Category Archives: Notes

Posts with attached teaching notes.

Your Kingdom Come

Experiencing Grace Podcast

Disciples’ Prayer 5 | Your Kingdom Come | Ep. 17

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 5

In this episode of the Experiencing Grace podcast, we continue our journey through the Disciples’ Prayer by exploring the phrase “Your Kingdom Come.” This simple petition opens up one of the most important themes in all of Scripture—the rule, reign, and active presence of God breaking into the world.

Jesus didn’t tell us to pray this because the Kingdom was absent. He told us to pray it because the Kingdom is already here, still coming, and one day will come in fullness. This episode unpacks that tension and shows how the Kingdom shapes our lives right now.

What We Explore in This Teaching

What the Kingdom of God actually is: Not a place, not a political nation, but God’s ruling presence—His authority expressed in the hearts and lives of His people.
Where the Kingdom is found: Jesus said the Kingdom is “in your midst.” It’s an internal, spiritual reality that manifests outwardly through transformed lives.
When the Kingdom comes: Scripture reveals a two‑phase reality:
- Already — Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom in His ministry.
- Not Yet — The Kingdom will be fully revealed when Christ returns.
How the Kingdom comes: Through Promise, Process, Proclamation, Power, Parousia, Peace, and Perfection—what I call the 7 Ps of Your Kingdom Come.
Why this matters for discipleship: Praying “Your Kingdom Come” is not passive. It’s a call to align our lives with God’s reign and participate in His mission.

Highlights from the Notes

The Kingdom is God’s reign, not merely His realm.
Jesus’ ministry demonstrated the Kingdom through healing, deliverance, compassion, forgiveness, and authority over creation.
The Kingdom spreads through repentance, reconciliation, and Spirit‑empowered witness.
The increase of His Kingdom will never end (Isaiah 9:6–7).
The parables of the mustard seed and yeast show the Kingdom’s slow, steady, unstoppable growth.
We live in the tension of “already but not yet”—experiencing the Kingdom now while longing for its fullness at Christ’s return.

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Hallowed Be Your Name

Experiencing Grace Podcast

Disciples’ Prayer 4 | Hallowed Be Your Name | Ep. 16

00:00 / 45:09

The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 4

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He didn’t just tell them to address the Father—He added “Hallowed be Your name.” This phrase is more than an acknowledgment of God’s holiness—it’s a call to action.

What Does “Hallowed” Mean?

At first glance, one might think Jesus was simply stating a fact: “Father, Your name is holy.” But holiness is an adjective—hallowed is a verb. The Greek word hagiazó means to sanctify, set apart, and consecrate. Jesus was teaching us that we have a role in honoring God’s name.

Why Acknowledge His Name as Holy?

God is not just holy—He is thrice holy. When Isaiah and John both glimpsed the throne room of heaven, they heard the seraphim crying out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.” This repetition wasn’t redundant—it was a proclamation that one “holy” isn’t enough to describe God’s fullness. It’s been sung for thousands of years—and if we were face-to-face with Him, we’d be singing it too.

The Name Above Every Name

But what name are we setting apart? Philippians 2:9-11 tells us: “God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name—so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow.” This isn’t about language—whether it’s Jesus, Yeshua, Lord, Adonai, Jehovah—it’s about the One who bears the name.

How Do We Hallow God’s Name?

The Bible gives us three primary ways to set His name apart:

Do not profane His name
- To profane means to make common—to treat God’s name as ordinary instead of holy.
- This includes misusing His name, swearing falsely by it, or using it for manipulation or control.
Praise and Worship Him
- Worship isn’t just singing—it’s recognizing God’s worth.
- True worship happens in Spirit and in Truth—not just routine actions, but a heartfelt response.
Be Holy in Conduct
- When Peter quoted Leviticus “be holy, because I am Holy,” he explained that this means we are to “be holy in all we do.”
- As believers, we are a royal priesthood—our holiness reflects His holiness.
- We are made holy in nature by God, but holiness in conduct requires daily growth and surrender.

