Wawasee Bible Podcast

As we begin 2026 we’re looking at some Simple Habits—just three—that will put us “in the channels” (so to speak) of God’s grace. Ordinary paths and places where he regularly pours out his grace. Practicing spiritual habits (spiritual disciplines) is how we stay close to the grace that is already ours in Jesus. We begin this week by seeing that God’s grace does not wait for us to get our act togeth...

One of the reasons Jesus became human was to fulfill a promise God made to David centuries before. He promised him that someone from his lineage would reign on his throne forever as King. Jesus is that King. He became human to take David’s throne as a real king and reign forever.

Jesus didn’t begin to exists at Christmas, he is eternally fully God. At Christmas Jesus added full humanity to his fully deity. He did this (became human like us) to bridge the gap our sin created between us and God and one day bring us home forever.

This Christmas, we’re asking the question, “Why Did God Become Human?” After all, that’s what we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus put on flesh and entered into the brokenness of creation as a human being, adding full humanity to his full deity. One reason he became human was to defeat sin. Jesus, while completely sinless, took on the full weight and punishment of sin for us so that we could go free a...

The miracle of God becoming human is amazing and unique to Christianity. In his incarnation, Jesus added full humanity to his full deity and entered into his creation. Light entered the darkness! It's important to recognize that Jesus is both 100% God and simultaneously 100% human. He doesn't switch between modes, but his two natures are eternally joined in his one person. Theologically this is de...

This Christmas, we’re asking the question, “Why Did God Become Human?” After all, that’s what we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus put on flesh and entered into the brokenness of creation as a human being. He did this in order to identify with us. To identify with our temptations and weaknesses and limitations—though unlike us, Jesus never gave in to temptation and he never sinned. Because of this, he...

One way to think about abiding in Christ is to use the metaphor of "spiritual breathing." When we take in God's Word (reading, study, meditation, memorization) we are "inhaling". Jesus said in John 15:7 to let his words abide in us. Similarly, when we respond to God's Word to us through prayer and worship we're "exhaling". As you approach Thanksgiving, how are you doing at "breathing" spiritually?

Believers are set free from sin’s power through union with Christ and must live in that reality by choosing daily to walk in grace and not return to former patterns of sin.

Grace is more than forgiveness—it's the living, supernatural power of God shaping, transforming, and freeing us when we admit our need for him and actively seek his help. Where sin increases, grace increases all the more and makes us new from the inside out.

In Chapter 5 of Romans, Paul’s focus begins to pivot from our righteousness coming through faith to how we should respond and live in light of that truth. He starts off Romans 5 saying, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith…” marking his shift in focus. We should live with joy, hope, and purpose in light of our justification. Saving faith ignites today’s joy and tomorrow’s hope, turns...

Paul continues using Abraham as an example of someone saved by faith, not works, in Romans 4:13-25. True faith, though not earned by effort, produces obedience—not perfection, but a changed trajectory. Abraham serves as an example of this kind of faith: believing God’s promises despite plenty of reasons for doubt, trusting that God keeps every promise he makes. Because of his faith, righteousness...

Somewhere along the line, people got this crazy idea that salvation is something we can work for or earn. The problem is, that idea distorts both the nature of grace and the nature of our sin. In Romans 4, Paul emphasizes that if salvation came by our efforts, it would make God a debtor rather than a gracious given. Looking at both the examples of Abraham and David, Paul makes the case that perfec...

It can be a shock to realize that "good" people don't make it to heaven... only perfect people do. God's standard is perfection! Jesus says we must be perfect, just as the Father is perfect. That makes every one of us doomed, left on our own. Thankfully, while not one is perfect, and we all fall short—perfect is a gift. God gives "perfect" as a gift for those who will receive it by faith in Jesus....

As continue in Romans, Paul confronts us with the truth that outward strength, religious ritual, and even sound theology collapse without an inwardly transformed heart. God's standard is perfection, not comparison, and neither moral effort nor religious devotion or right doctrine can bridge the gap between sinful humanity and God's holiness. Knowledge and ritual are valuable only when paired with...

As Paul continues in his letter to the Roman church, he moves from the brokenness of culture to the brokenness in every human heart—including our own. The “window” of Romans 1:18-32 is replaced with a mirror in chapter 2. It’s not just about what’s wrong with the world—it’s about what’s wrong with us. If we’re not careful to look in the mirror and repent of our own sin, we can quickly become self-...

As Paul launches into the core of his letter, he spends a good deal of time laying out the human condition. In other words, he unpacks the bad news that makes the good news of the Gospel so incredibly good. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul unloads the way humanity spirals away from God. The pattern is this: they exchange one thing for another, and God gives them over to it. First, they exchange worshiping...

We begin a new series through the New Testament book of Romans. Romans was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to Christians in Rome with hopes of visiting them and partnering with them to extend the Gospel to Spain. Romans is unique among Paul's letters because he'd never been to Rome and had no part in planting the church there. In many ways, Romans was Paul's "missionary introduction letter" t...

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become. This week, we explore the final of the four roles of our "Dream Disciple" at Wawasee. God calls each of us to be a Legacy Builder. It's never too late to build a legacy. The reality is, we all will leave one for good or ill. What unique gifting or exp...

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become. This week, we explore the third of four roles of our "Dream Disciple" at Wawasee. God has sent each of us a Ready Storyteller. God has determined the times and places in which we live, so that we might help others move toward Jesus by "proclaiming the...

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become. This week, we explore the second of four roles of our "Dream Disciple" at Wawasee. God longs for each of us to be a Courageous Connector—to take relational risks, be honest about personal struggles, and foster community with humility and love. Drawing...

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become—and it starts with understanding your identity in Christ as a Secure Son/Daughter. If you're a follower of Jesus, you can live with great security. Living each day increasingly confident in being a loved child of God—resting in grace, not striving to a...

This week Brett Gleason preaches from Matthew 6:9-13. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches that prayer is an intimate yet reverent conversation with God—more about relationship than ritual. The Lord’s Prayer models this balance, beginning with God’s priorities—his name, kingdom, and will—then turning to our needs for provision, forgiveness, and guidance. “Our Father in heaven” holds both his nearness and m...

Pastor Dave preaches the second half of the Great Commandment from Matthew 22:39-40. True treasure isn’t always material—it can be chipped ashtrays or crude crafts kept for love of the maker. Likewise, every person bears God’s signature and is valuable because he created them. Love for others is inseparable from love for God, even when people are hard to like. Agape love goes beyond feelings; it’s...

This week, Pastor Dave Winters preaches from Matthew 22:35-38—the first half of "The Great Commandment". Love is often used casually, but Scripture calls us to its highest form—agape, the unconditional, self-giving love God shows humanity. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind—a love that is personal, exclusive, and rooted in gratitude, not guilt or ritual. It’...

This week our guest is Pastor Knute Larson, who says that no other passage of Scripture helped him with hope as much as Psalm 73. Psalm 73 wrestles with the age-old question of why the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer, ultimately revealing that God’s justice is eternal, not always immediate. True hope comes only through Christ, whose death and resurrection secure our present help and eter...