Dear Redeeming Grace, In Jason's message last week, we were reminded of a glorious truth: "no one is too far from the reach of redemption." The gospel is for all people. That reality becomes sweeter when we remember that includes us! We were once far off, in need of redemption, but we've been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13). Our hearts should overflow in ...

Dear Redeeming Grace, Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding inthe work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lordyour labor is not in vain. (1 Cor. 15:58 ESV) Amazingly, these words come right on the heels of Paul expounding on the mystery of the last day and our own resurrections. He reminds the Corinthians that death is swallowed up in vi...

Dear Redeeming Grace, "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will for Christ's sake." These words were written by an 18 year old young man who would one day be known as one of Americas greatest theologians - Jonathan Edwards. In th...

Dear Redeeming Grace, In just over a week we'll once again wake up to enjoy Christmas morning. In most homes I imagine that means we'll gather together to enjoy the tradition of giving and receiving gifts. The more I've reflected on this tradition, the more I appreciate how it points to a wonderful truth. John 3:16 is likely the most well known verse in all of scripture....

Dear Redeeming Grace, In each of our conversion stories, God used particular individuals to faithfully share the gospel with us. If you are a Christian, it is most likely because someone cared enough about you to share the gospel with you. And in most cases, they were ordinary Christians.Our desire is to capture these stories of "Who Told You" to encourage and inspire Red...

Dear Redeeming Grace, As I've been thinking about this Advent season, the word I keep reflecting on is "anticipation." If you've ever taken a big trip somewhere, you'll recognize all the signs of what it means to anticipate something. You choose the place, the time, the activities, and begin to dreamily look forward. It becomes so much more than a date on the calendar. A...

Dear Redeeming Grace,It's amazing that we're now less than a week away from Thanksgiving! Over the years I've grown to enjoy these annual rhythms. This coming week is an opportunity to reflect on God's grace and goodness to you. Perhaps the pace slows just enough for us to lift our eyes from the usual routines and consider all we have to be thankful for.But let's not let i...

Dear Redeeming Grace, In Jason's message on Christian influence we saw how our lives can leave an impact on others, even stirring their desire to know Jesus more. By Paul's example we saw how life can be consecrated to God, compassionate toward others, courageous for the advance of the gospel and confident in God's promises. Each of these areas could be explored for a li...

Dear Redeeming Grace, Last week Dave encouraged us with the great truth that we can have confidence that God is using us and working through us. As I've thought about that truth this week, the Lord reminded me of this verse in Paul's letter to the Philippians: "For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phil. 2:13 ESV) In the conte...

Dear Redeeming Grace, Last week Jason reminded us from our Acts series of the importance of the basics in the Christian life. There are practices we can often overlook. One of those is prayer. Prayer is such a vital part of our relationship with the Lord. In prayer we confess our limitations and learn not to lean on our own ideas and strength. We ask for help. We acknowl...