CWR Blog
Christianity Without The Religion BLOG hosted by Brad Jersak.
Beautiful Gospel
Women of the Testaments – Steve Orr
Matters of the Heart
The Women of the Old Testament:
To put it mildly, overall, the Law of the Old Testament does not exactly treat women well. The exceptions are few. The curse of the domineering male from the fall in Eden not only continues through much of the Old Testament, but it also becomes a significant part of the Law.
Women were excluded from education, worship services, and public discourse; their rights were few, opportunities for personal advancement were nil at best.
Under the Law of Moses, the utter subjugation of women was intentional and ...
One God – Vengeful in the Old Testament, Loving and Forgiving in the New? – Greg Albrecht
Question:
How does a person reconcile the God of love and grace with the one described in the Old Testament as filled with rage, violence and wrath? I must admit that this is why I do not like to read the OT as I can't picture such an angry God. It is just confusing to me is all. I am trying to read the Bible but the Old Testament just doesn't make sense to me.
I don't know if I have made any sense here, but after years of feeling that God was disappointed and angry with me for what I had done and that I was condemned to hell because of it, I sometimes wonder ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
July 18, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“If we pledge allegiance to Jesus, we will stand up for the rights, privileges and humanity of others – even those who are not like us at all. And because we are free in Christ, we will not allow others to bully us down the slippery path of political or religious conformity – even under banners of one-sided ‘freedom’ or ‘tolerance.’ Our spiritual pledge of allegiance follows Peter’s response to religious authorities, ‘We must obey God rather than men!’ (Acts 5:29). We obey God rather than nationalism. We obey ...
The Power of Touch
In Christ, God not only touched our world, he came to be part of it, becoming one of us. Jesus Christ longs to touch our hearts and souls with his life transforming touch. No one is considered untouchable by Jesus.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR478.mp3
At Your Lowest? – Stuart Segall
“At your lowest, you learn a lot”
Months ago, my wife went in for what was supposed to be a simple day surgery. I was told to drop her off at 3:00 and pick her up at 5:30. Instead, two weeks later, I finally brought her home from the hospital.
During those days, I often wondered if she would ever come home at all. I slept by her side most nights, watching, waiting, praying. When she did return, I became her round-the-clock caregiver. Now, more than two months later, she is finally recovering, but during that long stretch, I reached the lowest point I can ...
Love or War – Peace or Fear?
Many believe that the opposite of love is hate, but fear is the real opposing force, for it drives and motivates hatred and war and everything that stands against Jesus Christ.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR474.mp3
The Grace of Persistent, Long-Haul Prayer – Brad Jersak
Three Sisters — Canmore, Alberta
Recently in beautiful Canmore, Alberta, I got into a conversation with my friend Mark Maxwell. He’s a wise man who thinks and feels deeply—a person whose words I often hang on. The following content represents our conversation… though credit goes to him for patiently guiding me through the issue of long-haul prayer.
Luke 11
And [Jesus] said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have ...
Jesus is Here – Not Over There!
We examine the far-fetched attempts made by some religious professionals and the institutions they represent, in a vain attempt to own Jesus.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR473.mp3
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
July 15, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“According to the evidence of the Bible itself, Jesus is the Word (John 1:1) – not a book. We can capitalize ‘Word’ when we refer to Jesus but to call the Bible ‘the Word of God’ is a stretch, perhaps even an error. The title ‘Word of God’ refers ultimately and supremely to the second person of the Triune God, whom we know as Jesus Christ, specifically called ‘the Word of God” in the first chapter of the Gospel of John…
In fact, when the focus of the ‘word’ of God becomes the Bible, when the ...
All Things Beautiful #12 – Ken Williams
Ken Williams
The Marriage of the Lamb:
Wow! In the beginning the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, created all things through his Son, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and then looked at it all, and “seeing it was very good” (Gen. 1:1, 31 OSB throughout). He finished his work by creating man and woman in his image, the image of the Triune God (v27). Then God gave them a command that, amazingly, humans obeyed. He told them to multiply and fill the earth (v28). My dear deceased friend, Dave Lafferty, said God cheated by making this command fun. Whether ...
