Growth Potential (Grace) | Abundant Life Ministries

with 41 of those clients being mothers

who walked in the door intending to

terminate their pregnancy but through

the ministry that happened at Agape

decided not to they found hope they

found uh encouragement they found

support and so those babies are alive

today those 41 children because of uh

the work that Agape is doing bre that

we're grateful for that and um I'll tell

you a little bit more about my visit

when I went this is their Clinic

building they have a full service like

pregnancy Clinic they don't have people

give birth there but up leading up to

birth they do all the checkups they do

blood work there they do ultrasounds all

of those tests uh that need to happen

before pregnancy they are able to do

right there on site in their clinic and

they offer that for free to mothers who

need it and yet along with the clinical

part they have a counselor who works

with the mother and gives them goals and

checkpoints and things that they can do

to stay healthy and to make that

pregnancy as go as well as possible for

herself and for her child and for the

men that come in with mothers uh they

offer them training and support and

encouragement on how to approach their

role as well and so that's their

clinical building the other building

they have on site is called their Family

Resource Center and so that other

building what it does it's like a big

house that's been renovated and it has a

couple of stores within it where

products that have been purchased

through Agape or donated can be um can

be acquired by young families and

mothers so they help service them with

clothing and Food Supplies and hygiene

supplies but this is also where they

have uh regular meetings with their

clients to help them along the way in

pregnancy this is where they facilitate

classes that teach on a wide range of

topics from Health to hygiene to

financial planning to steps through the

pregnancy clinical process um and so

they they really take the approach of

not just handing out Goods to people but

really training and equipping them with

the tools they need um to do well

through pregnancy and then Early

Childhood they support clients from the

moment of PRN anany testing all the way

up through age four of their youngest

child and so they're with these clients

with these mothers with these families

really for a long duration of time um

this is the inside of that house they do

have a full service kitchen they have a

laundry room and so when clients come

and and meet for their counseling and um

appointment sessions they can also get

laundry done at this place something

that not everyone has access to um and

then a couple other pictures we have of

their stores within that Family Resource

Center and so as families or mothers

complete classes and trainings and uh

counseling uh appointments they earn

credits with agape and then they can use

those credits to acquire supplies that

their family might need and so it's a

wonderful wonderful Ministry they're

doing great work they're servicing a

very real need and um we just consider

it an honor to be able to partner with

them and so Abundant Life Ministries

this year has committed to partnering

with Agape through monthly financial

support through highlighting and talking

about the work that their Ministry is

doing to raise your awareness about it

and to pray for them and uh there is a

possibility that there will be some

other opportunities to partner and

support them um as our partnership with

Agape develops and I'll keep you

informed about those as opportunities

may come but hey uh would would we could

we just pray for them this morning

before we move on I think that would be

appropriate to do so and so let's pray

and thank the Lord for what Agape is

doing and just ask his Blessing on their

work as we go into this year father we

are so grateful to have come into

partnership in awareness of the work

that is going on for your kingdom and

for your name's sake through Agape um in

De Moine Lord we are so glad that we

could partner with them and and have a

part in supporting that work that you've

called them to do I thank you that they

are blessed with good people with

skilled people with wise people who are

able to navigate uh the needs um and the

cares of their clients well Lord that

they would provide support that really

helps that leads to life for every

family that enters their door Lord that

they do continue boldly proclaiming the

love of Jesus the care of Jesus the

truth of Jesus to each person that walks

in there and that through that Lord

people would come to know and glorify

you more and more we ask you Lord meet

their needs provide for every program

every Vision inspiration that you give

them Lord uh make a way for those things

to happen open up the right Partnerships

for them that they can connect with

other services and other programs so

that what they do can be most effective

that it could prod produce a greater and

greater Harvest for your glory Lord we

thank you for the lives that have been

changed forever through the work you're

doing through the people at Agape Lord

we give you glory that those people are

a testimony of your love your goodness

and your power Lord we ask you to bless

Agape bless his partnership and Lord

just be glorified through all the work

that occurs we pray this in Jesus name

amen I believe for that well Church um

I'm going to at this time prepare to

receive tithes and offerings and so if

you plan to give this morning we're

going to go to John chapter 3 if you

John 3 · chapter mention

need an envelope put your hand up and

one of our ushers will come find you

with one of those uh we also have some

online options that'll be on the screens

as well John 3:16 talks about giving and

John 3:16

that's why this morning I'd like to

encourage you and stir your faith up by

looking to what the word says in this

verse pertaining to giving a well-known

verse John 3:16 Says for this is how God

John 3:16

loved the world new King James reads for

God so loved the world this is how God

loved the world he gave his one and only

son so that everyone who believes in him

will not perish but will have

everlasting life eternal life it's a

wonderful promise it's a great blessing

that we receive to be given eternal life

through the son being given to us you

see God loved us in this way he loved us

by giving his one and only son you could

say the most valuable thing that God

could have given is what he gave Jesus

the most valuable thing he could have

given his Precious Blood his very life

on Earth was offered it was given it was

sacrificed for you and I because God so

loved us you see God's love for you is

sure you can know that today if you

don't hear anything else I say hear this

God loves you and you can take it to the

bank you can count on God's love because

God has already acted in love toward you

his Love's already been acted upon it's

not just an idea it's not just an

emotion it's not just a feeling it is a

truth because it has been expressed it

has been proven it has been evidenced

through the giving of the one and only

son Jesus and so through what's been

given we know we're saved to eternal

life and we praise God for that what a

wonderful gift eternal life is can you

say Amen church but something this verse

