The Session: The Power of Extending & Receiving Grace

Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…”

The Impact of Receiving Grace What are the benefits of grace to Christian?

Dr. Gregory Jantz wrote, “But grace is much more than just erasing the past; it is about writing the future. That’s because when we are freed from the thicket of regret, blame, and shame, we can show grace to others in every situation. It’s the ultimate form of “paying it forward.” Only Jesus has already paid our tab..”

What are the benefits of grace to Christian?

According to Sermon Central, Grace brings 10 great benefits to our lives:

• We are SAVED by GRACE. The only way to Heaven is through the doorway of grace. ...
• We're FORGIVEN by GRACE. ...
• We're SUSTAINED by GRACE. ...
• We're HEALED by GRACE. ...
• We're LIBERATED by GRACE. ...
• We're given TALENTS by GRACE. ...
• We're USED by GRACE. ...
• We're KEPT SAVED by GRACE.

Receiving Grace Can Set Us Free

• His grace sets us free from the bondage of the things that hold us back. When we turn to Him, we can experience that kind release and that kind of freedom in our lives. Because of grace, Jesus died on the cross for us. It was the ultimate sacrifice to set us free.

· John 8:32 “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

• Grace is said to set people free from sin and its power, as well as from the punishment of sin. Grace is also said to free people from the bondage of guilt.

The Impact of Extending Grace

Marion Star said, “Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven, transforming our thinking, resulting in the renewal of our mind and heart. Through grace we live the kind of life that God would like every one of His children to experience. “

Grace leads to peace

• 2 Peter 1 says, “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our love Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (vs. 2-3)

Rev. J Street wrote, “The definition of grace could be “God's life, power and righteousness given to us by unmerited favor.” It is through grace that God works effective change in our hearts and lives. Grace gives us a new life which is not condemned by God. Through God's grace we are forgiven, transforming our thinking, resulting in the renewal of our mind and heart.”

Ephesians 4:29 NIV

• Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen,”

Sorry, no show notes for this one. This is the first of a two-episode conversation I had with my daughter, Erin about her daughter, Allison. My hope is that our conversation raises awareness about just how truly beautiful and special kids with exceptionalities are, and that they have a role in our world today.

Sorry, no show notes for this one. This is the first of a two-episode conversation I had with my daughter, Erin about her daughter, Allison. My hope is that our conversation raises awareness about just how truly beautiful and special kids with exceptionalities are, and that they have a role in our world today.

The Session: How We Are Different Because of Faith

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

We Will be More Confident

• The writer of Hebrews 11:1-2 explains faith like this, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
• We are more confident in our decisions

We will have a Godly Worldview

• By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God‘s command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible
• We will by face put confidence in Psalm 139:13 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb"

We Will Be More at Peace

• II Corinthians 12:9,
• “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’” So when we are weak in our faith our God is made strong.

We will be confident to Do More Challenging Things

• Paul writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”
• Psalm 46:1 is also an encouragement when we face struggles, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

We will have more faith when God appears silent

Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”

Joyce Meyer writes, “The tendency to want to know about everything that's going on can be detrimental to your Christian walk. Sometimes knowing everything can be uncomfortable and can even hurt you.”

How are we better or different physically emotionally and spiritually because of Faith

Mental and emotional impact:

• Faith can provide a sense of comfort, purpose, and support, which can mitigate stress and anxiety, leading to positive physical outcomes.
• No direct physical alteration: There's no scientific evidence that faith itself directly changes the structure or function of the human body on a biological level.
• Individual variations: The impact of faith on physical health can differ greatly based on personal beliefs, practices, and individual circumstances.

In Counselling the Culturally Diverse Theory and Practice (2016), it says, “it appears that people require faith as well as reason to be healthy and that psychology may profit from allowing the spirit to re-join matters of the mind and body.” It seems that society is seeing the importance of the Spirit as well. His ways are not our ways.”

Events like this happen so that God can grow our faith. It is important that we approach them with patience.

Action Point

It is important that we grow our faith in God’s timing. To do that we also have to grow our trust in Him.

School's been in session for a bit, maybe you're noticing some changes in your child. Maybe their teacher is telling you about some behavioral issue. It could be Attention Deficit Disorder, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. In this episode, Tom & Scott talk about some symptoms and possible treatments.

The Session: AAD/ADHD SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

Romans 5:4-5, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Notice that hope comes from character, which comes from perseverance, which comes from suffering.

Inattentive ADHD, your greatest struggle will come from problems such as high distractibility and feeling zoned out. Due to the challenges you face with focus and attention, you are more likely to avoid tasks requiring sustained mental effort.

Inattentive ADHD makes it difficult for you to complete tasks and stay organized. It can also make you feel impatient or moody. These things can affect your relationships, as well as your performance in school, at work or during activities.

Symptoms and Causes

What are the symptoms of inattentive ADHD?

The symptoms of inattentive ADHD include having trouble or difficulty with the following behaviors:

• Paying attention to the details and/or making frequent mistakes while doing tasks.
• Staying focused on long-winded tasks (like reading, listening to a presentation, etc.).
• Listening to others.
• Following through on tasks or obligations. You can easily lose focus in the middle of a task.
• Managing time and meeting deadlines.
• Performing tasks that need significant brain power, like filling out forms or writing reports.
• Keeping track of common items needed to complete everyday tasks (pencil, wallet, keys, phone, etc.).
• Staying in the moment without distractions.
• Remembering to complete routine tasks (chores, errands, appointments, etc.).

Although everyone experiences problems paying attention and focusing at times, if you have inattentive ADHD, you’ll experience these symptoms so often that they interfere with your daily functioning at school, at work, with friends and family or in social situations.

