Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread. My name is Sochiel Dixon. Today I'm sharing a personal

story in extra grace required. While we decorated for a special event at church, the woman in charge griped about my

inexperience. After she walked away, another woman approached me. Don't worry about her. She's

what we call an EGR, extra grace required. I laughed. Soon, I started using that label every time I had a conflict with someone. Years later, I sat in that same church sanctuary listening to that EGR's obituary. The pastor shared how she had served God behind the scenes and given generously to others. I asked God to forgive me,

for judging and gossiping about her and anyone else I'd labeled as an E.G.R. in the past,

after all, I needed extra grace as much as any other believer in Jesus.

In Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul states that all believers were by nature deserving of wrath.

But God gave us the gift of salvation, a gift which we did nothing to deserve.

A gift we'd never be able to earn so that no one can boast.

No one.

As we submit to God moment by moment during this lifelong journey,

the Holy Spirit will work to change our character so we can reflect the character of Christ. Every believer requires extra grace, but we can be grateful that God's grace is sufficient.

Today's our daily bread

devotional scripture reading is from Ephesians

2 verses 1 to 10.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins

in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the

ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following

its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving

of wrath, but because of his great love for us. God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ

even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved and God raised us up with Christ

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