Join Jerry Q. Parries at Grace Encounter 2017 as he points out that Barabbas’ story is our story, and wonders if grace changed Barabbas’ life after he was set free. Listen to Steve’s message from Grace Encounter by clicking here! The post Grace Encounter 2017 | Jesus & Barabbas | Jerry Q. Parries appeared first on Key Life ..read more

(That’s only the working title. I suspect the publisher will change that, plus many other things in the book. Someone—it may have been John Steinbeck—said to his editor, “Where the h___ were you when the page was blank?” I get that.) I finished the manuscript yesterday. After months of work, it’s over. It’s a relief. Some of it is so good I can’t believe I wrote it. Some of it isn’t half-bad. And some of it makes me wince. But at least it’s finished. As my friend, Al Mawhinney, the former academic dean at Reformed Theological Seminary, often said, “There are two kinds of dissertations—the perf ..read more

Is God an impersonal blob, distant and disinterested in the world except for figuring out who the good and bad people are? Is “god” a karma vibe making sure everyone gets what they deserve? Is God a myth that weak, stupid, or oppressive people use to console themselves or dominate other people? Is God a cosmic cheerleader who is concerned mainly with helping you achieve immediate happiness and self-actualization? Or is God someone else? WE BELIEVE… God reveals himself to sinners and saves them for his glory. Theology is not obscure, abstract theories about the divine. Rather, theology is the s ..read more

Let’s start with a principle: almost everything of any importance is found while we’re headed somewhere else. I know that runs counter to the common wisdom of most leaders, but nevertheless, it’s true. We are admonished by almost everybody “who knows” that goals are important and if we don’t aim at something, we won’t hit anything. While setting goals is a good thing and setting laudable goals even better, if you get neurotic about it, you probably won’t achieve your goals, and you’ll make yourself and everybody you know miserable in the process. Christians, by and large, are neurotic about pu ..read more

The problem is not that people don’t want to be better. They just don’t know how to get there. Many Christians simply give up because they think they have no other alternative. It’s the attitude of, “Given my sinful nature, I don’t have a choice. I won’t get any better no matter what I do.” It’s so easy to get cynical if you’ve ever tried to be good. The truth is, while growth is hard, it’s also possible. Peter, who had as much trouble growing as any Christian who has ever lived, has some good news for us in 2 Peter 1:3-11. It’s Not You Growth comes from God: “…as his divine power has given to ..read more

So, if Christians already have the Holy Spirit living in them (1 Cor. 6:19), how can they better experience his presence? The book of Acts gives us a clue in its account of what happened when Peter and John gathered with their fellow believers after being released by the Jewish council: And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. (Acts 4:31) Here are five things you can do today to be filled with God’s Spirit: 1. Receive. Receive Jes ..read more

We have two of his paintings. He is also a thoughtful theology student. Henry never knew he had any talent for painting or interest in theology until he went to prison. Henry is a student in our Seminary-in-Prison program. In one of his paintings that we have on the wall in our living room, a painting that is both artistically beautiful and theologically rich, there is a lamb in the foreground. It is a very young lamb. He has come through a dark forest, crossed a swamp, and now stands at the edge of a briar patch. His legs are caked with mud. He is dirty all over. His wool is matted and scruff ..read more

Mistakes and blunders checker my past, like a used dart board. If you’re like me, you prefer to focus on the future. After all, it’s what we feel we can control. There’s a reason why our windshields are larger than our rearview mirrors. We figure that if we can sway the narrative that we’re honestly and consistently striving to be better, more holy, more rich, more successful (at least, more than our friends), then we’ll have a life worth living. As a byproduct of our western individualistic culture, I have a “me” problem. As a chronic navel-gazer, I’m much more likely to stare down at the scu ..read more

He survived and called all his friends to see the result of his pecking prowess. That’s woodpecker arrogance on steroids. Many Christians face the opposite—humility on steroids. They don’t even peck. Pastors and religious leaders often quote that 20 percent of Christians do 100 percent of the work. I don’t know where that statistic comes from, but it’s probably close to the truth. The reasons for the 80 percent lack of involvement are probably multitudinous, but at the heart of this is a belief that to be an effective Christian, one must meet certain requirements . . . which so many Christians ..read more

By my early thirties, I started to ache for a relationship with my dad. At that point, we barely saw each other beyond Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July. After much prayer, I invited my dad to lunch on his birthday. We had a great time, and it became an annual tradition. A few years into this, we left the cash register and walked to our vehicles, which were coincidentally parked next to each other. Without any forethought, I said, “Dad, can I give you a hug?” Before I had time to think about it, Dad charged me like a bull. He threw his arms around me and squeezed so tight I felt ..read more