Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn. 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.76 Please join us today on "The Grace Pipeline" 00:00:02.76\00:00:04.97 where we will consider how the Bible explains 00:00:04.97\00:00:08.14 that the love of God is the compelling force 00:00:08.14\00:00:10.97 behind the grace of God. 00:00:10.97\00:00:12.87 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:00:38.57\00:00:40.74 This series will be a journey through scripture 00:00:40.74\00:00:43.64 to help broaden our understanding 00:00:43.64\00:00:45.51 of God's wonderful gospel of grace. 00:00:45.51\00:00:49.18 The series will follow along with the Bible study 00:00:49.18\00:00:52.51 that I was also privileged to write 00:00:52.51\00:00:54.88 and it's in a book entitled "The Grace Pipeline." 00:00:54.88\00:00:58.52 Because the words of scripture are so much weightier 00:00:58.52\00:01:02.16 than any other words that could be shared, 00:01:02.16\00:01:04.66 we will provide plenty of scripture to let the Bible 00:01:04.66\00:01:08.33 become the foundation of our understanding. 00:01:08.33\00:01:11.20 We hope you will tune in each time 00:01:11.20\00:01:13.60 as we progress through topics like justification, 00:01:13.60\00:01:17.27 righteousness by faith, God's work of sanctification 00:01:17.27\00:01:21.44 and how we can develop victorious faith, 00:01:21.44\00:01:24.88 but most of all, how we must guard 00:01:24.88\00:01:27.38 the relationship of grace in which we stand. 00:01:27.38\00:01:30.59 Today, we will lay a foundation for this series 00:01:30.59\00:01:33.99 by examining the very root cause of grace 00:01:33.99\00:01:37.53 as we try to increase our comprehension 00:01:37.53\00:01:40.63 of God's amazing channel of blessings to us. 00:01:40.63\00:01:44.17 Today's program content will follow 00:01:44.17\00:01:46.33 chapter 1 of the series companion book. 00:01:46.33\00:01:50.57 You might frequent a favorite place of worship 00:01:50.57\00:01:53.88 or perhaps even though you believe in God, 00:01:53.88\00:01:56.21 you have never entered a church. 00:01:56.21\00:01:58.58 Either way, there is something you possibly share in common 00:01:58.58\00:02:02.42 with many who believe in God's existence, 00:02:02.42\00:02:05.65 and that is confusion concerning God's character. 00:02:05.65\00:02:09.42 Popular misconceptions are bound and that is understandable. 00:02:09.42\00:02:13.60 If you think about it, 00:02:13.60\00:02:14.96 how can the self-centered nature of mankind 00:02:14.96\00:02:18.87 hindered by our limited human understanding 00:02:18.87\00:02:22.20 and reasoning in our limited experience? 00:02:22.20\00:02:25.37 How can we comprehend the glorious character of God? 00:02:25.37\00:02:30.01 It requires serious study and a personal experience 00:02:30.01\00:02:34.32 with our loving Heavenly Father 00:02:34.32\00:02:36.25 to even get a glimpse of His goodness. 00:02:36.25\00:02:39.02 The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:16 that God is love. 00:02:39.02\00:02:45.56 Not just loving, His very nature is love. 00:02:45.56\00:02:49.36 He is the author and source of unconditional love. 00:02:49.36\00:02:53.87 We humans have difficulty even defining it. 00:02:53.87\00:02:57.91 And as I tried to think of an illustration, 00:02:57.91\00:03:00.28 I could think of only one and perfect example. 00:03:00.28\00:03:03.88 Perhaps the closest condition of the natural human heart 00:03:03.88\00:03:08.25 which captures a portion of God's nature of love 00:03:08.25\00:03:11.62 is the free flowing feelings 00:03:11.62\00:03:13.69 of a devoted parent to their child. 00:03:13.69\00:03:16.86 Such parents love their children 00:03:16.86\00:03:18.99 whether their behavior is good or bad. 00:03:18.99\00:03:21.26 And these parents are inclined to make sacrifices 00:03:21.26\00:03:24.77 for their children's security and happiness. 