7 POWERFUL GRACES FOR LIVING: LESSONS LEARNED

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  We give thanks for all the men and women who have given their lives for our great country.  This week, we complete our series on 7 Powerful Graces for Living with the sermon Lessons Learned.  There have been 7 different graces that we have explored in this series which can help us in our living and in our spiritual life.  This week, we turn to Joshua 24:14:24 in which Joshua gathers the people at the city of Shechem and he does a covenant renewal at the worship tent of God. It is one of his last acts as the leader of the people of God, and he tells them they must choose who they will serve.  As he confronts them with their choice, he is very clear about his own choice: “But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) All of us make numerous decisions each day about the quality of our lives and our spiritual life.  It is easy for us to get caught up in the frantic pace of our lives and miss the truly critical things.  All of us are prone to let the important things slip.  These people had let their worship of God slip to a perilous point, and their lives reflected it.  Joshua wants to help them find a renewal of worship, direction, service, and meaning in their lives.  We are no different.  We need a renewal of worship, direction, service, and meaning for our lives.  These verses can help us find the lesson of being renewed and reenergized.  As you read Joshua 24:14-23, we pray that you will consider your choices and allow the Holy Spirit to reignite your energy to serve and worship our Lord, Jesus Christ!  Joshua 24:14-23: Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” 16 Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! 17 It was the LORD our God himself who brought us and our parents up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and performed those great signs before our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. 18 And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because he is our God.” 19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.” 21 But the people said to Joshua, “No! We will serve the LORD.” 22 Then Joshua said, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “Yes, we are witnesses,” they replied. 23 “Now then,” said Joshua, “throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel (NIV)