Growing in Grace

Dear Friends,
You can read through our Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs) on our website. One of them is a hard to grasp:

CCCS graduates will be able to integrate faith and practice from a Christian world-life view as they…grow in their faith by…understanding what it means to grow in grace.

What does it mean to “grow in grace?” I seem to use the terms forgiveness, mercy, and grace interchangeably – but they are different. Forgiveness is cancelling a debt and releasing the person from guilt. Mercy is withholding judgment that is deserved. Grace is giving abundant blessing that is not deserved! We, Christians, experience grace through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Grace also means God’s sufficiency or fullness. II Corinthians 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” II Corinthians 9:8 reads, “God is able to make all grace abound to you so that, in all things, at all times, having all you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Growing in Grace means to identify and experience the grace that God gives every day. We receive grace. It also means to tap into God’s grace in such a way that WE can show grace to those around us. We give grace.

Growing in Grace is our school theme this year. It is our hope that our students will come to understand what this means. We will use the following verses to help guide us along:
I Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
II Peter 1:5-8, 10 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love… For if you do these things, you will never fall…


B.J. Huizenga

PS Does grace have a special meaning for you? I’d love to hear about it!