Rooted Reality

In this episode, I announce the transition to a new brand - Positivity with Purpose. Rooted Reality will hang around a bit longer, but Positivity with Purpose will hit the ground running in about two weeks. 

The Apostle Paul makes it clear in Galatians 2:15-21 that we are not justified by anything other than faith in Jesus. There are no amount of works, achievements, merits, education, adherence to a moral code, the law or anything else that can justify us in the presence of a holy God. This free gift from God requires that we place our faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior to be justified. Nothing else can atone for our sins. 

In Galatians 2:11-14 we see Paul take a bold and needed stand by calling out Peter for his hypocrisy in hanging with the Gentiles...only when the "circumcision party" is not around. Paul reminds Peter and us that Christ's grace is sufficient, whether Jew or Gentile. We are all one family in Christ in spite of our differences and customs. 

Today we take a look at Galatians 2:1-10, where Paul overcomes legalism and false doctrine, standing his ground as being free from the bondage of the law by his faith in Jesus Christ. We will have disagreements in the church over things that may seem big but are actually petty in the big picture. While we should under no circumstance tolerate heresy, we also would be wise to not allow our theological and doctrinal differences to divide the Body of Christ and distract us to the point of further neglecting the much more pressing challenge of getting the Gospel to the nearly 2/3 of humanity who will die today without Christ as Lord and Savior. 

In today's episode, we explore Matthew 25:40, where Jesus talks about how we actually serve Him when we serve the least among us. The "least of these" of whom Jesus speaks are the impoverished, the sick, the outcast, the orphan, and the widow. But all of us certainly feel "least" at times in life when things aren't going our way, or if we are physically or spiritually afflicted. When we encounter people who may be having a bad day throughout our day, we should pause and remember that it's not about us. Everyone hurts differently at different times every day in this life. Let us be the light of Jesus and offer encouragement, kindness, and forgiveness in the name of Jesus, extending the kind of empathetic grace we'd so appreciate extended toward us on our worst days. 

Today we dive into John 4 and the "Living Water" Jesus spoke of to the woman from Samaria. 

Scripture: Galatians 1:11-24   Today we read a critical passage in Paul's letter to the Galatians in which he rebukes those who have been compelling gentile believers to adapt mosaic customs, such as circumcision. Paul, formerly Saul and certainly one of the legendary persecutors of the early church, now as its chief apostle and advocate sternly reminds them that only faith in Jesus saves. Adding to the work of Jesus on the Cross is disgraceful and flat wrong. Jesus completed our salvation work by His willing sacrifice to atone for our sins. Two thousand years later we are warned to avoid adding to Scripture and straying into false theology, whether legalism or the prosperity Gospel and any other form of heresy. Salvation is the free gift of God to humanity and requires no works by man. There's no way people could ever earn salvation through works or adherence to religious customs. One must only place their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior and receive forgiveness of sins. 

Continuing Joseph's extraordinary journey exemplified by his perseverance throughout seemingly endless trials, Joseph's big moment finally arrives. Join us in Genesis 41 as Joseph is brought before Pharaoh for a moment of historical Truth. 

We begin our journey through Paul's Letter to the Galatians in Galatians 1:1-10. Paul reaffirms his authority in Christ and admonishes the young church for straying toward a false gospel. He also reminds them, and us, to seek the approval of God instead of men. 

Men can follow the example of Joseph when it comes to fleeing sexual temptation. Sometimes it's best to just run and, irrespective of the outcome, allow God to sort out the consequences. 

In this episode, we are in Genesis 40, where we see evidence of God's favor and providence in Joseph's life under trying circumstances. Things look brighter for Joseph when He interprets the dream of Pharaoh's cupbearer, though the same cannot be said about the baker. As disciples of Jesus, we are reminded of the fruits of steadfastness and perseverance during trials as we trust and wait on the Lord, knowing that He is always forging our character to become more and more like His Son, Jesus. As evidenced by Joseph's experience, it is often on the other side of mighty trials and we patiently surrender to the Lord's timing, that something wonderful often lies ahead. 

Today we're in James 5:7-12, where James hammers home that critical message to be steadfast amid our suffering, keeping the faith that Lord is always at work and has our best interests at heart. Resist the temptation to lash out, grumble and short-circuit all that God is working through your suffering and life challenges. We'll surely see the goodness on the other end of it with patience and endurance in the name of Jesus! 

James 5:1-6   Warning to the rich! That probably includes you and me in light of ancient times. It's not about selling everything and becoming a street prophet. It's all about the heart. Whether you have billions or "nillions," is your heart and faith placed in the created treasures of this world or in the eternal glory of God the Father?

