Hey, just repent. God will forgive you.

Woah, wait a minute!

Is Grace just "sloppy agape?" Can we live like the devil and just tell God, "Sorry, my bad"?

When it comes to understanding what and why of the Law as well as what and why of Grace, we find out that there's one thing too many forget as they make choices in life...consequences.

Take Jephthah's story in the book of Judges, chapter eleven. He vowed a vow to God if only He would give him a battle victory. It was the most rash and costly vow he would never have imagined possible. Could he have repented of the vow and God just let him off the hook?

Digging into the Word helps us understand that eternity isn't just fun and games and missing the burning sulfur forever. We are called to be true followers of Jesus Christ and that means obedience from a changed heart.

No more "sloppy agape!"

Sloppy agape?

- Follow the rules or free "get out of hell" card?

- Is it "Old Testament out, New Testament in?"

- In this day of Grace, is the Law something we even need to concern ourselves with?

It's vital in today's culture, especially in the modern-day church to fully understand how true followers of Jesus Christ relate to both the Law and Grace.

Jesus said that He didn't come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. What does that mean? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus referred to the Law as "you've heard it said" or "you've seen it written.' He then lays out that the works of the Law is outward but the work of Grace is heart-changing.

That's why we have the Holy Spirit in us. He is the One who empowers but also convicts. He leads us into truth and into repentance.

Get out the Book of Galatians. There's a great revelation of just how we're supposed to deal with the Law and Grace.

Tube steaks, baseball, apple, pie, and the odor of burned sulfur wafting in the air.

Yup, it's July 4th!

As we celebrate the 249th birthday of our great nation, we step back and take a wide view of this country and our involvement in the events happening around the world.

Just a few weeks ago, "bunker breaker bombs," in Operation Midnight Hammer, were dropped on nuclear energy labs in the distant country of Iran. A few short days later other events occurred as a direct or indirect result of this action. These are things we need to talk about.

Plus, as believers, we need to clarify the difference between our independence and our freedom. Through Christ, we have them but what are we supposed to do with them? Freedom is the responsibility to do what we ought, not the ability to just do what we want.

Ever play the game, "Telephone?" It's where someone whispers something to another person and then they pass it to another person and on and on until everyone has had the phrase whispered to them. Then the last person tells the group what the message was. The results can be hilarious...and more often than not, quite different from the original.

Well, unfortunately in the Church world, some of God's Word has been passed around and misquoted, some intentionally - which is a major sin - and sometimes via ignorance of the Word.

"God helps those who help themselves" is probably second only to "Money is the root of all evil" as misquoted phrases. In fact, the first one isn't even close to scripture but was in Benjamin Franklin's "Poor Richard's Almanac!"

Some misquotes are hilarious while some are quite heartbreaking.

Most of us know how important the Bible is to our spiritual life but too many only occasionally visit it or let someone else tell them what It says.

How do we insulate ourselves from misquoting and misinterpreting the most important message of the universe? Listen and find out.

There's a whole lot more to "everything" than what we can encounter with our five senses. And more than what is just in what we call the physical world.

We know the spiritual world exists because of the evidence presented to us in the Bible. "God is spirit" says a whole lot in three little words.

Understanding the spiritual world is important for us as believers. Besides the triune God, the Bible tells us of angels and demons. Though we're just going to skim the surface of the study of the spirit world in this podcast, knowing who and what exists beyond our senses is important.

There is warfare in the heavenly realm and we are the reason. Our enemy wants to kill, steal, and destroy and our Father wants us to have abundant life.

So, let's begin delving into the truth as revealed in the Word and later we'll dig even deeper into how to live in the victory Jesus established for us.

The dullest pencil is sharper than the sharpest mind, the old saying goes.

That's why we're so glad God gave us The Word, a.k.a. the Bible. Oral traditions can morph over time. God's Word doesn't change. And that's why we have to be people who constantly immerse ourselves in the study the Logos - the written Word.

So, what is the Rhema? There are some people who disregard the Logos and are always seeking a new revelation, which they call the Rhema or revealed word. The problem occurs when they hear or seek a spoken word but it doesn't line up with the written word. Abuse of the uttered Word doesn't negate it. It just takes understanding how the Holy Spirit works when it comes to our instruction and encouragement, even our direction via the Word.

Both are vital for our lives but they go hand-in-hand and this podcast can help bring their balance in your life.

Masks are fun to wear, especially if you don't want someone to know who you are. Bandits wore them in every "Good verses Evil" movie we saw while growing up. Even some of the good guys wore masks to hide their identity when not on the job.

The problem is when people who are supposed to be transparent and vulnerable with each other resort to wearing them, and we're speaking specifically of the Church. "I'm fine," is the habitual response to "How are you?" though it may be far from the truth.

So, how do we fit together as the Body of Christ when we still feel like we can't be honest with each other? Can we really have "koinonia," TRANSPARENT ACCEPTANCE? Can we operate in God's love that says, "I know who and what you are...and I love you anyway?"

Today we look at how to "Love not only in word or talk but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18. Maskless and loved. What a concept!

Boat in the water - Good!

Water in the boat - Not Good!

This is not a new topic since Paul wrote about it to Timothy back in the early church times. The "Godlessness Invasion," however, has ramped up in ways we never would have imagined.

Lawlessness in the world is expected. Hey, sinners will sin. However, those of us who claim Christ as Lord and Savior cannot allow lawlessness and Godlessness in teh Church and in our lives, if we're going to draw people to Him.

From the un-Biblical attitudes and actions to sermons from pulpits that are devoid of truth, too many churches today are little more than social clubs where people come to either perform their due diligence or get their backs patted and told to be nice to each other.

With only nine percent of Christians reading their Bibles daily, the only thing that will keep Godlessness out of the Christian is being neglected. Opinions become gospel when this happens and the Church is sapped of its power to present hope to a hopeless world.

Don't settle for "fake ©Rolex watches." We want the real thing!

Well, is it either or both, when it comes to The Great Commission?

There's no question that it takes both of them to not only reach the lost but keep them solid in the faith. Evangelism alone boasts of about 5 - 15% of those who make a decision for Jesus are still walking with Him. Kind of a "been there, done that" as opposed to having their lives transformed.

True discipleship or disciple making builds the life of faith in a believer. Jay's book, "Jesus Follower - Beyond Belief" lays out great insight for anyone who chooses to be His disciple.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 4:16 to "be imitators of me, as I am of Christ." That's a huge statement. He takes on the responsibility to live a life of faith in such a way that as he walks in the footsteps of Christ, others can walk in his footsteps until they can walk in Christ's footsteps.

Discipleship is learning.

Today's medical advances are incredible. Some would call it miraculous. But there's a difference between medical miracles and God's kind.

Then there are those who deny the existence of God because of the suffering and, if He did exist, why His seeming lack of intervention when it comes to sickness and suffering?

Why do we become ill? Answering this important question gives us solid ground to respond to those who are in the midst of suffering or who are on the sidelines shaking their fist to the heavens.

Are there truly miraculous healings today? If so, why in such a limited proportion to the total amount of suffering? We share true life examples of God healing and encouragement to trust His sovereignty.