Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

742. 15th Anniversary Program #2

February 16, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Mike and Joel continue reflecting about the past 15 years of doing the Growing in Grace podcast.

This week’s discussion includes: How grace made it easier to share the gospel with those who have been a victim of a works-based religious message, and how formal Bible education doesn’t qualify you to minister the gospel.

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741. 15th Anniversary Program #1

February 9, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Mike and Joel take a look back on 15 years of the Growing in Grace podcast.

The discussion this week includes: The Flintstones, how they met while doing radio, correspondence from listeners around the world, Daffy Duck, and the “aha” moment for Joel which transitioned him to a pure gospel of grace.

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740. Hebrews 5-6: Obedience and Repentance From Dead Works

February 2, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The enemy relishes to shoot Bible verses at people that are taken out of context, which can spawn fear and uncertainty into a works-based gospel, rather than a gospel based upon faith. We look at a couple of these verses in an attempt to shed some light on the bigger picture within the proper context. Sometimes the enemy is in our own back yard that we consider to be a safe place.

“Christ is salvation, but only for those who are obedient. You must obey everything Jesus said.” The fear factor: Am I obedient enough and where do I stand with God?

“It’s impossible to renew people to repentance who have fallen away.” The fear factor: Am I still saved?

This entire letter to Hebrew believers was a message of good news and reassurance found in what Jesus did … and not in what we do.

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739. Hebrews 4-5: The Word Became the High Priest

January 26, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

We have a High Priest in Jesus who passed through the heavens and was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. We can now boldly approach the throne of grace because He is able to sympathize while showing mercy and grace when we need it. Jesus is the confession we hold onto.

The priests under the law offered sacrifices for sin for the people and themselves because they were weak like everyone else. But Jesus was made perfect and became the source or author of eternal salvation, called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek … which we’ll be talking more about in our Hebrews series.

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738. Hebrews 4: The Word (Jesus) Is Alive and Powerful

January 19, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Our walk through Hebrews has us in Chapter 4, where we discover Jesus allowed us to enter into rest by faith, contrasted with those under the first covenant who did not enter because of unbelief. Verse 12 declares the word of God is living and powerful, able to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

A collection of books known as the Bible, which gradually came into existence over a lengthy period of time, is not able to do this. But Jesus can. He is the Word that was manifested among us. He is our only High Priest. He was the focus leading up to Verse 12, and He remains the subject in the spotlight throughout this writing.

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737. Hebrews 3-4: We Enter His Rest Through Belief

January 12, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In the third program of our series in Hebrews, the writer illustrates how the gospel was proclaimed to the Israelites during the first covenant … as well as to those alive on earth after the cross. The difference is that those who were under the first covenant did not enter God’s rest because of a disobedience called unbelief. They did not mix the message with faith because the law wasn’t based upon faith … but works.

We have entered God’s rest within this new and better covenant which is based upon the work of Christ. “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” The Person of Jesus has become our Sabbath in whom we rest.

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736. Hebrews 2: Don’t Neglect Such a Great Salvation

January 5, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In the second program of our series in Hebrews, we find the writer reminding these new Jewish believers about their past covenant when every transgression or act of disobedience was rewarded with a just punishment. But it’s always compared and contrasted with the solution found within the Person of Jesus Christ. He is where salvation is found and He is the solution to the previous problem with sin. The writer is laying a foundation as to why they do not want to disregard such a great deliverance. Jesus is superior to the former priesthood and covenant which was established with Israel through Moses.

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735. Hebrews 1: God Has Spoken to Us Through His Son

December 29, 2019 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Welcome to a series where we will provide an overview of the book of Hebrews. We will sift and skim some highlights to help provide context of these very important writings when it comes to realizing the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ … and the differences between an expired Old Covenant and a New and better covenant.

The writer starts off in Chapter One by pointing out to Jewish believers that God had formerly spoken to them—their ancestors—through the prophets (and the writings related those prophets). But now in these days, He has spoken through His Son, who has been appointed an heir of all things, through whom the world was made.

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734. Forgiveness: The Christmas Witness

December 22, 2019 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In order to really get a hold of the complete Christmas message, we’ll need to look beyond the birth of Jesus and the manger scene. The entrance of God into this world as a human being was a prelude to something much bigger than turning water into wine, multiplying fish sandwiches and even raising dead bodies which had been placed into the grave.

God sent Jesus to provide the world with something so massive, magnificent and monumental … that it exceedingly surpasses beyond all that we could ask or think.

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733. Repentance Is Not Based Upon Behavioral Changes

December 15, 2019 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Reducing the occurrence of sinful actions in our lives will be beneficial for us in this life on planet earth. However, empty religion has mistakenly defined repentance as “turning from sin” which causes people to flip the gospel inside out ... leaving people in a place of self-effort, fear and often results in condemnation. Repenting isn’t about behavior modification—anyone can do this whether they are saved or not.

Authentic repentance brings a change of mind, causing us to realize we can’t do anything to merit eternal life or God’s righteousness, forgiveness, sanctification, acceptance, etc. The “turning” that is often referenced is meant to be a departure from our works and efforts … to belief or faith in the work of Jesus. We don’t “do” anything to receive this.

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732. Repenting from What God Doesn’t Remember?

December 8, 2019 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Christians are bombarded with repentance missiles from all kinds of Bible teaching which varies by definition from one pulpit to the next. And yet the writer of Hebrews admonished believers to avoid the constant practice of feeling obligated to repeatedly lay down the same foundation of repentance from dead works. Feeling the need to “get right with God again” because of poor choices is not how repentance is defined.

This mindset has left people wallowing in a works-based doctrine and in a state of sin consciousness which Jesus came to deliver people from. Believers are gifted with God’s righteousness, and Jesus doesn’t call the righteous to repent, but rather those identified as sinners who are still born in Adam with a sin condition they are trying to fix through their own efforts — instead of trusting in the work of Christ by faith.

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731. Repent! (What It Does and Doesn’t Mean)

December 1, 2019 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The religious business has sold repentance as a behavioral change which results in sinning less. This places people into a sin consciousness which Jesus came to deliver people from.

It will lead towards a works-based religion, as well-meaning people vigorously strive to have their bad outweigh their good, thereby somehow making themselves more acceptable to God.

In the Greek language, this is not how repentance is defined, and it’s our discussion on this week’s program.