Good morning!

I was reading an article and a guy was quoted as saying, when asked why he was doing something, that he was “paying off his debt of grace” – at first when I read this expression it was like a tuning fork going off within me – it resonated with me as a thought worth exploring within scripture…the guy was referring to the gift of grace we have received through Jesus Christ, being justified and made righteous by the blood of our Savior.
 
Then I sat on this for a few days. I am no longer resonating with it as much as I did when I wrote this. A lot has changed since I first read the phrase on that Monday.

Maybe that changed my perspective. This is because the expression suggests somehow we could pay the debt Christ paid with His life, that we somehow earn our way to an eternal relationship with God.
 
Of course, it is true that faith without works is dead faith. But those works are fruits of the love we have for the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Works born of the heart overflowing with the joy we receive as we accept the gift of mercy and grace.
 
This leads me to where this week a few years ago became surreal for me.
 
Tuesday of that week came.
 
An email from a cousin. My aunt, Sister Rosemary, had suddenly passed away earlier that day. Rosemary was my Mom’s sister, the 7th of the 11 siblings to pass away. She, as many of my Mom’s siblings, was special to me. I wear a cross daily, a gift three years ago from Rosemary because as she shared with me that she recognized Jesus Christ working in my life. I wear it daily, as a reminder two things – that my life is surrendered to Jesus Christ – my rebellion is over – and – that Jesus Christ did the work…I pray these words in some form back to Jesus every morning. In gratitude. Sister Rosemary gave her life to Christ when she entered the Convent. She understood the surrender to Christ part – and I am sure she understood there is no human effort that could ever pay off “our debt of grace”. Rosemary was a fighter. She survived (I am sure she would not have used the words “I won”) cancer twice. But she surely would have given God all the credit – for both times it looked like there was no hope. I would not be wearing this cross daily if God had not brought her though. There was no pride here, no I worked hard so God healed me with Rosemary. There was just this quiet and beautiful gratitude offered to God for His work in her life, including the work of providing the means (in and through Jesus Christ) of how we come back into right relationships with Him –God’s gift of mercy and grace.
 
As I wrote this originally, it was lent, leading up to Easter. I found this rambling set of thoughts most appropriate. Because any celebration of lent ultimately leads to the Cross and then the Resurrection of Jesus Christ – proof of God’s mercy and grace.
 
Tuesday of that week was a heavy day.
 
Later that day, a friend Andy came by. Andy and I had a friend who we served with on the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) leadership team. I knew Tom for the last five years, Andy longer. Tom was an elder in his church. His small BSF groups always had some of the highest attendance. He lived his faith in Jesus Christ daily. Tom knew deeply of God’s mercy and grace. Tuesday he dropped dead of a heart attack.
 
It did not end there. Paul, another friend, lost an aunt on that Tuesday. And another friend, Katie, lost a grandmother on that Tuesday. I not sure of where the aunt or grandmother stood with Christ. I pray they knew Him well.
 
Tuesday of that week was a good day.
 
A day for joy in this way. Rosemary, I am pretty certain, went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Tom Chamberlain came face to face with Christ as well. A good day. Joy in the sorrow.
 
Some passages on God’s mercy and grace for you to reflect on if you so choose. After a week like that one, after a day like Tuesday several years ago, I felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to remember this gift through these verses:

• John 1:16-17
• Romans 3:23-25
• Romans 5:1-3
• 1 Corinthians 1:3-5
• Ephesians 1:3-11
• Ephesians 2:1-10
• Ephesians 4:1-7
• 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12
• 2 Timothy 1:8-10
• Hebrews 2:9-10

 
I am sure I am missing some scripture that is worthwhile to ponder but if this stirs you in some way, I recommend you spend some time in God’s Word, letting Him speak to you.

All of this should remind us - there is no debt to pay off for the mercy and grace we have received, when Jesus called us to himself. Jesus paid in full, did all the work... Our response should be to let the Holy Spirit generate fruit of the love demonstrated to each us, love immense beyond our comprehension.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is all over the place – that each of us knows the truth of God that He has numbered our days and wisely use the days we are given to glorify God in all we do – that we share the seeds of the Gospel so God can bring others His mercy and grace through you, Jesus Christ – and finally, in our losses of family or friends who we know are in Christ, that in addition to the mourning we experience, we find the joy that comes with knowing they are HOME... Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick 

Good morning!

