| This week’s theme is “the joy and transforming power of grace”.
The prophet Isaiah points out to the sinful people of Sodom and Gomorrah that God is not interested in burnt offerings; he is interested in seeing change—seeking justice, rescuing the oppressed, defending the orphan, taking care of the widow. He gives forgiveness, he wants us to let it change the way we live. The Psalmist talks about confessing our sins and living in the joy of forgiveness. Forgiveness changes us. In Paul’s letter to the church in Thessalonica, he tells them he boasts about how their living in grace has increased their love for one another. The sermon focuses on the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. Zacchaeus displays the joy and transformation of receiving God’s grace. |