“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:23).
The apostle Paul begins most of his New Testament letters with this or a similar phrase. I used those words to start many of my sermons, too. To be honest, I’ve always glossed over Paul’s initial greetings to get to the meat of the book of the Bible.
But reading through Ephesians this time, using a bible study app*, I paused to consider the importance of “grace” and “peace.”
What would happen if you brought grace and peace into your relationships and conversations? What if you brought something positive that someone didn’t deserve instead of complaints or criticism? That would definitely be a gift, or, as they say, grace. Your encouragement might bring peace, something that settles a heart or soul.
Here’s the bonus. If you bring grace and peace to a situation, that will be your take home. Preaching God’s grace and the peace we have through Christ hits home with me as well as my audience. I need to hear and believe those truths, too.
Anything that brings grace and peace is powerful. Anyone who brings grace and peace are welcome additions to any gathering. Maybe I could be that anyone. Maybe you could.
Waite for it... 