Thought For the Week

Dear Friends, It’s been a while since I sent you a quote from Charles Spurgeon, so I thought I would remedy that! He was such a gifted communicator of Scriptural truth. This particular quote has to do with God's glorious grace in bringing people to salvation. Read them, ponder them, wrestle with them, and then go and compare them to Scripture. Or think back on your own pre-conversion and conversion experience. I trust they will edify and bless your hearts as much as they have mine. Enjoy.   "I hear someone murmur, 'God will not give grace to those who do not repent.' I reply, ‘God gives people grace to repent and no person ever repents until grace is first given to them to lead them to repentance.’ 'But God will not give his grace to those who won't believe,' says another. I reply, ‘God gives grace to men by which they are moved to believe. It is through the grace of God that they are brought to faith.’”   Or as he says elsewhere: “I must conf...

Greetings All, This week’s "thought" comes to you from Beth Moore. It’s found in her book, "Voices of the Faithful - Inspiring Stories of Courage from Christians Around the World.” It has to do with the rare (at least in the West) Christian virtue of contentment. Amazingly Paul told us the secret of contentment in Philippians 4:11-13: “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all this through Christ who strengthens me.” (NIV)   Verse 13 is often quoted (usually out of context) for strength to excel in sports, or get ahead in life, or any multitude of other things, when in its context the strength Paul was talking about was the strength it took to be content when he was "in need" or "had plenty." And it is good to remember that when Paul says he had "plenty” or was “well-fed,” he was not talking of being rich! He was talking of those times when h...

Dear Friends, This week’s 'thought' comes from a pastor named Jud Wilhite who planted a church in "Sin City" (Las Vegas), though he now affectionately calls it "Grace City." In fact, that's what his book is about – “God's grace reaching down to people caught up in sin.” It's title is: "Stripped - Uncensored Grace on the Streets of Vegas." The book was handed to me by a person in my church who said: "I think you'll like it. This is what you've been trying to tell us since you came." She had placed a little bookmark at the spot where the selection for today occurs. I offer it to you as one who, like the author, believes that the church of Jesus Christ is the world's hope - the Body through which He ministers His extravagant grace, as we reach out to those around us in word and deed. I send it out with the earnest hope that maybe Jud (to some small degree) will convince you of the fact that the world really does need ...