Monday, July 25, 2005

Good Morning!

I'm so sorry I could not make it on Sunday. Rachel played a softball tournament on Saturday up in Athens, AL, and as it worked out, things ran late and we did not get home and in bed till 3A. Just note that I'm going to be traveling to Chicago this coming weekend, so I will miss this coming Sunday as well.

The new unit for this week is Unit 13, Preventing Grace

Focus Scripture for the Week: Acts 2:17

I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.

Today's Scripture: Acts 16:6-10

Today's Discussion:

-- this week's discussion is about preventing, or prevenient grace. Here is a definition from the UMC website to help understand this concept:

Prevenient Grace

Prevenient grace is the grace that comes to us before we know God. In prevenient grace, God takes the initiative. The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 1996 defines this grace as “the divine love that surrounds all humanity and precedes any and all of our conscious impulses” (Section 60). Even while we were yet sinners, separated from Christ, God’s grace was already active in us, perhaps in ways we could not identify.

Younger children can most easily grasp the concept of prevenient grace. Though they may not yet be able to verbalize the concept, they can understand the idea that their parents loved them before they were born, and in that way, God has always loved and cared for us. Youth and adults can begin to understand that prevenient grace is also that force that awakens in us an awareness of our sin, our need for repentance, and the possibility of a joyful and abundant life.

-- note that John Wesley named three aspects of grace -- again, here is a bit from the UMC website to help understand these three:

"Grace pervades our understanding of Christian faith and life. By grace we mean the undeserved, unmerited, and loving action of God in human existence through the ever-present Holy Spirit. While the grace of God is undivided, it precedes salvation as "prevenient grace," continues in "justifying grace," and is brought to fruition in "sanctifying grace."

-- overall, this week's unit is about understanding the dimensions of this grace that is there for us, even before we know about God.

-- one of the interesting things mentioned in the Reflections section of this week's unit is this idea of our perspective about God's grace as we look back on our lives, and then we can see some of what God's grace has done for us, protecting us and guiding us in ways that we can't see at the time.

Question for Sunday:

Where can you look back and see where God's grace has been at work in your life in ways that you couldn't see at the time?

Today's prayer request: Chris Wagnaar, brother of Ron Ray's co-worker.

Wrecked his truck on Wednesday night and in a coma. Need prayer for him and his family.

Today's class member prayer:

Wes Russell

Have a great day.

Jay