Loving Truth

How should believers deal with conflict in the church? In this episode, Connor and Mike reopen this topic from our latest Grace Bible Institute and talk about some highlights from the night. This is practical stuff for every believer who longs to see unity in the body. Happy listening!

Mike and Connor tackle a controversial and sometimes discouraging topic in this episode: How to make sense of all the divisions in evangelicalism today. Specifically, what are we to make of serious disagreements between believers over issues of politics and social engagement, questions of authority and abuse within the church, and other contemporary issues? In this episode we try to give some bibl...

We recorded this episode on Mike's birthday, and Mike shared three of the most significant lessons he has learned in his 59 years of life. This one is definitely worth a listen for some encouragement and practical wisdom. Happy listening!

For this episode, our topic is... You'll just have to listen to find out. We do think we managed to avoid heresy though. Happy listening!

In his episode, we address the crucial question, "how do Christians endure?" This one is short but sweet, and it contains a lot of practical wisdom and comfort. We hope it's an encouragement to you!

In this episode, Mike and Connor talk about putting out the welcome mat for the Bible and receiving it as what it really is—the very words of God himself. How should believers accept the word? How should they respond do it? What pitfalls must believers avoid? All this and more in today's episode.

This episode will be (we hope!) a breath of fresh air. It's short, and we address just two questions to give you a sense of how things are going at Grace: 1) How's ministry nowadays? 2) How is the Word at work? We hope this is an encouragement to your soul as you continue to serve the Lord and love the people he has placed in your life.

This episode serves as a follow-up to Mike's Sunday sermon from September 19, 2021. In it, we unpack several important ideas about the doctrine of election, including the meaning of God's foreknowledge, and the question, "can someone be a Christian if they do not believe in election?" We know this is an emotionally charged topic for many people. We hope this episode helps you as you wrestle throug...

Why repent and reconcile? Pastor Mike addressed that question in a Sunday morning sermon on September 5, 2021. This episode functions as a post-sermon follow up, diving deeper into the question of how we should think about reconciliation in especially difficult relational contexts. We hope this helps you honor the Lord even in the most challenging relationships he has placed you in.

This episode serves as an introduction to the book of 1 Thessalonians, which Mike will being preaching on Sunday, September 12, 2021. What's it all about? Believers beloved by God becoming beloved to one another. Listen in preparation for Sunday, or as a reference in the coming months and years. We pray this is an encouragement to you!

In this episode, Connor and Mike address the question, "why bother with baptism?" as a follow up to Mike's sermon from Sunday, August 29, 2021 (available on the GCO website). We get into some conversations about ideas that Mike didn't address in depth in the sermon: Is the thief on the cross a valid example of someone who was saved without being baptized? What function did baptism have in Jesus' e...

What does the Bible say about resolving conflicts in the home? In the church? When things have gotten really ugly? When it feels like reconciliation is impossible? In this episode, Connor and Mike address these questions and point to the Bible's answer for handling conflict in a way that honors God.

As this episode drops, the world is gripped by headlines regarding the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, crippling earthquakes in Haiti, wildfires in America, Covid-19 outbreaks, and much more. There are painful reminders of the reality of sin all around us—at a personal level, a family level, a national level, and a global level. In times like these, it is good to return to a familiar question: Wh...

Mike and Connor unpack a practical question in this episode that impacts all believers: What should I do when I'm struggling? When we don't know where to turn, when we are convicted by sin, when we are confused or confronted with challenging circumstances—what should we do? The answer we give here: "Talk it out." We hope this is a help to you!

Part one of two. Connor and Mike discuss how to lovingly encourage and even challenge those who are struggling in their faith or actively opposing the Lord.

In this episode, Mike and Connor address a question that arose in response to Mike's July 18 Sunday sermon: How do we distinguish between false teachers and genuine believers who are struggling with sin? We turned to quite a few passages in our attempt to answer this question. Hopefully it will provide some clarity for everyone who has wrestled through this question or a similar one.

The Bible calls believers to put to death the deeds of the flesh and forbids us from loving the world (1 John 2:15). At the same time, believers are called to love people in the world with genuine care, kindness, and selflessness. How can believers honor both of these exhortations? In this episode, Connor and Mike answer this by addressing the question, "How do we love the world?"

With the junior high and high school students gone at Hume Lake, Connor and Mike take an episode to talk about the ways that God works through camp experiences. Spoiler alert: God can use times at camp in powerful ways!

Pastor Mike and Connor dive back into the topic of resting in the midst of difficult seasons, focusing on how Jesus can bring calm to our souls even in the most challenging times.

Pastor Mike and Connor discuss resting in seasons of unrest, turning to Psalm 46 and Psalm 73 to think about how believers can rest and trust God's sovereign goodness even in the most difficult times. Part one of two.

In this episode, Mike and Connor tackle the topic of taking a break. In particular, Mike gives counsel on how to take a day off, how to guard times of sabbath rest, how to take a vacation, and how to evaluate your life and make plans for the future. There's a lot of much needed wisdom in his advice

The final episode in our Big Questions about the Bible series. Mike and Connor tackle the question, "What will God use the Bible to do?" Here, after weeks of discussing proper hermeneutics and interpretation, we move on to the thrilling process of life transformation that God accomplishes through his Word. We get into 2 Corinthians 3:18, our transformation from glory to glory, and the role of the...

Part six of seven in our "Big Questions about the Bible" series. For this episode, we were joined by two special guests, Michael Sciarra (Mike's son) and Eric Durso from Grace Rancho. The four of us had a great discussion around the question, "why must we obey the Bible?" Happy listening!

Join Connor and Mike for part five of seven in our series about God's Word. Today's question: How can I know that my interpretation of the Bible is the correct one? We talk about the witness of church history, the "rule of faith," the importance of hermeneutics, and the need for humility in interpretation.

Welcome to part four of a seven part series on God's Word. In this episode, Connor and Mike tackle the question, "what is a grammatical historical hermeneutic?" Bonus notice: If you don't have much time today, no worries. This is the shortest podcast we've ever recorded!