Taught by Grace

We have varying reactions to different sins. We are angered by some sins, such as rape and abuse. Other sins, like abortion, we are broken over. We are appalled by adultery, murder, and all of those “big sins.” There are, however, some sins that we either don’t see as that bad or sinful at all. We so frequently engage in them that we have forgotten their true nature. And so many people do as well,...

Pure religion is the antithesis to the vain religion of this world. James 1:26-27 shows us that there is such a thing as pure religion and we must pursue it. Let me give you the bottom line up front - vain religion is concerned about appearance before men, but pure religion is concerned about appearance before God. Whether or not your religion is pure will be determined by whether or not you live...

The path to practical Christianity is guided by the light of God’s Word. If you want to live as God desires for you to live, you don’t need to seek out a special revelation, hear a voice from heaven, or have a tv preacher tell you what God’s will is. Instead, you simply need to live in obedience to the truth of God’s Word. You will never live as a believer should live without God’s Word guiding yo...

God is good. This statement has echoed through a church sanctuary from the tongue of a preacher. It has resounded in a hospital room. It has often been repeated in both easy and challenging circumstances. It can become nothing more than a vain repetition and trite expression. So much so that when you hear it, this cynical reply, “Really?” may arise within you. You hear about pointless wars, school...

We have always looked for someone or something to blame when it comes to temptation and sin. We may think of a young child saying “the devil made me do it!” Or, perhaps, we have a cartoony image of an evil angel leading us to sin. We may not actually blame Satan and don’t have two angels on our shoulders, but the truth remains, that we always look for someone or something to blame for our sin. Jam...

James 1:12 is the beatitude of this little book. I call it the beatitude of James because it is akin to the beatitudes of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Through Matthew 5:3-12, Jesus issued nine “Blessed are” statements. Jesus pronounced a blessing upon those that wouldn’t appear very blessed. Those statements are much like what James does here. He used the same exact word for blessed that Jesu...

Christ’s church is composed of both rich and poor believers and that is precisely why James wrote this section for both kinds of believers within the church. These verses teach us the important truth of taking our eyes off of our physical condition and turning them to our spiritual position in Christ. These three verses bear out that James has pastoral wisdom for both categories of believers. We m...

There is one source of all wisdom and He freely gives it. He doesn't hold back. He breaks the dam and floods our lives with wisdom so that you may know how to live for His glory and honor. There is, however, a requirement - you must ask in faith. You must turn to Him alone as the only source of wisdom. Your Father longs to give you wisdom, but He will not give if you don’t ask for it and if you as...

What are you to do when life stinks? How are you to respond when trials come? This most practical book of James begins with one of the most practical issues we face - when life stinks. Moreover, it begins by revealing how believers should respond when trials come. We don’t avoid, evade, or escape trials. Instead, we can count them as all joy! To see trials as fully joyous doesn’t make sense unless...

I’m excited to embark on a verse-by-verse journey through the book of James. You may have noticed that there haven’t been any new episodes since the end of April. I decided to take a few weeks off to hit the reset button a bit. During that time, I’ve been preparing for the next series, which will be a study through this book.  As we go through it, you’ll notice that it is an overly-practical...

This week, I’d like to conclude this study by looking at one final event - The Ascension. In addition to Gethsemane and the burial, I think the ascension has been awfully neglected in our teaching and preaching. We haven’t studied it a lot. We don’t think about it much at all. It is primarily mentioned in passing statements about the Gospel. We emphasize the crucifixion and declare the resurrectio...

We celebrate the resurrection on Easter, and rightfully so, but Jesus is no more alive on Easter than He is on a Tuesday in April, nor will He be any more alive on a Friday 2,000 years from now. Jesus is just as alive today as He was this past Sunday. If we’re not careful, the resurrection of Jesus can be a historical event but not a present reality. Yes, Jesus did rise bodily. But Jesus is still...

In examining the events surrounding the last week of Jesus’ life, we put particular emphasis (and rightfully so) on the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus paid for sin on the cross and proved that sin was paid for in the resurrection. There was, however, a crucial event that took place between the cross and the garden - the burial of Jesus. This is one of those events in the life of Jesus, suc...

