1. It was a hot, hot day—a real scorcher. Reuben was outside. “It’s hot
It was a hot, hot day—a real scorcher. Reuben was outside. “It’s hot!” he said. “I’m burning up. I don’t think I can take this.”
It’s hot! I’m burning up.

2. In desperation, Reuben prayed, “Lord, please cool me off.” “I’m so hot! I don’t think I can take this much longer.”
Lord, please cool me off.

3. “Lord, please cool me off or I might die from this heat
“Lord, please cool me off or I might die from this heat. This is the worst thing I have ever experienced. Lord, save me.”
Lord, please cool me off.

4. “I will send refreshing water to you.”
Then Reuben heard a voice from heaven. “I will send refreshing water to you. I have heard your prayer and I am sending you relief. By the end of the day, you will be cooled off and refreshed. I make this promise to you.”

5. “God is good, all the time
“God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good,” Reuben said in praise. By the end of the day, I will be refreshed. Thank God! Thank God!
“God is sending water.”

6. “Reuben, walk down the road.”
After a while, Reuben heard a voice from heaven. “Rueben, walk down the road,” the voice said. “What is this,” Reuben thought. “I am already hot and now I am supposed to exercise and exert myself. I am burning up now. What will I be if I walk? I might die.” “Reuben,” the voice from heaven said. “I told you I would send refreshing water to you. Trust me. This walk will be worth your effort.” “But Lord, why can’t you make it rain here and save me the walk.” “Reuben, walk down the road.”

7. “Reuben, walk down the road.”
“Reuben, walk down the road.” So Reuben started walking.

8. “The shade is nice, but what about the rain?”
Reuben enjoyed the shade of the tall trees. The shade was a relief from the hot sun. There was a little breeze and he could feel his body cooling off. “This is great, Lord. I feel better. You promised refreshing water. The shade is nice, but what about the rain?” “Reuben, keep walking,” the voice from heaven said.

9. “Lord, I’m hot again. Help me, Lord, or I’ll die
“Lord, I’m hot again. Help me, Lord, or I’ll die.” “Reuben, keep walking,” the voice from heaven said.

10. “The shade is nice, but what about the rain?”
Then some clouds came and covered the sun. The temperature dropped and some of the heat left. Once again, Reuben felt a cool breeze. Reuben thought, “The clouds are here. The shade is nice, but what about the rain? Maybe it will rain soon. Maybe I should stop and rest and wait for the rain.” “Reuben, keep walking,” the voice from heaven said. “But Lord, the refreshing water might fall from these clouds.” “I have promised refreshing water,” the voice from heaven said. “So, keep walking.”

11. “O, Lord, I’m hot again. I don’t know if I can make it
“O, Lord, I’m hot again. I don’t know if I can make it. Please send the refreshing water. Make it rain.” “Reuben, keep walking,” the voice from heaven said.

12. “Lord, this is a pretty place. It is so calm and peaceful
“Lord, this is a pretty place. It is so calm and peaceful. But where is the refreshing water? Where is the rain?”

13. “Hey, buddy,” a voice from across the stream called
“Hey, buddy,” a voice from across the stream called. “This sure has been a hot day. I think it has been the hottest day of the year. What do you think? Want to join me in a swim?” “No, thanks,” Reuben said. “I believe the Lord will make it rain.” “Suit yourself. But the Lord has already made a stream for us.” With that, the other man got into the stream.

14. “Hey, buddy, come on in. The water is great
“Hey, buddy, come on in. The water is great. It is so refreshing on such a hot,” the first voice yelled to a new person who had come. “That’s why I am here. The Lord promised me refreshing waters if I would follow him. I can’t wait to enjoy the refreshing cool water of the stream.”

15. “Hey, you on the shore. Come on in,” the second voice called
“Hey, you on the shore. Come on in,” the second voice called.” Reuben replied, “No, I’m waiting for it to rain.” “No need for rain when you have a stream,” the first voice said. “God promised me refreshing waters today, so I am waiting for the rain,” Reuben said. “Whatever…but this stream is awfully refreshing.”

16. Reuben waited and waited. The other two left, refreshed and laughing
Reuben waited and waited. The other two left, refreshed and laughing. Reuben waited. Finally, at the end of the day, he left the stream and walked home.

