Have you ever made a mistake that felt too big to fix?

Have you ever felt you’re too far down the wrong trail and you’re not sure

if you can turn things around?

Do you ever wonder if what you’ve done is too great for God to forgive?

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If so, you're not alone.  This compelling bronze sculpture titled 'Amazing Grace' by Walla Walla native artist David Manuel was created to lead people to seek the freedom that comes when they surrender their lives to Jesus.

 

Standing at twelve feet tall & weighing about four thousand pounds, this beautiful life-and-a-half size bronze tells the story of an outlaw cowboy who found himself in a heap of trouble. 

 

At the end of the Civil War and now looking for work, the cowboy stole a US military-issued horse to join a cattle drive in order to make some money.  On his way to the cattle drive, he stopped to see his grandfather, who recognized that his grandson was headed in a bad direction.  Giving his grandson his weathered Bible, the grandfather told him to read it and use the words in those well-read pages to help him turn his life around.  The cowboy placed the Bible in his saddlebag and continued

on his way to the cattle drive. 

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After the drive was over, he took his earnings to town, spent it all, and woke up the next morning filled with regret because he had nothing left.  Looking out the window, he spotted a bank & knowing he needed money badly, decided to rob it.  Entering the bank, he stole some money bags, threw them on

the back of his saddle, and took off on his stolen horse.  The sheriff, who saw the robbery and was within shooting distance, fired a shot and grazed the cowboy's head. 

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Riding as fast as he could to escape the law, the wounded cowboy found himself shaken from the experience that had gone from bad to worse.  He found a hiding place and stopped to bandage his head, but with every sound he heard and every tumbleweed that blew by, he found himself jumpy as he looked over his shoulder for the sheriff's posse.  If they caught up to him they'd shoot, and the cowboy knew that he didn't have it in him to shoot someone else even if it meant saving himself.  For the first time he was scared, and he began to reflect on the poor choices he had made & his close brush with death.  He realized that the trail he’d been riding down was going nowhere fast and he came to a moment of crisis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then remembering his grandfather's Bible, he reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the old Book.  As he read the worn pages, he found the answer he was looking for: the amazing grace of God.  Even though he had stolen a horse, wasted all his money, and robbed a bank, the Scripture was clear that God was ready to forgive him - all he needed to do was ask.  Humbled by the grace he’d so freely been offered, he bowed his head and prayed for God's forgiveness. 

 

Guided by the words he'd read, he knew he needed to right his wrongs.  And so, with his grandfather’s Bible in hand, he gained the courage to begin the trek back to town to find the sheriff and surrender the money.  Night began to fall, and as the cowboy arrived in town the rain that was puddled in the wagon ruts reflected the soft glow of the lights from the stores.  The townspeople watched curiously as he rode down the street and as they spotted the Wells Fargo money bags from the robbery still fastened to the

back of his saddle, they slowly began to realize that this cowboy was the bank robber.  A crowd began to gather as the cowboy asked where he could find the sheriff and they pointed him toward the church.  The people followed him as he continued on his way, and finally the cowboy came to a stop in front of the church where he tied his horse to the hitching post.  One of the crowd rushed into the church to tell the sheriff who was outside, and in astonishment the sheriff stepped out to meet him.  He saw the cowboy sitting on his horse, clutching his grandfather's Bible in one hand and surrendering his revolver with the

other.  With the town gathered all around, waiting to see what he would do next, he told the sheriff that this wasn't his kind of life and that he needed to return the money,

his actions mirroring his repentant heart.

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While most of us have never stolen a horse, robbed a bank, or been on the run from the law, we have all done wrong things that are too big for us to fix on our own.  The story of this redeemed outlaw guides us to the same words that he read in his grandfather's Bible & shares with us the good news of how we too can experience the amazing grace so freely given by God.

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“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

– Romans 3:23

That’s a pretty big problem that we can’t do anything about.

Sadly, sin separates us from God & there is nothing we can do on our own to make things right with Him.

 

 “But God demonstrated His love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

- Romans 5:8

While we were still traveling the wrong trail of life, God took the initiative by sending His Son Jesus

to die on the cross for our sins.

 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son,

that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”

– John 3:16

God’s love was so great, so vast, & so immense that He made a plan of salvation so that

we could be in a right relationship with Him now & make heaven our home someday.

 

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

– Romans 6:23

This is amazing grace!  God loves us and doesn’t give us what we deserve,

but instead wants to give us the gift of salvation & eternal life with Him!

 

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive our sins,

& cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

-1 John 1:9

We can be free from the sins that hold us captive! 

By confessing, we are choosing to take action & not continue in those sins anymore.

Then we will experience the amazing grace of God as He transforms our hearts.

 

“Grow in the grace & knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ…”

– 2 Peter 3:18

Now that we have chosen to accept God’s gift of forgiveness & salvation,

we want to intentionally grow in our relationship with Him. 

We can do this by studying the Bible, faithfully attending a church, & following the truths of God’s Word.

 

 

If after hearing this story of God’s amazing grace at work in the life of this bronzed cowboy & after reading the Bible verses above, you want to pray & ask God to forgive your sins, you can do so right now.   Luke 19:10 says: “Jesus came to seek & save the lost”. 

If you are lost in sin, if you recognize your need for a Savior, be assured that

Jesus came to seek & save everyone – and that includes you. 

Below is a prayer that you can pray to ask Jesus to forgive you, or you can pray using your own words. 

God’s not listening for fancy words, just a heart that is repentant & ready to surrender:

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O God, I am a sinner.  I'm sorry for my sin.  I want to turn away from my sin; please forgive me. 

I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son.  I believe He died on the cross for my sin & You raised Him to life again. 

I want to trust Him as my Savior & follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. 

Lord, I put my trust in You & surrender my life to You.  Please come into my life &

fill me with Your Holy Spirit. 

In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

If you just asked God to forgive your sins or if you have further questions,

send us a message or we invite you to join us at Cowboy Church to learn more about what it means to be a follower of Christ.