I really love my job. Yes, I have a job. Getting to hang with students on Wednesday nights and hear all about their lives is so fun for me. Now I will tell you that you couldn't pay me all the money in the world to return back to middle school or high school but I do enjoy getting to be on the outside looking in and offer advice when they ask for it!
Now, as much as I love Alive during the Summer, there's just something about kicking off Alive in the Fall. Maybe it's because everyone's back in the swing of things and everything is "normal" (are things ever normal in student ministry?) again.
Last night we kicked off the Fall with Lord Have Mercy. Hux is talking about living a life in view of God's mercy; how we've all been found guilty yet God has withheld what we truly deserve.
"But because of his great love for us, who is rich in mercy, made us ALIVE in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2:4-5
"Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1
Without Jesus, we're flatlining.
God is rich in his mercies. God hasn't had mercy on us once, but he has had mercies upon mercies on us daily.
At one point, we've all cried out for mercy. Without mercy, we'd experience a life without a relationship with Jesus. "Praise be to the Lord for he has heard my cry for mercy." Psalm 28:6
We didn't have to do a single thing for him to pour out his mercies upon us. The CROSS is the PROOF that he acted upon his compassion.
"He saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy..." Titus 3:5
If we could earn our salvation, we'd lose it every single day.
"Have mercy on me , O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." Psalm 51:1-2God CHOOSES to give us mercy despite our sinfulness.
Mercy is compassion in action.
"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly." Romans 5:6God is always on time! Even before we began to beg for mercy, He died for us.
"Mercy forgives the guilty & pities the helpless. -John Piper
God's ultimate concern was to deliver man from his state of sin & misery.
"Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16
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