Ch. 95 - God's Great Grace

Man. Gotta love that alliteration.

Today was my first full day back in Iowa and I have enjoyed it very, very much. It was great going to church and attending the full-on traditional service that I have come to love entirely. We had a visiting pastor, though. He's the lay pastor of the United Methodist Church of Tanzania. His native language is Kurundi and he had a translator for his sermon. So, so, so neat. He's larger than life and knows how to keep your attention. He spoke of remembering to thank our God for His grace that He has given us. I believe that's really important because I don't think people often enough do so. I know I don't. I like to think that it pleases God by at least meaning to give Him thanks more often, but I know that by actually just doing it pleases Him even more.

These were the verses that the pastor's message was based on:


'Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him - and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." '
[Luke 17:11-19]