shows us that can inform our giving and

the way we approach the action of giving

is it shows that love contains

an aspect of giving love contains an

aspect of sacrifice love

contains a part of generosity and so God

in his love he didn't just he didn't

just give us a little something to help

us along he generously he sacrificially

he lovingly gave his very best he

lovingly gave and provided through Jesus

everything that we need for life that's

pretty generous isn't it and what I love

about this verse is it shows me that his

giving was motivated by his loving and

when I think about something like this

that God gave in such an extravagant way

because of his love one of the things

that my uh my the flesh part of my

thinking likes to say is well yeah God

can give like that he can be generous

like that because he's God but I'm not

God you know it's easy to begin making

excuses and say well sure God can love

that way sure God can give that way but

I'm not him I'm just me but here's the

thing about it in 1 John 4: 19 the Bible

says that we love because he first loved

us and so because God has loved and

because we've received that love because

we've received Jesus and he's

transformed us and changed us his love

now is in us and we now live and pour

out our life from that position of love

what his love produces in my heart is

christlikeness what his love produces in

my heart is a spirit nature that is like

his not like who I used to be and so in

God's love I have a I live in this flow

of loving him with all my heart soul

mind strength and loving others as well

and so today I can love God I can give

to God out of my love I can be generous

and sacrificial in the way I offer my

life to him because he first loved

me I can give today because of the

wonderful thing that I have received I

can give love because of the wonderful

love I've received can you say Amen to

that church I'll give you a little

example as our users come forward this

morning I I used to hear about people

ministers would come and they'd give

testimonies they'd preach they would

talk about how God LED them to give away

you know some possession of Great Value

sometimes it was Cars sometimes it was

like Firearms which can be kind of

valuable and different things like that

and I would hear these accounts like of

really valuable things that they would

just feel in their heart that God was

telling them to give to somebody to

bless somebody with and I always thought

man that's kind of weird it's kind of

weird to me to think that you know God

would ask you to just give a possession

away give something of value away I mean

you could you could sell that thing you

could tithe off of the money you could

make off of that thing if you didn't

want it anymore but you know to just

give it away it almost seemed like a

totally forign idea in my mind at one

point but then what happened to me is I

experienced God bless me in that way I

had it happen where somebody was

generous toward me as a direction of God

an expression of God obedience to God

and so though it came through a person I

recognized God you you just you just

gave something e extravagant and and

lovely and generous to me that I I

didn't expect I didn't understand and

what happened is my heart changed in the

way that I I viewed that I I never

thought it was like wrong for people to

do it I just I didn't get it I didn't

connect with it but I'll tell you when I

experienced God's love acting in my life

in that way and then a short while later

the Lord prompted me and said hey you

need to give that thing away he he told

me something he's like I want you to

just bless this person with that thing

I'm not going to tell you what it was

but he said just do that that thing that

I always thought was kind of weird kind

of foreign I couldn't envision myself

doing it but I'll tell you this after I

had experienced the love and generosity

of God in that way it was the easiest

thing in the world to do to offer that

to someone else and what it all just

comes back to for me is this when we get

to know God's love and we get to know

God's

generosity when we realize that God

loved so he gave I believe what it does

in our heart is it it opens our eyes it

opens our ears it causes us to know and

understand that out of our love for God

we also can give we should give we

should be generous toward him we should

be sacrificial in the way we offer to

him because I love him don't you love

God this morning church I'm not trying

to manipulate anybody I'm not trying to

twist you into doing anything if if you

if you don't feel like you're supposed

to give this morning I would encourage

you you should because the Bible says to

but I want to just encourage you in this

this morning love gives love gives love

is generous love is

sacrificial and I don't want to just

tell God I love him I I want to act like

I love him and so I encourage you this

morning let your giving come from that

Heart of Love not out of obligation not

cu Pastor Isaac told me that I should or

I have to give because you love God and

you'll be blessed by that let's pray

over this offering this morning Father I

do thank you for the love you've given

us for the generosity you've shown us

for every good and perfect gift that you

have brought down and and just so so

kindly so gracefully put in our life

Lord we love you because you first loved

us we give to you today Lord because you

first gave to us and and it is so easy

for us it's such a joy for us to express

our love for you in what we give today

and so Lord we pray that this would

glorify your name that it would be a

blessing and that you would use what is

given this morning for the work of your

kingdom to bring a great harvest about

to bring many people to know you to love

you like we do to show many people your

love and your kindness your goodness and

your glory Lord use this offering this

morning for your name's sake in all the

world Lord we love you we trust you we

pray these things in jesus' name amen

amen hey we're going to dismiss our kids

this morning to go out to class as the

ushers pass the offering plate and for

those of you that are staying in here

with me we are going to get into the

word together this is going to be the

final message this morning in the series

titled growth potential we've been

talking about growing about producing

about developing and maturing in the

name of the Lord for the glory of the

Lord for his kingdom and so I've had

this this subject kind of in the back of

my mind all through this series it's

been something I knew that eventually I

would come to and so today I would like

to preach to

you about one of the largest factors in

growth potential which is the

environment that surrounds the thing

that's growing environment is what we're

going to be talking about this morning

because being in the right

environment is absolutely essential to

growth potential that kind of rhymed

being in the right environment is

absolutely essential to growth potential

to prove this point to you I can tell

you there is a reason that there's a

county in New Mexico New Mexico called

Luna County where you can buy an acre of

land for under $200 doesn't that just

sound bizarre to you in Iowa where the

price of land by the acre is over

$112,000 what makes such a difference

why why do some people pay so much for

ground while other people won't pay

