Growing in Grace

214. Repentance Means to Change Your Thinking

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:02:31 PST

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The word "repent" has traditionally been taught as a word that means "change your behavior." "Repentance" is taught as a necessary part of being saved. But if repentance means that we have to change our behavior in order to be saved or in order to keep ourselves saved, then doesn't that mean that it's our own works/effort that saves us?

What does it really mean to repent? We'll get into that this week on Growing in Grace.

Growing in Grace Together 1 - John Lynch, Coauthor of Bo's Cafe

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:18:17 PST

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This week we're happy to present a new feature here on Growing in Grace, in addition to our regular weekly podcast. "Growing in Grace Together" will feature informal conversations with various people, simply chatting with them about their own grace journeys.

For this inaugural edition, Joel speaks with special guest John Lynch, coauthor of the new novel Bo's Café (boscafe.com), a book he wrote along with Bruce McNicol and Bill Thrall. In short, Bo's Café is a book that will help people who are struggling with a performance-based life, and with various issues in life that never seem to get resolved. Even after hearing all the "right" things preached and knowing all the "right" things to do, we find that our lives are still mucky and falling apart, and we live with guilt and shame - and yet we make ourselves appear nice and shiny to others as we wear masks and as we hide our guilt and shame well, presenting ourselves to others as the person we wish we would be, rather than being real and genuine with others about how things really are on the inside.

As John shares, we need to find a place where "the worst about me could be known and I'd discover that I'd be loved more and not less in the telling of it, and just that alone would start breaking my shame that would allow me to enjoy this health." Listen in as John talks about the various characters in Bo's Café, and how they come to find that Christ-in-them is enough, as He works in and through them - not with quick fixes to their problems, and not through well-laid-out and well-lived-out rules and principles, but rather as they learn to be vulnerable with one another and as they learn to trust in God's grace to work powerfully and dynamically in them through the safe - and often messy - place of genuine relationships.

213. Faith, Works and Dead Works

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:24:57 PST

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"Faith without works is dead," says James. We talked about that a little bit last week, and we'll talk about it a little more this week. We'll dig into the idea of how faith and works work together, so to speak, and we'll show how we believe this phrase from James does not mean that we do works in order to "prove" our faith or in order to make our faith genuine. We'll also talk a bit about how "works without faith are dead works!" (See how we cleverly moved the words around a bit). ;) Anyone, even people without faith, can do good works. People can be good imitators, and their imitations can appear very close to the real thing, and yet just as an imitation is not the real thing, in the same way people can do works that appear really, really good, but are nevertheless dead works.

212. Justified By Faith AND Works?

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:53:01 PDT

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James, James, James... Why'd you have to do it? Why'd you have to say it? Why'd you have to go and say it the way you said it? Why'd you have to say things like, "You see then, that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only" (James 2:24) and "Wasn't our father Abraham justified by works...?" (James 2:21). Didn't Paul say, "For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God" (Rom 4:2) and didn't Paul repeatedly say that we are justified by faith apart from works? (Rom 3:28, Gal 2:16, Gal 3:24). And James, what's up with that "faith without works is dead" statement?

Were you having a bad day when you wrote that letter? Did you simply disagree with Paul? Was Martin Luther on track with his comments about your letter being a "right strawy epistle?" Is there another way to look at your epistle? Do Kap and Joel have anything to say about this?

Hmm... Let's see if they do!

211. God Is At Work In You

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:20:20 PDT

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So often we seem to make the Christian life about our work that we do for God. But as we discuss this week, it's not about the work that we do for God, but rather about His work that He does in and through us! HE has begun a good work in us and HE is faithful to complete it!

210. Work Out Your Own Salvation?

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 11:14:28 PDT

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We're going to spend a little bit of time talking about confusing or misunderstood "works" passages in the Bible. This week we talk about the Apostle Paul's words that he writes to the Philippians - "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Those words, when taken alone at face value, might cause a type of fear and trembling that was never intended, as it might seem to be saying that our salvation is somehow dependent upon our works! So what did Paul mean with those words? As usual, a look at Paul's surrounding words - as well as other things Paul said in his other letters - helps us to get a better grip on what this is really all about.

