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Thursday, June 6, 2024

Winding country road
Winding Rife Run road north of Manheim, PA.
Brooksyne captured this view from the passenger side.
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

"Effective Grace"

Message summary: Let us join with Paul and together proclaim, "His grace to me was not without effect!"

Listen to our message on your audio player.

"But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect" (1 Corinthians 15:10).

Yesterday I (Stephen) attended a community luncheon and heard a message from Mark Unger, the new executive director of Rainbows End, our local interdenominational youth ministry. Their purpose is expressed, "Our Mission Is To Reach Local Youth With The Life-Changing Gospel Of Jesus Christ". Amen!

Mark UngerMark's message was focused on God's grace and he shared a portion of his testimony. Early in his marriage he came home and found a note from his wife informing him that she didn't love him anymore and was leaving. Mark cried out to God for His help. God heard and answered his cry and their marriage was restored. He and his wife have served the Lord together as a married couple now for 42 years. They experienced one of the effects of God's grace: restoration. Mark has an old testimony, a testament to faithfulness.

While I was at that meeting Brooksyne made a visit to a young lady fighting to overcome drug addiction. She's given us permission to share her photo and story in hopes that readers will pray for her. Brooksyne will tell you a little about her:

EmilyEmily worked at White Oak Display in Palmyra as a temp for an extended period of time. She was a good, dependable worker and in due time was hired full-time. Later on, for several weeks she was not at work. It was then that I learned that she was an addict, had relapsed during a crisis situation and attempted suicide (not her first time). God spared her life and I met with her after her return to work about six to eight weeks ago.

Just twenty-five years old, she received Christ as her personal Savior while serving time in prison (not her first time). A team of Prison Ministry workers from LCBC (Lancaster County Bible Church) led her to Christ and discipled her for several months. After her release she attended church some but needs to solidify her walk with Christ and find accountability in a local church.

I gave her the Life Recovery Bible and study guide last week and she was delighted as that is what she studied in the prison but left it there for others to read. Won't you join us in praying for Emily as she is going to check out one (or more) of the Life Recovery Programs in the Palmyra area. Pray that she will find the one where she is challenged to not only remain abstinent from drugs but she will wholly give her all to Christ and walk in His path of righteousness. There is a lot of baggage she deals with but God can turn those ashes into trophies of His grace. She has two sons, ages 7 and 9, who are autistic and non-verbal.

We pray that like Mark, Emily will experience an effect of God's grace, His restoration. She will have a new testimony which we hope as her life progresses will become an old testimony as she stays faithful to an always faithful God.

In today's text Paul is sharing his personal testimony. The biographical information we have in the book of Acts and Paul's letters truly indicate that the grace of God made a wonderful change in his life. Today we focus on the phrase, "His grace to me was not without effect".

I can imagine when people first heard of the Apostle Paul's (Saul at that time) conversion they shook their heads in disbelief, "Oh, I can't believe he could ever change!"

Then years later when Paul shared his testimony and people heard his violent past and persecution of the church, they surely shook their heads in disbelief, "Oh, I can't believe he was ever like that!"

Can you think of some people who’ve changed like that?

In his own written testimony Paul states, "I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man" and "the worst of sinners" (see 1 Timothy 1:12-17).

But the one time persecutor became the persecuted. He who had consented to the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1) was himself stoned (2 Corinthians 11:25). Years later Paul was able to declare this marvelous truth, "His grace to me was not without effect".

Authentic grace makes a major difference in one's life. Titus 2:11,12 states, "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." For some the change is more dramatic than others, but genuine grace will always bring about transformation in every recipient.

What about you today?
  • Do you need to turn you life over to Christ? Repent!
  • Has Christ changed your life?  Rejoice!
  • Is He still working on you? Respond and be resolute in your walk with Jesus!
Let us join with Paul and proclaim together, "His grace to me was not without effect!"

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying man Daily prayer: Father, only through the death of Your Son could we know the full extent of Your grace. Though our sins bring untold loss, Your grace brings infinite gain. Your grace exceeds our rebellion and points us to the Refuge for our weak and sin-filled souls. Thank You, Father!  You don't grant a partial pardon, but You extend a full pardon to all who call upon Your name. Your grace is incomprehensible, infinite, and indiscriminate to all of Your creation. Help us to extend grace to others as You have richly extended Your grace to us.  Amen.


Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Abide"  Watch on YouTube   Aaron Williams

For my waking breath
For my daily bread
I depend on You
I depend on You

You’re the way the truth and the life
You’re the well that never runs dry
I’m the branch and You are the vine
Draw me close and teach me to abide

Brooksyne's note: We recently heard this on the radio and it was new to us. I can't get the tune or thoughtful lyrics out of my mind and forwarded it to several who are going through major struggles. The lyrics drive home the fact that we must depend on Christ from our "waking breath" in the morning to our "last breath" at the end of life as we know it on this side of glory. If you find yourself anxious, lacking peace, or you know someone who might be caught up in fear due to their life circumstances listen to this song and pass it on to those who might benefit.

Be my strength, my song in the night
Be my all, my treasure, my prize
I am Yours, forever Your mine
Draw me close and teach me to abide

When I pass through death as I enter rest
I depend on You, I depend on You
For eternal life to be raised with Christ
I depend on You, I depend on You

Rainbows End Youth Services

Note from Melodie, a local reader: Your "stranger" story brings to mind something that happened to us when our youngest was a toddler. We went to visit relatives down in Texas. My aunt, who was brought up in Pennsylvania went to pick him up and remarked, "He's not strange, is he"? Her son, my cousin, said, "Mom, what a terrible thing to say!" But I knew she meant he wasn't afraid of her. Different meanings in different areas.

Melodie's story reminds me (Brooksyne) of the years we spent in New England (1993-2001). We had to adjust not only to their accents but their idioms sometimes had different meanings than what we were familiar with, for instance: In church one Sunday I heard a mother scolding her six year old, "Tommy, don't get fresh with me!" In Northern PA and the Midwest where we had previously lived, that meant, "Stop flirting with me" indicating someone who had a sexual interest in another. (a peculiar expression from a mother to her son!) After awhile I heard many parents say "Don't be fresh with me" and in that area "fresh" means the child is being disrespectful!

Log house with pigs
Driving through a rural section of Dauphin County yesterday Brooksyne passed this interesting setting, a pig trying to get a peek inside a log house. (Well actually they are fake pigs but it sure does catch your attention as you drive by!)

Ashcombe tractor
Here's another photo I took at Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouse near Mechanicsburg, PA on Tuesday afternoon. For many years I have been intrigued by these old tractors left in the field. My favorite is one we passed near the Amana Colonies in Iowa. See photo. We don't know the story behind the sunken tractor, but wonder if the farmer got stuck one day and decided he was done with farming.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

Restored one room schoolhouse
This restored one room schoolhouse along PA Rt 772 between Mount Joy and Manheim is now a meeting place sponsored by a local church. Many bikes pass by so they have a "Welcome Bikers" sign and have installed a water fountain and a bike repair station.
(Click on photo to enlarge.)

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