Yesterday, Today and Forever
"Flood waters can't drown love, torrents of rain can't put it out. Love can't be bought, love can't be sold - it's not to be found in the marketplace" (Song of Solomon 8:7, The Message).
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR472.mp3
Q&R with Greg Albrecht – “Should we boycott the wedding?”
Recently I was asked to give my opinion about a married man, in the process of divorcing his wife, while dating a younger, unmarried woman. My immediate thought was the response of Jesus when he was asked by someone to get involved in a family about an inheritance. "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" (Luke 12:14).
However, remembering that Jesus used the question as a way to discuss some of the more important spiritual issues surrounding it (see "The Parable of the Rich Fool"—Luke 12:15-21), I tried to respond in a similar way. The person ...
Giving Up …
There is no doubt that sacrifice, giving up, and surrendering are hallmarks of Christ-centered faith - but, do we give up something in order to convince God to love us, or do we willingly surrender to him because he has already given us his abundant love?
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR471.mp3
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
July 13, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“Boundaries are one of the defining characteristics of what it means to be human. As children, we probe and push until we can discover just how far our parents will go before they lower the boom on us. When we marry, we normally do a similar thing with the person we have promised to love and protect and cherish.
When the speed limit is 65, most drivers will extend that to about 75, thinking they have a safe margin before the highway patrol will stop them. We spend a lot of time and effort trying to go as far as we can. ...
Burglars in the House! — by Bermie Dizon
This is something I will never forget while pastoring in San Fernando, Philippines, years ago. All of us in the family were asleep when my wife woke up because she sensed a presence in our bedroom. Her eyes were wide open, and she saw a man in the shadowy darkness of our room. When the man saw my wife was awake, he quickly grabbed her bag near the door. My wife immediately shouted to wake me up and told me that a burglar had entered the house. We quickly shut the bedroom door, locked it, and pushed a heavy dresser to block the entrance.
In fear, my wife ...
Q&A: More on Surrender / Letting Go – Bradley Jersak
Q1. How would you define surrender? Who or what is one surrendering to, in your opinion? God, Universe, Self, Soul, present moment...?
Surrender has been a key word in my spiritual vocabulary for decades and as a result, has become layered. My definition is drawn from my experiences in prayer, from the influence of Simone Weil in my life, my interactions in spiritual direction, and from the twelve-step recovery movement.
I typically define surrender as “letting go,” which applies to how I try to let go of control (self-will), of agendas, of “my will be ...
Join Us For Our Sunday Sermon
"The Center of the Gospel"
Join us for our Sunday Sermon:
Greg discusses what is meant by the "Center of the Gospel."
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/CWR647.mp3
We hope that our articles and resources bring comfort, hope, encouragement, and healing to our readers. If you’re experiencing that, please subscribe freely, share freely, and, if you’re able, please consider donating freely toward paying it forward by clicking the blue giving at the top of your screen.
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
July 11, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“When we read the life and teachings of Jesus, we read of God in the flesh who was always available. When his self-appointed security detail, also known as the disciples (as far as we know they weren’t wearing designer sunglasses), wanted to prevent little children from seeing him, Jesus stepped in and granted the children access.
Jesus had time. He was not too busy. He was not some big-shot executive who was late for another meeting, whose posse was waiting to usher him into his limo. He had plenty of time for ...
Transforming Prayer
If you're looking for some direction about how your prayers can rise above the level of "give me this - give me that: help me - save me - heal me" then you will want to join us for "Transforming Prayer."
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR467.mp3
CWR Video – Coffee and Jesus – Friend of Jesus
In this CWR Video, join Greg as he explores what it means to walk in friendship with Jesus. When you become a friend of Jesus, everything changes. In Christ, you are a new creation.
https://vimeo.com/1196052020
If this post has helped you, please subscribe and share it freely. We also invite you to help us continue to help others with a donation. Click here if you're able to partner with us.
Plain Truth Ministries | Box 300 | Pasadena, CA 91129-0300
