Favor is rooted in grace, not human achievement
Favor is rooted in grace, not human achievement
Mary wasn’t chosen for performance; she was chosen by grace. Favor from God did not come because she had earned it or because she met a spiritual checklist. The gospel flips the expectation that God’s approval is bought by our effort; instead, it is given freely to those who receive it.
Resting in God’s favor changes how you live. It removes the frantic striving to impress God and invites a posture of humility and gratitude. When you accept that God’s work in you begins with His mercy and not your merit, you can breathe, serve, and love from a place of freedom rather than fear.
Romans 9:16 (KJV): “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
Reflection: Identify one area where you are trying to earn God’s acceptance (performance, approval, achievement). What is one concrete habit you can stop this week to remind yourself that grace, not performance, is the ground of your relationship with God?
To listen to the sermon that corresponds with this devotion, click the link: https://www.mbcpb.org/media
Mary wasn’t chosen for performance; she was chosen by grace. Favor from God did not come because she had earned it or because she met a spiritual checklist. The gospel flips the expectation that God’s approval is bought by our effort; instead, it is given freely to those who receive it.
Resting in God’s favor changes how you live. It removes the frantic striving to impress God and invites a posture of humility and gratitude. When you accept that God’s work in you begins with His mercy and not your merit, you can breathe, serve, and love from a place of freedom rather than fear.
Romans 9:16 (KJV): “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.”
Reflection: Identify one area where you are trying to earn God’s acceptance (performance, approval, achievement). What is one concrete habit you can stop this week to remind yourself that grace, not performance, is the ground of your relationship with God?
To listen to the sermon that corresponds with this devotion, click the link: https://www.mbcpb.org/media
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2026
January
February
Embracing God's Call with Complete Obedience 2/6 Making God's Invisible Kingdom Visible 2/5Pointing Others to Jesus, Not Self 2/4Living a Spirit Controlled Life 2/3True Greatness Through Humility 2/2Worship the Christ, Not the Calendar 2/9God's Verifiable Entrance into History 2/10Ancient Prophecies, Divine Fulfillment 2/11God's Purpose in Inconvenient Journeys 2/12Make Room for Christ in Your Life 2/13God's Sovereign Hand in Life's Delays and Detours 2/16 The Incarnation: God Stepping into Our World 2/17Jesus Understands: Our Savior Walks Our Roads 2/18Jesus Saves: Our Sinless Substitute and Mediator 2/19Worship: Our Natural Response to God's Revelation 2/20God Meets Us in Our Messy Fields 2/23Heaven's Glorious Interruption Brings Good News 2/24The Savior's Humble Arrival is for Everyone 2/25Our Encounter Demands a Worshipful Response 2/26Worship: Praise, Proclaim, and Ponder 2/27
March
The Submitting Savior's Perfect Obedience 3/2Finding Peace in Seeing Christ 3/3The Cost of Salvation and Enduring Faith 3/4Faithfulness in the Waiting Seasons 3/5 Intentional Parenting for Spiritual GrowthThe Priority of Consistent Worship in the HomeThe Danger of Assuming Jesus is With YouGod's Higher Purpose in Our Confusion Our Primary Identity is Found in the Father Faithfulness in the Ordinary Prepares for God's PurposeGod is at work in our quiet, ordinary seasons God’s power is made perfect in our weakness and griefGod often uses unexpected messengers to deliver His truthTrue repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of directionBaptism is the public declaration of a prior inward transformationThe Danger of Familiarity Without TransformationReal Repentance Bears Visible FruitConfronting the Hidden HeartRepentance Changes Our Daily ConductThe Personal Question of ConvictionThe King Who Comes in Humility 3/30/26The Danger of Our Own Expectations 3/31/26
2025
January
The Essence of God's HolinessGuarding Against FamiliarityThe Transcendence of God's HolinessReflecting God's Holiness in Our LivesEmbracing the Fullness of WorshipTimeless Truths for Today's ChurchUnwavering Faith in AdversityThe Majesty of Jesus RevealedLoving Jesus and His ChurchThe Urgency of Salvation
February
Shifting Focus from Self to JesusPersevering Through Tribulations with Christ's StrengthWorshiping in Faith Amidst StrugglesServing the Church with Love and DedicationEngaging in Spiritual Warfare with AwarenessPerseverance Through Shared StrengthWorship Beyond CircumstancesBuilding the Church Through ServiceEmbracing Jesus' Priestly RoleLiving Fearlessly in His PresenceGod Places Us in Strategic LocationsGood Works as a Reflection of FaithHolding Fast to the TruthPerseverance in TrialsReturning to Our First LoveTruth and Love in HarmonyGuided by the SpiritChoosing Compassion Over ContemptThe Call to Personal RepentanceEmbracing Jesus as a Living Person
March
Faithfulness Amidst TrialsBeauty Through SufferingThe Cost of CompromiseThe Promise of Eternal LifeLiving SacrificiallyThe Subtle Drift of CompromiseRecognizing the Reality of Spiritual WarfareSteadfast Faith in the Face of PersecutionGuarding Against Worldly InfluenceThe Timeless Truth of ScriptureFaithfulness Amidst AdversityNo Justification for SinThe Perils of CompromiseThe Urgency of RepentanceEmbracing a New Identity in ChristDiscernment in ToleranceRecognizing Christ's AuthorityAvoiding the Pitfall of CompromiseEmbracing the Call to RepentanceThe Promise of Eternal RewardSpiritual Vitality Over Religious Activity
1 Comment
Mary being chosen was ,also, a fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus would be a descendent from King David. Mary was a descendent of Nathan, a son of King David. God always has a plan.