Session 1
Give me grace
From Preparing Your Heart to Go: A 7-Day Devotional for NewSpring Mission Trips
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. — Ephesians 2:8-9
Grace is God’s favor toward us. He gives us love, mercy, hope, forgiveness, purpose, salvation — everything we long for and need, but don’t deserve and can’t obtain on our own.
Grace cannot be earned. It is a gift from God to us. Jesus died for us long before we knew who He was or cared about what He did. We didn’t do anything to deserve salvation, and we didn’t earn our place as Jesus’ ambassadors on Earth.
Our mission is not to tell others what they’re doing wrong or how they should live, but to be ambassadors of the grace we have received. The Lord longs to be gracious to us as well as the people we will meet (Isaiah 30:18).
The words we say, the kindness we show, the work we do — these are all opportunities to treat people as Jesus would treat people. When we show who Jesus is and tell what He’s about, we pave the way for Jesus to do what only He can do — bring healing, salvation, freedom, and purpose.
Our goal is to be more like Jesus. Every day, we have opportunities to do that by being gracious to strangers, teammates, family, and friends. Let’s show others the grace Jesus shows us.
Reflect
What is one area of your life where you need Jesus’ grace?
Pray
Ask God to show you how to give and receive grace. Ask Him to prepare your heart for the conversations to come, so you can speak with the same grace and truth that Jesus does.
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