what's so amazing about grace?

Many of us formed an image of a mathematical God when we became Christians: a great judge who weighs our good and evil deeds on a set of scales and somehow always finds us wanting. We miss the God of the Gospels — Philip Yancey What's So Amazing About Grace: No Strings Attached by Philip Yancey, from session one of What's So Amazing About Grace?     Welcome to Bible Study of the Week, where every Sunday we give you the free first sessions of video Bible studies from leading authors, pastors, and Bible teachers.   This is session one of the newly revised and updated edition of What's So Amazing About Grace? from bestselling author Philip Yancey.   Yancey explores the concept of grace—the one thing the world cannot duplicate and the one thing it craves above all else—and explores what it looks like in action. In What's So Amazing About Grace?, you'll discover that God always extends his grace to individuals regardless of what they have done—for no one is unforgiveable in his eyes. Grace thus shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope.   Enjoy session one from the study!   * God's Love for the Undeserving   Grace teaches us that God loves because of who God is, not because of who we are. Categories of worthiness simply don't apply. ~ Philip Yancey, What's So Amazing About Grace?   INTRODUCTION   In one of His last acts before His death, Jesus forgave a thief dangling on a cross, knowing full well the thief had converted out of plain fear. That thief would never study the Bible, never attend synagogue or church, and never make amends to all those he had wronged. He simply said "Jesus, remember me," and Jesus promised, "today you will be with Me in paradise." It was another shocking reminder that grace does not depend on what we have done for God but rather what God has done for us. [WSAAG, chapter 4]   By instinct, we feel we must do something in order to be accepted, to earn our place in the world and the love and acceptance of others. This concept of earning is built into every human system — and our relationship with divine love is no exception. We work obsessively to please both other people and God. Perhaps this is why we struggle so much to comprehend God's grace, let alone embody it in our daily lives.   Many of us formed an image of a mathematical God when we became Christians: a great judge who weighs our good and evil deeds on a set of scales and somehow always finds us wanting. We miss the God of the Gospels, a God of mercy and generosity who never ceases to find ways to extend love and give us grace. [chapter 5]   Watch Play the video segment for session one. WATCH Your Turn   Come check out the session one study questions, watch the video, and share your thoughts on this study on our blog. We want to hear from you!     Discover grace as you've never known it before: the most powerful force in the universe and our only hope for love and forgiveness.   Save 30% off this newly revised & updated study   What's So Amazing About Grace?   + FREE shipping on your order of $30 or more     Softcover Study Guide Book, regular: $13.99 Sale: $9.79 (30% off) LEARN MORE In this six-session revised and updated video Bible study, bestselling author Philip Yancey explores the concept of grace—the one thing the world cannot duplicate and the one thing it craves above all else—and explores what it looks like in action. He also examines how Christians, as the sole dispensers, are doing at lavishing the grace on a world that knows far more of cruelty and unforgiveness than it does of mercy.   As Yancey explains, true grace is shocking and scandalous, for God does not excuse sin but always treasures the sinner. God always extends his grace to individuals regardless of what they have done—for no one is unforgiveable in his eyes. Grace thus shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope. It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser. It loves today's AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus' day.   Yancey offers compelling and true portraits of grace's life-changing power. He searches for its presence in his own life and in the church. He asks how Christians today can contend graciously with moral issues that threaten all they hold dear. And he challenges each of us to become living answers to a world that desperately wants to know, "what's so amazing about grace." LEARN MORE     Save 30% off the full study collection in the store SHOP NOW   *Sale price ends on 6/30/21.   FREE shipping on U.S. orders of $30 or more, excluding Alaska and Hawaii through 6/30/21.   *eBooks purchases are fulfilled by our partner, Glose. Please note that: To access your eBooks, you can download the free Glose app or read instantly in your browser by creating a Glose account using the same email address you use to purchase the eBooks. eBooks fulfilled through Glose cannot be printed, downloaded as PDF, or read in other digital readers (like Kindle or Nook). For more information about how to access eBooks purchased on this site, click here for our FAQs. You are subscribed to FaithGateway Bible Studies.  FaithGateway ~ our mission is to help you grow and share your faith. Copyright © 2021 HarperCollins Christian Publishing. 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