CWR Blog
Christianity Without The Religion BLOG hosted by Brad Jersak.
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Reflections Along the Jesus Way
January 24, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“Jesus, God in the flesh, came to serve us, not the other way around. We do not find Jesus running around enforcing a bunch of rules. The primary sense we receive from reading the life and teachings of Jesus is that he loves us and invites us into the kingdom of heaven. The life and teachings of Jesus do not leave us frustrated or depressed, thinking we have never done anything right or that he is upset with us. That feeling comes to us from the kingdom of religion, not the kingdom of heaven. That feeling came (in ...
Jesus Cleans Up Toxic Religious Trash
Our society knows that physical garbage is toxic, but is often blissfully unaware of the negative spiritual impact of religious trash spewed into our culture. The good news is that Jesus picks up that trash, and disposes of it!
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR310.mp3
The Jesus Covenant – Jim Fowler
Many teachers refer to the “new covenant,” but many of them are at a loss to explain what the new covenant really means. They know that the “new testament” means “new covenant,” and that this portion of our bibles is the Christian portion of the biblical scriptures. When asked what is new about the “new covenant,” some will answer that this is the good news of the gospel, i.e., “the gospel covenant.” Not inaccurate, but it needs more explanation that explicates the meaning of “gospel.” What is the “good news” of the gospel? Is it redempti...
We Don’t Need No Stinking Religion
As we continue our study in Philippians we learn that when all is said and done, what matters most in our lives is Jesus. Religious customs, ceremonies, traditions and religious trappings don't even come close to the "surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" (Phil. 3:8).
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR309.mp3
Q & R – “Can I work out my own salvation?” Greg Albrecht
Question:
If our focus ought to be on God’s grace, expecting works to follow automatically from a life transformed by grace, what does the Bible mean when it tells us to “work out” our salvation? Are we not expected to perfect the salvation we have received and grow to be more and more like him?
Response:
It’s the ever-present question—if grace really is too good to be true, then won’t Christians just become slackers, goofing their way into God’s kingdom of heaven, expecting God to do everything for them?
The major problem with ...
February 2026
CLICK HERE to read now
(PDF Format)
Greg Albrecht God's Beloved Children – pg. 2
Laura Urista R-E-S-P-E-C-T... Find Out What it Means to Me – pg. 5
Brad Jersak Sacrifice: Two Perspectives – pg. 7
Don’t Let Religion Suck All the Joy Out of Life
There are many messages from a variety of places which tell us that we aren't good enough or doing enough or trying hard enough. In this first of a three-part series based on the book of Philippians we are warned of one of the dangers of religion - it can suck all the joy out of life!
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR308.mp3
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
January 21, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“Many who believe the Bible is infallible and inerrant often claim that the Bible should not be interpreted, but its words believed and accepted without question.
Members of the ‘no interpretation is necessary’ marching-and-chowder society often predicate their insistence on laying aside critical faculties when reading the Bible in favor of believing, without question, someone’s interpretation of the Bible who is revered as a religious authority. But the Bible itself invites inquiry – it does not ...
CWR Video – What is the Bible? – by Peter Enns
Peter Enns: What is the Bible? from Plain Truth Ministries on Vimeo.
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An Extreme Makeover For You!
“Extreme Makeover” T.V. programs are popular because making a new start is always an intriguing proposition. Hebrews 13:20-21 reveals biblical terms that describe our spiritual makeover.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR342.mp3
Q&R: “Not Broken”? Depends – Bradley Jersak
Question from a Reader:
“I’ve been hearing and seeing the phrase, ‘You’re not broken’ a lot these days. I need help with that one because I know my issues and I read the headlines. If 2025 showed us anything, it’s that the world is very broken. Our systems are corrupt and I see individuals everywhere who feel anxious and act cruel. So how can anyone say to humanity, ‘You’re not broken?’ Aren’t they just saying, ‘You don’t need a Savior’? Or are they trying to communicate something I’m not seeing?
Response:
First, given your ...
The Son of a Preacher Man
What does Jesus mean when he says we will gain our life by losing it (Matthew 16:24-28)? This week we travel back in time to the 1960's, re-living the courageous example of Martin Luther King, Jr. and reflecting on the historically accurate, yet fictional character of Atticus Finch as depicted in To Kill a Mockingbird.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR101.mp3
Son of a Preacher Man – by Greg Albrecht
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" —Matthew 16:24-26
The passage in Matthew that forms the basis of our message talks about losing your life so that you might gain it. At first it may seem to you ...
Chaos or Community? – by Greg Albrecht
An MLK Day CWR Unplugged Message
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/GA021.mp3
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Reflections Along the Jesus Way
January 19, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“Here is the Christ-centered perspective; it is only by seeing Jesus as He really is that we understand our world as it really is. We must not evaluate God according to our world, for in so doing we diminish him. This is part of the force of the Second Commandment of the old covenant, when Israel was commanded not to make images of God. Nothing we can create can begin to capture the essence of God; all human depictions devalue and corrupt him. Many popular attempts at ‘end times prophecy’ turn God into someth...
Life Lived and Lessons Learned-6- Ken Williams
At Trader Joe's - Episode six - conclusion:
Jesus’ disciples learned to take actions of love while assisting him in his ministry. God in the flesh came to reveal the Triune God of love by his self-giving, self-sacrificing, self-surrendering action of love for all humanity, on his Cross and daily life. The disciples practiced this selfless life by taking actions of love for others. In time Jesus began to rub off on them.
An example of God’s heart…
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep ...
From him, through him, for him, to him… Bradley Jersak
From him, through him, for him, and to him are all things, including all people.
In my previous post, “Panta, all things and all people,” I pointed out that when Paul writes that all things
will be “summed up in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10), and
are “from him, through him, and to him” (Romans 11:36), and
“have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16),
… the Greek word panta (all) is an adjective that stands on its own, doubling as noun. That is, the word ‘things’ doesn’t appear in the Greek text but is understood ...
The Power of Surrender – by Bermie Dizon
Perhaps you've heard this story before, but it’s worth sharing again because of the powerful lesson it teaches us about surrender.
A group of friends went swimming in a river during the spring when glacier runoff made the water quite dangerous. Despite warnings, one of the friends jumped in, got caught in the current, and was swept away toward the dangerous rapids.
One of the friends on shore was a trained lifeguard. As everyone else panicked, they turned to the lifeguard, urging him to act. But to their shock, he stood still, just watching his struggling ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
January 17, 2026 - Quote for the Day:
“The kingdom of heaven is not a physical kingdom. It is not defined by physical dimensions, boundaries and limitations. But the kingdom is real – it is certainly not pretend or imaginary. The spiritual dimension is far more authentic than the physical – of eternal significance rather than passing temporal limitations. By God’s grace, we live in the kingdom of heaven now. The kingdom now is limited, in the sense that it does not exercise universal domain or rule. Not everyone is part of the kingdom of God ...
I Want to See!
Jesus clearly stated that healing the blind, both spiritually and physically, was central to his mission. Yet, Jesus’ followers rebuked a blind man who wanted to ask Jesus to give him his sight!
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/RCWR338.mp3
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