Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

668. What Can Separate You from God?

September 9, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

As a believer in Jesus Christ, it’s possible you’ve heard a list of things that can separate you from God. At the very least, you’ve been told that fellowship with God can be broken, hindered or put on hold based upon certain behavior malfunctions on your part. In some corners of Christianity, it becomes a rather long list of things you should work at avoiding, along with another list you should put effort into doing. If you have “fallen out of fellowship” with God, religion might have you reaching for a rededication prayer while seeking a renewed forgiveness from God, as if Jesus had just returned to perform another sacrifice.

For those with a spiritual separation anxiety, we have edited the list of things that can cause some type of a separation between you and God (see below):

Nothing.

667. Why We Have No Relationship to the Law Which Came Through Moses

September 2, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The Christian Church World has been duped into thinking the Law which was ushered in through Moses to the Jewish people under the Old Covenant was also meant for us to live under today (at least some of it). It is one of the greatest misunderstandings about God’s written Word, and it has kept many believers in a type of spiritual bondage that Jesus came to deliver people from experiencing. The inability to grasp this is because so many have made the assumption that certain commands and statutes from that first covenant were carried over into the New Covenant of Jesus Christ. Mixing portions of the 613 laws within the Law goes against the very Law itself. God declared nothing shall be taken away from the Law and nothing shall be added to it. But that is exactly what the church world has done. Either it had to completely come to an end and be replaced with something better or it ALL needs to remain intact. God redeemed Israel from that Law and provided all of us with a better Way.

666. The Return of Jesus Christ (Program #666)

August 26, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

There are few Bible subjects people will get more passionate about than eschatology or the study of end times. There is also no greater topic by which people are often divided with a wide range of opinions and interpretations... literally thousands of different viewpoints, and most are quite persuaded their version of events is the correct one. People have broken fellowship with one another over arguments, debates and disagreements regarding the return of Christ or the end of the world as we know it. Here on program number 666, Mike and Joel address the subject for the first time. The goal isn’t to persuade you to believe a certain way about end times prophecy or the return of Jesus (which may not happen in our lifetime), but to challenge believers to focus more on His first coming and what was accomplished for the world during that event.

665. The Gospel Is the Gift of God’s Righteousness

August 19, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Something commonly found in our Christian vocabulary is the word gospel. But just exactly how is it defined from a scriptural perspective? Ask a room full of believers what the gospel is, and it’s likely you’ll receive many different answers. So even something as commonplace as “the gospel” is often described in many different ways. This isn’t necessarily always a bad thing, but often our personal perspectives about what we think the gospel is will sometimes contradict what other believers think. Can’t we agree on something that should be so simple? In order to drill through all of the traditional fluff, we take a look at a foundational passage from the Apostle Paul as he reveals the primary meaning of the gospel, and how it differs from the “bad news” that was in place before Jesus came along.

664. Successful Christian Living: What Must I Do to Achieve it?

August 12, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Churches are known for pushing an agenda containing a variety of principles and moral standards for the members to work at trying to live up to in order to attain a higher level of dedication and perhaps even a greater degree of blessing and acceptance from God. It sounds right and it will preach good on Sundays. But this has led many parishioners or former church-goers to a place of frustration and guilt… even unworthiness, as they struggle to live up to the standard they have been taught by others who haven’t been able to live up to the standard they teach themselves. A question should be asked… what specifically do we need to do in order to achieve the status of successfully “living the Christian life?” Rest assured, the list provided by religion will change and evolve, and usually without the specifics. Our program this week encourages believers in Christ to stop chasing the imaginary carrot that religion will dangle in front of them but will never bring the satisfaction they are seeking.

663. Reigning in Life

August 5, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When the focus of our belief in God is merely built upon good and evil—trying to avoid evil and working at doing good—it will not set us free, nor will it help us to do what is good and right. Instead our mindset should be on the person of Jesus Christ and God’s love and grace. Once we begin to understand that we died and were raised with Jesus Christ—and have received His life in us—we can begin to experience the gift of righteousness that will allow us to be more aware and conscious of what He accomplished on our behalf. A deeper revelation of the gospel and the finished work of Christ will help us to escape whatever bondage empty religion will try to burden us with.

