If you have ever wondered, How do I read this scripture through a new covenant lens? The Grace Bible is for you.

In The Grace Bible every verse is explained from the perspective of grace. While other study Bibles can leave you feeling like you’re not doing enough for the Lord, The Grace Bible reveals how much the Lord has done for you.

It’s the study Bible with good news on every page!

The first installment of The Grace Bible has just been released. With more than 400 notes, it covers every verse in the dynamite letters of John and Jude. In John’s letters we are dazzled by the light of God’s unfailing love, while in Jude’s letter we are equipped to contend for the faith.

The Grace Bible: 1–3 John & Jude is available now in three formats: paperback (compact), hardcover (larger print), and ebook.

Thanks to the support of our patrons, the paperback is cheap and the ebook is even cheaper. So grab a copy for your pastor, your Sunday School teacher, and your loved ones. It’s the perfect Christmas present. Hint, hint.

I wrote The Grace Bible because there is else nothing like it. It is a distillation of my very best writing. It is the book I wish I had read years ago.

Happy reading!

Paul

PS: The second and third installments of The Grace Bible will be released early 2023. Sign up at thegracebible.com and be the first to know.

“You’re being selective with scripture.”

Ever heard that one? Tell people about the unconditional love of God and you’ll hear things like:

“You’re cherry-picking verses. You’re forgetting (insert tough scripture here).”

There is a perception that we who love grace ignore inconvenient scriptures. In response to this, I started a website called the Grace Commentary.

The commentary is a popular tool, but many people prefer books. I know I do. I want something I can hold in my hands and share with friends. And this is why I wrote The Grace Bible, the first installment of which is about to be released in PAPERBACK.

With every verse covered – even the “inconvenient” ones – The Grace Bible is a resource you will turn to again and again.

The first installment of the Grace Bible has been expanded to include four New Testament books: 1–3 John and Jude. The new book will be released in ebook and paperback formats in time for Christmas.

Can’t wait? Patrons and supporters will get the new book MONTHS before its release. If you have been thinking of becoming a supporter, now is an excellent time.

Sign up for:

• $10/month and get the EBOOK + access to my library of study notes & classic sermons
• $25/month and get an advance copy of the PAPERBACK + ebook + library
• $100/month and get a personally AUTOGRAPHED book + ebook + library
• $250/month and get a signed LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER + 10-paperback GIFT PACK + ebook + library

Sign up at any level and you will also get your name listed on the Grace Bible supporters’ page.

Patrons and supporters are the reason why Escape to Reality and the Grace Commentary remain totally free. Patrons also make it possible for us to give away books and resources to leaders all around the world.

Being a supporter is easy and you can quit any time. But if you want to get The Grace Bible: 1–3 John & Jude before it goes on sale, be signed up on Patreon or Donorbox before Saturday 10 September, 2022.

Thank you!
Paul 

For years, people have been asking me, “Paul, what’s your favorite Bible?” That’s a tough question, like asking me to pick my favorite child.

What people really want to know is, “Which Bible is free from mixture and will help me grow in grace?”

There hasn’t been a good answer to that question… until now.

(Okay, I was aiming for drama, but that came across as a little cocky. Humor me.)

For the past few months I’ve been working on something called “The Grace Bible.” The tagline is, “The Study Bible with Good News on Every Page.” The first instalment will look like this:

What is the Grace Bible?

It is not a law Bible with rules you must follow, nor is it a works Bible that tells you what to do. It is not a judgment Bible to fear, nor a guilt Bible to make you feel bad. It is a grace Bible that reveals the good news found on every page of scripture.

If you have ever asked, “How do I read this scripture through a new covenant lens?” The Grace Bible is for you.

In this study Bible you will find no guilt or condemnation and none of the usual calls for blood, sweat, and tears. My focus will be on Jesus Christ—who he is, what he has done, and what you can do because of what he has done.

There are many good study Bibles out there and I have no wish to reinvent the wheel. So The Grace Bible will have no chain references, lexicons, or anything you can get somewhere else. It is something entirely new – a study Bible that unpacks the treasures of grace.

What about the Grace Commentary?

