Taste of Grace

Those of us who have put our faith and hope in Jesus, understand and value the grace of God in our lives. We know that the grace He has given to us is not because we deserve it, but because He loves us. Our God is a giver. He gave us His own Son. This is the reason that we are generous people – we are being made in the likeness of our Savior and He is a self-sacrificial giver.

But these are difficult economic times, both within the church and in our communities. People have lost savings, retirements, even jobs. Face it, we have experienced times of plenty in the past, but these are lean years for most and desperate times for many. And these are the times that the Lord has ordained and His message to His people remains unchanging…

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

So, what should be the response of the people of God to the tribulation in the world? We are to be like Jesus. How was/is Jesus? He loved people so much that He sacrificed everything to meet them right where they were, in their blindness, in their debility, in their poverty, in their depravity. And what did He do? He offered them a taste of the grace of God. So that is what we are going to do.

Taste of Grace is a food ministry that is beginning here at Grace Church this month. Through this program, we want to help people meet their need for nutritious food. This is an opportunity for us to put feet to our faith. For those in our church who are struggling, this ministry will help them feed their family. For those who have enough or even much, Taste of Grace provides opportunities to be better stewards of the blessings God has given. And for those who have no relationship with Grace Church, we have another way to show that we care because we are devoted to a God who cares.

Let me tell you about one CONNECT group that is already using this ministry opportunity. Our Lancaster group is having a Bake/Yard Sale this weekend. All of the proceeds are going toward buying food boxes for sharing in their area. Additionally, they are distributing fliers on the ministry to everyone who visits their event. They see Taste of Grace as a God-given opportunity to reach out with the Gospel of Grace to a hurting, desperate world.

Is this just about food? Of course not! It’s about rightly understanding that every person is made in the image of God, precious in His sight, and deserving of dignity. It’s about building relational bridges over which the gospel can be shared. It’s about meeting people wherever they are and using all that God has given us to help move them to where He wants them to be. It’s about Christ being formed in us. It’s about faithfulness.

For more information, visit the Taste of Grace web page (www.lgbc.org/TastofGrace.htm) or email to tasteofgrace@lgbc.org.

Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in Him! Psalm 34:8