“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

God’s grace is a wonderful gift offered to everyone. You haven’t worked for it, or earned it, or been good enough to get it. God’s grace is His good feelings and unending love toward you and all of us.

Grace is actually when you don’t get what you deserved to get.  Jesus often told parables or stories to people to help them understand God. One of the best known stories Jesus told about God’s grace was the prodigal son. We are going to re-tell Jesus story in modern times.

 

A father had two sons. He owned a huge farm in the country and was very rich. One of the sons wanted to live in the city; he was tired of the farm. So he went to his father and asked for money that would be equal to his half of the farm. (That he and his brother would inherit from their father one day.) The father was sad, but agreed. He gave his son the money.

The son went to the big city. He stayed in the best hotels and ate at the best restaurants. He made lots of “friends” because he spent money on them. They would have all day parties at the arcade. They would go to Disney World and concerts and go cart tracks. But soon the money ran out. And his “friends” left. He was alone. He had no place to stay and no food.

He went to a farm outside the city because that was what he knew how to do. He got a job feeding the animals and working in the fields. He slept on the hay in the barn with the animals. He got just enough food to survive. He was miserable. He thought, my father’s workers are treated better than this. I don’t deserve to be his son any more, but I will beg to be a worker on his farm.

So the son went humbly home. When the father saw his lost son walking up to the farm, he was overjoyed! He told his workers to fix a huge meal and prepare a party to welcome his son home. Then the father ran out to meet his lost son. He hugged him and shouted to all to come and celebrate the son’s return.

 

The father (like our Father, God) showed grace to his son and did not treat him like he deserved. He loved his son and welcomed him back with open arms, forgetting all the past. God’s grace for us is just like this.

 

G  God’s gift is grace to all of us; His unending love and the chance to be close to Him.

R  Remember His promises and believe in them and you will have faith.

A  Always look to God and Jesus and love them because They first loved you.

C  Created in God’s image and loved and cared for and favored above all creation.

E  Eternal life with God and Jesus in Heaven because He saves us to be with Him.

 

Grace is for everyone. No one deserves it, or earns it, or is good enough. But God loves everyone! And just like a sunrise, God’s grace is offered anew each day! Through His grace, we can all be close to God and to Jesus. We can talk to God and be encouraged and comforted and loved by Him.

This week try to see God’s grace in your life. When did you get something good that you didn’t deserve? Or when did you not get something bad that you did deserve? God’s grace touches our lives and brings blessings, the good things that God does for us.

Draw a picture, or take a photo, or tell a story of where you found God’s grace. Ask your parents to share it as a reply to this blog and let everyone learn about God’s gift of grace!

 

Thanks for joining us today to learn about God’s grace!