The Grace Commentary and The Grace Bible go together like a sword and a trowel, and I plan to work on them at the same time. The Grace Commentary is an ever-growing website rich with content, while The Grace Bible is a book of treasures that you can share with friends.

I have just finished the ebook version of The Grace Bible: 1–3 John and to celebrate I am giving away the first 5000 copies. It’s available in three formats (PDF, Mobi and epub) for easy reading on just about any device. Get your free copy now and tell your friends (#thegracebible).

A paperback will follow in due course. If you would like to be kept informed about progress, sign up for notifications at the new book website: www.thegracebible.com

When you get a chance, I would value any feedback you may have on the new Bible, especially if you are a teacher, pastor, or a student. Is The Grace Bible useful? How could it be better? Is it something you would share with others? What formats do you prefer? Let me know in the comments below.

As always, a huge shout out to our supporters who make ventures like this possible.

Grace and peace,

Paul

Just a gentle reminder that you have about 24 hours to take advantage of our special offer.

“What special offer?”

Sign up as a patron by Saturday and you will receive my latest ebook, The Happy, Wondrous, Divine Exchange. My book tells the story of the world’s most popular sermon, as told by everyone from the Church Fathers down to the present day.

My new ebook is a timeless portrayal of the Easter message and it is free for patrons and supporters.

Patrons are changing the way the gospel is preached, and patronage is not without benefits. Sign up on Patreon and you can get instant access to a suite of goodies such as my personal study notes, ebooks, bonus materials, and draft chapters from forthcoming books.

Alternatively, sign up as a monthly supporter on Donorbox or PayPal and get exclusive access to my supporters’ page (which has many of the same goodies).

But be quick. The world’s most popular sermon offer ends April 10, 2022.

Paul

Many years ago I heard a sermon that radically changed my understanding of the cross. The sermon was recorded on a cassette tape in 1987, and it is no exaggeration to say that this was one of the most influential sermons in my journey to grace.

And it is this year’s Classic Sermon!

Every couple of years or so I release a classic sermon, and this year’s sermon is off the charts. In fact, it may the most popular sermon in the world.

No, I am not referring to the Sermon on the Mount which is the world’s greatest sermon. I’m talking about a sermon that has been preached in one form or another for 2000 years.

Derek Prince called it “The Divine Exchange.” Perhaps you have heard of it. What you may not know is that variations on this sermon were preached by the early Church Fathers, the Church Doctors, influential theologians, the Protestant Reformers, and at least one pope.

If this is not the most popular sermon in history, it is certainly one of the most enduring.

In my new ebook, The Happy, Wondrous, Divine, Exchange, I include a version of Prince’s sermon that has been edited and abridged by me. I also trace the history of the sermon from the second century right down to the present day. It’s quite a story!

This classic sermon has survived schisms and ruptures within the church. To this day it is preached in both the eastern and western branches of the Church in every language known to man.

Like Prince, Charles Spurgeon called it the divine exchange. Luther and Calvin referred to it as a happy or wondrous exchange. Others called it a sweet exchange, a great exchange, a miraculous exchange, or a blessed exchange. But they were all talking about the same thing – namely, the glorious message of the cross.

Christ was made sin that you might be made righteous; he was broken, that you might be made whole; he was rejected, that you might be accepted, and much more!

If you would like to learn more about what Christ did for you on the cross, this classic sermon will be released exclusively on Patreon this weekend. It’s the perfect read for Easter and it will be available in three formats for easy reading on just about any device.

If you’re already a patron, do nothing. You’re getting the ebook as a token of my gratitude.

If you’re thinking of becoming a patron of Escape to Reality, this is the perfect time to join. Sign up on Patreon before 10 April 2022 and you’ll get the ebook.

You can join from as little as $5/month, but if you can manage $10/month you will get instant access to my growing library of study notes and ebooks. You will also get sneak peaks at forthcoming book chapters.

If you are able to contribute more, you’ll get extra bonuses like signed books and your name in those books.

Being a patron is easy, and you can cancel at any time.

Today is Escape to Reality’s 12th anniversary. To celebrate we’re having our BIGGEST GIVEAWAY ever!

