Welcome to Graceland

Memphis is known because of Elvis. There are other kings known in Memphis such as Martin Luther King, Jerry The King Lawler, D.J Paul has called himself the king of Memphis as well as Yo Gotti.  We are only serving one King. He is the King of Kings (Rev 17:14). He sits high and looks low (Psalm 138:6). Many people come to Memphis to go to see the room where Elvis died.

When you came to the Body of Christ Jesus said welcome to graceland. We all need grace. Grace is God's unmerited favor, undeserved goodness. You may thing it's your prayer life. It's grace that caught you. It's grace that keeps us, got us where we are, woke us up and started us on our way. You may have fallen this week but thank God for grace. Thank God we live in graceland. TGIF may mean Thank Goodness it's Friday but it also means Thank God I'm Forgiven.. If you start exposing others what can we dig up in your past? We all have issues.

2 Cor 12:8-10


⁸ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Church has taught us to work our salvation. That's not correct. We work because we are saved. We kill the flesh.


Five things about grace:

1. Grace is sufficient -

Refer back to 2 Cor 12:9. It's all we need. When we are weak then God shows himself strong. We don't need any one's approval. God left the thorn to keep Paul dependent on Him. You may have a  thorn but it's not going anywhere. If you have a struggle then you know God is with you. In the past you didn't care what you did. He will keep you in the thorn to let you know that you need Him. When you think you have arrived you are in trouble.

God gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). Stop judging others. You are doing the same things but hiding it. Stop looking down on someone for wearing a short dress. Be grateful she is coming to church. Grace covers all. The favor of God is better than the favor of man.

2. It's a gift -

Eph 2:8-10

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.


There's nothing you've done to get it. think about how you were bad all year but your mom still gave you a gift for Christmas. You can't boast. It's not about you praying for hours, not missing church, etc.

Romans 5:12

¹² Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

You should thank God when you woke with no AIDS, STD, etc. Grace covered you.

3. God gives grace to the humble -

James 4:6

⁶ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:


      “ God resists the proud,
      But gives grace to the humble.”

You can't look down on others because  you may be in a season where you are strong. You may not have cussed someone out all year. Be glad you are in graceland. You don't know when you need grace for yourself. Are you condemning or putting your arms around others? You can't condemn those who are young in the faith. They will get to the level you are.

4. Grace works, not us -

1 Cor 15:10

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

It's not your education. It was the grace of God that kept you. It is grace that is keeping your mind, keeping favor on you. It's not the alarm clock that woke you up but grace.

5. Grace can be frustrating -

Gal 2:21 KJV

²¹I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

How many of us made grace mad this week? You take advice by doing what you want to do. You frustrate grace by fornicating. As mad as you made grace it will still be there for you. Grace still works for you. How long will you frustrate with willful sin?

Heb 10:26

You should want to work with with grace because grace has kept you from many things. There are people watching you. You can't live just any way and expect to bring people to Christ. How many blessings are being held back because you are frustrating grace?


Psalm 23:6

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
         All the days of my life;
         And I will dwell in the house of the LORD
         Forever.