Results
Genesis
The True Story of the World
August 27, 2023
We have a way of seeing things, a story we are living in, but that story is largely shaped by cultural narratives. Genesis 1-11 introduces us to the true story of the world and invites us to see God, ourselves, and the world in new ways.
Genesis
Babel: Rebellious City of Man
August 20, 2023
Babel is the prototypical city of man: rebellious, prideful, exalting itself against God, and pursuing autonomy and self-sufficiency apart from him. Instead of filling the earth as God commanded, the Babelites settle in one place and try to make a name for themselves. We have capacity to do the exact same thing.
Genesis
The Stain of Sin
August 13, 2023
Noah was an incredible man of faith, a true hero. If ever there was hope for things to go differently after the flood, it would be with Noah. This story in Genesis 9 shows us what happens when humanity gets a fresh start.
Genesis
God’s Grace for a New World
August 6, 2023
After the flood, God's purpose for humanity had not changed— He remained relentlessly committed to establishing His kingdom on earth through human beings made in His own image. God commissioned Noah to fill the earth and through Noah, established a covenant of grace with the new world and new humanity to come. Of course, this covenant points us to the greater covenant we have in Jesus.
Genesis
The Flood of God’s Judgment
July 30, 2023
The story of the flood is a hard story that makes us want to look away from the darkness of sin and awfulness of God’s judgment. But we have to look at this difficult story to help us see God as he really is. And as we do, we discover his mercy and grace.
Genesis
The Way of Faith
July 23, 2023
The conflict at the heart of the biblical plot is enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. The line of Cain represents the seed of the serpent: escalating sin and evil. The line of Seth represents the seed of the woman: hope in God’s promise of redemption. And we have the choice: will we go the way of the serpent or the way of faith?
Genesis
The Way of Cain
July 16, 2023
This story of Cain & Abel invites us to think about how anger and sin works at a personal level, especially in our relationships. However we interpret the events in our lives determines how we will respond, and what the consequences will be. Will we listen to God, or will we go the way of Cain?
Genesis
God’s Redeeming Grace
July 9, 2023
Genesis 3 tells us why the world is so broken. It's broken because sin corrupts everything and ultimately leads to death. Genesis 3 is a bleak chapter. And it leaves us wondering if there’s any hope for redemption. Is there any good news in the midst of the brokenness? Are there any signs of grace amongst the devastation of the fall? And the answer is, “Yes!" We see glimmers of God’s redeeming grace all over this chapter.
Genesis
The Consequences of Sin
July 2, 2023
If God made everything good, why are things so bad? The answer is sin. Sin upends God’s good design and corrupts everything in the world, especially us.
Genesis
The Anatomy of Temptation and Sin
June 25, 2023
The account of the fall not only tells us what happened — they took of the fruit and ate — but also how it happened. It is written for our benefit, so we can understand the components of temptation and sin in our own lives: deception, doubt, desire, and disillusionment.
Romans
Total Security in Christ
November 26, 2023
Paul wraps up Romans 5-8 with the strongest language possible to convince us that we are totally secure in Christ. We’re secure because God is for us, because God justifies us, and because God loves us. These life-changing truths are not only for us to believe in, but to revel in and rest in.
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Romans
God’s Sovereign Grace
November 19, 2023
We think we will be happy when we are in control or when we get what we want. Paul lifts our eyes to the joy of knowing that God is in control and trusting that his plans are so much better than ours.
Romans
Groaning and Glory
November 12, 2023
This passage sets present suffering and future glory right alongside each other. We live in the tension between the two: we live in the already, looking forward to the not yet. So even though we groan, we have great hope!
Romans
The Spirit of Adoption
November 5, 2023
Romans 8 tells us that the Christian life is life in the Spirit. And in verses 12-17, the Apostle Paul points to two aspects of life in the Spirit. Those who are in Christ have been given both a new obligation and a new identity.
Romans
Life in the Spirit
October 29, 2023
The Christian life is life in the Spirit. He sets us free from sin and gives us power to live for God. It is supernatural, but it is also normal for everyone who is in Christ.
Romans
The Law Can’t Change Us
October 22, 2023
Romans 7:12 says the law is holy, righteous, and good. But the law has no power to make me holy, righteous, and good because I have no ability to keep the law and no power over my own sin. The end of Romans 7 is the apostle Paul throwing up his hands and saying, “Why is it so hard to obey God?! If I’ve been made new in Christ, then why does it feel like I can never change?”