For the next two days you can get one, two, or seven of my books for a special pandemic pay-whatever-you-want price.

Which means you can get all the books below for nothing!

In addition, you can also get two of my most popular Jesus Scripts for a special pay-whatever-you-want price:

• The Good Father
• The Lord of the Storm

(Jesus Scripts are a great way to do family devotionals or online church. Check them out!)

To get a book click on a cover:

This offer is good until Sunday night, so be quick and tell your friends.

As always, thanks for sharing the journey,

Paul

PS: Did you know we have given away more than 50,000 books so far? Giveaways like these are possible thanks to our awesome supporters on Patreon or Donorbox.

“What do you do all day, Paul?”

You’d be surprised how often I am asked this question. It’s usually easier to tell people what I don’t do. I’m a writer, but I don’t set daily writing targets and I don’t do book tours.

So what do I do?

Every day I go digging in the treasure rooms of God’s word. When I discover diamonds and gems I share them with you.

I don’t see myself as a writer trying to find readers for my writing, but a treasure hunter finding treasure for my readers.

“Look what I found? Do you want it? It’s yours!”

As you may know, last year I started a side project called The Grace Commentary. You may be wondering how that project relates to Escape to Reality. I feel it’s as if God has handed me the keys to the biggest treasure room yet.

While writing the commentary I have been in the Bible for about five hours a day, and I have found more treasure than ever before. Ton’s of treasure!

The easy part is finding the treasure; the hard part is packaging it and making it presentable.

“Look at this mountain of treasure. There’s a whole book in here!” says one part of my brain.

“Not another book,” groans the other part of my brain.

These days I am trying to write fewer books and better articles. In fact, that’s one of my goals for 2022 – get back to basics by writing terrific articles about grace.

And this brings me to you.

If you like what I write and want to be at the front of queue for all the good stuff that’s coming down the line, why not sign up as an email subscriber here on Escape to Reality? It’s totally free.

If you’re on Facebook or Twitter, you may have noticed that some of my social media posts get recycled. “Didn’t I see this one last year?” That doesn’t happen on E2R. Like first-class passengers on an airplane, email subscribers get only the fresh stuff.

Email subscribers have put themselves at the front of the queue, so why not become one? I won’t send you more than two to three emails a month and I promise that each one will be worth reading (I hope).

Don’t know what email is? Ask your parents. It’s like 1970’s rock music – old but still better than anything that’s come since.

One last thing, sign up as an email subscriber and receive four free ebooks! These excellent books will help you grow in grace.

The sign up form is below. Can’t see the box where you enter your email address? Log out of WordPress first.

Already a subscriber? Why not leave a comment and say hi? I’d love to hear from you. Tell us why you are a subscriber and what you get out of these emails.

In the coming season I expect Escape to Reality to go from strength to strength. I’m thrilled that you’re here to share the journey.

Grace and peace,

Paul

A year ago I asked a question. “Lord, I’ve been writing E2R for years. What’s next?”

It’s not that I was tired of telling people about grace; far from it. It’s just that blogging wasn’t as challenging as it used to be. I wanted to try something new.

The Lord answered my prayer with three new challenges.

The Grace Commentary was launched in March 2021. In hindsight, it was a no-brainer. I had been working on a commentary for years, I just didn’t realize it.

Building the commentary has been a ton of work but a lot of fun. My goal for the year was to upload content for 1000 verses and by the grace of God we’ve done nearly double that. We still have a long way to go, but we’ve made a good start.

The Grace Glossary was a bit of a surprise. We launched in August 2021 and it has proven more popular than I expected. Like the commentary, it’s pretty rough, and I’m not sure where it’s headed. (A book? A sonnet?) It will be fun to see what happens next.

I started writing Jesus Scripts for my family at the beginning of the year. I had no plans to share these with anyone, but that changed in October 2021 when we launched the website. The jury is still out on this one, but if your kids enjoy the scripts as much as ours do, I will be delighted.

Reading about these ventures, you may think they are all part of some master plan. There is no plan. My only plan is to tell people the good news of Jesus any way I can. I am not a preacher or a poet so I write. And I am very thankful that I can do that.

