The Better Beautiful // The Answer to Every Question

We "have need of endurance" to "run the race set before us" "looking to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith." No big deal. Life is hard. And finding the narrow road is difficult to do. It's even harder to stay on it. So imagine how devastating it would be to "run well" and yet allow a "hindrance" to keep you from "obeying the truth." It's one thing to trip; it's another thing to allow a "...

This week's passage is a collision and contrast between the path of self-righteous severing, its real-time implications on your relationship with Jesus, true fellowship with Him, and the faith-wrought work of the Spirit to save you from your own conniving ego. Jeff and Steph discuss Galatians 5:4-6 in this week's edition of THE BETTER FREEDOM. Listen to "To Not Go the Way of Cain" now in the FAI A...

"You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." What does it mean to "fall from grace," or be estranged from Jesus? It is no accident these issues bookend justification within this one verse. Join Jeff & Steph as we mine out the issue of justification, how Jesus approaches it, and what it means for us (even on our best behavior). Listen...

THE BETTER BEAUTIFUL returns from our little hiatus with a Jeff & Jeff episode sitting in Galatians 5:3, which reads: "And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law." The whole law. Some might even say, "the whole enchilada." Jeff unpacks the implications and consequences of this in this week's episode of THE BETTER FREEDOM. Listen to "The Entir...

Last week, we asked, "What is freedom?" This week, as we park in Galatians 5:2, it distills down to this simplicity: The freedom Jesus set you free for is the confidence of a kid who can feel their Dad smiling upon them. Meditate on this with Jeff and Steph in this week's episode of THE BETTER FREEDOM, available now here in the FAI App.

THE BETTER BEAUTIFUL // If the book of Galatians could be summarized in one verse, it is chapter five verse one: "It is for freedom's sake Christ has set you free—therefore do not be entangled again in a yoke of bondage." In this week's episode of THE BETTER FREEDOM, Jeff and Steph discuss the implications of this explosive verse which we hold so dear. Listen to "For Sake of Free Freedom (Gal. 5:1...

In Episode 32 of THE BETTER FREEDOM, we come to the end of chapter four in Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia: "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? 'Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bon...

Somehow, God deals with our unrighteousness in a way that makes Him "both just and the Justifier" of all who have faith in Him; of all who "trust" in Him. Paul had exceptional clarity to communicate the nuts and bolts of this profound message, and it is apparent throughout his letters in addition to the points he makes at the end of this Galatian chapter. Listen to Episode 31 of THE BETTER FREEDOM...

"For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise...." These are two simple verses, in theory. But we got lost in them—good and deep. Join Jeff & Steph for the latest conversation in THE BETTER FREEDOM: "Isaacs, Ishmaels, & Rabbit Trails (Gal. 4:22-...

The One Wherein Jeff & Steph Park in a Singular Seventeen-Word Verse For a Whole Episode "Tell me, you who desire the law, do you not listen to the law?" Galatians puts the collision between our desires, identities, and owners (yes, what/who owns you) under a microscope, and even this short little verse sifts the human heart and exposes intentions and aspirations undergirding how we approach a lif...

As a father in the faith, Paul was concerned for the Galatians. He was jealous for the Galatians. He was burdened for the Galatians. Yet he was, in his own words, "perplexed" by the Galatians. What can we learn and glean from this man who developed out of his own immaturity to give his life to shepherding others out of theirs? Listen to "Fatherhood & Full Formation (Gal. 4:17-20)" with Jeff & Step...

Paul's tone begins to pivot in Galatians 4:10-16, and we hear him in humility, in his humanity, as he makes a heartfelt plea to the believers in Galatia. Jeff & Steph discuss these verses in this week's episode of THE BETTER FREEDOM, our (long) season exclusively devoted to Paul's letter to the churches of Galatia. Listen now in the FAI App.

