“Grace. It’s what we crave most when our guilt is exposed. It’s the very thing we are hesitant to extend when we are confronted with the guilt of others—especially when their guilt has robbed us of something we consider valuable.
Therein is the struggle, the struggle for grace. It’s this struggle that makes grace more story than doctrine. It’s the struggle that reminds us that grace is bigger than compassion or forgiveness. That struggle is the context for both. When we are on the receiving end, grace is refreshing. When it is required of us, it is often disturbing. But when correctly applied, it seems to solve just about everything. This struggle is not new; it has been going on since the beginning.”
We find in the pages of Scripture that the stories found there often mirror our own stories, and that we too need the very thing we do not deserve: the grace of God.
From the beginning, the church has had an uneasy relationship with grace. The gravitational pull is always toward graceless religion. The odd thing is that when you read the New Testament, the only thing Jesus stood against consistently was graceless religion. The only group he attacked relentlessly was graceless religious leaders.
Even now as you think about grace, there might be a little voice in your head whispering, “It can’t be that easy!”
“What about obedience?”
“What about disobedience?”
“What about repeated misbehavior?”
“What about bad habits?”
“What about justice?”
“What about repentance?”
It’s this tension that makes grace so slippery. But that’s the beauty and the truth of grace. We don’t deserve it. We can’t earn it. It can’t be qualified. But God gives it to us anyway because he loves us unconditionally.
The story of grace is your story. And as you are about to discover grace plays a larger role than you imagine.
Download and start listening now!
"A well explained, easy to understand book on grace. Andy Stanley explores how grace started with the creation of the world and continues throughout the Bible. Although most of the stories were familiar, I had not viewed many of them through the lens of grace. If you are struggling with understanding the concept of grace and God or have difficulty seeing the consistency of God's character throughout the Bible, this book is certainly worth reading."
— Andrew (5 out of 5 stars)
" So far so good.... It's awesome to be focused on God's grace from the very first chapters of Genesis. "
— Alex, 1/8/2014" An excellent biblical overview of grace as the motivation of God's interaction with humanity. Far from being a New Testament theme standing in contrast to the Old Testment, Stanley reveals evidence of God's grace as a consistant theme throughout the entire biblical narrative. "
— Robert, 1/6/2014" Pretty good read although a bit basic. I did enjoy some new insights. "
— Jamie, 1/5/2014" One of Andy's best and a message everyone should hear. "
— Jame, 11/29/2013" Andy is one of my all-time favorite authors and this book does not disappoint. I've read it once and am going back for a second read. "
— Larry, 11/20/2013" A must read and a fascinating look at the grace of God. "
— Joe, 6/2/2013" A sweeping look at God's grace as a central theme in the Bible. The opening chapters on God's grace demonstrated in creation were insightful. The Grace of God may not be up to par with some of Andy's other excellent books, but definitely worth reading. "
— Thomas, 4/10/2013" The beauty of grace traced through the entire Bible in the form of engaging narratives. Andy does a fantastic job of helping us see this vital attribute of God. Most of us need a better understanding of God's grace & this book helps. "
— Sean, 9/3/2012" Really liked this. He looks at the whole Bible, and follows the story of God's grace throughout. "
— Vicky, 5/21/2012" A great Biblical character study highlighting the issue of God's grace - something we don't deserve but are freely given. This helped me put meaning to a word that I thought I understood, but looking back now realize I had a very weak understanding of "grace". "
— Jonathan, 4/23/2012" Great if you're seriously into Christianity. For example, if you loved The Purpose Driven Life, this is for you. This was most decidedly *not* for me. "
— Marlene, 4/13/2012" What a fabulous book! Nothing like Stanley has ever written before but a magnificent picture of God's grace throughout the Old Testament. "
— Robbyn, 7/28/2011" Once again, Andy hits a homerun. This time, he tells a story of God's grace that begins long before Jesus shows up and continues even to this day. Good stuff here!!! "
— Matthew, 6/23/2011" Great if you're seriously into Christianity. For example, if you loved The Purpose Driven Life, this is for you. This was most decidedly *not* for me. "
— Marlene, 2/7/2011" So far so good.... It's awesome to be focused on God's grace from the very first chapters of Genesis. "
— Alex, 1/27/2011" I wish anyone who has wondered about Christianity would read this book!! If you are a Christian and want a deeper view of how GOD sees you, please read this book! OUTSTANDING! "
— Sean, 1/1/2011" Great book on God's Grace and written in Andy's comfortable style. We decided to use for our small group study. "
— Andy, 12/17/2010Andy Stanley is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and the founding pastor of North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with a youthful congregation of more than 12,000. Stanley is the author of the 1998 Foreword Book of the Year finalist Visioneering, the bestsellers Like a Rock and The Next Generation Leader, and How Good Is Good Enough? He and his wife, Sandra, have two sons and a daughter.
Devon O’Day, a radio personality, former plus-size model, songwriter, and author, studied voice-over and commercial acting at the Weist-Barron School in New York City and is the voice of choice to narrate specials for such artists as Garth Brooks, the Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney, and others.