Transformed By Grace

In Acts 13, the Apostle Paul is on his first apostolic journey, during which he faithfully and boldly proclaimed God’s Word primarily to the nations. In our lives and ministries, we, too, need to bring the truth of the Word of God to both unbelievers and believers. Here, in the first of two episodes that chronicle Paul’s visit to Antioch of Pisidia in Asia Minor, however, the apostle starts off pr...

The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 5:1-5 about the wonderful benefits of being justified by faith, namely that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And we can also glory in our tribulations, which ultimately strengthens a hope that does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the indwelling Holy Spirit. These truths provide deep comfort—our pas...

In Isaiah 26:3-4, God promises to keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on Him because he trusts in Him. This complete, abiding peace comes from leaning on the Lord Jehovah, Who is our everlasting strength. Jesus Christ personally gives believers His own peace—not the fragile, circumstance-dependent peace the world offers—as seen when He slept peacefully in the storm and then calmed i...

The psalmist of Psalm 46 proclaims that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” so His people need not fear even under the most catastrophic circumstances. This psalm contrasts the chaos and raging of the nations during the time of Tribulation judgment with the glorious hope of the Millennial Kingdom. Concluding with God’s command to “Be still, and know that I am God”—as...

In Psalm 27:1-6, David declares with bold confidence that even when the wicked attack or an army encamps against him, his heart does not fear because he trusts in God’s protection and past deliverances. David’s singular desire is to dwell in the house of the Lord all his days, where in times of trouble, the Lord hides David in the secret place of His tabernacle, and sets him high upon a rock, abov...

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, gives thanks to God for the Thessalonian believers, whom He chose from the beginning to salvation, through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth of the gospel of grace. This salvation leads to obtaining the glory of Christ at the Rapture, which is why Paul urges them to stand fast and hold to his teachings they received by word or ep...

In Romans 8:31-39, the Apostle Paul powerfully affirms that “If God be for us, who can be against us?”—that with His own Son being delivered up for us all, God will freely give us all things. No one can successfully accuse or condemn believers because God has justified us and Christ sits at the Father’s right hand, interceding for us. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ—not tribulation...

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, chooses to boast not in receiving revelations or in his accomplishments, but rather in his weaknesses. To keep him humble, God allowed a painful “thorn in the flesh,” and after Paul pleaded three times for its removal, the Lord answered, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul learned to gladly glory in his di...

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-11, the Apostle Paul praises God as the Father of mercies, Who comforts believers in all their tribulations so they, in turn, can comfort others. Paul illustrates this through his own sufferings, explaining that as they increase, God’s consolation through Christ abounds, enabling endurance and mutual encouragement within the Body of Christ. The apostle came to trust that the G...

In this message, we focus on John Mark, who grew up in a godly home in Jerusalem and later joined the Apostle Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. But when the going got tough, Mark became discouraged and abandoned the mission, returning home. Though his failure caused sharp conflict between Paul and Barnabas, Barnabas gave Mark another chance, and over time he matured into a faith...

Continuing our teaching on Philemon, the Apostle Paul appeals to his brother in Christ with grace, gently urging him to forgive and fully receive his runaway slave Onesimus, who has now become a believer through Paul’s ministry. He explains that Onesimus has been transformed by God’s grace and asks Philemon to welcome him not merely as a servant but as a “brother beloved.” Paul even offers to pay...

The Book of Philemon is about forgiveness and grace being shown to one who did not deserve to be pardoned. In this study, we’re introduced to Onesimus, a slave in Philemon’s household who ran away—likely after stealing from him—and fled over 1,200 miles to Rome. But, while there, in God’s providence, Onesimus encountered the Apostle Paul, heard the gospel, and was saved, becoming Paul’s spiritual...

Elijah, fresh off his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal, was suddenly overwhelmed by fear when King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, threatened his life, causing him to flee over a hundred miles into the wilderness. This lesson on 1 Kings 19 shows how the exhausted and discouraged prophet asked God to take his life—the Lord, however, responded not with rebuke, but with rest, food, and gentle care. A...

