Jesus – Page 9

God’s People Flourish In Troubled Times

July 17, 2020 by Sandra

Has 2020 been a crazy year so far, or what? Have you heard any scary prophecies? Have you noticed if you’re personally expecting the worst or expecting the best? Friends, as I was sitting in the final session of the Grace Beach Vacation Conference last Sunday listening to Jerimiah Johnson’s message titled “God’s People Flourish […]

761. The Ten Commandments No Longer Have Glory

June 28, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Although empty religion has made it sound as though the Ten Commandments and some other selections from the expired law are meant to be applied to the Christian life, we find quite the opposite in New Covenant writings. The Apostle Paul reveals this was a ministry that came to an end and no longer has any glory at all. Why? Because of the ministry of the Spirit, which has a glory that surpassed it.

His fruit now abides in us because He abides in us … and we bear what He produces. This is a more powerful and liberating way to live than to pursue the flesh by trying to keep stone-tablet commandments that leave people in lifeless condemnation. For those who think the top 10 were somehow separate from the rest of the law and are meant to still apply, we address the hypocrisy of this.

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754. Hebrews 10: Confidence to Enter Through a New and Living Way

May 10, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

It’s because of what Jesus did for us with the shedding of His blood that we now have a boldness to enter into the Holy Place. This boldness or confidence literally means we have acquired a freedom of speech before the living God. It has nothing to do with us, our behavior or our commitment to God. It’s all based upon Jesus opening a path that was not previously available through an imperfect and faulty ministry of death and condemnation (the law). This would be called a new and living way.

And what about Hebrews 10:25? In the middle of all this great news being given to Jewish people about the New Covenant replacing the Old Covenant … Are these believers being scolded not to skip going to a church building? That might be what religion has taught us, so let’s look at this in context.

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750. Hebrews 9: Your Sins Are Not Covered by the Blood of Jesus

April 12, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

The blood used during the Old Covenant ceremonies brought an atonement or covering which resulted in a temporary forgiveness under the law. You could walk into the church of St. Moses regularly and walk out covered in bull blood every single time and still not be free from the bondage of sin. It would always need to be repeated after the next sin occurred.

Jesus offered His own blood and went before the true and greater tabernacle of God on our behalf. It was a sacrifice that would need to be performed just once. Why? Because His perfect offering didn’t just cover our sins but it took them away forever, never to become an obstacle between us and God ever again.

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749. Hebrews 9: The New Covenant Began With Christ’s Death

April 5, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

It’s easy to get confused about the Bible, the teachings of Jesus, and the New Covenant … if you are under the false assumption that the New Testament began with the birth of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews carefully explains to the new believers in his Jewish audience that before the Old Covenant would end and the New could begin, there had to be the death of the one who made the covenant.

The New Covenant couldn’t go into effect while the testator still lived. And like the first covenant, it would need to be established with blood. But this time, the blood being shed by the High Priest would do something very different that had never occurred before the cross during the Old Covenant era.

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748. Hebrews 9: The Failure of Ceremony and Sacrifice

March 29, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

Priests appointed through the law under the Old Covenant always went into the tabernacle to offer the blood of animals for their own sins and the sins of the people. It was a temporary solution that needed to constantly be repeated because these gifts and sacrifices could not meet God’s requirement of perfection, and left the worshippers in a state of sin consciousness.

But when Christ appeared as High Priest (after the law), everything radically changed.

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743. 15th Anniversary Program #3

February 23, 2020 by Mike Kapler and Joel Brueseke

This is the third and final anniversary program as Mike and Joel reminisce about doing the podcast for the past 15 years. The discussion includes some of the “favorite” subjects that have been foundational to the program and how gaining an understanding of them will help free people from religious bondage.

Also, you can search for topics on the Growing in Grace website. Growing in Grace is not a donation-based or listener-supported ministry but is supported by listeners sharing the good news with others.

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Why A Revelation of Jesus Changes Everything

February 19, 2020 by Sandra

Are you exhausted from trying to get it all right? If so, this is gonna help you. It’s a dialogue of a recent conversation between a friend and myself and this friend, who has also been exhausted, just happens to be receiving a revelation of Jesus! My Friend: Jesus has really been doing a work […]

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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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.