A Radical Methodical Teacher

Again, this dimension of God’s grace is a gift. God’s grace alone brings us into relationship with God. There are no hoops through which we have to jump in order to please God and to be loved by God. God has acted in Jesus Christ. We need only to respond in faith.

Sanctifying Grace

Salvation is not a static, one-time event in our lives. It is the ongoing experience of God’s gracious presence transforming us into whom God intends us to be. John Wesley described this dimension of God’s grace as sanctification, or holiness. (Excerpt from What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology, p. 32-33)

Through God’s sanctifying grace, we grow and mature in our ability to live as Jesus lived. As we pray, study the Scriptures, fast, worship, and share in fellowship with other Christians, we deepen our knowledge of and love for God. As we respond with compassion to human need and work for justice in our communities, we strengthen our capacity to love neighbor. Our inner thoughts and motives, as well as our outer actions and behavior, are aligned with God’s will and testify to our union with God.

That’s what we believe as united Christians in a Methodist church. That’s awe inspiring in my opinion. That’s what we believe. I’m reading this and I’m saying “That’s alright! I can roll with that! That sound alright with me. I can dig that.”

John Wesley also tells us: We’re to press on, with God’s help, in the path of sanctification toward perfection. By perfection, Wesley did not mean that we would not make mistakes or have weaknesses. Rather, he understood it to be a continual process of being made perfect in our love of God and each other and of removing our desire to sin.

We gone make mistakes, but as a church we know that through our love of God that we can do better. We can overcome any adversity. We can accomplish what we set our minds to do. We can be a vision of hope, peace and spiritual renewal for Dark Hollow and surrounding communities. We can be the Church of alive by the grace of God, transforming lives for Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit! Can I get an Amen! Let me get one one more time….Amen! Can I get one more time? That’s alright! Now let’s praise God for a moment. Clap your hands for God! Let’s give him praise in here today because He’s so worthy of it.

Now Turtle and Shemar I’m gonna need you to come on up here and I’m going to ask you guys a few questions. Mr. Williams will you stand beside turtle, and could one of the ladies stand in for me. And I want all those who are moved to stand with these young people as they become full members of our church.