GROWING IN THE AMAZING GRACE OF GOD
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OUTLINE
1. SINGING
2. SPEECH
3. STABILITY
4. SUPPLY
5. STRENGTH
6. SUCCOUR
7. SAFETY
INTRODUCTION
The grace of God helps us to progress in our life. God gives more and more grace to us to help us grow in our usefulness and spirituality. The grace of God
increases when we humble ourselves and when we praise and worship God as a lifestyle. God wants us to keep growing in the gifts and talents He has given to
us. With more grace we must do more for God. With new grace we must do new things for God. The grace of God helps us live a life of ever increasing
usefulness and blessing.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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2 PETER 3:18
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
THE MESSAGE
GROWING IN THE AMAZING GRACE OF GOD
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1. SINGING
The Lord wants us to sing praises unto Him. Our hearts must be filled with the word of Christ so that our songs are filled with spiritual truths that will
teach and admonish us as we sing unto the Lord. We must sing with grace and mean every word that we sing unto the Lord with all our hearts . As we sing and
offer thanksgiving unto the Lord with a grateful heart, the Lord will increase His grace in our lives and bless us abundantly.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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COLOSSIANS 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts to the Lord.
EPHESIANS 5:19-20
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:15
So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
2 CORINTHIANS 4:15
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
2. SPEECH
We must receive grace from God to speak gracious words which would bring healing and happiness .Good words bring joy and healing. Words of hope and
encouragement are a great blessing to others. Cruel words can wound others deeply and we must avoid speaking such destructive words. We have to give an
account before God on the Day of Judgement for every careless word that we speak. Therefore we must be very careful over every word that we speak . We must
have a good heart and speak good words out of the overflow of the good treasure of our heart.We should not speak evil words and words that slander others .
Our words must be a blessing to others . Our words must be truthful and humble . Our words must be free from bitterness and anger.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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COLOSSIANS 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
LUKE 4:22
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn’t this Joseph’s son?" they asked.
ISAIAH 50:4
The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,to know the word that sustains the weary.He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like
one being taught.
PROVERBS 18:21
" The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
MATTHEW 12:34-37
" You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
PROVERBS 6:2
" You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth."
JAMES 3:1-10
" Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to
go.
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is
itself set on fire by hell.
All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man,
but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."
EPHESIANS 4:29
" Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit
those who listen. "
TITUS 3:2
" to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. "
JAMES 4:11
" Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you
are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it."
EPHESIANS 4: 25,31
" Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body."
" Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. "
ROMANS 10:17
" So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
ROMANS 10:6-10
" But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, ’Who will ascend into heaven?’" (that is,to bring Christ down)
"or ’Who will descend into the deep?’" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming:
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
ISAIAH 55:10-11
" As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed
for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. "
MATTHEW 24:35
" Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. "
PROVERBS 16:24
" Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
PROVERBS 25:11
" A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. "
PROVERBS 15:23
" A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! "
PROVERBS 12:25
" An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. "
PROVERBS 15:4
" The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. "
PROVERBS 15:30
" A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. "
PROVERBS 25:25
" Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. "
PROVERBS 12:18
" Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. "
3. STABILITY
Growing in grace produces a stability in our walk with God. The Lord does not want us to be carried away by strange doctrines. Our hearts must be established
by grace. The situations around us keep changing all the time. We are often caught in the midst of a storm of changes in values and principles and we are
tempted to compromise and forsake our commitment .In these situations we need to be strong in grace to be stable in our spiritual life.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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HEBREWS 13:9
Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace,not by ceremonial foods, which are of no
value to those who eat them.
1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
2 TIMOTHY 4:2-4
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of
teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
1 JOHN 2:26-27
I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.
As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things
and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
JOHN 16:13
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell
you what is yet to come.
4. SUPPLY
The grace of God supplies the needs we face in our lives. The grace of God made the lord Jesus shed his prosperity and embrace poverty that we might enjoy
the supply of our needs.As the needs in our lives increase we must also keep growing in grace which will ensure the supply of all our needs.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become
rich.
LUKE 22:35
Then Jesus asked them, "When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?" "Nothing," they answered.
PHILIPPIANS 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
5. STRENGTH
The grace of God gives us strength to face any situation in our lives. His strength is experienced in its fullness in our weakness. We are able to rise up
and be strong soldiers in the army of Jesus Christ. Without the grace of God we will not be able to fight the Lord’s battles. In these last days when there
is so much opposition to the work of God , every child of God should be strong in the grace of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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2 CORINTHIANS 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-3
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
6. SUCCOUR
The mercy of God helps us to avoid experiencing sorrow upon sorrow in our lives. The Lord had mercy upon Apostle Paul and did not allow him to experience
sorrow upon sorrow. We should cry out for God’s mercy in order to avoid experiencing overwhelming sorrow in our lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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PHILIPPIANS 2:27
Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.
7. SAFETY
The grace of God is a powerful shield of protection in our lives.There are so many dangers, snares, enemies that we face in our lives spiritually ,
physically , emotionally etc . To counter these increasing threats to our lives we must keep growing in grace which is a covering over our lives. We cannot
foresee every danger that can affect us. It is because of His mercies that we are not consumed . His favour surrounds us as a shield and protects us from
the numerous attacks of the enemy . We should receive the Lord ’s mercy and grace in abundance in our life in order to survive the dangers we face from satan
, evil people , etc in this world.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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PSALMS 5:12
For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
LAMENTATIONS 3:22
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
CONCLUSION
The Lord wants us to come before the throne of grace to receive the mercy that we need for our lives and to obtain the grace that we need to help others in
the time of need. We must approach the Lord in humility acknowledging the true condition of our hearts and pleading for His grace and mercy. The Lord opposes
those who are proud and haughty but gives grace to the humble.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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HEBREWS 4:16
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
JAMES 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
LUKE 18:9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ’God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers,adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself
will be exalted."
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