hardly anything for it it's because of

the environment in that place it is the

soil it's also the sun it's also the

rain it's also the humidity it's also

the seasons it's the environment because

the truth is this the right environment

can grow a lot of things people grow

crops in Iowa because we have an

environment that's conducive to growing

crops people don't grow anything in Luna

County New Mexico because they have an

environment that is hostile toward

growth what are you getting at Pastor

Isaac I'm just trying to tell you this

morning morning that environment matters

the environment in which we live our

life matters a whole lot pertaining to

our ability to grow because environment

is one of the things that greatly

affects growth I had this picture we're

going to put this picture up on the

screen this morning because this is like

the image I've told you before I'm a

visual learner when God shows me

something a lot of the time there's a

picture involved and this is the picture

I kept thinking about when I came back

to environment I've seen people make

these before they're called sealed

terrariums and it's where you put

together this environment inside of a

glass bottle and then you close it and

it's just sealed off forever like a a

self-sustaining ecosystem that's got

this perfect you know concoction of of

moisture and soil that'll let it do its

thing and it's got you know bugs or

microbes or bacterias or mosses or

whatever it needs people that know a

whole lot more about plants and all this

kind of stuff than I do they're able to

put these perfect environments together

where they can close it off and it just

goes like for years and years and years

and years and it just thrives and it

lives and stuff grows and I think I

would kill it if I tried I don't think I

could do one of these but I've always

been fascinated by this idea of an

ecosystem so perfectly designed for

growth and health of the things that are

within it and that's what I see this

being this sealed terrarium is like the

the perfect environment for growth

potential at least for the things that

are in it and so in this last message on

the our series of about growth potential

I would like to share with you about the

environment the perfect ecosystem that

God has created and given to you so that

you can grow and you can Thrive and you

can be fruitful because the truth is

this God has a perfect environment for

us God has a a a supply of all of the

things that we need so that we can grow

and we can Thrive and so if we want to

live the life God is calling us to live

if we want to live in abundance and

fulfill the desires that he's put in our

heart if we want to live up to the

things that we hear God calling in our

heart for us to be fruitful toward then

we need to be placed in the right

environment because God has designed an

ideal environment for you to grow where

he's provided every everything you need

to grow spiritually where you can

flourish where you can be

fruitful and so when I think about the

environment for a Believer I I'll just

tell you there's a number of things I

think we could talk about we could talk

about being in a healthy Church in a

right you know tangible environment

being in the right place at the right

time physically you know the physical

environments we put ourselves in they

they have an effect they influence our

spiritual life that's definitely true we

could talk about the social environment

of our life you know the influences that

we let have voice the things we listen

to the things we read the people that we

talk to I'm going to just call that our

social environment the influencing

environment of our life it matters

matters a lot there's a lot that the

Bible says regarding influences not

surrounding yourself with Bad Company

because they corrupt things they kill

things but good friends Godly friends

righteous people will uplift you Hebrews

Hebrews 10:25

10:25 don't forsake the assembling of

yourselves together so you can be

encouraged in the last days so our

social environment matters but that's

not really what I want to talk to you

about today we could talk about our

mental environment the things that we're

thinking about the things we're

meditating on this kind of goes back to

what we listen to the way we think about

events the doctrines that we consider

regularly that we hold fast to the

things that we allow to entertain us our

headp space that's certainly an

important environment in our life we

know Romans 12:2 says be transformed by

Romans 12:2

the renewing of your mind and so the

renewing of our mind is certainly a

powerful powerful part of the

environment to grow but that's not

really what I want to talk to you about

either this morning the environment I

felt led to share with you about today

which God has made available to every

believer who is in Christ is not an

environment tied to physical

surroundings it is not an environment

depending dependent upon the people or

the places that we find ourselves in and

so you can be in this environment

whether it's rain or shine whether

you're in a tranquil place or a place

with noise and conflict you can be in

this environment whether you're in a

clean or messy house you can be in this

environment whether you're tired or

you've had a good night of rest this is

an environment that goes beyond

all of those physical social emotional

factors this is a spiritual

environment that provides all that we

need and so this is a heart environment

one that is made up of spiritual

realities that reside in Us by faith you

catch that with me this is an

environment all the components in this

environment are made up of spiritual

realities that we have by faith in Jesus

and so these are things that we have not

gone out and earned these are not things

that we hold in our hand but they are

things that are very real and very true

to us because of what Jesus has done in

our life you see the environment I'd

like to share with you about this

morning is the environment of Grace the

environment of Grace like that picture

of the terrarium that I showed you just

a moment ago this environment of Grace

is something that is so perfectly

designed by God to supply everything

that you will need to grow and to thrive

to be healthy and so when we res IDE in

when we live in when we dwell in the

grace of God we will grow I know that

seems just so simple doesn't it we'll

get into it this morning what that means

but take this point Grace is the

environment in which you will grow not

only spiritually but in all manners of

life because out of the heart flow the

matters of life and so if you want to

grow you know in your job your heart

needs to be developed by the grace of

God first if you want to grow in your

relationships your heart needs to be

developed by the grace of God first any

situation where you could be looking to

grow first our heart needs to be

developed by the grace of God our

spiritual environment needs to be

realized that we are dwelling in

Grace and so I'd like to look at second

Peter 3 and: 18 I'm going to read this

out of the Amplified we'll have new

living up on the screen new living it

says I I'll read this first and then

I'll read Amplified rather you must grow

in the grace and knowledge of our Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ all glory to him

