Radical Grace/The Lutheran Difference

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The Meaning of Christian Life

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:20:32 +0000

How can the Christian life be about abiding the love of Jesus today, and how is it relevant to giving meaning for a Christian life? Seriously folks, there's a Doctrine for everything in the Christian's life, and all of them have something do with what Jesus has done, is doing or will do.

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This Is Your Mediocre Christian Life!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:30:48 +0000

People are so worried that their Christian life is Mediocre that they'll do anything to improve it. So Christian Self Help books are all the rage, iPods and iPhones are filled to the last bit of ram with Sermons and teaching Mp3s, and everyone goes here and there searching for that magic ingredient that will make the Christian life really take off.

What if it's more simple than that? What if it's as simple as joining a local Congregation? Where else are you going to find the Christ if not with his people? And finding him, don't you then believe that your Christian life will improve? I'm not going to say this edition of Radical Grace radio will change your life, because we're not really trying to change your life. We're merely pointing out the obvious here.

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How the Christ Re-Parents You

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:00:06 +0000

Bill Marallo of Adoptions Services joins us to talk about "re-parenting", and we of course talk about in terms of God re-parenting us. A lot of people think of "sanctification" in a lot of weird ways, but try listening to this program for a better perspective.

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"Where Did I Go Wrong With My Witness?"

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:07:54 +0000

So the person you're witnessing to doesn't believe in God or Hell. What do you do? You could try to make him feel guilty under the law, but he doesn't believe in any of that. Now what? On Radical Grace Radio we talk about what you could do besides just give up.

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The Kingdom of God Gospel

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:14:37 +0000

The most common way of evangelizing these days is to ask this question of people: If you were to die tonight, where would spend eternity. In this show we submit to you that this is categorically the wrong method of persuasion. In fact, I personally think that the approach of asking "where will you spend eternity" does nothing but appeal to our narcisim. But this is exactly the problem. We've been trained by the world to think of things in terms of how it benefits us, how it impacts our lives, so much so that any other way of thinking is deemed as backwards and irrelevant. But how do you begin to offer a corrective to this viewpoint?

How about proclaiming "the kingdom" like Jesus did?

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He is Risen!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:45:38 +0000

Do those words bore you? "He is Risen!" I was reading an article that was Newsweek Magazine and in the Huffington Post where the Author (More about him next week) keeps referring to Jesus as though he's not around anymore. "He was" and "If he were here"... even though this guy swears he believes in Jesus' divinity and the Resurrection he keeps talking about Jesus as though he were dead.

No. HE... IS... Risen! Three important words. Let's talk about the Gospel. Let's talk about Christ raised from the dead. Yeah, let's do it. I like this plan.

Jesus' Triumpal Entry!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:57:47 +0000

Jesus' Triumphal Entry. Lots of good stuff and again stressing an emphasis this Easter season on Jesus and what he has done for all humanity. Behold! You King arrives!

Also, a lot of churches are shifting emphasis on the traditional Palm Sunday from the triumphal entry to Jesus' Passion. Good or bad?

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The Spirit of Adoption.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:50:49 +0000

Bill Marallo is an Adoption Recruiter for Intervention Services here in Central Florida, and he joins Pastor Gary and I to talk about Adoption from a human point of view, then he stay to have his mind blown about the Biblical Concept of Adoption.

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Caution! Divided Church Ahead!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:58:55 +0000

Jeffrey Dahmer died in Christ. A good portion of the church does not believe this. And that's sad. But God's grace is that disturbing. Really, truly disturbing. God's grace is for the wicked. You. Me. Jeffrey Dahmer. And Pastor Roy Ratcliff, who heard Dahmer's confession and baptised him into Christ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Ratcliff

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Comfort for the Living in the Face of Death

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:44:15 +0000

Each and everyone one of us is guaranteed to experience the death of someone we love in our lifetimes. You'd have to be a literal Scrooge who hated everyone to not be moved at the news of the death of a parent, a child, a friend... In this edition of Radical Grace Radio we offer comfort from a surprising place in the Bible: The Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew's Gospel.

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Tornados, Discipleship and Bereavement Counseling

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:07:00 +0000

On this edition of Radical Grace Radio we start off with, and never really get off of, the topic of the recent tornado touchdowns and the lives that have been touched by the devastation. What are Christians to think about all of this? Is God angry at us and punishing us? Again?

