Grace Gripped: Recent Episodes
Ken Chester
Grace Gripped is a daily devotional to help you on your journey with Jesus Christ every single day. It's sometimes difficult to see how Jesus is working in your life - His timeline is different than ours - so embark with us on this journey through a life lived with Him.
Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! Isaiah 43:3 The Message Sometimes you need an image to realize what God has truly accomplished in your life. Exiles and refugees don’t exactly view themselves as being priceless. They often live in fear of being caught and having nothing to live on. In today’s language this is called cheap labor. You’re hired to do the job done for far less than you are worth. And you’re supposed to be grateful you get something. The Israelites were treated that way long before Christ, the Savior, was born. They were exiled because their “God” was angry with them. The few left behind were homeland refugees fending for themselves. They weren’t a threat to anybody. All they had was a Holy Promise, by a Holy God, and His Word that a Savior was on the way. What are you worth? More than you could ever imagine. God could have “bought” you for pennies on the dollar, and yet, He emptied His treasury through His Son. His life became the buy-back price. High price? When you think about His life and blood and how it paid for every second of your life, every sin, and every day until you see Him face to face, inexhaustible riches means God can never exhaust His generosity of grace. The Apostle Paul never got over what the riches of Christ did in his life. When you’ve been infected with the grace of God, you won’t either. You’ll change, however slowly, because Jesus paid you up. Were you worth it? God can’t stop smiling over all His purchases. You’re alive today with a story to share. It only takes a moment… And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Ephesians 3:8-9 The Message
Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! Isaiah 43:3 The Message Sometimes you need an image to realize what God has truly accomplished in your life. Exiles and refugees don’t exactly view themselves as being priceless. They often live in fear of being caught and having nothing to live on. In today’s language this is called cheap labor. You’re hired to do the job done for far less than you are worth. And you’re supposed to be grateful you get something. The Israelites were treated that way long before Christ, the Savior, was born. They were exiled because their “God” was angry with them. The few left behind were homeland refugees fending for themselves. They weren’t a threat to anybody. All they had was a Holy Promise, by a Holy God, and His Word that a Savior was on the way. What are you worth? More than you could ever imagine. God could have “bought” you for pennies on the dollar, and yet, He emptied His treasury through His Son. His life became the buy-back price. High price? When you think about His life and blood and how it paid for every second of your life, every sin, and every day until you see Him face to face, inexhaustible riches means God can never exhaust His generosity of grace. The Apostle Paul never got over what the riches of Christ did in his life. When you’ve been infected with the grace of God, you won’t either. You’ll change, however slowly, because Jesus paid you up. Were you worth it? God can’t stop smiling over all His purchases. You’re alive today with a story to share. It only takes a moment… And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Ephesians 3:8-9 The Message
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end— Isaiah 43:2 The Message Why does the Lord remind us constantly who He is? He was always reminding His covenant-breaking family when they turned to empty gods and even emptier promises. God knows exactly what we are feeling and thinking when we wander off the path. When the covenant-drifters ran into a dead-end, they would ask and beg for God’s forgiveness and promise not to stray again. But they would. He knows without Him, without faith in Him, without trusting Him, we will run aground, just like they did over and over. God should have walked away, let em go, and maybe call the whole thing a bust. How many times did He remind them, and even clear the way back for their lives? How many times will He remind you? Jesus described how much we are to forgive when someone asks as 70 x 70. It is an unimaginable number. Without Him, without faith in Him, without trusting Him, others will reach the end of your rope, and you’ll let them go. You’ll think you’ve done your part, exhausted your patience, and just say no more. A long time ago, the Lord promised men and women just like you, He would not let go. He would be with them when life, sin, and chaos would overwhelm them. He knew the condition of their hearts and how messed up life becomes away from Him. He found them, rescued them, redeemed them, and restored them. He hasn’t changed the formula. They wondered what their Redeemer looked like, you don’t have to. Jesus is at the end of your rope. It only takes a moment … You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. Matthew 5:3 The Message
