Hold Fast

In this episode of Hold Fast, we tackle one of the most subtle and damaging dangers in the church: legalism. What’s the difference between calling Christians to obedience and adding works to the Gospel? We explore how legalism distorts grace, burdens believers, and turns the Christian life into endless rule-keeping instead of joyful obedience flowing from a transformed heart. From the Judaizers in Galatians to modern church culture, this episode examines how both “salvation by works” and man-made standards can wound people and obscure the true Gospel. At the same time, we’ll see why grace is not a license for sin, but the only foundation for true freedom, repentance, and rest in Christ.

I had planned to talk about legalism this week—but two major stories changed that. In this episode, we take a hard look at one of the most misused verses in the Bible: “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). Did Jesus really mean we should never judge? Or have we misunderstood Him?

By walking through Scripture and examining two real-life situations, we’ll see the difference between wrong judgment that condemns and right judgment that protects, warns, and restores. When the Church avoids making right judgments, the consequences can be serious—not just for individuals, but for the whole body.

This episode is a call to recover biblical discernment: humbly examining ourselves, rightly assessing fruit, and speaking the truth in love for the good of others and the glory of God.

In this episode, we step a bit deeper into theology to tackle a question many Christians quietly wrestle with: if Jesus prayed for unity among His people, why are there so many denominations? Looking at passages like John 17 and 1 Corinthians 1, we explore what true biblical unity really means—and what it doesn’t.

While perfect unity is the goal, Scripture and church history remind us that it won’t be fully realized until Christ returns. Along the way, we’ll consider how division can sometimes reveal truth, why not all disagreements are equal, and how believers can pursue genuine unity without demanding uniformity. This episode offers a balanced, Scripture-driven perspective to help you think clearly, live faithfully, and engage others with humility and grace—even when you don’t see eye to eye.

In this episode, we take a hard look at a phrase that sounds spiritual but can be deeply harmful: “God told me.”

I love theology, not to show off knowledge, but because truth matters. Scripture calls us to both love (1 Corinthians 13:1–2) and rightly handle God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15). Why? Because bad theology hurts people, and I’ve seen the damage firsthand.

From broken relationships to dangerous decisions, the misuse of “God told me” has caused real harm. While not everyone who says it is acting wrongly, we must test every claim against Scripture.

We’ll explore how God speaks today, why His Word is our only sure foundation (2 Peter 1:16–21), and how to discern truth in a world full of spiritual claims.

If someone says, “God told me,” how should you respond? Let’s talk about it!

Is church supposed to be entertaining? After hearing people call church “boring” and “repetitive,” this episode explores why those criticisms miss the point. Looking at Scripture and the purpose of worship, we consider how consistency, conviction, and Christ-centered gatherings shape us far more than entertainment ever could.

Feeling overwhelmed? Like there are too many plates spinning and not enough time to keep them all from crashing down? In this episode of Hold Fast, we tackle a struggle we all know too well—when life gets busy, the most important things often get pushed aside by what feels most urgent.

Through biblical wisdom like Ephesians 5:15–16 and the example of Jesus in Luke 5, this episode reframes the goal of your life: not doing it all, but being faithful in what matters most. We’ll walk through a practical, honest question that can reshape your priorities: “How can I be most faithful to what matters most right now?”

You’ll learn how to evaluate your time, identify what’s slipping through the cracks (like prayer, Scripture, and family), and take tangible steps to reorder your life with intentionality. If you’ve been stuck in survival mode for longer than you’d like, this episode will challenge and equip you to step out of overwhelm and into faithful stewardship.

It’s time to stop measuring your life by productivity—and start measuring it by faithfulness.

The book of Job offers us great insight on how we should respond to trials and even what we should do when God doesn't give us an answer. If you've ever wanted to ask God "why," this episode is for you.

Is “love the sinner, hate the sin” actually biblical? What do we do with passages like Psalm 5:5 that say God hates evildoers? In this episode of Hold Fast, we think carefully about God’s holy opposition to evil, His call to sinners to repent, and our responsibility to love—even our enemies.

We also wrestle with how to respond to real-world evil, including the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader. Can we acknowledge wickedness and even feel relief that harm has ended, while still grieving a lost soul and trusting God’s sovereignty? Join us as we seek to hold fast to both truth and love in a world that often misunderstands both.

Tragedy often tempts us to doubt, withdraw, or even curse God. But Scripture calls believers to something radically different: worship. In this episode, we unpack Colossians 3:16–17 and examine how God’s grace enables us to worship even in pain. Through the lives of Job and David, we learn how suffering can become a pathway to deeper faith and lasting hope.

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus gives us what we call "The Parable of the Talents." It is both an encouraging and challenging passage that reminds us we have everything we need to be a good and faithful servant, even among the "ordinary" tasks and rhythms of life.

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Go here for the full sermon: https://www.missionwaychurch.org/watch?sapurl=LytoeTJ6L2xiL21pLysyYmpteDljP2VtYmVkPXRydWUmcmVjZW50Um91dGU9YXBwLndlYi1hcHAubGlicmFyeS5saXN0JnJlY2VudFJvdXRlU2x1Zz0lMkI1cWM1ajN6