For the months of July and August, we will be embarking on a sermon series entitled: "Tough Questions for Christians." Please join us each Sunday as we deal with tough questions such as:

• "What About those who have not heard about the gospel?"
• Predestination
• Is the Bible Reliable and True?
• What if we do not desire God?
• Why pray when the Holy Spirit is praying for us already?
• ....

conrade

How do we describe Christianity? If there is only one word that comes to mind, it is none other than the word "grace." Back during the Protestant Reformation days in the 16th Century, "sola gratia" is one of the five pillars of the Reformation. The other four are the Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone); the sola fide (by faith alone); the sola Christus (by Christ alone); and sola Deo Gloria (by Glory to God alone).

It was the recognition of absolute grace through Rembrandt's painting, that led the Roman Catholic monk, Henri Nouwen to pen his most famous work, "The Return of the Prodigal Son." The parable is a powerful revelation of God's absolute grace. In our performance-based culture, we are used to an-eye-for-an-eye treatment. We practise regularly various forms of I-rub-your-back-you-rub-mine behaviours. Unfortunately, that is most foreign to what Christianity is about. When Christ lived among the people, there was no expecting people to pay him back for miracles and healings performed. Neither were there expectations of payment. The only request was to direct all attention back to God the Father.

"....... discipleship is learning to give ourselves away, living for the benefit of others, finding meaning in the value of a surrendered life —not fighting for my dreams and desires, but for the wonder of our Father’s story." (Chris Wienand)