Bible Reading Plan:

40 days on grace

Written by rebecca walker

layout by sye robertson
Produced (2011) by The Salvation Army
Australia Southern Territory
Corps Programme department
salvationarmy.org.au/corpsresources

Bible Reading Plan: 40 days on Grace

God is an amazing God. He eclipses our human understanding. We usually do
not have any trouble believing that God is angry about sin. Which is definitely
true. But we need to hold that truth in tension with other truths about God.
One of those other great truths is that God is also a God of mercy and grace.
Gods mercy means that He does not give us what our sins deserve; His grace
means that He gives us blessings that we do not deserve. Mercy brings our
spiritual bank balance back to zero, Grace makes us spiritual millionaires. Lets
spend forty days together, learning to understand better what it means to live
life under the Grace of God. The journey will take us through the Old and New
Testaments to buld up a biblical pricture of the doctrine of grace.

Tips for Bible Reading

1.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand, and to show you what He wants
you to see. When a passage is particularly difficult, pray and ask the Lord to
reveal to you what it means. Sometimes the answer will come immediately;
sometimes the answer will arrive sometime later.

2. The bible is one big story of Gods plan to redeem the world. Whenever you
are reading a passage, consider how it fits into Gods overarching plan, into
the big story.
3. Look for the big idea behind each passage. Read in paragraphs. A paragraph
represents one idea, each verse within that builds up a picture of that idea.
The collection of ideas in a passage should lead to one big idea. Sometimes
the verse and chapter breaks and headings disrupt the natural flow of the
text, sometimes ignoring them helps to better understand the point the
writer was trying to make.
4. The style of writing in a passage gives hints about how to interpret it.
For example, Psalms are poetry and so are full of metaphors and picture
language. In comparison, books like Kings and Chronicles are historical
accounts; Ephesians, 1 and 2 Corinthians, 1 and 2 Timothy are letters.
Interpret a passage based on its style of writing, for example you would not
interpret Shakespeare in the same way you would a news story on a natural
disaster. The same applies for the different books in the bible.
5. The more you read of the bible, even the trickier or more boring bits, will
help with understanding other parts of the bible. For example, the book of
Hebrews makes a lot more sense after reading Leviticus. If you can manage
to read the whole bible cover to cover at least a few times things will begin
to click into place a lot more easily. Read in big chunks as much as possible,
with shorter books its great to read them in one sitting. Reading large
portions helps you see much more easily the main points that the writer was
trying to make throughout the whole text.

What is Grace?
The whole of our life is bound up in the Grace of God. Each breath we take is
only through the undeserved love and favour of God. That He even created us
is purely His gift, He did not need to make us, and we had not done anything
to deserve to be created. In this section we will look at how God exercised his
grace in creation, fall, in the desert and in redemption. The aim is to get a good
foundation for later understanding of specific ways in which Grace is talked
about in the Bible.

Day 1 Grace of Creation

Read Genesis 1-2
Contemplate Have you ever thought about why God created us? Is there
anything that we did before we were created that meant that we deserved to
be created? If not, what does this tell us about the grace of God in creation?
What does Genesis 1, verses 22 and 28 tell us about the way God relates to his
creations? What theme comes up in both verses?
How well did God provide for Adam and Eves needs? Is there anything that
they needed that He did not provide? What does Gods provision of Eve for
Adam, even though Adam had not identified his own need of a partner tell us
about Gods grace? What is an appropriate response to Gods kindness and
grace?
What do you think being created in the image of God means? Why do you
think God picked humans out especially for this role? Had we done anything to
deserve this honour above everything else that God created? What does this
tell us about the grace of God?

Day 2 Grace after the Fall

Read Genesis 3
Contemplate In verses 4-6, what is the basis of the serpents temptation?
What does he prompt Eve to question? Do you ever find yourself questioning
the basic goodness of God, or His love towards you?
In verse 21, how does God show grace to Adam and Eve, in the midst of them
having to deal with the consequences of their sin? Given that God would have
had to kill an animal to make the animal skins, what do you think this verse
might be pointing forward to? How does this show us the grace of God? How
does this point to Jesus sacrifice?

