Blog & Lessons
Read Justin Reed’s latest posts, Bible lessons, and thoughtful resources from Brushwood Press.
Latest Blog & Lessons
There is a kind of Christianity that wants the pain of sin removed without wanting the rule of sin broken.It wants peace, but not surrender. It wants stability, but not holiness. It wants forgiveness, but not lordship. It wants the consequences of sin to quiet down so life can f…
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There is a kind of Christianity that wants the pain of sin removed without wanting the rule of sin broken.It wants peace, but not surrender. It wants stability, but not holiness. It wants forgiveness, but not lordship. It wants the consequences of sin to quiet down so life can f…
There is a kind of change that looks spiritual at first.A person is confronted with sin. Consequences begin to close in. Relationships are strained. Trust is damaged. The pressure becomes painful enough that something must change. So they apologize. They soften. They behave bett…
When Doctrine Stops Being Observation and Starts Becoming LifeThe Sacred/Secular LieThere is a kind of Christianity that becomes very good at learning while remaining strangely untouched. It is not always false Christianity in the obvious sense. It does not necessarily look rebe…
Humility, Honor, and Living to Please ChristPhilippians 2:3–5 • Romans 12:10 • Galatians 1:10 • 2 Corinthians 5:9There is a kind of exhaustion that settles quietly over people who live for the approval of others.At first, it does not feel dangerous. It feels responsible. Mature.…
There is a way to ask the question, “What is the church?” that is safe.We can answer it with definitions. We can talk about the gathered people of God. We can speak of elders and deacons, preaching and ordinances, membership and discipline, worship and fellowship. All of those t…
There Are Not Two Kinds of PeopleThere is a way of looking at the world that feels so natural, so reasonable, that most people never stop to question it.It is the quiet belief that humanity can be divided into two kinds of people—those who are open to God and those who are not.…
There is a way of speaking about the gospel that has become so common that it no longer sounds strange, even though it should.It sounds like this:“Yes, the deeper truths are strong… but when you’re talking to someone who isn’t a Christian, you need to keep it light. You need to…
There are certain words in the Christian world that carry a lot of weight but often very little clarity. One of those words is strongholds. In many conversations, the term gets applied to communities, political movements, neighborhoods, or even specific individuals. We begin to…
There is a particular sentence in Genesis that deserves more attention than it usually gets. Not because it is obscure, but because it is familiar. And familiar things often slip past us unnoticed.The serpent’s question is simple enough:“Did God really say…?”It doesn’t sound hos…
One of the most common objections to the sovereignty of God is not theological—it is moral. People do not usually argue first that Scripture does not teach God’s sovereignty. Instead, they argue that if God truly is sovereign, then He must be unloving, coercive, or tyrannical.Th…
In the last lesson, we talked about how assurance survives ongoing struggle. We saw that real repentance and real deliverance do not remove future temptation, and that struggle itself is often evidence of new life, not the absence of it. Assurance, Scripture teaches, is grounded…
In the last lesson, we spent time clarifying the difference between conviction and conversion. We talked about how a person can feel the weight of sin, be deeply affected by truth, and even be convinced that Jesus is who He says He is—without actually being converted. We also ta…
There is a quiet assumption woven into much of modern Christianity:that God is doing His best in a very difficult situation.The world is broken. Satan is active. Sin is everywhere. And God, we’re told, is constantly reacting—working around resistance, limited by human will, hopi…
There is a moment many people experience when the weight of sin becomes undeniable. The conscience awakens. Guilt presses in. The realization dawns that life, as it has been lived, cannot continue unchanged. That moment often feels decisive—like something has finally “clicked.”S…
(Romans 11:33–36)I want to begin by naming the posture of this piece.I’m not writing this to win arguments, to sort people into camps, or to elevate theological systems. I’m writing as a teacher who has watched how easily sincere believers—especially those who are weary, anxious…
Before we move forward, we need to clarify something from last week—not because the gospel was misstated, but because the contrast must be sharper if we’re going to feel the full weight of Scripture.When we spoke about Creation, the intention was never to suggest that humanity i…
There’s been something stirring in my heart lately as I talk with people about Jesus.In these conversations—some deep, some emotional, some unexpected—I’ve noticed how easy it is to drift away from the center of the gospel and get tangled up in the details orbiting around it.Tho…
How God Produces the Response He Commands — and How We Guide People Through Conversational EvangelismThere is a response the gospel requires: repentance and faith. Scripture presents these as essential, but it also teaches that these responses do not originate from human will. T…
