Grace for New Life

At the core of our being, all of us are following someone. But who are we trusting to lead us well? Our default answer is that we trust ourselves, yet that was not how God designed us to live, and that becomes evident when we lead ourselves into a disaster. Those disasters are opportunities for us to learn and look for a better leader. We need look no further than Jesus, for he is the best person...

Feeling lonely is not unusual, but sometimes it feels like that's all there is. Jesus has something more for us: a life where we are created and gifted to be part of something much bigger than ourselves, where our unity is not based on sameness, but on our common connection to our Lord. Together we can do far more than any of us can do on our own. This new life is what we were made for. It&ap...

Memories are often a source of comfort or encouragement to us, but they are more important than we realize. They can even direct our decisions and actions. Jesus is calling us to remember that he suffered, died and rose again for that memory helps us see our life in a new way: we are new creation people living in a hidden new creation world. Keeping that Good News at the top of our memory pile wil...

Surprise parties can be great because they reveal unexpected affirmations of love which fill us with joy. Can we live our lives based on such surprises? During the days before and after his journey to the cross, Jesus surprised people with unexpected revelations that he was our Messiah, Redeemer and Savior. Perhaps most surprising of all, he has chosen each of us to be a beloved, forgiven child of...

Our tendency to be selfish is fed by a hard-wired desire for glory. But Jesus gives us new life as a beloved, forgiven child of God and helps us to become the person he always meant us to be. Then we live in the glory of who we really are in Jesus, and we are content. (Based on John 12:20-36.)

We live in a time of strong opinions. But are opinions all that is, or is there such a thing as absolute reality? If there is, how can we see and live in that reality? With the new birth we have from Jesus, we are able to live a new life in which we can see things as they really are. With Jesus’ love filling our heart, we reflect his life-giving love out into the world around us and we have hope f...

From time to time, what’s in our soul spills out before others. It can be embarrassing when that happens. Of greater concern is the fact that our soul is always transparent before God. So how messy is your soul and how can a messy soul be cleaned up? Jesus will do that for us. As we trust him to do that, he transforms us into holy temples of God that reflect his life-giving love into the world aro...

It is natural for us to think that we can approach God and live a good life by doing the right things. But God knows that that approach will never work. Instead, he offers us the free gift of new life through faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. Repentance is an important part of our new life with Jesus because repentance is what clears away the soul garbage that prevents us from receiving the fullness...

It is hard when things that we intend for good turn out to be terrible. But Jesus is the Messiah who came to redeem us lost and broken sinners and bring us into God’s kingdom. Loved and encouraged by Jesus in the midst of our emptiness and suffering, we become more like him. Enlivened and directed by him, we step into the opportunities he gives us to love and encourage others who suffer. (Based on...

Relationships can be tricky to navigate. But with the new identity that Jesus has given us, and with the love that he pours into our heart, we are able to love others selflessly & sacrificially so they may have the greatest gift of all: a living relationship with the loving God. (Based on Colossians 3:18-4:6.)

Our focus directs how we live and shapes our future destiny. What do you focus on? Because we have been given new life with Jesus, we focus on the good things of God and intentionally live them out so we may better reflect God’s love into our broken and hurting world. (Based on Col. 3:1-17.)

It is easy for us to get taken in by counterfeits which promise the real thing but prove to be false. Jesus is the real deal. In him, we have both the fullness of God and our forgiveness. Therefore, we turn away from deceptive philosophies and human rules, and live with unforced rhythms of grace, where we are rooted in Jesus, strengthened in faith and overflowing with thankfulness. (Based on Col....

What is God really like and what difference does God make in our lives? To answer that question, all we need to do is look at Jesus because he shows us what God is really like. He is the author of our creation and the architect of our re-creation. Forgiven and free, we dedicate the new life Jesus has given us to sharing his Good News of healing and hope with others. (Based on Col. 1:15-29.)

How does one live a life that is fruitful? In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, we see that faith in Jesus Christ produces fruit from our lives that will last forever. As we believe in the message about our ultimate Rescuer, Jesus, he transforms our lives and produces fruit like faith, hope, and love in our lives. So we follow Jesus to become like him and we show others how to do the same. (Based o...

We don’t get a choice about whether to suffer losses or not in this life. But how can we make something positive happen from our life when much has been taken away from us? God the Son saw that humanity’s need for salvation was so great that he wrapped Himself in human flesh and suffered in order to save us. With the new life Jesus gives us, we can look for human needs around us and give to others...

Humans usually think of themselves as being right, good and true, and we like to think that God would agree. But how do we know what God thinks of us? The Bible tells us that God delights over us and Jesus is the One who makes that happen. (Based on Isa. 61:10 - 62:5 & Luke 2:22-40.)

We don't like to admit that we might need to be rescued because that would be admitting that we are helpless. We are afraid of the hopelessness that would result if our needed rescue didn't come. But God is a faithful rescuer, and with the rescue He has given us through Jesus, we can live our lives with confident faith. (Based on Isa. 43:1-13 & Luke 1:26-38.)

The Good News from heaven first told to shepherds resonates down through the ages: "Do not be afraid… Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord." Jesus moved into the neighborhood to be with you because He loves you! (Based on Isaiah 9:1-7 & Luke 2:1-20.)

A judgment that things need to change is often the first step toward making things right. God’s judgment is that we are lost and broken without Him. But God has also paid the cost to make us right. Jesus moved into our neighborhood and paid the cost for us to have healing and hope forever! (Based on Ps. 98:4-9, Isa. 61:1-4, 8-11 & Luke 1:39-56.)

Receiving comfort when we grieve has become much more difficult because of Covid. But when we consider the various kinds of grief and God’s comfort for each kind, then we are better able to receive the comfort He gives us through Jesus. With the comfort we have from Jesus, we can share that comfort with others. (Based on Ps. 100:1-5, Isa. 40:1-11 & Mark 1:1-15.)

If we have ever wondered if this world is broken, the Covid-19 pandemic should remove all doubt. But how do we live a life of significance as a broken person in a broken world? We fix our eyes on Jesus, for He has not only started the process of restoring us and all creation, He will give us strength to endure until that process is complete. (Based on Psalm 23:1-6, Isaiah 40:21-31 & John 3:1-1...

This pandemic is an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on what is really important. While this world values power, Jesus has shown us that choosing to be powerless before God is the way of faith, hope and love. Through His own powerlessness, Jesus began the process of gathering people into life with God now and forever life with Him in the new heaven and earth to come. (Based on Ps. 46:1-7, I...

When we are small children, if we have good parents, it is easy to believe that all things are possible. But as we grow older, life begins to box us in and we become small people living small lives. But the risen Jesus gives us peace, the Holy Spirit and faith, and sends us into the world to carry His love and peace to the broken & hurting people around us. (Based on Rev. 7:9-17 & John 20:...

Changing our habits can be a good thing, but it’s the brokenness in our heart that really need to be addressed. Thankfully, Jesus loves us with unconditional, infinite love, and as we remain in His love, He helps us to heal and bring healing to others. (Based on 1 John 4:7-21 & John 15:1-17.)

As we follow Jesus, we might reflect on how our life with Jesus begins or what it will be like in the future, but less so on our life with Jesus now. How can we have hope as we live as broken people in a broken world? The hope that Jesus gives us for now and forever comes out of the shared life that we live with Him. (Based on Gal. 2:11-21 & John 14:15-27.)