Day 3 Grace in the desert I

Read Exodus 15:22-17:7
Contemplate What two things does this passage identify as things that God
provides? How important are they to human living? Is a desert the place where
you would normally find abundant food and water? How is Gods provision for
Israel in the desert like Gods provision for Adam and Eve in the garden?
Does the behaviour of Israel make them deserving recipients of Gods care and
provision? Does their complaining and worry indicate that they trust God?
Why do you think that God tests the Israelites (Exodus 15:25)? Given that the
rest of this passage is about Gods provision of food and water, why do you
think God promises good health in verse 26? What does God want them to
learn about Him through this process of testing? What does God want from
them in response to his promises?
Why do you think God commanded that an omer of manna was kept with the
commandments? What are some ways that God has shown you grace? What
kind of reminders could you use to help you remember the Lords kindnesses
to you?
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Day 4 Grace in the desert II

Read Exodus 33:7-23
Contemplate How normal do you think it is that God dwelt in the midst of
the Israelites? Given that many people see God as distant because He is so
different from us, and because He is holy; what does this tell us about Gods
grace?
In verse 11, it says that God spoke to Moses, as one speaks to a friend. Do you
think it is remarkable that God would give people the distinction of being His
friend? What term do you find more comfortable, friend or servant?
Why do you think Moses makes a big deal out of Gods presence going with
the Israelites? What do you think about God saying that He knows Moses by
name? Do you feel like God knows you by name? What difference does it
make that God knows us by name?
Why is God so pleased with Moses request? What does Moses really want?
What does this passage as a whole tell us about the relational nature of God?
How gracious is it that He wants to be in relationship with us, and call us His
friends?

Day 5 Grace of a New Covenant

Read Jeremiah 31:31-34
Contemplate Gods covenant with Israel through Moses was based on the
observance of the Law. How difficult do you think it is to live up to Gods standards
of belief and behaviour? Have you ever met anyone who was entirely without sin?
What does this passage reveal about how God feels when His people break
covenant with Him? What does the picture of God as husband say about the
intimacy of relationship between God and His people? What do you think of the
bible using adultery as a metaphor of the faithlessness of Gods people?
How amazing is it that in the face of Israels unfaithfulness God would make a new
covenant with them? Had Israel done anything to deserve Gods favour?
How amazing is it, in the face of Israels unfaithfulness, that the promises of the
New Covenant are better than the Old Covenant (the law is written on hearts,
not on stone; everyone will know God; and sin will be forgiven)? If someone sins
against you, are you inclined to make a bigger and better commitment to them?
What can we learn about Gods grace from the promise of the New Covenant?
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Day 6 Grace as the person of Jesus Christ

Read John 1:1-18
Contemplate How do you think this passage reveals the grace of God? What
does it tell us about God that even though His people were not being faithful
to Him, that He chose to send His Son to us?
What does it tell us about the value of humanity in Gods eyes that He chose
to take on human flesh? What does it tell us about Gods willingness to walk
with us, that He took a walk in our shoes, experiencing life as we experience
it? Why do you think He puts that kind of value on us, when we fail in so many
ways to live up to His standards of holiness?
In the Old Testament the fundamental idea about God was that He was one,
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one (Deut 4:6). How amazing is
it that God chose to reveal more of who He is, His trinitarian nature as FatherSon-Spirit, to people who had not met the mark as His people?
What do you think the relationship between grace and truth is? Is it possible
to accept grace if you havent first accepted the truth of your sinfulness and
weakness? How does this approach differ to managing sin by the law?

