don't have anything to do with that ministry.

See what does that attitude look like or sound like

around here? It might be like, well the food pantry

is the most important ministry, or my Sunday school class

is the most valuable, or the young adults ministry is

better than that ministry, or the English service is more

valuable than the Arabic service, or this program this ministry

deserves more acknowledgment or more promotion, or Sunday morning is

better than Thursday night. I said the opposite thing on Thursday,

being transparent. But you get the idea. It's this comparison,

this competitive this separation. To be a people of grace,

not a divided people. We're gonna celebrate other successes. We're

united by our mission. That is what is leading us.

It's the mission. We don't compete, we don't compare, we

don't envy or criticize. We're gonna work together to do

what it takes to get what matters done. We're gonna

be a people of grace. Grace transformed Peter. Before that

moment of grace, Peter was a coward, denying that he

even knew Jesus. But that moment of grace changed Peter

into a courageous leader. Notice at the end of their conversation,

what does Jesus say At the end of this text,

Starting in verse eighteen, Jesus said, feed my sheep very truly.

I tell you, when you were younger, you dressed yourself

and went where you wanted. But when you are old,

you will stretch out your hands. Jesus is probably describing

that Peter will be stretched out and nailed on a cross.

Someone else will dress you. It's probably describing that Peter

will be stripped, naked and humiliated and lead you where

you do not want to go, meaning he will be

led to prison and led to execution verse nineteen. Jesus

said this to indicate the kind of death by which

Peter would glorify God. Then he said to Peter, follow me.

This isn't a very attractive job description. You're gonna be

led where you don't want to go. Someone else is

gonna dress you, You're gonna be stretched out, you're gonna

be persecuted, you're gonna be murdered. So follow me. But

this is a call of Christ in our lives, and

it takes people of grit and grace to follow Jesus

where he wants to lead us. This moment changed Peter's

life because it turned him into a bold, gritty leader.

I want to tell you that grace produces a courageous church.

We're gonna be a courageous church. After this moment between

Peter and Jesus. A few days later, Peter preached that

Jesus was Lord in front of the whole city, and

three thousand people were baptized that day, and then he

was threatened to stop preaching try to be intimidated. But

he said, I have to keep preaching about Jesus. Then

he was arrested, and he was beaten, and he was flogged,

and yet he rejoiced that he was found worthy to

suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. He was a

courageous leader. We are gonna be a courageous church. Grace

will make us a courageous church. We're gonna be courageous

to share the gospel, courageous to serve, couragous to roll

up our sleeves, get our hands dirty. We're gonna be

courageous to do what it takes to get what matters done,

to be the light of the Gospel in our community,

no matter what it costs us. Eventually, Peter was arrested

and he was condemned to be executed for his faith.

And when the executioners came for Peter to take him

to crucifixion, Peter had one last request and he asked

that he'd be crucified up side down, because he said

he was unworthy to die in the same manner as

his Lord Jesus Christ. Who is this man of grit,

who is this bold, courageous who is this man who

does not shrink back from death but says, no, you're

gonna kill me, do it upside down? Who is this

courageous man none other than the coward who denied Jesus,

but Grace changed him. And so I've got a sense

that someone listening right now. You may have self doubt,

You may have regrets. You may even feel like you

are disqualified from doing the thing that God has called

you to. I want to tell you today that it's

the grace of Jesus that will make you courageous and

equip you and empower you to do what God has

called you to. Grace will make us a courageous church.

And that's why Peter's qualified to write the words we

read earlier in one Peter four above all love each

other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Very briefly,

with our remaining time, I just want to look at

this one line, love each other deeply. I just want

to briefly answer the question, how can a graceful church

love each other deeply? Just a couple of points for us.

Want to assume the best. We gotta assume the best

when somebody lets you down. Assume the best. Don't jump

to conclusions. Don't don't don't jump to an assumption. Assume

the best. Maybe they forgot, maybe there was miscommunication, misunderstanding,

or maybe maybe they were just having a bad day.

A really dear friend of mine once told me about

the moment he decided to never return to church again.

When he was a young boy, he attended vacation Bible school,

and summer programs at a church in his community. And

just like any good church event, there was free food,

and so this little boy was in line to get pizza.

And just like any growing boy, one piece of pizza

is not enough, and so he reached to take a

second piece of pizza, and that's when somebody smacked his

hand and said, only one piece of pizza. That was

the moment he decided to not come back to church.

And as he grew up, his life took a different turn,

down a dark path of drugs, alcohol, and other evil

And it was many, many, many years before he returned

to Christ. What might have been different in my friend's

story if someone had assumed the best. Just assume this

little boy is not trying to steal from the church.

Just assume he's got a fast metabolism. He's just hungry.

We're gonna assume the best because Colossians Chapter four says,

be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Make

the most of every opportunity to let your conversation be

always full of what grace. We're gonna assume the best,

no judgment, no hand smacks. You can have as much

pizza as you want a church across you know. That's

one of the things I love about our food pantry.

Many organizations and food pantries have some standards or some

requirements to shop, like provide documentation or paperwork, or provide

an income statement, or reach a level of need in

order to shop. But not here at Church with the Crossing,

we believe if you live in Indianapolis and you have

a need, you can shop here. We want to be

a people of grace, so we assume the best. How

can a graceful church love each other deeply? We keep

short accounts. This means we don't let a fence fester.

