Pastor Jim Hammond | January 2, 2022
Recap:
Welcome to 2022! One of the best ways to set your year up for success is to learn to walk in the rhythms of God’s grace. That what Pastor Jim talked about this past Sunday. He reminded us that God wants us to walk with Him, follow His leading, and hear His voice throughout each day. We can cast our cares on Him, trusting that He will take care of us. As we do, He will place us in the right place at the right time!
Dive Deeper:
God wants you to be in the right place at the right time in 2022. That can and will happen as you learn to walk in His grace. Who in the Bible learned about God’s grace and being in the right place at the right time? Ruth. David. Mary. The list can go on! God will lead you to great things as you choose to place Him first.
One of the key ways you can walk in God’s grace is by choosing to live humbly before Him. You can do this through casting your cares onto the Lord. When you keep your cares and remain worried, you show God that you think you know better how to handle life rather than Him. When you release cares to Him, you recognize Jesus is Lord and that He has the ability to help you walk through life well. He can handle the situations you are facing far better than you, and He will walk you through them when you trust Him.
Another way you can walk in God’s rhythms of grace is through reading the Word. The Word of God is powerful and will help you distinguish between God’s voice and your own ideas. God’s Word is mighty and it connects each of us with God. It is the needful thing in our lives, so invest time in reading your Bible! (If you want to sign up for our daily Bible reading place, visit lwcc.org/Bible.)
Read More:
Ecclesiastes 9:11–12 KJV
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.
Matthew 11:28–30 Msg.
Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.
Luke 10:38-42 KJV
Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Hebrews 4:12 Amp.
For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [a]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
1 Peter 5:5–6 Amp.
Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church)—[giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)—[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you.
Psalm 37:4–5 Amp.
Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.
Discussion Questions:
1. What does the rhythm in your daily life look like?
2. What choices can you make today that will help the rhythm of your day include God and His Word?
3. What is the best way you have found to cast your cares on the Lord?