Day 7 Grace to bring us to the Father and in the gift of the Spirit
Read John 14-15
Contemplate What does this passage tell us about each of the persons of the
Trinity, and their relationships to one another? What does this passage tell us
about our relationship to God, to each member of the Trinity?
How does this passage show how grace brings us into relationship with the
Father?
What is the general mood that Jesus wants His followers to have? In showing
us this picture of what the Trinity is like, is Jesus trying to provoke fear? With
what specific feeling and action does He ask us to respond?
What does Jesus promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit indicate about Jesus
heart towards us? What the things, that Jesus says the Spirit will do for us,
indicate about Gods grace towards us in our weakness?

Day 8 Grace in the pouring out of the Spirit

Read Acts 2:1-47
Contemplate If the confusion of languages at the tower of Babel was a
judgement against sin, what does the use of the different peoples native
tongues by Galileans by the power of the Spirit in this passage suggest? What
is God doing that is different to under the Old Covenant?
What significance does Peter put on the pouring out of the Spirit? How is the
ministry of the Spirit through believers an act of Gods grace towards a world
in sin?

Day 9 Grace from Jesus as High Priest

Read Hebrews 8-10
Contemplate What is the major point that is made in this passage about the
Old Covenant? Who were the mediators in the Old Covenant? Were they able to
purify people sufficiently to allow them access to God?
What does this passage tell us about the high priesthood of Jesus? Given the
frailty and sinfulness of the human priests under the Old Covenant, what does
Gods provision of Jesus as our High Priest tell us about Gods grace towards us in
our weakness?
How complete is Jesus priesthood and offering of Himself as sacrifice? Is there
anything left for us to do to make ourselves worthy of entering into the Most Holy
Place?
Does grace give us permission to sin? In what way is continuing to sin trampling
the Son of God underfoot and insulting the Spirit of grace?

Grace and Law

The Old Covenant was a covenant of Law. The New Covenant is a covenant of
Grace. Sometimes we can get mixed up, and try to bring elements of the Old
Covenant over into our relationship with God under the covenant in Jesus blood.
It is important, then, to understand the relationship between law and grace, and
to understand how the New Covenant is setup to deal with our sin. Otherwise it
can be easy for us to unconsciously slip into thinking about our sin under the Old
Covenant categories of Law and retribution.

Day 10 Grace leads to repentance

Read Romans 1-3
Contemplate Why do you think Paul starts by talking about how sinful
humanity is? Why does he also make a point in Romans 2:1-4 of saying that his
readers do the same things that they judge to be sinful in others?
What does Romans 2:4 indicate is the purpose of Gods grace, the riches
of his kindness, forbearance and patience? Does this mean that sin is not
important to God under the New Covenant?
What does Paul say the purpose of the Law was? Does he hold much hope
that those who were under the Law kept the Law? What about the Gentiles?
If the Jews believed that they were more righteous than the Gentiles, why do
you think Paul flattens the playing field to reveal that all have sinned and fall
short of the kingdom of God (Romans 3:23)?
To what does Paul attribute salvation if not to righteousness under the Law?
How does the atonement demonstrate both Gods justice and His grace
(Romans 3:25-26)?

Day 11 Grace empowered living

Read Romans 4-6
Contemplate Does Paul allow room in his argument in Romans 4:1-5 that
faith could be seen as a righteous work? If faith is not a righteous work, then
on what basis does God credit faith to us as righteousness?
Why does Paul make a big deal about the order in which Abraham was
circumcised and received the promise of God? What is the connection
between grace and the promises of God to Abraham?
In Romans 5:17, how comfortable do you feel about the connection between
the ideas of Gods abundant provision of grace and reigning in life through
Jesus? Does this fit with your experience? In what ways do you think you
could function from the place of Gods abundant provision of grace more?
What does Paul think our response to sin should be under grace? Did you
know that the grace of God is available to you to enable you not to sin
(Romans 6:14)?