Measuring up.
 
How often do you get caught in the trap of whether you have jumped high enough or run fast enough or worked long enough or…<fill in the blank>?
 
Even today, in our work places and daily lives, we measure performance.
 
Does this leave you exhausted? Is this how your relationship with Jesus Christ looks? Pursuit of His love through performance to meet some sort of bar of perfection?
 
I know I have been and probably still will be guilty of that at times. God shares His truth about us and His love for us and gives us the right perspective in this passage below from Romans.
 

• Romans 3:21-26
• Righteousness Through Faith
• 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

 
Not one of us will measure up to the perfection that God requires of us – sounds bad right – but God knows that about us – so He provides the solution for us – the perfect sacrifice of atonement for us – Jesus Christ – and not just for Jews, but for us Gentiles as well. We become justified and right(eous) before God because of the blood of Christ – through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
 
So no striving on our part to get salvation will bring us that – only faith in Christ, through which we receive God’s grace and mercy; we receive a repaired relationship with God. Even our faith is a work of God, as shared in the Gospel of John, God draws us to Christ (see John 6:44). God is calling out for us to return home to Him.
 
It is not that we shouldn’t work or measure that work or set goals. In James, we see that true faith leads to an outpouring of God’s love from us as fruit. Fruit is a result of faith.
 
However, the motivation for the work we do in the name of Jesus Christ should flow from the joy of knowing we received salvation by His hand alone and the desire to praise and glorify God.
 
Setting goals and measure helps us focus work, but it shouldn’t take over how we value ourselves – leaving us tired, frustrated or depressed. For if we truly get up every day to do our work, where ever that is, and we are focused on celebrating the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, then we can rest in our title given from above – “children of God”. And know we perfect before God – through Jesus and His work.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we go into this weekend is we find peace in God’s truth about each of us as His children and we put behind us trying to strive for His approval – for He has given us that approval – through the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us let Your perfection reign in our lives! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

Often in scripture God exhorts His people to be strong, to be courageous, promising us that he will be present – for His people to trust Him and not be afraid. For example:
 

• “Be strong and courageous! God Himself will guide you and be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:7-8

 
And - because of the sacrifice of Christ and His resurrection, because of His promise of the Helper, when we have received Jesus as Lord we have these promises for example:
 

• John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

- Or-

• 1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

 
Each of us are in that unique place that God has placed us. We have challenges in our daily life and all that is going on around us. Things that make us afraid, anxious, unnerved, things that are painful and hurtful.
 
Of course, if you are like me, you might think that if I am in the right place, things will be easy and simple…and we know that is far from the case.
 
Here we can see in the old testament, the promise of God the Father walking with us, guiding us as we live in this world encountering the challenges that entails…And then we see this promise of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior, which is that He will walk with us through the Holy Spirit, giving us His strength and presence – providing strength we do not have in of ourselves that we might walk as light to those around us – and we can do this without fear and with His courage, a gift of the Spirit within us.
 
Be humble, yet stand tall in Christ and God will be with you.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that as the world closes in on us, as we face daily difficulties and pains, that in it all, we know your strength and courage that we receive through the presence of the Holy Spirit within us – and there we find the peace You promise us! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!
 
I ran across this somewhere in my past. Rereading it today, I realized how much my heart and soul needed God's reassurance of His love for me, you, His Bride, and the church.

I have been sick lately and what the cause is, is uncertain. However, Jesus presence through the Holy Spirit has been certain and firm. His love never wavering.

As we move towards the second half of 2026, we walk expectantly and with hope that only comes through knowing Jesus Christ into this final part of this year, it seemed appropriate that we are reminded that when we truly believe in Jesus and proclaim His name, that in our rebirth as children of God, scripture has a lot to say about who we become, who we are in Christ and the depth of His love for each one of us...

…read and cherish the love you have found in Christ:
 
Freedom Prayer - Who I am in Christ
“The Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.” 2 Cor 3:17
 
Freedom comes when we continue to walk in the Truth of who our identity and sense of worth comes through who we are in Christ. Daily we are to renew our minds with the Truth that our acceptance, security, and significance are in Jesus alone. Meditate on the following truths daily. Try reading the entire list aloud, morning, and evening for the next several days. Think about what you are reading and let your ears rejoice in these truths!
 
