Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

545. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Part 2): From Adam to Moses

April 24, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Our second in the series of why Jesus taught two covenants lays a further foundation on why Adam fell and how the covenant began through Moses with the Jewish people. A covenant must be agreed upon by at least two parties, so the law within the first covenant was not forced upon Israel, but they agreed to do all of it as required. They declared with pride it would be righteousness for them. They would have been better off humbling themselves by saying they couldn't do it. They chose to trust in themselves and their ability.

544. Why Jesus Taught Two Covenants (Part 1): The Law Tree

April 17, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

We begin a series on why Jesus ministered both the Old Covenant and the New. Before we get to some of the teachings of Jesus, we'll lay a foundation that provides reasons why Jesus did this. We'll start at the beginning with Adam in the garden being faced with an element of law already at work when he was commanded not to eat from The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It's the tree of law, and Adam's motivation on why he chose to eat from it may sound familiar in the lives of many Christians today.

543. What Does Repentance Really Mean?

April 10, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When you hear the word repent, what comes to mind? Do you think it means to stop sinning and improve behavior? Perhaps you've been told it means to be sorry for your sins and seek a renewed forgiveness from God. You may assume it involves changing what you do. Did you notice all of the above puts the responsibility on you and depends on your ability? Our response to God should not be based on our ability to perform in a way that is "moral" enough to gain acceptance from Him. Repentance is to have a change of mind. In what way should our thinking be changed? That's our discussion this week.

542. Repeated Repentance vs. Forever Forgiveness

April 3, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Continuing from last week's discussion about 2 Chronicles 7:14, a passage that was directed at Israelites who were under the law... In that first covenant, they repeatedly found themselves in a position of needing to turn from sin whenever a command was broken. They were continuously seeking the face of God, praying, and offering sacrifices so they could be forgiven again and again, over and over. Contrast that with Christ, who obtained a ministry that is much more excellent than the old way that came through Moses. In this new ministry, forgiveness, justification and sanctification came through what He did by the shedding of His blood, once and for all.

541. “If My People…”

March 27, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

A popular verse in the Bible that is often used in the church world is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

On this week's program, we'll take a look at why this was pointed at the people of Israel in the first covenant and wasn't meant to be applied to those of us under the covenant of Christ. It's even better news than what Israel possessed!

540. Jesus Did More Than Enough

March 20, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Are you busy working to try to establish or maintain acceptance from God? Is your idea of repentance tied into reducing your sin count so your good works will outweigh the bad? Do you find yourself feeling the need to ask God for forgiveness over and over again? Are you in a constant state of wondering where you stand with God? Our conversation this week will be a reminder that the gospel was never meant to be about us and our performance, but is entirely contained in the Person of Jesus Christ.

539. Becoming Christ Conscious Instead of Sin Conscious

March 13, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

When we focus on our struggles and problems instead of the answer to them, it can be a frustrating endeavor. Jesus came to release the Israelites from a covenant that kept them in a constant state of sin consciousness. His one-time sacrifice was meant to put an end to this. If we're stuck in a mindset that revolves around trying to avoid sin with the commands of "thou shall not," it will generally cause an increase in sin, resulting in self-condemnation. The alternative is giving up and surrendering to the completed work of Jesus Christ.

538. Freedom from a Sin Consciousness

March 6, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Under the law, the Jewish people were trapped in a consciousness of sin because they were in a covenant based upon their works and repeated sacrifices that constantly brought a reminder of sins. In contrast, Christ offered one sacrifice for all time to remove the struggle of a guilty conscience and the taking away of sin to be remembered no more. We shouldn't be seeking freedom from sin, but begin realizing God already provided it through the blood of Jesus. We can now live in this freedom found in Him.

537. Resting in the Finished Work

February 28, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

For those who do not understand that Jesus would minister two completely different covenants, it can seem as though He had a split personality. At times He taught the Jews requirements based on a law of works and at other times He demonstrated grace, mercy and compassion. These were often significant contrasts. People were ministered the choice of working endlessly in a system that offered no solution...Or realizing they were burdened and heavy laden and could come to Jesus in order to find rest. The latter is what Jesus wanted them to learn from Him. Whereas the law was a yoke that the Jewish people were unable to bear, Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light.

536. Religious Talking Points: Followers and Disciples of Jesus?

February 21, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

As Christians, we often like to describe ourselves as followers and disciples of Jesus. But is this really how we are identified in Him? Did Jesus really encourage people to follow him as a disciple or was He attempting to show that nobody could successfully accomplish this? Jesus carefully described the list of rigid requirements needed to be like Him in order to be His disciple. He cautioned those people under the law to carefully count the cost in order to help them realize they would not be able to pay the price that would be needed. Thankfully, our faithfulness to God is not what is on display, but it was God's love and dedication towards us that would be the centerpiece of the gospel.

535. Religious Talking Points: Make Jesus Your Lord?

February 14, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In Christian church circles, you may have heard something along these lines: "You have 'accepted' Jesus as Savior, but have you made Him Lord of your life?" There are several inconsistencies with this way of thinking. First, "your" life is no longer your own, but you have been given the life of Christ and He lives in you. In addition, we should not be turning the Lordship of Jesus into a work. We don't make Him Lord, he is Lord and has paid the price to take ownership of you.

Growing in Grace Together – Lucas Miles – Good God

February 9, 2016 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

A while back I had Lucas Miles as a guest on the podcast. Lucas is the President of the Oasis Network for Churches (OasNet), and he has written a soon-to-be-released book called Good God - The One We Want to Believe In but Are Afraid to Embrace. Lucas is back as a guest on the podcast to talk about the book, and why many people struggle to embrace this God that we claim to be good, but yet He is blamed for so many bad things - even by those in the church.

A common question that people ask is, "Why does God allow bad things to happen?" Lucas shares some radical thoughts on this, including tackling the premise that God "allows" bad things to happen. Also, does God put sickness on people, or put them through problems and "trials," so that He can teach them a lesson or so He can then swoop in and "get the glory" for healing and helping?
It's amazing how many people think that God is like this, and Lucas does a great job at showing how the nature of God is always good, and that He never harms us.

The book has received praise from many people, including Kevin Sorbo (actor, God's Not Dead), James B. Richards (author, The Gospel of Peace), Joanna Beasley (American Idol semifinalist and Christian recording artist), Paul Ellis (author, The Hyper-Grace Gospel) and many more. I sure hope you enjoy this conversation about our good God, and that you're left with a much better understanding of and appreciation for the love and goodness of God.

To find out more about Lucas Miles, check out LucasMiles.org.