both now and forever amplifi not all

that different it says but grow

spiritually mature in the grace and

knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus

Christ to him be glory honor Majesty

Splendor both now until the day of

eternity amen and so growth

happens as we grow in the grace and

knowledge of Our Lord I wasn't sure if I

was going to say this but if you back it

up just a couple verses we don't have to

do it but if you look later what it's

talking about is don't fall from the

position God's put you in don't go back

WS in your life and so it's saying don't

don't become less mature and fall out of

the reality of Life In Christ but rather

you need to grow it's a lie it's a

deception to think that we can just live

our life on the same level all the time

we are either growing or or we're

growing

backwards we grow or or we we

diminish life does not stay

stagnant and so we're told hey don't go

backwards Don't Fall From Grace but grow

in Grace grow in the knowledge of Our

Lord all glory to him We're called We're

commanded like let me not mince words

about it we are commanded by the Lord to

grow in Grace and knowledge of him why

because it's it's going to cause us to

walk in the Life of Christ it's going to

cause us to walk in abundance and

blessing which is God's plan for us God

isn't saying grow in Grace or else I'm

going to get you he's saying grow in

Grace so you experience what Jesus died

to give you

Hallelujah God's commands for us are

good can't you say Amen to that church

grow in the grace and in the knowledge

I'll tell you this about growing in

Grace there's not more grace for you to

get the thought of grow in Grace you

might think well I need to accumulate

some more of that when I think about

growing something like I'm going to grow

my portfolio I'm going to get some more

of it I'm GNA I'm going to grow our

dinner I would never say that but you

know what I mean I'm going to get some

more of it I'll tell you this there's

not more more grace to get there's just

more grace to

realize man that was that was better

that was better than the reaction I got

to that church there is not more grace

to get but there is more grace to

realize amen that's really at the core

of of what this all comes down to if you

want to grow in Grace it's all about

realizing more of what God's done for

you it's all about growing in the

knowledge of him and what he's done who

he is is is Jesus what he's done is

Grace and so to grow in knowing what

he's done for us is is to grow in Grace

it doesn't mean I'm going to go get more

of it his grace is already infinite it's

already fully satisfied our Ever every

need for all

eternity his grace is enough I mean we

say that don't we we probably have sung

the Chris Tomlin song about that right

his grace is enough it is enough and

it's infinite you don't need more grace

you just need to realize what his grace

has done amen and so growing in

Grace is living at a heightened level of

awareness

and I'll say this it's even it's more

than a heightened level of awareness

it's a heightened level of assurance

about what he's done let me take it to

another step it's to live at a

heightened level of Faith because faith

is the Assurance of things hoped for the

evidence of Things Not Seen faith is

about Assurance of the reality of what

God's word says and what his word says

is Grace what his word says his grace is

sufficient for every need his grace has

supplied you in Abundant Life out out of

his riches of Glorious Supply your every

need has been met that's what the word

says and so to grow in Grace it's really

to live at a heightened level of Faith

it's to live with more faith in what God

has

done to grow in Grace is to grow in our

knowing about the reality of what he has

accomplished for us it is a matter of

our faith being strengthened as we hear

his

word the result of growing in Grace in

this way of having our faith

strengthened of having our expectation

and our Assurance of what he's done

heightened is that we're going to live

in a greater degree of spiritual

maturity in our life so how we get more

spiritually mature is to realize more of

his

grace it's to know more of how his favor

how his promise and how his power apply

at any given moment you know I'll give

you a personal testimony about growing

in Grace one of the things I I guess

came to a revelation of by the power of

the Holy Spirit at some point in my walk

with the Lord earlier on was that if he

is a loving father who forgives my sins

and empowers me to live in Freedom those

are all things that are done by Grace

then when I sin I should run to him

instead of trying to hide from

him you know I it took me a while to get

that sorted out it did it took me a

little while to understand that because

I would sin and I would think oh no I've

messed it up maybe I've lost salvation I

don't know how God could love me or use

me I I think I'm just going to back off

a little bit like I'll pray tomorrow

I'll refresh tomorrow I'll fix this

thing up later once I feel a little more

like I'm someone that maybe God could

love what I came to realize is you know

what if I really am confident that he

loves me and he wants to help me to live

free then he's the first person I should

go to when I sin and I miss it and I

have a problem I should run to him

instead of running from him and for me I

guess as I look back on it what I what I

want to share is just that's growing in

Grace it's growing to more realize who

he is and what he's done for me it's to

grow in the knowledge of the Lord and in

his grace it's to realize more of the

righteousness that I have in him the

love that he's extended to me his power

to help me overcome and live free it's a

greater awareness of his grace it's a

greater Assurance of his

grace you see we can grow in we can grow

in Bible knowledge but not grow in Grace

we can grow in knowing scriptures and

and you know like for me I knew that the

word said in 1 John 1:9 that if any of

1 John 1:9

you confesses his sins he's faithful and

just to forgive you and cleanse you of

all unrighteousness I knew that the word

said that but the way I was living was

not like that was true it was like oh I

sinned and so I need to like hide and

get myself feeling right again I'll I'll

work and clean myself up and then I'll

go back to God and you know then I'll

I'll be okay with him and it was missing

out on his power it was missing out on

his

love because I needed I needed to grow a

little bit and so praise God you know

spiritual maturity happens as we get to

know more and more of what he's done for

us growing in Grace is coming to the

place where the things of God which once

seemed impossible have become part of my

expected reality I love that thought

that to grow in Grace is to come to this

this place this position where things

that I used like Bible stories that I

read and I thought wow that's incredible

would never never happened in real life

to to see and read that and think by the

power of God that's what I expect to

live is a life that's what Jesus said

not a life that the world says not a

life like everyone else experienced

because we as the children of God are

not like everyone else that's not a

proud thing that's a humble thing God

has made us different his power has

changed us he has called us his children

Sons and Daughters he has said you will

do things like I've done and more so

also he's the one that said those who

follow me they will speak speak in new

tongues they'll cast out demons they

will heal the sick they'll lay hands on

them they'll recover if you step on a

serpent it won't it won't harm you it

won't kill you a miraculous way of life

but it's only by the grace of God and so

growing in Grace is growing to expect

and believe that what God says is true I

mean it really gets down to being that

simple growing in Grace is really just

believing in my heart What God Says and

that's Faith that's Faith to believe and

know in my heart that what God says is

true that's faith and the result of that

