Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
Confrontations and conversations during Jesus' last days Mark 11-12 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a… Continue reading Not just another Tuesday
Political affiliation must be secondary to our affiliation with the people of God. "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9-10). "For our boast… Continue reading Everything is Secondary, part 3
Community Read Hebrews 10: 19-25 and Acts 2, especially verses 42-47 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. How do we love Jesus through community? There's a Greek word, κοινωνία (koinōnia) that brings together multiple aspects of fellowship. While "fellowship" is a delightful word, American English cannot fully… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 5
Loyalty Read 3 John and Deuteronomy 7:6-10 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. How do we stand with and for our brothers and sisters in the Lord? We step up. The concept of loyalty runs throughout the Bible, from the Hebrew אָמַן ( 'āman), meaning to be… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 4
Care Read Luke 10:25-37 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. What does it mean to care for one another as an act of love? It's important to consider what had just happened to visualize the setting of this parable fully. A crowd had gathered to hear about… Continue reading Beloved: Reflection 3
What does it mean to be beloved? How do we respond to being beloved? Love Read 1 John 4:7-21 Pray that the Lord will open your mind and heart to hear His voice. What does it mean to be loved by God and how does that love affect the way we treat others? The old… Continue reading Beloved: a five-part reflection, Reflection one
I've been thinking lately about the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke's Gospel (10:25-37). At the same time, I've been reading the newspapers (usually the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times) and listening to podcasts like Honestly with Bari Weiss and Truth Over Tribe. Can I just say this? The world is… Continue reading American politics, neighbors, and enemies
A word from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Why congregations need to show grace to their leaders. Satan and his demons will do anything to silence the Church. When external persecution is impractical for whatever reason, they exploit human frailties within individual churches. Leaders, especially pastors and priests, find themselves in complex moral, social, and cultural battles on a regular basis. The Church… Continue reading Show yourself beautiful
Defaulting to Grace is going to be a book! To celebrate, I've decided to share bonus content to subscribers only. You may already follow me through WordPress, but I invite you to subscribe (free), too. As a subscriber, you'll be first to know about the publication process and timeline along with some sneak peeks at… Continue reading Subscribe for bonus content
Defaulting to Grace 