An abiding law of the universe is this: You are a slave to that which you obey, and you obey that which you desire. This is why loving Jesus is synonymous with obedience (John 15), and why Paul so often refers to himself as a bondservant. But say you break beyond the fence line of obedience; you are not then "free" from the constraints of His commands—you're enslaved within the territory of disobe...

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son "to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons—and because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, 'Abba, Father!' Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Here we encounter the generosity of God. Medit...

Now firmly in the second half of the year, we are also finally getting into the second half of Galatians: sonship, slavery, and the sovereignty of God displayed in the revelation of the Son in the "fullness of time"—in your life, Paul's life, and in the nations. For Stephanie, a marked moment of "fullness" in her life involved Cutco knives and the guy who would later co-host this podcast with her....

THE BETTER BEAUTIFUL // We close out chapter 3 of Galatians exploring the implications of equality in Jesus, and the possible pitfalls of the "one new man" formed in His offering. Listen to "Unity, Diversity, and Distinction (Gal. 3:28-29)" of THE BETTER FREEDOM with Jeff & Steph now, right here in the FAI App.

Or, "The One Where Jeff Became a Grandpa." In Episode 22 of THE BETTER FREEDOM, we meditate on Galatians 3:27: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." In this regard, there is no other way but to be fully immersed—but what happens if we, like the Crusaders of old, withhold something above the water line? What in your life do you try to protect and preserve? But Jesus...

We're in the meat of Galatians 3, with substantial themes to chew on: law, faith, grace, promise, slavery, sonship, and the means of reckoning against the righteousness of God. It's not for the faint of heart—but it'll lead you to the One who is "meek and lowly" inviting you to abide in Him all your days. Grab a coffee and your Bible, and maybe bookmark Romans so you can move back and forth betwee...

"What is covenant?" For as heady and meaty as the issues in this passage can be, ultimately the faith comes down to a very simple issue: children believing the promise of their trustworthy Father. Join Jeff & Steph for episode 20 of THE BETTER FREEDOM, which also happens to be the 100th episode of THE BETTER BEAUTIFUL. Thank you for spending the last two years staring at the beauty of Jesus with u...

The most offensive elements of the Good News are the best ones. The most precious truths are the ones we most resist, most despise. Galatians 3:14 is among these; join Jeff and Steph for a meditation on the Cross as we wade into the doctrinal depths of Paul's letter to the Galatian churches.

Our second of two conversations with Dana Candler (IHOPKC) gets real about what to do when you don't love Jesus like you used to. If you cross the finish line without love, did you really run the race to begin with? What do you do when you test the worth of Jesus, and the worth of Jesus turns around and tests you back? Listen to "Finishing with First Love," our final conversation with Dana Candler...

In this special two-part edition of THE BETTER BEAUTIFUL, Jeff and Steph sit down with Dana Candler (IHOPKC) to discuss her latest book, 'First Love: Keeping Passion for Jesus in a World Growing Cold.' If ever there was a manifesto for our heart behind "The Better Beautiful," it's Dana's new book. These conversations provoked us, challenged us, encouraged us, and brought us into worshipful wonder...

We spend this week in the five verses between Galatians 3:10-14, and it's important to hear Paul's tone in this segment. What of the curses? Why is the cross a theological checkmate? Jeff & Steph discuss these questions and more in this week's episode of THE BETTER FREEDOM, our journey through the letter to the churches of Galatia. Find yourself in these eternal truths, relevant to disciples in th...

In episode 17 of THE BETTER FREEDOM, Jeff & Steph discuss Galatians 3:8-9 and the international intention woven into God's covenant with Abraham (and by extension, Isaac and Jacob) from the very beginning. If this "Good News" was truly meant to reach the nations from its earliest expressions, what do we do with it on, say, a Tuesday afternoon? Listen to "Jesus' International Inheritance (Gal. 3:8-...

Paul cites "works" to describe marks of Jewish identity. James cites "works" as actions evident for faith. Paul says you're saved by grace through faith and "not by works," lest any man should boast. James says you must have works to back up your faith, or you're the walking dead. Both men build their positions on the same text: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." H...