CWR Blog
Christianity Without The Religion BLOG hosted by Brad Jersak.
Invite Them—Bring Them—Compel Them: The Escalating Compulsion of Grace – Brad Jersak
The Parable of the Great Supper
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’
18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And ...
Beatitudes #5
In this fifth and last sermon in our series on the beatitudes, we ponder why we would ever be persecuted for "righteousness sake" and why a Christ follower experiences inner peace and joy while being persecuted.
Experiencing His Peace – by Greg Albrecht
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
June 8, 2023 - Quote for the Day:
“I believe that a Christ-follower may be more liberal than friends and family or more conservative than friends and family and still be a Christ-follower. Christ-followers are not political yellow pencils.
Within reason, excepting fanaticism (and definitions of fanaticism vary!), we can differ about political opinions while remaining respectful and understanding. Unfortunately, some feel as if their task is to bulldoze everyone into submission so that all agree with their political perspectives. This ...
Beatitudes #4
Keeping in mind that these eight fruits of God's favor are descriptive of what he does rather than prescriptions for what we must produce via our own hard work, we'll take a closer look at how God empowers us to be pure in heart and to become peacemakers.
Beatitudes #3
As we ponder what it means to be blessed by hungering and thirsting for righteousness and being merciful, we remember that these be-attitudes are God's gift, his handiwork, lived in our lives by and through Jesus.
CWR Video – Incredibly Good News
Short video by Plain Truth Ministries.
“Come, you also!” – The Stupor of Grace in Dostoevsky – Greg Albrecht
Consider what the famed Russian novelist, Dostoevsky, wrote about the judgment of God and the gospel of grace, in his classic work, Crime and Punishment.
At the last Judgment Christ, will say to us, “Come, you also! Come, drunkards! Come weaklings! Come, children of shame!”
And he will say to us: “Vile beings, you who are in the image of the beast and bear his mark, but come all the same, you as well.”
And the wise and the prudent will say, “Lord, why do you welcome them?” And he will say, “If I welcome them, you wise men, it is because not one ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
June 6, 2023 - Quote for the Day:
“God’s grace is not about human perceptions of entitlement or justice. It is perfectly natural to feel resentful about those who appear to be ‘getting away’ with something. Our sense of human justice cries out for them to ‘get theirs.’ We start this behavior early in life, as children we point out the shortcomings of others to authority figures such as parents and teachers, hoping they will be punished and penalized. There is, of course, one person whose shortcomings we do not point out to the authorities – our ...
Beatitudes #2
We continue our series on the beatitudes by considering what it means to be blessed and by studying the beatitudes/blessings of mourning and of being meek.
Beatitudes #1
Join us for this first sermon in our five-part series about the beatitudes. This message will discuss the blessing of being "poor in spirit" and provide an overview of all eight blessings that form the introduction to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
“Shirley, Goodness & Mercy” by Brad Jersak
Psalm 23 (NKJV)
1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the ...
Did God the Father Forsake Jesus the Son on the Cross? – Greg Albrecht
Question:
Thanks for all the great resources you provide. I’m trying to reconcile the what seems to Jesus to be a “forsaken-ness” or estrangement/alienation of God and Jesus on the cross. How are we to interpret the cross in light of this? Love you guys.
Response:
My sense of this much debated statement on the cross – “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) – begins with a Christ-centered interpretation, which is the place where I try to start any question about a biblical passage.
Jesus was and is God – (see John ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
June 4, 2023 - Quote for the Day
“The phrase ‘upside down kingdom’ was popularized by Donald Kraybill in his 1978 book, The Upside Down Kingdom. Kraybill pointed out that Jesus, the king of the kingdom, is the king who triumphs through losing, who is victorious through the humiliation of the cross and who serves by dying. The kingdom of heaven 1) seeks out, serves and gives grace to the lost, the least and the last, 2) opposes religious scorekeepers who meticulously record both good and bad behavior, and 3) turns the kingdoms of religion upside down ...
Join Us For Our Sunday Sermon
"Irresistible and Inescapable Love"
God’s love is endless. Much of Christ-less religion emphasizes our search for God, but the gospel is clear – God will relentlessly and incessantly search for us.
Join us for our Sunday Sermon:
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/CWR694.mp3
Link to Christianity Without the Religion - Sunday
Plain Truth Ministries | Box 300 | Pasadena, CA 91129-0300
