What made God choose Abraham? The reality is there was nothing about who Abraham was or what he did that qualified him for God’s grace. God simply chose Abraham by His grace. Then after giving Abraham some amazing promises, God did something that would have shocked Abraham and confirmed in the clearest possible way how strong God’s one way love for Abraham was. In this we need to remember “As we have been loved by God, so we are to love others.”
Transformation
How does a “Son of Thunder” become a disciple Jesus loved? What changes John? We are not yet perfect, but we press on in eager expectation of perfection (1 Jn 3:1-3). We are characterized by God’s love in us, our love for God, and love for others (Jn 17:1-3, 20-26).
Connect in Service, Connects #3
Connect in Service is the 3rd of our 4 Connects language. We are called and equipped by God to be able to serve others. We can sometimes see the call to service as an addition to our already busy schedules. But Jesus in the Great Commission instructs us to see service not as an addition to our schedule, but as the underlying purpose in what we are already doing.
Examine, Steps to Freedom #3
Work your way through this message in dealing with guilt, accepting responsibility, asking God for forgiveness, admitting your faults to another person, accepting God’s forgiveness, and forgiving yourself.