Holiness Is a Journey and a Destination

Being holy doesn’t mean perfection overnight—it’s a process of maturity. Jesus Himself said: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48) The Greek word teleios means complete, mature, unfolding—like a telescope extending stage by stage until it reaches full clarity. The Apostle Paul used the same root word in 2 Corinthians 7:1 when he told us to “perfect holiness out of reverence for God.” Both Jesus and Paul, by using this word, indicate a recognition that we are going through a process of maturity to reach an end goal.

Encouragement for the Journey

Holiness is because of salvation—not a condition for it.
It’s about loving God more than ourselves.
Failure isn’t falling when we try—it’s failing to try.
God enjoys us in our weakness—He knows our frame better than we do.

To hallow His name is to live in reverence, worship, and holiness—because His name is worthy.

Dive deeper into this truth through the full message, audio, and notes.

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In Heaven

Experiencing Grace Podcast

Disciples’ Prayer 3 | In Heaven | Ep. 15

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 3

In Heaven: Understanding God’s Position and Nature

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began with “Our Father in heaven.” Why that phrase? Why not just “Our Father”? The placement of “in heaven” is deliberate—it speaks to God’s exaltation, authority, and holiness, distinguishing Him from everything profane or common.

Heaven: God’s Throne and His Position as King

Scripture consistently defines heaven as God’s throne, emphasizing His position above all creation. Isaiah, David, Jesus, and even Stephen—the first Christian martyr—all affirm that God reigns from heaven. If God has a throne, then He must be King. And not just any king—He is King of Kings, the Most High, the Creator of heaven and earth.

The Paradox of God’s Nature

Here’s where things get profound: God is both transcendent and immanent. This means He is high above us yet draws near. He is incomprehensible and ineffable, yet He chooses to reveal Himself. The phrase “Our Father in heaven” captures this paradox perfectly—Father (close) / In Heaven (beyond us).

Transcendence: God’s ways are higher than ours, His thoughts beyond our understanding.
Immanence: Through Jesus, He dwells among us—Immanuel, God with us—and even within us.

Approaching God: Father and King

How do we approach such a God—so grand yet so personal? The Bible guides us:

With thanksgiving and praise – Enter His courts joyfully.
With songs of understanding – Worship that instructs and exalts.
With humility – Honor His holiness.
With listening hearts – Few words, open ears.

Our Position with Him

God, in His grace, has seated us with Christ in heavenly places. We are heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ, no longer slaves to sin, but victorious through Him.

And yet, does that diminish our need to worship? Absolutely not. If anything, understanding our honored position should increase our reverence for Him. Even the twenty-four elders, exalted in the heavenly vision of Revelation, cast their crowns and worship. The more we grasp God’s greatness, the more worship becomes our natural response.

The Conclusion: He is King, We are Worshipers

At the end of the day, God is King. He is exalted. He is worthy of worship. What does He ask of us? That we love Him and love others—for love fulfills all the commandments.

Dive deeper into this truth through the full message, audio, and notes.

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Father

Experiencing Grace Podcast

Disciples’ Prayer 2 | Father | Ep. 14

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 2

Praying “Father”: Embracing Our Identity and Relationship with God

Welcome back to The Disciples’ Prayer Series! We’ve explored the unity in addressing God as “Our” Father—now, let’s focus on the next word: “Father.”

Jesus taught us to pray this way for two powerful reasons: To reveal the Father in a way never understood before. To declare that we are sons of God.

Jesus: The Revelation of the Father

Throughout His ministry, Jesus unveiled the mystery of God’s nature. He declared, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” and emphasized, “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Though fully God, Jesus chose not to operate in certain divine attributes (such as omnipresence or omniscience) during His earthly ministry. Instead, everything He did, He did as a man in obedience to the Father—showing us that we, too, can walk in obedience.

Sons Through Adoption

While Jesus is the only begotten Son, we become sons through adoption, empowered to cry, “Abba, Father!” This isn’t about physical gender but spiritual identity—both men and women inherit the promises of Christ.

As co-heirs with Him, we share in His inheritance: “God appointed Him heir of all things.” That means all things belong to us in Him, and we are raised up to reign with Christ!

Free from Slavery, Called to Serve

Being sons means we are not slaves to the law. Christ redeemed us so that we could live by faith, rather than striving under the law’s impossible demands.