00:03:24.77\00:03:27.64 But tragically, not all parents model this behavior 00:03:27.64\00:03:31.41 which makes even this limited example 00:03:31.41\00:03:34.04 difficult for many to absorb. 00:03:34.04\00:03:37.18 Do we really understand that the very essence 00:03:37.18\00:03:40.95 of God's nature is self-sacrificing love? 00:03:40.95\00:03:46.35 Paul writes in Romans 5:8 00:03:46.35\00:03:49.26 that God demonstrates His own love toward us 00:03:49.26\00:03:53.29 in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 00:03:53.29\00:03:57.50 When this occurred, the grace of God 00:03:57.50\00:04:00.54 that brings salvation appeared in the flesh to all men. 00:04:00.54\00:04:04.71 What is your picture of God? 00:04:04.71\00:04:07.44 Do you realize what a merciful God He is? 00:04:07.44\00:04:11.18 Let's look at Micah 7:18-19, 00:04:11.18\00:04:16.38 "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity 00:04:16.38\00:04:20.39 and passing over the transgression 00:04:20.39\00:04:23.06 of the remnant of His heritage? 00:04:23.06\00:04:25.29 He does not retain His anger forever, 00:04:25.29\00:04:28.63 because He delights in mercy. 00:04:28.63\00:04:32.20 He will again have compassion on us 00:04:32.20\00:04:35.20 and will subdue our iniquities. 00:04:35.20\00:04:37.54 You will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea." 00:04:37.54\00:04:43.45 God delights in mercy and longs to be gracious to you and me 00:04:43.45\00:04:50.75 but deep within our hearts 00:04:50.75\00:04:52.89 we feel unworthy of such love from our creator, don't we? 00:04:52.89\00:04:56.59 Frankly it sounds too good to be true. 00:04:56.59\00:04:59.16 So many of us resist this revelation. 00:04:59.16\00:05:02.36 We don't recognize the love of God 00:05:02.36\00:05:05.47 is the compelling force behind the grace of God. 00:05:05.47\00:05:09.70 And to resist His infinite love is to resist His abundant grace. 00:05:09.70\00:05:16.38 Above all else, God wants to reveal 00:05:16.38\00:05:19.55 His true character to His created beings 00:05:19.55\00:05:23.25 so that we may know Him 00:05:23.25\00:05:25.25 and accept all that He desires to bestow upon us. 00:05:25.25\00:05:29.59 I love the way the Old Testament prophet Isaiah 00:05:29.59\00:05:32.63 assures the people of God, of His loving care 00:05:32.63\00:05:36.06 in Isaiah 30:18-19, let's read that. 00:05:36.06\00:05:40.30 And it says, "Therefore the Lord will wait, 00:05:40.30\00:05:43.67 that He may be gracious to you. 00:05:43.67\00:05:45.71 And therefore He will be exalted, 00:05:45.71\00:05:47.38 that He may have mercy on you. 00:05:47.38\00:05:49.18 For the Lord is a God of justice. 00:05:49.18\00:05:51.85 Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 00:05:51.85\00:05:54.45 You shall weep no more. 00:05:54.45\00:05:56.12 He will be very gracious to you atthe sound of your cry. 00:05:56.12\00:06:00.56 When He hears it, He will answer you." 00:06:00.56\00:06:05.99 A just and tender hearted God 00:06:05.99\00:06:09.36 is earnestly seeking opportunities 00:06:09.36\00:06:12.00 to multiply His mercies to you. 00:06:12.00\00:06:14.87 His heart's desire is to demonstrate 00:06:14.87\00:06:17.07 His loving kindness, to lavish His love, 00:06:17.07\00:06:20.51 His joy, and His peace on you. 00:06:20.51\00:06:23.28 He calls to you and with eager expectation He waits, 00:06:23.28\00:06:27.38 willing to answer your cry for help 00:06:27.38\00:06:29.85 by exchanging His power for your weakness. 00:06:29.85\00:06:32.89 In fact, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, Christ said, 00:06:32.89\00:06:36.42 "My grace is sufficient for you, 00:06:36.42\00:06:38.69 for my power is made perfect in weakness." 00:06:38.69\00:06:42.53 Do you realize that the almighty stands ready 00:06:42.53\00:06:45.70 to give you victory over sin and its destructive consequences 00:06:45.70\00:06:50.07 and to grant to you life abundantly? 