Genesis 39:1-23   We get into Scripture and discover Joseph's formula for success in Egypt despite the most trying of circumstances. Hint: it involves passionate purpose, mission clarity, perseverance, and unshakable faith in the One who gave him a couple of life-changing dreams. 

Let's remember to live for today, to dream big about tomorrow, but let God rule tomorrow. He has given us today and there is much purpose to live out for His glory. 

In today's episode, we cover James 4:1-12, touching on James' critical warning against worldliness. Its often more comfortable to straddle the fence, so to speak, keeping one foot in the world and one in the heavenly realm. But following Jesus is not easy because it requires full rejection of the sin and the dying things of this world and rebirth into the new things and the pursuit of godliness. 

Today we read Genesis 37:12-36 and witness the horrific sin committed by Joseph's brothers, but also see God's hand of providence working goodness out of the depraved wicked acts of men. 

Today we read James 3:1-12 and heed the warning given by Jesus's brother that this small group of muscles we call the tongue can cause significant damage if not carefully managed. On the flip side, it can speak life into the darkest of moments and lift others toward salvation and hope in Christ.     

Today we're in James 2:14-26 speaking into "Faith without works is dead." Our tendency as human doers is to struggle with the notion that an almighty God forgives us of our sins and gifts us eternal life in His presence by believing in and calling on the resurrected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and He requires neither works nor sacrifices on our part.   But this God of boundless grace and mercy has done just that for His glory alone. However, calling on Jesus as Lord and Savior must be from the heart and it must be real, not merely an emotional reaction coaxed by a gospel sales pitch. When we call Jesus our Lord and Savior we receive new life, and by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we are to live out transformed lives which work out our salvation. Desiring to love, bless and serve others and to share that same love Christ has for us should be a natural outcome of our salvation. Join us this episode as we look into what Jesus' brother James has to say about this important topic. 

We begin the journey through the story of Joseph in Genesis Chapter 37:1-11, where we meet the young, illuminated boy named Joseph, the second youngest of the twelve sons of Israel. Joseph has an obviously magnificent calling from God which begins with two dreams that leave Joseph's brothers struck with envy and fomenting hatred toward him. The generational sin of partiality, or favoritism, by Israel toward Joseph has seeded a disastrous chasm between Joseph and his brothers, which will have eternal consequences for good by the grace of God. 

We begin a series on the incredible journey of Joseph, which took place some 3800 or so years ago. The story of Joseph is the longest of the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, and takes us from the pastures of Palestine to the Court of Pharaoh in Egypt.  The story puts one of the most heinous sins in all of scripture on full display as Joseph is beaten, thrown into a pit, and eventually sold into slavery by his own flesh and blood brothers. From that horrific experience and through the indignation of slavery, we see Joseph rise from the ashes of despair to the pinnacle of worldly authority in the ancient world. Throughout the story, we see God's divine providence on full display. We don't witness supernatural manifestations of miracles. There's no parting of the Nile, nor does Joseph by the power of God turn a rod into a snake. But clearly is orchestrating events and moving hearts in favor of Joseph to fulfill a divine, greater purpose for the young nation of Israel.   We see a young man remaining impossibly laser-focused on his God-given mission life, which was rooted in two spectacular dreams God gave Joseph as a teenager. Joseph would overcome one apparently catastrophic obstacle after another in his life through unrelenting faith and obedience to God. We also see striking similarities to Christ in his earthly three year ministry. There is much for us to glean and apply to our own lives as we begin this collective journey.

In this episode, we are reading the entire Book of Esther in honor of the Jewish holiday of Purim, or Feast of Lots, a joyous Jewish festival commemorating the survival of the Jews who, in the 5th century BCE, were marked for death by their Persian rulers. 

James 1:16-18 closes the first section of his letter, the testing of our faith, by informing us that we should be a kind of firstfruits of God's creatures. This great God, whom James refers to as the Father of lights, reveals His illuminous glory in all creation, and imperfect you and me are His most cherished of masterpieces.   

Today we continue our journey through the Letter of James as we dive into James 1:12-15. Jesus is constantly faithful to us no matter our depravity and unfaithfulness to Him. Let us stay rooted in His love and trust Him through the most challenging of trials so that we can stay the course, following Him throughout our lives until one day we receive the Crown of Life! 

