A Live Worth Living
This past Sunday, Sr. Pastor Drew Shofner of The Church at Severn Run delivered a transformative sermon, centered on the theme of God’s grace and how it transforms every aspect of a believer’s life. His message, saturated with scripture and real-world application, struck a powerful chord with me, reminding us all of the profound nature of grace, and the life-altering choice we each face: to live by the grace of God or to be bound by the culture of this dying world.
Pastor Drew’s teaching highlighted the concept that our relationship with God is not based on what we do but on what Jesus has already done for us. Ephesians 2:8-9, a passage he focused on, reminds us that it is by grace we are saved through faith—not by works, so no one can boast.
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Eph 2:8-9
I’ve often found myself striving for approval, both from people and from God, forgetting that the essence of grace is the opposite of earning. As Pastor Drew put it, “Grace ends angry.” The simple yet profound truth is that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross not only silenced the fury of God’s judgment on sin but also offers us an entirely new way of living. All we have to do is trust in His work.
One of the most powerful moments in the sermon was when Pastor Drew compared the grace-filled life of a Christian to living in the fullness of Jesus. John 1:16-17 says, “From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.” This overflow of grace, Drew explained, is to characterize everything about our lives as believers. Grace is not just a theological concept; it’s a new way of being—a way that rejects the anger, division, and brokenness of the world and replaces it with mercy and love. This touched me because I’ve seen how easy it is to mirror the wounds and anger of the world instead of living out the grace I’ve been given.
The practical side of Pastor Drew’s message came into full view when he spoke about how grace is to be lived out in our daily lives. He used the parable of the unmerciful servant in Matthew 18:21-35 to drive home this point. In the story, a servant, forgiven an enormous debt by his master, turns around and refuses to forgive a fellow servant’s much smaller debt. The master’s response is harsh: “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” (Matthew 18:33). Pastor Drew emphasized that grace, once received, must be extended. It’s not optional.
This parable is more than just a story; it’s a blueprint for how we are called to live. Matthew 7:2 warns that the measure we use to judge others will be used on us:
“For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” Matt 7:2
Then in James 2:13 reminds us that judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.
“There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.” James 2:13
These verses leave little room for holding grudges or seeking revenge. Grace ends anger and we must let that truth permeate our interactions with others. When I think about this in the context of my own life, I’m struck by how often I’ve been like the unmerciful servant—quick to receive grace from God but slow to extend it to others.
Pastor Drew’s message wasn’t just about the theological significance of grace but about the real, tangible changes that grace brings to our lives. One of the most impactful takeaways from his sermon was the idea that grace creates a new operating system within us. Instead of taking our cues from culture, we are called to live supernaturally, spreading grace, mercy, and love in every facet of our lives. This is not always easy. We live in a world that celebrates payback and self-righteousness, but as Pastor Drew so poignantly reminded us, “Grace changes everything.”
The story of grace doesn’t stop at our salvation; it becomes the story of our lives. Grace has no room for arrogance, nor does it leave us clinging to the past hurts and wounds that the world teaches us to carry. Instead, grace invites us to be “born again” (John 3:3), to start over as new creations, and to live lives marked by forgiveness, compassion, and love. Grace makes us more like Jesus.
Pastor Drew challenged us to reflect on whether grace is truly our story. Has it broken through our pride, healed our wounds, and shaped how we view others? Or are we still living in the old operating system of the world, which keeps us bound by anger, prejudice, and self-importance? For me, this was a moment of reflection. I realized that in many ways, I still let old hurts dictate my reactions, even though I’ve received the unimaginable grace of God.
In closing, Drew reminded us that grace isn’t about dumbing down or watering down the truth. Instead, grace, as Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, makes us God’s handiwork, created in Christ to do good works:
“ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Eph 2:10
These works aren’t a means of earning salvation but a natural outflow of the grace we’ve received. As believers, we are trophies of God’s grace, and our lives should reflect that.
This sermon was a powerful reminder of what it means to live a grace-filled life. It’s not about being perfect or even having all the answers; it’s about allowing the grace of God to transform us and overflow into every part of our lives. It’s a high calling, but as Pastor Drew so beautifully said, it’s the only life worth living.
JG