17. “Lord, it never rained.”
Reuben, frustrated and angry, cried out to God, “Lord, it never rained. I never had refreshing water today. Lord, you promised me refreshing water. Lord, you lied.”

18. O, Lord, thank you for this wonderful day
O, Lord, thank you for this wonderful day. The water of the stream was so refreshing
“Reuben,” the voice from heaven called out. Maybe you should hear the prayers of the two men you met at the stream. “O Lord, thank you for this wonderful day. The water of the stream was so refreshing. God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.” “I made the same promise to them that I made to you—I would relieve their suffering from the heat by giving them refreshing water. They found the water and were refreshed.

19. “I led you to the water, but you stayed on the shore
“I led you to the water, but you stayed on the shore. Sometimes, you have to step into the stream to get wet.”

20. “Sometimes, you have to place yourself where I am in order to receive my grace.”
THE 9:00 SERVICE ENDS HERE.

21. HOW MUCH GRACE DO YOU WANT?
How much of God’s grace do you want—a little or a lot, or an exceeding abundance?

22. Or, how much water do you want?
Or, how much water do you want? Rueben was searching for the refreshing water, and he found it but did not realize it and did not plunge into the stream. How wet do you want to be? Are you allowing God to work His way in your life or are you demanding that God work in your pre-conceived ways?

23. Or, how much water do you want?
Sweat is a gift from God. It is God’s natural way of cooling us off. God gives sweat to almost everybody. God gives a level of grace to everybody—whether they are Christian or not. John Calvin called this “Common Grace.” It is grace that is common or available to everyone. But don’t we as Christian want more?

24. On a hot day, a cool glass of water is refreshing.

25. Or, orange soda for some of us.

26. Is a cup of God’s grace all you want? Or do you want more?

27. Or, how much water do you want?
We talk about “showers of blessing.” I pray that the grace of God will rain down on you and me. I think God calls us to be “storm chasers.” We are to watch for the storms of God’s grace and run to get wet. But there is even more that I want of God.

28. I want to be totally immersed in God’s grace
I want to be totally immersed in God’s grace. I want everything that God has for me. How about you?

29. HOW MUCH GRACE DO YOU WANT?
It is true that God will also give us more than we ask. It is also true that God gives abundantly and unexpectedly. However, John Wesley observed that there are some practices or places where God more regularly blesses us than others. Wesley called these places or practices the means of grace. Some individuals have experienced God while driving a tractor. Some have experienced God while washing dishes. I think this would be a helpful story for wives and mothers. You can say to your husband or children, “Go, wash the dishes and some have found God while doing so.” Wesley taught that if you were looking for God’s grace, then pursue the means of grace. I think scriptures also teach that the more you do certain things, the more you will blessed. For instance,

30. God speaks to us in prayer.
“If we only pray before meals, or before other events, we really are not giving God much time to speak to us. I have never heard God speak to me during a table grace. For me to hear God, I must spend time in quiet prayer. How much grace to you want? Are you willing to sit quietly before God and listen?

31. God speaks to us through the Bible.
You must read the Bible to open yourself to God. I try to spend the first 20 minutes of my day reading the Bible. Many times, the words of the page leap into my mind and touch my heart. I know God is speaking and blessing me. I would miss this blessing if I were not reading the Bible. How much grace do you want?

32. God speaks to us at worship.
God speaks to us at worship. But you must be in church to hear him. My Grandma would often say, “We had a great day in church today.” You have to be in church to share the great day.

33. God speaks to us through tithing.
God speaks to us through tithing. The issue of giving is not about the church needing money. The issue of giving is: How much grace to you want in your life. This is a strong and clear message from the Bible-- Give a little, receive a little. Give a lot, receive a lot. How much grace to you want?

34. HOW MUCH GRACE DO YOU WANT?
FASTING
Mission
Trips
We limit ourselves from experiencing the fullness of God by not pursuing the means of grace. We think that we are saving money, saving time, and focusing on our own pleasure. In reality, we are robbing ourselves from enjoying the fullness of God and the abundant life that God offers His children. We are not shorting God, we are short changing ourselves. Over the next few weeks we will be discussing Growing in Grace through the Bible, through Prayer, through Witnessing and through Fasting. We are also inviting you to join our church as we read through the Bible using the One Year Bible.

35. We can stay on the shore or we can jump into the stream of God’s grace.