Dear Charis: John 1:14-17
A letter, book recs, a summer study, and coming videos. :)
In the letter you’ll find…
A letter to Charis about John 1:14-17
Some books we’ve been loving.
A reminder about the Psalms Summer Study
An update about Paid Subscriptions.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Dear Charis,
We are in a new phase of parenting with you in which you are able to understand the relationship goals behind the rules. It’s been very good for us. You’ve always questioned the rules; you’ve always been my “why?” girl. And now that you understand a little more deeply, it has really nurtured our relationship to explain to you that so many of the rules you push back against are actually to protect well-being and relationships. This is true of God’s rules, too. And when you understand this about God’s rules and God’s grace, it will help you to see Jesus shine even more gloriously.
John 1:14 introduces the climax or the grand finale to the prologue. John was talking about Jesus as “the word,” and here, he finally reveals who he is. The Word that was from the beginning, whom John the Baptist bore witness to, became flesh in Jesus Christ. And why did he come? He came to be in a relationship with us. These words were originally written in the Greek language. And Greek scholars help us see that the Greek phrase “dwelt among us” here means “the word pitched his tabernacle” or "lived in his tent” among us. Just like God dwelled with His people in the tabernacle and lived among them, God came to dwell and fellowship with His people in the person of Jesus Christ. He came to be with us in relationship as God has always pursued relationship with His people.
The next verses get really interesting and challenge the way we think about rules and relationships. John 1:16-17 says “From His fullness we have received grace upon grace” ( vs.16). This phrase “Grace upon grace”, because of the original Greek wording, might be best translated. “Grace instead of grace.” Or as the NIV says, “Grace in place of grace.” But what does that mean? What are the two ‘graces?’ We think the ‘graces’ are explained by verse 17.
The first “grace” given seems to be the grace that came through Moses. It says, “For the law was given through Moses…” So John is calling the law a “grace.” And that might push against some of our preconceived feelings and ideas about laws and rules. But this is what we’ve been trying to explain to you lately! Laws and rules are not bad; they are meant to protect relationships. Think of what would happen if nobody ever obeyed the rules in our home about hitting, about being careful with words, about repairing relationships, or about taking care of each other and helping our family. What do you think our relationships would look like? Pretty broken, right? God’s laws are similar — they are meant to protect relationships with Him and with each other. The Ten Commandments are the best example. Worshiping God alone is the only way to have a relationship with the one true God — Old Testament history (and modern reality) show us that any other way is destructive and harmful to a relationship with God. Not bearing false witness against your neighbor (like gossip) is meant to protect your relationships with your loved ones—when this rule is broken, relationships suffer. The rules are good, they are a grace, and they are to protect us. The law and God’s revelation of his character came through Moses – and it was indeed a source of grace. God gave His law so that his people could be with him as his treasured possession. The law gave a way of life, boundary ways and prescriptions for flourishing that would allow God’s created people to live in line with their created order.
But the problem was, people could not live up to the law’s standard. So we needed a deeper, fuller, and more glorious grace.
“Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ…” The law was gracious, but Jesus is the greater Moses and offers a greater grace. We couldn’t live up to the standard of the law, so Jesus came to be with his people and he obeyed the law perfectly on our behalf. Jesus died on the cross for every time we don’t obey God’s law. So every time we break God’s rules, every time we say unkind words or choose to hurt rather than love, we can be forgiven because of God’s grace. Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we are given the greatest gift and the greatest grace. This is what John meant when he said, “The law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Through the law, God’s people still did not see or know Him intimately. But the glorious presence of God, the fulfillment of His law, access to intimacy with the Father, and “grace and truth” in their unveiled splendor came through Jesus Christ.
This is why we can still talk to you about rules and you don’t have to be afraid or feel burdened by them. You can just remember that they are one means of grace that has been surpassed by the most glorious grace of all. Because of Jesus, we are free to pursue holiness and live within his boundaries, but we can also be showered with the grace of forgiveness when we step outside of those boundaries. He is truly the greatest gift of all.
Resting in the Greatest Grace with you…
Mom
Books we’ve been loving…
The Green Ember Series by S.D Smith
This is the first time I have seen Charis have a somber feeling after she finished a book because she was so sad it was over. (That’s a huge win in Mama’s eyes:)) She loves this series so much! Charis actually read the first book (and listened to it on her Yoto) without me so I caught up with her this week (I’m in between Hebrew 1 and 2 this week) and I really loved it too. It has adventure, surprise, battle scenes, mystery, wisdom and strong character qualities that I love her reading about! We are so excited for the next book in the series…
Shorter Catechism Devotions by Robert Cathcart
I’m excited to share this one with you because it’s written by our friend from South Carolina! And we love this book. Charis learns the Westminster Catechism at school, so she knows the words. But they don’t really talk about the meaning or how to apply it to their lives. And that’s what this book does so well. The book is targeted to 12-18 year olds, and I think the writing is just right for that age group for a kid reading it on his/her own. But as a parent, I have found the devotions to be a great guide and conversation starter for a kid even as young as Charis (7). Robert Cathcart begins each devotion with the catechism question and answer, and then he gives an illustration that really helps the reader feel the meaning of each theological principle. And this is one of my favorite parts—the illustrations have really helped me explain these concepts to Charis. He ends each devotion with “Challenge questions” and a prayer prompt (another one of my favorite parts.) We use this at dinner as we alternate between this book and our Bible devotions and Elsie has really enjoyed answering the questions, too! I’m so grateful for resources like this that give parents tools to explain big theological concepts in an engaging way to younger kids.