00:06:50.07\00:06:53.24 This, my friend, is the good news. 00:06:53.24\00:06:56.31 It is the gospel of God's grace. 00:06:56.31\00:06:59.58 Grace, there's no other New Testament word 00:06:59.58\00:07:02.52 that is more meaningful and none other 00:07:02.52\00:07:05.32 is as greatly under valued or as grossly distorted 00:07:05.32\00:07:09.49 by man's feeble attempts to define it. 00:07:09.49\00:07:12.39 Far too many Christians live with an understanding of grace 00:07:12.39\00:07:16.80 that is fundamentally flawed leaving the immeasurable riches 00:07:16.80\00:07:21.64 and the power of divine grace untold. 00:07:21.64\00:07:25.21 Some suffering consciences 00:07:25.21\00:07:28.01 have yet to be soothed by its great promise. 00:07:28.01\00:07:32.05 Let me ask you, has yours? 00:07:32.05\00:07:35.32 And in other cases, there are people 00:07:35.32\00:07:37.69 who have twisted the meaning of grace 00:07:37.69\00:07:40.42 to their own destruction, 00:07:40.42\00:07:42.19 turning God's grace into an excuse 00:07:42.19\00:07:45.19 for the absence of restraint. 00:07:45.19\00:07:47.40 This reminds me of the time Jesus confronted the Sadducees 00:07:47.40\00:07:51.03 who rejected the truth of resurrection. 00:07:51.03\00:07:53.74 He refuted their argument by saying in Matthew 22:29, 00:07:53.74\00:07:58.41 "You are in error because you do not know 00:07:58.41\00:08:01.51 the scriptures or the power of God." 00:08:01.51\00:08:04.45 You know what? 00:08:04.45\00:08:05.85 I would also extend this same rebuttal to believers today 00:08:05.85\00:08:09.05 who abuse His truth of grace. 00:08:09.05\00:08:13.56 Well, it is accurate to say God's abundant grace 00:08:13.56\00:08:17.33 grants us liberty from pharisaical legalism. 00:08:17.33\00:08:21.03 It is the devil's distortion of truth 00:08:21.03\00:08:23.73 to suggest grace grants us license to sin 00:08:23.73\00:08:27.47 or that anyone who mentions obedience 00:08:27.47\00:08:30.27 is legalistic and unlearned in grace. 00:08:30.27\00:08:33.38 Sin turns our hearts away from God. 00:08:33.38\00:08:37.15 Grace draws us toward His embrace. 00:08:37.15\00:08:40.98 God's divine grace contains power to set us free from sin. 00:08:40.98\00:08:46.19 This revelation radically changed my Christian experience 00:08:46.19\00:08:50.69 and I'm excited to have this opportunity 00:08:50.69\00:08:53.63 to share the good news with you. 00:08:53.63\00:08:57.37 The master of grace can make 00:08:57.37\00:08:59.53 a dramatic difference in your life too 00:08:59.53\00:09:02.70 if you will just accept these truths and embrace them. 00:09:02.70\00:09:07.48 In Hosea 4:6 God says, 00:09:07.48\00:09:10.35 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." 00:09:10.35\00:09:14.65 The same holds true today. 00:09:14.65\00:09:16.69 For anyone who doesn't understand grace, 00:09:16.69\00:09:20.49 they're breaking the heart of our loving Father. 00:09:20.49\00:09:23.46 I am convinced that Christians walk 00:09:23.46\00:09:25.86 in a lesser degree of power than is available to us 00:09:25.86\00:09:29.86 because we don't comprehend the full value of words 00:09:29.86\00:09:33.50 that encase great biblical concepts, 00:09:33.50\00:09:36.74 words like grace, love, faith, justification, sanctification, 00:09:36.74\00:09:42.88 and others which represent systematic and practical truths. 00:09:42.88\00:09:48.75 If we cannot comprehend the value of the word, 00:09:48.75\00:09:53.29 we cannot really define it. 00:09:53.29\00:09:55.52 And you know what we do? 00:09:55.52\00:09:56.93 We overlook and under appreciate undefined words. 00:09:56.93\00:10:01.56 Many resources are available to help today's Bible students 00:10:01.56\00:10:05.57 interpret meanings of the scripture 00:10:05.57\00:10:08.67 in original Bible languages. 00:10:08.67\00:10:11.47 Still the definitions provided are not always sufficient 00:10:11.47\00:10:15.41 because Bible writers sometimes enhance 00:10:15.41\00:10:18.75 the value of a word with spiritual meaning. 