OUR DAILY BREAD : GRACE IN OUR HEARTS

[cimi]

THURSDAY JULY 9


GRACE IN OUR HEARTS

READ:
Collosians 4:6
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Let your speech
always be with
grace.
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A few years ago, four-star General Peter Chiarelli (the No.2 general in the US Army at that time) was mistaken for a waiter by a senior presidential advisor at a formal Washington dinner. As the general stood behind her in his dress uniform, the senior advisor asked him to get her beverage. She then realized her mistake, and the general graciously eased her embarrassment by cheerfully refilling her glass and even inviting her to join his family sometime for dinner.

The word gracious comes from the word grace, and it can mean an act of kindness or courtesy, , like the general's. But it has an even deeper meaning to followers of Christ. We are recipients of the incredible free and unmerited favor-grace-that God has provided through His Son, Jesus (EPH. 2:8).

Because we have received grace, we are to show it in the way we treat others__for example, in the way we speak to them: "The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious" (ECC. 10:12).

Learning to extend the grace in our hearts toward others is a by-prouct of the life of a Spirit-filled follower of Christ Jesus_the greatest of grace-givers. __Cindy Hess Kasper

Dear heavenly Father, help me today to season my words with grace.
May all that I say and do be gracious to others and pleasing to You,
O Lord, my strength and me redeemer.
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God's grace in the heart brings out good deeds in the life.

***********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 2:4-10***********************
4 b
But God, who is rich in mercy because of His great love
with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in
trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace
you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and
made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches
of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone
should boast. 10 For we are His worksmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we
should walk in them.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Salvation is God's gift and can never be
earned by our good works. Paul reminds us that through Christ
"we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of His grace" (EPH 1:7). In today's passage
Paul emphasizes this grace by repeating the phrase "by grace you
have been saved" (2:5,8). While we are not saved by our good works,
we are saved so that we can do good works (v.10). Paul reminds us
to be "fruitful in every good work" (COL. 1:10) and "zealous for good
works" (TITUS 2:14).