Yet, as free people, we choose to serve—not out of obligation, but out of love. Unlike servants who work for acceptance, we serve because we already belong.

The Father’s Heart of Restoration

The Prodigal Son parable illustrates God’s heart: He doesn’t accept us as mere servants but embraces us fully as sons. The Father restored his son with a robe (honor), a ring (identity), sandals (freedom), and a feast (celebration)—a picture of our complete redemption.

If you pay close attention to the parable, you’ll see that when the younger son asked for his inheritance, the Father gave both of his sons their inheritance: the one who left and the one who stayed, but neither of them saw the Father rightly.

The younger brother wanted what was his without a relationship with the Father (until he repented). The older brother misunderstood his Father, working for what was already his (“I’ve slaved away for you.“). Jesus reminds us: “I no longer call you servants… Instead, I have called you friends.”

Sons Who Serve

Understanding our sonship is key: we don’t serve to earn God’s love—we serve because we already have it. The Father disciplines us as His beloved children, shaping us into His image.

One day, when Christ appears, we will be like Him!

Dive deeper into this truth through the full message, audio, and notes. Let’s embrace our identity and live in the freedom of sonship!

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Our

Experiencing Grace Podcast

Disciples’ Prayer 1 | Our | Ep. 13

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The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 1

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he intentionally used the word “Our” in the opening line – “Our Father in heaven…” This wasn’t an accident.

By using “Our” instead of “My”, Jesus was encouraging a spirit of unity and community among his followers. In John 17, he prayed for his disciples to be one, just as he and the Father are one.

The message is clear – Jesus wants his followers to approach God together, with a shared sense of purpose, rather than as isolated individuals. Unity is at the heart of the Christian life.

As the body of Christ, we’re called to a profound oneness. When we achieve this oneness, it brings glory to God and empowers us to boldly further the gospel without fear.

The benefits of unity are immense. It allows us to better declare the second coming of Christ, just as John the Baptist did for the first. It brings corporate blessings like God’s anointing. And on an individual level, it fosters love and humility.

By maintaining one mind and one voice, we can more effectively glorify God and advance His kingdom. Unity is essential for experiencing the fullness of what God has for us – we can’t attain it alone, but must do so together, through humility and submission.

So let’s hold fast to the unity of the Spirit. When we do, we’ll never be alone. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always with us, and so is the family of believers.

Agree? Share your thoughts below.

I hope you enjoy the notes and audio of the message available on this post.

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Jesus Fulfilled the Law

Experiencing Grace Podcast

Jesus Fulfilled the Law | Ep. 12

00:00 / 10:32

When I taught my message again on “What is Love,” I added a short section at the end to discuss how it is not the goal of the Christian to fulfill the Old Testament Law. I decided to emphasize this fact because of how often I’ve heard it said, and how often I’ve said myself, that Jesus explained that the first and greatest commandment along with the second commandment (to love God with everything and love your neighbor as yourself) are what the Law and the Prophets hang on. In saying this, he conveys the idea that if any individual had been able to do those two things perfectly–loving God and loving man–then they would have been able to fulfill all the Law and the Prophets.

My concern is that those hearing this may walk away with the misconception that we must love God and love man so that we can fulfill the Law. Jesus made it clear that he came to fulfill the Law. So, we don’t have to. In this short clip (just over ten minutes), I walk through the scriptures to explain how it is not the goal of the Christian to fulfill the Law of Moses. I believe that it is worth your time to take a listen.

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What Is Love, again?

Experiencing Grace Podcast

What is Love? | Ep. 11

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In 2014 I posted a message that I taught at my church called “What is Love?” This message has remained in my heart. Now, a decade later, I taught it again with some updated notes.

If God is Love, then what does 1 Corinthians 13 tell us about the character of God? It shows us 16 distinct characteristics of God as it describes what true love is: Patient, Kind, etc.

In this lesson I do a “mini-deep-dive” into each of these ideas from scripture. I hope you enjoy listening to what has become a favorite lesson at my local church and download the notes to guide you to dig in deeper into your own Bible study time.

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Mercy

Experiencing Grace Podcast

Mercy | Ep. 10

00:00 / 41:54

In this lesson, I dig into the topic of Mercy in the Bible and explain how God’s mercy is one of the most exciting things for a Christian to understand.

