Title
Sustaining Grace 2026 持久够用的恩典
Creator
Pastor: Mike Koger
Contributor
Hillside United Methodist Church
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
Transcription
Sustaining Grace 2026
2 Corinthians 12:9
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
Good morning!
Some of you came here today carrying something very heavy.
Perhaps it's your health. Maybe it's someone you love. …or uncertainty about tomorrow.
Some of you are waiting for answers. Some are praying for healing.
Some are simply trying to make it through another day.
I want you to know something before we go any further:
This message is not meant to minimize your struggle.
Your pain is real. Your questions are real. Your tears are real.
But I also believe that God's promises are real.
Today I simply want to remind you that whatever you are carrying today, you do not have to carry it alone.
Our Scripture, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
Today I want to talk with you about Sustaining Grace.
We often say,"God is good all the time." And we do believe that.
Psalm 136 tells us, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever."
Sometimes those words are easy to say.
Other days... they require real faith. Because life isn't always easy.
Yet God's goodness is not determined by our circumstances.
His goodness never changes. His grace never runs out. His faithfulness never fails.
One of the greatest discoveries we can make as Christians is this:
God never promised we would never face difficulties. (“In the world…”)
He promised that His grace would always be enough.
Grace is more than God's forgiveness. Grace is His active presence in our lives.
It is His strength when ours is gone. It is His peace when anxiety begins to rise.
It is His stillness in the middle of the storm. It is His healing work within us.
Grace is God giving us exactly what we need for this moment.
“For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power."
Sometimes we pray as though we are trying to convince God to help us.
Isaiah reminds us, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."
Think about that.
Before you ever whispered your prayer... God already knew.
Before your first tear... He saw it.
Before your first fearful thought... He was already present.
Faith is not persuading God to become good.
Faith is learning to trust that He already is.
One question has helped me tremendously.
Instead of asking, "How am I ever going to get through this?"
Ask, "How would I think, live, and respond if I truly believed God was already at work?"
That changes everything.
Fear focuses on what is missing. Faith focuses on the God who is present.
Anxiety keeps looking at the storm.
"What's wrong is always available, and so is what's right. Your focus determines your reality.”
Faith gently turns our eyes back toward Jesus.
Divine Grace becomes the bridge that carries us into faith.
Romans tells us, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God."
Notice what Paul does not say. He doesn't say that all things are good.
Some things are heartbreaking. Some things are painful. Some things make no sense.
But God has the remarkable ability to take what the enemy intended for harm and transform it for His glory.
That's why we can honestly pray, "Lord, I don't understand everything I'm facing right now. But I trust You. And I'm looking forward to seeing how You will bring good from this."
Charles Wesley.
During one season of his life he suffered terribly with pleurisy. Every breath brought pain. His suffering became so overwhelming that he began questioning everything.
Then one day, while reading God's Word, something changed.
Hope returned. His heart was renewed.
Out of that difficult season came one of the greatest hymns ever written:
"O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing."
Imagine that. Every painful breath eventually became another song of praise.
Sometimes our greatest testimonies are born during our greatest struggles.
Most of us know the story called Footprints in the Sand.
The man noticed that during the hardest seasons of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He asked the Lord, "Why did You leave me?"
Jesus replied, "I didn't leave you. Those were the times I carried you."
That is sustaining grace.
Sometimes God’s greatest miracle is giving us strength we never knew we had because He is carrying us every step of the way.
John Newton - the man who penned words that Christians have sung for generations “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.” understood this.
After losing his beloved wife, he wrote these remarkable words: "He can give strength according to our day. He can increase our strength as our trials increase."
What carried him? Grace.
What carried Charles Wesley? Grace.
What carries us today? Grace.
Sometimes we think healing only refers to the body.
But God desires to heal every part of us.
Our hearts. Our minds. Our relationships. Our fears.Our hope.
James reminds us that God's saving work and His healing work go hand in hand.
“The prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.
God's sustaining grace reaches every part of our lives.
Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you life... yet they all point to Me."
Ultimately our hope is not found in having every answer.
Our hope is found in the One who walks with us.
It's not so much the "How." It's the "Who."
Jesus Christ.
The One who never leaves us. The One who never forsakes us.
The One whose grace is sufficient.
Maybe today you've been trying to carry something that was never meant to rest on your shoulders.
God is inviting you today to release it into His hands.
Peter writes, "Cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you."
Paul says, "Be anxious for nothing."
The Psalmist says, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Notice the invitation.
Not strive. Not control. Not panic.
Be still. Trust. Receive.
Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is simply let God be God.
My church family, God's Word never tells us to deny our struggles.
It tells us to bring them to Him.
Weakness is not failure. Weakness becomes the very place where God's strength shines most brightly. “My power is made perfect in weakness."
When we finally stop pretending we have everything under control...
we discover that God has had everything under control all along.
So let me leave you with this.
You don't have to carry tomorrow today.
God's grace isn't given a month in advance.
It arrives exactly when you need it.
One day at a time. One moment at a time. One prayer at a time.
His sustaining grace will carry you farther than your own strength ever could.
Today...
whatever burden you've been carrying...
whatever fear has been weighing on your heart...
whatever uncertainty has been keeping you awake...
bring it to Jesus.
His grace is sufficient.
His peace is available.
His strength never fails.
And His sustaining grace will never let you go.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for reminding us today that Your grace truly is sufficient.
When we become weary, strengthen us.
When fear begins to rise, fill us with Your peace.
When we cannot see the way ahead, help us trust the One who already knows the way.
Teach us to release our burdens into Your loving hands.
Heal every wounded heart,
renew every weary spirit,
and surround each person here with Your comforting presence.
Help us leave this place walking not in fear, but in faith—confident that Your sustaining grace will meet us every step of the journey.