Romans
The Law Leads Us to Jesus
October 15, 2023
If we are "not under law but under grace" (6:14), then what is the purpose of the law? That is the question behind Romans 7. The law leads us to Jesus by showing us the depth of our sin and weakness. Jesus releases us from the law and brings us under grace so that we can truly walk in Gods ways by the power of His Spirit.
Romans
Freed to Serve a Better Master
October 8, 2023
Are we free to sin now that we're no longer under law but under grace? Paul’s answer is, “No way! Because we are freed to serve a better master."
Romans
Remember Who You Are
October 1, 2023
If grace abounds when sin abounds, then shouldn’t we just keep on sinning so we can get more grace? Paul’s answer is, “No way! Because that not who you are anymore."
Romans
The Reign of Grace
September 24, 2023
We live in a world where everyone is trying to find or create an identity. Romans 5 says there are two fundamental identities: in Adam and in Christ. That is breaking news in a culture like ours. The bad news is, by nature, everyone is in Adam. The good news is, by faith, anyone can be in Christ.
Romans
Confidence in the Cross
September 17, 2023
How confident are you in your standing with God? And what is your confidence (or lack of confidence) based on? We can have total confidence in where we stand with God, but the basis of that confidence is not what you might think.
Romans
The Joy of Justification
September 10, 2023
Romans 1-4 is about the doctrine of justification by faith. In Romans 5, Paul takes us deeper into what it means for us now: peace with God, standing in grace, rejoicing in hope.
Psalms
A Quiet Soul
September 3, 2023
We live in a noisy, anxious, restless world. In spite of that, this psalm tells us that we can be quiet on the inside. But how? David shares the secret.
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Matthew
What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?
April 30, 2023
Whether you are new to following Jesus or you have been a believer for a long time, it’s worth returning from time to time to some of the most foundational questions of our faith. In Matthew 4, Jesus gives us some key insight into one such question: What does it mean to be a Christian?
Genesis
A Vision for Work
May 28, 2023
We spend more time working than we do on anything else. And yet, most of us are in sort of a fog about the meaning and significance of our work. We need a robust vision for work if we are going to thrive in our postmodern world. And a deeper study of Genesis 1-2 gives us just that.
Luke
Good News for Everyone
May 1, 2022
On Easter Sunday morning, the disciples were sad, defeated, and unbelieving. All they could see was bad news. But by Sunday evening, they were filled with joy and convinced of the good news. How do we account for the turnaround? Well, in this passage, Jesus does some things for them that change their lives forever.
John
The King Is Coming
May 8, 2022
What does it mean to be the church in an age of social and religious deconstruction? A good place to start is to discern the difference between socialized Christianity and new birth Christianity. In this passage, Jesus helps us deconstruct a certain kind of faith and then points us to the mystery and reality of the kingdom of God.
Romans
Groaning and Glory
November 12, 2023
This passage sets present suffering and future glory right alongside each other. We live in the tension between the two: we live in the already, looking forward to the not yet. So even though we groan, we have great hope!
Hebrews
An Easter Benediction
April 1, 2018
So many things compete for our attention, but when we turn our attention to Jesus and see that he is better than everything else, we are compelled to draw near to God.
Genesis
Downward Mobility
June 24, 2018
Jacob and Joseph lived very different lives, but both of their stories point us to the sovereign grace of God. In Jacob’s striving, and in Joseph’s suffering, God remains steadfast.
Luke
The Love of Money
May 15, 2022
Money can have so much power in our lives that we’re willing to bow down and serve it. But the scary thing is that we’re usually blind to this; we don’t see it in ourselves. How can we recognize the love of money in our lives? And how can we change?
John
The Light Shines in the Darkness
December 4, 2022
John tells us that the setting of the Christmas story is the world. And he wants us to see something very particular about the world: its darkness. When we think about Christmas, we like to think of brightness and light. But the story loses its meaning if we don’t consider the darkness.
Luke
The Good Samaritan
March 13, 2022
The law of love shows us what it means to be a neighbor. The heart of love exposes our failure to be neighbors. The power of love transforms our hearts and fuels a life of love.
1 Corinthians
True Spirituality
February 12, 2023
Some in the Corinthian church were claiming to have extraordinary spiritual gifts. They were positioning themselves as the “spiritual ones,” and everyone else was a second-class Christian. Paul corrects this thinking with the Corinthians and shows them (and us) the nature of true spirituality.
1 Corinthians
Ordinary Church
April 16, 2023
After reading the extraordinary chapter 15 about the resurrection of Jesus and all its implications, chapter 16 seems so ordinary. And yet the ordinary life and ministry of the church is where the promises of the resurrection get lived out now.