Why Scripture and Science Agree That Faith Cannot Originate in Human WillMost Christians assume belief is something they can simply decide. We hear phrases like: • “I chose to believe.” • “I made Jesus Lord.” • “I decided to follow Christ.”It sounds humble. Emotional. Spiritual.…
Why Logic, Learning, and Sound Doctrine Actually Transform the Christian LifeMost Christians don’t struggle with knowledge.They struggle with belief.We know things about God we do not yet believe in a way that reshapes our reactions, our affections, and our decisions. And the ga…
The Foundation of the GospelWe cannot present the gospel rightly if we do not start where God starts. The good news is only good if the bad news is real—and the bad news is far worse than most are willing to admit. But the gospel is also far greater than most dare to hope. To pr…
There’s a rhythm to everything God makes.Even the smallest things obey it.The tide never forgets when to rise. The stars never need to be reminded to shine. The earth turns on its axis without a whisper of hesitation. Creation moves to a time signature set by its Composer.When w…
If we were sitting together tonight—I’d ask you a question that might take a second to answer.Do you think you were ever truly good before Christ found you?Not just “decent” or “kind” in a passing way, but good—the kind of goodness that can look God in the face without flinching…
When God Speaks, Chaos Becomes CreationBefore there was light, there was God — and only God. Genesis opens not with man searching for meaning but with God moving toward chaos: “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Into that darkness, He s…
This week at Woodlawn, something simple but significant has begun stirring again.The same Word that’s been forming us these past few months has started pressing a new burden on our hearts—a deep desire to see our friends, our children, and our families come to know Christ.People…
The Unspeakable Glory of Adoption in ChristSomething is happening in our church. And it’s not just growth—it’s transformation. The testimonies are pouring in, not about flashy programs or perfect sermons, but about something far more powerful: people are finally feeling wanted,…
Love’s Shadow, Sanctification’s Fire, and Eternity’s SchoolMourning is one of the strangest experiences of the Christian life. It pulls us in two directions at once—pain for what was torn away, gratitude for the goodness that made the loss so heavy. You only mourn deeply if you…
Fellowship, Contentment, and the Power Beside Us(How the Holy Spirit Arms the Church for War)We’ve been walking together through the Lord’s Prayer and through the battlefield of the mind. We’ve seen the necessity of confession and reconciliation. We’ve stood at the threshold of…
—A Table Talk for the FrontlineFriend, let’s speak plainly.We are in a war. Not for territory or resources, but for your mind. Every day, thoughts march in—some loyal to Christ, others working for the enemy. Each one will either bow to Him or try to pull you away. And there’s no…
Worship That Creates a Safe Place for the Church to Heal(How Reverence for God Fuels Reconciliation and Transforms Community)“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.Your kingdom come.Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”— Matthew 6:9–10When the disciples asked Jes…
(Why Concealed Sin Silences Prayer and Starves the Soul)In a world that prizes privacy and celebrates autonomy, confession feels like exposure. To admit weakness or sin in front of others feels unnatural—risky at best, humiliating at worst. We're taught to curate our lives, cont…
Some people walk away from church feeling alive—hearts full, hands lifted, eyes still wet from worship. And that’s a good thing. There’s nothing wrong with emotional expression when it flows from truth. It’s a gift to feel deeply what God has done.But if we’re honest, we’ve lear…
Listen on YouTube https://youtu.be/kAUXJOOxRRgListen on Spotify https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/justin-reed691/episodes/Doctrines-of-Men--Or-the-Word-of-God-e33gr10Written by Justin Reed | Brushwood PressYou’ve probably heard someone say it before. “That’s just the doctrin…
Listen on YouTube https://youtu.be/ey4E13fnnKMListen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/4di7t5LExMqnSyMBMlUSLp?si=c74a6c6bf31f44ffBy Justin Reed | Brushwood PressWe often think of sin in categories—murder, lust, addiction, corruption. The ones that make headlines or get…
https://youtu.be/aXS4RwJB0qIMany sincere believers struggle when hardship hits. We ask, “Is my suffering a sign I’m outside God’s will? Am I under demonic attack?” It’s tempting to label our circumstances as “good” or “bad” based on how painful or pleasant they are. Some even te…
Just in case you missed Part One, allow me a brief moment to catch you up. We spoke plainly—though gently—about the danger of treating faith as something we produce rather than something we receive. We traced the modern obsession with personal autonomy, the cultural doctrine tha…
Let me ask you something as plainly as I can: What if the greatest danger facing the church today isn’t outright rebellion, but something far more subtle? What if the real threat isn’t that we’ll stop talking about Jesus, but that we’ll start talking about Him in a way that quie…
Introduction: The Power We Long ForThere are few phrases in modern Christian language as compelling—or as potentially confusing—as the word manifestation. It evokes possibility, power, and the deep ache of the human heart to see heaven touch earth. In our age, it has become a wo…