Grace for New Life

Sometimes the Christian faith is characterized as a set of propositions that people need to agree with if they want to go to heaven. But this is inaccurate. The key feature of Christianity is a relationship of love with a God who redeems, transforms, and reorientates our life so that we become new people living in a new way in a new realm. (Based on M. 25:14-30.)

The brokenness and evil in the world can overwhelm us, especially when it impacts us on a personal level. But the Lord has promised us that a day will come when he will make all things right, including us. Therefore, based on the Lord's goodness and his promises to us, we move forward with confident hope. (Based on Micah 7:8-10.)

Sometimes we observe situations where non-Christians behave like Christians while Christians are functioning like they have no faith at all, and we are perplexed. Why does that happen? A softness toward the spiritual side of life is needed for us to be open to the movement of God, and God softens our hearts through faith. (Based on Jonah 1:1-3.)

By default, a human heart is filled with pride and places itself at the center of its universe with all else revolving around it. When a life, with its perspective and priorities, is disordered like this, it will eventually implode. It is far better to see the desolation of our life apart from God, look to him in faith, and let him build us up in a new life that is good, beautiful and true. (Based...

Rae-Anna H was part of WGLC before moving to Japan (Osaka) as a missionary. Her focus is discipleship in the area of purity among Christian singles - discovering God's heart regarding sexuality, how to walk in His ways, and how to support singles in their desire to honor God with their sexuality. She will be sharing on the topic of "Discipleship Lifestyle".  

In ancient times, people would cover themselves in ashes when grieving the loss of a loved one or a calamitous change in their circumstances. But our gracious God promises to replace the ashes of our grief with a crown of beauty, a miraculous turnaround that happens because of Jesus and what he does for us. It’s faith in Jesus that we are celebrating today as one of our own confirms that the faith...

The lives of the rich and famous are the ones that get attention and admiration, and are imitated by the masses who consider their ordinary lives as dull and worthless. But Jesus' presence in the world proves that God has infused the ordinary with the extraordinary and, with him, the ordinary rhythms of life take on eternal significance. (Based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-4.)

Being able to retain information is knowledge, but knowing how to use knowledge well is wisdom. But which of the many sources of wisdom will we trust? As people of faith, we look to the Lord for the wisdom we need, for he has proven the trustworthiness of his wisdom through his love for us. (Based on Proverbs 3:1-18.)

Two people can receive the same gift, yet one is thankful, and the other is not. Why? The thankful person appreciates the gift and the giver because they know that things could have been otherwise. Life in this world with God is a gift, but how will we respond to that gift? Let's remember that things could have been otherwise and recognize the greatness of the gift and the Giver. (Based on Ps...

The biblical image of a shepherd and their sheep is a powerful metaphor for the God-human relationship. We are weak, defenseless, and prone to go astray, yet our Lord faithfully provides, protects, and blesses us. Trust and love bind us together in a relationship that rests on the Shepherd's faithful lovingkindness. (Based on Psalm 23 & John 10:11-18.)

As we live our lives in this world, it can be hard for us to believe that an invisible spiritual realm exists and has an impact on our lives. It takes Spirit-empowered faith to believe and see this. Thankfully, God gives us the Holy Spirit and faith so we can live in the fullness of life--with both our body and soul--that God has for us. (Based on Job 42:1-6, 10-17 & Acts 2:1-21.)

When a problem arises, our first response is to deal with the surface issue, but often there is a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. When they are identified, these deeper issues can be very challenging because attempting to solve them requires us to take risks or make sacrifices that we would not normally do. Only with faith in God can we take our place in the solution he has for this situa...

Sometimes we face challenging opposition as we do what God calls us to do. Ideally it would be otherwise, but we don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a broken, hurting world where evil strives to counter the good things God wants to accomplish in the world. But our faithful God is greater than evil, and he will provide the direction, discernment and strength we need to persevere for goodness i...

It is common for us to have our heart pulled in two different directions by the various things and people we love. But having a divided heart will prevent us from giving our lives fully to God and living the wholehearted life that he wants to give to us. Thankfully, God heals and strengthens our divided hearts through the gracious generosity of his love. (Based on 1 Chronicles 29:10-20.)

In the deepest, darkest moments of life, we always need to choose whether we are going to live by faith in God or by faith in ourselves? It is important that we choose to live by faith in God for that is our only hope for the better future that we seek, and the turnaround to that better future can sometimes happen very quickly. God has done this throughout human history, most clearly in the resurr...

When the destructive power of evil attacks and leaves us in desolation, it is easy for us to become discouraged and disconsolate. But God never lost hope for us and for his creation. God the Son, Jesus Christ, entered into our desolation and made it his to give us new life with a new purpose as one of his people in this world. Therefore we have hope. (Based on 1 Kings 19:1-18.)

We think, speak, and act in the short-term reality of the present, yet our life spans years of human history and leaves an impact that is eternal. What view should we take as we live our lives? A short-term view of the world can result in momentary happiness or dismay. But a long-term view of God at work in human history reveals that he has been at work for centuries preparing for our salvation an...

We humans tend to assess a person’s suitability for greater things based on their appearance. God does not. Instead he looks at our heart. And God is not looking for perfection or performance. It’s our brokenness and frailty that qualifies us for God’s grace and acceptance.  (Based on 1 Samuel 16:1-13.)

Loss and disappointment can leave us feeling empty with no hope of every being filled again in sight. Helpless and hopeless, we need someone to come and  bless us with lovingkindness, redeem us from our desperate situation, and restore us to fullness. And the Good News is that we have Someone who will do this for us, the ultimate Redeemer, Jesus. (Based on the Book of Ruth.)

Facing a great challenge in weakness and inadequacy goes against our nature. Our overwhelming preference is to have strength in advance before we engage. Yet God calls us to live in a different way--by faith and not by sight--trusting in the God who calls us forward to bring us victory through our weakness. (Based on Judges 7:1-8.)

Fear is part of life. There are many things that could be real or imagined threats to us. But we need to face our fears or they will crush us. Where do we find the courage we need to face our fears and live life with confidence? In our Lord God who promised to be with us wherever we go. (Based on Joshua 1:1-11).

Living a self-directed life is like assembling a complex piece of furniture without the instructions. The end product will not be as functional or beautiful as the manufacturer intended. Our affections need to be focused on the epitome of greatness, goodness and love: Yahweh. And when we love him with all our heart, soul and strength, we want to live as he directs us. That's when we experienc...

The ability to feel fear is something that God put in us to help protect us, but he did not intend that it control us. When fear is directing our thoughts, feelings, and actions, it can negatively impact our health and keep us from stepping into the abundant life that God wants to give us. But how do we overcome our fears? By remembering that the Lord is with us. (Based on Num. 14:1-9, 26-35.)

There are times in all our lives when we come up against challenges that are too great for us to handle. We are helpless and it seems like things are hopeless. But then God steps in and rescues us in a surprising way: a defenseless lamb gives up its life to save us and set us free. (Based on Ex. 12:1-13.)

A common misconception about life with God is that everything is awesome once you begin your journey with him. It isn't. In fact, following God can lead you into times that are harder than anything you have ever experienced before. But it is in those hard times that we are drawn deeper into our relationship with God and we are then better prepared to embrace the good things he has for us in t...