Words We Use, Words We Need to Understand
From the Pastor’s Desk:
Words We Use, Words We Need to Understand
If you have ever sat in a worship service and thought, ‘I’ve heard that word a hundred times… but what does it really mean?’—you’re not alone. Church life is full of words that roll off our tongues easily, yet their depth and richness can sometimes escape us. Words like grace, forgiveness, and repentance are at the heart of the Christian faith, but familiarity can sometimes lead us to overlook their true meaning and power.
This fall, our congregation will begin a special series of Bible studies exploring common church words—words we use often but may not fully grasp. We will spend two weeks on each word, opening the Scriptures, and discovering what these words really mean, how Jesus embodies it, and what it means for our daily walk as His disciples.
We’ll begin with three foundational concepts:
Grace – Grace is more than ‘God being nice’ or ‘getting something we don’t deserve.’ It is the very heartbeat of the Gospel—the free and undeserved love of God poured out through Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us, ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God’ (Ephesians 2:8). Grace is God’s initiative, His pursuit of us, His unearned favor that changes our lives. But grace is also a calling—it invites us to live as people shaped by mercy, generosity, and compassion.
Forgiveness – We talk about forgiveness every week in the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ But what does it mean to be forgiven? And what does it look like to forgive others? Forgiveness is not pretending the wrong never happened. It is not simply forgetting. Biblical forgiveness involves both truth and mercy—it acknowledges the wound but releases the debt. Jesus’ death on the cross is the ultimate act of forgiveness, and His resurrection is the proof that forgiveness can bring new life.
Repentance – Repentance is not just ‘feeling sorry’ for our sins. The Bible describes it as a turning—turning away from sin and toward God. In Acts 3:19, Peter proclaims, ‘Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.’ Repentance is both an inward change of heart and an outward change in the way we live. It is a gift of God’s Spirit, leading us back into His embrace.
These three words—grace, forgiveness, and repentance—are deeply connected. Grace makes forgiveness possible. Forgiveness flows from grace and leads us to repent. Repentance opens us again to the fullness of grace. Understanding them more fully will not only deepen our faith but will also transform the way we live with God and with one another.
We invite you to join us for this series—whether you are new to faith or have been in church your whole life. Together we will rediscover the beauty of the words we say so often, and more importantly, the life-changing truth behind them.
Come ready to learn, share, and grow in your
understanding of God’s Word.