Season 7, Episode 5, Running With His Grace

Poetry of Christian Faith

65, 7-5, SHOW NOTES & COPYRIGHTS,

Today we will be reading and discussing poems about ,the beginnng of our rebirth as Christians, then living our lives to reach the goal, the quiet of our faith, and the grace of God. 2wo poems each from God’s Rhyme and God Still Rhymes.

Discussion:

WE WERE BORN IN BETHLEHEM (GR, pg. 90)

We are the children of the Father of Abraham,

children dispersed to all the nations

We are the children of the Father of Moses

who led his people from captivity

We are the children of the Father spoken of

in the books of the Old Testament

We are the children of our fathers and

mothers and generations that came before.

We are God’s children

Both Gentile and Jew

Through His death and resurrection

And the promise of God’s covenant

We are God’s children

We have been chosen

Whether it is by His saving grace

Or a promise to an ancient race

We are God’s children

His face on this earth

As the ancient scriptures did foretell

Covenants old and covenants new

We are God’s children

And so we must live

Praising Him with words ever so bold

Singing songs and hymns both new and old

We are the children of the Father of Abraham,

children dispersed to all the nations

We are the children of the Father of Moses

who led his people from captivity

We are the children of the Father spoken of

in the books of the Old Testament

We are the children of our fathers and

mothers and generations that came before

Discussion:

RUNNING TOWARD THE GOAL (GR, pg. 129)

“All I want is to know Christ

and to experience the power of His resurrection,

to share in his suffering

and become like him in his death

in the hope that I myself

will be raised from death to life.” Phil. 3:10 GN

The race I could never win,

no, not on my own.

I stumble & fall, I sin.

& many times the race seems too long.

But for me, the race has been won.

Following God’s heavenly course,

Jesus, my Savior, His holy Son,

has received all the glory.

Knowing where my life ends

I continue to strive & run

the course Jesus set before me,

hoping that with Him I will become one.

“May you always be joyful

in your union with the Lord.” Phil. 4:4, GN

I must look ahead, never behind,

keep running by the power of His love

straight toward the goal & prize –

God’s call thru Jesus to life above.

As Jesus has done before me to see,

I must follow the course

He so perfectly set before me,

avoiding the obstacles of this human world.

& when I do finally & joyfully arrive,

He will take this weak & mortal body

& like His it shall become alive

in glory by the power of Him who has created all.

“May you always be joyful

in your union with the Lord.

I say it again, rejoice!”

Discussion:

HIS GRACE (GSR, pg, 127)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –

and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God –

not by works so that no one can boast.” (Eph : 8-9, NIV)

It is by grace that we embrace

Our salvation, our hope,

That in this race we see his face,

That in this world we can cope.

What is grace?

His love for us,

A fallen race.

We have lost

Our way, our place,

Since the time

In the Garden.

Asking

what is mine

Without thought

Or concern

For what we ought

To do or think.

And as the eye

Does blink

We wonder why

As we wander,

As in the journey

The path meanders,

Til the day’s end

Not knowing

Whether friend

Or other

We did treat

One we did meet

As a brother.

Grace is his love given freely,

A gift we will never deserve.

But it is there for us to accept,

Accept the love he does give

In this life we do live.

And we share that gift

As others we uplift

So as we follow, we serve.

(Discussion)

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus

to do good works, which God prepared in advance

for us to do.” (Eph 2:10, NIV)

We now share our faith

We received by his grace

As we then serve others,

Our sisters and brothers.

We show our faith by our works,

Which have been prepared for us

By the God of Heaven above

That we may show his love.

Jesus said, “believe, be baptized and spread the gospel.”

The gospel is full of his good works;

The healing, the kind words,

The love for mankind that poured out from him.

Good works, helping those in need,

Perhaps planting the seed,

That others may water

So that God may reap the harvest.

(Discussion)

We can sit

On our hands

Or for a bit,

Maybe stand.

But how does

That honor

The grace given?

Works are

A continuation

Of the rhyme,

The rhyme

Of all time,

Past,

Present

And future.

Our faith lives though works.

It is a sign that we are heirs.

Without works our faith

Is but a mist in the air.

As in his letter James said,

Faith without works is dead.

It is like speaking without a voice.

We have be given the choice.

We can say it and we can believe

We are saved by grace.

Our lives he has repaired

So what he has prepared,

The works, for us to do,

We help more than a few.

Discussion:

THE ROCKING CHAIR (GSR, pg.121)

A day for tears,

Tears of sadness,

Sadness in the joy,

Joy of a life well lived,

Lived with love,

Love for a husband and son.

It was a day we all did pray,

Pray for a son, thankful for his son.

Death is never kind for those left behind,

But it is at this time that we do find

The love God has for us in family and friends,

A gathering of memories that he sends.

Words of kindness,

Memories of laughter,

Times of struggle

And years of joy.

There are hugs, a kiss on the cheek,

A promise of prayer from those not so meek

That they will be there when you are feeling weak.

All done to help give you the peace you seek.

All of this inside the rooms surrounded by walls.

Then needing quiet to reflect, to hear God’s call,

Stepping outside what he found

There was not making a sound.

There were two he knew

For years, through tears

And fears,

Laughter

And talk

And thoughts

Of what ought

And not.

A lifetime seemed forever,

Yours and mine through the years.

In rocking chairs, seeing old friends,

Knowing they care until life ends,

Two who were there, though no words were spoken,

Quietly they did share comfort with a heart that was broken.

It is not always the words

That someone has heard.

Sometimes we can show we care

By sitting in a rocking chair.

Reflection on The Rocking Chair

There are two things a good friend from high school, and yes still today, says he remembers about our younger years: sitting along the shores of Lake Huron philosophizing, and my wife and I sitting in rocking chairs after his mother’s funeral. This is the friend who called a friend who then called a friend who called me to ask me to Bible study. (See “God’s Rhyme”)

Discussion:

AS WE CLOSE IN PRAYER, MAY WE CONTINUE IN PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father we come to you in prayer as we end today’s podcast. Dave and I thank You for Your leading us through the day and into tomorrow. We pray that today has been pleasing to You and honors Your glory.

We pray for our listeners and viewers; for their needs, healing and the salvation of those who have not yet accepted the gift of Your grace by faith.

We pray, Lord, for this world in which we live. Father, as Christians lead us to proclaiming the gospel where ever we are. May we do so in a loving way. Lead us to the truth of the days we are living in. We pray for the nation of Ukraine and its people; its leaders, those who have fled the country to find safety, those who are still trying to leave the country and those who are staying to fight the invading army of their enemy. May their faith and determination be an example to the entire world.

Dear Lord, prepare us and our listeners and viewers for the coming week. We pray that it is You we live for and You who leads us. As we walk with you this week, may it be Your hand clasped around our hand so we may feel the grasp of Your love.

We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer.

Amen

4/3/2022

If you give

Him the times

As you live

His word rhymes

And don’t forget, “We are the Kings kids and you will never get rid of us for we are His with Jesus.”

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Living In God’s Rhyme ©2018 by Tim Carter

God Still Rhymes ©2019 by Tim Carter

God’s Rhyme ©2019 by Tim Carter