is growing in Grace and so we're called

grow in Grace live at a heightened

awareness of Grace you know I think

about our walk with the Lord I think

this is true to pretty much everybody as

we begin our walk with the Lord we're

aware of a very limited amount of God's

grace everybody who's ever been saved

has been aware of some measure of God's

grace some portion of the grace that's

been given to them and again get this

it's not like God gives you know a

little bit of Grace at a time and you

just you got to grow and then he'll give

you a little bit more that's not it he

has deposited all of his grace to you in

Jesus and over time we get we see more

and more and more of it you got that

with me church when we get

saved we see at least a little sliver of

all the grace that's available in Jesus

because salvation is is a work of Grace

it's not by our works it's not by our

doing it's by the grace of God the favor

and power of God are what saves us right

and so anybody who's ever been saved

they have they have seen and they have

believed they've put their faith and

trusted God for at least a little bit of

that

Grace but what I'm here to tell you is

there's so much more grace there there's

so much more grace there than what you

realize today there's so much grace more

there than what we live like there is

there you see God's grace it it starts

with salvation but it is so much wider

so much deeper so much greater for us

and as we grow to know more of what the

word says as we mature in our faith as

we become stronger and stronger in our

faith we come to have a greater

realization of how his grace applies I

was thinking about certain people this

week as I was thinking about growing in

Grace I thought about people that you

you might call like the generals of the

faith I know that's like a term that uh

like at least the the camp that I came

up in at Rama that's like a term they

would use to describe preachers and

ministers who God used in great ways to

take a message forward to you know lead

a a a Revival or a renewal or or some

charismatic move and God would use these

men and women to do amazing things you

know I think about the great preachers

who are just widely acclaimed as as

great proponents of preaching the gospel

in in many places in America but among

the Nations as well I think about people

both in the Bible but even in more

recent years whose hands have worked

many many many miracles in in the name

of

Jesus and I I come to this thought they

all knew the grace of God in great

measure they all knew the grace of God

they knew what God's favor and power was

capable of and what God wanted to do

through them in a great measure you see

these ministers these generals these

preachers they ministered and they lived

from the supply of Heaven that God had

placed them in and it takes me back to

this terrarium it's like my visual is

they knew what they were living

in too often I think churches and

Believers we act like we're living in a

desert when God's put us in a fruitful

perfect

ecosystem he's put everything we need

there we just we fail to access it

because the enemy has convinced us that

we we're just like we're just striving

for little crumbs of God's goodness

that's not true that's not what the

Bible shows it says God's a good father

who has blessed every Heaven he he has

given every good and perfect gift to us

is what it says that they all come down

from the Father of Lights Jesus taught a

parable he said you know if you who are

wicked know how to give your kids good

things how much more is the father going

to give you good

gifts and I think we've got the best

environment we've got all the best stuff

that there is in Jesus but the devil's

so good at getting us to think oh I just

am so limited he gets us looking at

oursel and at the world around us rather

than the spiritual State the spiritual

environment of God's grace and so we

have to come back to the truth we have

been placed in Grace let me read you

another scripture Romans 5 ver1 and 2

says therefore since we have been made

right in God's sight by

faith we have peace with God because of

what Jesus our lord has done for us

because of our faith Christ has brought

us into this place of undeserved

privilege where we now stand and we

confidently and joyfully look forward to

sharing God's glory I mean I I think

that makes it so clear he has brought us

into this place of great privilege of

all the good stuff and now we stand

there and really that's that's the

challenge that's the fight of Faith

that's what the enemy doesn't want for

you is to stand in that place of

undeserved privilege to stand in that

place of goodness the devil loves it

when he can move us in our thinking in

our believing in our speaking out of the

place of God's goodness and into the

place of lack he loves it the devil

loves it when we move out of the

terrarium and into the

desert but God always wants us in the

promise even look at Israel God wanted

them in the promised land how many

miracles did God work to get Israel into

the promised

land but they just they wouldn't stand

in the promise of God through doubt

through fear through deception they were

moved out that's the same way the devil

works today he wants us to fear he wants

us to doubt what the word of God says he

wants there to be unbelief so that we're

moved not positionally with Christ but

in our thinking in our action in the way

we live out our

life where he moves us out of the

goodness out of the promise out of the

privilege and into the

lack standing in this place of privilege

this place of power this environment

this ecosystem that God has put us in

which contains every single thing that

we need need we to stand there and all

of this is because of what Jesus has

done I just want to be clear on that we

don't we don't live this wonderful life

because I figured things out and I

studied enough and I prayed enough and I

earned it it's it's all because of what

Jesus has done and I just realize more

of what he's done and really even that

is something I can't do on my own it

takes the wisdom of God it takes the

revelation of the Holy Spirit it takes

hearing the

word and as those things happen my my

Eyes Are Open my ears are open my

understanding widens and I can then

receive more of what he's done it's all

because of what Jesus has done for us

and I thought about one specific man

John G Lake have you ever heard of John

G Lake Apostle John G Lake he's

considered the Apostle to Africa around

the year 1900 he went over there and and

thousands probably more than thousands

of people were saved through uh the

preaching and Ministry that occurred

with him

aside from establishing the gospel in

South Africa John G Lake also had

healing rooms located in Spokane

Washington this was in the early 1900s

and they have record of over a 100,000

verified healings happening through the

ministry that occurred in Washington

over a 5-year period And so John G Lake

was I mean he was a man who I mean he

got things done for the kingdom you know

he went out and and he discipled a good

chunk of Africa and he was over in

Washington getting people healed and

preaching and proclaiming the message of

grace and the goodness of Jesus and I

love this quote from John G Lake let me

read it to you he said is healing a

Wonder no that's what he this John G

Lake he says is healing a Wonder

no he said it's a Marvel the Marvel is

that men have remained blind to the

power of God for so long I love that is

healing a Wonder no it's a Marvel that

men have remained

blind to the power of God for so long

growing in Grace is it's growing out of

the

blindness it's growing out of the

deception of the enemy and the

limitations of the world to believe that

who God is is who he is to believe that

what he's done is what he's done to

believe that what he's given me is is

what I have in Jesus name and to live

like it's so God desires for every child

of his to grow in the realization of

Grace

that we may mature and grow spiritually

