Scandalous Grace Day 1
Day 1: The Scandal of Grace
God's grace creates both unity and division, as seen in Acts 14 through Paul and Barnabas's ministry. While grace transforms lives completely, it also offends human pride and self-righteousness. Many reject grace because it challenges their belief in earning salvation through good works, religious performance, or personal merit. The appropriate response to rejection includes perseverance, dependence on God, and wisdom in ministry. True biblical grace remains scandalous because it freely gives what we could never earn - perfect righteousness, forgiveness, and eternal life through Christ.
View Sermon HERE
Devotional
Have you ever received a gift that felt too generous to accept? Maybe you tried to refuse it or insisted on paying something in return. That's often our reaction to God's grace - it feels too good to be true. We want to earn it, deserve it, or at least contribute something to it. But true grace, by definition, is unearned and undeserved. It's a gift that comes with no strings attached, and that's what makes it both beautiful and scandalous. When we truly understand grace, it confronts our pride and challenges our deep-seated belief that we must earn everything we receive. God's grace tells us that our salvation isn't about our performance, our goodness, or our religious efforts. It's entirely about His love and Christ's finished work.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9
Reflection Question
What areas of your life do you still try to earn God's favor instead of resting in His grace?
Grace, real biblical grace, isn't just beautiful, it's scandalous.
It offends our pride. It confronts our self righteousness.
It overturns everything that we think we have earned.
~Pastor Mike Mura
Prayer
Lord, help me to embrace the gift of Your grace fully. Break down the walls of pride and self-reliance that keep me from accepting Your free gift. Thank You that I don't have to earn Your love. Amen.