Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
An approach to grace through the wisdom of James It has been a long week since the Supreme Court struck down the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Responses included protests and threats, fear and anxiety, joy and exultation, determination and delight-- both within the Church and in the broader secular culture. Extreme reactions to national… Continue reading Grace when courts decide
How Noah responded to the grace of the Lord and what that means for us GRACE: charitos (χάριτος) Charis (Χάρις) appears more than 150 times in the Bible, mostly in the letters written by Paul. The first usage of the concept, however, is not for first-century Christians, but for pre-Abrahamic Noah (Genesis 6:8) when the… Continue reading Grace and Gopher wood
I can do all things through him who strengthens me. "I can do hard things" is the current cultural parallel to this verse and is the meaning many cultural Christians intend when they call on it as inspiration to achieve something. But Paul was not advocating that believers be like the "Little Train that Could," approaching… Continue reading Philippians 4:13
MISUNDERSTOOD VERSES #4 Upon first read, this one seems to promise that if parents check all the right boxes for raising happy, productive, and godly offspring, then by golly, it's a sure-fired guarantee that their adult children will be pillars of Christian society. No pressure. This verse turns into ammunition for judgement. Christian parent with… Continue reading Proverbs 22:6
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
There is a tree on one of my running paths that I just love. A large branch covers the boardwalk and every year it gets just a little lower, a little heavier, and a little broader. I have dozens of pictures as the tree transforms through all four seasons. It is a little different every… Continue reading The Transformational nature of grace
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through… Continue reading Love, grace, and testimony
Thoughts about Advent and Incarnation Part one The coming of the Promise. Fulfillment of prophecy in a mystery of yes and not yet. A baby born of a virgin on a not-so-silent night who grew up and changed the world, even to the marking of the calendar days. BC (before Christ) and AD (anno Domini)… Continue reading The Greatest Grace
Real talk here. Total transparency. I am writing about the need for grace, but I'm not always good about extending it. Fast food chaos When I'm not writing I work at a fast food restaurant. It's a perfect side gig: I love my teammates, the managers are fantastic (and patient), the hours are flexible, and… Continue reading Let’s talk about grace in real life
I heard a song for the first time the other day and was moved by the message and the music. I appreciated the nod to old familiar hymns woven through. Mostly, though, I was struck by the focus on the blood of Jesus as the master key of salvation. We don't sing about the blood… Continue reading Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Defaulting to Grace 