00:10:18.75\00:10:21.42 So to determine the true significance 00:10:21.42\00:10:23.99 of an original Bible word or phrase, 00:10:23.99\00:10:26.79 we must look at its every use within scripture 00:10:26.79\00:10:31.03 examining pages in passages 00:10:31.03\00:10:34.30 that come before and after for complete understanding 00:10:34.30\00:10:38.07 because scriptural context 00:10:38.07\00:10:40.77 is a certain compass that points us 00:10:40.77\00:10:43.41 to the writer's intent and true meaning. 00:10:43.41\00:10:46.47 And in God's language of love, 00:10:46.47\00:10:48.84 there is no weightier or more worthy word than grace. 00:10:48.84\00:10:53.48 Everything in God's economy, His pardon, His provision, 00:10:53.48\00:10:58.85 His privileges, His protection, His power, and His peace 00:10:58.85\00:11:03.76 comes to us by the pleasure of His grace. 00:11:03.76\00:11:07.36 Who better to help us understand this than the apostle Paul, 00:11:07.36\00:11:10.60 the self proclaimed chief of sinners 00:11:10.60\00:11:13.07 who was rescued and renewed 00:11:13.07\00:11:15.20 after encountering the master of grace? 00:11:15.20\00:11:18.67 Our beloved brother became a believer, 00:11:18.67\00:11:21.58 considered his own indebtedness to life altering grace 00:11:21.58\00:11:25.25 and accepted Christ's commission 00:11:25.25\00:11:27.55 to bear witness to the gospel, the good news of grace. 00:11:27.55\00:11:33.19 Let's look at the emphasis that Paul puts on the value 00:11:33.19\00:11:36.79 of God's grace in his own life 00:11:36.79\00:11:39.46 as he expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:10 saying there, 00:11:39.46\00:11:45.20 "I am what I am by the grace of God. 00:11:45.20\00:11:48.97 And His grace toward me was not in vain. 00:11:48.97\00:11:52.77 But I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, 00:11:52.77\00:11:57.78 but the grace of God which was with me." 00:11:57.78\00:12:02.88 All that Paul had become, everything that he achieved, 00:12:02.88\00:12:08.02 he attributed to the power of God's life-changing grace. 00:12:08.02\00:12:13.09 Paul made it the goal of his life to testify 00:12:13.09\00:12:16.50 to the gloriously good news of the grace of God. 00:12:16.50\00:12:20.54 Listen to what he says in Acts 20:24, 00:12:20.54\00:12:25.57 "But none of these things move me, 00:12:25.57\00:12:28.04 nor do I count my life dear to myself, 00:12:28.04\00:12:31.11 so that I may finish my race with joy, 00:12:31.11\00:12:34.32 and the ministry which I received 00:12:34.32\00:12:37.02 from the Lord Jesus, 00:12:37.02\00:12:38.62 to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." 00:12:38.62\00:12:44.36 Paul strategically in his epistles, 00:12:44.36\00:12:47.13 he uses the word grace at least 100 times 00:12:47.13\00:12:50.37 accounting for more than half of the some 170 times 00:12:50.37\00:12:54.57 the New Testament employs this term. 00:12:54.57\00:12:57.14 And from a heart that throbbed with passion 00:12:57.14\00:13:00.41 borne of his experience, 00:13:00.41\00:13:02.31 Paul supplies a special significance to this word. 00:13:02.31\00:13:06.51 It's a significance not found elsewhere 00:13:06.51\00:13:09.02 in classical Greek literature. 00:13:09.02\00:13:11.72 Together, you and I will take a closer look 00:13:11.72\00:13:14.52 at this respected apostle's revelation on this matter 00:13:14.52\00:13:18.09 allowing it to unfold naturally in upcoming programs 00:13:18.09\00:13:22.56 like a fragrant rose bud coming into full bloom. 00:13:22.56\00:13:26.87 Although grace was not a common place greeting of the day, 00:13:26.87\00:13:30.47 Paul assigned such noteworthy value to this word. 00:13:30.47\00:13:33.51 It became his customary blessing 00:13:33.51\00:13:35.64 at the opening and closing of his writings. 00:13:35.64\00:13:38.45 He always began and ended his letters by pronouncing 00:13:38.45\00:13:42.48 a divine blessing of grace on the readers. 