209. Jesus' Harsh Words to Self-Righteous Hypocrites

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:56:45 PDT

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Did Jesus approach everyone in the same way? During the past few weeks we've hopefully been successful at throwing that idea into the shredder! Jesus spoke differently to different people, and didn't always approach and respond to them in the same way - and it always depended upon all kinds of varying factors. It never was black and white.

So what about Jesus' interaction with self-righteous people and hypocrites (essentially one in the same)? It seems as if these people bugged Jesus the most, and He often had more than a mouthful to say to them. This week we look at one such example of His interaction with them in Matthew 23, as He speaks openly and harshly to and about the self-righteous, hypocritical scribes and Pharisees.

208. Jesus' Response To "What Shall I Do To Inherit Eternal Life?"

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:27:01 PDT

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Just as with the "certain lawyer" who approached Jesus (Luke 10:25-37, as we discussed recently), the "rich young ruler" also approached Jesus with the question, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" (see Mark 10:17-27, Luke 18:18-27)

Jesus' response to the man was similar, bringing up five or six of the Ten Commandments. And so, is that true? Do the commandments have anything to do with inheriting eternal life? After all, that was how Jesus responded to this man's question about inheriting eternal life! Mike and Joel talk this through in this week's Growing in Grace podcast.

As we continue looking at how the words of Jesus don't always apply to believers, we realize many questions may arise, including the question, "What about the Bible passage that says, 'ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work?'" We take some time out at the beginning of the podcast to address that.

207. It's All About the Unconditional Love of the Father

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:32:12 PDT

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Continuing from last week with our look at parables in which we often seem to misidentify the characters, or at least in which we seem to put the spotlight on the wrong characters, this week we take a look at the story that is commonly called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son." Certainly the prodigal son isn't a character who we simply glance over, and most of us can easily identify with him in one way or another, but is he really meant to be the main focus of the parable? We'll share a couple of real-life stories as we discuss how we think the focus was always meant to be on the great love of the father.

206. Identifying Ourselves Correctly in the Parables

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:57:51 PDT

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The words of Jesus - surprisingly to many people - are not always what they seem at face value, as we've discussed over the past few weeks here on Growing in Grace. Often we begin with a preconceived premise in our determination of what Jesus is trying to communicate, but if we start with the wrong premise then we're going to end up going down the wrong path, leading to the wrong conclusions. With this in mind, this week we take a look at how various characters in the parables that Jesus told are often misunderstood because we often start with the wrong premise of the meaning of each parable.

Often the parable of the Good Samaritan is read and taught in such a way as to make us (Christians) out to be people who should strive to be the Good Samaritan in the story. The parables of the Pearl of Great Price and of the Treasure Hidden in a Field are presented as stories that show Jesus as a precious pearl and treasure that we are to purchase after we sell all we have. Are these things really what these parables are communicating? We'll take into consideration the people Jesus was talking with in each situation and what questions He was responding to, and also take into account the surrounding context and other New Covenant truth to help us sort out who some of characters in the parables really represent.

Hint: We often try to make ourselves the heroes and/or the centerpieces of the parables. But perhaps these parables really show us how Jesus is the hero and centerpiece!

205. Sermon on the Mount - Jesus' Words To You? (Part 2)

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 08:55:10 PDT

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We're taking some time to look at some of the 'hard sayings' of Jesus, as recorded in the four books that open the New Testament as we know it, known as "The Gospels." Specifically, this week we're continuing on with our look at "The Sermon on the Mount." What was Jesus really saying? To whom did His words apply? Was this a "Christian" teaching? Was Jesus giving a new list of rules to live by? Why do some of His words seem so harsh and legalistic?

We'll move on next week to various other words that Jesus spoke to others that seem hard, looking at them in the context of the New Covenant in which we now live.

204. Sermon on the Mount - Jesus' Words To You? (Part 1)

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 08:53:23 PDT

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Jesus said it, so we're to follow it - right? Not so fast! Over the next few weeks Kap and the Breezeman will be taking a look at various words of Jesus that seem like hard sayings. And they're hard for a reason! This week we begin with the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Check out some of the things Jesus said:

-You will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees.
-Whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment
-Whoever says, "You fool!" will be in danger of hell fire!
-Whoever looks at someone with lust has committed adultery in his heart
-If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out
-If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off

And so on! Read the whole thing for yourself. Is this a word from Jesus that is to be applied in daily Christian living? Who was He talking to? What was His purpose? What covenant was being represented here? We'll take some time this week and next week to go through what we believe is the true meaning and purpose of the Sermon on the Mount.

