grace ⁽¹⁹⁷⁾

Luke 3:7–16; 2 Peter 1:3–15 What is calling? For pastors, their calling is…being a pastor. Even how “being a pastor” changes depending on character, passions, and context. However, due to the influence of the Roman Catholic church (statement not fault-finding), most Protestant traditions (there are…

Judges 6:25–32; Hebrews 5:11–6:3 Supposedly, the Israelites were the People of God. Their lives after their entrance into the Promised Land was certainly not a testimony to that. The worthless gods and idols of the land became the focus of their lives. God became a…

2 Corinthians 5:14–21; Titus 1:1–3 The “new creation” is an often-quoted phrase. Like many verses in the Scriptures, it can stand on its own. However (you knew that was coming), in context its meaning is so much more important than a mere new creation. It…

Genesis 18:16–33; Jeremiah 5:1–9; Romans 3:5–24 God hates me. God would/could never love me. God doesn’t care about me. No one can measure up to that standard. Any of those sound familiar? When we read stories such as Sodom and Gomorrah it is easy to…

Daniel 3:8–30; Matthew 7:15–20; Revelation 20:11–15 Thinking about fire is often not comfortable. Homes burn. Forests burn. On the other hand, metal is purified through fire. Through that fire, many beautiful and amazing things are made. Just like in our own lives, fire serves different…