God's Good Grace - Crosswalk the Devotional - July 3

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( God's Good Grace by Ryan Duncan For it is by grace you have been saved, through [faith]( and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. - [Ephesians 2:8-9]( I was driving back to my apartment when I came to a stop sign on the side of the road. Now, I knew this area didn’t get much traffic, and I was in a big hurry to be home. So instead of coming to a complete stop, I made a quick glance to make sure there were no cars coming… and coasted through to the next street. That’s when I looked in my rearview mirror and saw there was a car behind me, specifically a white car with spinning lights and the word “police” stamped across it. In that moment I knew I had to be the dumbest driver in the history of automobiles. Sure enough, the lights went on and I got pulled over. After the officer had taken my license and registration, I sat in my car feeling like an idiot. All I’d needed to do was stop for a full second and I wouldn’t be in this mess. I attempted to calculate the cost of the ticket, and which part of my budget I’d have to slash in order to pay it. I suspected it would be the grocery section, and that I’d be eating a lot of ramen noodles in the following week. Instead, the officer walked back to my car, handed me my license, and said, “I’ll just give you a warning this time. Drive safely.” I was floored. When I think about the relief that came over me in that moment, I begin to truly understand how much grace God has shown me in my life. Running a stop sign has been the least of my sins. It’s very humbling to look through the darker moments of your life and realize God has forgiven you if you’ve asked him to. Christians can get so lost in the concept of grace that we forget what it’s like to really experience it, to feel the weight of guilt and shame – and sometimes even consequence – suddenly lifted from our shoulders. With Grace, you immediately get a clean slate, every mistake from the past is gone, and once you’ve experienced that you begin to understand the power that lies in verses like [John 1:17]( [CONTINUE READING →]( You May Also Like: [10 Biblical Warnings You Need to Stop Ignoring]( Casey B. Hough Here are 10 warnings from the Bible that we should heed and share with others... [CONTINUE READING →]( [6 Ways Starting Every Morning with Prayer Improves Your Whole Day]( Cindi McMenamin When you go to God first with all that is on your heart and mind, it reminds you that He comes first and it keeps you in perspective for the rest of the day. Here are six ways starting every morning with prayer improves your whole day. [CONTINUE READING →](                       Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                       In which book of the Bible are these words written? ''Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." A. Revelation B. Isaiah C. Genesis D. Jude [ANSWER THE QUESTION →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2021 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](