The gospel saves anyone who believes, regardless of what you’ve done or become. No person is beyond the reach of God’s grace or His power to save—we gain a home in heaven by faith. This episode explores the Lord’s parable of the prodigal son, who demands his inheritance early, leaves home, and wastes everything in sinful, reckless living. Hitting rock bottom, he decides to return home in humility,...

For those who run away from the Lord, like Jonah, it’s easy to get off the right path, and the road back can be difficult and painful. In this message, Jonah’s downward spiral continues, as he sinks from ship to sea to the belly of a great fish, where he finally turns back to God in prayer. God delivers and recommissions him, and Jonah reluctantly preaches in Nineveh, where an astonishing city wid...

In Romans 8:31-39, the Apostle Paul powerfully affirms that “If God be for us, who can be against us?”—that with His own Son being delivered up for us all, God will freely give us all things. No one can successfully … Continue reading →

In this series-opening teaching, we see that Jonah receives a clear command from God to go preach to Nineveh, but because he despises the Assyrians, he runs the opposite direction. His attempt to flee “from the presence of the LORD” leads him onto a ship and God hurls a violent storm that terrifies the sailors while Jonah sleeps below deck. Jonah admits to them that he is running from the God, so...

On the day when Haman’s genocidal decree was to be executed, we see in this episode the effects of Mordecai’s counter-decree, which empowered the Jews across the provinces to assemble, defend themselves, and strike down their attackers. The Jews killed 75,000 enemies empire-wide, including Haman’s ten sons, who were publicly impaled, at Queen Esther’s request, to serve as a warning. Over the next...

This episode begins on the day of Haman’s execution, during which King Ahasuerus also rewards Queen Esther with Haman’s entire estate and promotes Mordecai to chief officer by giving him the same royal signet ring that Haman once used to seal the Jews’ death decree. Although the king is unable to reverse Haman’s irrevocable edict, at Esther’s tearful plea, he authorizes Mordecai to write a counter...

In this episode, the scene opens at Queen Esther’s second banquet, where she courageously reveals to King Ahasuerus that she and her Jewish people have been “sold” to be slain and destroyed (echoing Haman’s own decree), pleading for their lives, while also subtly noting the annihilation of the Jews would result in financial loss to the empire. Enraged, the king demands to know the culprit, and Est...

This episode opens as a sleepless King Ahasuerus has the royal chronicles read and discovers that Mordecai had exposed an assassination plot five years earlier yet received no reward; at that exact moment, Haman arrives to request Mordecai’s execution. The king instead asks Haman what should be done to recognize the man the king delights to honor. Assuming it is himself, Haman suggests the royal t...

The Apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, chooses to boast not in receiving revelations or in his accomplishments, but rather in his weaknesses. To keep him humble, God allowed a painful “thorn in the flesh,” and after Paul pleaded three … Continue reading →

In this episode, we see how Queen Esther courageously stands uninvited in the inner court of the palace; when King Ahasuerus sees her, he extends the golden scepter, which spares her life. Esther calmly invites him and Haman to a banquet that very day, at which she promises to disclose her petition at a second banquet with them both the following day, building suspense while God’s providence works...

This episode details Mordecai’s public mourning, after learning of Haman’s irreversible decree to annihilate every Jew throughout the provinces. Queen Esther becomes alarmed at Mordecai’s grief and later learns of Haman’s evil plot. Mordecai urges Esther to approach the king and plead for her people, and warns that silence will not exempt her. Esther responds with resolve: she will go and make her...

Following Queen Esther’s coronation and Mordecai’s saving of King Ahasuerus, in this episode we discover the unexpected promotion of Haman to the highest office in Persia, which brings about the command for all officials to bow and give him divine-level reverence. Mordecai, a faithful Jew and magistrate, refuses on religious grounds, enraging Haman, who learns he is Jewish and plots to annihilate...