Today's "Take Home Point" from Pastor Brad's message is:  God's grace and humility are the antidote to envy and other forms of evil.  Envy is one of the most insidious of all sins.  It seems that without any awareness on our part envy jumps out from us in nearly any everyday situation.  We turn on the television and see someone wearing something that would look really good on US--envy!  We go to the store to buy some items for the home and we see the latest piece of technology and we think we just have to have it--envy!  We drive down the road and see a newer, better, faster, more colorful car than ours and we turn green with --envy! 

Whether it's a thing we don't have and wish we did, or a character trait, or even good fortune envy seems to work in us wherever we are and whatever we're doing--unless we rely on God's grace and humility to overcome it in our lives.  This week we'll be looking at various Scriptures to help us see what envy is and how to overcome it, but the basic necessity for putting this second of the seven deadly sins out of our lives is to look UP to God, and call on Him to fight the battle for us by filling us with His grace and humility.  While the solution may seem obvious, living it out isn't our first step.  Why?  Because even when Jesus IS Savior and Lord in our lives, putting Him first takes a fervent commitment and an ongoing will to accomlish.

For today's "study" of envy and its antidote, review your message notes from the service, or if you're not able to worship with us at New Life today, read Titus 3:1-8 and see what God's word says about envy and evil and overcoming it.

Let's pray, "Heavenly Father, fill us with your grace and humility that we may see envy when it attacks us, and be victorious today and throughout the coming week.  This we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.