Day 12 Grace towards Israel

Read Romans 9-11
Contemplate Given Pauls extended discussion earlier in Romans about the
relationship between the Jews, the Law, the Gentiles and grace, why do you
think he now talks about the salvation of the Jews?
Why is it surprising that the Gentiles have found salvation and the Jews have
missed it?
Does the Jews failure to attain righteousness through faith mean that they will
not be saved? How has the failure of the Jews meant grace for the Gentiles?
Does Paul think that the failure of the Jews puts them beyond the saving
grace of God?
What is the relationship between the sternness and the kindness of God?
Does Gods grace make him weak against sin?
How difficult is it for you to hold together in your mind that God is serious
about dealing with unbelief and sin, but also that his grace is such that his gifts
and calling are irrevocable at the same time?
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Day 13 Grace is for transformation

Read 2 Corinthians 3:1-6:2
Contemplate What does Paul say is the end product of the Law (letter)? How
did the Old Covenant bring condemnation and death? What is different about
the New Covenant? What is its end result?
Paul calls the Old Covenant, transitory and passing away. How does
he compare that to the New Covenant? Does the New Covenant provide
something lasting?
How does the New Covenant provide the resources for transformation of the
human person? Both of the inner person and the body? How was this different
from the intentions of the Old Covenant? Where do you see Gods grace in
this?

Day 14 Grace is for daily living

Read Galatians 1-6
Contemplate Why does Paul get so upset by the Galatians turning to a
different gospel? How are the Galatians turning away from the gospel? Why
did Paul get so upset with the Apostle Peter (Cephas)? How does observing
the law undermine the gospel of grace?
Why does Paul describe observance of the Law as a yoke of slavery
(Galatians 5:1)? What then is the freedom that he is talking about?
Bearing in mind that grace is given to us to deal with sin, and that sin does
not negate grace, what then is a fall from grace? How is this phrase used
incorrectly in day-to-day speech?
How does Paul say Christians should live instead of by the law? How do we
keep from sin? What is the relationship between grace and the fruit of the
Spirit?

Day 15 Grace in Jesus supremacy

Read Colossians 1:15-3:17
Contemplate How amazing is it that the fullness of the deity dwells in Christ,
and that Christ is in us? How much power has God put at our disposal in order
to live a life pleasing to Him, and to achieve His purposes? How is this a different
approach to the Old Covenant which regulated behaviour by law?
How can philosophy, human traditions and elemental forces trap us? Why does
Paul give examples of religious practises in Colossians 2:16-23 as things that can
trap us? Are there any religious practises that you engage in because you think
they will make you more acceptable to God?
What does Paul instead say is the Christian way of living? Why is setting your
heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God the
foundation for Christian living? What behaviours will flow out of that revelation?

Day 16 Grace is better than the Law

Read Hebrews 3:1-5:10
Contemplate Why do you think the writer to the Hebrews compares Moses
as servant of God with Jesus as the Son of God? What are they trying to say
about the two covenants?
What point about grace is the writer making by talking about Sabbath rest?
How does grace open the way to a Sabbath rest? How does it allow Gods
people to stop working? What do we need to do to enter into Gods rest?
How does Jesus humanity make him a fit priest? How does Jesus priesthood
open the way for us to the throne of grace? Does it make a difference for how
we pray to know that Jesus understands what it is like to be one of us, and has
gone through the trials we go through?

Grace for Forgiveness

One of the key issues that grace addresses is our need for forgiveness. We
have all done things we are not proud of, all done things that we hope no one
ever finds out about, things that we hesitate to even tell our spouses. God
knows every single thing that we have done and every single thing that we will
do. Our normal human reaction to knowledge of our sin is feelings of shame
and running away and hiding from God. If we are going to live comfortably
before Him, knowing that He knows who and what we really are, then we need
His grace, we need His forgiveness.

Day 17 Grace in the blessings of forgiveness

Read Psalm 32
Contemplate What does David identify as the state of being unforgiven? What
kind of life can you enjoy while living in sin?
Where can you see grace and truth in this Psalm? While David pretended
nothing was wrong how did events proceed? What was the tipping point that
moved him from affliction to blessing?
What does this Psalm say about Gods concern about how we live? What notes
of the tenderness of a parent can you find in Gods response to Davids sin and
repentance?

