For full disclosure, I want to say up front that this was inspired by a talk that is part of series of talks for the Walk to Emmaus.  The talk is always given by clergy and is titled Obstacles to Grace.  This is not that talk, but it is somewhat inspired by it.  I thought I’d share a bit about the obstacles to grace that we sometimes put between us and God and between us and others. First I want to say that God’s grace is free.   It is endless.  It is for everyone.   It is amazing to me that we are even extended God’s grace, because we certainly don’t deserve it! It is amazing to me that He provides us with anything at all, especially His Grace. What is grace?  Unmerited favor…. It is a gift freely given - the recipient having done nothing to deserve it, and no expectation of paying it back or requirement for paying it forward.  Several years ago, we did a lock in for the youth where Pastor Gil Hubbard was tasked w...

We are studying Miracles - I've already mentioned that in an earlier post .   I just completed my first pass at doing this week's lesson which is about the parting of the Red Sea. Then I picked up another study I was doing with another group of people called Fruit of the Spirit . The rest of the group has already completed the study but I wanted to do it anyway. The "fruit" for this lesson is self-control.  This is one I would have liked to do with other people. I think this is one of the fruits I'm most lacking!! Anyway, the lesson uses 1 Samuel 26 to illustrate self-control. David has the opportunity to kill Saul, who'd been pursuing him relentlessly. David exhibits an extreme amount of self-control when he chooses not to kill Saul and not to let his comrade kill him either. You see, they sneak into Saul's camp full of 6000 of Saul's chosen men and steal Saul's water jug and spear that were near Saul's head.  Saul was sleeping in the cent...