The Opt-Out Family by Erin Loechner
I’m still in the middle of this one and it’s been very challenging. This book has a similar thesis and research base to The Anxious Generation but it’s also very practical. She talks about the dangers of technology and social media with data, research, and fascinating/disturbing stories to back it up. But she explains that the takeover of social media unmasks our cultures desperation for connection. So, she suggests ways we might use the tactics social media uses for connection in real time, and she offers practical suggestions for that.
Her perspective is unique as she used to be deeply ingrained in the tech-world (I confess I didn’t know who she was but she was a long time blogger/influencer/hgtv star before she gave up the internet). But because of her perspective I think the most disturbing part for me has been learning the inner-workings of Social Media and how that leads to what shows up on my phone. For example, on page 20 she talks about the shift the algorithm made from showing you pictures of people you follow to showing you pictures of “the moments they believe you will care about the most…” And what the computer ends up doing is showing you pictures that will elicit an emotional response to keep you on instagram longer. To quote the book, “The algorithms optimize for eliciting a reaction from us, ignoring the fact that often the shortest path to a click is fear, anger, or sadness.” (Qtd, Fowler, 2022). So the algorithm studies your search history and shows you what will elicit an emotional response, for better or for worse. (This is why it is now popular to record yourself crying in your car and post it on social media—this elicits an empathetic response and lots of views). The author used the example of someone intending to use instagram to share pictures of their kids with their family members, but the algorithm instead shows them accounts of babies in the hospital to prompt emotional responses. And all I could think about when I read this was how when Philip has having health issues (and I undoubtedly googled cancer) and Instagram began showing me (non-stop) influencers of widows or women who lost their husbands tragically. Is that not disturbing?
Social media is not neutral. And so if we engage with it, I don’t think we can be neutral. I still have so much more of the book and lots more processing to do. I am thankful to be reading it at a time when I happened to start sharing about scripture on social media. What chance does Bible study content have in the algorithm? (Does it matter… Should I just stop and use something else? Should I just ignore the algorithm? Might it be helpful to add some non-emotionally charged content or should I just leave the social media setting altogether?) These are some unfiltered thoughts and questions I have. I’d love to hear your thoughts, too!
Skip this section if you have already seen the info about the Psalms Bible study… but just in case you missed it or you want to know more, here’s your reminder!
I’m going to begin sharing teaching videos to pair with the Bible study books. And to launch the videos, I’m offering the option of an online Bible study this summer! The Psalms is many people’s favorite book of the Bible and it’s pretty easy to see why. They are the Bible’s songbook. Through songwriters like David, Asaph, and Moses, God gave His people words to pray and sing in seasons of both joy and sorrow.
The Psalms also point us to Jesus- they were given to God’s people, Israel, to help them worship as they waited for their promised Messiah. And God’s people still use the Psalms as we endure our own seasons of lament, as we cry out for wisdom, as we thank and praise Him for the blessings He has given us, and as we wait for Christ’s return.
If you’d like to study more about the Psalms and how they might help your own prayer and worship, we are planning an online Bible study through the Psalms this summer. The plan is to have teaching and text-discussion that is available each week but self-paced enough that it can fit in with busy and flexible summer schedules. You’ll just need a Psalms Bible study workbook, and I’ll provide the teaching and organization!
The cost is simply the cost of the book. And signing up at the link provided will get you:
A copy of Psalms: Sing to the Savior.
A 6-month free trial as a subscriber to my newsletter so you will automatically have access to teaching and text discussion. The subscription will end after the summer and you will not be charged.
Whether you join just for the video teaching or if you opt in for the discussion, I hope you will consider joining us!
Did you know that if you upgrade to a paid subscription of this newsletter, you can receive PDF copies of all the Bible studies? And recently, I decided to make an addition of video teaching to the paid subscription option (if you are a paid subscriber you already received this message so you can skip this part, too). :)
2025 is bringing new changes like seminary revving up and some “hybrid” homeschooling (so more time with my girls:)). I had been writing one Bible study a year and teaching them at church and sharing them with paid subscribers, but that rhythm will be changing a bit. Also, I have seen and heard the need and desire for video teaching to go alongside the Bible studies.
Here’s the plan going forward for paid subscriptions… I’m planning on releasing teaching videos to go with the Bible studies. This will add a teaching component to the Bible study experience so that whether you are studying on your own or with a group, you can listen to the teaching on the passage for the week as a supplement to the study questions and written teaching in the book. I’m going to start with the Psalms Bible study and release those videos this summer!
If you upgrade to paid, you’ll get those videos, along with a guide on how they might be paired together with Psalms: Sing to the Savior, here in your Inbox.
Then I’ll plan to release one set of videos a year to go along with the written videos. In 2026, I’ll share videos on Jonah.
So, Coming Soon…
Psalms: Sing to the Savior Videos 2025
Jonah: God’s Steadfast Love Endures Videos 2026
2 Timothy Study… TBD in 2026…
With that said, no matter what capacity in which you read and or use these emails, I’m so grateful for your readership and I can’t thank you enough. Thanks for allowing me a spot in your inbox and taking time to read these words—I don’t take it for granted!
Warmly,
Angela Lee