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Day 18 Grace in forgiveness for adultery and murder

Read Psalm 51
Contemplate What does David base his appeal to God for forgiveness
on? Does David recite his previous good deeds or rely on Gods nature for
his request for forgiveness? How does this show Gods grace at work in
forgiveness?
On whom does David rely for his cleansing? Is there anything in this passage
that suggests that David is able to cleanse himself from his sins? What does
Davids reliance on God for cleansing teach us about grace?

Day 19 Grace has many benefits

Read Psalm 103
Contemplate What seven things are promised as benefits of knowing God
in the first 6 verses? Given that forgiveness of sins is the first of these items
does that suggest that any of these benefits may be obtained through our own
good behaviour? What then does this teach us about the blessings of knowing
God?
What characteristics of God does the Psalmist say were revealed to Moses?
In what ways does the Psalmist compare God to a compassionate father?
What does the Psalmist say about humans? Do we amount to much? How
then do we attain blessing?

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Day 20 Grace towards the lost

Read Luke 15:1-32
Contemplate What do these three parables tell us about the value God
places on those that are lost? What is Gods heart towards the lost?
How do you feel about the way the Father treated the younger son in this
parable? Do you identify more with the younger son or the older son?
Both sons were outside of the Fathers house, one is separated from his father
by wild living, the other by self-righteousness. How does the Father respond to
each son? How does the Father show grace to both sons?

Grace Towards Outsiders

Sometimes it can be easy to think that Gods grace is only for certain people.
Sometimes it seems like some people get more blessings or are specially chosen,
and that we only get the crumbs from the table. However the bible consistently
shows that Gods grace and love is for everyone, even those people that we think
are outsiders. In the bible people who were on the outer included women
particularly those who could not conceive, foreigners and shepherds. Menahoth
43b-44a in the Talmud obliges Jewish men to say the following prayer every
day: Thank you God for not making me a Gentile, a woman or a slave. Who are
the people we normally think of as outside Gods grace?

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Day 21 Grace towards Hagar

Read Genesis 16
Contemplate How badly was Hagar treated by Sarai? How would she have felt
given her complete lack of control over her entire life situation?
God does not appear directly to Sarai until Genesis 18. How does God meeting
with Hagar in the desert after she has run away from Sarai show Gods grace
towards outsiders?
If God is going to bless the entire world through Abraham (as per his promise in
Genesis 12), how is Gods instruction for Hagar to return to Sarai a form of grace
even though it sounds like a bad idea?
What does the name Hagar gives God tell us about his nature towards those who
feel ignored and trampled on?

Day 22 Grace towards Ruth and Naomi

Read Ruth 1-4
Contemplate Elimelech and his family leaving Israel was a form of covenant
unfaithfulness, as was his sons taking Moabite wives.
How does God show grace towards Naomi despite not having a husband or
sons to provide for her? What is unusual about the role Ruth plays in terms of
traditional gender roles in Gods faithfulness to Naomi?
How does God show grace towards Ruth as a foreigner? How does Ruths
association with Naomi and decision that Naomis people would be her people,
and Naomis God would be her God, put her in a position that means the grace
of the kinsman redeemer laws would come into play? How does Ruth show
grace to Boaz?
What does this story tell us about Gods grace towards vulnerable women and
foreigners? What does it tell us about the unusual measures God will use to
bless outsiders?
What does it tell us about Gods ability to use unusual people for his purposes
given that Ruth became the ancestor of Jesus?
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Day 23 Grace towards Hannah

Read 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11
Contemplate Given that the primary role of women in the Ancient Near-East
was to produce children, what does Gods response to Hannahs prayer indicate
about how he cares about those things that are important to us?
Without children if anything happened to Elkanah, Hannah would have been
destitute. What does Gods response to Hannahs prayer indicate about his care
for her provision?
What does Hannahs prayer of praise in chapter 2 tell us about how God looks
after the poor and needy? What can we learn from this story about Gods grace?

