The Fruit Of The Spirit: A Prologue to Discipleship

The warfare between what Paul describes as “the flesh” and the Holy Spirit is an unremitting struggle. For believers in Jesus, and in this life, there can be no escape from the need to depend on God’s grace. The difficulty of life now weighs upon us, but, as we learn in this passage, a remarkable and heavenly “fruit of the Spirit” grows in our embattled hearts that transforms our daily lives.  As we believe and follow Jesus, we are not only cultivating the fruit Paul mentions here, but in this fruit we are experiencing Jesus’ own character. Here and now we can taste what it means to belong to Him, to be changed by Him, and thereby gain the encouragement and assurance we need to continue in the struggle, not only for our own joy and happiness, but for the sake of others, too

The Fruit Of The Spirit: Fighting For Your Life

Do you ever feel like there’s someone you’re supposed to be, but you can never quite become that person? Why is that? And is there any hope of ever becoming that person? There is. This passage shows us how.

Letters Of John: From Strangers to Siblings

It’s common to think of Christianity as a colonialist instrument of oppression. But what if the gospel is the only thing in the world that can truly bring different cultures, nations, and people together in a unifying love that transforms the world?

Letters Of John: Truth and Love

We all long for love. We also long for truth. But is it possible to have both truth and love? Is it possible to love one another across our differences? And if so, can a letter like this possibly help us?

Letters Of John: The New Birth

What does it mean to be born again? The term originates with Jesus, and it’s everywhere in the New Testament. But what does it mean, and why is it so important? This passage shows us. 

Letters Of John: Testimony to Jesus

We all experience moments of both doubt and belief, and we all experience moments of longing. But we wonder, “How can I trust anything, especially about spiritual reality?” In this passage, John helps us with our questions and our longings by pointing us to a testimony we can trust.

Letters Of John: Overcoming the World

What if following Jesus in everything he said, especially the hardest things, is the way to a peace, a joy, and a fullness that nothing in this world can offer? That’s a big what if. But this passage shows us how. 

Letters of John: God Is Love

Modern people struggle with the question: How can God be both a God of love and a God of judgment? This passage shows us that the presence of judgment doesn’t contradict love. The presence of judgment gives us a far deeper love.

Letters Of John: Test the Spirits

Why do Christians have to say that Jesus is the only way to God? As problematic as that sounds, it raises the deeper question of the nature of spiritual reality. This is a question that matters for all of us. This passage shows us why.

Letters Of John: True Love

The Bible emphasizes the centrality of love in the life of the Christian. This passage challenges both the church and secular notions of love and justice. But it’s a challenge we need. 

Letters Of John: Beholding Jesus

What is the good life? Where do we see it, and how can we really live it? In this passage, the apostle John says it all comes down to getting our vision. How are we seeing reality? 

Letters Of John: Knowing The Real Jesus

Our culture says real spirituality is not intellectual, it’s experiential. Christianity says that’s a false dichotomy. This passage shows us that knowing Jesus is something that happens with our whole being and transforms our whole being.

Letters Of John: Hope For Our Journey

In this troubled world we need both encouragement and guidance.  The Apostle John strengthens us as he reminds us of the Lord's work in our lives. He also warns us of the danger that comes when we set our hearts on the systems of this world that are disordered and destructive.  He invites us to live differently, as dearly loved children, in light of what will truly last. 

Letters Of John: Knowing God

In a world full of upheaval, we need something to anchor us. The apostle John wrote three letters to the early church to help them find the anchor they needed in Jesus. And these letters can help us, too. 

The Big Story: The New Creation

We’re experiencing a crisis of hope in our culture. The Bible is not the only story that offers some kind of hope. But the hope it offers is unique from every other story.

The Big Story: The New Humanity

Church doesn’t feel like an option for many people. And yet, none of the spiritual options our culture offers us are capable of satisfying our spiritual longings. What do we do with that? This passage helps us.

The Big Story: The New Life

The resurrection of Jesus Christ isn’t just a metaphor. It’s a historical reality that can change your life and the world. How? This amazing passage shows us.

The Big Story: The Second Garden

In the first garden Adam and Eve by their actions said to God, in effect, Not what You will but what we will and brought upon all humanity a reign of sin and death. In Gethsemane, the second garden, Jesus prays Not what I will but what You will, reversing the pattern of rebellion and setting in motion a sequence of events to defeat death itself!

The Big Story: The New Passover

Whatever story you believe about the world shapes the way you live in the world. Jesus’ death on the cross gives us a new story to shape our lives in this world.

The Big Story: The New Wilderness

Even though we live in a morally relativistic culture, the problem of evil is still a problem. What do we do with that? Does God have a solution? The wilderness temptation of Jesus shows us.