Sermon: Adopt (Internal Grace II) ("The Way" series)

Grace is something intended to be personal and intimate. It is individualized in many ways. We gather as churches and some are in the habit of limiting their spiritual experience, work, and growth to those assemblies alone. Because of this, the cynical fall into one of two camps. The first camp insists that their faith exists 'without a church' because they see that there is a personal element (as expressed scripturally) missing from these large assemblies. The second camp insists that if something is a "God thing" it must be support by, sanctioned by, and resourced by the church. If they don't see something happening that they are convicted of, it must be because the church is failing! They miss that there is a personal element to their faith which is not bound by the assembly. The assembly is a critical part of our experience, but we should recognize the assembly is a way to connect to the intimate elements of our restoration with the Creator. The story of the prodigal son illustrates how faith can manifest itself differently depending on God’s intent for your life. Just as the son’s redemption arc and the eldest son’s loyal faith journey were different, so too are our journeys different from person to person. Does it seem unfair? Do you feel entitled or envious of the experiences of others? Take heart… God has a personal story just for you because you, too, are a part of His beloved creation.