Grace in Focus – May/June 2024
To Delight a King
By Kathryn Wright Princess Problems The Book of Esther is a bit of a conundrum for many Bible students. It reads almost like a fairytale. A Jewish Cinderella is crowned queen and saves the Jewish people from the evil villain Haman. Add a goofy sidekick and an epic music number, and we’d have a Disney
Walking on Water: A Lesson in Pleasing God, Matthew 14:22-33
By Bill Lee One of Jesus Christ’s best-known miracles was walking on water. It occurred during the night following the day that He fed the five thousand on the northeast coast of the Sea of Galilee. What is less known is why He did it. He had a reason. The Lord Jesus Christ had a
Strive to Enter the Kingdom? Matthew 7:13-14
By Bob Wilkin A reader sent in this question: Hello. Thanks for your articles. I genuinely believe in salvation by faith alone, by trusting in Jesus Christ as God and His atoning death/blood for the forgiveness of sins. However, one Scripture that has always confused me is Matthew 7:13-14. What does Jesus mean when He
Hearing What You Want to Hear
By Ken Yates All of us have a worldview. Many factors contribute to how we see the world. These factors usually include our parents, education, employment, and people with whom we spend most of our time. Our worldview causes us to interpret things the way we do. Two people can hear the exact same words
Mentor-Mentee Models: Moses-Joshua and Paul-Timothy
By Philippe R. Sterling The word mentor comes from The Odyssey. While Ulysses was away fighting in the Trojan War, he placed his son Telemachus under the tutelage of a sage named Mentor. The personal name has become a term meaning someone who trains a less experienced associate. Mentoring is widely employed in business, education,
Focused Free Grace Versus Flexible Free Grace: Can Two Walk Together? Part 2
By Mike Lii1 V. Fundamental Theological Differences as a Consequence of the Two Essential Differences (Eternal Life and Assurance) A. THE NATURE OF THE FAITH THAT SAVES Many Flexible Free Gracers view assurance of eternal life as optional for saving faith because they understand faith as including something more than the Focused Free Grace definition:
Are Eternal Rewards Secure? Part 1
By Bob Wilkin Jeff raises a great question: Do you think a believer earns a reward each time he does a good deed in Jesus’ name (or to honor God). In other words, as he lives each day, does he lay up gold, silver, and precious stones in heaven for the good he does? But
Free Grace College Campus Ministry Under Siege
By Jack Stevens “You’re not teachable!” Lately, I’ve heard that frequently. In meetings with pastors and campus leaders who have been in the ministry for almost fifty years, I’ve been repeatedly told that my understanding of salvation is “just surface level,” “overly simple,” and “unbiblical.” I’m seen as a wayward heretic, and I’ve experienced heavy
Running With Endurance Toward Eternal Glory: Hebrews 12:1-2
By Chuck Deveau “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
Just Accept It: You’re Going to Blow It
By Ken Yates Eternal life is given to the person who believes in Jesus for it. It is a gift that cannot be lost. The believer cannot give the gift back even if he wants to! Being a disciple of the Lord, however, is completely different. A disciple is one who follows the Lord and
Voice From the Past: Short-Sighted Believers (2 Peter 1:9)?
By Zane Hodges1 For he who lacks these things is short-sighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. The writer of this article has been nearsighted since grade school. My 7th-grade teacher noticed me squinting as I tried to read the blackboard. She shared this observation with my