Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

The nature of sin in us will produce by-products that at best are filthy. There has never been a family, a community, a state or a nation that has become better when these things are the habit of its people. Grace comes in right at this point to remove sin's power and give us a freedom in our nature that will renew and delight relationships. Grace is the power of God's love in Jesus the Christ to release us from habits that are filthy by nature and produce habits that have their foundation in God's love. Today may you allow the freedom of his grace to set you free from habits that do not bless you or anyone else. In his grace you have the right as sons and daughters to praise, bless and encourage through your actions and words. This freedom is now and forever yours because of his grace in you.

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19

Proverbs is known as a book of wisdom which is simply the ability to take understanding and knowledge and apply it appropriately to the situation we find ourselves in. How many quarrels would not have taken place in a marriage if only one would have remembered how to speak in grace? How many business partnerships have ended because of so many words, that the friends that started off are no longer friends? How many times have churches had problems because someone started talking about what they did not like until they had a group and off they go to the leadership complaining and the impact on family, church and community is less than outstanding? Grace gives us the wisdom of God to speak in such a way as to handle things without condemnation and therefore finding solutions will give glory to God and a blessing to those who hear. Today may you enjoy the words of grace that express themselves through you. As you speak may those around you sense the kindness, patience and tolerance of the Lord because of the grace that is heard through you. You will be refreshed, blessed and full of thanksgiving. Those around you will feel secure and encouraged. Being overwhelmed by his grace is very freeing.

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. Colossians 1:20-22 NLT

Many times along our journey through life we will hear someone say, "If God is so good why does he let bad things happen?" Well, bad things happen because that is the nature of sin in which our world exists. It is while we are living in this condition that God poured out his grace for us through the blood of Christ on the cross. Grace brings us to life so that we may believe, enjoy and love God and his Word. Grace gives reconciliation to our emotions and thoughts concerning ourselves and how we see others. Grace by nature encourages, trusts and blesses and therefore relationships are strengthened and refreshed. Today may you be renewed in how you feel and think because of the grace of God. Do not let your old habits from your old nature have any place to express themselves in or through you. May your very presence bring peace and blessing to all who come in contact with you. On this day you are absolutely free to choose to rejoice and delight yourself in the Lord.

Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right. Proverbs 20:11 NLT

What we call character is what either builds or destroys relationships. Character is more than just a family name; it is the foundation for building life in a family, a neighborhood, a community or a nation. For some it can be about them first, how they feel, what they want or how they see things. In this place no one is really happy and wounded emotions take individuals down roads of adultery, divorce, drugs, drunkenness and over eating. Here families are wounded and broken, businesses fail and communities are in disarray. God’s grace given in Jesus Christ is much more than saving someone so that they may go to heaven someday. Grace brings a new character which is called eternal life. It is the freedom of life that becomes a blessing to all who know you. It has no jealousy, no bitterness and no regret. It is described as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in Galatians 5:22, 23 NLT. Today let yourself enjoy the freedom given to you in and through Jesus the Christ. His character is now yours, right now in the place where you find yourself. Your freedom is at hand, his blessing is now yours and you can be the blessing of God to your family, your business, your neighborhood and your community. Today is a good day to live the salvation of your character. Enjoy!

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

There is something absolutely beautiful and enjoyable when we find ourselves in a place where we are loved and respected. In this place there is no stress, anxiety or feeling of walking on egg shells. We find ourselves relaxed and refreshed so that we have the freedom of expression, especially the giving of gifts of encouragement, blessings in the details of people’s lives and helping in however we can, even financially. God's grace allows us the freedom to live this way twenty four seven, Wow! Talk about being refreshed, how about actually living in a place, no matter where we are found, where love is given and expressed without condemnation of any kind. Grace puts a smile in what we say and in what we do. Today, is a day that has never been nor will come again and may you find yourself overwhelmed with his grace. Praise and thanksgiving will naturally flow from your mouth as well as your hands. What you find to do today will bring joy to you as well as everyone around you. God's grace just makes a good day and allows you to see and hear with new eyes and ears. Feel free to have tones in your voice and expressions from your face that cause others to be refreshed as you have by his grace.

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered. Psalm 139:16,17 NLT

One of the beautiful benefits of God's grace is that it gives us the ability to relax and rejoice all at the same time, in some of the most awkward opportunities. Living overwhelmed by his grace gives us better hearing, of what is really around us and much better vision as to the situations we are walking through. Grace changes our values and choices which automatically impact our attitude for the day we find ourselves in. Living in a grace condition removes fears, anxiety and much of our mistrust about others. It gives the freedom to know that our Lord is involved in the details of our life and therefore we do not need to be offended so easily, we can enjoy encouraging others along their way as we have been encouraged by our Lord. Today let his grace put you at ease and enjoy his attitude of kindness as it will be seen and heard through you. You will be pleased at the way you process info and so will those around you. This is a good day to smile and give thanks to the one who has overwhelmed you with his grace, enjoy his thoughts, bringing praise and refreshment through you.

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Psalm 63:1, 3

There may be moments in time when we can be in a great throng of people and yet feel weary and alone. It is as if we are in a dry and weary land where there is no water. There in that place we discover emotions that never give any life, they only seem to take. We name them as hopelessness, despair, sadness and depression. But right in that moment our God gives his grace which is water for our soul. It is his love that quenches all our thirsts and brings hope, joy, refreshment and an abundance of kindness. That is why his grace is called amazing and overwhelming. Today may you know the sweet relief of his love and grace. Let your emotions and thoughts be renewed in his presence and compassion. Allow yourself the sweet freedom of thanksgiving, praise and rejoicing in your soul and you will find your lips will glorify him; you will live in the beauty of his life where there is no regret or weariness.

Imitate God, therefore in everything you do because you are his dear children. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and course jokes – these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. Ephesians 5:1,3,4 NLT

What is commonly called salvation in Jesus Christ is the freedom that his grace gives to our character. If the things listed here in God’s Word were so outstanding, we would have stayed in them and rejected the freedom of his grace. Here we can experience the refreshing nature of grace as it renews our values, our thinking, our emotions and our attitudes towards God, family, friends and co-workers. Today may you celebrate the freedom you have in his grace to live in the joy of thanksgiving. Here, you and everyone around you will experience a delight in relationships with the Lord and each other. As you live and imitate God in the freedom of his grace, no one around you will be irritated, hurt or ashamed. Transparency, kindness and integrity will just be who you are.

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Matthew 6:25 – 27 NLT

Somehow along the journey of life, stress and worry show up and seem to make their home in our hearts. With them being resident in our emotions and thoughts habits begin to form so that our conclusions of where we are or where we might be in the future are much lesser than a blessing. Then tension shows up and our world does not seem to be enjoyable. Here in this place grace can be seen and felt. You see God’s grace in Jesus Christ replaces stress and worry with thanksgiving and praise. There is a great freedom and power in thanksgiving and praise, for where they are stress and worry cannot come or even express themselves. Oh, and by the way, tension is never found in grace. Today let your emotions and thoughts feel and experience the freedom of his grace. Let your heart express thanksgiving and praise through your mouth, with words and tones that will bless you and your family. Because of his grace you have been given a new life and it is yours to live.

Repent, all of you who forget me, or I will tear you apart, and no one will help you. But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God. Psalm 50:22,23 NLT

Sin has no desire for God or his path, and lives only for wanting, not thanksgiving. If left to itself, it will tear apart the individual, the family, the community and a nation. Yet, in this place the grace of our Lord can be found. Here in his grace is love given without limit or condemnation. His grace makes us new and in that place everything changes, from living a constant consumning life, to a life that gives thanks to the Lord and esteems others as more important. Living in the grace of Jesus the Christ renews us, our family, our community and even our nation. It is a life of rejoicing. Today may you choose the joy of our Lord as you consider your ways. May you find many varied ways to give thanks for the life you have, for what he has put into your hands and for the freedom that is yours to be an encouragement to everyone around you. There is no regret, no brokeness or tearing apart in the grace of our Lord.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:8, 10

At times life can and will seem a little hectic with all our opportunities that are before us. When those moments come we often feel emotional pressure which may express itself in an unfavorable way through our thoughts, our words, our tones of voice and even our expressions. But it is right in that moment where God’s grace in Jesus Christ gives us a freedom, that I like to call taking a breath. While there may be pressure and even disappointment, grace brings life in us so that our thoughts and attitudes are relieved with what is known as the joy of the Lord. Real freedom is his grace expressing through us the kindness and encouragement of his life. Today may you let his grace enjoy your situation with you. Grace brings no hectic pace, no regret and no sorrow with it. You will be blessed by all the various forms of his grace that will be expressed through you today, oh and by the way so will everyone around you. Enjoy!

