The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2013-07-25, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2013. By Pastor Andrew Versteeg Brussels Community Bible Chapel ‘Grace.’ We use this word a lot around the church because it is such a wonderful word. We love to talk about God’s grace. Some of our favorite verses in the Bible speak about God’s grace in the context of being saved. Ephesians 2:8 says that we “have been saved by grace and through faith, and this is not from ourselves but it is a gift from God.” Grace means that God has been kind and merciful to us even when we have not deserved this. In reality what we deserve is God’s judgment, but instead He has chosen to extend grace to us. A thought has struck me recently, one that I have been praying about and seeking God’s help to implement in my life: “Grace always goes where it is not deserved”. The only place where you will find grace is where it is not deserved. By the very definition of the word this must be true and it is true. You will not always find grace there, but if you do find grace anywhere, you will find it where it is not deserved. At times I find this so hard to implement in my own life. I usually want to get even and settle the score or return a hurt that has been done to me. Somehow that makes me feel strong and in charge, but in reality it actually highlights my weakness and insecurity. Grace forgives and extends kindness even when it has not been asked for or appreciated. So what does grace accomplish? God’s grace in our lives accomplishes change that leads us to receiving Jesus as our Saviour. Romans 2:4 says, “the kindness of God leads you to repentance.” This is so different than the way we usually act. If we want someone to learn to stay in line or change their ways to become a better person, we usually try to inflict some kind of hardship or misery on them and make things extra hard for them, thinking then they will learn. But that is not really teaching them to love to do what is right, that is teaching them to conform because of the threat of punishment. God’s way is different. He wants us to learn to love to do what is right and good. He wants this to be the leading desire in our life; to do what is good because this brings us joy and pleasure and honours Him. God does this by extending His kindness to us by grace. God does have a standard of righteousness and that is found in the law and generally the law is effective because of the threat of punishment. A survey was once conducted where the people were asked what would keep them from mugging an elderly woman on the street. Most answered that they would not do this because they did not want to go to jail. We try to keep the law because we are afraid of punishment. But the law does not change our hearts, only God’s grace changes our hearts. When I became a Christian what caused me to turn to God was His kindness. I realized that I was fully deserving of God’s justice and judgment, but then I realized He had come to me and was extending grace and forgiveness. He broke my hard heart with His love and He continues to do this today. Many times I have sinned even as a Christian, but I have always found that He has met me with grace and not with the law. God’s word says, “the grace of God has appeared” (Titus 2:11). This is talking about Jesus Christ. God has extended His grace to us through the Lord Jesus. The reason why God can be gracious to us is because Jesus took the punishment for our sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. Now the Lord comes offering grace. He comes to us with terms of peace and forgiveness. Every day we live is another day of grace in which the Lord is offering to us mercy and love. A man at church recently received God’s grace. His words were, “I don’t really know how to describe it, except that everything is different and good.” He said this not because his circumstances in life had changed; he still goes to work every day, etc. What makes everything look good and new is that now everything between him and God is good. We can face hard times in life but if we have this certainty in our hearts that everything between us and God is good, then we can face anything with certainty and hope. There is no fear of meeting God any longer. This assurance can be ours by trusting in Jesus Christ for our salvation. Continued from page 15 morning. Sturzenegger says picking agriculture as his career was natural. “I knew it, I grew up with it,” he says, adding “it’s not a job, I find it a pleasure.” He attended the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus for a diploma in agriculture. “I hope I can keep milking cows... keep going with the farm my dad built up,” he says. He has some plans for the future. He likes finding ways to reduce energy costs around the farm. The most recent project is a solar array on the roof of the milkhouse to heat the hot water. He considers himself a jack of all trades, saying “I just like to tinker with stuff.” He has rebuilt a tractor and recently renovated an entire house. “I play broomball,” he says about how he spends his free time. He also has a garden and keeps a few chickens. “I just think it’s fun,” he says about farming in general. He says he hopes he can eventually take over the family farm and make farming a lifelong passion for him. Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m. CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS MINISTER Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div. All Welcome MUSIC DIRECTOR Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224 NEW START TIME FOR WORSHIP IS 10 AM ALL WELCOME Worship Service & Sunday School at 10 a.m. Youre Invited to come worship with us Sunday, July 28 Brussels Business & Cultural Centre at 10:30 a.m. Sunday School for children 4 to 11 years of age at 9:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. service at various locations for July and August. Childcare provided for infants and preschoolers during the sermon. Coffee & cookies after the morning service For additional details please contact Pastor Andrew Versteeg 519.887.8621 Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173 Start Building A Better Life This Sunday @ Huron Chapel 10:30 am every Sunday - www. huronchapel.com t S t Bar T uSsih @yadn oruH@ ahCno lepa 1 T vema03:01 uSsih yadnuSyrev @yadn h.www-y oruH@ epahcnoru ahCno moc.l lepa You’re Invited To Join Us In Worship SUNDAYS Morning Service 10:00 am Evening Service 7:30 pm BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743 www.blythcrc.ca Minister: Pastor Gary Van Leeuwen BRUSSELS Sandra Cable, Pastor ~ Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship United Church Church is closed for the month of July You are welcome to worship at Blyth United or Melville Presbyterian, Brussels MELVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BRUSSELS Rev. Elwin Garland SUNDAY, JULY 28 Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available 519-887-9017 10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship - Sunday School getlivingwater.org Living Water Christian Fellowship 10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School at 308 Blyth Rd. (former Church of God) Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848 July 28: Ps. 106:16ff Evangelical Missionary Church “Steppin’ Time: Taking Initiative” Holy Communion August 4-25: Visitation Sundays 250 Princess St., Brussels 519-887-6388 www.bmfchurch.com Pastor Jim Whitehead Guests Welcome Jesus Is Lord! Brussels Mennonite Fellowship Worship Service 10:00 am Coffee & Fellowship From the Minister’s StudyGod’s grace can lead you to something great Beef Club holds fifth meeting Passion keeps farming alive The fifth meeting of the Lucknow Beef Club was held on June 23 at Bryon and Jean Black’s farm. The meeting began by the members saying the 4-H pledge. Following the pledge, Brent Black led the roll call. The roll call was “name a part of a beef animal and its use.” Then Tyler Murray read the minutes from the last meeting. After that, Connor Rodger read the treasurer’s report. Heather Barger gave members an update on the show at the Dungannon Fair. Along with that, Tyler provided an update on Fun Day. Next on the agenda was judging bread, market chickens, hay and breeding heifers. Brent Black and Greg Higgins gave the official reasons. Then Cathy Drennan and Kristina Drennan put the 4-H members into two teams to practise for “Go for the Gold”. The meeting ended with snacks. BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED