Face it. You and I were born into a world filled with authority. And God calls us to submit to those authorities, whether in the home, the workplace, the church, or the government. But here’s the rub: because of sin, all human authority is flawed. Greed. Oppression. Abuse. Neglect. No human authority is untouched by the effects of sin. So how do we…

Submit. The very mention of that word makes people cringe. It’s a verb. It’s a command. It has teeth. Children, submit to your parents. Employees, submit to your bosses. Wives, submit to your husbands. Church members, submit to your elders. And citizens, submit to your government. Those directives come from God and Christians have struggled for cen…

How do you deal with your appetite? You have options. You can ignore it. You can suppress it by drinking green tea (I’m not kidding. Look it up). You can practice breathing techniques to help you deal with the hunger pains. You can even distract yourself with a hobby—preferably one that doesn’t burn calories. You could gorge yourself on junk. Some …

In his book, Surprised by Joy, C.S. Lewis writes, “From my earliest years I was aware of the vivid contrast between my mother’s cheerful and tranquil affection and the ups and downs of my father’s emotional life.” He went on to say, “My father, whom I implicitly believed, represented adult life as one of incessant drudgery under continual threat of…

Take a look around. Observe your family, friends, neighbors, celebrities, online personalities. Who does life work best for? When you really zoom out and see the bigger picture, who is "winning" at life? Take into account all the ingredients of a good life - love, peace, security, success, integrity, relationships, etc. In Psalm 1, we see who life …

We need healing—all of us. Not always just from sickness, pain, addiction, and heartache, but sometimes we need to be healed from the things that made us sick and addicted to begin with. Emptiness. Guilt. Loneliness. Greed. Betrayal. Idolatry. Truth be known, it’s impossible to pack into a paragraph all the miseries the human heart endures—miseries…

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Everyone thinks forgiveness is a lovely idea until he has something to forgive.” Need some help loving the difficult people in your life? Do you struggle to forgive, serve, and love your enemies? If we’re honest about our failures, the apostle Paul offers us a master class. That’s one of the many reasons why God gave us the secon…

When looking for a new home, almost everyone focuses on what’s on the inside and outside of the house itself. Granite countertops and a finished Basement? Local amenities and a solid school district? New roof? Green grass? But what potential buyers often miss is the most important: who are the neighbors? If you could pick your neighbors, what kind …

I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy!” We say that when we experience intense affliction. And we mean it. It sounds gracious and magnanimous. And it is—all things considered. That is, all things with the exception of Christianity. What should we wish on our worst enemy? According to Romans 12, we should call down a blessing on them. Sound challen…

We are living in a time when a growing number of people including Christians are experiencing discontent. We are frustrated with the political climate, our economic reality, close relationships, and so much more. It is hard to hope for a better tomorrow if our today is so clouded with dissatisfaction and unrest. I have been so intrigued by the God-…

Hans Zimmer reached global fame through his film scores. He is able to describe characters in a film simply and powerfully, through music. Close your eyes and you’ll know whether a hero or a villain has entered the scene. Hans lets his music talk to the audience and tell them something about the main character of the story. Did you know the church …

We’re grown accustomed to living in a world filled with fakes. If it sounds too good to be true, or looks too good to be real, it probably is. Search for the fine print. Wait for the other shoe to drop. Experience has made us cynical. Nothing is real. Nobody is genuine. We live in a culture of cons. But the Apostle Paul speaks a powerful word to Ch…

Mike Tyson famously said, “Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face.” Iron Mike is not known for brilliant quotes, but he nailed that one. We’ve all gotten the proverbial punch in the face at some point. Our lives upended, plans ruined, futures uncertain. Fear, anxiety, regret, and even bitterness begin to emerge. So then what? Then …

How does your life change when you begin to follow Jesus? Here’s another way to ask that: what does a gospel-shaped life look like in the West? The apostle Paul says something about the Christian life in Romans 12 that is so counter-cultural it’s jarring to our American minds. “Commit yourself to one another. Use your gifts to strengthen your commu…

Jesus came preaching the "gospel of the kingdom." He was announcing the beginning of a new era, a new covenant, a new community. But Jesus did more than talk about the new kingdom - He inaugurated it. And He invites us into it. But what does that mean? What does it look like to be kingdom people? Join us this Sunday to see how the kingdom story giv…

“Blessed Assurance Jesus Is Mine” and “It is Well With My Soul” are just a couple of hymns regarding the assurance we as Christians should have. But if we are honest, we don’t always feel that sweet assurance. I think some Christians struggle with assurance more than they want to admit. The book of Hebrews tells us how what Christ did was indeed en…

Know thyself. That advice dates all the way back to Socrates. And the quest continues. People are still searching for the truth about who they are. The promise to help people understand themselves sells books, generates likes, and garners subscriptions. Have we figured it out yet? Perhaps nothing is more important and yet misguided at the same time…

Is God angry? Does he love us? Not only do we still encounter those questions in various forms—we still doubt the answers when we experience personal adversity, witness global catastrophe, or come face-to-face with evil. Where can we get definitive answers? Only one place: the Cross of Jesus Christ, where love and justice meet. Gather with us this …

