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There is something about human nature that has bothered me for some time, and that is our seeming inability to keep things fresh in our minds and to continue to appreciate the blessings we have received. My experience has been when we receive a blessing or a special gift, at first we are so grateful for it and appreciative of it. It is special to us, and we realize the value of what we have.
But then time passes, and it seems with each passing day, that realization grows less and less, until we begin to take what we’ve been blessed with for granted or even forget about it altogether. This bothers me, because I have received incredible blessings from God in the past, but because I did not write them down or do something to remind myself of them and continue to appreciate them, I’ve completely forgotten about them. How sad is that? Why is it that we forget so quickly and cease to appreciate things so easily?
In the game-changing story Jesus tells that we’re focusing on in this week’s message, we see that very problem demonstrated front and center, and also its very tragic outcome. We also find that while God has provided everything possible that we need for salvation, we also have a responsibility to personally incorporate those things into our lives and demonstrate His grace is truly changing us. It’s a lesson never to take for granted what God has done for us, because if we do, we could lose the very blessing we’ve received.
Welcome to Richardson!
Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Byron
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