Tag Archives: grace

Quick Thought – Thursday, May 14, 2026: Seventy Times Seven

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Forgiveness is easy to admire until we are the ones being asked to forgive.
In Matthew 18, Jesus tells the story of a servant forgiven an impossible debt who then refuses to show mercy over a small one.
“Seventy Times Seven” is a reminder that people who have received mercy are called to show mercy. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Wednesday, May 6, 2026: Grace Is Not Given Because We Earned It

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

The Canaanite woman did not come to Jesus claiming she deserved anything. She came in faith, believing that even the crumbs of His mercy were enough. God’s love is not offered because we are good enough. It is offered because He is good. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Monday, May 4, 2026: New Wineskins for New Faith

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Jesus’ image of new wine and fresh wineskins reminds us that faith is not about preserving old rituals but keeping our hearts open, flexible and ready for His renewing work. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Sunday, April 19, 2026: Look Beyond the Pedigree

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A person’s appearance, background, or past may tell you very little about what God has done in that heart. John the Baptist looked rough by every ordinary standard, yet he was deeply aligned with the Lord. Sometimes the people God uses most do not fit the religious image others expect. Continue reading →

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The Man on the Bicycle

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A broken-down SUV in a rough neighborhood. A stranger on a bicycle. A pocketknife, a scrap of foam, and a repair I never forgot. More than 25 years later, I still wonder whether that moment was ordinary kindness—or something more. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Saturday, April 4, 2026 (Holy Saturday): The Death We Deserved

Posted on April 4, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Barabbas walked away alive because Jesus took the cross meant for him. The more I think about that moment, the more I realize how much I understand what it meant to be Barabbas—because apart from Christ, I am the guilty one too. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Thursday, March 26, 2026: Sin and its Consequences

Posted on March 26, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

A childhood memory of losing a horse became a lasting lesson: sincere regret does not always remove the consequences of neglected responsibility. Moses learned something similar when the Lord allowed him to see the Promised Land, but not enter it. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Sunday, March 22, 2026: Mercy at the Tax Table (Fifth Sunday in Lent)

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Jesus did not choose Matthew because he was admired, respected, or morally impressive. He chose him while he was still sitting at the tax table, surrounded by the very things that made others despise him. That is the beauty of grace: Christ calls people before they have cleaned themselves up, and His mercy changes them from the inside out. Continue reading →

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Quick Thought – Saturday, March 21, 2026: The Test None of Us Can Pass

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

No one has a clean record before God. If He kept score of every wrong answer, none of us could stand. But Psalm 130 reminds us that forgiveness, not failure, is what defines those who come to Him honestly. Continue reading →

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We’re All Lawbreakers (Even the Good Ones)

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Breaking the law isn’t as dramatic as we like to imagine. Sometimes it’s not a courtroom or handcuffs — it’s 56 in a 55, a forgotten seatbelt, or a song downloaded back in the Limewire days. When we remember how easily we’ve stepped over the line ourselves, it becomes harder to stand in judgment of others. Maybe the point isn’t perfection — maybe it’s humility. Continue reading →

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