Craig Marvin Johnson
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Craig Marvin Johnson
Receiving The Gift That Changes Everything
by
Grace is one of the most beautiful words in the Christian faith, and also one of the most easily misunderstood.
Some hear grace and think only of forgiveness. Others hear grace and imagine softness, as though God has lowered His holiness or decided to overlook sin. Some speak of grace as if it were a permission slip for careless living. Others believe in grace with their theology, but struggle to rest in it with their souls.
Yet the grace of God is far greater, deeper, stronger, and holier than any of those misunderstandings. Grace is not God pretending sin does not matter. Grace is God dealing with sin through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Grace is not the absence of truth. Grace is truth reaching sinners with mercy, power, and love.
The old acronym many believers have cherished says it simply:
**G.R.A.C.E. = God's Riches At Christ's Expense.**
That sentence is simple enough for a child to remember and deep enough for a believer to spend a lifetime considering. Every spiritual blessing we receive from God comes to us because Jesus gave Himself for us. Grace is free to the sinner, but it was not cheap. It was purchased by the blood of Christ.
This book is written for believers who need to know that grace more deeply. It is for the weary Christian who loves God but feels exhausted from trying to be enough. It is for the wounded believer who wonders whether failure has spoken the final word. It is for the faithful servant who needs to remember that ministry is not sustained by human strength. It is for the growing disciple who wants grace to become more than a doctrine in the mind, but a living reality in the heart, home, church, and witness.
And it is for every person who needs to see that grace does not merely pardon us. Grace changes us. Grace teaches us. Grace trains us. Grace sends us.
The same grace that saves us from sin also grows us into the likeness of Christ. The same grace that lifts condemnation also forms holiness. The same grace that welcomes the undeserving also makes us ambassadors of the Gospel.
So read slowly and prayerfully. Let the Scriptures speak. Let the Gospel search you and steady you.
Let grace humble you where pride has been hiding. Let grace comfort you where shame has been speaking. Let grace strengthen you where obedience has become heavy. Let grace send you where others need to hear that Jesus still saves sinners.
My prayer is that these pages will not merely help you understand grace as a word, but lead you to behold grace in a Person.
Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth. He is in fact, THE TRUTH. And from His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace.
I am a father of 6, happily married. Living in Rocky Point North Carolina.
I have always loved music and writing and the creative process. In my work I have opportunity to write music and other content. The books here on my page represent long standing projects that are finally coming to fruition. My wife and I moved here from Iowa in 2023 with our two youngest children. I answered the call into full time ministry. I am now the Pastor of Worship and Discipleship at Wrightsboro Bapist Church in Wilmington, NC. My passion is music and worship and I love to see people respond to the gospel.
Moving beyond personal preference to authentic church growth
Everyone has preferences.
That statement is obvious, but it is important.
We have preferences about food, clothing, music, schedules, furniture, temperature, lighting, automobiles, neighborhoods, sports teams, and vacation destinations.
We prefer certain colors.
We favor particular styles.
We enjoy some experiences more than others.
We are drawn toward what feels familiar, meaningful, comfortable, or beautiful to us.
The same is true in church.
Why worship isn't a spectator act
Worship is a full-body, full-heart, full-out connection with God and each other.
A children's book of Creation, Scripture, Song, and the Gospel
The creation account forms a foundation for faith. In Genesis, we are invited to behold God as Creator. He speaks light
into darkness, shapes the skies and seas, fills the land with plants and trees, places lights in the heavens, fills the waters
and the skies with life, creates animals, and makes Adam and Eve in His image.
This book is really three books in one: a children's storybook, a visual song accompaniment, and a Scripture-guided walk
through creation that turns toward the good news of Jesus Christ.
Read it slowly. Let children notice the pictures. Ask what they see. Sing the lyrics. Read the Scripture. Then point them to
the greatest truth of all: the God who made the whole world also made a way for us to know Him personally through
Jesus.
Sincerely,
Craig Marvin Johnson
A Journey of Knowing Christ, Living His Word, and Making Disciples
Before You Turn the Page...
This book is more than something to read.
It is an invitation.
An invitation to know God's Word.
To walk more closely with Jesus.
To grow in spiritual maturity.
To become a faithful disciple.
And to help others discover the freedom that is found only in Him.
So before you begin…
Pray.
Open your Bible.
Invite the Holy Spirit to teach you.
Then turn the page...
The journey begins now.
The Greatest Rescue Mission In History
The account of Noah is found in Genesis 6-9. Noah was six hundred years old when the flood came, and the people preserved through the flood were exactly eight adults: Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their three wives.
For that reason, this retelling keeps Noah’s family as adults and avoids showing children aboard the ark. The ark is also pictured as enormous and strong, reflecting the great scale of the vessel described in Scripture.
Some visual details, such as clothing, tools, and landscapes, are imagined in a historically grounded ancient Near Eastern style to help children enter the world of the story.