Results
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.
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.
Revelation
Unveiling Persecution
April 28, 2024
The church in Smyrna was being persecuted for their faith, and Jesus tells them that things will get worse. In order to conquer fear and doubt, these Christians needed the same thing that we need today: to catch a glimpse of what Jesus is doing in the midst of suffering. Only then will we find the grace to remain faithful.
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Revelation
Loveless Orthodoxy
April 21, 2024
Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for their commitment to truth, but he critiques their lack of love. This passage tells us that we can drift to a place where we believe the right things but are far from the heart of God. A healthy church has truth and love, working together to bear witness to Christ.
Revelation
He Who Walks Among the Lampstands
April 14, 2024
In Revelation 1, John has a vision of Jesus. The curtain is pulled back and he sees the risen and exalted Christ in all his splendor. It’s a vision that’s for all of us, because we need to see Jesus as he really is and know what's on his mind.
John
Jesus Restores Peter
April 7, 2024
Peter’s failure resonates because we all fail. And yet, we don’t like talking about it. We want to push our failures to the background, but this story brings them to the front. The point is not to tell us how bad we are, but to show us how good God is and how much we need him. God meets us in our failure to restore us.
John
Resurrection and the Gift of Belief
March 31, 2024
On the first Easter, the resurrected Jesus was met with various forms of unbelief. In John 20, Jesus moves toward different types of people in their particular form of unbelief to graciously give them the gift of belief. The unbelief we see in these people is common to all of us, as is our need for the grace of Jesus to help us believe in him.
John
Unexpected Glory
March 24, 2024
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds gathered, hoping to see kingly glory. Jesus assured them that glory was coming, but in a form they never would have guessed: they would see the glory of God through the cross of Jesus.
John
Jesus Prays
March 17, 2024
The last thing Jesus does for his disciples before he steps out into the night to go to his arrest is pray for them (and us). He prays for everything his disciples will need to continue his work in the world: Protection, sanctification, and unity. This prayer from Jesus gives us our most intimate glimpse into his heart for his people.
John
Sorrow Into Joy
March 10, 2024
The spiritual reality in which sorrow can turn into joy has everything to do with the presence of God. When we know the Father's loving presence, our joy is made full. This text assures us God can meet us in our confusion, distress, need, and even in our failure.
John
The Spirit of Truth
March 3, 2024
When the disciples heard that Jesus was leaving, and that the world would hate them, their hearts were filled with sorrow. But Jesus said it would be better because the Spirit is coming. How is it better? What would the Spirit do to help them bear witness about Jesus in a hostile world?
John
Hated But Helped
February 25, 2024
If we abide in Christ like branches in a vine, then we will inevitably share some of his experience in the world. Meaning we will face opposition (even hatred) from the world. But he also promises help in the midst of the hatred!
John
Abide in Christ
February 18, 2024
Jesus said the mark of his disciples is that they “bear much fruit.” We want to roll-up our sleeves and make it happen, but the kind of fruit Jesus is talking about comes from being connected to him. If we want to be truly fruitful, we must learn to abide in Christ.
John
Another Helper
February 11, 2024
In the Upper Room with Jesus, on their final night with him before his death, the disciples were filled with anxiety and fear. Jesus tells them (and us) that what they need, the comfort for their troubled hearts, is not a prescription but a person—a person who will come to dwell with them.
John
From Troubled to Trusting
February 4, 2024
The disciples are deeply troubled by what is unfolding in the upper room. So, Jesus comforts them with words about the Father. He calls them to trust in the promises of the Father and the presence of the Father that they have in Jesus.
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Luke
Rich Toward God
May 22, 2022
Jesus shows us two ways to live. One is to lay up treasure for yourself. The other is to be rich toward God. If you want to know where your heart is, follow the money.
Genesis
Crown of Creation: The Imago Dei
May 21, 2023
What does it mean to be a human being created in the image of God? It couldn’t be a more relevant question. Because there are a lot of competing narratives out there about what it means to be human…who we are, what we’re here for, and what makes us valuable. Genesis tells us that humanity is the crown of God’s creation.
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."
2 Thessalonians
Don’t Grow Weary in Doing Good
November 21, 2021
Paul has been talking about spectacular, heavenly things in 1 & 2 Thessalonians. But his final words are very much about life on earth. His application to all the heavenly things he’s been saying is very much focused on our life in this world.
John
Living Water
April 23, 2023
Jesus uses water to talk about our deeper thirst for God, and how he alone can quench it. We drink from the wells of money and success and relationships and approval, but they are all broken cisterns that leave us empty, and thirstier than before. Jesus came to give us living water.
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?
Galatians
New Creation
November 22, 2020
The gospel is not only the gateway to our life with God. It is also the pathway for our life with him. We are prone to add other things that give us a sense of assurance or belonging, but Jesus plus anything else is a false gospel.
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.
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.
1 Corinthians
Instruction for Sex and Marriage
October 23, 2022
In the first part of chapter 7, Paul gives practical instruction related to sex, marriage, and divorce. As we approach this chapter, we are not looking for quick answers or rules. We are looking for how these instructions reflect the beauty and wisdom of God and lead us to deeper faith in Jesus.
Nehemiah
Called From Greed to Generosity
July 19, 2020
The story of exile teaches us about the human condition. The story of return and rebuilding teaches us that while there is good work to do, we can’t change the human condition. Only Jesus can do that. Until he comes, we work while we wait.
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.