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Savior When in Dust to Thee

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:29:56 +0000

On this edition of Radical Grace Radio we're joined by Dan Engle of both necessaryroughness.org and Lutherantimeout.org to talk about our recent online colaboration on a hymn for his Timeout Podcast. The hymn is Savior when in Dust to Thee, and we had a blast doing it. Also for a limited time, if you donate to either Lutherantimeout or Radical Grace Radio, you'll get a copy of the Master track (lossless studio version) of them hymn.

Also Lent for beginners. Yes, that's you. Get your repent on!

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Your Religious Rights: Taken, not stirred?

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:41:00 +0000

We're certain that by now all of you have heard about the HHS (Health and Human Services) mandate stating that religious employers have to provide insurance coverage for birth control and how that effects various Church Bodies. On this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about Religious Liberty, because to be honest with you, we don't think most of you are exercising your Religious Liberties in the first place. If we thought we could get away with it at radio station, we'd demonstrate religious freedom with a few brews on air.

Also, hear about two kinds of righteousness. Righteousness before God, and Righteousness before men. Don't miss it.

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Justification and Propitiation

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:01:08 +0000

This edition of Radical Grace Radio is the beginning of a re-release of four programs that began with an episode that goes into Justification and Propitiation.

If I were to take a microphone with me right now out on the street and ask Christians how important the forgiveness of sins is to the Christian Faith, I’m certain that nearly all them would agree that it is most important. But if I were to ask this same group of Christians how is it that God forgiving sins amounts to salvation, there would be all kinds of answers. The problem with many of the answers is that too often what is said is that salvation comes from either us having cleaned up our act, or that we’ve quote “believed” unquote, and that these things are the conditions we must meet in order to stand before the Holy and Righteous God. On the one hand there are people who teach that Salvation comes from obeying the law and that obedience is rewarded by God with Salvation, while on the other hand more Christians would teach that it’s by faith that we are saved and that only by believing in Jesus Christ can salvation come to the sinner.

But both of these definitions amount to the same thing. On the one hand people who teach Works, called Pelagians, are obviously teaching that we can manipulate God by obeying his law, as if we could ever hold our many works over God that he would have to owe us something in return. But, all too often the opposite teaching, that we are saved by faith, is stated like this: If you believe God and believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, that’s ALL you have to do to be saved, as if you can manipulate God by performing the ONE work that God will accept. But scripture teaches us that no one will be justified by works before God. So what gives?

The Bible talks about “salvation” in a different way, in terms of being “justified”. Indeed, the Apostle Paul talks about how God “Justifies the wicked”. But again, we have to be careful, because a lot people would say, “oh, I know what Justified means. “Just as if I’d never sinned”. Well, in this program, as always, we refuse to talk down to people, but rather would tell them the truth the way the truth really is. To be Justified is something more than just forgiveness. Wicked, constantly sinful people need more than forgiveness to make it to heaven, and that’s what we’re going to talk about on this edition of Radical Grace Radio.

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Finding a Christian Church Part 2

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:49:48 +0000

In this second part of a two part edition of Radical Grace Radio, Pastor Gary Held and I continue a discussion on what is Church, what is truth, and something that only a True Christian church can do, and that is deliver God's forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. Guilt is a real problem that we face, not because we have a psychological problem of Guilt, but because we truly are guilty before God. Wouldn't it be wonderful to find a Church that has the solution to that problem?

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Finding a Christian Church

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:17:56 +0000

In this first part of a two part discussion on what is a church, Pastor Gary and I start with a problem that we discussed last week about people not knowing what church is, or even if it's Christian or not. It's interesting that people would equate the word "church" with anything other than Christian, and it's even more interesting that people, rather than actually find out or ask what church is, make up a definition on the fly. But what if one day you suddenly find that you need a church? How would you recognize a church? Is it where they sing songs? And listen to a guy "preach" about living a so called Christian life by giving you pointers about morals and such?

What if it's not about that at all? What about a place where God has promised to be for you?

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http://jesusfetusfajitafishsticks.blogspot.com/2012/01/ahlquist-screenshots-if-by-christian.html

How to Improve your Christian Hate Life Part 3

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:12:47 +0000

We've had two other programs devoted to this topic already... Now we feel compelled to offer a third one after Christians have attacked a young atheist for winning a court case to remove (of all things) a prayer banner. The prayer itself asks for grace to be kind and be a good sport and be honorable... too bad the Christians attacking this girl couldn't see that.