We ask all of this in the precious name of Jesus.
Amen
2 Corinthians 12:9
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
Good morning!
Some of you came here today carrying something very heavy.
Perhaps it's your health. Maybe it's someone you love. …or uncertainty about tomorrow.
Some of you are waiting for answers. Some are praying for healing.
Some are simply trying to make it through another day.
I want you to know something before we go any further:
This message is not meant to minimize your struggle.
Your pain is real. Your questions are real. Your tears are real.
But I also believe that God's promises are real.
Today I simply want to remind you that whatever you are carrying today, you do not have to carry it alone.
Our Scripture, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
Today I want to talk with you about Sustaining Grace.
We often say,"God is good all the time." And we do believe that.
Psalm 136 tells us, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endures forever."
Sometimes those words are easy to say.
Other days... they require real faith. Because life isn't always easy.
Yet God's goodness is not determined by our circumstances.
His goodness never changes. His grace never runs out. His faithfulness never fails.
One of the greatest discoveries we can make as Christians is this:
God never promised we would never face difficulties. (“In the world…”)
He promised that His grace would always be enough.
Grace is more than God's forgiveness. Grace is His active presence in our lives.
It is His strength when ours is gone. It is His peace when anxiety begins to rise.
It is His stillness in the middle of the storm. It is His healing work within us.
Grace is God giving us exactly what we need for this moment.
“For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power."
Sometimes we pray as though we are trying to convince God to help us.
Isaiah reminds us, "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear."
Think about that.
Before you ever whispered your prayer... God already knew.
Before your first tear... He saw it.
Before your first fearful thought... He was already present.
Faith is not persuading God to become good.
Faith is learning to trust that He already is.
One question has helped me tremendously.
Instead of asking, "How am I ever going to get through this?"
Ask, "How would I think, live, and respond if I truly believed God was already at work?"
That changes everything.
Fear focuses on what is missing. Faith focuses on the God who is present.
Anxiety keeps looking at the storm.
"What's wrong is always available, and so is what's right. Your focus determines your reality.”
Faith gently turns our eyes back toward Jesus.
Divine Grace becomes the bridge that carries us into faith.
Romans tells us, "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God."
Notice what Paul does not say. He doesn't say that all things are good.
Some things are heartbreaking. Some things are painful. Some things make no sense.
But God has the remarkable ability to take what the enemy intended for harm and transform it for His glory.
That's why we can honestly pray, "Lord, I don't understand everything I'm facing right now. But I trust You. And I'm looking forward to seeing how You will bring good from this."
Charles Wesley.
During one season of his life he suffered terribly with pleurisy. Every breath brought pain. His suffering became so overwhelming that he began questioning everything.
Then one day, while reading God's Word, something changed.
Hope returned. His heart was renewed.
Out of that difficult season came one of the greatest hymns ever written:
"O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing."
Imagine that. Every painful breath eventually became another song of praise.
Sometimes our greatest testimonies are born during our greatest struggles.
Most of us know the story called Footprints in the Sand.
The man noticed that during the hardest seasons of his life there was only one set of footprints.
He asked the Lord, "Why did You leave me?"
Jesus replied, "I didn't leave you. Those were the times I carried you."
That is sustaining grace.
Sometimes God’s greatest miracle is giving us strength we never knew we had because He is carrying us every step of the way.
John Newton - the man who penned words that Christians have sung for generations “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.” understood this.
After losing his beloved wife, he wrote these remarkable words: "He can give strength according to our day. He can increase our strength as our trials increase."
What carried him? Grace.
What carried Charles Wesley? Grace.
What carries us today? Grace.
Sometimes we think healing only refers to the body.
But God desires to heal every part of us.
Our hearts. Our minds. Our relationships. Our fears.Our hope.
James reminds us that God's saving work and His healing work go hand in hand.
“The prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.
God's sustaining grace reaches every part of our lives.
Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you life... yet they all point to Me."
Ultimately our hope is not found in having every answer.
Our hope is found in the One who walks with us.
It's not so much the "How." It's the "Who."
Jesus Christ.
The One who never leaves us. The One who never forsakes us.
The One whose grace is sufficient.
Maybe today you've been trying to carry something that was never meant to rest on your shoulders.
God is inviting you today to release it into His hands.
Peter writes, "Cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you."
Paul says, "Be anxious for nothing."
The Psalmist says, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Notice the invitation.
Not strive. Not control. Not panic.
Be still. Trust. Receive.
Sometimes the strongest thing we can do is simply let God be God.
My church family, God's Word never tells us to deny our struggles.
It tells us to bring them to Him.
Weakness is not failure. Weakness becomes the very place where God's strength shines most brightly. “My power is made perfect in weakness."
When we finally stop pretending we have everything under control...
we discover that God has had everything under control all along.
So let me leave you with this.
You don't have to carry tomorrow today.
God's grace isn't given a month in advance.
It arrives exactly when you need it.
One day at a time. One moment at a time. One prayer at a time.
His sustaining grace will carry you farther than your own strength ever could.
Today...
whatever burden you've been carrying...
whatever fear has been weighing on your heart...
whatever uncertainty has been keeping you awake...
bring it to Jesus.
His grace is sufficient.
His peace is available.
His strength never fails.
And His sustaining grace will never let you go.
Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for reminding us today that Your grace truly is sufficient.
When we become weary, strengthen us.
When fear begins to rise, fill us with Your peace.
When we cannot see the way ahead, help us trust the One who already knows the way.
Teach us to release our burdens into Your loving hands.
Heal every wounded heart,
renew every weary spirit,
and surround each person here with Your comforting presence.
Help us leave this place walking not in fear, but in faith—confident that Your sustaining grace will meet us every step of the journey.
We ask all of this in the precious name of Jesus.
Amen