Grit & Grace: A Grand Finale of Grace

GRIT & GRACE

A Grand Finale of Grace
Pastor Aaron Sutherland  

SERIES SCRIPTURE:
The book of Ruth

I. IN GOD’S GRACE OUR PRIVATE VICTORIES CAN LEAD US TO PUBLIC ACCLAMATION
RUTH 4:11-22 (CEB)  "Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, 'We are witnesses. May the Lord grant that the woman who is coming into your household be like Rachel and like Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel. May you be fertile in Ephrathah and may you preserve a name in Bethlehem.  And may your household be like the household of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah—through the children that the Lord will give you from this young woman.'”

II. IN GOD’S GRACE THE MOST DIFFICULT ROADS CAN LEAD TO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS
Ruth 4:13-15 (CEB) "So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife.He was intimate with her, the Lord let her become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son.  The women said to Naomi, 'May the Lord be blessed, who today hasn’t left you without a redeemer. May his name be proclaimed in Israel.  He will restore your life and sustain you in your old age. Your daughter-in-law who loves you has given birth to him. She’s better for you than seven sons.'”
 

III. IN GOD’S GRACE ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN HAVE EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT
Ruth 4:16-22 (CEB) "Naomi took the child and held him to her breast, and she became his guardian.  The neighborhood women gave him a name, saying, 'A son has been born to Naomi.' They called his name Obed. He became Jesse’s father and David’s grandfather. These are the generations of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron,  Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab,  Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,  Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed,  Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David."

 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. When have you seen your private devotion lead to a more public recognition?  What was it about the unseen parts of your life that made such a difference?
2. How have you experienced beautiful destinations at the end of difficult roads?  What difficult roads are you walking through today, and what destinations do you hope to arrive at?
3. In what ways do you see God using your ordinary life to bring kingdom impact? Where could you trust Jesus in a greater way to see that impact expand?