Grace sounds simple until you actually need it. When you’re wrestling with temptation, replaying old failures, or trying to “do Christianity right,” grace can feel like either a vague church word or a last resort for people who can’t get it together. We slow down and put real structure on it: grace is not only God’s gift that saves us, it’s God’s ongoing work that teaches, transforms, sustains, and deepens our faith in Jesus.

We start in Titus 2:11-12 and let the text challenge a shallow definition of grace. Grace doesn’t only forgive, it instructs us to deny ungodliness and live with self-control right now. From there we anchor salvation in Ephesians 2:8-9 so we stop chasing a works-based mindset, then we move into Romans 5 to talk about the hope-filled truth that where sin increases, grace increases even more. That abundance isn’t a loophole, and Romans 6 makes it plain: grace is never permission to keep sinning, because we are made new in Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit to pursue righteousness.

We also get practical about receiving grace when your heart resists it. Hebrews 4:14-16 invites us to approach the throne of grace with boldness, not hiding in shame. We clarify mercy versus grace, talk through why prideful self-reliance can block dependence on God, and encourage anyone stuck in “I’m unworthy” thinking to submit those lies to Jesus and let Him renew your mind.

If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs fresh hope, and leave a review so more people can find these Bible-based conversations on grace, sanctification, and spiritual growth.

Jesus didn’t suffer as a distant figure in stained glass. He suffered as a real man with loud cries and tears, and he still chose obedience. That’s the lens we hold up today as we continue the Because I Love You series and focus on the love story written into the cross: because Jesus loves us, he suffered well, and that suffering changes what’s possible for our faith in a fallen world.

We start with the gospel in plain terms: creation was good, sin entered through the fall, and the curse explains why death, evil, and pain are everywhere. From there, we walk through why Jesus had to suffer at all, including the consequence of sin, God’s justice, and how Old Testament blood sacrifices pointed forward to a final sacrifice. Jesus is not half God and half man. He is fully God and fully man, the perfect Lamb whose blood pays for sin once for all and opens the way back to the Father.

Then we sit in Hebrews 5 and the Garden of Gethsemane, where reverence, prayer, and obedience collide. We also connect Hebrews 12 to the hard truth that suffering can function as discipline and training, not because God is cruel, but because God refuses to waste what this broken world brings. Finally, Philippians 3 gives us the challenge we all feel: we want the power of the resurrection, but the cross comes first, and truth must lead our feelings when life hurts.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s struggling, and leave a review so more people can find it. What line or Scripture stuck with you most?

I start a new “Because I Love You” series by telling the truth about suffering and why it belongs in the Christian walk. I walk through 1 Peter to show how trials can refine our faith, expose what we really believe, and teach us how to endure with love instead of self pity.
• launching the “Because I Love You” series and the two vantage points of love toward God and love from God
• defining suffering broadly as hardship rooted in the Fall while recognizing different levels of pain
• suffering as inevitable for Christians and why Scripture says not to be surprised
• the danger of believing “doing right” should prevent trials
• 1 Peter’s picture of faith refined like gold through fire
• a personal C-section story revealing entitlement and transactional thinking
• suffering as a way to build a track record of God’s faithfulness
• the role of discipline in resisting false comforts and self pity
• why we choose to suffer well as an act of love and devotion
• Jesus’ suffering as the foundation of our redemption and our courage

Be sure to check out the podcast notes or the show notes, either down below the video or um wherever it may be from whatever you're watching for scripture references, anything else we might throw in there.
Be sure to visit my website for more resources with today's episode, and I'll link the website right here as well.

OIL Podcast

Episode 1: What Would You Pour Out At Jesus’ Feet?

Scripture: Luke 7:36–50 (CSB)

What does it really mean to encounter Jesus?

In the very first episode of OIL, we’re beginning where every true relationship with Christ begins; at His feet.

Together, we walk through the powerful story of the sinful woman who poured out her worship before Jesus and discover why this passage captures the heart of this podcast. In a room filled with religious people, only one person left transformed.

This conversation is an invitation to move beyond surface-level Christianity and into authentic intimacy with Jesus. Whether you’ve been following Christ for years or you’re just beginning to explore faith, this episode is a reminder that Jesus welcomes those who come to Him with humble, surrendered hearts.

In This Episode

• Why Luke 7:36–50 became the foundation of OIL
• The contrast between Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman
• What true worship looks like
• The danger of familiarity without intimacy
• How forgiveness fuels love and transformation
• Why Jesus invites us to come just as we are

Key Scripture

Luke 7:47 (CSB)
“Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”

Reflection Questions

• Am I approaching Jesus with surrender or simply going through the motions?
• Have I become familiar with Jesus without remaining in awe of Him?
• What is God inviting me to lay at His feet today?
• How has His forgiveness changed the way I love Him?

If today’s conversation encouraged you, be sure to follow OIL, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that there is always room at the feet of Jesus.

Check out oilwithalexis.com for more!

Remember: Don’t just learn about Jesus; encounter Him. Because where His presence is, lives are transformed.