Hello, and thanks for joining us today on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. This is the Bible teaching ministry of Rick Warren, and today we are continuing in a series called The Miracle of Mercy. Rick will show us how God's mercy can lift your guilt, heal your wounds, and transform the way you live.

Okay, here's part one of a message called How Much You Matter to God.

Now, one of the purposes of the Miracle and Mercy series is to help you better understand what God is really like.

Most people have poor misconceptions of God.

They don't understand fully, deeply the mercy of God, that God always acts in mercy toward

us.

Every good thing in your life is because of the mercy of God.

You wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the mercy of God. The talents, the gifts,

the abilities you have are gifts of the mercy of God. The fact that all of the good things,

the relationships that happen in your life, the fact that you're going to go to heaven one day

is only due to the mercy of God. Without that, we would have nothing.

Now, the Bible says in Titus chapter 3, if you pull out your message notes, all the verses

we're going to look at this weekend or on your notes. Titus chapter 3, verse 5 says this,

Jesus saved us, not because of the good things that we did, but because of his

mercy. His mercy. He washed away our sins and he gave us new life through the Holy Spirit.

Now, God is such a God of mercy. He came to earth in a human form as a form of Jesus Christ.

He came in human form to show us his mercy. He came on a mission of mercy. And that mission of

mercy was to save us. In fact, Jesus says it like this in Luke chapter 19, verse 10.

I have come to seek and save those who are lost. Now this is the ultimate expression of mercy.

Jesus said the whole reason I came to earth, why we have Christmas, why we have Easter,

why we have everything that exists, is I came to earth, why we have Christmas, why we have Easter, why we have everything that exists is I came to seek and save those who are lost. The ultimate expression

of mercy. Mercy seeks. Mercy takes initiative. Mercy makes the first step. Mercy saves. And by the way,

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