GraceLife Sarasota

Suddenly life in Egypt had become insecure, uncertain, and people wanted to know what God was saying. It’s interesting—if life in Egypt contained no tragedy or threat of it, I wonder how often we would be willing to hear from God. Right after 9/11, I remember people who had shown no appetite for spiritual truth in decades suddenly leaning in. They asked, “Was this predicted in Revelation?” “Is God...

(I know—we’ve been dragging this part of the story out. “Get to the good part, Joe!” But there’s so much here we need to learn.) For the most part, I hate waiting. Waiting is simply not getting what I want because something or someone is slowing it down. Ask my wife how I react when people who arrived after us get their dinner before we do. Clearly the kitchen has lost our order. They’ve forgotten...

(I know—we’ve been dragging this part of the story out. “Get to the good part, Joe!” But there’s so much here we need to learn.) For the most part, I hate waiting. Waiting is simply not getting what I want because something or someone is slowing it down. Ask my wife how I react when people who arrived after us get their dinner before we do. Clearly the kitchen has lost our order. They’ve forgotten...

Every human being since creation has searched for spiritual truth. It’s woven into the core of the human experience. And Egypt—our world—has plenty of answers to offer when the stakes are low. But when the stakes are high, when life collapses, when the questions cut deep, Egypt’s answers fall apart. Often, we don’t recognize our desperate need for spiritual truth—or Egypt’s inability to provide it...

Every human being since creation has searched for spiritual truth. It’s woven into the core of the human experience. And Egypt—our world—has plenty of answers to offer when the stakes are low. But when the stakes are high, when life collapses, when the questions cut deep, Egypt’s answers fall apart. Often, we don’t recognize our desperate need for spiritual truth—or Egypt’s inability to provide it...

Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Like no matter what you do, nothing works out? Even when it finally looks like things are turning around—when you think, “Okay, I can see God’s plan coming together”—suddenly it all falls apart again. Moments like that expose something we don’t like to admit; we carry certain earthly expectations of what God should do in response to our faithfulness. We’d never...

Have you ever felt abandoned by God? Like no matter what you do, nothing works out? Even when it finally looks like things are turning around—when you think, “Okay, I can see God’s plan coming together”—suddenly it all falls apart again. Moments like that expose something we don’t like to admit; we carry certain earthly expectations of what God should do in response to our faithfulness. We’d never...

They say everyone dreams—some people remember them, some don’t. Some dreams are frightening, some bizarre, some pleasant. Science tells us dreams help us process reality, symbolically working through our fears, desires, and experiences. But in Joseph’s time, every culture viewed dreams as a direct connection to the supernatural. They were considered gifts from the gods, glimpses into the future, a...

They say everyone dreams—some people remember them, some don’t. Some dreams are frightening, some bizarre, some pleasant. Science tells us dreams help us process reality, symbolically working through our fears, desires, and experiences. But in Joseph’s time, every culture viewed dreams as a direct connection to the supernatural. They were considered gifts from the gods, glimpses into the future, a...

An Easter message about how Resurrection power enables Heavenly Dad adopts us as His children even while we are dead in sins

An Easter message about how Resurrection power enables Heavenly Dad adopts us as His children even while we are dead in sins

How good are we, really, at experiencing God’s presence? How would you define His love and faithfulness? What are the moments that make you say, “Ah, there’s God,” or “I can really feel His presence”? Is it a powerful worship set? Landing the job you prayed for? A vacation in the mountains? A holiday surrounded by family? A peaceful morning with Scripture and a designer cup of coffee? Those moment...

How good are we, really, at experiencing God’s presence? How would you define His love and faithfulness? What are the moments that make you say, “Ah, there’s God,” or “I can really feel His presence”? Is it a powerful worship set? Landing the job you prayed for? A vacation in the mountains? A holiday surrounded by family? A peaceful morning with Scripture and a designer cup of coffee? Those moment...

What motivates us to be obedient? In a world designed to cultivate disobedience, where is the incentive supposed to come from? If we’re honest, most of us live with an expectation—sometimes overt, sometimes buried deep—that God will bless us for our obedience. Centuries of bad theology have trained us to believe that obedience guarantees earthly reward. And without realizing it, those expectations...

What motivates us to be obedient? In a world designed to cultivate disobedience, where is the incentive supposed to come from? If we’re honest, most of us live with an expectation—sometimes overt, sometimes buried deep—that God will bless us for our obedience. Centuries of bad theology have trained us to believe that obedience guarantees earthly reward. And without realizing it, those expectations...

Temptation is the one area every Christian wishes they could finally master. It feels like one of the hardest parts of surviving in Egypt. We tell ourselves that if we could just learn to resist temptation consistently, life would be so much easier. Maybe if we work hard enough, we’ll eventually reach some higher level of spiritual maturity—some “more than conquerors” status—where temptation barel...

Temptation is the one area every Christian wishes they could finally master. It feels like one of the hardest parts of surviving in Egypt. We tell ourselves that if we could just learn to resist temptation consistently, life would be so much easier. Maybe if we work hard enough, we’ll eventually reach some higher level of spiritual maturity—some “more than conquerors” status—where temptation barel...

The first four weeks of our Joseph series focused on the dysfunction of humanity, how deeply broken we are, how easily sin takes root, and how far the ripple effects can reach. But this next section turns a corner. Now we look at God’s grace in the lives of those He loves. Many people live paralyzed for years because their eyes are fixed on their circumstances and the unknown. We carry guilt over...

The first four weeks of our Joseph series focused on the dysfunction of humanity, how deeply broken we are, how easily sin takes root, and how far the ripple effects can reach. But this next section turns a corner. Now we look at God’s grace in the lives of those He loves. Many people live paralyzed for years because their eyes are fixed on their circumstances and the unknown. We carry guilt over...

Parents live with a constant awareness of the world’s influence on our children. We work overtime trying to protect them, from choosing schools carefully, policing the internet, monitoring what they watch, paying attention to their friends. All of that is part of being a good parent, and it matters. But sooner or later, we all realize the same truth: despite our best efforts, the world eventually...

Parents live with a constant awareness of the world’s influence on our children. We work overtime trying to protect them, from choosing schools carefully, policing the internet, monitoring what they watch, paying attention to their friends. All of that is part of being a good parent, and it matters. But sooner or later, we all realize the same truth: despite our best efforts, the world eventually...

Have you ever been surprised by how comfortable we become with sin and dysfunction in our lives? It’s like going to a great restaurant and being perfectly fine sitting at the worst table in the place. Last year we went somewhere and they sat us so close to the bathroom we could hear everything, people coming and going, the sounds, the whole experience. And somehow… we just stayed there. That’s how...

Have you ever been surprised by how comfortable we become with sin and dysfunction in our lives? It’s like going to a great restaurant and being perfectly fine sitting at the worst table in the place. Last year we went somewhere and they sat us so close to the bathroom we could hear everything, people coming and going, the sounds, the whole experience. And somehow… we just stayed there. That’s how...

Some of the most difficult, painful moments in life are the ones where we’re betrayed by the people closest to us. We instinctively view betrayers with contempt, and we naturally empathize with the betrayed far more than the ones doing the betraying. Jesus Himself experienced this pain with both Peter and Judas. We comfort ourselves by casting betrayers as villains, shaking our heads at their choi...

Some of the most difficult, painful moments in life are the ones where we’re betrayed by the people closest to us. We instinctively view betrayers with contempt, and we naturally empathize with the betrayed far more than the ones doing the betraying. Jesus Himself experienced this pain with both Peter and Judas. We comfort ourselves by casting betrayers as villains, shaking our heads at their choi...