No, it’s not the jelly-of-the-month club! Grace means receiving and enjoying benefits that we haven’t earned and don’t deserve. God sending his Son into our world is an act of pure grace; humanity did nothing to deserve that gift. Paul described it as the “gift too wonderful for words” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT). This gift from God teaches us how gift-giving works.

Reciprocal gift-giving, rather than grace, is the default setting for our world. When I know you will be extending a gift to me, I plan to also give something to you. It’s really more gift-trading than gift-giving. This philosophy extends beyond our gift-giving to include how we relate to one another.

Part of the secret to building beautiful relationships, to making a lasting difference, to truly living a unique life – is to live out of grace instead of reciprocity… to give with no strings attached and no expectation of return. Receiving God’s gracious gift of new life in Jesus teaches us how to live that kind of life. This season we can recommit to finding creative ways to infuse our friendships and relationships with grace.

For those of us who are married, relating to our spouse with grace means offering kindness, forgiveness, and understanding – even when they don’t deserve it. That is really difficult, and only possible through God’s work in our lives. So, I want to let you in on some inside information and invite you to clear your calendar Friday and Saturday, February 8-9.

Author and speaker Dr. Tim Kimmel will join us that weekend to guide us toward enjoying a grace-filled marriage. Tim’s writing and teaching has had a strong impact in my family life, and I’m excited about what he will share with our church family. Head to our event page to watch a short video that introduces Tim and our marriage event. You will be able to sign up beginning in December… so stay tuned for more details.