Is sports gambling okay for Christians? In this episode of Marked by Grace, Pastor Heath Lambert answers a listener question about the rise of sports betting and gives a biblical perspective on gambling, wealth, and wisdom. Learn what Proverbs 6 teaches about earning wealth through hard work, why gambling enterprises are designed for you to lose, and why the "house always wins."

0:00 – Introduction: This week's question on sports gambling

0:47 – Is all gambling always wrong? The office pool example

2:21 – What the Bible teaches about obtaining wealth

2:30 – Scripture reading: Proverbs 6:6-11

3:31 – Why gambling enterprises are designed for you to lose

4:40 – The danger of addiction and why avoidance is wisest

6:03 – Closing encouragement: Pursue biblical wealth principles

Listen to a discussion on The After Sunday Show about sports betting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ibNfEYqpAM

Is severe, unrepentant financial adultery grounds for divorce? Pastor Heath Lambert tackles this question on Marked by Grace. If you or someone you love is walking through the pain of financial betrayal in marriage, this episode offers biblical clarity, honest pastoral compassion, and real hope for how to find peace when the pain feels unsolvable.

00:28 Welcome to the new season and new set

2:40 Overview of Christian views on biblical grounds for divorce

3:00 View one: no biblical grounds for divorce exist

3:46 View two: sexual immorality as grounds for divorce, Matthew 19:9

5:16 Desertion and abandonment as grounds for divorce, 1 Corinthians 7:15

6:18 Why financial mistreatment does not qualify as biblical desertion

8:43 Living by Scripture rather than feelings in a painful marriage

9:37 James 1:2-4 on counting trials as joy and finding steadfastness

In this episode of Marked by Grace, Pastor Heath Lambert unpacks the biblical command to sing (Colossians 3:16) and explains the difference between lying and simply being distracted, still learning, or growing in faith while singing. He shares personal, honest moments from worship at First Baptist Church and offers practical encouragement for singing with a thankful heart.

0:00 – Introduction to Marked by Grace

0:13 – This week's question: Is singing a hymn you don't believe a lie?

1:27 – Starting with Scripture: Colossians 3:16

2:48 – How hymns function as teaching tools

4:04 – Getting distracted during worship (and why that's not lying)

5:47 – Final answer and practical application

In this episode of Marked by Grace, Pastor Heath Lambert answers a listener question in two parts: what is the significance of fasting, and are Christians required to do it? He explains that fasting means withholding food (or another good gift) in order to shift focus from the gift to the Giver. He then walks through what the New Testament actually teaches about fasting as a spiritual practice, showing that while fasting is assumed throughout Scripture, it is never commanded the way prayer is commanded.

00:13 This week's topic: the significance and requirements of fasting

01:23 What fasting actually means: withholding food to focus on the Giver

02:21 Is fasting required of Christians?

03:07 Matthew 6:16-18: Jesus teaches on fasting in the Sermon on the Mount

04:14 The New Testament assumes fasting but never commands it

05:12 Why the lack of a command gives Christians freedom

06:37 Ephesians 6:18 and the command to pray at all times

07:04 Why fasting pairs with prayer but is not required like prayer is

What does the Bible say about cursing, and how should a Christian respond when a close friend uses foul language? In this episode, Pastor Heath Lambert tackles that exact question with practical wisdom rooted in Scripture. Whether the friend is a believer or not changes the approach, but one thing is certain: the conversation has to happen.

0:17 - This week's question: How do I respond to a friend who cusses?

1:07 - Is cussing a sin? What the Bible says about foul language

1:16 - Ephesians 5:4 and the biblical standard for our speech

1:38 - The Christian conversation about provocative language in Scripture

4:46 - Practical ways to bring it up without damaging the friendship

5:22 - Using questions instead of accusations to open the door

6:50 - What to do in the worst-case scenario

7:32 - Does it matter whether your friend is a Christian or not?

7:53 - When a professing Christian continues in sin: testimony and accountability

9:04 - Final thoughts: relationships require honest conversation

Should Christians support banning the Muslim call to prayer in American cities? Pastor Heath Lambert tackles this controversial question head-on, walking through the constitutional, theological, and practical objections before giving his own careful answer on Marked by Grace.

0:13 – This week's question: Should Christians ban the Muslim call to prayer?

0:51 – What is the Muslim call to prayer?

2:11 – Why these words are blasphemy, not just disagreement

4:48 – Why caution is needed on this issue

5:49 – Objection 1: The constitutional (First Amendment) argument

7:56 – Objection 2: The theological argument from religious liberty

10:23 – Objection 3: The practical argument from reciprocity

12:32 – Islam, secularism, and Christianity as competing worldviews

14:01 – Conclusion: engaging wisely in the public square

America turns 250 this July 4th -- and Christians have every reason to celebrate. In this episode of Marked by Grace, Pastor Heath Lambert opens Scripture to show why gratitude for America is not naive patriotism, but a biblical response to God's good gifts.

0:35 - Why talk about patriotism on a theology podcast?

1:56 - America is imperfect but still a good gift from God

2:27 - James 1:17: Every good and perfect gift comes from God

3:08 - Good gifts vs. perfect gifts -- what's the difference?

4:08 - The near-impossible odds the colonists faced in 1776

6:47 - "If heaven had not something great in store for America..." -- Lieutenant Shaw

7:40 - God was securing blessings for you before you were ever born

8:14 - Closing: Happy Independence Day

What is the difference between an elder and a deacon? Can a church function with just one pastor, or does the Bible require a plurality of elders? In this episode of Marked by Grace, Pastor Heath Lambert tackles one of the most common points of confusion in church polity: the blurred lines between elders, pastors, and deacons.

0:13 - The question: confusion over elders and deacons

1:38 - The two offices ordained in the New Testament

2:43 - What deacons do: servants of the congregation's practical needs

3:18 - What elders/pastors do: servants of the Word and leaders of the church

4:19 - Where churches blur the lines between elders and deacons

5:44 - Elder-led vs. pastor-led: why that question is trickier than it sounds

7:18 - What the Bible says about plurality of elders

8:16 - The role most people overlook: congregational authority

9:18 - Matthew 18 and the congregation as the court of final appeal

10:23 - How faithful churches apply these principles differently

12:32 - The sufficiency of Scripture and freedom within firm biblical lines

Is any problem too big for biblical counseling? Pastor Heath Lambert tackles one of the most important questions in Christian ministry -- and his answer might surprise you. Drawing on 2 Timothy 3:16-17, he explains why no problem is beyond the reach of God's Word while also making a crucial distinction that every counselor and counselee needs to hear.

0:13 - The Question: Are There Problems Too Big for Biblical Counseling?

2:15 - First Answer: No -- Here Is Why

4:43 - No Problem Is Too Big for God

5:32 - What 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Says About Scripture and Sufficiency

6:34 - Why This Question Only Exists in the Modern Era

7:16 - Second Answer: The Distinction That Might Surprise You

7:31 - Sufficient Resources vs. Sufficient Skill

7:54 - The Thanksgiving Dinner Illustration

10:00 - The Call to Grow in Biblical Counseling Skill