Also, we discovered something interesting about people these days. The word "church" does not, in people's minds, automatically mean it's about Christian anything. In the minds of many people, Church could be Muslim or Christian, or any given sect of any religion. Strange, of course, since the word used to be exclusively Christian.

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Why I hate religion hate but love Jesus.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:03:39 +0000

>>This<< Video has been making the rounds, and it supposedly shows you they way in which religion is bad but Loving Jesus is good. It's nicely produced, the guy in the video I'm sure has his heart in the right place, but... well, you should listen to the show.

Also, stopping the Tebow train. Oh wait, it got stopped... By Wiccans. Uh huh...

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Wearing God's Name With Honor.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:08:12 +0000

Ever have anyone tell you about "Using" God's name? Using it with Authority? You hear a lot about that, but have you ever heard someone talk about "Wearing" God's name with Honor? When Aaron was told to how to bless Israel, it was so that God would put His Name on the people. You have His Name on you via your baptism. How do you wear His name?

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Jesus is Toast!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:44:22 +0000

Burnt Impressions... Offers you a burnt offering of Jesus' face burnt onto your toast! You can eat your toast while playing with your Jesus Bobble Head... Here's the thing. Most of you agree that Jesus' name shouldn't be used as a curse word. But seriously, there are other ways to misuse his name. Making a buck off Jesus' name is another way.

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Keeping Messiah in Christmas!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:56:08 +0000

Closed for Christmas? Jesus never closes heaven to those who answer the call! So why would churches be closed on Jesus' birthday?

So let's talk Messiah then. The annointed one, the Christ, was born to fulfill a promise made centuries before that. A promise that extends to all the earth, a promise that all the earth would be blessed through the seed of Abraham. And there he was, lying in a feed trough... And while the world despised him, people like you and me know him as the Lord of hosts, the one who we sing "Joy to the world, the Lord has come". In this special edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about "Messiah"... What else would you do on December the 25th?

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Immanuel Shall Come to You O Mary!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:22:30 +0000

What else would you talk about if you're going to talk about Religion and Christianity this time of year? Come one, the Advent of our King is near! Imagine for a second, the advent message given to Mary all those years ago: The power of the Most High will overshadow you. Imagine that! One day, his power will overshadow us all! That's good news! This should be a season marked only by that news!

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How to Attain and Throw Away God's Favor.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:43:37 +0000

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about the Radical Favor of God... And how that famous verse, "for God so loved the world" points to the antecedent favor of God, where in time past God freely chooses to love the world, and THEN send his only begotten son... Mabye a lot of you hadn't thought of that.

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How Small is Your Gospel?

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:26:45 +0000

D. L. Moody once said "I can write the Gospel on a dime", and ever since then that's exactly what the Church at large seems to want to do. But if you do that, you wind up leaving out a full, robust proclaimation of the Gospel, leaving people with some "spiritual laws" to keep or who knows what. Whatever it is, it usually winds up leaving the believer in a quagmire of confusion. So this episode is dedicated to a different way of seeing the Gospel and all it's parts, seeing them rather through the lense of Christ and the work of the Godhead in history rather than through lense of "getting people saved".

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The Gospel Snowball that Runs you over.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:51:28 +0000

Think of the Gospel as a snowball rolling down the hill. As it rolls it picks up speed, and carries along with it anyone that gets in it's way. To the unbelieving world, it looks like arms and legs sticking out as the snowball rolls along, but this is the picture of you bowled over by God's good news and carried along by the spirit of God.

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When is a Parable not a Parable?

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:12:04 +0000

The Parable of the sheep and the goats... Is not a parable at all. What? How can we say that? Well, it's simple, really, but you're going to have to listen to the show to find out why we would say that.

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For the Love of Money

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:42:18 +0000

In Luther's time is was the sale of Indulgences (Certificates of Merit). In our time it's the sale of Success. These days, if a church wants to make a lot of money, all they have to do is sell their congregation on Biblical Principles of Succes. They sell everything from Victorious Christian Living to Supernatural Debt Relief, but when it comes to giving Christ to the people and all his benefits? Doesn't sell.

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End Times Burnout

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:41:59 +0000

At Radical Grace Radio, we believe the time is coming where the majority of Christians are going to be burnt out on end times Prophesy. There is so much talk of National Israel, allegoricalized imagery that is forced into us from birth by self proclaimed Bible prophets and being left behind that it's inevitable. People will burn out.