Day 24 Grace towards Gentiles

Read 1 Kings 17, 2 Kings 5, Luke 4:14-30
Contemplate How does Jesus interpret the miracles God performed for the
widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian who were both Gentiles?
Why does Jesus emphasise how God has worked and will work amongst
people that the Jews traditionally despised?
Why do you think this emphasis on Gods grace towards the Gentiles made the
Jews in Nazareth so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus?
What does this tell us about Gods grace towards those who are excluded or
thought to be unfit for his attention?

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Day 25 Grace towards the shepherds

Read Luke 2:1-20
Contemplate In Jesus time, working as a shepherd was seen as a lowly job
that prevented people from observing all of the ceremonial law. In this context,
what does it say about God that the first people to see the baby Jesus were
shepherds not Pharisees, scribes or priests?
Who are the shepherds that we might not want in our churches? Who are
the shepherds that hang around the outside edges of our various social
groups? What do you think Gods attitude to them is?
How does this vision of Gods love and grace being for outsiders transform the
way we should do life?

Day 26 Grace towards an adulteress

Read John 8:1-11
Contemplate The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought the woman
to Jesus in order to trap Him. How does Jesus show grace and kindness to
the woman by not allowing her to be a pawn in the conflict with the religious
people?
How does Jesus exercise grace and truth in regards to the woman? What does
he say to bring about grace and truth for everyone present?
Did Jesus use condemnation to bring the woman to repentance? What
response to his grace did Jesus ask the woman for?
What can we learn from this story about how we handle the sin of others?
What can we learn from this story about how we take responsibility for our
own sin?

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Grace Towards Enemies

One of the most earth-shattering sentences ever spoken on this planet was
Jesus last words before he died, Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing (Luke 23:34). With this prayer, Jesus modeled what it
means to love our enemies. When Jesus had taught his disciples earlier in his
ministry to love their enemies, he told them that loving their enemies would
make them like the Father, who causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). So Gods
grace is extended not only to outsiders, but also to those who are counted as his
enemies. This would have been a massive surprise for people in Jesus day, since
much of the Old Testament talks about enemies being crushed. Gods heart for
all, however, is grace and the opportunity for redemption and restoration.

Day 27 Grace towards Josephs Brothers

Read Genesis 45-47
Contemplate What specific things does Joseph do for his family that flow
out of grace?
Do you think it is remarkable that when Joseph has the power to take revenge
on his brothers, he not only does not punish them, but pours out blessing over
them and their families?
What perspective does Joseph have that makes him able to see beyond the
sinful actions of his brothers? How can taking a heavenly perspective help us
to be gracious towards others?

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Day 28 Grace after Jacobs death

Read Genesis 49:29-50:26
Contemplate Why do you think that Josephs brothers became frightened that
Joseph might harm them after Jacob died?
Do you have difficulty accepting the forgiveness of others? How about the
forgiveness of God? What is the underlying reason that we sometimes struggle
to accept forgiveness and grace?
What would life be like to not live under that fear that God is just holding back
our punishment for now, but is going to get us later? If Jesuss death has
paid our penalty once and for all, is there any rational basis for fearing Gods
punishment?
Why do you think Josephs brothers said we are your slaves to him? What
were they basing their relationship with him on? Had Joseph given them any
reason to fear? When we approach God, do we approach him as slaves, on the
basis of our actions, or as friends and family on the basis of Gods actions?

