grace

Make a Decision Right Where You Are

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ” – John 8:12 As Christians, we believe God sent Christ into the world to die on the cross and be raised from the dead so we could be at peace with God. There is something baked into the crust of life that reminds us that no matter what we do, something just doesn’t seem right if we are not at peace with God. Through Christ’s sacrifice, we are forgiven of our sins. We can come boldly before God’s throne of grace and be filled with His spirit. There are many times in life when we feel far from God, but don’t choose Him. Today, I want to allow you the opportunity to decide to follow Christ. There are

February 23, 2023 1 Comment

Receive Power and Grace

“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’ ” – Mark 1:9-11 The Gospel of Mark is fascinating, and in its earliest form, it can be referred to as the Gospel of Peter. According to most scholars, Peter and Mark wrote it together. The Gospels had been told, memorized and shared, but eventually, they wrote it down so people could remember what happened. In my imagination, I see these two deciding where to begin. It was the exciting memory of Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist that came to them! John was a peculiar man who

February 5, 2023 1 Comment

A Man of Unclean Lips

“Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ ” – Isaiah 6:6,7 Yesterday, we saw God’s love and mercy extended to His servant, Isaiah, the prophet who was dedicated in service to the temple of the Lord. His whole life changed after one moment in the temple where God in theophany appeared. His reaction: “Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips.” Today, I want to share that as a teenager, I would teach our small high school Bible study from this passage in Isaiah Chapter 6. I thought that “unclean lips” meant he cussed, so I would teach my peers not to use foul language. I have

January 21, 2023 1 Comment

Jesus Shows Us What God is Like

“If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.“ – John 14:7 If you’re a Christian, I know you believe Jesus is God. Do you want to know what God looks like? We can look to Jesus, who will show us who God is! As we continue in our Advent theme of adoration, we can focus on and deeply appreciate Jesus’ reflection of the Father. Jesus never makes any person sick to punish them. Notice how Jesus invited sinners, many of whom were considered horrible outcasts, to the table to eat with Him. Jesus didn’t get upset at their wrongdoings. The people He did get upset with were not the people you’d think — they were religious leaders. In contrast, the gods of this world consume the life of their worshipers, and their worshipers like being

December 18, 2022 No Comments

Jesus’ Birth Revealed to Shepherds

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’ “ – Luke 2:8-10 I think it’s incredible that the birth of Jesus was revealed to shepherds! At the time of Jesus’ birth, so many amazing men and women of God were available to reveal Jesus’ impending arrival. Some were great rabbis and sages who wrote the Talmud, including Hillel, a Jewish scholar. He was a foremost master of biblical commentary and interpreter of Jewish tradition. There were also many high priests of the temple around. The Zealots were ready to lay down their lives for Israel, and

December 17, 2022 1 Comment

Jesus is the Solution

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” – Titus 2:11 Yesterday we talked about how a Kingdom worldview addresses the problem of sin and shame in the world. Today, I want to discuss the fourth and final question a worldview must answer (and it’s the most important of all): “What’s the solution?“ Quite simply, the cross and resurrection of Jesus are the only true answer to the problem of sin, wickedness, guilt, and shame on the earth. The grace, or favor, that comes to us because we are seen through the Father’s eyes (in the same way He sees Jesus) has the power to break chains and set us free eternally! When Jesus went to the cross, He took every sin you’ve ever committed — past, present, and future — upon Himself, and it was nailed there, never to emerge again. When He died,

November 27, 2022 No Comments

Your Best Life

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” – James 1:19,20 We need to move from being ego-driven people who are always first to judge or call people out, to becoming a listening, humble, and life-giving presence in the world. Of course, this can be a challenge when people are cruel, unfair, unkind, and rude. However, life in the Kingdom of God enables us to be a force of mercy and healing, even in an increasingly angry and hostile society. Our best life doesn’t come when we get really good at finding out what’s wrong with the world and pointing it out, but rather when we become the kind of people who are unoffendable, relaxed, and walking in the easy rhythms of grace. This

November 13, 2022 No Comments

Seventy Times Seven

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’ ” – Matthew 18:21,22 Today, we continue examining forgiveness. Did you know that in Jesus’ day, Rabbis used to teach that you forgive your brother three times and that’s it. Although it sounds absolute, this is one of the reasons I like Jewish Rabbis — they are very clear — three times only, no more and no less. When Jesus came along, he began teaching that you forgive more than three times, which was quite a controversial thing! Peter, Jesus’ disciple who is known for being exuberant and impetuous, was the first one we know of who specifically inquired of Jesus about the matter of forgiveness. Thinking of himself as being very generous,

November 10, 2022 No Comments

Funnels of Forgiveness

“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:14,15 Today, we will continue our series on forgiveness. If you’ve grown up in church, you’ve probably heard the Lord’s Prayer repeatedly, and you have likely said again and again, “forgive us our offenses (or debts) as we forgive those who have offended us.” Although the words may have become routine, think about what they mean. In essence, when you pray that sentence, you are saying, Lord, forgive me to the same extent that I have forgiven others. This is how Jesus teaches us to pray. He then goes on to say, “For if you forgive men their sins, your Heavenly Father will forgive you of your sins, but if you do not forgive

November 9, 2022 No Comments

Jesus Wants to Be With You

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;” – 1 Corinthians 6:19 Did you know that God wants to be with you? In Jesus’ day, The House, or temple, was the place where people gathered to be with God, the Father. This House of God was a symbol of God’s love and grace for us. Throughout all the Old and the New Testaments, you constantly see God desperately wanting to be with His people. Sometimes His people are with Him, and other times they sin and fall away. Maybe you feel this way at times. The temple was also where you could make atonement or reconciliation for your sins. If you have hurt someone or made a damaging mistake, you can be reconnected with God. It’s truly representative of how

July 22, 2022 No Comments

Make a Decision Right Where You Are

Receive Power and Grace

A Man of Unclean Lips

Jesus Shows Us What God is Like

Jesus’ Birth Revealed to Shepherds

Jesus is the Solution

Your Best Life

Seventy Times Seven

Funnels of Forgiveness

Jesus Wants to Be With You

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