another verse that speaks to this is 2

2 Corinthians 3:18

Corinthians 3:18 it says so all of us

who have had that Veil removed so our

eyes opened up all of us who have had

this this Veil removed we can see and

reflect the glory of the Lord what does

that mean see and reflect the glory of

the Lord you know reflecting the glory

of the Lord is for your life to show the

glory of God to people to let your light

so shine and that doesn't just mean like

I I use nice words with people that's

not just the limitation of let your

light so shine before man let me tell

you what shows people the what reflects

the glory of the Lord miraculous

healings that reflects the glory of the

Lord wisdom that is unlike anything a

person on Earth has ever heard or

thought of that reflects the glory of

the Lord a fitly spoken word reflects

the glory of the Lord the salvation and

grace of God afforded us to us in Jesus

that reflects the glory of the Lord life

completely

transformed from old to something

completely new that reflects the glory

of the

Lord you see our Our Life in Grace is

not just to meant to be a a life of kind

of cheap sayings and little phrases and

fun christianese words and stuff it is

meant to be a life of power that shows

the world how glorious our God is amen

amen I'm happy

today because I've been positioned Grace

today I'm so grateful for what God's

done for us by his grace it says that we

reflect the glory of the Lord and the

Lord who is spirit makes us more and

more like him as we are changed into his

glorious image as we grow in Grace it's

going to cause us to change it's going

to cause us to be transformed in our

life and I want to make a distinction

here there there is the work of Grace in

you positionally with Jesus is done and

so you don't have to change your life to

become saved but I will tell you this

when you grow in Grace the way you live

your life is going to change when you

grow in Grace your e expectations upon

life and upon God working in your life

are going to change your life is going

to look different one year to another

year when you're growing From Grace to

Grace Like Jesus said he would take you

amen and so our life like it says in the

word it changes it changes as we see

more more of who he is as we grow in

Grace We're made more and more like him

as we see more clearly who he is and who

we are in him let me stress that to you

who we are in him you see growing in

Grace is it's also growing to realize

who you really

are growing in Grace is to grow in the

understanding of who Jesus has made you

who the new man is you know the word

says you're born again when you receive

Jesus growing in Grace is finding out

who who you were born as when you were

born in

Jesus because if you're trying to live

the new life with the same identity that

you had in the old life you're going to

fail to look like Jesus and you're going

to have this conflict in your life where

it's like my heart desires to be like

Jesus but my life looks like

me and the call to reflect the glory of

the Lord can only happen as we grow in

grace are you with me this morning

church we grow more and more like him as

we are changed this happens as we grow

in

Grace and so we've been changed you've

been made a new creation you've been

born again if you've received Jesus I

want to be clear on that too it doesn't

just happen automatically just because

Jesus came and died it has to be

received by

Faith by believing that he rose from the

dead and confessing him as the Lord of

your life if you do those two things

then the word says you're saved it says

you've been born a new and so if you've

received Jesus then this is it's done

Grace has been fully given to you but

now we need to let Grace change us we

need to grow in Grace and see more of

what God's done so that our life can

look more like

his I guess this is the best way I could

find to say it Grace is an environment

that we dwell in and a reality we live

out Grace is an En an

environment that we dwell in we live in

we rest in we're strengthened in we we

live in Grace but then we live Grace out

in our

life some of the elements of this

environment of Grace that are first to

be dwelt in and then lived out the first

well let's look at 1 Corinthians 1:30

1 Corinthians 1:30

let's look at some of these components

that make up this ecosystem of Grace

this isn't all of them it's not

comprehensive but here are four really

great parts of the grace of God that we

live in 1 Corinthians 1:30 God has

1 Corinthians 1:30

United you with Jesus Christ for our

benefit see it's all for our benefit God

made him Jesus to be wisdom itself

Christ made us right with God he made us

pure and holy and he freed us from sin

and so when we are given Jesus when

we're United with Jesus we are united

with wisdom itself we are given

righteousness we're Sanctified and we

are redeemed or set free from the wages

of sin and so Jesus our Grace is our

wisdom our righteousness our

sanctification our Redemption these are

essential components to an environment

of growth if you want to grow with the

Lord you need wisdom if you want to grow

with the Lord you need righteousness if

you want to grow with the Lord you need

sanctification if you want to grow with

the Lord you need Redemption you need

Freedom the good news is this you don't

have to go find or earn those things on

your own God has graciously given them

to you as a package when he placed you

in

Christ so for us it's not a matter of

going and getting these things but a

matter of realizing how Jesus has given

these things to us how Jesus has has put

us in the midst of wisdom of

righteousness of sanctification and of

redemption you know we talk about

wisdom Christ being the wisdom of God

it's not human intellect it's not just

mental understanding about things but

it's it's an applied knowledge of Truth

and rightness it's something that can

only be understood fully by receiving

Jesus true wisdom can only come by

knowing who Jesus is because the word

says in 1 Corinthians 30 130 God made

Jesus to be wisdom itself and so when we

know Jesus we come to know wisdom more

and more we talk about righteousness we

need righteousness we need to know that

we're in good standing in right standing

in good relational position to God I

just had this thought how would I

possibly grow with God if I was in the

perspective that I'm always on the outs

with him if I always thought that my

relationship with God was like you know

just a just a fraction away from him

just wiping me out how would I ever be

able to grow to know him more how would

I ever be able to trust him more believe

his word

more you know people that I'm not in

right standing with I I don't just have

like all this trust for them how could I

possibly have faith in God if I don't

know I'm I'm right with

God we need righteousness if we're going

to believe his word and

grow we need

sanctification you know this is our set

apartness it's him making us holy making

us

pure there is there is no way to be more

like Jesus without being made holy

there's no way to be more like Jesus

without being made pure without being

set apart from the world for the plans

and purposes of God you see Jesus has

made you holy he's forgiven and cleansed

you of sin if you've been born

again if that hadn't been done there

would be no way for us to ever walk in a

Christlike way there would always be

something selfish something sinful

something impure working in in our heart

in our motive with whatever we do but

but being Sanctified in Jesus his

changing us to make us pure allows us to

walk as he walks and so it's the

revelation of his sanctifying grace that

lifts the burden of our guilt bu and

gives us the desire to live holy as he's

holy without being Sanctified I I won't

even want a holy life I won't even want

a Pure Life I I just want what I

want but when Christ cleanses us he he

washes us clean of sin and he washes us

of the guilt and he gives us this desire

to live holy because we see the the

glory of his

Holiness the environment of redemption

