Relying on God’s gift
Pastor Paul David Tripp teaches students about grace during Convocation
Paul David Tripp, president of Paul Tripp Ministries, encouraged students at Liberty Convocation Wednesday, Oct. 28 by reminding them of the impact God’s grace can have in their lives.
“You haven’t (just) been chosen to be a recipient of his grace but an instrument of that grace in the lives of other people,” Tripp said.
Gift — Paul David Tripp taught students about God’s love for them. Photo credit: Leah Seavers
Josh Rutledge, executive director of Spiritual Development, introduced the well-known pastor and church planter as the “modern-day Renaissance man of the church.”
Tripp, an author of 16 books and the producer of 14 teaching series, referred to the grace of God as the greatest gift we could ever receive. Tripp told a story about when his son was young and only played with the boxes of the gifts he received, and he used it as a metaphor in his teaching.
“You’ve been given the most awesome gift that could ever be given … the gift of grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,” Tripp said. “Don’t be content to play with the box.”
The pastor then encouraged students to allow the gift of grace to affect the way they live their lives. Tripp instructed students that in order to be an instrument of grace, they
must live by faith.
“God gives me the precious gift of his grace, which I do not deserve at all,” Katie Fisher, a sophomore at Liberty said. “This gift is something that every human being, from their first breath to their last, desperately needs. God gave us grace so that we can let it reign in our lives.”
Tripp referred to Mark 6:45-52, a passage in which Jesus showed his grace to the disciples. Tripp also explained that God will allow them to experience a difficult time in order to transform them into someone that they could not become on their own.
“The Bible calls that grace,” Tripp said.
Tripp encouraged students to offer the theology of uncomfortable grace to one another so that they can demonstrate the “grace of refinements.”
For God to craft his people to live by faith, he must let them endure a challenging season so that he may express to them the uncomfortable grace because that is the kind of grace we all need, Tripp explained.
Tripp concluded his message by reminding the students to reflect on the way they are living their lives.
“Are you holding on to that gift of grace with both hands with a deep sense of privilege, amazed that you were given the gift?” Tripp said. “Or are you content to play with the box?”
BARNES is a news reporter.