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:12,13

For most of us along our journey through life, no matter what our age is, we enjoy having new clothes. It does not matter if it is swim shorts, shirts, pants, dresses, suits or shoes, something in these new experience makes us feel better and most of the time we at least feel we look better. New clothes usually even impact our attitude and emotions; it’s just a refreshing time. God's grace puts new clothes in our closet every day and these clothes not only make us feel better, they bless everyone around us. Believe me; these clothes really impact our attitude and emotions for the day. What is wonderful about these clothes is that they are a gift from the Lord and they are wrapped in grace. That means every day we can experience the opening of a new gift and when we put them on, we do look better. Today may you enjoy what the Lord has given you in and through his grace. There is great freedom here with no condemnation and you will find that what he has given you to wear is a perfect fit. Thanksgiving and joy will come very naturally and everyone around you will comment on how you look.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Psalm 139:16,17

One of the great beauties of God's grace is that it gives us the ability to relax and rejoice all at the same time. Living overwhelmed by his grace gives us better hearing, of what is really around us and much better vision as to the situations we are walking through. Grace changes our values and choices, which automatically impact our attitude for the day we find ourselves in. Living in a grace condition removes fears, anxiety and much of mistrust about others. It gives the freedom to know that our Lord is involved in the journey with us and therefore we do not need to be offended so easily and we can enjoy encouraging others along their journey as we have been encouraged by our Lord. Today let his grace be precious to you and enjoy his attitude of kindness as it will be expressed through you. You will be pleased at the way you process info and so will those around you. This is a good day to smile and give thanks to the one who has overwhelmed you with his grace and enjoy his thoughts, bringing praise and refreshment through you.

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 NLT

Imagine if you will, going to a wonderful restaurant and as you walk in you immediately notice the beauty of all that is around you. Then you order your meal and its presentation and taste, blow your hair back. The next day you find yourself telling all your friends how wonderful it was and encourage them to go. Well here is even a greater invitation. Taste and see that the LORD is good. Wow! Obviously this is not some kind of invitation to a religion or belief system. This is an invitation to experience the beauty, the life and the grace of God within your journey. Here in him there is refreshment and a freedom that is found nowhere else. Today may you taste well and see well that his grace for you is good. May you find your joys in him overwhelming. Let the foundational relationships of your home be found in the joy of his grace.

If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. John 7:37, 38

There was a time in my life when I know I became thirsty. It was after I had grown up into a young man, finished my time in the Marine Corp and had come back from Viet Nam. I had a job making what I thought was good money, I had a motorcycle, a truck and I had a few dates with some wonderful ladies. It was at the moment of my life that I became thirsty, even though for all appearance my life looked pretty good to all who knew me. The thought came to me – “what is life for?” I believed in God because it says – “In God We Trust” on our money. So I asked this God on our money to please do something with my life and he began to do something in my life that would change and refresh me forever. By his grace he gave me faith to believe in Jesus the Christ and I have never been the same. This living water flowed which I discovered was the Holy Spirit in me producing a new character within me which has no sorrow, no regret and no embarrassment, it is known as eternal life which is God’s life. Today may you enjoy being thirsty and find that what our Lord said is true for you and it is living. That life that is eternal will be yours and even through your opportunities through life, you will never be the same and streams of living water will flow from within and through you. This will give you great freedom without any regret.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief’s. 1 Timothy 6:10

Our natural nature has a tendency to disagree with what our Lord says. Here, money is not the problem; it is the love of money. The root of the love of money brings anxiety; the root of the love of money brings all forms of lust; the root of the love of money brings worry and has been the ruin of many relationships. It is here where the grace of God in Jesus the Christ can refresh us into a new creation. For all the wealth that is in the world, through all the generations of man is still here, it always stays and we leave. The ability to earn money is meant to bring glory to God, delight to us and a blessing to others. It is designed so that we may become our Lord's cashiers, having the joy of seeing what his plan may be and saying I can fulfill that need. Today may you be overwhelmed by his grace concerning your money. Let his Word refresh your thinking as to who you are in his grace and the value you place on your money will find where it belongs. Give thanks continually, encourage everyone around you always and find ways to bless what our Lord is doing through what he has put into your hands.

