We challenge the fear that hardship equals punishment and show how John 15 reframes trials as pruning for more fruit. We press into abiding as believing, freedom from guilt through the finished work of Christ, and a humble dependence that endures.

• abiding as active belief and dependence
• pruning as spiritual growth, not punishment
• lessons from gardening applied to John 15
• fruit that remains into eternity
• weakness as the place God’s power is strong
• freedom from guilt through the finished work of Christ
• different yields from the same faithful vine
• praying for pruning over seeking more forgiveness

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/068-pruning-for-fruit-bearing-john-15-1-6/

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We trace how abiding in Christ clarifies what we ask for and why some prayers are answered with confidence. Through John 15, 1 John, and Paul’s thorn, we show how dependence on the Spirit shapes desires, grows fruit, and keeps us from falling away.

• abiding defined as continuing in belief
• fruit as evidence of dependence on Christ
• prayer aligned to God’s will, not wishlists
• John 15 and 1 John on confident asking
• Paul’s thorn redefining strength and grace
• the Holy Spirit as counselor and teacher
• love, assurance, and perseverance through the Spirit
• chosen to bear fruit that remains
• guidance, patience, and joy under trial

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/067-ask-and-it-will-be-done-john-15-1-6/

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We trace the vine from the prophets to the upper room and show why Jesus calls himself the true vine and how abiding is believing. Fear fades when we see that withered branches picture unbelief, while pruning affirms those loved by God.

• the problem of church rhetoric versus grace clarity
• abiding defined as believing, not performance
• addressing “taken away” and “fire” without legalism
• Israel as the vine in the Tanakh and the remnant
• Matthew’s Hosea quote and the second exodus
• Romans 11 on broken-off and grafted-in branches
• covenant promise before law, fulfilled in Christ
• clean because of the word, Judas as contrast
• pruning as care and fruit as evidence of life
• encouragement to value salvation and trust grace

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/066-thrown-into-the-fire-and-burned-john-15-1-6/

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We trace John 15 through the lens of the cross and the Spirit to show that abiding in Christ means believing the gospel, not performing for worth. Prayer, love, and confidence before God flow from this union and are sustained by the Spirit’s indwelling.

• timing and covenant context for John 15
• belief as the work of God
• discipleship and freedom after the cross
• new command to love one another
• prayer aligned with God’s will
• abiding clarified in 1 John
• confidence before God through reconciliation
• love as evidence of the Spirit’s work
• assurance and security in the Spirit
• interpreting burned branches without fear

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/065-what-is-abiding-in-christ-john-15-1-6/

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We test a hard question: did the apostles continue Jewish practice while preaching grace, and how does that reshape Acts 15, Acts 21, Galatians 2, and Romans 14? Do we see in the gospel distinction without discrimination—Jew and Gentile worshiping with one voice—while rejecting legalism’s return to boundary-making?

• Acts 15 as the table-fellowship framework for Gentiles via the apostolic decree
• Acts 21 and Paul’s purification to affirm he lived in observance of Torah
• Galatians 2 as a unity crisis, not a dietary ban on Jewish practice
• Hebrews 8 and the transition toward the new covenant consummation
• Ephesians 2 and the end of law-as-boundary, fulfilled in love
• Rethinking the “weak” in Romans 14 in synagogue settings
• AD 70’s impact on temple worship and covenantal shift
• Modern legalism critiqued; grace as the engine of love and unity

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/064-paul-rebukes-peter-part-2-galatians-2-11/

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The confrontation between Paul and Peter in Antioch reveals key insights about grace, fellowship, and the true meaning of the gospel.

• Paul rebuked Peter not for doctrinal error but for hypocrisy—his behavior contradicted the truth he proclaimed
• Early church fathers were so troubled by this apostolic disagreement that some suggested it was staged
• Peter's vision regarding Cornelius wasn't primarily about food but about not considering any person common or unclean
• Jewish separation from Gentiles was cultural practice, not a Torah command
• Different Jewish communities had varying attitudes toward Gentile relationships
• Two types of Gentile proselytes existed: "proselytes of the gate" who followed minimum requirements and full converts
• The real issue wasn't dietary laws but whether Gentiles were equal partners in salvation
• We must harmonize Paul's rebuke in Galatians with his teaching on tolerance in Romans 14
• The question remains: Did the apostles continue practicing Mosaic law after Pentecost?

