God | Dan Deeble | Your Mess is Mine

Your Mess is Mine

Apr 24

Teaching Notes

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:3-10

GRACE IS…

I want you to describe grace.

Grace is when… (event)
Grace is like… (metaphor)
Grace is like the time… (personal)
Grace sounds like, smells like, feels like, looks like…

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1 Corinthians 15:9

“I WAS A HOT MESS”

I don’t deserve to…{blank}
Because I… {blank}

NO MATTER THE MESS!

GREATER THE MESS, GREATER THE IMPACT.

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me… I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12,14

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10

“Paul’s confidence was rooted in his awareness that God’s grace was a dynamic force in his life.”

Going Deeper

What’s the worst mess you’ve ever made?
How would you describe grace?
Share a time that you have experienced grace from God or someone in your life. What did it feel like to receive it?
What ditch to fall into more easily: “I am who I am” (antinomianism) or “I work harder than the rest” (legalism)?
Do you believe that God says to you, “Your mess is mine!”