So Ahab sent word throughout all Israel and assembled the prophets on Mount Carmel. Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. 1 Kings 18:20, 21

The kindness and love of God for us is really beyond our understanding. In the days of Elijah, believing in God was not the people’s problem, but their belief in God did not impact their decisions, their goals or their morals. Their life was focused on what they thought was good for them, which was mostly money and the forms of wealth. Yet focused on all that they thought was important, life was still a mess at home and in the community, even though they believed in God. The power of his grace is that it makes belief alive and changes thoughts about God into love for him and others. In this place freedom is found in our relationship with the Lord and those around us. Here there is no sorrow, no regret and no sense of famine in the details of our life. Today may you let his grace express life in and through you. Grace will refresh you in your emotions and thoughts in such a way that the pleasant look of encouragement will become who you are. If the LORD is God, follow him. This is meant to be much more than thoughts, it is the refreshment in life.

Do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance? Romans 2:4  

The nature we are born with gives us the ability to be intolerant, impatient and at times less than kind towards those around us, even those of our own family. With this comes condemnation about ourselves, others and even God. The beauty of being overwhelmed by his grace in Jesus Christ is that we have the freedom to live without this condemnation, guilt and even shame, which changes all the relationships around us, especially our view of God. Repentance does not come from the feelings of our natural nature, it comes as an act of worship because of his grace (his love and kindness expressed and given without condemnation, guilt or shame). This being true, we have joy in the details of our lives because of the results of repentance. For repentance is a change in our emotions, thinking and activities along our daily journey. This change gives glory to God, refreshment to others and a blessing to us. Today, may you enjoy the freedom of his kindness that gives you a brand new day in your emotions, thinking and activities. Let his grace overwhelm you along your journey and you will experience that freedom of emotions called grace. You and everyone around you will like this day. Thanksgiving, praise and rejoicing will be just who you are.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:16-18

Here in God’s breath we have a prayer given so that we might enjoy our relationship with the Lord and find out that our worship is much more beautiful than something we just do on Sunday. In worship, prayer can be described as the oxygen of the soul. Worship is from the inside out and we find that it is founded in love and therefore has no condemnation at all. When we realize this love of God in the depth of our being, we begin to enjoy and live in his grace. Growing in grace can be defined as the decreasing frequency of sin and therefore there is no condemnation. Today may you find your heart established in his love, for you, your family and your friends. Your expressions, your voice and your opinions in this place will delight you and everything about your journey will become uplifting for anyone who meets you. May those around you be able to grasp the love of Christ because of you.

You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14, 16 NLT

One of the beautiful benefits of God’s grace in our lives is the freedom we have in letting. His grace not only gives life but the power to let. The illustration of the life of grace here is seen as light, light that can be seen in all directions like a city on a hill. But this light is also now our character which is the character of grace. The power of his grace is now the freedom to “let” this new life be seen and heard in the midst of all our opportunities. Then men and women will see and hear through us the refreshment of the life of Christ and begin to praise our heavenly Father. This refreshes families, neighborhoods and communities. Oh, it also blesses us and lets us enjoy the wonders of his grace. Today may you find that what you are “letting” is like a light shining on a hilltop and everyone around you, including you will be blessed.

Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NLT

The nature of sin will produce by-products that at best are filthy. There has never been a family, a community, a state or a nation that has become refreshing and renewing when these things are the habits of its people. Grace comes in right at this point to remove sin's power and give us a freedom in our nature that will bring thanksgiving and delight. Grace is the power of God's love in Jesus the Christ to release us from habits that are hurtful by nature and produce habits that have their foundation in God's love, where there will never be any regret or shame. Today may you allow the strength of his grace to set you free from habits that do not bless you or anyone else. In his grace you have the right as sons and daughters to praise, bless and encourage through your actions and words. This freedom is now and forever yours because of his grace kindness and encouragement in you.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21,22

It is one thing to believe that there is a God or to believe in God. The beauty of grace, which is God's love given without condemnation, is meant to change how we think of God and therefore how we feel and think about ourselves. Grace lets us know God in a way that refreshes and brings the desire to express joy and thanksgiving. The man or woman that lives joyful and thankful automatically give glory to God. Today may you delight in finding ways to express joy and thanksgiving. Let God's grace express through your words and expressions the beauty of a thankful heart. In this place you will always be known as an encourager and a blessing. Some of the most difficult situations are changed with expressions of joy and thanksgiving.