00:13:42.48\00:13:45.62 And in like matters so did the apostles Peter and John. 00:13:45.62\00:13:49.32 They used grace as a salutation. 00:13:49.32\00:13:51.63 And it is the final benediction, 00:13:51.63\00:13:53.86 that's the final prayer of blessing 00:13:53.86\00:13:56.50 found in the very last scripture of the Bible. 00:13:56.50\00:14:00.07 To the apostles, the affirmation of grace over the believers 00:14:00.07\00:14:05.57 was a sufficient summary of all of God's blessings. 00:14:05.57\00:14:10.38 The expression evolved 00:14:10.38\00:14:12.51 as it were into the New Testament version 00:14:12.51\00:14:15.38 of the blessing found in the Old Testament 00:14:15.38\00:14:18.42 in Numbers 6:24-26 that says, 00:14:18.42\00:14:23.26 "The Lord bless you and keep you. 00:14:23.26\00:14:25.89 The Lord make His face shine upon you, 00:14:25.89\00:14:28.66 and be gracious to you. 00:14:28.66\00:14:30.43 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." 00:14:30.43\00:14:37.07 Grace, grace fits into the category of words 00:14:37.07\00:14:41.71 that the Bible authors enhanced with spiritual meaning. 00:14:41.71\00:14:46.38 In its classical Greek definition, 00:14:46.38\00:14:49.28 grace was a very elastic word. 00:14:49.28\00:14:52.49 It covered multiple but related concepts. 00:14:52.49\00:14:56.19 But more than any other writer, 00:14:56.19\00:14:58.36 Paul further stretched its meaning 00:14:58.36\00:15:00.73 and shaped the unique New Testament 00:15:00.73\00:15:03.90 rendering of divine grace as representing 00:15:03.90\00:15:07.37 the unity of God's enormous endowments to humanity. 00:15:07.37\00:15:12.47 Divine grace is a solid foundation 00:15:12.47\00:15:15.84 upon which we build our hope, you and me. 00:15:15.84\00:15:19.11 And it is essential that we comprehend 00:15:19.11\00:15:22.72 this marvelous concept for our salvation 00:15:22.72\00:15:25.89 and everything good depends upon it. 00:15:25.89\00:15:29.09 Our most desperate need is to recognize 00:15:29.09\00:15:32.83 and receive the manifold grace of God. 00:15:32.83\00:15:36.50 And as we recognize His gifts of grace, 00:15:36.50\00:15:40.27 we will begin to understand the effects of grace. 00:15:40.27\00:15:45.17 God is wholeheartedly engaged in His covenant of grace 00:15:45.17\00:15:49.04 by which He bestows all of His blessings and benefits upon us. 00:15:49.04\00:15:53.82 We can't afford to allow a misunderstanding 00:15:53.82\00:15:56.45 to be a barrier between us and our benevolent Creator. 00:15:56.45\00:16:01.02 If we can but grasp the scope of grace, 00:16:01.02\00:16:05.29 the height, the depth, the width, and the length of it, 00:16:05.29\00:16:08.63 we will more fully recognize His perfect plan 00:16:08.63\00:16:12.70 is for us to be completely dependant upon Him. 00:16:12.70\00:16:17.91 And understanding His love and His plan to carry us 00:16:17.91\00:16:22.28 through our journey on earth will, I feel certain, 00:16:22.28\00:16:25.85 result in our spending more time in prayer 00:16:25.85\00:16:28.82 embracing the master of grace. 00:16:28.82\00:16:32.15 At least I know that has been my personal experience. 00:16:32.15\00:16:37.59 My most significant time of personal spiritual growth 00:16:37.59\00:16:41.63 was the years of 1999-2004. 00:16:41.63\00:16:45.47 God called me to full-time ministry 00:16:45.47\00:16:47.77 and simultaneously to sit at His feet to learn from Him. 00:16:47.77\00:16:52.97 During that time of intense study, 00:16:52.97\00:16:55.78 I had to let go off some difficult errors. 00:16:55.78\00:16:58.51 They were significant errors that I had learned from man. 00:16:58.51\00:17:02.58 And let me tell you it's not always easy 00:17:02.58\00:17:05.49 to let go off the errors that you believe. 00:17:05.49\00:17:09.46 But as I looked to scripture only, 00:17:09.46\00:17:12.73 God taught me stunning truths. 