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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Breaking Free   CURRENT TV SERIES All Things New Part 2

… he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, --I Peter 1:3b-4 What does Easter mean to you? Has it become personal? It is so important that you realize that Jesus died and rose again just for you. He wants you to accept his gifts of forgiveness, eternal life, and resurrection power. They are yours. But maybe you’d say, “Jack, I don’t deserve these gifts. I’m not worthy.”  Well, that’s true; I’m not either. But they are ours regardless of how worthy we are. And if you don’t believe me, just consider the testimony of Simon Peter, the man who wrote the Scripture verse you see at the top of this page. Simon Peter loved and followed Jesus with deep devotion. But he was also a man who failed Jesus miserably. When the Roman guards came to arrest Jesus just prior to his crucifixion, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times in order to preserve his own life. Peter was devastated by his personal failure. He thought his life was over. But God had another plan! And everything changed when Peter met the resurrected Christ. Jesus forgave him and restored him. And Peter became a changed man...a man who ultimately changed the world for Jesus. Have you encountered the resurrected Christ? You can! Let Jesus do for you what he did for Peter! There’s living hope through the resurrection of Jesus!   HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED THE RESURRECTED CHRIST?

The Ongoing Work of Grace

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.”
1 Corinthians 15:9–11

The cartoon character Popeye made his first appearance in 1929 just before the start of the Great Depression. First introduced as a character in another comic strip, Popeye quickly became one of the most popular fictional characters of the 1930s in both print and film. The spinach-eating sailor dispatched bad guys and saved the day, while singing his famous theme song:
I’m Popeye the Sailor Man,
I’m Popeye the Sailor Man…
None of us have the power to save ourselves. We are utterly dependent on God’s grace. But that grace is not just extended to us for salvation—it brings change into our lives, making us more like Christ. And it equips and enables us for a life of service. All that we are, for good and for God, is a result of grace. Truly understanding this fact allows us both to remain humble and to recognize and praise God for His goodness to us.
Paul realized that all he was and all he had done was because of God’s grace. He had done much of which he could have been proud, but instead, he kept his focus on what God had done for him and through him. The devil has destroyed many promising lives and ministries by pride. When we attempt to work in our own strength, apart from God’s grace, we can never accomplish anything of lasting value.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

When we forget the role God’s grace plays in our lives, we are headed for pride and destruction.