But now, God’s Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. Isaiah 43:1 The Message God never gives up. He doesn’t let go. Even…when you’ve turned your back on Him. It’s hard to believe really. It’s easy to take God for granted. It’s easy to stray just a little and think ‘Well, The Lord has forgiven me, I’ll do better from now on’. They were in exile, sent away because they chased idols, compromised their faith-lives, and treated God’s Promise as something they could improve on their own. The Lord, being who He is, always looked at them through His promise, not their defection. He looks at you the same way, only through His Son, not your sin. They (redeemed slaves) lived in a Promise to come. We (blood bought) live in the Promise of return. In between is a Cross that connects stubborn, sinful, wandering men and women then, with stubborn, sinful, wandering men and women today. Jesus prayed that we would be protected from the Evil One. This world doesn’t define you. It’s in Christ you find out who you are and what you are living for. (Eph 1:11) We live in a world irrevocably broken, where darkness is called light, and evil is called good. God is still a Redeemer, who still calls and finds lost and wandering lives. He didn’t redeem from a distance. Jesus was the Promise to come and with nail-scarred hands and feet is the Promise of return. Everything about Him is personal. He’s called you by name. Your mine. Old to New, New to Forever is the God who calls, redeems, and claims. He claimed you so the world can see a difference. How will you step into this day? It only takes a moment… I’m consecrating myself for their sakes so they’ll be truth-consecrated in their mission. John 17:19 The Message
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?” “No one, Master.” “Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.” John 8:6-22 The Message The accused was caught, but it wasn’t her moment. The accusers were trapped and couldn't see it. They were hell-bent to catch Jesus. What if they bent the Law a few degrees? He had to be stopped. She had to be stoned. Jesus knew the real stones were her accuser’s hearts. What would he do? What would he say. They were so blind, trapped, and weighted down. What was he writing anyway? The woman lay there, head down, villagers looking on. Her life was over, why fight it? That’s one of sin’s best lines: don’t fight it. They wanted a verdict. So he gave them one: let the sin-free throw the first stone. The oldest saw their hearts opened up, their consciences replaying old sins, and they stepped away. Finally, the youngest departed leaving a dust-dragged-adulteress lying on the ground. Sin demands payment, secrecy, or promises to try better next time. Jesus looked at her, just as he does with you and asks: Woman, Where are they? Does no one condemn you? Guilty and ashamed she says: No one Master. Neither do I , said Jesus. Forgiveness is not mentioned. He calls her to amend her life, reset it, inside and out. Her moment happened at his feet, in front of friends and strangers, nowhere to hide, no escape. Jesus gave her mercy and called her to a righteous life. One day she would see the nails that covered her sin. The same grace is offered you, freely and fully. Grace is always personal: from the dirt, behind a desk, or out of darkness. He replaced stoning with a cross. That was the only way to reach your stony heart. It only takes a moment…
One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: “Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!” But the other one made him shut up: “Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.” He said, “Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 The Message There wasn’t anytime to offer sacrifices. It was ending breath by breath in front of everybody. Some showed up just for the show. He had lived all his life and now at the last gasp, he grasped hold of Jesus from a few feet away on his cross. He may have been called a prince of crime. Jesus already cornered the title: King of the Jews. His cellmate tried sarcastically to humiliate Christ even further. He would not realize until his moment appeared, that he had wasted the eternal moment before him. It would be too late, just as it is for anyone who doesn’t turn to Jesus at any moment. So, this criminal prince, he bowed his head, confessed his sins, and accepted Jesus into his life? His lasting witness is one of faith’s greatest conversions. All he said was Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom. If possible, his life was lower than the prodigal son waking up in pig slop.(editor’s note: No one wins a prize for earning the lowest of the lows before a Holy God. He only sees and receives lives exchanged with His Son’s life.) He was guilty and knew it. He didn’t have any life currency to bargain. He only had a sin resume that was almost expired. All that changed in his moment. He simply, honestly, and with all he was, asked Jesus to remember him in His kingdom, not a bad way to start the rest of your life. He wouldn’t have to wait. Jesus scheduled his arrival: Today you will join me in paradise. It’s amazing isn’t it? God doesn’t remember your sins, and Jesus doesn’t forget your name, not a bad way to start Today. It only takes a moment.
Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: Romans 8:35 The Message If anyone should have worried about whether God would abandon him or not, it was the Apostle Paul. Before Christ, he was furiously trying to arrest and persecute men and women who were believers and followers of Jesus. His zealous-law-keeping-righteousness allowed him to oversee the execution of a man whose final words were Lord, do not hold this sin against them. After Christ, he realized the futility of resisting sin’s temptations and finding himself trapped time after time. His only response would be never-ending gratitude to God for the gift of Jesus Christ. He later defined his life as being crucified with Christ. The depth and reach of Christ’s love transcends any possible scenario that threatens to separate us from the love of God. Jesus is never going to let go of your life. When you give your life to Jesus, trusting, believing, and receiving Him, He’s going to make His home in you, abiding and dwelling. He going to change the way you love. It’s no longer a love based on your feelings or desire, but based on His love for you when you cared nothing about Him. He’s not going to quit, give up, or let you go. The Holy Spirit will remind you over and over of this absolute truth in your life. He’s not walking out. His love is never-ending and never-failing. God means it when He says nothing mean nothing can separate you from His love in Christ. How are you walking into this day? It only takes a moment… For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 New American Standard
God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. Romans 8:29-30 The Message We look everywhere to find out who we are and what we’re living for. It can become and endless journey where you hope the real you is just around the corner. That easily turns into miles and years. God knows how confused we really are on the inside. He took all of that into consideration. He’s not waiting for you to exert enough effort or achieve a certain life to be rewarded with His grace and truth. Your life, the real you is found in Christ. God’s design is perfect, no flaws, no faults, or fractures. Everything regarding your life is in this Son. When you look at Him, you become aware just how messed up you are inside and out. All those starts and restarts? Jesus has covered all those areas and more. It’s incredible, unimaginable really, that your life and others with all those differences, sins included, have to share a “strong family likeness to Jesus” (OC). When the love of Christ reaches into all those places inside of you, you can’t believe that God wants you so much. You may even think there are so many more deserving than you. And you would be correct if God’s measure was based on your moral skeleton. Why you? You’ll have to ask God. What is certain is the Lord finishing what He’s started in you. The Holy Spirit’s work comes with His nail-scarred guarantee. What’s going to make a difference in your life today? It only takes a moment… It’s in Christ that we find our who we are and what we are living for. Ephesians 1:11 The Message
What are you learning?Jesus loves the down and out and up and out.Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. Psalms 51:16-17 The Message What gets God’s attention? Apparently you do when you come before Him with nothing but yourself. There isn’t a formula. There’s just you, it’s all He’s ever wanted. Shattered, broken, empty, or just worn out? It appears that the greatest asset you possess is an unfettered heart. That’s where the Lord is pruning His garden in your life. Jesus paints the image of you abiding in His life. That’s where you find rest, nourishment, and fruit…His Spirit pouring in and through you into other lives. Abiding in Christ, letting your grip on this life loosen, and letting Jesus tend to what is rightfully His…you. He is the only flawless offering that will ever be made, that makes you whole inside and out. Who would ever guess the Bible hid such a secret in plain sight? It wasn’t discovered after a great victory. It wasn’t found through riches. It wasn’t anything you would ever imagine as being treasure in God’s eyes. Although He was rich, He became poor … God, being rich in mercy, even while you were still enemies … He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant. Nothing escapes God’s notice when it comes to your life. God saw immeasurable wealth in a widow’s coin offering. She couldn’t afford to give, but she couldn’t be stopped giving all she had to the One who gave all He had.. for her .. and for you. Who would ever imagine that the emptier you became, the heavier God’s scales weighed? God’s kingdom economy runs on a different currency. He sees the fewest coins, feels the feeblest touch, and blesses the poor in heart. What will you offer the Lord today? It only takes a moment…
There's not enough ropeJesus became what you were powerless to defeat I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. Romans 7:24-25 The Message It’s elusive, it hides, it deceives, it traps, it suffocates, it degrades, it claims power, and it leaves you feeling helpless and defeated. Sin, a word recognized by sinner and saint. Sin’s mission is to appear normal until it is too late. It is willing to be patient, left undisturbed, and attacks without provocation. Sin wants you to think that there is always enough grace to cover the moment, until moments become unrelenting, demanding payment. God’s answer to sin and its power was a wooden beam and some nails. Jesus felt the ungovernable power of sin, and destroyed its claim upon your life. What remains in this fallen, broken, and darkening world is the fading remnants of its defeat. Every man or woman who comes to Christ approaches as a sinner with nothing to offer. The exchanged made between Christ and you sends you out as a saint. He dies so you can live. His resurrection declares your forgiveness and freedom to be and live totally different. The Apostle Paul left no corner of imagination about sin’s reach. He did the very thing he knew was wrong in clear sight of what was right. There was and is only One who can answer what God can do, Jesus. He transforms slaves of darkness into servants of righteousness. No one takes credit, but this new power in the person of Jesus has set you free. And when the Son sets you free…. you'll learn to live no longer in condemnation but gratitude. It only takes a moment.
