Hope for the hopeless

Remember, God wouldn’t allow anything without a purpose. Even the most hopeless situation can be used by Him to restore and to make all things new.

THE BENEFITS OF GRACE

4. All personal growth comes by grace. 2 Peter 3:18 "Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." The more you rely on God's grace, the more you're going to grow. 1 Cor. 15:10 Paul's speaking here. He's giving a testimony. "But by the grace of God, I am what I am. And His grace to me was not without affect. No, I worked harder than all of them, yet not I but the grace of God that was with me." Paul's talking about his own growth. Was there a change in Paul's character? Was there! From persecutor to apostle! I'm sure people -- early Christians -- looked at Paul and said, "That guy's hopeless! He's killing us. He's fighting us." I'm sure some people today say "Madeline Murray O'Hare is hopeless." She's not! God's grace can reach even the person who's persecuting the church. Paul says, "I grew not because I worked real hard and pulled myself up by my own bootstraps and forced myself to change to be a nice guy!" The change in his life was made by grace. That's where the growth comes from. "By the grace of God, I am what I am."

4. It's free. It's unconditional. It's a gift. You don't earn it. You don't work for it. Romans 3:24 "We are justified freely by His grace." Remember justified means just as if I'd never sinned. That is great news! God makes me just as if I'd never sinned. Because I deserve it? No. Because I earn it? No. But because of grace. It is free. It is a free gift. Titus 3:5 "It's not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He has saved us."

5. It can be resisted. Grace can be resisted. You can resist it in your life. How? There are three things that will limit and hinder the grace of God in your life:

1) Hebrew 12:15 says that one of the things that limits God's grace in our life is bitterness. When you get resentful, when you allow bitterness to build up in your life towards another person, that hinders the grace of God in your life. "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Bitterness hinders the grace of God in your life. God warns against it over and over saying, Don't become resentful!

2) Pride hinders the grace of God in your life. James 4:6 "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." When you or I get full of pride and think "I can do this on my own. I don't need God. I can make it by myself. I have plenty energy, plenty of time, plenty of ability" then God's grace is frustrated in our lives -- the power and the ability to do God's will.

3) Relying on our own works frustrates the grace of God. This is what the book of Galatians is all about. They had started by walking in the Spirit and then they continued by trying to earn God's pleasure by their good works.

6. It is limitless. God's grace is limitless. If you tried to measure the grace of God you'd face an impossible task. Romans 5:20 "The Law was added so that trespass might increase but where sin increased grace all the more increased." Literally, in the Greek, it says "Where sin increased, God's grace super increased." You cannot out-sin the grace of God. Have you ever heard anybody say, "That guy is hopeless!" But Romans 5:20 says nobody is hopeless. Where sin increased, God's grace super increases. You cannot out-sin God's grace. It is limitless.

happy valentine’s day to the girl who’s spending this day like a normal day. happy valentine’s day to the girl who’s a hopeless romantic and still hasn’t seen romance. happy valentine’s day to the girl who just stepped into being single. happy valentine’s day to the girl who’s with someone who isn’t going to appreciate her today. happy valentine’s day to the girl who puts out more than she gets. happy valentine’s day to the girl who can’t seem to walk away from that toxic situation. if nobody else told you today, you are valued & loved 🫶🏽

Don’t be hopeless

You found him on Facebook
You checked his profile picture
He is handsome
He DM you
You reply, all excited
You all want to hook up
You set a date
You dress up that leggings with no underwear
You're smelling good
You put on a makeup, fresh breath and new weave
He takes you for a launch at a fancy restaurant
He takes you out for a drink and ice cream
You two have a good time
He rubs your hand
Makes you laugh
Gives you looks and smiles
You stupidly fall in love
It's like you've known him for some years
He took you to his apartment
He makes you feel comfortable and lays u on his bed
Kiss you passionately
U love his aggression, strength, power and you give in
It feels good
U know it's wrong, but it's feel good
U ask for protection, he says it's too late
U obey and don't disturb
He says he loves you and you don't hesitate to say you love him too
He hits it nice and slow
After, he goes to the kitchen to get a glass of water
He helps you drink it, oooh man
U feel special
"He must be the one" you think to yourself
U get dressed
He takes you to the taxi park
He kisses you on the cheeks and says
"I had a great time,"
Gives u cash
U smile and say
"See you tomorrow babe"
He stays silent
Your taxi drives away
In the taxi u can't stop smiling
U get home and inbox him dat u got home safe
He is online, but doesn't reply
It's like unlike him, so u inbox him again
He doesn't respond
Minutes later you can't find him on your friend list
HE BLOCKED U
Days, weeks and months passes by
U started feeling sick, weak, loose weight n act strange with sores in ur mouth
U go to clinic
Get tested
Minutes later
Nurse walks in "I'm sorry. u're HIV positive n pregnant
"HOW?"
U don't understand
Reality hits u
U walk home
Scared
Confused
U go to d bus stop
U lay, hopeless and emotionless
U see death coming nearer
U look into the sky and mumble a prayer
Dat's d end of u
Don't be dat girl! Live well.Stop chasing material things.5 minutes pleasure can ruin ur life

I was lost and hopeless, but now I have a purpose in life all because of you. I love you so dearly that I cannot imagine you leaving.

As this is our 4th anniversary, I want to tell you that I am hopelessly, madly, and completely in love with you.