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/063-paul-rebukes-peter-part-1-galatians-2-11/

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The principle that "God shows no partiality" (Romans 2:11) shaped Paul's ministry approach as he navigated the complex relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers in the first-century church.

• Paul consistently went to Jewish synagogues first when entering new cities
• Early Christian Gentiles in Rome were deeply integrated with Jewish synagogue communities
• The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) established minimum requirements for Gentile believers in Jewish communities without imposing full Jewish law
• Synagogues served as centers for community, worship, education, and economic support in the ancient world
• Paul demonstrated cultural sensitivity by having Timothy circumcised and taking Nazarite vows
• First-century Christians lived in a transitional period between covenant ages
• Christ fulfilled the law and brought reconciliation to the saints at Pentecost 
• The destruction of the Temple in AD 70 marked the full end of the old covenant age along with the Law.
• Paul's approach wasn't anti-law but pro-Christ, seeing Jesus as the fulfillment of the law
• Paul used the Jewish scriptures to prove Jesus was the promised Messiah King that the Jews awaited.

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/062-god-shows-no-partiality-romans-2-11/

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The destructive nature of futurism and its eschatological interpretations creates harmful consequences ranging from personal anxiety to political deception.

• Futurist prophetic predictions have a 100% failure rate despite being proclaimed throughout church history
• Scripture clearly states false prophets deserve death according to Deuteronomy 18
• End-times teaching creates unnecessary anxiety by telling people to "be ready" for events that already occurred
• The rapture concept misinterprets passages like 1 Thessalonians 4 and Luke 17
• Believing in imminent end times causes poor life decisions and diminishes motivation to address world problems
• Futurism leads to loss of hope when promised relief doesn't materialize
• Christian Zionism has caused support for violence through misunderstanding of biblical Israel
• Political deception occurs when Christians support modern Israel based on misapplied scriptures
• Futurist theology makes light of the apostles' mission which was already accomplished
• Christians are waiting for what they already have – the established kingdom of God

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/061-ten-reasons-futurism-is-destructive/

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We explore the concept of "glory and honor and immortality" and how most Christians unknowingly seek what they already possess through the finished work of Christ

• Understanding what the apostles were truly awaiting in the first century—their promised redemption
• Why Christ's return in AD 70 matters and how it fulfilled all promises to the early believers
• The spiritual gifts of the first century and why they no longer exist today
• Israel's exodus from Egypt parallels our spiritual deliverance through Christ
• The change that occurred in believers at Christ's return
• What it means that we now possess glory and honor and immortality rather than just having the promise
• Revelation's "new earth" in its proper spiritual context
• The tragedy of living unaware of our spiritual inheritance

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/060-glory-and-honor-and-immortality-romans-2-7/

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The second coming of Christ must have already happened in AD 70, coinciding with Jerusalem's destruction, as evidenced by the Day of Yahweh prophecies in Scripture.

• The Day of the Lord brought tribulation "to the Jew first, and also the Greek" as prophesied in Romans 2:9-11
• Jesus directly connected His return to the destruction of Jerusalem in Matthew 24
• 2 Thessalonians 2 links Christ's return with the destruction of "the man of lawlessness" in the temple
• When Jesus told His accusers they would see Him "coming on the clouds" He was indicating judgment would come in their lifetime
• There's no 2,000-year gap between Christian resurrection and final judgment in Scripture
• Salvation was consistently described as future throughout the New Testament until Christ's return
• The resurrection produces spiritual bodies, not physical ones as many assume
• Christians today must be living in what Scripture calls "the new heaven and new earth"
• The New Covenant age began at Pentecost but was fully established at Christ's return in AD 70

Blog Post: https://wakinguptograce.com/059-the-jew-first-and-also-the-greek-romans-2-9-11/

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