Apples of Insight

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Vector-style cartoon illustration of a man in the foreground crying with tears streaming down his face, clutching his cheeks in anguish. Behind him sits Jesus in a green robe, wearing a crown of thorns, with hands bound by golden chains. Both figures are outlined in thick black lines with bold magenta, purple, gold, and green tones, rendered in a clean sticker-like style on a transparent background.

The Hell Awaiting Christians? (Pt. 2)

The Bible warns that some believers will face Christ not with boldness, but with shame. John’s words in 1 John 2:28 point to a sobering reality: unfaithfulness may leave us overwhelmed by regret in His presence—not condemned, but painfully aware of wasted opportunities when He returns.
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Free Grace and Deconstruction

Deconstruction isn’t just doubt or hurt—it’s a spiritual crisis where faith is dismantled and tested. Some walk away, others distort, but many rebuild or deepen their trust in Christ. Free Grace offers a uniquely fear-free environment where love, assurance, and truth can guide people through the chaos.
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Reading Someone Else’s Mail

Many believers unintentionally open someone else’s mail in Scripture—claiming promises or commands never addressed to them. The key is learning the difference between primary application (what it meant to the original audience) and secondary application (what we can learn from it). When we read the Bible’s letters as they were sent, God’s voice grows clearer, not smaller.
Vector-style cartoon illustration of four people standing in a police lineup, each holding a numbered placard. From left to right: a man in a headwrap with the number 1, a woman in a headscarf with the number 2, a man in a jacket with the number 3, and a woman with short dark hair wearing a pink shirt with the number 4. Behind them are lineup height lines. Outlined in thick black lines with bold flat colors, the design has a clean, sticker-like style on a transparent background.

Who Said That?

The Bible is God’s Word for us—but not every line was written to us. Confusing the author, recipient, speaker, and audience can twist meaning and create contradictions. Learning to track these “four parties of Scripture” clears the noise and lets us hear God’s Word as it was meant.
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Somatic Devotion (Pt. 1)

When we say “worship,” we usually mean singing on Sundays. But Scripture shows something far wider: devotion—one-way, God-ward acts that turn ordinary life toward Him. What if cars, coffee, and commutes could become devotion? What if our whole bodies joined the song?
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Words are Bridges

Not every word is a truth-claim. Some, like Paul’s “idol meat,” live in the gray—morally neutral until love decides how to use them. What if pronouns are like that? Not worship, not denial—just language as bridge. Sometimes faithfulness looks less like resistance and more like discernment.
Vector-style cartoon illustration of a man smiling as he washes dishes in a sink full of soapy water. Next to the sink, a phone shows a woman in a pink shirt waving on a video call. Outlined in thick black lines with bold flat colors, the design has a clean, sticker-like style on a transparent background.

Dishwasher Mode

Fear of judgment stifles growth. “Dishwasher Mode”—a simple practice I discovered in recovery—creates space to share without interruption, critique, or pressure. Whether in friendships or the arts, this mode builds trust, breaks down shame, and frees creativity. Sometimes the best growth happens when we’re simply heard.

All Insights

Reading Someone Else’s Mail

Many believers unintentionally open someone else’s mail in Scripture—claiming promises or commands never addressed to them. The key is learning the difference between primary application (what it meant to the original audience) and secondary application (what we can learn from it). When we read the Bible’s letters as they were sent, God’s voice grows clearer, not smaller.

Words are Bridges

Not every word is a truth-claim. Some, like Paul’s “idol meat,” live in the gray—morally neutral until love decides how to use them. What if pronouns are like that? Not worship, not denial—just language as bridge. Sometimes faithfulness looks less like resistance and more like discernment.

Forgiveness Without Fog

Forgiveness isn’t forgetting or excusing—or instant reconciliation. Biblically, it’s a clear, repeatable act: name the wrong, release your personal claim to payback, refuse inner and outer retaliation, and entrust judgment to God—again as needed. This frees you to heal while justice and boundaries still stand.

The Invention of “Saving” Faith

For centuries, James 2 has been read as teaching two kinds of faith—“true” vs. “demonic.” This essay shows how that split stems from Augustine’s Latin Bible and the Donatist fight, not James. Restore the dialogue cues, and the passage calls believers to live their shared faith, not classify it.

The Context Compass

Interpreting Scripture can feel like wandering in the wilderness—every verse pulling a different way. The Context Compass (C12) offers bearings: twelve “directions” of context that orient us to author, history, genre, and theology. Not a rigid map, but a compass—guiding readers toward clarity without losing the text’s voice.

The Apostle Paul Taught me to Cuss

Did Paul swear in the Bible? He wasn’t afraid of sharp language. He called his old life “skúbalon” (excrement), mocked false teachers with grotesque wordplay, and even echoed ethnic slurs to dismantle them. Like Jesus, he used shocking words to protect truth, expose hypocrisy, and defend God’s people.