This fallen world assaults our heart with overwhelming force. It hands us a broken belief system and tempts us to incorporate it into every area of our life. In Romans 12, Paul calls us to recognize and resist that pattern—the spirit of this age. But that’s only half the work. And it’s not even the most important part. Paul follows the charge to re…

Conspiracy Theories abound in our day. Flat Earth. Elite Reptiles who rule the world. Fake moon landings. Immortal Celebrities. The rabbit hole is bottomless. But in Romans chapter 12, Paul exposes the most sinister, dangerous, far-reaching conspiracy to date. But it’s not a theory to consider. It’s a force to resist. This fallen world, influenced …

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” So Juliet dismisses the significance of Romeo’s name in Shakespeare’s famous play. And while we might sympathize with the lovesick feelings that would give rise to such a question, we can’t follow her in throwing out the importance of names altogether. Because whe…

One word we tend to use a lot during Advent is “King.” We sing it in our Christmas songs: Joy to the world, the Lord is come Let earth receive her King Hark the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel Born is the King of Israel Christmas, in essence, is the arrival of a king. That’s what the word “advent” means. The true…

And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. 29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and t…

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. The Beatitudes 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the ear…

Are you numb? Feel dead inside and indifferent to what’s happening around you? Struggle to feel…anything? A growing demographic identifies with those symptoms. So you’re not alone. But you’re also not hopeless. What your numb heart needs most is what God gives us as we behold the penetrating wonders and glorious realities of Jesus’ life, death and …

“Numb to the sensation of wonder.” That’s how one writer described those who’ve grown disenchanted with life. They feel dead inside, indifferent to anything profound. Could that describe you? Have you lost your sense of wonder, maybe through disappointment, neglect, tragedy, or cheap counterfeits? Has your perspective grown dull and your existence …

David and Goliath - it's an iconic story with bigger-than-life characters (literally!). There's drama, tension, and surprise packed in every line. But is it anything more than a great story? What if this passage is more than a motivational message to all the underdogs? Join us this Sunday to see how the story of David and Goliath points to the trul…

Hope is something all people need especially in times of suffering. People put their Hope in someone or something whether or not they admit it. The reality of this life is that things get hard whether we want them to or not and hope is what can help us push through and keep going. The question is “What is your hope actually in?” Is it in the things…

It’s easy to grow cynical and jaded with life. Following trending news and consuming superficial content feels comforting—just like eating junk food. That’s where so many people live, work, and play. It’s how their outlooks are being formed. Nobody is denying this, but onward we advance like insects to a bug zapper. How do we resist these forces th…

What will happen to the nation of Israel in the future? We’ve been tackling that question from Romans 11. That’s where the apostle Paul gives one of the most tremendous prophecies in the Bible about God’s future plan for Israel. He calls it a mystery now revealed and tells us what God has been up to and what He is going to do in the future. It’s th…

What will happen to the nation of Israel in the future? Will they continue in unbelief, rejecting Jesus until His return? Bible students have debated that question for ages. In Romans 11, the apostle Paul gives one of the most tremendous prophecies in the Bible about God’s future plan for Israel. He calls it a mystery now revealed and in no uncerta…

Suffering comfortably - is that even possible? Human logic tells us that certain things don't mix: pain and pleasure; joy and sorrow; oppression and refreshment. But Paul teaches that in the Christian life, suffering and comfort go hand-in-hand. We have already been rescued by God's grace and given the Holy Spirit, but we still live in a world wher…

“I’m just grateful to be here!” That’s a humble response we often hear from newly discovered talent. Fresh in their memory is the poverty and perhaps obscurity they came from. They feel like they don’t belong in the spotlight. They are just grateful to be there. That’s precisely the posture commended for Gentiles in Romans chapter 11. We were impov…

Is God finished with Israel? Lots of Christians have asked that question. Paul—an Israelite—gives an encouraging answer, and shows us why we should care and what role we play as Gentiles. Don’t miss part 2 of Israel’s Return at GraceLife this week. Romans 11.

Lots of blood has been spilt over Israel’s place in the world. And lots of ink has been spilt over Israel’s place in God’s plan. It’s no secret that the nation of Israel has rejected Jesus as their Messiah—with some encouraging exceptions over the years. Since they have rejected God, has he rejected them? Is God finished with Israel? And maybe a qu…

Have you ever been hurt by a Christian who thought he was helping? Maybe his words hurt you deeply because he showed no compassion. Or perhaps he was more eager to talk than to listen and lacked understanding. Well meaning Christians sometimes do great damage in the name of Jesus. Why is that? One reason is misdiagnosis. That’s not just a medical p…

Why don’t more people follow Jesus? His offer is staggering. Rescue. Redemption. Rest. Restoration. All by grace. Anyone can get in on this! His messengers have been sent with this “good news.” But the response—especially from his own people, the Jews—has been small and unimpressive. Why? And what lessons can we learn from their rejection? Join us …