Your life summed up...Jesus knows what His grace and freedom will do in your lifeTherefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Romans 2:1-2 Christian Standard Sin has two rewards: condemnation and defeat. Condemnation has many faces, most facing down, most in quiet despair. Defeat is not victory. It ends with nothing, no hope, no joy, and worst of all, depleted love. When you face this monster on your own, and it is a monster, you quickly realize that it takes more than who you are or what possess to win this fight. It consumes and corrupts everything in touches. What remains after the fight is an exhausting surrender, and a spirit of give-up-and-give-in. But suddenly a word emerges, Therefore, is God announcing that sin’s grip and claim of you has been shattered, nailed in reality. Therefore is God’s resounding truth reaching into the utter depths of your life. There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. The slates wiped clean. The words blameless, faultless, and spotless are written into all the old places, making everything new, even those spaces you thought could never be reached, let alone made whole. Jesus becomes the Condemned in your place. The One who is grace and truth exchanges your guilt and lies. Therefore is God telling you that in Christ, His beloved Son, you are His masterpiece on display in this fraudulent world. When the you hear the whisper ‘you really haven’t changed, ‘you can always go back to what you know’ or ‘you have to earn it to really be real’ … Therefore is all you have to say. Christ has set you free and no condemnation is really real. Is there a better way to live? It only takes a moment…
Unchanging love in an ever-changing worldJesus created the seas that buried your sinsWho is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-19 New American Standard We like to think that given the same opportunities and blessings, we would never rebel and stray like our Old Testament families. It seems like they are always trying to make a better deal on their own, rather than live in the fullness of everything God promised them. “We think we can do a little better. We want to be more like other countries. We can always turn back to God. He’ll always take us back.” That’s the thing about God: He does take them back, chases them down, allows them to chase idols and play unfaithful, and be guilty beyond measure, but He keeps His Word. It’s a good thing the Lord created the depths of the seas. You can close your eyes and imagine your sins buried beneath the sea. Not only that, He promised to not remember your sins. How is that even possible? We remember decades, even longer, and sometimes pass along the viral infection of sin-disease. Except, it’s far more worse than an infection or disease. How could God promise not to remember? What if He changes His mind or we become worse than our covenant-formed family? Unchanging love? It seems that God has a soft spot. He can’t stop loving His family. That means them and you. Jesus reconciles all of our lives, Old to New to Now. Jesus didn’t just sweep away those sins. He let all of our iniquities, every self-determined and destructive choice to live as we want, enter His body. God is a rebel chaser, them, us, and you. And what did He do with all that bounty? He buried it in the depths of the sea forever. Who is a God like you? Thank you Lord Jesus for showing us who God is, then, now, and forever. Need anything buried? It only takes a moment… You will give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers from the days of old. Micah 7:20 New American Standard
What are you learning?Jesus loves the down and out and up and out.Going through the motions doesn’t please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don’t for a moment escape God’s notice. Psalms 51:16-17 The Message What gets God’s attention? Apparently you do when you come before Him with nothing but yourself. There isn’t a formula. There’s just you, it’s all He’s ever wanted. Shattered, broken, empty, or just worn out? It appears that the greatest asset you possess is an unfettered heart. That’s where the Lord is pruning His garden in your life. Jesus paints the image of you abiding in His life. That’s where you find rest, nourishment, and fruit…His Spirit pouring in and through you into other lives. Abiding in Christ, letting your grip on this life loosen, and letting Jesus tend to what is rightfully His…you. He is the only flawless offering that will ever be made, that makes you whole inside and out. Who would ever guess the Bible hid such a secret in plain sight? It wasn’t discovered after a great victory. It wasn’t found through riches. It wasn’t anything you would ever imagine as being treasure in God’s eyes. Although He was rich, He became poor … God, being rich in mercy, even while you were still enemies … He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant. Nothing escapes God’s notice when it comes to your life. God saw immeasurable wealth in a widow’s coin offering. She couldn’t afford to give, but she couldn’t be stopped giving all she had to the One who gave all He had.. for her .. and for you. Who would ever imagine that the emptier you became, the heavier God’s scales weighed? God’s kingdom economy runs on a different currency. He sees the fewest coins, feels the feeblest touch, and blesses the poor in heart. What will you offer the Lord today? It only takes a moment…