00:17:12.73\00:17:15.46 Many of which took root in a study on the sanctuary 00:17:15.46\00:17:19.33 that I was shocked to learn that the tabernacle 00:17:19.33\00:17:22.60 and the wilderness was the sanctuary of grace. 00:17:22.60\00:17:27.14 His method of salvation 00:17:27.14\00:17:28.74 has always been by the wonders of His grace. 00:17:28.74\00:17:33.55 God does not change. 00:17:33.55\00:17:35.45 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 00:17:35.45\00:17:39.62 But wait I'm getting ahead of myself here. 00:17:39.62\00:17:41.92 The foundation we want to lay in this opening program 00:17:41.92\00:17:46.06 even before we work out a definition of grace 00:17:46.06\00:17:49.36 is how God's system of grace works. 00:17:49.36\00:17:53.60 Let me explain what I mean by system. 00:17:53.60\00:17:58.07 Don't you just marvel at the order 00:17:58.07\00:18:00.68 and the rhythm of creation 00:18:00.68\00:18:02.58 designed by the master craftsman? 00:18:02.58\00:18:05.28 God is the architect and engineer 00:18:05.28\00:18:07.55 of astounding life-sustaining systems. 00:18:07.55\00:18:11.25 Certainly as it is in the physical world, 00:18:11.25\00:18:14.32 it is likewise in the spiritual world. 00:18:14.32\00:18:17.03 God ordained a systematic order to our spiritual world 00:18:17.03\00:18:21.63 and our spiritual development as well. 00:18:21.63\00:18:24.43 He is the God of order not confusion. 00:18:24.43\00:18:27.40 And within scripture are revealed 00:18:27.40\00:18:30.44 His systems of interwoven spiritual principles, 00:18:30.44\00:18:35.18 their relation to each other 00:18:35.18\00:18:36.58 and their cause and their effect. 00:18:36.58\00:18:38.65 God has taught me 00:18:38.65\00:18:40.22 to search for His systems, to connect the dots. 00:18:40.22\00:18:44.42 Do you remember when we were children 00:18:44.42\00:18:47.56 they were drawing lines that they had little numbers 00:18:47.56\00:18:52.03 and we would go from one number dot to the next, 00:18:52.03\00:18:54.93 drawing a line to reveal a picture 00:18:54.93\00:18:57.37 that could not be seen before? 00:18:57.37\00:18:59.40 That's kind of what it's like when we're studying the Bible. 00:18:59.40\00:19:02.47 And as I began grasping the process of divine grace, 00:19:02.47\00:19:07.28 I ask the Lord for an illustration 00:19:07.28\00:19:10.21 to help make it practical 00:19:10.21\00:19:12.21 and this is how God impressed me, it operates. 00:19:12.21\00:19:16.58 God's heart wells with love for us. 00:19:16.58\00:19:20.96 He loves us with an everlasting love 00:19:20.96\00:19:24.13 and He draws us to himself with His loving kindness. 00:19:24.13\00:19:28.03 Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The Lord has appeared of old to me, 00:19:28.03\00:19:33.17 saying, 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. 00:19:33.17\00:19:36.97 Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.'" 00:19:36.97\00:19:41.34 And from that well of love flows all of God's blessings. 00:19:41.34\00:19:46.98 So grace is the pipeline 00:19:46.98\00:19:50.12 from which all blessings flow from heaven to earth. 00:19:50.12\00:19:54.76 Everything, absolutely every good thing comes to us 00:19:54.76\00:19:59.59 through His great pipeline of grace. 00:19:59.59\00:20:03.00 God is the giver of every good and perfect gift 00:20:03.00\00:20:06.57 and He makes them available to all mankind. 00:20:06.57\00:20:10.81 James 1:17 tells us 00:20:10.81\00:20:12.94 that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, 00:20:12.94\00:20:16.64 and comes down from the Father of lights, 00:20:16.64\00:20:19.41 with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." 00:20:19.41\00:20:23.85 And Titus 2:11 says, "For the grace of God 00:20:23.85\00:20:28.36 that brings salvation has appeared to all men." 00:20:28.36\00:20:32.56 Now on this grace pipeline, faith is the faucet. 00:20:32.56\00:20:37.80 It is how we tap into God's grace pipeline 00:20:37.80\00:20:41.70 and our faith regulates 00:20:41.70\00:20:44.27 the release of blessings from His great reservoir. 