Day 29 Grace towards Nineveh

Read Jonah 1-4
Contemplate Nineveh was a city of Assyria that would a few generations
after Jonah ransack the Northern kingdom of Israel. Why do you think Jonah
did not want to take Gods message to his peoples enemies? If Nineveh had
not repented and God had judged them, would they necessarily have had the
opportunity to later invade Israel?
How would you feel if God sent you to preach repentance to those who
are enemies of your people? How would you feel if God sent you to preach
repentance to Al Qaeda members who supported the 9/11 attacks? Or to
people smugglers? Or to the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran? How would you
feel if they repented, God then did not judge them, and then they had the
opportunity to later go on and attack people you love?
What do Gods actions towards Nineveh teach us about his grace? What does
Jonahs reaction to Gods grace teach us about how scandalous we can find
Gods grace?

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Day 30 Grace in loving your enemies

Read Luke 6:27-36
Contemplate What ways does this passage identify for showing grace to
enemies? What specific examples can you find?
This passage shows a lifestyle of continual giving, a lifestyle of grace. From
where does it indicate that we will get our filling-up? To whom are we to look
to get rather than give?
When you read this passage, who comes to mind as an enemy that you need to
love? What are some practical steps you can take to show them grace?
Can you identify any obstacles that hold you back from loving your enemies?
How do you think Gods grace might be available to you to help you to love
your enemies? What can you do to overcome your obstacles? How do you
think praying blessing on your enemies might help in this process?

Day 31 Grace from an enemy

Read Luke 10:25-37
Contemplate The term Good Samaritan has come to mean someone who
helps out because they are good people. For the Jews of Jesus day, Good
Samaritan would have been similar to saying Good Satanist, an oxymoron!
Why do you think Jesus uses someone who personifies everything that Jewish
people disliked and scorned as an example of someone who practised mercy
and grace?
What does the failure of the religious people to show grace show us about
what is important to God in the way we live our lives? What does the Good
Samaritan crossing socio-cultural-religious boundaries, to help someone in
need, teach us about grace?
Who are some people that you could cross socio-cultural-religious boundaries
to show grace? How do you think an understanding of grace could change the
way Australia deals with asylum seekers, people smugglers and Muslims? How
could an understanding of grace change the way the church deals with the
GLBT community?
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Day 32 Grace towards a Samaritan woman

Read John 4:1-42
Contemplate How does Jesus cross socio-cultural-religious boundaries
to talk to the Samaritan woman? What does Jesus refusal to go along with
customs that prohibited Jews from associating with Samaritans and men from
associating with women in order to bring the word of God to this woman show
about Gods grace?
The Samaritan woman is the first person that Jesus directly tells that He is the
Messiah. Given the cultural issues mentioned above, what does this tell us about
the grace of God?
What is the result of Jesus grace towards the Samaritan woman? How does
Jesus grace to this woman impact her entire community?

Day 33 Grace towards Saul

Read Acts 9:1-31
Contemplate Was Sauls repentance before or after the Lord had shown him
grace? What was the catalyst for Saul to change his ways? Did Jesus expect
anything of him before He had shown Saul the truth? Where do you see grace
in that?
In our society people often talk about locking murderers and other serious
criminals up and throwing away the keys. How is Jesus approach to Saul
different? Is there any suggestion that Saul will have to pay for his crime
against Jesus and the church before God will accept him? Or before God will
use him to spread the gospel?
What can we learn about the relationship between Gods grace, our failings
and His call on our lives from this passage?

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Grace in Abundance
All of our life is bound up in Gods grace. In creation, in redemption and in the
final glorification there is grace, grace and more grace! In this section we will
look at some other examples of how Gods grace overflows like a never-ending
fountain of blessing in all of life. We will also look at how His grace is the thing
that will bring about the final redemption of the entire creation, and will usher in
the day when we see Him face to face, and He wipes every tear from our eyes.

Day 34 Grace in restoration

Read Psalm 85
Contemplate Sometimes God disciplines us for our own good. What does
this Psalm teach us about Gods desire and ability to restore his people?
What is Gods promise to his people?
What specific blessings does this Psalm indicate God is willing to give? If
righteousness is defined as believing God (Romans 4:3), then what is the basis
on which these blessings and promises of God are received?