we need that in our life Christ is our

freedom having paid the ransom so that

we can be made free from sin and death

and the power of the

enemy in order to grow in the things of

God we have to know that the The

Authority that the devil has to rule in

my life has been undone and that I can

resist the devil and all his attacks and

all his lies and all his

devices because Jesus has redeemed me

and so now I can walk in Freedom can you

say Amen to that church so as we grow in

knowing these aspects of what God has

done by his grace

our life is going to change they will

begin to show up in our life and I'll

say it this way as his grace changes

from something that we know in our mind

to something that is in our

heart you know as these as these

convictions drop from mental

understanding to to a heart reality a

deeply held conviction an identity that

we live from we're going to see change

happen in our life and what that's going

to look like is is when some some part

of his grace becomes a part of my

identity when some we we we could talk

about righteousness when his

righteousness is no longer just

something I say to myself in my mind but

it is a deeply held conviction that

Jesus has done everything that will ever

be necessary for me to be right in the

eyes of

God that will forever change the way I

relate to God and the way I live my

life you see the change in what we walk

out starts with what we dwell in

and so if we're going to walk in Grace

we first have to dwell in Grace

amen we have to rest and stand in this

environment of all the things God has

done for us all the things Christ has

done for us how we can how can we grow

in Grace what are some steps we can take

to grow in Grace well it really all

comes down to a heightened awareness of

what he's done and let me tell you the

best ways I could offer to you to

heighten your awareness of what God has

done is spend time in the word read the

word hear the word think about the word

speak the word because when you do that

you are reaffirming in your heart and in

your mind what God has

done there is no replacement for time in

the word and it's not about earning more

Grace it's about realizing more grace

when we spend time in the word it is

perhaps the best opportunity we have to

realize more of the grace of God

listening to the word preached it's

about the word I I do believe singing

scripturally accurate songs songs of

praise and worship I believe that that's

something that can Inspire our heart to

believe Inspire our heart to see another

aspect of the grace of God I've had

songs where I I'll sing a phrase and

usually it's back in the word if I go

look it up it's it's related to a Psalm

or a proverb or some scripture in the

word but when there is spiritual truth

that is sung out at times it can open

our the Holy Spirit can absolutely use

that to open our understanding up to

stir our faith about what God has done

for for us I will tell you when we

talked about this the first week in this

series the sharing of testimony is

absolutely something that can heighten

our expectation about what God has done

for us and what what that means for how

we will live going forward

fellowshipping with Believers share

because it fellowship with Believers is

where we share testimony fellowship with

Believers is is where we can encourage

one another with the word and so it all

comes back to the word it all comes back

to what God has done and what he said in

his word but there are different Avenues

we can take to dwell in his word and

when we do that it will raise our

awareness of what God has done and so I

will just tell you this the grace of God

is is the best environment to live

in and whether you are realizing it or

not you are in God's grace at all times

if you've received Jesus you are in

Grace if you've received Jesus but for

us it's a matter of renewing our

thinking and and walking out that Grace

that we dwell in I want to speak

specifically to just for the few minutes

we have left this morning as I was

thinking about this series I kept coming

back like all through it I I knew I

wanted to hit this topic for at least a

little bit so for a few minutes I'm

gonna I'm just going to like focus in on

God's grace of wisdom the presence of

wisdom in God's grace for our life and

the reason for this one of them is is

because as I look at my personal walk

with the Lord one of the most growth

prompting things that happened in my

life was was a revelation of wisdom one

of the most growth uh producing moments

is when I grew in the grace of God's

wisdom and so I I I will share some

things about that with you if you want

to turn to the Book of Proverbs we're

going to look at a few of them that were

at least relevant to my growth process I

just and I want to do this because I

think it it puts the application on this

is how dwelling in Grace can then be

walked out in our life and so for me one

of the biggest times of growth it was

shortly after high school and God really

began speaking to me about being wise um

so let's look at this and this really

came because I heard somebody say hey

read a proverb every day and I thought

well there's yeah that's easy I can

remember to do that so I started doing

that and as I read through the Proverbs

on day three and day four of the month

this is what I found so chapter 3 and

then chapter 4 Proverbs 3:18 it says

Proverbs 3:18

wisdom is a tree of life to those who

Embrace her happy are those who hold her

tightly and I thought that's that's a

picture I get it God and I was like

that's great I would love to have this

this life producing in me I would love

to be happy because I have wisdom I like

the sound of that life plan God so I

want to be wise I'm like yeah opt in

count me as one of the candidates that

wants to become wise God and then I read

the next day proverb Proverbs 4:5 it

Proverbs 4:5

says get

wisdom so clear get wisdom just do it

get it get wisdom develop good judgment

don't forget my words are turn away from

them and here again it's like it the the

Holy Spirit

just hit my heart with it get wisdom and

so this desire was in me get wisdom this

desire came alive in my heart in that

time as I was reading the word and I

began to see the possibility of living a

wise life and so what I would tell you

is it started with me dwelling in it

dwelling in wisdom reading about wisdom

Having the Holy Spirit bring wisdom

alive in my heart and as that happened

this desire for it

came and so

wisdom the availability of wisdom was

revealed as I read the word so I could

dwell in it you see as I first began

filling my life up with the awareness of

wisdom I began to see you know living a

wise life I see how it would benefit me

I'd read another proverb and it would

show me another benefit to wisdom and

then I began seeing this is kind of what

wisdom would look like if I was going to

live wise here's what that might look

like in this environment here's what

that might look like in this

circumstance and then I began to

recognize wisdom I I would see it in

other people oh that was wise what what

they did there that was wise what they

said there that was wise how they How

They carried them themselves through

that that was

wise and what that was I wasn't walking

it out yet but I was dwelling in it do

you see what I'm saying so when when God

shows you something about his grace

you're going to you're going to kind of

have it filling up your life I'm going

to be thinking about the benefits of it

I'm I'm going to be seeing the

possibility of it I'm going to begin

seeing the applic a of it I'm going to

begin recognizing

it and then comes the point where we

live it so I dwelt in wisdom I I was

meditating on wisdom wisdom was stirring

and bringing things to life in my heart

but then after some time of dwelling in

the environment of wisdom I began having

opportunities to live wisdom out one of

the main areas where I grew the most and

I've I could give you a whole bunch of

Proverbs all about this one topic but I

might just read you like two of them the