Hopefully, if this passage has caused you any fear, worry or anxiety, this will take a load off!

203. I Give My Life To God?

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:47:40 PDT

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We've all heard expressions like "I gave my life to God" and "God, I give my life to you." But is it really true that we give our lives to God? Do we really think that we are the ones who offer our lives to Him? Or is it the other way around? The good news of the exchanged life is not that we had something to offer God for Him to use but that we had nothing to offer Him, and instead He gave His life to us and came to live in us! We didn't give our lives to God. Rather, we died - we were crucified with Christ - and the lives we live are no longer our lives but are His life in us.

Many people are trying to do their best to offer their "all" to God. They're trying to "do" in order to become something. But in Christ we've already become something (complete in Him, new creations, etc), and the lives we live are not a matter of performing for God or offering our "best" to Him, but rather resting in Him and having Him live His life through us!

202. Identity - How Did I Become Who I Am?

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 14:14:38 PDT

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The Bible has a lot to say about the new life that Christians have. Various passages talk about our new identity in Christ. How did we gain this new identity? How did we become who we are? Was it by works? Or was it simply by birth? Are we trying to become something through our behavior, or are we already who we are on the basis of having inherited a new nature and identity, apart from anything we've ever done or will ever do? We'll discuss these questions and more this week on Growing in Grace.

201. Dead People Don't Keep Laws And Don't Break Laws

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 12:24:43 PDT

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Continuing on with our conversation that we were having before our 3 special highlight editions of Growing in Grace, Kap talks about an actual person who no longer breaks the laws of the land to illustrate how we as Christians no longer break God's laws!

Also this week: The Christian life is, of course, not about keeping or breaking God's laws, so how in the world do we live our lives in Christ? Might it have something to do with grace?! Can too much grace be preached? We'll talk about all this and more on this week's Growing in Grace podcast.

200. Special Celebration Edition - Highlights Part 3

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 19:02:07 PDT

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Thanks for helping us celebrate our landmark 200th podcast! Here's the third and final highlights program.

200. Special Celebration Edition - Highlights Part 2

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:13:16 PDT

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The festivities continue this week as we celebrate our 200th Growing in Grace Podcast with some more highlights from past programs!

200. Special Celebration Edition - Highlights Part 1

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:14:06 PDT

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We're celebrating our 200th Growing in Grace Podcast with a look back on highlights from the past programs that have led up to this memorable occasion! It's been a lot of fun to have you sit in with us on our casual conversations as we discover together what true freedom is all about. We'll continue with our celebrating for the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for more highlights to come, and of course we're looking forward to many more great chats in the future!

199. If Not Law and Rules Then What is the Source of Living the Christian Life?

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:14:49 PDT

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For the past several weeks we've been getting pretty heavy into discussions about God's Law. We've discussed the purpose of the Law, and how it is the ministry of death and condemnation, and how being under the Law is bondage. We then talked about how Jesus came to FREE us from the Law! For those not familiar with all these things that the New Covenant scriptures say about the Law, this may leave some scratching their heads and asking questions such as, "If the Christian life is not about keeping God's law and it's not about following rules, then what is the motivation and the source of living the Christian life?

If we say that Jesus came to deliver us from the Law, and all we talk about is God's love and grace, won't that cause people to want to go out and sin and live reckless lives? Is that what grace does? (Do we really have the gall to make grace out to be so cheap and powerless and insufficient?) The Law, which is good and holy and perfect, had one main problem. It could certainly lay down its demands of perfection - but yet it had absolutely no power to help anyone live right! Grace, on the other hand, is the ever-sufficient power of living the Christian life. To take it even further, it's not that grace enables the flesh to live a better life, but through God's grace we have died to the Law in order that we may have true life - the very life of Christ in us! Therein lies the power and the motivation and the source of the entire Christian life!

Special Note: Next week marks our 200th Growing in Grace program! To celebrate, we'll spend two or three weeks running highlights of our past programs. This should be a lot of fun as we look back on some of our conversations that have hopefully been a source of grace, freedom and life. Thanks so much for listening and for all your encouraging words!

