Day #5 | Behold 2028 Devotional

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9

As we journey by faith into the new year, I am reminded of Luke 11:9-10 and how it ties to my salvation in August 2023, ultimately leading to my baptism in July 2024. Had I never surrendered to Him, I would never have received His grace through my faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

It is never by our earthly deeds that we are saved, it is truly a gift of God. For when we take steps of faith, God always meets us with His grace. In August of 2023, God put one of His faithful servants in front of me and they spoke 5 simple words: “You have to have faith.” I was immediately reminded of what I now know is Jeremiah 23:29 which says, “ Is not my word like as a fire? says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” I surrendered my will to God's will and accepted Him into my life fully. The rewards He bestowed upon my family and me were immediate, great, and bountiful. They were what was needed, and by God’s grace, not of anything that I had done in prior years of my life. 

Humbly, I asked God and received, I knocked upon His door, and He answered. I now know this truth as Luke 11:9-10 “And I say unto you, ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives and he that seeks finds and to him that knocks it shall be opened.”

As we step forward in faith in the Behold 2028 Capital Campaign, I humbly ask you to remember that by grace we are saved, through our faith, and not of anything that we have done in our lives. Let’s build upon this faith to bring others into the light through West Florida Baptist Church as we continue to grow and minister to the community