Grace, Grace… Now Get to Work?

Paul wrote Ephesians from prison. Seems fitting when you consider the overarching tone of the letter… Chapters 1-3 read like chains falling off and prison doors swinging wide open by the power of scandalous, justifying grace. Chapters 4-6 read like they are describing how to enjoy your newfound freedom, glorifying the One who freed you by empowering, sanctifying grace. This letter is about how we are rescued, renewed and reformed by the Father’s grace in Christ, by the Spirit. The only way to understand the chapters and verses in this letter, is to read them in light of the gracious […]

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We Don’t Meet God Halfway

  I’m not the handiest guy in the world. I worked in construction for a few years as a teenager and the guys I worked with called my hammer the “quarter pounder” because I hit the nail 1 in 4 swings. I’ll be here all week, folks. One thing that I never enjoyed was climbing ladders. They just seemed like death traps to me. I know there are manly men who will grow a full-blown beard in the time it takes to read this blog who laugh in the face of tall ladders, but I’m not that guy. I avoided […]

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What Does A Prayer of Faith Sound Like?

We can’t relate to when Jesus obeyed God’s law perfectlyor healed miraculously, but we can relate to how it feels to be overwhelmed, depressed and have deep unrest in our souls – which is what He felt in the Garden of Gethsemane. He sweat great drops of blood in intense anxiety as He pondered the horrifying suffering that He would endure on a Roman cross – for us. In that dark and lonely place, Jesus prayed a prayer of faith. What did Jesus’ prayer of faith sound like? [Matthew 26:30-46] Jesus first prayer was “If it is possible.” Verse 39 […]

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Just do it!

I am currently working our young church plant through Mathew’s gospel at KW Redeemer in a Christ Alone Series. As I worked through the gospel a few times to plan the series, I realized it’s going to take me 21 weeks. A few Sundays ago we tackled the famous Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is looking for a response to His sermon, but it’s not the one you’d think. If you were on the hill that day when Jesus wrapped things up and you said “Hey Jesus, thanks for the Torah recap. I’ll do it,” you would have actually missed […]

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White Belts

A number of years ago, I took a karate class with my kids for fun. One day my class was sparring and the sensei walked onto the mat in between matches. Since we were on a break, one of the instructors shouted jokingly, “Who wants to spar sensei?” I volunteered. I figured it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to attempt to land a punch on a black belt who was morally obligated not to kill me. I thought it would be a great experience. Well, it was an experience alright. I threw a punch and before my fist […]

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