That I get to give away thousands of books while writing full-time about the love of God on these various platforms would not possible without the generosity of my supporters on Patreon and Donorbox.

If you have been blessed by what I write, these are the amazing people you can thank:

Bill Fowler, Caleb Brubaker, Tom Ludemann, Christopher Gordon, Randy & Julee Armstrong, Michael & Julie Lipparelli, Ben Dailey, John Williams, Jon & Shannon Bonner, Helen Kearney, Emanuel Bulugu, Theresa M. Benischek, Wes Prosser, Amanda Henderson, Don Beeson, Tom & Kay Stocking, Craig Hunt, Tony Vogel, James Kerr, Erika & Klaus Degen, Mikael Jonsson, Julia Vockrodt, Marshall Kim, Rachmat Permana, Robin Waller, David Edwardds, Michael & Kim Vizza, James Mullier, Erik Grangaard, Jerry Williams, Derrick Darden, Justin Hopper, Jason Whitaker, Keith Forwith, Keith Pinke, Anne H Hoover, Jack & Janet, Jer Wei Low, Dottie Hicks, Norin Lumungking-Weier, Miguel, Stephanie & Estelle Gonzalez, Steve & Sandra McCollom, Kenneth Crum, Marion Carter, Janice Best Bright, Jana Mings, Diane Peterson, Claude (Bill) Schanuel, Tanya Nareau, Carl & Sara Petee, Christopher Johnson, Bruno Dammann, Kathy Haecker, Aney Mathew, Rick & Judi Manis, Al Jennings, Brandon Petrowski, Ron Roudebush, Dawn Strom, Jennifer Herkommer, Paul & Chantale Roxanas, Sam Bouwer, Rachelle Reeve, Andrew Maulding, Sarah, Corinna von der Mühlen, Adam Tanti, Lyn Packer, Ted Nelson, Craig Hodgins, Jim Powell, Mia Young, Cathy Barnett, Bonnie Weaver, Ginger Banks, Donna Sweigart, Abhishek Chougule, Mathew Stokes, Terry Tripp, Joneen Gentilini, Charles Law, Elizabeth Crews, Philip Yutzy, Elly “Singer” Kraai, Renee Woodward, David Nelson, JB & Carrie McKoy, Henry HS Yeo, Ricky L Cain, James Davis, Susie Dunlap, Real Paquette, Andy Manuel, Lloyd D McCaskill, Nick Atkins, Jeffrey, Rene Bouwer Benny Sunjaya, Toshiko Johnson, Lyle Geck, John Adriaans, Karen Moffett, Oscar Rios, Jay Bradley Reed, Patty VanderVeen, Adriaan Hattingh, Dennis & Denise Capra, Pagasa De Mesa, James W Smith, Raymond Glossop, Mary Ellen Serafine, Diane Schakola, Larry & Helen Wilgus, Cecil H Paxton, Dr. Shelly Hakspiel, Bruce Fulton, Melanie Theilig, Alison Gilbert, Dollice Chua, Paul Woodrich, Dave Tremblay, Eric Thon, Mark & Mary Beth Cain, Penny Creery, Nata Isr, Greg & Raelene Race, Lois Granbery, Michael Morimando, Chris Esparza, Ely Esparza, Annalee Reyes, Clint Byars, Michael Scroggs, Kimberly Russell, David York, Al Babcock, Trevor Lovegrove, Yvonne Beukes, Judy Krug, Debby Katz, Michael Miller, Cary Geno, Melissa Shands, Bill Shoemaker, KP Wong, Kitty Kata, Lynn Alford, Richard W Evans, Jon Onabowu, Liz Collard, Linda Essaff, JoNell, Grace Grace, Kath Wells, Rick Cowdery, Stella Emmanuel, Mathavan Rajkumar, M. Caleb Sannoh, Nizam Khan, Aaron Ashby, Theodore Heintzelman, Ralph Kassen, Patricia Walker, Greg M, Judy C Ervien, Melissa, Jonathan & Christina Ybarra, James Davis, Margaret Miller, Carolyn Coates, Dave Orrison, Collins K Raj, Joseph Adedeji, Joyce Rapier, Tim Milstead, Marie Robison, David Cheong, Agalliasis O.R., David Åleskjær, Cliff Miller, Tex Cox, Lynn Rogala, Jun Yu, Judy Eshenko, John Nankervis, Charles Graham, Leon Esterhuizen, Mike, Sadie Hasenkamp, Stephanie Smith, Starr Stephens, Gordon & Linda Dornink, Isaiah49er, Andrew, Adebare Adedigba, R B Thomas, Sonja Brown, AJ, Lydia Moorhouse, Jarod & Anita Darashah-Borman, Rebekah K. Watson, Edward McCarthy, Marie, Richard Lee, Bank Akinmola, Cory Smith, Mary Salisbury, Brian Page, Asit Parida, Lidia, Leonard John Ransil, Kent Gilge, Adam Goldfinch, Sara Wilson Hughes, Chad M. Mansbridge, Will McCulloch, Chucks Obinna Ugoihe, KL Oei, Kristi Gorrod, Connie-Louise Alexander, Andre de Haan, Tommy Miles, Bill Pruitt, Lewis Sage, Randy & Shandra Montague, Stephanie Kirtland, Diane Roman, Tony Cutty, Crisostomo L. Martin, Jenifer Powell, Margaret Eargle, Brandon Scott, Roland Stamey, Beverly Bowman, Sue Crissman, Alex C, Nelson, Elaine DeLones, Trice Seargent, William Conroy, Dana Daigle, Peter M Claffey, Glenda B Crawford, Larissa Hamel, Paul Burton, Kimberly Weeks, Frederick Johannes Botha, James Yaranon, Eder, Sharon Stark, Mimica, Hannah Lui, Dana K Griffin, Matthew Miller,Yvonne, John Daigle, Amon Viki Zwane, Craig Ballard, William Undi, Heather Gill, Deirdre M Rogers, Jane Hunckler, Georg Zönnchen, Charles & Sheilla van Wijk, David Slayback, Geoff Powell, Ilva Sturlese, Mel & Clare Sanders, Terry & Janelle Myers, Harold Dueck, Greg Brown, John Ikard, Anne Lyttle, Allan Faalavaau, Mark Testerman, David Slayback, and Elizabeth Ferguson.

