The Grace Awakening Devotional
A Thirty-Day Walk in the Freedom
of Grace
BOOKS FOR ADULTS
Active Spirituality
The Bride
Come Before Winter
Compassion: Showing We Care in a
Careless World
The Darkness and the Dawn
Day by Day
Dear Graduate
Dropping Your Guard
Elijah: A Man of Heroism and
Humility
Encourage Me
Esther: A Woman of Strength
and Dignity
The Finishing Touch
Flying Closer to the Flame
For Those Who Hurt
Gods Provision
The Grace Awakening
Growing Deep in the Christian Life
Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life
Growing Wise in Family Life
Hand Me Another Brick
Home: Where Life Makes Up
Its Mind
Hope Again
Improving Your Serve
Intimacy with the Almighty
Joseph: A Man of Integrity and
Forgiveness
Killing Giants, Pulling Thorns
Laugh Again
Leadership: Influence That Inspires
Living Above the Level of Mediocrity
Living Beyond the Daily Grind,
Books I and II
The Living Insights Study Bible
General Editor
Living on the Ragged Edge
Make Up Your Mind
Man to Man
Moses: A Man of Selfless Dedication
The Mystery of Gods Will
Paul: A Man of Grit and Grace
The Quest for Character
Recovery: When Healing
Takes Time
The Road to Armageddon
Sanctity of Life
Simple Trust
Starting Over
Start Where You Are
Strengthening Your Grip
Stress Fractures
Strike the Original Match
The Strong Family
Suddenly One Morning
The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart
Three Steps Forward, Two
Steps Back
Victory: A Winning Game Plan
for Life
Why, God?
You and Your Child
MINIBOOKS
Abraham: A Model of Pioneer Faith
David: A Model of Pioneer Courage
Esther: A Model of Pioneer
Independence
Moses: A Model of Pioneer Vision
Nehemiah: A Model of Pioneer
Determination
BOOKLETS
Anger
Attitudes
Commitment
Dealing with Defiance
Demonism
Destiny
Divorce
Eternal Security
Forgiving and Forgetting
Fun Is Contagious!
Gods Will
Hope
Impossibilities
Integrity
Intimacy with the Almighty
Leisure
The Lonely Whine of the Top Dog
Make Your Dream Come True
Making the Weak Family Strong
Moral Purity
Our Mediator
Peace... in Spite of Panic
Portrait of a Faithful Father
The Power of a Promise
Prayer
Reflections from the Heart
A Prayer Journal
Seeking the Shepherds Heart
A Prayer Journal
Sensuality
Stress
This is No Time for Wimps
Tongues
When Your Comfort Zone Gets
the Squeeze
Woman
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Paw Paw Chucks Big Ideas in the Bible
CHARLES R. SWINDOLL
The Grace Awakening Devotional
A Thirty-Day Walk in the Freedom of Grace
Copyright 2003 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in reviews, without written permission from the publisher.
Published by W Publishing Group, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.,
P. O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations used in this book are from the New American Standard Bible ( NASB ) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2001. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publisher.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Produced with the assistance of The Livingstone Corporation: (www.LivingstoneCorporation.com). Project staff includes Katherine Cloyd,
Neil Wilson, Linda Taylor, and Dave Veerman.
Library of Congress Catloging-in-Publication Data:
Swindoll, Charles R. The grace awakening: 30-day devotional readings /
by Charles R. Swindoll.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-8499-4440-6
1. Grace (Theology) 2. Devotional calendars. I. Title.
BT761.3.S95 2003
234dc22
2003015622
CIP
Printed in the United States of America
03 04 05 06 07 BVG 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
W hen The Grace Awakening first appeared in 1990, Chuck Swindoll had wanted to address what he perceived as grace killers, people who restrain and limit the dynamic potential of the Christian life. Among the most visible and vicious are those who criticize, condemn, and crush believers hopes of joyful living. Chuck warned that legalism in the churchhiding behind the mask of orthodoxy or pietywas stealing the happiness of believers and holding faith hostage. What we needed at that hour was awakening.
Within days of the books release, the responses began flooding in. Letters, cards, and reviews came from grateful pastors, teachers, and other Christians all over the country. The book has found a steady audience for more than a decade. Certain themes have emerged from the responses down through the years. Some correspondents said they had often felt imprisoned in their faith until they recognized their own need for a grace awakening. Suddenly they understood the reality of the regeneration that Christ had meant for His followers to enjoy. If we are new creatures in Christ, they asked, why arent we rejoicing more and worrying less? At the other end of the spectrum, however, came sad correspondence from some Christian leaders who reported that they had lost the battle with their churches or organizations, had become weary of the assaults, and had resigned from their positions. They had been awakened, but they couldnt awaken anyone else! All these letter writers expressed in one way or another a hunger to be reconnected with grace in an unencumbered way. And all reported their gratitude over the help they received in the pages of The Grace Awakening.
Since the release of the book, the world has continued its dramatic changes. In addition to the political changes in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, there have been startling moral and ethical revolutions as wellan awakening of conscience and character of amazing proportions. Christianity has been breaking out around the world. Heightened tensions over terrorism and radical distortions of other religions have highlighted the need for Christians to be clear and compelling in sharing the gospel of grace, holding to the truth of Scripture and freedom in Christ.
Paul writes in Romans 12:6 that since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly. Indeed, each one of us has gifts, but it is the hope of the reflections in this devotional, as well as the book on which they are based, that we should become a generation of believers molded into the image of Christ, walking boldly in the freedom of faith that our Lord intended. For when that occurs, The Grace Awakening is not simply a book worth reading, but a life worth living.
