The human race has made a fine art out of judging the faults and foibles of others, while at the same time overlooking and excusing our own. It is the nature of people of all times and places to point out the shortcomings, sins, and slip-ups of others, and pass judgment on what would be appropriate punishment. All the while, of course, ignoring our own screw-ups and scandals. What if we each got what we deserved? We might decide that that the idea of justice, in general, was overrated. What if we each got what we deserved from God? What if we were each judged according to God's perfect standard of generosity, forgiveness, and compassion? And not just for what we did - or didn't - do, but for what we felt in our hearts and thought in our minds? Good thing for us that God is not just generous, forgiving and compassionate, but he is also merciful, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. God's love not only knows no bounds, God is relentless in pursuing us with God's goodness, grace and mercy. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXxLGeuTUug

When one fisher came home without any fish, he was asked, "I thought you were going fishing? Why don't you have any fish?" To which the fisher responded, "I said I was going fishing, not catching." A. K. Best said, "The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad." A large part of fishing is casting the line and waiting, casting the line and waiting, and casting it yet again. You get as many chances as you have time for. And if you are good - or lucky - you might even catch a fish. Not everything in life offers so many chances at success. Final exams, the "court of last resort," and the third strike are all definitive. Once you've reached these, you've had all the chances you are going to get. Jonah may have thought he was out of chances when he found himself in the belly of a great fish. But even though he had disobeyed and run from God, God gave him a second chance. Our God is a God of second, third, fourth, fifth and even sixth chances. In fact, God is a God of unlimited chances. Think you've tested and tried God to his limits? Think again. God is just waiting to give you another chance. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yChYt-FOf2w

It's nearly impossible to escape the messages and images that push us to be more and do more. If only we will buy the right car and dress like the influencers, then we will be popular and 'in.' If only we will be seen in the best places and hang out with the right people, then we will be happy. If only we will lose a few pounds, erase a few wrinkles, and keep our style up-to-date, then we will finally be loved. The world constantly calls us to be a certain way so that we will be loved. But Jesus says you are already loved, just as you are. And that in fact, there is nothing of this world (or in ourselves) that can separate us from that love. No need to go searching for love in this New Year... you are already loved! Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlo74IH1j_Q

On any given adventure, we might have some fun; it’s certainly going to be exciting; and it will likely be scary at moments. But always, we will have the opportunity to explore new things, try something unfamiliar, and discover various ways of doing things. Whether we are exploring a part of town new to us or blazing a new trail through an unexplored part of a jungle, opportunities abound for experimenting and learning when we are on an adventure. True adventurers love this part of the adventure - striking out into the unknown to see what new things await. Some are less enthusiastic about new things and new ways of doing things. But the good news is that when you adventure, explore, and experiment with God as your guide, there’s really no risk - only learning, growing, and blessing! Worship link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggkzgUW_MEo

"When I find the perfect person, I'll consider a committed relationship." "When my significant other and I have enough money saved, enough debt paid off, and a house purchased, then we'll get married." "When we get the rest of our lives in order and we can afford to raise a child, we'll consider having children." There is value in having goals and a sense of what's important in your life. The wisdom to "not get the horse in front of the cart" has merit. But the fact of the matter is, if we wait until all the conditions of our lives are just right before taking the next big step, we'll never move at all. Rarely does the perfect job present itself at just the right time. Rarely are all conditions ideal for taking that big risk. And when we first take up with Jesus, rarely are we fully equipped to live the life to which he calls us. The good news is that God's grace continues on, not only calling us to new life, but creating that new life in us. God's grace not only woos and welcomes us, it goes with us into this new life and grows us in Christ-like ways. We don't have to have our lives together to walk with Jesus. We certainly don't have to be perfect. Grace calls us to new life and then gives us the power to actually pull it off. Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bWjFeSXKxo

Colleges have them; sororities and fraternities have them; private clubs and swanky restaurants have them. What do these all have? Entrance requirements. To enter and enjoy the benefits of these places and organizations, persons must do certain things and/or meet certain criteria. The onus is on the applicant or prospective customer to prove that they have the qualifications, the resume, the income, the look or the character to be accepted into the group or activity. God has quite a different strategy for filling his house. He simply opens the door and invites people in. No entrance exam, no income requirements, not even a dress code. Where grace is, you are welcome. And where God is, there is grace. "The door's unlocked, come on in!" Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4wbHqxoD2U&t=25s

(We are the beloved of God, and because God loves us so deeply, God never stops pursuing us, drawing us to God's self, or growing us in love and grace.) Grace is a word that carries all sorts of meanings and connotations in the modern English language… * We say “grace” at a meal to offer a prayer of thanks. * To be “graceful” or “gracious” suggests that one is courteous, kind, and pleasant. * We might say someone moves with “grace” when they are elegant and move with ease. But as a word we use in talking about the Christian faith it carries a very specific meaning and sits at the center of our understanding of who God is and how we experience God’s care for us. The Christian faith teaches that grace is “… the love and mercy given to us by God, because God wants us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it.” (umc.org) John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist tradition gave us a significant and rich understanding of how God’s grace woos us, claims us, and grows us in Christ-likeness. Wesley understood grace as God’s active presence in our lives giving us the power to respond to God and live a victorious life in Christ. Songwriter Matthew West sums up the power and promise of God at work in our lives with these words: Grace Wins. As we make our way through each day, face challenges of all kinds, suffer hardships and hurts; as we doubt, despair, and deal with all manner of disappointment, the Bible, John Wesley and Matthew West all remind us that God is at work for our good... that because God loves us so dearly and so deeply, God's desire for us is unstoppable.... and God’s grace always wins! Worship Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Xcw9sLegjA