But we know one way you can interpret the prophesies that wont burn you out, and that is if you look at those prophesies like we're supposed to, and that is they are future witness to the victory of Jesus Christ. He was victorious in the past. He IS victorious now, and he will be in the future.

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Will YOU recant?

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:13:48 +0000

When humans get together, they create for themselves doctrines that enslave. A way I might say that today would be that when humans come together they write metanarratives that lie about who we are. The gospel blows devilish doctrines and false narratives out the window. So in this Special edition of RGR for Reformation Day 2011, we compare the practice of selling induglences in Luther's day to the Tithing practices of today.

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The Prophet that cried "wolf"!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:41:16 +0000

With all the emphasis that is given to end times, especially after the Harold Camping fiasco, how long is it going to be before Christians are burnt out on end times? After all, over and over again, Prophets have forcast the second coming of Christ and nothing has happened. We're witnessing a generation that has rejected the Church because of it's shenanegans, and one place that needs clean up is our doctrine of End times.

That and for Deron, our new board op, we wen't over the passage covering the Rich young ruler. Have you sold all that you have for the kingdom?

Do you pass the smell test of righteousness?

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:00:16 +0000

Do you pass the smell test of Rightesness? If you're honest, you'll say no. Pay close attention as this is a running commentary on how people will take law and gospel, pound it into a gooey ball of unreconstituted muck, then eat it while saying themselves "tastes like chicken". Smelly Chicken at that.

Many are Called. Few are Chosen

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:33:30 +0000

On this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk Mit Romney, differences in faiths, but most importantly, a critical Question from the parable of the wedding banquet in Matthew 22... You already asked the wrong question. And you did it again. You'll have to listen to the show, back half the of hour, to learn what the question is in the first place.

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Politics in the Pulpit? Narf!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:37:47 +0000

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio we celebrate National Pulpit Freedom day by thouroughly trashing the concept. Have you ever sat in your church and wished your pastor would just shut up about politics? Give him a copy of this episode, maybe he'll get the point.

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Try Harder to Barter!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:10:27 +0000

Which brother are you? Are you the brother who says he wont do what his father says to do but does it anyway? Or are you the brother who says he's do what his Father's will is but never does it? This episode of Radical Grace Radio ought to be titled "radical law radio", since we've decided to preach this text (Matthew 21:28) just like everyone always does... Only with a Lutheran eye for the law, which is the same as a Biblical eye for the law.

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Perfect Fear Drives out Love.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:23:39 +0000

Here's a terrifying prospect for you. Does your fear drive out the Love of Jesus from your heart? Cephas (Peter) when he was in Antioch, withdrew from the Gentiles because a delegation of Jews from Jerusalem showed up to spy on their freedom in Christ. Think about how you feel each time the boss shows up unannounced at work. Or if your denominational president showed up at your church.

Actually, even an imperfect fear drives out love. Too bad too many Christians miss that. But where do you find a solution to the fears?

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Eternal Father strong to save: September 11th

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:46:18 +0000

Pastor Mark Moreno of Hope Lutheran Church in Viera Florida joins us in the studio to talk about 911, and the impact this has had on everyone's lives. What happens when "never forget" becomes "never forgive"?

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Pound them with Matthew 18!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:46:53 +0000

Most of the time when discussing church discipline, Matthew 18 comes to mind. Pastor Gary, however, does not think that this is a good application of that text, and when it's all said and done, it's a good thing. Mostly we rail against people using Matthew 18 to beat people up... that's what they do with it you know, beat people up. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to look at this through the Gospel?

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Jesus: the Stormy Bloomberg Peace

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:15:56 +0000

Hurricane Irene has come and gone... isn't it interesting how the storm was named "Irene", which in Greek means "peace". Think Irenaus, the early church Father. I like to look at hurricanes as another of God's works in nature that shows us His work. The storm surrounding a peaceful center, like Jesus is the peace in the stormy sea of the Law's condemnation.

We also talk about the 9-11 memorial controversy where Mayor Bloomberg has banned any Clergy from participating in the service. But more importantly, we talk about the parable of the talents and it's parallel passage in Luke to answer the question, "what do the 'talents' represent?

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Self Awareness Kills: The Gospel Saves

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:33:14 +0000

Have you ever wonder about your faith? Thinking about your faith might not sound like a bad idea, like thinking about how much faith you have, or if it's strong enough, that kind of thing. There is a time for introspection, for examining, but when you want your faith to grow, thinking about getting your faith to grow doesn't make it grow.

