Perfect Freedom
The Apostle Paul examines the concept of grace and the reason why our lives must follow Christ’s example. Only through God’s grace and accepting Christ into our lives will we ever find true freedom and our true selves.
Removing Idols of the Heart
The essential dynamic of change in the heart of the Christian runs on a cycle of repentance and faith. Repentance is unmasking the idols of the heart, the motivations for action and bases for identity other than Christ, and then taking them to the Cross. Faith is trusting in the forgiveness of Christ, understanding both the depth of our sin and the worth of Christ’s sacrifice.
Inside-Out Living
A common misconception about religion is that it is seeking approval and acceptance from God through our behavior, but this approach is self-centered and self-righteous, leading only to a rejection of God and Christian community. Real acceptance from God only comes from accepting God’s grace and Christ’s sacrifice to atone for our sins.
Truth, Tears, Anger, and Grace
A recording of the Sunday service after 9/11. Jesus experiences both anger and grief in the face of human suffering. But he also brings about a resurrection; according to the Bible, everything bad will come untrue. Jesus is the perfect Counselor who gives us grace even when he has to suffer for us.
Praying Our Fears
Anxiety is a deep fear that threatens your sense of self. But we must obey Christ in times of hardship, and place our hope in Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf.
Praying Our Tears
Suffering is inevitable, and we should always expect tears. But by investing our tears we can not only grow from them but eventually find joy through them. In praying our tears, we remember God’s grace, behold the cross and find assurance in glory yet to come.
Christ, Our Life
In life we are inevitably changed and shaped by the things we desire. When good things turn into ultimate things, they become idols. However, by devoting our lives to the gospel, we can give up our idols and look to Jesus, with whom we died and are now raised.
How the Gospel Changes Us
The default mode of the human heart is to work on our behavior and outer appearance, but the gospel changes us at the heart level. To grow, we must understand the difference between religion and the gospel, and apply the gospel to our hearts to confront the idols at the root of our sin. This talk was given at a training conference at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.
How to Change
Christian growth is described through the metaphor of the fruit of the spirit, which is a gradual process that begins with the seed of the Holy Spirit. As we are changed from the inside out, organically and radically, we will find deep joy and lasting change.