00:20:44.27\00:20:48.74 Through Christ we have access by faith 00:20:48.74\00:20:52.48 into this marvelous grace of God. 00:20:52.48\00:20:55.55 That's what Paul says in Romans 5:1-2. 00:20:55.55\00:20:59.72 He says, "Therefore having been justified by faith, 00:20:59.72\00:21:04.43 we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:21:04.43\00:21:09.03 through whom, through Christ also we have access 00:21:09.03\00:21:14.04 by faith into this grace in which we stand, 00:21:14.04\00:21:17.27 and rejoice in the glory of God." 00:21:17.27\00:21:21.58 Now here's the pipeline, we tap in by faith 00:21:21.58\00:21:25.88 and prayer is the handle that opens the faith faucet. 00:21:25.88\00:21:31.72 In Mark 11:24, James says, 00:21:31.72\00:21:35.59 "Therefore I say to you, 00:21:35.59\00:21:37.86 whatever things you ask when you pray, 00:21:37.86\00:21:40.96 believe that you receive them, and you will have them." 00:21:40.96\00:21:46.00 That is the foundation for the-- 00:21:46.00\00:21:48.60 our trust is the foundation for the prayer of faith. 00:21:48.60\00:21:52.34 And Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, 00:21:52.34\00:21:55.48 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, 00:21:55.48\00:21:58.68 and lean not on your own understanding. 00:21:58.68\00:22:01.82 In all your ways acknowledge Him, 00:22:01.82\00:22:05.32 and He shall direct your path." 00:22:05.32\00:22:08.49 So if trust is the foundation for the prayer of faith, 00:22:08.49\00:22:12.93 relationship is the foundation for trust. 00:22:12.93\00:22:16.50 The Apostle John recognized the enormity 00:22:16.50\00:22:20.00 of being a child of God and he said in 1 John 3:1, 00:22:20.00\00:22:24.97 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, 00:22:24.97\00:22:30.38 that we should be called the children of God." 00:22:30.38\00:22:35.25 And finally, love is the foundation for relationship. 00:22:35.25\00:22:40.79 Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30, 00:22:40.79\00:22:44.89 "You shall love the Lord your God 00:22:44.89\00:22:47.20 with all of your heart, with all of your soul, 00:22:47.20\00:22:50.63 with all of your mind, and with all of your strength." 00:22:50.63\00:22:56.91 Indeed the love of God 00:22:56.91\00:22:58.91 is the compelling force behind the grace of God 00:22:58.91\00:23:02.38 and the greater our understanding 00:23:02.38\00:23:04.58 of God's love for us the greater our love will be for Him. 00:23:04.58\00:23:09.08 We love Him because He first loved us. 00:23:09.08\00:23:12.39 The greater our love, the more intimate 00:23:12.39\00:23:15.12 our relationship will become with Him. 00:23:15.12\00:23:17.99 The more intimate our relationship, 00:23:17.99\00:23:20.70 the greater our trust. 00:23:20.70\00:23:22.50 And the greater our trust, 00:23:22.50\00:23:23.90 the more persistent our prayer of faith will become. 00:23:23.90\00:23:27.80 The more persistent our prayer of faith, 00:23:27.80\00:23:30.41 the greater our actions of faith develop. 00:23:30.41\00:23:34.14 And the greater our faith, the more we will tap 00:23:34.14\00:23:37.91 into the various areas of God's grace. 00:23:37.91\00:23:42.32 The more we access God's grace pipeline, 00:23:42.32\00:23:45.15 the greater blessings we receive. 00:23:45.15\00:23:48.22 God's streams of grace flow from His heavenly pipeline 00:23:48.22\00:23:53.70 without any shortage of supply turning our dry and dusty 00:23:53.70\00:23:58.47 life experiences into a spiritual oasis. 00:23:58.47\00:24:03.87 We hope that you have enjoyed this program today. 00:24:03.87\00:24:09.31 What we're doing is laying this foundation 00:24:09.31\00:24:12.41 and as we do my prayer is that God will increase 00:24:12.41\00:24:18.29 the measure of your expectations of grace. 