The Balanced Life (4) The Application of Balance John 8:1-11
Theme: How to balance living by grace and truth in our daily lives
Introduction: Today, we are finishing a series we have been calling ”The Balanced Life” and we have been talking about the balance between grace and truth. One of the disciples of Jesus, named John, said about Jesus, ”He…who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) My desire for us as individual believers and us as a church to be so full of Jesus, that we be filled and balanced with grace and truth.
In our text today, we read a story about a woman who had been literally caught red-handed, committing a crime. This woman had literally been caught in the very act of adultery. Now regardless of where you are spiritually or morally, you should see yourself in this story. In fact, we are all in this story, and we can all learn a life-changing lesson from this story. We are going to learn today how we should see others the way God sees us, and we are going to see the application of grace and truth in perfectly balanced harmony.
Conclusion: Well, here we are again with another soul we don’t know her name, but I’m glad we know her story, because no story gives the application of the balance of grace and truth and how Jesus was filled with both better than this story.
What we need to be, and will be, if we are full of Jesus, is someone and a church, who in a spirit of grace will always love people enough to tell them the truth! So, there is the application of the balanced life. There is grace and there is truth.
There is redemption, but there is repentance. There is ”I forgive your sin”, but there is also, ”Now you go and forsake your sin.”
I’m so glad to see the reality of the grace and truth of Jesus in my life. I pray you are too.
Listening Guide The Balanced Life Part 4 The Application of Balance
November 12, 2023 Service and Sermon The Application of Balance
The Balanced Life (Part 3) You Can Handle the Truth John 8:31-32
Theme; Truth is not subjective, it is settled in Jesus
Introduction: Whether you saw the movie or not, you probably know the famous statement, “You can’t handle the truth!” which comes from a scene in the movie “A Few Good Men” (1992). It is a famous line, made famous by a great movie. But unlike the movies, and unfortunately today, we are living in a culture that either cannot handle the truth, and in some cases, even, mishandles the truth, and in the worst cases doesn’t want to rightly handle the truth. That is even true when it comes to the church.
Today we are going to look into a small part of a long conversation that Jesus had through some people who needed to hear the truth about truth. In just two sentences, Jesus said there is such a thing as truth and not just ”a” truth, but ”the” truth. What Jesus said about “the” truth tells us three things we must always do with truth.
Listening Guide The Balanced Life Part 3 You Can Handle the Truth
November 5, 2023 Service and Sermon You Can Handle the Truth
The Balanced Life (Part 2) When Grace Came In (Luke 7:36-50)
Theme: Understanding “we all” need Grace
Introduction: In our world today, prestige is the name of the game. To be among the elite is the desire of many. Back in the days of Jesus there was an exclusive club, and it was known as the pharisees. It was a big deal if you got invited to dine at the house of a pharisee.
Today, we are going to look at a party that a pharisee threw for Jesus that reveals that someone present didn’t belong there, but it turns out to be one of the greatest pictures of grace and one of the things that made Jesus so magnetic to so many people that you will ever see.
What we are about to read in this story is going to show you a Jesus full of grace, and why grace is truly so amazing.
Conclusion: Let me encourage you to take a moment and start seeing things differently in light of the events of this party, specifically three things.
- See yourself the way you really are. Just like everyone else a sinner in need of grace.
- See others the way they are. No worse than you are and no better than you are. Just sinners in need of grace.
- See Jesus the way He is – always full of grace that we all fully need. Just listen to how the party ends. (Lk 7:49-50)
Listening Guide The Balanced Life Part 2 When Grace Came In
October 29, 2023 Service and Sermon The Balanced Life (Part 2) When Grace Came In
The Balanced Life (Part 1) (John 1:14-17)
Theme: Understanding we need to live by grace and truth
Balance
Introduction: Jesus was perfectly balanced. He was full of grace and truth. Now, when you are full of Jesus you will be full of grace and truth. When a church is full of Jesus, it will be full of grace and truth. For Jesus, it just came naturally. With Jesus, grace and truth were always perfectly balanced. He never shared grace at the expense of truth, and He never spoke truth at the expense of grace. He was balanced. As we begin this series, I want to share with you why we as a church need to be balanced, and why we as Christians our individual lives need to be balanced, and why this balance is so very, very important.
Over the next few weeks, we are going to be looking at how Jesus, at times, was full of grace, and at times, full of truth, and then always full of grace, and truth. Let me share why we need both…
Conclusion: What I want people to see in our church and in us today, is Christians who in a spirit of grace, love people enough to tell them the truth.
What can you do today? Every one of us here in this room tend to tip the scale towards one or the other. Most of us tend to be more of a truther or a gracer. Now which way do you lean? Your answer reveals where you need to become more like Jesus and fuller of
Listening Guide The Balanced Life Part 1 Understanding the Balance
October 22, 2023 Service and Sermon The Balanced Life Part 1 Understanding the Balance