What are the causes of inattentive ADHD?

The cause of inattentive ADHD is unclear. Research suggests the following may contribute to ADHD:

• Genetics.
• Anatomical makeup of your brain (how certain areas of your brain form and function).

Is inattentive ADHD hereditary?

Studies show that inattentive ADHD can run in your biological family, so you’re more at risk of developing it if someone related to you has it.

School Related Symptoms ADHD/ADD

• Relationship struggles
• Inability to write on grade appropriate levels on paper
• Activity out of their seats in class and very obstinate about returning to their seats
• Not paying attention and disturbing their neighbor sitting next to them in class

Normalizing ADHD/ADD

• Almost everyone has one condition or another. Some people are Dyslexic, some wear glasses, some have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Tourettes Syndrome , some have Sleep Apnea,
• Christians should be patient and have compassion on anyone who has a condition that makes their life more difficult than someone who doesn’t have one. After all, God created them that way for a reason and a purpose - who are Christians or anyone else to say that they are not worthy of kindness and respect? Everyone should view and treat people with these or other conditions as nothing less than people.

Treatment

• Doing homework (From Scott...this sounded funny to me too. So I grilled Tom about it on the episode. Give it a listen!)
• Sitting through dinner
• Changing activities
• Playing quietly
• Paying attention
• Support groups for parents
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Anger management
• Family therapy
• Psychoeducational therapy

Medication

• Relexxii
• Medication’s release neurotransmitters in the brain that help level out ADD
• dopamine and norepinephrine.
• Vyvanse

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. In this episode, Tom & Scott share some ideas on how to bless your Pastor (AND their families) this October...and really, all year!

The Session: Pastor Appreciation Month

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (NIV): “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”

Pick a different strategy for the week. Do it every day of the week. Do this for the entire month of October. (From Scott: This kinda sounds like Tom's goal setting strategies too)

1 Thessalonians 5:12–13 (NIV): “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”

Here are some ways to bless pastors during pastor Appreciation Month

• Pray: Pray for your pastor's spiritual vitality, protection from Satan, and the grace and love of God. You can also pray for their family.
• Give a gift card: A gift card to a restaurant or an Amazon or iTunes card can be a great gift for a pastor.
• Post pictures with the pastor: Share pictures of yourself and the pastor at church events on social media.
• Adopt a local church: Send a care package to another church in your area or serve together with another local church.
• Speak encouraging words: Let your pastor know how the Lord has changed you.
• Write a note: Write a note with encouraging feedback about their sermon.
• Set out a gift basket: Set out a gift basket in the church lobby for members to leave notes and gifts.
• Mow the pastor's lawn: Mow the pastor's lawn when their family is on vacation or ministry
• Connect with the church office manager. Find out your pastors likes and needs and organize a plan to meet them
• Encourage time off and 48 hour getaways!
• Develop assistant pastors who can carry some of the load
• Encourage the pastor to
• Plan for more than Sundays.

Resources

• Remember the pastor's role is 24-7; assign a person or persons to be on-call to help in emergencies. Identify people within the church who can counsel or advise others whether that means listening to problems or pointing them to a professional. Also, before your pastor hits the beach, determine the type of events about which he or she would like to be contacted. (Resource UMC)

• The Gravity Community is an online community of practice for Christians to stay connected and learn together in an environment that's safe for questions and doubts. Join the Gravity Community for connection and support for struggling pastors.

Here's your first reminder! Pastor Appreciation Month is just a couple weeks away! As you think about how to honor the Pastors (AND their families) in your church, Tom & Scott talk about some alarming statistics about why it's important to honor those who serve the Lord and teach you.

The Session: The Pastoral Grind

Proverbs 4:23: "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life"

Stress, loneliness and political division are the three items that rise to the surface.

56% of pastors say stress of the job is the biggest issue.

(43%) of Pastor, say “I feel lonely and isolated.

Treatment

Pastors should have a leader outside of his church

• Pastors should have a small group that they attend with their spouse outside of the church they pastor.

• Pastors should have a support group that they can be supported in. It should be a safe place where they can vent pray and be supported. If there isn’t one that you’re aware of then maybe start one and invite a number of other pastors to a luncheon to talk about..

The following statistics are likely a result of not feeding themselves before the Lord. Without safe people to talk about how they feel it is very difficult.

• Only 26% of the pastors said they had regular devotions.

This is very important. So, in their spiritual bank account, they are running on a negative balance, because they are always withdrawing from that account without depositing in to it.

• 70% of pastors suffer from depression

Without close relationships or a support group it is difficult to share and open up.

• 77% of pastors believe they are not in a good marriage. 50% of pastors end up in divorce

Pastors have to prioritize their marriages. They have to be assertive with their church to get the time and space to do it They are a role model to their people.

• 40% of pastors have had an extra marital affair.

Hurting people turn to the pastor who is hurting which is when needs get met outside of marriage.

• 70% of pastors only study the word when doing sermon prep.

They are not exercising their spiritual muscles.

• 70% of pastors do not have close friends

There has to be a personal life. (From Scott….should those friends be outside the church the Pastor serves in?) Tom's answer? YES!

• 35% of Pastors struggle with from sexual sin. This leads to loneliness and divorce.

As Rev. Dr. Glenn Packiam—author of The Resilient Pastor—writes in Barna’s The State of Your Church, “We need sages to advise us, leaders to direct us or hold us accountable, peers to remind us that we aren’t alone, healers to dress our wounds and companions who carry us when we can’t carry on.”