TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction and FREE Study Guide
Week 1 – Part 1
Week 1 – Part 2
Week 2 – Part 1
Week 2 – Part 2
Week 3 – Part 1
Week 3 – Part 2
Week 4 – Part 1
Week 4 – Part 2

Are you ready to dig into our next Bible study? Me too! This month we’ll be studying the topic of grace. Unlike some of my other studies, I don’t have a Bible journal to go along with this study, but I do have the free study guide (find it near the bottom of this post), and I’ll provide printable resources each week.

If you want a journal to keep your notes in, my Quieting Your Heart: 6-Month Bible Study Journal would be a perfect fit. You can find that one on Amazon and use it alongside any study you choose. (affil link)

If you know someone who needs encouragement and joy, or perhaps you have a group of friends who could benefit from this study, send them a link to this page, with an invitation to download the FREE study guide and printable resources.

4-Week Study – The Amazing Power of Grace

This topic of grace is near and dear to my heart. In fact, it’s everything to me. It’s the reason I get up in the morning and the only reason I can walk through this world with a smile.

There was a time in my life—a pivotal point—when my world came crumbling down. When it felt like everyone that I loved circled above me, while I sunk into a deep pit of shame.

In one foul swoop it was gone. My sin was laid bare, and I was left standing exposed in my garden of sin.

But with compassion and grace, He stretched forth His hand, while He clothed me with the righteousness of His son.

Up until then I knew what grace was, and I knew what it wasn’t. “It’s not of ourselves,” the Word says, “it’s a gift from God.”

But in that moment of darkness when the only thing I had left was His grace, I realized that this gift is more profound than we could ever begin to imagine.

HE REACHES DOWN

God doesn’t leave us in our sin. He reached down to us while we were yet sinners with the gift of His Son, and He continues reaching down every day.

R.C. Sproul writes, “God just doesn’t throw a life preserver to a drowning person. He goes to the bottom of the sea, and pulls a corpse from the bottom of the sea, takes him up on the bank, breathes into him the breath of life and makes him alive.”

Scripture after scripture, we see God reaching down to His people with compassion and grace. We see the depth of their sin, but even more so we see the depth of His love.

When we justify sin, we minimize grace. Once we start to practice that way of thinking, we fail to see the amazing way that He loves, how patient He is, and how precious we are in His sight.

SIN LEAVES US EXPOSED

If we go back to the story of Adam and Eve, we discover an interesting fact that’s often overlooked by the reader.

In fact, we’ll often see the couple illustrated in children’s books covered in fig leaves. That’s cute. But the truth is that the fig leaves were merely an attempt to cover their sin.

“And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” Genesis 3:7

We see the grace of God in verse 21 where it says, “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”

Sin will always leave us naked and exposed, but the garment of salvation comes by grace. He doesn’t merely cover up the stench of our sin, He adorns us with the righteousness of Christ as a bride adorns herself with jewels.

“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10

WHAT IS GRACE?

Grace has long been defined as “the unmerited favor of God to mankind.”

It’s a gift that can’t be earned and isn’t measured by the good behavior of God’s people. It’s undeserved, yet freely given.

Grace is at the core of every gift that we have from the earth that we walk on to each breath that we take.

He makes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust in the same way He gives grace to all.

We can’t understand the depth of God’s grace until we truly understand the depth of our sin, which is where this study will guide us. As we dig into scripture, we’ll examine God’s kindness and love where it’s least been deserved. We’ll witness His incomparable gift, as He offers hope to the hopeless. We’ll learn to give grace in difficult situations and what it really means to love as He loves.

When Do We Start?

The study will run for four consecutive weeks beginning Monday, September 12th, and will run until October 8th. Come back on that day, or subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss a post.

 

How do I participate in this study? 

It’s simple. If you haven’t done so already, download a copy of the FREE Bible study guide. You’ll find the download further down this page.

On Mondays I’ll have new printables for you (see links below) including scripture cards, questions, week-at-a-glance, and a coloring page. Friday is a recap of the week, and my thoughts on the study.

During the week, you’ll study at home, following the outline of the study guide. You can study alone or with a group of friends–well suited for either.

In addition to my posts here, you can find me on Facebook. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, I’ll post my journal entries and share my thoughts. I’ll also open up the discussion for you to share your thoughts.

Here is a link to my facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/timewarpwife

ONLINE RESOURCES: 

These are my favourite online Bible study tools!

Bible Gateway – Every version you can imagine is online
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
Looking for an easier commentary? Here’s the Concise Version
Other commentaries you might prefer
Interlinear Bible – I love this one!
Blue Letter Bible – Dig into the Hebrew and Greek
Bible Word Search

FREE BIBLE STUDY GUIDE

click the image to view and download, or click here