We don't hold on to grudges, keep short accounts. Holding

onto resentment is like credit card debt. Let me tell

you when I use my credit card and I charge

something on my credit card. There is a ticking time

clock that starts because what happens at the end of

that when that time runs out and I don't pay

that interest and interest is evil. If I don't pay

that on time, if I don't keep a short account,

that interest is gonna grow and it's gonna be harmful.

If you hold onto a grudge, hold on to resentment,

it's like a bitterness interest that just multiplies and grows.

We gotta pay it off, We gotta keep short accounts.

And then, finally, how does a graceful church love each

other deeply? We give without keeping score, because let me

tell you something about grace. Grace gives and gives and

gives and gives and gives and gives without asking for

anything in return. Grace is generous. It does not keep score.

Every year, around Christmas time, my wife and I have

the same conversation or a version of the same conversation,

and usually goes something like who are we buying Christmas

gifts for? And it sounds something like, well, last year,

this person got us something, so we kind of owe them,

or they may have an expectation, so we should really

get them something this year, Or if we go to

this event, that relative will be there. They might have

something for us, so we should bring something for them,

just to be prepared. You know, that is not gift giving.

That is transactional gift raffing. Grace is not transactional. It

gives and gives and gives without keeping score. That's why

set in Corinthians five says God was reconciling the world

to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them.

Because of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, God can offer

us grace freely without you paying it back or paying

it off. Remember what we said earlier, Grace is unearned,

undeserved blessing at the expense of the giver. Grace is expensive.

It costs something to give. It costs God his son.

When we give grace, it will cost us. But we're

gonna be a people of grace without keeping score. We're

gonna give financially without a payback. We're gonna give compassion

and care without strings attached. We're gonna bless people. We're

gonna forgive. We're gonna be understanding without tracking what we

get back in return. Here at Church of the Crossing,

we will use our resources. We will use our manpower.

We will use our facilities in our campus to bless people,

to bring the Gospel of Jesus, to meet needs in

the name of Jesus, without getting a payback or keeping score.

We're gonna be a people of grace. And so if

we're gonna be a church of grace, it has to

start right here. It has to start right now. I

once was leading a mission trip of high school students

out of state where we were serving out service projects

in another state. And on these trips, we often borrowed

vehicles like minivans and SUVs from parents of the students

so we could transport all of the students. And I

was driving a borrowed minivan from a parent, and on

the first night of the trip, I was late and

I was looking for someplace to eat, and I was

driving this mini van by myself, and I was in

a car accident and it was my fault. Thankfully, nobody

was hurt, but the van was smashed really good. And

I was sick to my stomach because I had to

make a phone call to the parent who owned the vehicle,

and I was sick. I was worried that how they

would react. I was worried that I would lose trust.

I was worried that I'd be humiliated and embarrassed. I

was just sick. And so I made that phone call

and explain what had happened, and the parent was so kind.

The parent said, Andrew, don't worry about it, We'll figure

this out. Just glad that nobody was hurt. Then we

hung off the phone, and the spirit of God must

have spoken to that parent, because a few minutes later

after hanging up, that parent called me back. When they

called me back, they said, Andrew, I want to make

sure you know that I am serious. Do not worry

about this. Focus on the trip, Focus on the students,

Focus on the mission. Do not let this be a distraction.

This is all grace. And so if you feel like

your life is a wreck and you've messed it up,

I'm telling you there is more grace. If you are

afraid of how God may react to you or respond

to you, if you're afraid of judgment of wrath, I

want to tell you that Jesus paid all of that

on the Cross, so you can have grace. If you

think you've run out of second chances, there is one

more chance today for his grace. And so if I'm

speaking to you, would you come to Jesus, confess your

sin and receive his grace. I want to invite us

to respond to what we've heard. Would you bow your

head and close your eyes with me? And if I'm

speaking to you and you want to put your faith

in Jesus as your Lord and savior and receive his grace,

I invite you to pray this prayer after me. Say,

Dear God, I admit that I'm a sinner and I

need your forgiveness. I believe Jesus died for me and

rose from the dead to save me. I confess Jesus's

lord of my life. Father, send your spirit into my life.

Thank you for your grace. And now let me pray

for all of us. Father God, we thank you for

the grace that you've extended us, the grace that gives

and gives and gives. Thank You that we are covered

by grace. And so God, we want to be a

people of grace. God, we can't be perfect people. We're

not going to get it right all the time. And

so God, help us to show grace to each other.

Help us to show grace to one another, to walk

into spirit of grace, and God, I pray with boldness

that you would make us the people that you've called

us to be, that we not just be playing church,

not just attending church, but that we be living, breathing,

being the church, making a difference in our community, making

a difference in our region. God, I pray that you

would help us there'd be a spirit of grace in

our families, a spirit of grace across all of our ministries. God,

I pray for a spirit of revival to come, because

it is grace that brings forth transformation. And so we

acknowledge that we are a people who are saved by grace,

and we thank you for that gift we have in

Jesus and in his name we pray Amen.