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Here at the beginning of a brand new ministry season, we’re going to take a few Sundays together giving thought to the question, “What’s in a name?” as it pertains to our name as a community, GracePoint.

Now, our church name is made up of two words mashed together. The first word ‘Grace’ serves as the theological foundation for this entire series. Over the coming weeks of this study series we’re going to reflect on various facets of God’s amazing grace, and relate those to who we are and what we’ve been called to pursue as God’s people here at GracePoint.

1. ’G’ = __________

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23, ESV

None of us can meet God’s holy standard despite our best efforts. Such sin against God earns us death, and not just physical death but even more importantly spiritual death, that is an eternal separation of ourselves from life-giving relationship with God.

However, in the midst of such apparent hopelessness and despair, comes that wonderful word ‘gift’.

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23, ESV

Getting right with God is not about what you need to do to impress him and earn his acceptance. Rather, God offers the amazing, awesome gift of his forgiveness for the sins of his people. Such is his saving grace.

2. ‘R’ = __________

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, ESV

You and I receive the gift of forgiveness that God offers us only as we express a confidence — that is, faith — in God, for we must believe that he’s indeed made it possible for us to be restored to relationship with Himself without requiring an effort on our part.

3. ’A’ = __________

God’s saving grace is available to every type of person.

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13, ESV

God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16, ESV

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life… John 3:36a, ESV

Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. John 5:24, ESV

Whether you’ve ever realized it before of not, God’s saving grace is available to you, and you receive it by faith.

4. ’C’ = __________

The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17, ESV

Christ paid for the gift of saving grace that God offers to each of us today by giving His very own life for those that are his own.

In the Bible, the favourite phrase describing someone who has accepted God's saving grace is the term “in Christ” used over 120 times in the New Testament.

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23, ESV

Grace is all that God does for us because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.

5. ’E’ = __________

The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23, ESV

Eternal life speaks of knowing a vital, vibrant, meaningful, and rewarding relationship with God in both the here-and-now of today as we live out our lives here on the earth, but also of enjoying such a relationship in the forever-more of eternity as we endlessly experience the wonder of heaven once we’ve left this world. It’s a place of reunion, reward, release, and rejoicing.

God wants us not only to believe in his saving grace but also to convey it to others who have yet to come to know Christ as Saviour and Lord.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16, ESV

The New Testament places great emphasis on the importance of God’s people living out genuinely good lives in the midst of a lost world, lives marked by God’s saving grace.

As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone,…. Galatians 6:10, ESV

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand… Ephesians 2:10, ESV

Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works… Hebrews 10:24, ESV

However, we’re not only to demonstrate the saving grace of God to others in the coming days and months of this new ministry year, we’re also to declare it.

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Mark 16:15, ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:13-15, ESV

So then, if we as a community of Christ are going to live up to our name ‘GracePoint’ this new ministry year we need to not only say we believe in God’s saving grace, but show others the reality of that grace through good works, and also share it with them in words.