Today we are in The Letter of James as we continue exploring what the testing of our faith means and how we not only persevere but thrive under duress.    James 1:5-11

James 1:1-4   James, Jesus' brother, wrote a letter filled with wisdom and advice for the early Dispersion and early church. He begins the letter addressing the many trials they (and we today) would face following Jesus. In today's episode, we explore what James means by counting it all joy when we experience the various trials we inevitably face while following Jesus in our lives. 

Proverbs 6:20-7:27   Looking into the consequences of sexual folly and the strategies of sexual temptation, followed by a look into the New Testament for relevance and application to our lives today. 

You're not here by accident. God has loved and known you since the beginning of time. Yes, you and me, anonymous to the world, but belovedly known by Him. You have a purpose for your life, a reason for your existence, a life mission that God designed especially and uniquely for you.   Proverbs 16:9 2 Timothy 1:9 Acts 13:36 1 Peter 2:3

In this episode we dive into Proverbs Chapter 6 to explore what wisdom tells us about living responsibly with our finances, time and treasures, what we can learn from ants in pursuing opportunities, and the foundational piece of our faith- unity. 

A massive divergence of political viewpoints has divided a nation. To many, yes, even in the Church, all seems lost. That is a lie. When we found Christ, we found hope and salvation, and more...we also became citizens of Heaven, ambassadors for Christ and we were commissioned to share that same good news we received with a lost and hurting world, many of whom have never heard the name Jesus. We are being tested. Will we respond vainly in hostility or will we react with the Kingdom in heart and God's greater purpose for our own lives in proper perspective? This episode encourages us to choose the latter option.    Scripture:  Matthew 28:18-21,  James 1,  2 Timothy 3,  2 Corinthians 2

We all have plenty of saints and sinners scattered throughout our genealogy. We sometimes fantasize what life would be like had we come from a more noble background. But fantasy denies reality. The reality is that God has a dream for each of our lives, and it begins in Christ, where we find a new identity and new heavenly family in which we are born anew in the Spirit. God then takes our past failures and brokenness and molds them into a new story of hope and redemption through our lives.   Take heart, for even Jesus had some shady people in his genealogy!    Matthew 1:1-17

We didn't accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to retreat into a cave. No! We are to go into the world sharing the Good News with everyone we encounter through our unique testimonies and gifting God bequeathed to each of us. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:20 that we are Christ's ambassadors. We are called to represent Christ and His Kingdom on earth. We are not passive consumers of religion as Christians. Quite the contrary, we are all called to go, advance, take ground and mature in the likeness of Christ throughout this adventuresome journey which is our very short lives on earth in light of eternity.    We are commissioned to represent Him and to change the world for His glory. Our word for 2021 is "commissioned!"  

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we who have surrendered out hearts to Jesus have become citizens of Heaven, an eternal, conquerable and perfect Kingdom where joy reigns.  Key Scripture: Philippians 3:20  

There are seasons of life when we feel lost at sea, drifting aimlessly amid hopelessness with no provision nor rescue in sight. God has other thoughts on that...

Today we dive into Proverbs Chapter 3 to learn what trusting in the Lord with all our heart looks like in our daily lives. We explore the themes of shalom (peace) God gives and the trust He demands. 

As the Covid pandemic continues to rage onward around the world, and on the heals of political ideological divisions, election turmoil and global economic uncertainty, Christmas season couldn't have come sooner. We all need a season of holiday cheer and refreshing. But as we celebrate with our families and reverently adore Jesus in His entire nature, including as a baby in a manger over 2,000 years ago, we turn to Isaiah 53 to remind ourselves of the great gift He gave us by making the ultimate sacrifice to atone for our sins and reconcile us with God our Father. Let us rejoice in the hope and salvation we've been gifted and commit to no longer placing unnecessary burdens, self-doubt and unrealistic expectations on our shoulders. 

In this series we dive into Proverbs Chapter 2 to explore how we can grow in our relationship with Christ, and how Christ replenishes, strengthens and nourishes our roots. We look into how we can be renewed in Him and also how we can be protected in this world. 

The dreams and achievements of this fading world die definitively in the cemetery, but to those who place their trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the headstone of the grave becomes the stepping stone into eternal glory.

Key Scripture: Colossians 3:23-24, 1 John 2:17   In this episode I share what God taught me about humility and simple acts of service when Pastor Julius in southern Kenya near Tanzania hacked a dirt road to welcome me with hospitality and humility. 

Proverbs 1:20-33 "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?" In this episode we explore Ortlunds teaching that wisdom is demanding, dangerous and it is our only safety.

Today we take a look at Paul David Tripp's excellent daily devotional I'd recommend to everyone, "New Morning Mercies." Using today's devotional entry as an example, we dive into John 15:1-17.