Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

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.

656. “Am I Right with God?”

June 17, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Something many people wonder deep inside is the question of whether they are right with God. Even those who call themselves believers in Jesus Christ may question at times as to where they stand with God. Their fear or uncertainty is sometimes triggered by their behavior and performance. They may tend to assume their identity as a child of God is filtered through their works and actions, or religious rule-keeping. The gospel reveals something that isn't always heard through weekly church teaching, and it's the greatest news you could ever want to hear. We've been gifted with God's very own righteousness. Right-standing with Him is no longer something you'll ever have to wonder about ever again.

655. Dead to Sin, Alive to Righteousness

June 10, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Behavior is important. Avoiding sin is profitable. But these are not the components that represent who you are as a believer in Jesus Christ. Your spiritual identity is based purely on a work that God did in you by faith as a result of the finished work of Jesus at the cross. Many new believers are told to repent from sin, stop sinning, work at avoiding sin, etc. — and if they blow it, they should seek a renewed forgiveness from God, and work at trying harder to become more holy and sanctified. This ends up pulling people into the very thing they are trying to avoid. If we would start letting believers know they are truly declared to be the righteousness of God and have been forgiven by blood that was shed once and for all, they can begin to realize and experience God's unconditional love. This unlimited supply of eternal grace provides the ability for us to be empowered in a way that religious rules and commandments cannot.

654. Sharing the Gospel with Others (Part 2)

June 3, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Following up on last week’s program, we discuss some thoughts about effective ways to communicate the simple gospel message. It may be with someone who has never claimed to be a believer, or it may be someone from your church who has been bound by external religion. The message of God’s grace and unconditional love has changed how we communicate the good news. Many times, well-meaning Christians will tell people the gift of eternal life is free, but after the gift is received, a list of “Christian stuff” is handed to them, telling them all the things they need to do from now on (or the things to avoid). We’ve learned through our growth in grace that a better approach will be to let believers know who they (already) are now in Christ so they can grasp the new identity they have inherited. In Him they have become partakers of the divine nature and are considered holy, righteous, forgiven, sanctified, and much more.

653. Sharing the Gospel with Others

May 27, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Oh sure, you can go out and purchase all kind of instructional books that will turn the sharing the gospel into a perfect science. You can memorize a list of Bible verses in the correct order and work on developing a script to make it sound conversational. But there may be a more effective way to share the good news of Jesus Christ — do it from the heart. Your growth in God’s abounding grace and learning about your identity as a righteous child of God will provide you with a much stronger tool than developing a sales pitch. Instead of attempting to empower yourself, the Spirit of God will empower you to communicate this message of life because He knows the heart(s) of the person with whom you are sharing. We sometimes make the gospel message far too complicated. As shared on this week’s program, here’s the gospel in a nutshell:

1. God’s demand: Be perfect.
2. God’s diagnosis: You’re not perfect.
3. God’s deliverance: Jesus was perfect for you. (Simply believe it).

652. Freedom from a Sin Consciousness

May 20, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

“How many here are sinners?” Ask that question in most churches and the vast majority of hands will go up. “How many here are righteous?” Ask that question and you’ll typically see the hands remain on their lap. Why? Empty religion that has mixed the Old and New Covenants has left people with a mistaken identity, frequently trapped in a consciousness of sin… the very thing Jesus came to deliver people from (Hebrews 10). In fact, we have been delivered from the powers of darkness, and guilt and condemnation has been removed forever. We can’t do anything about our own sin problem, but Jesus did — by giving His own life. The reason people fall into condemnation and get confused about their identity is because they have tied it into their behavior and performance, instead of the gift.

651. Subscribing to Sin Management Inc.

May 13, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When many Christians consider repentance, it is usually viewed from the perspective of turning from sin. In essence, what they are really saying is to focus on reducing your sin count. This is not how repentance is defined. Less sinning is always going to be a positive thing for you and those around you. It’s simply not a part of the new righteous and holy nature that abides in you. However, falling into the trap of “sin management” will potentially cause us to chase after the flesh, develop a mindset of self-righteousness, and lead to boasting in ourselves while judging others who fall just as short as we have. Other than Jesus, nobody has ever been able to equal the requirement of perfect behavior as it was reflected through the law. Not one … before the cross or after. There is a better place to abide than working at managing your sin count, and that is with the power of grace found inside of a new and better covenant—where the Holy Spirit will remind us of God’s unconditional love, and that we have been gifted with His righteousness as a new creation in Christ.