662. What About “Christian Laws and Rules”?

July 29, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Letter from a Growing in Grace podcast listener:

“I have not been able to keep any rules the Bible or the church says to keep. I am at a loss as I write this because I am so sick of failing and being miserable. I can’t seem to live the Christian life as has been taught to me by various people in the church and even in my own reading of the Bible. I so desire to be freed from this law inside of me to do what is right. I just want to enjoy my life. I don’t know what to do or where to turn. I almost want to just stop believing. Please help.”

If you can relate to these types of struggles in your own life or of someone you know, check-out this week’s program. If you’ve been taught a rules-based religion that puts the pressure upon you to work at being sanctified, accepted by God, blessed, forgiven, etc., with “Christian laws” that nobody can live up to, it’s time to remember what the gospel is about.

661. Living in Grace and the Will of God – Part 2

July 22, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Christians have often been working from a mindset that has encouraged them to continually seek the specific “will of God” in our everyday lives. It sounds religiously correct, and it will preach pretty good during Sunday sermons, but in some instances, it may lead people into a type of bondage that leads to fear and worry. There’s nothing wrong with seeking guidance from the Lord regarding specific situations in our lives. But you need not fear as to whether you are in God’s will as a believer in Christ.

660. Living in Grace and the Will of God – Part 1

July 15, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Unlike those who lived under the Old Covenant, after the cross we’re told by the Apostle Paul that believers have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). With that in “mind,” it’s entirely possible that believers can begin to overthink when it comes to living our daily lives while seeking the will of God in all kinds of situations. The Spirit of God is able to communicate to our hearts in a way that surpasses our natural understanding. Live life, enjoy it, be free to make choices without fear and depend upon Him to accompany you every step of the way.

659. Walking in God’s Grace in Our Daily Lives

July 8, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

We hear a lot about grace and may talk about the grace of God quite often, but what does it mean when going about our normal everyday lives on planet earth? Ultimately it may begin with realizing grace isn’t just a sermon topic, but its roots are tracked back to the Person of Jesus Christ. Grace doesn’t revolve around various religious practices, but it’s about abiding in an intimate relationship which God has extended to you. As Christ is revealed to us and in us, we can set our minds on Him and what He has done, instead of focusing on self-efforts to change our behavior. The walk becomes much easier in all facets of our lives when we relax and keep our eyes on the One who is the author and finisher of faith.

658. The Golden Rule: A Spiritual Death Sentence

July 1, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12). The religious world refers to this as the golden rule. Yep, the gold standard by which all other rules should be compared. With one sentence, Jesus summarized the impossible standard of the entire law with its hundreds of commandments. It was the ministry of spiritual death. It was meant to bring hopelessness and despair. The good news is that Jesus Christ united us together in His death, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. Sin no longer has dominion over us in Christ… not because we’re able to keep rules perfectly or try to behave better, but because we have already died to sin through the death of Jesus. Now we’re led by the ministry of the Spirit of God under a New Covenant, where we are not under the law. It’s the ministry of life.

657. When Church Teaching Misses the Gospel Target

June 24, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

We are not against the church. But it’s unfortunate that much of what has been heard and taught through various denominations and organizations has led people down the wrong path. Sometimes they are taught a mixture of law and grace which will lead to more sinning and more guilt instead of less. We have heard from people around the world through our podcast ministry, and in some cases they needed to seek professional counseling for various kinds of depression and fear which resulted in having medication prescribed to treat their condition… and it was related to their church experiences or Bible teaching that brought them to this place. The gospel is meant to bring a blessed assurance, and God’s unconditional love and grace has been given to us in abundance to bring peace of mind and to equip us for every good work. Our intention at Growing in Grace is to teach and remind people of how God has freely given us all things that are good.