I would also like to acknowledge those readers who give anonymously. You know who you are. Your generosity is changing lives, and I am truly grateful to partner with you.

I have some exciting projects planned for 2022 which patrons will hear about first. Until then, thank you for sharing the journey. If you have read, shared, or commented on my work, I appreciate it.

May your family enjoy the peace and favor of God as we celebrate the birth of our King and Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Paul

It’s amazing how much can change in a year.

For as long as I have been writing Escape to Reality, readers have been asking, “Paul, why don’t you write a commentary?” and my reply has always been, “It’s not gonna happen.”

My reluctance was based on brutal experience.

It took me two years to write a verse-by-verse commentary of Matthew 24 for a book called AD70 and the End of the World. It took nearly as long to write a commentary for Revelations 2 and 3 (Letters from Jesus).

That’s four years to cover a grand total of 102 verses.

At that pace I calculated it would take me more than 300 years to write a commentary for the whole New Testament.

So no, it wasn’t going to happen.

Except it has.

In January this year, I felt strongly impressed to give it a shot and in less than nine months we have this new thing called The Grace Commentary which now has commentary for 1,500 verses!

How did that happen?

I honestly can’t account for it except to say the grace of God has brought this project to life.

Who is the Grace Commentary for?

It’s for people who ask this question:

How do I read this verse through the lens of grace?

I get asked that question every day by readers. Perhaps you have even asked me that question. Now instead of waiting for me to answer (and being disappointed when I don’t), you can get an instant answer straight from the Grace Commentary, any time of the day, any day of the week.

We still have a long way to go, but we’ve made a solid start. 1500 verses. My hope is that you and your family will find the Grace Commentary a useful tool as you grow in grace.

