some of you say, "i'd love to have GOD's grace, to have a clear conscious, to start over." others need GOD's strengthening grace – things in your life you'd like to change, weaknesses, habits and you don't have the strength or power to make those changes. you need GOD's strengthening grace. some of you are saying "i've been holding on to a hurt. i've got pain in my life – physical, emotional, relational. how in the world do i get GOD's grace in my life?"
there is only one single thing you need to do to get GOD's grace in your life. the key to receiving GOD's grace, james 4.6 (nkjv), GOD resists the proud but HE gives grace to the humble.
the key to receiving GOD's grace in my life is i admit that i need it. that's it! i admit that i need GOD in my life. pride prevents GOD's grace.
as long as i'm self dependent – "i can handle it. i don't need anybody to tell me what it's all about." the self-made man worships his maker. "i don't need anybody else. i've got it under control." – as long as you've got that kind of attitude you don't have it under control and that's why you've still got the problem.
you need GOD's grace to see it through, to make the changes, to get the forgiveness. all you've got to do is admit it. "i'm not making it on my own!"
this is the value of confession. some of you have a bad habit you'd like to break. the first step to breaking a bad habit is tell GOD and somebody else. when you tell GOD, HE's not shocked; HE already knows. it's no big surprise to GOD. HE just wants you to admit it. then tell it to somebody else. if you've never confessed it to anybody, that's why you still have the problem.
"but if i admit this bad habit or hidden sin in my life that's pretty humbling." you've got it! bingo! the very key to getting GOD's power in your life to change that bad habit begins by admitting it to somebody and getting humility into your life that you need GOD.
some of you are possibly having severe marriage problems at home. husband wife, wife husband and you go to church on sunday with a big front. oh nothings wrong. we don't have any problems. i don't need to put down on my welcome card that we have a problem. no way am i going to admit i need help but it won't go away. it is there and it is getting worse. maybe your kids know about it but nobody else does and you are saying, we can handle it. but you aren't and it's getting worse. you know what i'm talking about don't you?
some of you are parents and you have rebellious children and it's killing you. maybe they're on drugs, maybe they've been in jail, or maybe they're pregnant, or maybe involved in sex and not pregnant and you're saying, "i don't want anybody to know what's going on in our family." and that's why you're dying inside until you say, "we have some problems in our family."
listen, everybody has some kind of problems. nobody has a perfect family. as you come and say, "i need help!" and share that in a small group or with a CHRISTian friend and talk to the LORD about it and be honest then you start having the healing of the hurt in your life. and GOD's grace flows.
just a thought from the front porch…
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