I discuss what it actually means for mercy to triumph over judgment. I also go into depth about how God giving mercy greatly contrasts with our keeping rules (or keeping the law).

There has long been debate over whether or not the message of mercy (and/or grace) should be tempered with a stern warning about how folks still “better live right”.

In this teaching I discuss why it is wrong for Christians to present the message of mercy with a safe padding of “holy living” built up around it. Many in the church have tried so hard to be sure that people approach the mercy and grace of God with a sense of sober warning hanging over their heads like, “Yes God is merciful, but you better watch out if you don’t straighten up.”

For far too long some people have believed that they have to eek out a life of holy living in order to maintain God’s grace and mercy on their lives rather than embracing, with reckless abandon, the fullness of His grace and mercy, and letting the revelation of God’s kindness lead to repentance and then ultimately into living a holy life.

This message presents a biblical case for why we need to strip all padding away, and give people direct access to God’s grace and mercy. It also explains why, if we don’t, all we will be producing are sons of hell rather than lovers of God.

DISCLAIMER: The last 8 minutes or so of the audio are of a question and answer time/discussion time that spontaneously happened at the end of the message. The audio quality during this part is not as clean because I had to adjust the levels somewhat to try to get the questions from the congregation somewhat audible. So, please forgive the extra noise that may occur when other people are talking. Thanks!

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Forgive Us Our Debts

Notes:
JasonGraham_ForgiveUsOurDebts_DisciplesPrayerSeries.pdf Download

The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 8
This small phrase from the Disciples’ Prayer takes us on quite a ride through legal theology. Now, on the surface that may sound thick and boring, but ultimately it proves to the believer why they should live with absolutely no fear of judgment.

If you are a believer and are worried that when you stand before God that there may be some little something that may tip the scales and send you to the lake of fire, then you need to listen to this lesson. Why? Because you are thinking wrong, and you need to understand the truth found in the scripture about believers in the time of judgement. Knowing the truth sets us free.

In this lesson we will look at several things such as:

What debt do we have? What do we owe it to?
How is it forgiven?
What does being forgiven of debt have to do with Jesus saying that He had come to declare the acceptable year of the Lord?
Are we now lawless?
- HINT: The answer is No, but we aren’t still tied to the Law of Moses. The scripture introduces a new law in very plain language, and we can never be free of its demands. It is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Also called the Law of Liberty, the Law of Christ, and the Royal Law in scripture.
- I’ll discuss how the scripture tells us to keep this new law.
Finally, I go into detail about the judgement of believers and explain how we aren’t even judged with those who go to the lake of fire. That is a separate judgement that those who cannot take part in the second death will not attend.

This is truly an exciting teaching. I believe that it can serve to set our minds free from the Law of Sin and Death in the same way that our spirits have been set free. You can listen to the audio and download the notes at the top of this post. Please feel free to share this blog and comment below for discussion. God Bless!

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Give us this Day our Daily Bread

Notes:
JasonGraham_GiveUsThisDayOurDailyBread_DPS.pdf Download

The Disciples’ Prayer Series – Part 7

What is daily bread? Why do we need it?

I believe the scripture paints a very clear picture for us of what daily bread really is, and we see it throughout the old and new testament.

In this teaching we look at why daily bread is all about becoming more like Jesus. After all, He is the Bread of Life, and He is available for us daily.

We’ll look at ways that we receive this daily bread, and what it does in our hearts.

Ultimately we’ll learn about how God providing daily bread, and us receiving it, is how we have a living, breathing, dynamic relationship with God as Christ is formed in us. Daily Bread is a gift from God that all at once fills us, tries our hearts, and invites us closer to receive more and more of God.

We’ll also look into the Dark Night of the Soul in this teaching, as it is an important thing to consider in any in-depth conversation about daily communion with God. We’ll talk about what it is, how we should react to it, and how it sets us free from any false images of God that we’ve built up in our own minds. God refuses to be conformed to our image. We, in fact, our conformed to His image through receiving Daily Bread.

You can listen to the message above, and download the notes. Feel free to share this teaching freely, and comment below. I love to hear from you.

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