May 18
Grace is a great equalizer because every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. (Gray, Derwin “The Good Life” pg. 155)
Day 84 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. The fall of Mariupol is almost complete. Ukrainian leaders have convinced the brave fighters in the steel mill to surrender. A few hundred of these gravely wounded men were transported to Russian held territory yesterday. I pray, as I hope you will too, that Russian forces do the moral and humane act of treating these men as prisoners-of-war: tending to their injuries, providing basic needs. But after seeing how Russia treats civilians on the battleground, it can easily be expected that these men will be killed in their captivity. AP News wrote an intimate piece about one brave man who volunteered for the war just a month before it broke out, and was recently buried by his family. Click here to read a touching piece that makes this evil battle a little more personal.
I love the line at the start of this post from Dr. Derwin Gray: “every saint has a past and every sinner has a future”. This is such a comfortable way to view grace, simply no one is perfect and no one is past the point of no return to receive the grace Jesus has opened for everyone. In Chapter Seven of “The Good Life”, Dr. Gray does a wonderful job showing that grace empowers us to find forgiveness for our mistakes and move forward, living a life free from sin.
Pastor Steven Furtick gave a POWERFUL sermon this past weekend speaking about how we can not always control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to those events. In “Bent Knees Break Chains”, Pastor Furtick teaches us how always going to prayer and God can provide the greatest results. By giving the control of your life to God, you control more of your life.
Benjamin Hastings, an iconic voice from Hillsong United, is soon to release his first solo project. In the meantime, here is the newest single he has shared with the world. Click below to hear this great new anthem about praising God throughout the storms, praising Him “Anyway.”
Common Sense Reborn 