Fields United Methodist Church

Celebrate Jesus!

Pastor Tom Joyce

February 6, 2023

“But God, who is rich in mercy, out of great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

Ephesians 2:4-5

God could have left you alone to follow the whims of the world; God could have said you are just not worth the effort.  God is far more merciful and eternally faith-filled to ever leave you or forsake you. When Jesus said, “I am with you, even to the end of the age” that means simply that no matter what you have done, no matter what others may say, no matter life’s challenges and losses, Jesus is with you, always.  You are “alive together with Christ” for another chance at living life in the joy, hope, and peace that you have been offered long before you were born. Jesus will never stop offering you mercy and another chance, and just maybe Jesus is there knocking at your soul right now, ready to receive your life and make you whole again. As Bonnie Raitt  sings, “…and just like that your life can change….Never thought the night would end, but somehow grace found me and I had to let him in.” (Bonnie Raitt, “Just Like That.”) Like the Prodigal Son coming home expecting the worst but instead greeted by the open arms and the tears of a merciful and grace-filled dad, you are being welcomed to experience new-life by the One who is calling you by name and who is rich in mercy and boundless in love.  Thank you Jesus for your grace that surrounds us, especially us today. Yes, you are blessed at this very moment, no matter where you may find yourself along the path. “O let the Son of God en-fold you with his Spirit and his love. Let him fill your heart and satisfy your soul. O let him have the things that hold you, and his Spirit like a dove will descend upon your life and make you whole.” (John Wimber, “Spirit Song.”)