"Grace and Graciousness"

The roots of a godly man must be cemented in the warehouse of God' grace. We might think of a godly man as fully occupied keeping from the touches of the world through self control, but this is not godliness. A negative portrait of godliness is like believing there are only negative numbers in the world. Godliness is better described as the person who lets the person of God transform him by the glorious truths God has revealed in this world. Jesus was full of grace and truth. He lived life to the fullest. Each step in Christ's life was overflowing with the goodness of God pouring out so that others would also come to experience God's goodness.

Grace astounds us with its powerful story of God's love. Grace shines through all the pages of scripture amazing us with an awesome but puzzling picture of God. Grace is a truth which is like a sea where we cannot reach the bottom. The more we understand grace, the more we stand humbled in its shadows convinced we will never well understand it.

Graciousness is a character quality born from a true understanding of grace. Although the Reformers had rediscovered grace, we hear of many cases where God's grace was not extended in the form of graciousness. Many today are proclaiming grace from their pulpits, but the willingness of many to tolerate bitterness and politics in the church embarassingly reveal how little we know of God's grace. The parable of the mean steward speaks louder than many of us would want to admit. May God use this web series to kindly expand our insight into His grace that will make us all the more gracious in our dealings with man.

FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION OF GRACE

Grace is bringing God's goodness into the life of the undeserving.

To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens!
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress;
So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He shall be gracious to us
(Psalms 123:1-2).

Purpose of this study on grace:

Here is a short index. Click the blue circle below or click here for next page. They follow in order.

Grace and Graciousness	All about grace ...... Table of Contents
Grace for Difficult Times	What happens when God tests a man ... Joseph in Psalm 105:17,19
Grace to Forgive	Four ways Joseph demonstrates grace by forgiving .... Genesis 50
Grace and God's Children	Breaking away from dead religiosity ....... Exposition of Psalm 106 Then and Now From Revival to Despair
Grace in the NT	NT study on the word 'grace' .. ministry and life of grace ... charis
Grace in the OT	OT study on God's grace on Moses.... Exodus 33:12-23
Good Gifts of Grace	God's good gifts including spiritual gifts ... Ephesians 2, 4
Saying Grace	Is saying 'grace' biblical? Explanation of 1 Timothy 4:4-5.
Grace & Pleasure	In depth study of God's good gift of pleasure and our response to it 1 Timothy 4:1-6. Graphic of the Pleasure Seeker's Cycle.
Testimonies on God's Grace	Testimonies on grace and graciousness Stories on God's grace in your life. Practical steps to take to be more gracious. The story of God's grace in your life.

         

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The Godly Man: "Grace and Graciousness"

| Graciousness | Grace in Difficulty | Grace to Forgive | Revival | Grace in NT | Grace in OT |

| Spiritual Gifts | Saying Grace | Grace & Pleasure | Testimonies

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God's Common Grace - Matthew 5:44-45

The Rain | Explain Causality | Common Grace | Kinds of Grace | The Shock | Goodness & Doubt |
Misinterpetations of Love | Effects of Grace | Examples of Grace | Call to Come
Video | Audio (mp3)

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