faith – Page 52

649. Does “Hyper-Grace” Give People a License to Sin? (Part 2)

April 29, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Many of us have viewed grace as something that we fall back on whenever we sin or make a mistake. Grace is often seen as something we call upon when we need forgiveness. But the Bible declares the finished work of Jesus Christ removed sin and that it was taken away. The good news has revealed that forgiveness is a finished work and is received by all who believe. We can now begin to see grace as something more than a trigger we pull when we need to have sin covered or forgiven, since Jesus has already dealt with that issue once and for all. After all, Jesus never sinned but Scripture states He was filled with grace and truth. Grace isn’t just for sinners, but for us who have been gifted with righteousness and holiness in Christ Jesus. Grace empowers us to live in a way that abides in the supernatural life of God Himself, and causes us to realize truth. Grace is the Person of Jesus - He is our purpose and destination, and this free grace was given to us in Christ before time began. Beware of modern-day Pharisees who will sound a false alarm at the dangers of having too much grace, or you may both end up heading down a dead end street, where the ditch will become your destination.

648. Does “Hyper-Grace” Give People a License to Sin? (Part 1)

April 22, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The wolves who dress as sheep have issued a warning to their flock: Grace can become a dangerous doctrine and lead people into more sin. The red flags should be flying high whenever a believer hears such misguided teaching that would suggest grace encourages people to sin unless balanced with portions of the law and commandments. It’s a myth and a fable to think that grace will encourage sin, while a modernized version of the Mosaic law will decrease sin. Those who make such proclamations are providing church folks with teaching for their “itching ears.” The gospel teaches us quite the opposite… the law and commandments brought an increase in sin - and sin ABOUNDED under a system of works. But grace ABOUNDED all the more and it’s through grace that we reign through righteousness. The word "abounded" in the Greek is where we get our English word for hyper and it means to overflow beyond measure, exceeding what is needed. Jesus was grace manifested. He never encourages people to sin. Grace teaches and trains us to live godly in Christ Jesus - it empowers us to live in righteousness. Can we have too much of Jesus? Of course not. But this is what hyper-legalists are implying, and that’s the dangerous teaching we should be running from.

Instincts

April 18, 2018 by Wynema

I just heard the most awful sound. The high pitched squeal of a squirrel caught in the mouth of my sweet, but all too quick Bandit. I was mortified I was petrified, while he was basking in the adrenaline that comes from instincts fulfilled.

Between my sweet neighbor and I, we managed to free the little critter from his clutches. I had to call the vet because the sound of that squirrel goes against my nature. It was awful! But it’s completely within the realms of Bandit’s instincts. What he did was natural and to him it was a victory.

Here is the lesson! My instinct, my God given spiritual responses are to love, to speak peace, to do the next right thing. In an environment that tells us that our flesh rules and our emotions tell the truth, my spirit cries out LOVE. When that instinct is fulfilled I’m like Bandit, playful, I have that adrenaline rush and I know I’m walking in the life of my creator! Even when this world is saying NO and when lies are knocking at the door I will follow my God given instinct and LOVE and then run in the yard like a banshee!

How about that!

647. Those with “Itching Ears” – Who Are They?

April 15, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

With this message of the gospel of grace that we’ve taught and proclaimed over the years, sometimes legalistically based church-goers have accused us of sharing a message of cheap grace, easy grace, hyper-grace, etc. (although they seldom understand the fullness of what we’re saying). They’ll warn the sheep about “extreme grace teaching” by referencing a phrase that the Apostle Paul used when referring to people with “itching ears” … seeking teachers who would turn their ears from the truth and be turned aside to myths or fables (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Paul used the same language in his first letter to Timothy when he warned against such teachers. But was Paul warning against those who would wander from FAITH by teaching grace to an unbalanced extreme? No, he was warning people against those who desired to be teachers of the LAW. Galatians tells us the Mosaic law is not of faith, but many with itching ears would be turned aside by such teaching that will focus more about them “doing” instead of believing in what Jesus has done. And what about those who have had their own “conscience seared with a hot iron?” A reference to sinful activity or is it something else? It’s all part of our discussion on this week’s program.

646. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 17): Summarizing the Series: Adam Fell; Jesus Rose

April 8, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Our final program in the Summarizing the Scripture series takes a quick look back at the past 16 weeks of conversation. There is no reason to be afraid of God’s goodness and grace. Religious rules or a modernized version of the Mosaic law will only slow you down. Jesus came to deliver people from that type of bondage and has gifted us with righteousness and life in a new and better covenant. The ministry of the Spirit within us and upon us will lead and guide into all truth, and He can change your desires because of a new heart which came by believing — grace through faith has made us into new creations — and it is now God working in and through us. Adam fell and sin entered the world… Jesus rose and took sin away.

636. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 7): A Promise of Faith Contrasted With A Covenant of Works

January 28, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The promise of a covenant bringing righteousness by faith or belief as it was given to Abraham, would eventually bring what we often refer to as the New Covenant, which was ushered in through Jesus Christ. Several hundred years after God made this covenant with Abraham, another covenant would be established with the people of Israel, and would include the law which came through Moses. This law would bring a curse requiring that all of it be kept perfectly, causing God to find fault with the people in that covenant. Fortunately, that covenant of law would not nullify the covenant of promise made 430 years earlier. The promise of faith would end up kicking the law of works to “kingdom come” (because the law is not of faith). This week in our series, we’re transitioning from Abraham to Moses and the Law.

635. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 6): Abraham Did Not Waver at God’s Promise

January 21, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

In this sixth part of the series, we wrap up our brief look at Abraham and the significance of his part in God’s redemptive picture, which is a picture described throughout Scripture. Interestingly, in spite of what appears to be a fleshly effort by having a child through his servant Hagar, the Bible declares Abraham was not weak in faith, and did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith. Righteousness was credited to him because of belief, just as it is to us today, apart from law or works.

634. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 5): Abraham and the Child of Promise

January 14, 2018 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Hundreds of years before God gave the law to Moses, there was Abraham. Through him God brought forth a promise, where he would become the father of many nations that would occur through a child promised to him and Sarah. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. It was by faith the promise arrived, not works. The Apostle Paul explains how Abraham’s two sons represent the two covenants—both the Old and the New. The son born from Hagar (the bondwoman) was born according to the flesh, whereas the son from Sarah (the freewoman) through promise. One gave birth to bondage, symbolic of Mount Sinai, and the other gave birth to freedom, which would include justification for Gentiles through faith.

623. Salvation Is Free! (But Watch out for the Fine Print)

October 29, 2017 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

You may have heard sermons or Bible messages correctly explaining that salvation is a gift that is free and there is nothing that can be done on our part to earn it, but it is simply received by believing. Unfortunately, what will often follow is a type of legal addendum found in the fine print describing all of the things Christians must do in order to maintain acceptance, fellowship, blessings, and so on, and so forth. Although it varies depending on the denominational label, empty religion is often injected into Christianity by teaching that portions of the commands and statutes within the Mosaic law are still meant to be followed and kept within the New Covenant of Christ. They will declare that some of it came to an end and was discontinued, while other parts are meant to still apply. Exactly which of the 613 commands from the Old Covenant still apply and which were dropped? Therein lies the problem. The law was never meant to be changed or altered. In order to be able to say one was keeping it, one had to follow everything perfectly, without failure. This is why the good news should never be mixed with the bad.

Do you have a life philosophy that resets you when things get confusing?

September 25, 2017 by Clint Byars

Do you have a life philosophy? What I mean by that is do you have a general outlook that everything boils down to in life for you? A general life philosophy or outlook is good to define for those times you need to find your center. When life happens you need safe ground to stand on. Of course we stand on the foundation of Christ but what specifically about his finished work do you dig

Are you winning on the inside?

September 15, 2017 by Clint Byars

If you master your inner world, the outer world will have nothing “in” you. Too often our lives are controlled by our circumstances or our emotions. Paradoxically our emotions determine the general course of our lives BUT we can hold God’s word in our heart until our thoughts and emotions change our inner world, which will change our outer world. John 14:30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world

Overcoming the Two Kinds of Denial Through Transparency

August 30, 2017 by Clint Byars

Do you plan your funeral when you have a toothache? You think I’m kidding but we run these bizarre patterns in our minds that take us further away from God’s possibilities when we have adverse circumstances in our lives. When we allow the world’s input to dominate our inner world we are sowing death that will eventually produce fruit after it’s own kind. In this message I discuss how I’ve inadvertently reconnected with the