News Flash! – Part 8
The “passport” of Jesus is one of the strongest arguments for us to abandon Law and enjoy God’s grace. That’s right – Jesus’ lineage (born into the tribe of Judah) makes Him a high priest like no other. As a result, we can set aside the Law as weak and useless for us, because Jesus […]
News Flash! – Part 7
Ever been in the grocery store and one of the representatives offers you a taste-tester? You slide the toothpick in your mouth to taste the sample. Next thing you know, there’s that awkward moment – they’re looking right at you to see if you’ll smile and then open the freezer to invest in the product. […]
News Flash! – Part 6
Jesus is a high priest like no other. God appointed His own Son as our eternal priest. Jesus learned obedience through suffering, and He totally gets us. But the Hebrews weren’t sure what to think of Him. They hadn’t made up their minds. They’d heard so much great teaching that they ought to be teachers […]
News Flash! – Part 5
Make every effort to enter God’s rest? Try to rest? Sounds like a bit of a paradox to me! So, what is this Hebrews 4 invitation really about? Growing up, I believed Hebrews 4 was an invitation to believers to try to reach a second level or second tier of Christian experience – a higher […]
News Flash! – Part 4
Remember what happened when your ancestors rejected God’s message? They wandered in the desert for forty years. Now, God has a new message for you, so don’t neglect it or you’ll find yourself in a spiritual wilderness. Hebrews 3 offers a stern warning concerning the importance of belief in the Gospel. The author tells his […]
News Flash! – Part 3
“You need to pay attention to this Gospel and not let your focus drift away toward dead religion!” This is the warning in Hebrews 2. Think about it: Their forefathers failed to listen to Moses, and remember what happened to those lawbreakers. Ouch! How much more important is it now to respond to the message […]
News Flash! – Part 2
God used to speak in a variety of ways in the Old Testament, but now He has spoken to us strongly and clearly through His Son. So, if you’ve ever wondered what God feels about you, look to Jesus – His death, His resurrection, and His place at the right hand of God. He has […]
News Flash! – Part 1
Two covenants. Two priesthoods. Two ways to relate to God. Hebrews is a book of powerful contrasts, and I’m so excited to begin this series with you. If you’ve never studied Hebrews before (or if it’s been a while!), this is a great way to start. It’s a quick overview of the entire letter right […]
God Says – Part 6
The cross is the true dividing line of human history. Through His death, Jesus ushered in a new and liberating way of grace. The old way of the Law is now obsolete, and we believers have died to the Law. This means we are free, and God wants us to know the freedom He purchased […]
God Says – Part 5
“Here’s how you can get closer to God…” We hear this all the time, but this well-intentioned sales pitch assumes we aren’t close to God right now. It assumes there’s work yet to be done to get us closer. But what if you’re united with Christ and as close to God as you can possibly […]
God Says – Part 4
A lot happened through the Cross: The Law was fulfilled, and forgiveness was provided. But there’s even more: You died with Jesus. This is how you were made new. Think about it: You can’t really be born again without the old dying first, right? This is precisely why we don’t have to worry about “dying to self,” as so many claim. […]
God Says – Part 3
We believers often wonder: Can I lose my salvation? Can I mess this up? What if I keep on struggling? What if I wake up one day and stop believing or stop loving God? These questions can weigh us down or even nag at us daily. In this message, I share the truth about how […]
God Says – Part 2
Many Christians view forgiveness from an old covenant mindset. They believe God requires ongoing rituals or words of confession for us to sustain our forgiveness and avoid judgment. But thanks to the shed blood of Jesus, believers are under a new covenant, and our forgiveness is not progressive. In this message, you’ll learn what God […]
God Says – Part 1
How do we know what God is saying to us? Religion will tell us God needs us to do more, try harder, and hope that through self-improvement, He will finally accept us. But through the New Covenant, God is proclaiming radical, powerful truths about your forgiveness, security, and new identity. In this message, you’ll see […]
Crave – The Father’s Discipline
Discipline isn’t usually an attractive topic. Many of us have negative memories of being disciplined as a child and we therefore view discipline as something undesirable. When we think of God’s discipline, maybe we fear it’s His reprimand of our sinful performance. And those of us living under grace may wonder where discipline fits into […]
The Tale of Two Ministries
The most popular message on the planet is the way of religion. It’s about rule-keeping, self-improvement, and trying to impress God in hopes of avoiding judgment. While not as popular, there’s another way of relating to God. The way of grace is Jesus Christ in you, dependence on Him, and walking in confidence that you’re […]
The Truth About the Sabbath
God rested on the seventh day of creation and ordained a Sabbath day of rest for the people of Israel. And while Jesus brought in a new attitude and perspective on keeping the Sabbath, many still teach there’s a physical or spiritual rest we need to pursue. In this message from Hebrews 4, we’ll see […]
Here’s the Truth!
We live in a day of relativism, where everyone can have their own version of truth. People often decide what to believe based on the ideas and viewpoints that make them feel good. But truth isn’t based on feelings, and it’s not negotiable. God’s perspective on the truth is what matters, and it’s His truth […]
Are You Good? – Part 3
Religion often teaches we’re partly good and partly evil. While God forgives us, He’s waiting for us to change and perform better before He truly accepts us. So when we inevitably fall short, it’s easy to believe God sees us as sinful or wicked instead of good. But believing you’re both good and evil is […]
Are You Good? – Part 2
At salvation, we receive God’s forgiveness and are made new in Christ. Yet instead of viewing ourselves as good, it can seem more spiritual to say we’re dirty or sinful, especially when we look at our imperfect performance. Even Jesus said in Luke 18:19, “No one is good except God alone.” But a lot has […]