198. Freedom Comes Not Through Law But Through Faith

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:15:16 PDT

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Christians, declare your independence from the Law! Many Christians, it seems, have not realized that Christ set them free from God's Law. But since it's the truth, we might as well know and understand it so we can live a life of independence from the Law and of true freedom in Christ!

There are over 600 Laws in the Bible. So which Laws are we talking about here? As everyone knows, there are two covenants - the Old and the New. In the Old, we see that there are laws that are broken into three categories: sacrificial laws, dietary laws... AND what is known as "moral laws," or The Ten Commandments. Most Christians have no problem with the understanding that we don't live by the old sacrificial and dietary laws. But as we check out Paul's words in Galatians this week, we find out what he has to say about the latter set of laws, which many Christian seem to think are there for us to live by. If you see things that way, you may be surprised at what the Bible actually says about that!

In short, let's just say that walking by Law means that we are in bondage! To walk according to God's promise - to walk according to freedom - means to walk by faith, not law. We are children of faith and of the promise, not children of the flesh and bondage!

Next week: If our lives in Christ are not to be by Law, then what is the motivation and source of good works and righteous living?

Display a Growing in Grace Banner on your site!

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:57:24 PDT

Mike and Joel are very thankful for all the wonderful support from friends and listeners of the Growing in Grace podcast. People are finding out about the program all the time, and many lives are being touched weekly through the message of God's unconditional love and grace. This is due in large part to people like YOU who are spreading the word! Thanks so much for telling others about the program.

Here's one more way to get the word out. If you have a blog or other site on the web, feel free to add a Growing in Grace Banner to your site. It's very easy - simply choose from the banners below, and then copy and paste the HTML code that's below the banner onto your web page.

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197. Law: Bondage, Jesus: Freedom

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:15:47 PDT

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Continuing on from last week's program in which we talked about being delivered from the Law, this week we talk a little bit more about the ministry of the Law, which is bondage, and the "better hope" that we have in Jesus, which is freedom!

The Apostle Paul uses very strong language when talking about the Law. Sometimes we glance over these things, but we've got to look at the reality of the Law's purpose and ministry so we can have a clearer understanding of the ministry of Jesus! Did you know that Paul refers to the Law as "the law of sin and death," "the ministry of death" and "the ministry of condemnation?" He brings up the Old Testament characters of Hagar and Sarah, saying they are symbols of the two covenants - one that gives birth to bondage and the other that brings freedom. Are we of the child that was born according to the flesh, or of the child that was born according to the promise!

196. Delivered From The Law

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 05:00:47 PDT

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This week we talk about our relationship with the Law. The Law is good, holy and perfect. Is it "good" to remain in a relationship with the good, holy and perfect Law? This "marriage partner" points out all our faults and demands perfection... but yet is powerless to provide it! The end result is nothing but guilt and condemnation. And so somehow we needed to be delivered from this bad relationship. Using Paul's illustration from Romans 7 and his words from Galatians 2, Mike and Joel discuss what needed to happen in order for us to be "delivered from the law."

Guest on 'The Good and Noble Heart' podcast

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:00:29 PDT

This afternoon Jim Robbins had Joel as a guest on his podcast, The Good and Noble Heart. Jim and Joel had a really great discussion, talking about several things including:

-The new Grace Roots community on ning.com
-People being alone in their grace walk
-The worldwide body of Christ being able to connect with and encourage one another in God's love and grace through the internet
-How community is not just about one person's agenda, but rather everyone has things to bring to the table
-What it looks like when people aren't walking according to God's grace and their new good heart
-Several other things revolving around being established in grace and growing in grace

Just as Joel had found in studying Jim's Recover Your Good Heart study guide with other people, Jim asked really great questions that provided for a really great discussion on this podcast. You can download the podcast and/or listen directly by clicking on the widget below.

195. The Purpose of the Law

graceroots@gmail.com (Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:43:35 PDT

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Last week we asked the question, "Don't we need to commit ourselves to the laws of God?" This week we begin exploring that question by going back and talking briefly about what the gospel is (in short, we talk about God's righteousness that is given to us as a gift, apart from the Law) and we move on from there.

Was the Law given to help us live right and overcome sin? The Bible says that we've been set free from sin and that sin does not have dominion over us! Why? Does God's Law have anything to do with this? What is the Law's purpose? We'll talk about this and more on this week's episode of Growing in Grace.