In every piece of literature you read, you determine the meaning based on what the author said. Whether it is fiction like Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, The Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien, or The Magician’s Nephew by CS Lewis. Perhaps, you pick up a science, math, or English textbook. Maybe you take dieting, exercising, or cooking books off of the shelf. In all of these books, you go to them...

From Bethlehem to Egypt to Nazareth to the Jordan to the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to the Garden of Gethsemane, we have the life of Jesus in the Gospel accounts. Jesus was baptized, tempted, followed, believed, and rejected. He cleansed, healed, restored, and resurrected. He taught the multitudes and the disciples. No one has lived a greater life than Jesus, but each of those places and events s...

To be in Christ is the greatest possible position a person can be in. If you are not in Christ, nothing else matters. If you are in Christ, nothing else matters. The complete identity of the believer can be wrapped up in the phrase - In Christ. For in Christ, we are righteous, sanctified, and glorified. In Christ, we are holy, just, and pure. In Christ, we are united with one another. In Christ, w...

Easter Sunday is rapidly approaching. In a couple of weeks, many will gather on that day to remember what Jesus has done. For some, it will be just another day. For others, it will be the first time in a long time they’ve been in church. For you and me, however, I hope we will march towards that day with a greater understanding of what Jesus has done and is doing for us. So then, over the next few...

What is Antinomianism? Unlike Legalism, which we looked at in episode 93,  this may be a newer term to you, so let’s begin by breaking down the word. Anti- means to be against or without and nomian comes from the word “nomos” which means law. Unlike the Legalist, the Antinomian does everything he can to eradicate the law of God as coming to bear upon a person's life. It has a weak view of gra...

If God is for us, who can be against us? You've heard, read, and thought about that before, but really? Romans 8 absolutely affirms that God is on the side of those who are in Christ. It is proven and applied in these verses. In this week's episode, we pause our journey through Genesis to dive into Romans 8:31-39 to see that God is undeniably on the side of those in Christ.  You cannot be con...

Those who have only lived after the fall of Genesis three know very well what life is like after the fall. We understand the division of human beings, the grueling nature of work, and the pain a mother endures in delivering a child. We know very well what it is like to experience pain, sorrow, and anxiety. However, Genesis 2 reveals to us what life was like before any of this happened. Before ther...

Legalism is one of the most hot-button topics of recent times. I think there are two ditches people fall into regarding what Legalism is and what it isn’t. Some people say, “Everything is legalism!” and others say, “Nothing is legalism!” In light of these two ditches, what then is Legalism? My succinct definition for Legalism is this:  Legalism is any standard of righteousness that differs fr...

We’ve been looking in the early chapters of Genesis over the last few weeks. Before we travel on, I wanted to take flight from the ground level and look at these recent chapters from a 20,000-foot view. Instead of looking at a specific passage in Genesis this week, I want to show you how Genesis 1-3 relates to the whole of Scripture. Here’s an important truth for you and me, as we study our Bibles...

Throughout all of Christian history, there has been a struggle regarding how to reconcile the law and grace. It was acknowledged in the early church at the Jerusalem council in Acts 16, Paul in Galatians, and the apostle in Hebrews. It has also been dealt with throughout church history and is still very prevalent in our time as well. It is a struggle between law and grace regarding how it applies...

In Genesis 3:1-7, Adam and Eve bought the lie of the serpent that God wasn't really good and he didn't really know what was best for them. They ate of the tree expecting it to be far better than their current state, but they found it to be far worse.  For the first time in Genesis 3:8-24, God enters the scene as more than a mere byword. He is not accused by the serpent or doubted by Eve now,...

In nearly every novel, film, and story, there is a climactic point that transforms the narrative. The basketball team is undefeated, the hero only knows triumph, and the family enjoys happiness. However, something happens. The team is beaten, the hero is defeated, and the family experiences tragedy. Then, instead of ascending the mountain of victory, life, and peace, they begin descending into the...