What does? Listen to this episode of Radical Grace Radio to find out.

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Powerless, Ungodly Sinners and the God who loves them.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:13:52 +0000

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation"

We know most of you desperately want your salvation and all the blessings you recieve from God to have something to do with your righteousness. We know you do. But we refuse to leave you in that condition. You did nothing to contribute to your salvation other than resist God and sin with impunity. For the most part, that's what you do now. Deny it and you're a liar, but confess it and you're forgiven.

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Standing on the 30 Foot Pole of Good works.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:06:01 +0000

The other day I heard on a Christian radio broadcast the folling statement. "I has been said that when you don't pray to God, it's like you slapped him in the face". Why it is that people think this is a helpful statement escapes me, but apparently "fundidgelicals" just love this sort of thing. So now I not only have a problems with my prayer life, but I'm slapping God around each time I don't pray to him...

So Pastor and I talk a bit about "the impassability of God", meaning that he doesn't need anything from us to get his work done. And how the Christian life can be compared to standing on top of the 30 foot pole while worrying your going to fall off.

"God says of Jesus, "this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased"... So if the Father is pleased with Jesus, and we're in Christ, doesn't that mean that the Father is pleased with us?"

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The Boogity Boogity Ministry of Death

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:39:37 +0000

Boogity Boogity Boogity Amen! Oh wait, we're not sure that's how a Christian Prayer is done, but it sure did get done at a NASCAR race... It's funny, we often joke about how NASCAR competes for church time on Sundays. A caller from Rockledge calls to suggest that it's a problem caused by churches practicing a "ministry of death" that leads to death outside of Christ...

Also, we're going to talk about the feeding of the 5000 from Matthew's Gospel. Now there's something to be thankful about.

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Unsolicited Anointed Prayer Rug

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:36:43 +0000

Thios week we Wrap up talking about Matthew 13 and the Kingdom Parables. I think that Pastor has a slam dunk of a case when he says that Jesus is telling these parable as a way of reflecting on his ministry. Also, in the mail, I recieved a prayer rug! I had it with me during the show... and you have to listen to see that we're not ridiculing this or the people behind, but it really does cast God as being Petty.

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The Kingdom of Heaven is like...

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:19:46 +0000

A mustard Seed. Jesus talks about the Kingdom being like the smallest of Seeds Planted. On this edition of Radical Grace Radio we talk about how the Kingdom Grows, and how we often interpret these parables as things that we're supposed to do ourselves. In fact, we often spend too much time inserting ourselves into the grand story of Christ and Redemption that he has won for us!

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Preacher, where is thy fruit?

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:52:52 +0000

In this edition of Radical Grace we talk about the question "Preacher, where is thy fruit?" in context the parable of the sower and the seed. it's a law and Gospel distinction you don't want to miss.

Also, the jurors weren't morons. We talk a bit about the outcome of the Casey Anthony trial and the vitriol and death threats that have made against here and the rest of her family.

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Another way for 3rd Use of the Law

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:31:23 +0000

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we pick up the discussion of 3rd Use of the Law, and offer a law and Gospel take on Psalm 119.

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Laying down the law on third use of the Law.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:22:51 +0000

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio; since we noticed there's a bit of a dust up of confusion about what the uses of the law are (from some rather surprising places I might add) it seemed good also to us to lay down the law on third use of the Law.

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Distinctly Jesus 3: The Sign of the Prophet Jonah.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 10:37:26 +0000

Ever wonder what Jesus means when he says, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation."? Today is the day to learn. We go through the entire book of Jonah in a half an hour! Ok, so it's a short one, but it's loaded with some really good stuff.

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Pentecost for Beginners.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:16:00 +0000

On this week's edtion of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about... Of all things... Pentecost. But first we talk about 70 elders and prophesying, and other God's spirit stuff. Why? Because there's so much confusion out there about Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, that it has to be done. It has to be.

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Distinctly Jesus Part 2: Hypocrites 'R' US

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:06:34 +0000

This week on Radical Grace Radio we continue to teach on the topic "Distinctly Jesus". Last week it was how Jesus handles forgiveness, how he talks about it, how dispenses it liberally. This week it's about hypocrisy. Yep, that dreaded H word. But there's something cool to think about in this leg of study. Jesus seems to talk about hypocrisy in a specific way. And of course there's reboot central.