two that meant the most to me are in

Proverbs 10:19 and then Proverbs 17: 28

Proverbs 10:19

one of the main areas where wisdom uh

caused me to grow was actually in the

way I was using my words the way I was

speaking and I began the Lord began

showing me things as I was dwelling in

wisdom that hey the way I'm speaking is

not wise the way I'm using my words is

not always wise so let me read you a

couple Proverbs that really touched my

heart and brought wisdom to life so that

I could live it out one was Proverbs

Proverbs 10:19

10:19 too much talk leads to sin be

sensible and keep your mouth shut isn't

that just so nice oh God you're so

gracious to us it is Grace you know that

this is Grace because he's wanting to

preserve you from sin and the Damage

that comes with over

speaking and so I began seeing this I

I've always been a bit of a chatter box

and it works pretty good up here but it

wasn't always good you know in other

environments and so like I I would

always be the person where I felt like I

had something I needed to say I've

always got a comment I've always got a

thought to interject the Lord's helped

me with that too now I'm like I don't

care I've got enough to think about I

don't want to think about your thing but

I I will if you come and you know want

to counsel with me I will think about

your thing with you I'll pray about it

but so too much talk leads to sin right

that really struck my heart and so I

began to recognize in my life like I'd

be talking to people and it'd be right

there I'd be ready to say something and

the the Lord would remind me too much

talk don't talk you do you need to say

that and it changed the way I began to

live and then Proverbs

1728 this this one really got me too

said even fools are thought wise when

they keep silent with their mouth shut

they seem intelligent I thought man

that's like the

FasTrack just be quiet and then

everybody's going to think you're wise

like I can do

that and so it changed the way I I was

living it changed how I was approach

approaching conversations with people I

thought and really what it brought me to

is this like if I don't have something

that is absolutely relevant and I see

the value in saying I'm just not going

to talk I'm going to restrict what I'm

saying so that I don't I don't make

myself a fool so that I don't sin with

my speech and I I'm going to tell you

this absolutely as credit to God because

he's the one that made it

happen as a 21-year-old I'm in I'm

sitting in rooms and people are like I

heard this a lot in my early 20s I don't

hear it so much anymore maybe maybe I

need to think about that a little bit

but people used to say you're so wise

for your

age and that is not about me I was not

wise for my age but God's grace of

wisdom working in me made me look better

than I

was I trust him for that today too that

he makes me look better than I am that

his grace working through me does

something useful and good and so I saw I

saw growth in wisdom PE people

acknowledge growth in wisdom but it was

all because God through his grace

brought wisdom to life in me and then I

was able to walk it out I could share

with you another one about correction I

I used to hate it whenever somebody

would ever criticize anything offer a

word of Correction uh you could look

later if you want Proverbs 13:10 and

Proverbs 13:10

Proverbs 15:32 it talks about the need

Proverbs 15:32

for you know correction those who take

advice advice are wise if you reject

discipline you are harming yourself if

you listen listen to correction you'll

grow in understanding I thought well

I'll do that then yeah Lord Bring It On

CU I I want to be better I I'm more

concerned with growing and being better

than I am with being right so help me to

grow in that and so there again wisdom

uh was was grown and and dwelt in and

then walked out and so I just see this

you know in that

application wisdom like every other

aspect of God's environment of Grace for

us is not something that we can get on

our own I did not grow in wisdom myself

I did not find wisdom for myself I I I

did not work up wisdom James 1:5 says if

James 1:5

you need Wisdom ask our generous God and

he will give it to you he will not

rebuke you for asking Proverbs 2:6 says

Proverbs 2:6

for the Lord grants wisdom from his

mouth come knowledge and understanding

and so real wisdom is a

gift God's favor his grace bestowed on

us just like all these others

righteousness it's a gift you can't get

that on your own sanctification

that's a gift you can't make that happen

on your own Redemption is a gift so just

like all these aspects of Grace it must

be received by faith and then acted upon

to be lived out my part wasn't becoming

wise it was just receiving what God was

offering it was just saying yes to what

God was offering me you know I'm I'm

reading through the Proverbs and he

brings something to life I have a choice

I I can say yes to that or I can reject

that when you read the word you're going

to find moments where God brings

something to life in your heart and you

can say yes to it or you can reject it

you can meet that with gratitude or you

can come up with all the excuses you've

heard why it doesn't apply to you and I

want to encourage you church say yes to

God's grace say yes to wisdom yes to

righteousness yes to sanctification yes

to Redemption and any other Grace God

whatever reveal to you or offer to you

because it will absolutely change your

life for his glory and for your good I'm

not going to preach any better than that

so let's pray Church let's thank God for

his grace and ask that greater

revelation of his grace would come

father I love you so much and I'm so

grateful for the Abundant supply of

Grace that you have given to me and to

every person who has believed in the

name of Jesus Lord we don't have to go

and find more or earn more we just need

great greater revelation of what you've

already done for us who you've already

made us what you have established and

extended into our life Lord help us to

see and know as we take inventory and

assess the life that we live help us to

know the grace that you've surrounded us

with help us to know the position we

stand in with you help us to see all the

elements of your goodness that are

present in our

life so that we can dwell in them so

that we can receive from them so that we

can be refreshed and inspired encouraged

and uplifted by them Lord that we may

not only dwell in it in our innermost

thoughts and in the considerations of

our heart but that we may walk out that

Grace wisdom righteousness and all these

other things Lord we desire to walk that

out in our life that people would see us

and recognize your glory reflected in us

because of what you've given

us Lord that you would be glorified

greatly and that we would live up to the

high calling that you've placed in us

doing Mighty exploits for your name but

Lord also experiencing your goodness

that we could

testify with our words with our Deeds

with our countenance with the joy and

the peace that we dwell in with the

powerful life that we live Lord that you

are powerful you are

glorious you're

loving and your grace Lord it is

enough your grace is enough

Lord I ask that you help us to grow in

Grace by revealing to us and

and moving our hearts to put our faith

in you Lord bring the right people

alongside us to help in that help us to

find the truth we need in your word

remind us of things that we've heard

preached or we've

read encouragements that have come along

the time in our life remind us of those

Lord so that we may have our eyes opened

Lord you are glorious and we love you we

thank you so much for

Grace as we walk forward today we thank

you that we

grow we

produce and Lord not for us but For Your

Glory for your kingdom that many would

come to know you and love you that your

light would shine in the earth pray

these things in the name of Jesus

Through whom we have all all Grace amen

amen church I love you go in Grace

because you have been given much Gra