I am Accepted in Christ -
I renounce the lie that I am rejected, unloved, dirty, or shameful because in Christ, the truth is that I am completely accepted. God says that:

John 1:12
I am God's child

John 15:15
I am Christ's friend

Romans 5:1
I have been justified

1 Cor 6:17
I am united with the Lord and one with Him in spirit

1 Cor 6:20
I have been bought with a price, I belong to God

1 Cor 12:27
I am a member of Christ's body

Ephesians 1:1
I am a saint

Ephesians 1:5
I have been adopted as God's child

Ephesians 2:18
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit

Colossians 1:14
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins

Colossians 2:10
I am complete in Christ

I am Secure in Christ -
I renounce the lie that I am guilty, unprotected, alone, or abandoned, because in Christ I am totally secure. God says that:

Romans 8:1-2
I am free forever from condemnation

Romans 8:28
I am assured that all things work together for good

Rom 8:33-34
I am free from any condemning charges against me

Romans 8:35
I cannot be separated from the love of God

2 Cor 1:21
I have been established anointed and sealed by God

Colossians 3:3
I am hidden with Christ in God

Philippians 1:6
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected

Phil 3:20
I am a citizen of heaven

2 Timothy 1:7
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind

Hebrews 4:16
I can find grace and mercy in time of need

1 John 5:18
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me

 What Jesus did on the Cross is so much more than we can fathom - His work has made it possible for us to participate with Him in building the Kingdom. Let this understanding cause you to look to Jesus daily for someone and someway you can glorify Him as you sweetly obey Him and follow Him.
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that we never forget You and who we have become as Your followers. In this mid-year reflection, let us shine the light we have been given by You, Lord Jesus and be Your salt in our relationships with others! Amen!
 
Happy New Year! Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick

Good morning!

A few years ago , our new lead pastor at the time was doing a 16-week sermon series on Philippians called Christ is Life. At the time, one of his sermons was on the following verses and the sermon and these verses have left me in frequent thought about my faith – the maturity and depth of my faith.
 
Philippians 1:19-26 To Live Is Christ

• Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

 
Paul is writing from prison in Rome an those he wrote to were mainly Gentiles and he is sharing his heart for them, and his appreciation of them. In this section of scripture Paul gets very personal about his faith. This led me to consider my faith and where my relationship with Jesus sits right now.
 
Paul says: To live is Christ and to die is gain -à to be able to say this (for Paul to say this) shows a depth of faith, a maturity – what is Paul saying here? He answers some of that in verse 22 – if I live, that means I have fruitful labor (sharing the good news of the gospel). So he finds joy in that thought. But in verse 21 he also shares “to die is gain”. In verse 23 he explains this further – my desire is to depart, to be with Christ, for that is far better. Although at the beginning of verse 23 he says that he is hard pressed between life and death he concludes verse 23 with dying to be with Christ would be far better.
 
But Paul is not done – he recognizes that the call Jesus put on his life is more important that his desires and that his call to minister to these Philippians is absolutely necessary – as this would be obedience to his Savior, Jesus – see verse 24-26. Paul is finding his joy and working for their growth in faith and their joy in Christ so that Jesus will be glorified.
 
A point our pastor made that was important is that God is not only worried about our destination (by faith in Jesus, salvation) but also about our journey home to Him. Paul had faith the moment he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus but now in this letter we see his journey has brought Paul to deep and mature faith where he can actually say “To live is Christ and to die is gain” and actually mean it – where he has joy in Christ no matter what happens to him – and is happy to be obedient to Christ for the sake of others, in this case the Philippians.
 
Paul is keeping it real and in doing so let’s the Philippians know he is there for them, that he chooses them rather than death which would reunite him to Christ.
 
Is my faith this deep? How mature is my faith? Am I able to say this with confidence? And am I ready to declare my desire to stay to minister to others (to strengthen their faith) rather than to go home to Christ?
 
Lord Jesus, my prayer for each of us as we enter this weekend is that even if we know that for us it is better to be home with You, that we choose to build up the faith of others in You for as long as you give us breath and life to live in the here and now! Amen!
 
Have a weekend filled with the Peace that comes from knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
 
Patrick