Christianity has encountered a fatal error. Help us Reboot!

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Distinctly Jesus Part 1

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 11:07:22 +0000

Of all the people in the scriptures, both Old Testament and New, no one talks about forgiveness the way Jesus Christ, or Lord, does. He goes around forgiving sins with impunity. He forgives the sins of a paralytic before he heals him, allows a sinful woman to touch him, quite smartly prevent the stoning death of a woman caught in adultry, and like no one else he does this in such a one sided way. The Lamb of God, going around forgiving, event though HE is to be the one put to death for the sins of each person he personally forgave face to face.

Is there an Important message in Jesus' way of doing things? Listen to this week's Radical Grace Radio to find out.

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Countdown continues: Doomsday approaches

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:12:31 +0000

The apocolype is nigh! Harold Camping tells us that this Saturday, May 21st, is Rapture day. That's it. Get this podcast now to find out what to do!!

Ok, so we don't believe it's coming. But still, you need this podcast to help you through to the other side. Also, we talk about the Non story in the Muslim world of the death of Bin Ladin, and what might be the death of Jihad.

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Countdown to Doomsday: The Rapture and the 21st of May.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:23:00 +0000

On this Edition of Radical Grace Radio we talk about Harold Camping's prediction that the Rapture is going to happen on May 21st. We also talk about others who have made such predictions, and about the book "the late great planet earth" by Hal Lindsey. This and more...

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Boxing Gloves and Fantasy Faith.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 05 May 2011 11:05:44 +0000

Second half of the hour, the Gloves come off concerning the Beatification of the Pope John Paul II. AntiChristic language compared to what you get in Protestant circles. Tridentine Catholicism compared with the Bible... Good stuff, but in the first half, we steal back for you 1 Peter 1:3-8 from those who would steal it from you.

1Pe 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
1Pe 1:7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1Pe 1:8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
1Pe 1:9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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Evidence of the resurrection: Linen Wrappings

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 11:46:46 +0000

Lots of cool stuff on this special "He is Risen" episode. We're early with this edition because it's Easter and we're taking a break from live radio for the day. He IS Risen!

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Radical Grace Radio

Standing up for your Rights?

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:32:15 +0000

The significance of Holy Week, and is it ever right for a Christian to stand up for their rights if they are being mistreated?

An email from Matt in Colorado:

The question I've been pondering and wonder if you would take up is this: Is it ever appropriate for a Christian to make the claim for themselves that they are treated unjustly? Of course, we look out for those treated unjustly, but Christ didn't defend himself as being treated unjustly even though he was, and if we are serious about loving our enemies and trusting in God's justice, do we ever get to make the claim that we, personally, are being treated unjustly? What would be the basis for me to make that claim about myself if I believe in God's love, discipline and justice?

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Radical Grace Radio

The Consequences of Quick Tongue

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:46:00 +0000

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Burning the Koran is for Baal Worshipers

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:47:32 +0000

In this Episode, Terry Jones burns a Koran, people die, and he's surprised? Really? He says he "regrets what happened", but also says "we have no regrets", and when asked if burning a Koran is a Godly or not he says, "It's certainly not normal".

Also, an Email from a listener:

My question concerns the Lutheran doctrine of salvation with regard to whether or not one can be damned after having believed the Gospel and having been justified through faith alone. I read through Walther's Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel some months ago, and I loved the book. But I didn't understand how Walther could say that when one is in deliberate rebellion that one is not a child of God, one is, basically, damned.

This sounds like the conditional security espoused by Arminians, and seems to fly in the face of the sound teaching on justification by grace through faith alone as taught by the Formula of Concord, Smalcald Articles, etc.

Is there any way you could help me understand how Lutherans could simultaneously hold that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law, and yet say that if that man does not, so to speak, continue doing his part in persevering, he is lost, damned, reprobate, etc?

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Grace for the Thorn in Your Flesh

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:41:11 +0000

Ever wonder what Paul Meant by "the thorn in my side"? Many people interpret that to be any thing that besets you, and sometimes they go far as assuming that it's your cross from the famous statement of Jesus, "Pick up your cross and follow me". Pastor Greg Lesieur Joins us to talk about what the text actually says about this "thorny" topic.

Also... "comfort, comfort ye my people" is not a liberal anthem. Get over it.