00:24:18.29\00:24:22.42 Let me pray that with you right now 00:24:22.42\00:24:25.46 because what we want more than anything 00:24:25.46\00:24:27.96 is for God to do a work in our hearts. 00:24:27.96\00:24:31.07 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 00:24:31.07\00:24:33.64 we come in the name of Jesus Christ 00:24:33.64\00:24:37.17 and Lord, we praise You. 00:24:37.17\00:24:39.71 We praise You for who You are. 00:24:39.71\00:24:42.88 Help us, oh, Lord, to understand Your nature. 00:24:42.88\00:24:48.08 Father, we glibly say God is love 00:24:48.08\00:24:52.29 but we don't comprehend it. 00:24:52.29\00:24:54.56 I pray in the name of Jesus Christ 00:24:54.56\00:24:57.63 You will open our eyes 00:24:57.63\00:25:01.16 to understand how much You love us, 00:25:01.16\00:25:03.87 to understand, Father, that Your love, 00:25:03.87\00:25:08.20 everything that comes from You 00:25:08.20\00:25:11.31 comes through this grace pipeline. 00:25:11.31\00:25:15.38 And I pray, Father, that around the world 00:25:15.38\00:25:19.45 as my brothers and sisters are tuned in, 00:25:19.45\00:25:22.68 people who may not even know You, Father, 00:25:22.68\00:25:25.49 that You will give them wisdom from above, 00:25:25.49\00:25:29.22 uncommon wisdom, to understand Your grace. 00:25:29.22\00:25:34.23 I pray that for myself as well 00:25:34.23\00:25:36.10 that You will broaden our understanding of grace. 00:25:36.10\00:25:40.14 And, Lord, not that it will just be an understanding 00:25:40.14\00:25:43.51 but that it will become our experience 00:25:43.51\00:25:47.28 to walk by faith in the grace in which we stand. 00:25:47.28\00:25:52.48 Lord, we ask these things in the name of Jesus 00:25:52.48\00:25:57.82 and we receive them in the name of Jesus. 00:25:57.82\00:26:00.42 Thanking You for the answer to the prayer of faith, amen. 00:26:00.42\00:26:05.86 Well, I am very pleased to tell you 00:26:05.86\00:26:09.93 that on our next program what we are going to do 00:26:09.93\00:26:13.54 is delve a little bit deeper into the definition of grace. 00:26:13.54\00:26:18.87 It's a little more than what you and I have thought in the past. 00:26:18.87\00:26:23.08 I'm sure that you are saying, "Well, I know 00:26:23.08\00:26:24.71 the definition of grace is God's unmerited favor." 00:26:24.71\00:26:29.18 But what does that mean? What does it mean? 00:26:29.18\00:26:32.89 We're going to learn next time. 00:26:32.89\00:26:34.52 And we hope that you will join us 00:26:34.52\00:26:37.76 so that we can learn together. 00:26:37.76\00:26:40.20 We want you to experience God's presence in your life 00:26:40.20\00:26:44.50 and the life-changing grace that will help you 00:26:44.50\00:26:48.24 grow as a Christian, grow as a mother, as a father, 00:26:48.24\00:26:53.58 as a brother or sister, to grow as a person 00:26:53.58\00:26:57.48 who is becoming more like Jesus every day. 00:26:57.48\00:27:01.92 And now our prayer is that you will grow in grace. 00:27:01.92\00:27:08.59 Grace is something that we should pursue. 00:27:08.59\00:27:13.13 We should become seekers of grace 00:27:13.13\00:27:16.46 to tap into God's grace pipeline by faith 00:27:16.46\00:27:20.77 so that we may overcome all that has been troubling us 00:27:20.77\00:27:26.34 and hanging on to us if you will like a viper, 00:27:26.34\00:27:30.18 something that has bitten us. 00:27:30.18\00:27:32.21 And God is going to show us how that can change. 00:27:32.21\00:27:35.78 So now we thank you so much for joining in. 00:27:35.78\00:27:38.95 We pray that next time please have a pen and paper handy 00:27:38.95\00:27:43.12 because we are going to give you 00:27:43.12\00:27:44.73 lots of scriptures to give you a foundation 00:27:44.73\00:27:48.50 and we want you to be able to jot down 00:27:48.50\00:27:50.70 these scripture references 00:27:50.70\00:27:52.27 so that you can have them for your continued study. 00:27:52.27\00:27:56.07 Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord. 00:27:56.07\00:27:58.44 Goodbye. 00:27:58.44\00:27:59.81