If you believe the Grace Commentary is a worthwhile project, here are three ways you can support it:

1. Pray for wisdom/strength/inspiration as I write
2. Add a link to The Grace Commentary on your website (incoming links help the commentary get noticed by Google)
3. Become a financial partner

Why does a commentary need money? It may surprise you to learn that the Grace Commentary website is more expensive to run than Escape to Reality, thanks to all the techy stuff under the hood. BUt hopefully it is worth it.

Become a partner in this exciting venture, and you’ll be investing in something truly worthwhile. Even in these early stages, the Grace Commentary is helping hundreds of people a week.

Whether you support the commentary or not, I hope you use it, and I hope you find it helpful.

Grace and peace,
Paul

Sign up to be notified of updates to the Grace Commentary.

Words mean different things to different people.

Consider the word obedience. What does this word mean to you?

If you have an old covenant mindset, obedience means keeping the Ten Commandments. But if you have a new covenant mindset, obedience means heeding Jesus.

It’s the same for the word repentance. Under the old covenant, repentance means turning from sin, but in the new covenant, repentance means changing your mind and turning to God.

We could say something similar about the words confess, faith, and righteousness. What do these words mean to you? Your answer depends on whether you have an old- or new covenant mindset.

In nearly 12 years of writing Escape to Reality, I have learned that there is enormous confusion about the covenants. Because many people don’t know what makes the new covenant new, they are stuck with the inferior definitions of the old.

Think of it as the difference between two languages. Those who speak old covenant speak a language of petition and longing, while those who speak new covenant speak a language of thanksgiving and praise.

Introducing the Grace Glossary

If you want to enjoy the superior realities of the new covenant, you need to learn to speak the new covenant language of Jesus.

To help you do that, I have started working on something called the Grace Glossary. (A glossary is a dictionary of words limited to one subject, in this case, the new covenant.)

The beginnings of the new Grace Glossary can be found on my commentary website here:

www.thegracecommentary.com/glossary

If you find the Grace Glossary useful, you may want to sign up for occasional updates.

Grace and peace,

Paul

Zoom. Live streaming. Online worship. Virtual meetings. Facebook groups. Drive-thru communion.

Churches and ministries are adapting to meet the realities of a post-Covid world. But while the emergence of new platforms and technologies has been a boon, one thing that has not changed is the need for top-notch content.

We can help.

Escape to Reality has become an arsenal for the gospel of grace. Our resources are regularly turned into sermons, seminars, social media soundbites, and teaching series.

But you probably knew that.

What you may not know is that E2R supporters have given away more than $250,000 worth of books and ebooks to leaders and churches in developing nations and elsewhere.

That’s a lot of books!

E2R supporters are doing extraordinary things. By partnering they are proclaiming the gospel of grace all around the world and funding moonshot projects like The Grace Commentary. Our supporters give this message wings.

Who are these generous people?

They are E2R readers just like you who have signed up to give a little each month via Patreon or Donorbox. And the good news is you can join them!

Which brings me to today’s special offer.

Five years ago today, we launched our Patreon page. To celebrate our Patreonniversary, we have a special offer for anyone who signs up as a patron in the next three days:

1. Sign up for any amount, even as a little as a dollar a month, and you’ll get instant access to three classic sermons rewritten in modern English…

2. Sign up to give $10 or more per month and you’ll get the classic sermons plus the keys to my growing library of study notes (see below). You’ll also get online access to my last four books (The Silent Queen, Letters from Jesus, etc.) as well as sneak peeks at forthcoming work.

3. Sign up for $100 or more per month and you will get everything above (the classic sermons, the study notes, my last four books, draft chapters of forthcoming work, etc.), and as a token of my gratitude I will send you an limited edition autographed copy of one of my books. (Think of the resale value!) I will also send you a personal thank you message via Patreon.

If you or your family have been blessed by my writing and you want others to experience that blessing, why not become a patron on Patreon today?

You can also become a supporter at Donorbox and get the same rewards.

Not ready to become a monthly supporter? You can also make a one-time contribution at PayPal.

Every dollar helps, but be quick. This special offer ends this Saturday 12 June.

To all our awesome patrons and supporters who have helped give away a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of books, thank you! Your wholehearted generosity is bearing fruit all over the world.

Paul