GOD'S PICKED UP THE CLEANING TAB Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 English Standard God loves it when we come clean. He knows we’ll never be able to clean out the spots, failings, willfulness, and things we’d like to forget, locked away inside. David had some spots he couldn’t clean away. When he was supposed to be leading, he became ensnared by looking. This moment would change everything about his life and his kingdom forward. It wasn’t until a prophet risked his life by confronting him with these words: “You are the man!”. The callouses around his heart melted away. There were no more rooms inside to hide. It was a heart matter, just as Jesus said it was, and is today. The only thing he could do, or you can do, is invite this Holy God to create something new inside of you, that you would never be able to duplicate, even with all the resources of this created world. A new heart is His gift. It’s the same heart He gave David, except, your new heart carries a Name that changes everything about your going forward. You no longer have to reserve heart-capital to cover your insides breaking out. That takes so much time and energy to manage all those rooms from spilling out. Yes, you get a new heart, surgically replaced by nail-scarred hands. The Holy Spirit cleans out and carries away that old heart, the one that caused all those problems, and never lets you forget. Some Christ-followers even try to salvage something from that old heart. God must smile at the lengths we go to find something good about that terminally diseased blood bank. The blood of Christ cleanses you. There comes a moment when your hear those same heart-piercing words: You are the man .. You are the woman. It is a grace-filled gift when Jesus offers you His resurrection powered heart to live the life He has claimed for you. God loves it when we come clean. It only takes a moment… So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 New American Standard
Who or What is Your Shield? But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. Psalm 3:3-5 English Standard David, a man after God’s own heart, was on the run for his life. A shepherd-King, Messiah lineage, giant killer, and a man after God’s own heart, on the run. Harm, hurt, health, healing, and hate can create lives of desperation and fear. In fact, you don’t have to leave your house to be on the run. No matter where David ran or hid, he knew the Lord was with him. He was once armed with nothing more than a sling and the Name of the God-of-Angel-Armies, the God of Israel. This enemy was his own son, an enemy he refused to stop loving. His son’s eventual death would break his heart. But until that moment occurred, he would hold on to the Faithful and True Defender of his life. The Lord was his shield, a protector and provider. Whether on a throne or hiding in caves, David placed his trust in the Lord and not himself. He sings this song about the God who is the lifter of my head. It’s hard to hold your head up when pressures mount and life ahead is unknown. He never assumed upon the Lord’s glory or help. He cried out, for all to see, and all to remember in song. How could he rest in such circumstances? The Lord sustained him through the night and going forward. Whatever happened ahead was already in the Lord’s hands. That’s where David placed his trust and faith. If you’ve ever been on the run, you know the anxiety of uncertainty. Rest is the last ingredient you ever hope to find. Jesus cried out as well. His pain was the unbearable chasm between sin and His Father’s holy hill. Nevertheless, the Messiah endured all the shame and condemnation nailing Him to that cross, because He knew and trusted in God’s unchanging love. The nails hurt, but the sin He carried was hurting you more and more. When He rose from the dead, He became the lifter of your head. No more running. It only takes a moment…
Subscribe to GraceGripped at https://gracegripped.substack.com/ Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 The Message The disciples knew this: The One who called them to follow Him, prayed differently from anyone they had ever seen. They didn’t know how to pray that way. All they knew was they wanted what they saw in Jesus. 2000 years later, the Apostle Paul’s words to a house church carry the same invitation, instruction, and assurance that living a Christ-filled life came with God’s promise. Every day is filled with “land-minds” that try to divert, distract, and displace you from Jesus. This world has no comparables to Christ’s invitation to to turn your worries and anxieties into prayer. They can be so overwhelming at times that you can’t see anyway to break free. But let God’s Word move in and go to work, worries transform into real prayers and prayers turn into praises. God’s not holding anything back. He knows that worries, fears, and anxieties are very real in this broken world. The Holy Spirit moves into the center of your worries and carries them straight to the Father’s presence. Your part? Just be yourself before Jesus, no pretense, no good-intentioned promises to try harder, and no holding back. God’s part? His peace and wholeness will guard you and settle down inside you. Jesus stands ever ready to displace the worries that seek to suffocate and starve your heart and soul. Would you rather carry them one more day or let Jesus breathe life into those burdened parts? It only takes a moment…
Welcome to the first episode of Grace Gripped, the podcast where we help you on your journey with Jesus Christ starting every single morning. It only takes a moment...