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Day 35 Grace is not our way

Read Isaiah 55
Contemplate In verses 1-2, what point about grace being made by the apparent
illogic of buying without money?
Why do you think God makes a point in verse 3 about this covenant he is going
to make being like the everlasting covenant (i.e. it was not conditional on
obedience) with David? What does this mean in regards to the way God will deal
with those under grace?
God promises in verses 6-7 that free forgiveness is available for those who
repent. Why do you think God then says For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways? In what way is this kind of grace not
our way?
God then promises joy, peace and abundance to his people, and it is in this
context that he says, my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to
me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I
sent it. How then is the word of God itself a manifestation of Gods grace?

Day 36 Grace in providing basic needs

Read John 6
Contemplate Compare this passage back to Exodus 15:22-17:7 that we
studied in Day 3. What point is Jesus making about Himself through the
feeding of the five thousand? How is that in continuity with how God provided
for His people in the Old Testament?
How does Jesus claim that He is the bread of life come down from heaven
introduce a discontinuity with the Jewish understanding of how God provided
for His people in the Old Testament?
Why do you think the people found this to be hard teaching and deserted
Jesus? How easy is it to accept Jesus provision both of our physical and
spiritual needs as something so freely given? And something so not of our own
doing?
How can we stay in that place of eating Jesus flesh and drinking His blood and
not falling back into trying to save ourselves?

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Day 37 Grace in resurrection

Read John 11
Contemplate Death was one of the consequences of the fall and is one of
the parts of life that is so difficult to deal with. How does Jesus role as the
resurrection and the life deal with the problem of death?
How did Jesus feel about Lazarus death and the grief of his family? What does
this reveal about how God feels about death?
Is there any point at which there is any indication that resurrection is something
that we can earn by our good works? Did Lazarus do anything to get Jesus to
raise him from the dead?
How does this passage show us Gods grace?

Day 38 Grace of the new creation

Read Romans 8
Contemplate What does this passage tell us about the relationship between
sin and grace? How does the gracious gift of the Spirit enable us to live holy
lives? How does the gracious gift of the Spirit bring us into a new relationship
with the Father?
What is creation groaning for? What does this passage indicate is the hope for
the whole creation? What does God want to do for not only us but the whole
creation? How big is Gods gracious plan for redemption?
What do you think Paul means when he says that He who did not spare his own
Son, but gave him up for us allhow will he not also, along with him, graciously
give us all things? Is there anything that you or I can face, that Gods grace will
not enable us to have victory over?

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Day 39 Grace of our resurrection

Read 1 Corinthians 15
Contemplate The substance of the Christian hope is the end-times physical
resurrection of the dead and a new heavens and new earth. How is Jesus
own resurrection a promise of our own bodily resurrection? How is Jesus
resurrection firstfruits of the general resurrection to come?
Is there anything you think we can do to earn our resurrection and defeat of
death? What difference does it make to know that whatever happens to you
in this life you cannot be defeated because of Gods promise to raise you from
the dead? What difference does it make to know that all prayers for healing
are ultimately and fully answered in the resurrection?
How does this grace of resurrection enable us to live life differently? In this
context of the resurrection and the new creation, how does the promise that
your labour in the Lord is not in vain empower you to live now?

Day 40 Grace for the consummation of the kingdom

Read Revelation 21-22
Contemplate In this passage the holy city comes down from heaven
indicating that it was built by God and not by human hands. How does this
point to the grace of God?
How amazing is the image of God dwelling among his people and wiping every
tear from our eyes? What does this picture of Gods gentleness and grace
show us about Him?
In chapter 22, it says there will no longer be any curse, overturning everything
that happened as a result of the fall. Do you see here the grace of Gods
ultimate plan for redemption?
What does this passage tell us about who God is? How does this vision of
Gods goodness and kindness compare with the thunder-bolt throwing image
of God that people often have?

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