God has put before our eyes the vision of what he intends to make of us by his grace. In Psalm 1, the image of a healthy and flourishing tree is designed to stir our imagination for the kind of Christian we are becoming. By...
God has graciously given us his thoughts in language that we can understand. He has created us with the amazing and helpful ability to read, reason, and make comparison. In literature we use simile to stir the mind’s imagination to get at the nature of...
This psalmist is looking at the sad state of Israel’s relationship with God and praying that he would restore them to himself. Today we consider our own need for spiritual renewal and we take up this psalm as a guide for our prayers to be...
Paul began his letter to the Romans declaring the gospel as the power of God for salvation. He now ends his letter telling these Christians that God is able to strengthen them by the gospel and the preaching of Christ. Today we reflect back on...
It’s graduation season. Young people around the world are wide-eyed and ready to go do something with their education. When I was in school, I spent as much time thinking about getting out and what I would leave behind as about entering into the future. The closer...
The voice of God in his word speaks warnings, instructions, and promises. God’s voice is clearly heard in this passage. The church of Jesus Christ is warned of the divisions and doctrinal error that Satan promotes through false teachers. We are instructed to be wise,...
In his meditation on Psalm 81, Charles Spurgeon says the divine voice speaks warnings, promises, and precepts. All three are necessary and good aspects of the word of God. Sometimes we emphasize only one aspect of God’s word. We can hear only the warnings and become fearful...
This week, Justin and Scott look at the final greetings in Romans 16 , discussing what it looks like to serve together in the church and in the world. The Words of Grace Podcast seeks to clarify, amplify, and apply the Sunday morning sermon at Grace...
The personal greetings of Paul to the Christians in Rome reveal the beauty of friendships forged in Christ. These Christians shared life in Christ and gave service to Christ. They expressed their friendship with affection for one another. This is another picture for us of...
When we have a vision for God’s global agenda of gospel proclamation and the expansion of his church, we want to be used by Christ to accomplish this good work. We find in this passage practical ways our congregation can do ministry beyond ourselves. Grace Community...
