24 January 2021
Two-Minute Features | 31 January 2021 | 17 January 2021

Within Our Own Ability, or God's Ability? (TMF:1535)

Friday, January 29, 2021
Peace to Live By: Within Our Own Ability, or God's Ability? (TMF:1535) - Daniel Litton
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       Like Indiana Jones did in the third installment of the movie franchise, we are going to have to step forward and out over the cliff, the canyon, even when we cannot see the bridge, when it is invisible. Will you today make the choice to live like this? Or, are you going to play it safe, do it your own safe, comfortable way, within your own ability, and not through God’s grace? Reading verse 2 again: “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (ESV). So, we are to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Obviously, this is not a one time thing for us, but it is a continual thing that we do over and over. It is an outward look, an eager anticipation, of what we will ultimately be. It is, “seek[ing] the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”

Live By Our Own Efforts or God's Grace? (TMF:1534)

Thursday, January 28, 2021
Peace to Live By: Live By Our Own Efforts or God's Grace? (TMF:1534) - Daniel Litton
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       It means that grace doesn’t come from us. It’s not something we conjure up with our own strength or ability. It is something that we have to depend on God for. It is something that continually, supernaturally, comes from God himself, on a daily basis. Sure, we can live by our own strength and ability, and think and say we are living by grace, but we certainly are not going to see the true results of grace in that case. You see, we can either live by our own efforts, or we can live by God’s grace. God urges us to live by his grace, but that means we’re going to have to take risks. We’re going to have to live without knowing all the answers in our personal situation. Like Indiana Jones did in the third installment of the movie franchise, we are going to have to step forward and out over the cliff, the canyon, even when we cannot see the bridge, when it is invisible.

God Asks Us to Give Up Control, Part 2 (TMF:1533)

Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Peace to Live By: God Asks Us to Give Up Control, Part 2 (TMF:1533) - Daniel Litton
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       But God asks us not to be in control. He wants to be in control. Now, for those of you who didn’t have a heart attack and are still listening, we know that when we give up control, we what? Well, we give up the ability to keep ourselves secure. Oh no. Giving up our security, this is asking a lot. We have to depend on God for our security. We have to come to God fully dependent on him that he will keep us safe, he will give us what we need, he will keep our reputations secure. We can either try to control those things ourselves (and remember, we’re not really in control even when we feel like we are), or we can let God take control of those things. What does all this mean, in finishing up our discussion on grace? It means that grace doesn’t come from us. It’s not something we conjure up with our own strength or ability. It is something that we have to depend on God for.

God Asks Us to Give Up Control, Part 1 (TMF:1532)

Tuesday, January 26, 2021
Peace to Live By: God Asks Us to Give Up Control, Part 1 (TMF:1532) - Daniel Litton
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       If he says we can do it by and through his grace, then his grace is really all we need. This goes against the very core of the natural, logically minded, powerless Christian. We have to come to the place where, no matter what we personally feel or reason within our minds, we have to nevertheless move out in God’s grace to accomplish whatever God wants to accomplish in us and through us. I’ve stated in the past that we like to come up with and have answers to everything in our minds. However, that’s not living by God’s grace. To state it plainly, are you ready? To state it plainly God asks us to give up control. To some of you out there that was like a bolt of lightning striking right at where you are sitting. You base your whole lives on being in control. You live and thrive by being in control. But God asks us not to be in control.

What Does Living By Grace Look Like? (TMF:1531)

Monday, January 25, 2021
Peace to Live By: What Does Living By Grace Look Like? (TMF:1531) - Daniel Litton
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       So, we live by grace through faith. But what does this look like?If I am to live by God’s grace, that means that I don’t depend on my own ability. I don’t depend on my own power to be able to accomplish this or that for God, or for others. Now, it is getting interesting. So, grace is God moving me, or perhaps pushing me out beyond what I feel I can personally handle, do, or accomplish. It is God leading a person to go beyond his or her own potential. I talked about the Christian deist’s perspective several weeks ago, at the beginning of our study, and recall I said the deist wants to live in a state where everything is natural, it’s all understandable and all figured out. That’s not living by God’s grace. God wants to move us out of our comfort zones, so that we depend on him.