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Pastor Glenn Beck's Advice: Keep the Commandments!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:18:20 +0000

Yeah, since Pat Robertson's Magical Mystery Tour of craziness has been silent on the whole subject of Japan and the Earthquakes and Tsunami, Glenn Beck decided to chime in. He thinks God did this to send us a message that we need to keep the 10 commandments. Really Glenny? Really?

Also, what are you going to do when the time comes for catastrophy to strike your life, and all you've got in your head is the remnants of a 100 sermons from all sorts of teachers as bad as Glenn Beck and Pat Robertson? Imagine that something awful happens, and instead of being fed with a regular diet of God's word you have been listening to the latest "sermon" series on how to have a better sex life? I'll tell you what it feels like.

$#1^

Don't Mess With Daniel!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:14:39 +0000

You'll never guess who get's kudos for getting Grace and Faith right... Andrew Wommack. I kid you know, he made a serious turn in an effort to rightly describe the relationship between Grace and Faith to the people at a conference in Boston, and it played on the radio this past week.

Also, we get to think with the Mind of Christ on the great passage from Daniel, featuring an experience he had with some lions and some Satraps who hated him.

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Get Real!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:18:47 +0000

Ok, you've heard it before. "In our church, we're going to be about being missional, and compassionate, and spread the testimony, and be all loving to all the people"... So, that's nice, but... Exactly HOW are you going to do all of that? Pastor Gary said it best. If you can't imagine what your life or the life of the your church would look like in the next year as you get things rolling, then it's likely not going to roll.

Epic Winning? No, weak.

Also, some new ways and methods to learn how to read your Bible with better discernment.

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Anxiety and Change!

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 12:28:21 +0000

Oh to be able to simply talk about important things... without people getting into a lather about them! While thinking with the mind of Christ we begin to realize that the Church cannot simply look at it's past and pine for the good ole' days. We have a committment to truth and that truth cannot be ignored. So again, we talk about what it would mean should the mind of Christ be adhered to and used by his disciples... Change is hard folks, but so it repentence and faith.

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3rd Use and Anti Rules

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:06:33 +0000

We have a question: If we're all so gung ho about getting people to shape up, why don't we just do it the way the early Puritans used to do it? Make obedience to God's Law mandatory through civil law? In fact, what we could do is make up a law like Muslims have (Sharia Law) and attach Penalties (extra tything, and what have you) for disobedience?

So we on Radical Grace Radio did exactly that... except, we made them Anti Rules... Rules you can do that aren't rules at all... you'd have to listen, in fact.

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The Miracle of Speaking:The Mind of Christ

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:13:45 +0000

Another show, another time when people are confused about the acts of the Holy Spirit. When a filling of the Holy Spirit comes, it would seem that the Bible testifies that the first thing that happens is, someone speaks. Someone says something so incredibly important that someone has to remember it and write it down at some point. So where people are looking for evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit in the gift of tongues, it would seem the first place to look is isn't with tongues, but with plain ole' speaking.

However, it is a kind of speech that is with authority and power and confidence. Don't you wish you had that? Find out how on this week's Radical Grace Radio.

All this and more on Radical Grace Radio.

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The Mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:01:02 +0000

Is "having the mind of Christ" and "Being filled with the Holy Spirit" one and the same thing?

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio we reveal a couple of interesting things. One is that references to being "filled with the Spirit" are found primarily in Luke's Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. The other is what the Biblical Evidence shows is the immediate effect of being "filled with the Spirit". Can you guess what that might be?

All this and more on Radical Grace Radio.

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Thinking with the Mind of Christ Part 2

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:57:54 +0000

Our opinions... As much as we like 'em, sometimes they gotta go. Still Ramping up on the topic "thinking with the Mind of Christ", we learn how devastating it is to our understanding when we can't admit that we are interpretting the scriptures by our "learned" responses and natural ways of thinking.

Breaking Old Habits and Making New Ones.

Risen Savior Lutheran Church — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:54:42 +0000

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about how we as believers have a bunch of old habits that need to be broken when it comes to approaching the topic of "the Mind of Christ". The number one habit is this: not knowing we have bad habits of thinking in the first place. Habits like believing we have to contribute something to the finished work of Christ in order to recieve every blessing and benefit of Christ... or insisting on maintaining a Medevial world view rather than holding onto a Biblical world view.

Over the course of the next few weeks, we'll be talking about each of the habits that we have problems with, starting with this problem of upholding a Medevial world view without realizing what that means. We can't keep doing this to ourselves and those who are young in Christ...

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