Lent
Week 1 13 Feb 2013: Ash Wednesday Grace & Salvation The cross, forgiveness & new life in the Holy Spirit
Grace? “God’s undeserved kindness” “God’s redeeming love” G od’s R iches A t C hrist’s E xpense
Grace? ‘Grace always has a stoop in it. Love reaches out on the same level, but grace reaches down to pick us up’
Grace? ‘“I am the Lord, I am the Lord, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6)
generous, G ift, goodness reconciliation, R estoring, ransom, redeeming assurance, A cceptance, atonement, abundance Christ, C ompassion, everything we need, E ncouragement, eternal Life
Grace & Salvation The Cross & Forgiveness Central to Christianity
Acts 2 verses 22-24, 32-33, 37-41
Believe, trust in God and what Jesus has done for you, be baptized as a sign your sins are forgiven and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit – a new life for now and for all eternity with God.
Why can’t we get there by being good enough? Why can’t God just forgive us anyway, overlook it all in his kindness without this horrible cross business?! Why did Jesus have to take our place? What is this stuff about being “saved” – and from what and to what?
Why can’t we get there by being good enough?
Why can’t God just forgive us anyway, overlook it all in his kindness without this horrible cross business?!
Why did Jesus have to take our place?
What is this stuff about “being saved” – from what… and to what?
A Meditation “The Long Silence”
Grace & Salvation The Gift of the Holy Spirit Central to Christianity
Jesus is alive!! The Cross works! We truly are forgiven And Jesus is alive in me
Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you John 14:19-20
The Holy Spirit is God’s gift of himself to live in you.
What about this being “born again” thing?
We all have different birth experiences physically and we also have different birth experiences spiritually What matters is that you have the new life of the Spirit in you.. That you know that He is in you and you are in Him
Romans 8:15-17 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children
‘Grace is the strength that God gives us which enables us to live and do as Jesus would do were he in our situation.’