Grace for All

2 Timothy 1:7

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 

I do not consider myself a strong person. I have faced adversity and been able to stand up and even guide others through difficult times, but my natural inclination is to retreat and turn inward. It is only through God’s provision of power that I am able to behave in a courageous manner in stressful circumstances. It is the assurance of his Love and his commandment to love others that enables my efforts.

Self-discipline is ano...

Colossians 3:15

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

STRESS, everyone seems so stressed. Is this new? I don’t really think so. Life is stressful. It’s not going to change. Nothing I say here will change how the world and human society operates.

I could say that I’m too busy to write this; too busy to listen, too busy to notice, too busy to care, too busy to help, too busy to love.

I co...

Psalm 34:4

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

I remember as a child being afraid of many things: spiders, heights, talking to strangers, nightmares, and even pulling sweaters over my head! One way I was able to cope with nightmares was to imagine my nose as a “radio knob” and turn it slightly to “Change the Channel”! 

While I’ve gotten over being afraid of many of these things, new and different fears emerged as I got older. Some of these were:

Fear of chronic...

Deuteronomy 31:7-8, CEB

Then Moses called Joshua and, with all Israel watching, said to him: “Be strong and fearless because you are the one who will lead this people to the land the Lord swore to their ancestors to give to them; you are the one who will divide up the land for them. But the Lord is the one who is marching before you! He is the one who will be with you! He won’t let you down. He won’t abandon you. So don’t be afraid or scared!"

Let’s set the sc...

Thank you for joining us for today's Grace for All podcast.

On Saturdays, we pause for a few moments to look back on our week and to review the scriptures that we have used in our podcast.

We encourage you, after listening to this episode, to go back and listen to the episodes you missed, or to review the ones that were particularly meaningful for you. We trust that the thoughts that we have shared with you this week have provided a full portion of the joy, peace, and love of Jesus Christ.

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Matthew 6: 14-15 

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

The night of November 14, 1940, the industrial city of Coventry, in the English Midlands, was attacked by 500 German bombers. The pilots first dropped incendiaries, firebombs, to light up their targets. It was the firebombs that ignited the wooden roof of St. Michael’s Cathedral, and the most sacred space in central England burned to the ground.

The next day, sifting through the ruins, the cathedral stonemason fou...

John 16:33 (NIV)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

This scripture appears in the Gospel of John, as part of Jesus’ long soliloquy to the disciples preparing them for his departure. It provides the transition between the Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus. The disciples are confused and troubled by Jesus’ words. It is only after his death and resurrection and appearance in their midst that they begin to understand.

Over 2000 years later, w...

Isaiah 30: 15 (New Living Translation)

In quietness and confidence is your strength.

A dear friend and mentor of mine, a long time children’s Sunday School teacher taught me to memorize and keep a “pocket verse” always with me.  Today’s scripture is my pocket verse.  I even have a small, framed version given to me by friends.  

Truth is, if I don’t pay attention and allow it, I become a stressed worrier.  I can play “could have, should have, would have, and what if” with the best of you.  When I find myself in a stressful or tense...

Isaiah 41:10 (Common English Bible) 

Don’t fear, because I am with you; don’t be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will surely help you; I will hold you with my righteous strong hand.

I recall a story I heard a pastor tell. His granddaughter and another girl got into a lively game of comparison.  One would say what they could do and then the other would come back with something even better.  Finally his granddaughter said, “I can walk fifty-nine miles.”  The other girl said, “You can’t!” His granddaughter then said, I can take m...

Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Before I retired I had a habit that was as regular as the sunrise. As soon as dinner was finished on Sunday night, I realized that the weekend was essentially over and I started thinking about the week to come. I'm not a checklist person, and this exercise rarely produced anything on paper. I just rehearsed the meetings I knew were coming up, situations I needed to handle, and other significant events I was expecting...