Fields United Methodist Church

Jesus Along the Way: Words of Grace and Hope.                         Pastor Tom Joyce

September 14, 2020

“For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn his face from you, if you return to him.”  2 Chronicles 30:9b

The simple truth is, God loves you; you are God’s beloved, not doubt about it. But it is hard to see God’s love if we are running in the opposite direction from God. Repentance is all about turning back to the One who created you, called you by name, and redeemed you through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus said that he came not just to give you life, but so you will have life “in abundance.” Think about that, “in abundance,” not just a little life but a full life where ever you are along the way. And about all that stuff that has kept you up at night; the worries, regrets, and all that stuff you knew was wrong but you did it anyway? These things may seem to build a chasm between you and God but God is a bridge-builder, a heart-mender, and a grace giver. The world may judge you one way but God loves you too much and will go to the extreme, even death on a cross to welcome you back home.  In a season of pandemic uncertainty, political and social unrest, there is hope because there is Jesus. Someone once said, “you can never go back,” and in some circumstances that is true; hometowns change, schools change, people move away and begin new lives. I remember going back to the town of my birth, excited to show the family where I spent the first 8 years of my life, only to find vestiges of my memories still intact but everything else changed. But unlike returning to a place many years later, returning to God’s grace through Jesus Christ is truly a homecoming! Returning to the grace of Jesus Christ is a celebration of eternal love that feels new and even more vibrant.  Funny thing about the grace and mercy of Jesus, it refocuses our attention on what is good, hope-filled, and gracious.  Jesus has never left your side, never. That is a promise that is fulfilled when you return to the One who promised to be with you, even to the end of the age.

Rev. Tom Joyce