Assured By Grace

The percentage of Americans who see the Bible as the actual Word of God has dropped to 20%, a new all-time low according to Gallup. For the first time, significantly more Americans view the Bible as not being divinely inspired than as the literal Word of God. Even several Christian organizations and denominations who have historically held to an inerrant view of Scripture seem to be teetering on t...

In the second podcast of this two-part series, Pastor Phil talks with Misty Fraker about her life journey, starting with getting married young, divorce, and a search for purpose in life...all leading ultimately, in God's gentle providence, to a deep appreciation for His sufficient grace.

In this first of a two-part series, Pastor Phil talks with Misty Fraker about her life journey, from a religiously-divided home, to faith in Christ at a young age, then multiple challenges of abuse, family breakdown, and multiple moves. Through it all -- in hindsight, the gracious providence of God can be seen.

Many pastors and Christian writers teach a form of Replacement Theology, the idea that the Church has "replaced" national Israel in Old Testament kingdom promises. Danny and Phil discuss how this not only makes God's promises deceptive at best, and dishonest at worst, but additional implications on eschatology and soteriology. In the end, Replacement Theology can effectively undermine assuran...

Danny and Phil reflect on 50 years of abortion in America, what this means for our country, and how Christians should respond. They also reflect on the character of our life-giving God, how His holiness coincides with His love, and how just as He gives physical life, He gives eternal life.

Preachers garble the gospel when they make good works necessary for salvation. and this makes assurance of salvation impossible. Good works are not necessary to get saved, stay saved, or prove you're saved. Danny and Phil respond to a video of John Piper which confuses the gospel and misapplies a teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. If you've been confused by a preacher or a...

"Am I Truly Saved?" That was the title of Jon Harris's interview with Joel Webbon on his  Conversations that Matter  podcast. Danny and Phil unravel the confusion that ensued, and help us understand how anyone can know they have eternal life.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, many preachers and teachers muddy the waters of assurance of salvation by tying it to our behavior. While pursuing holiness is critical for spiritual growth and future rewards, telling a believer he should be "worried" he might go to hell because he struggles with sin is destructive to the Christian life! Danny and Phil respond to a couple of online exampl...

Danny and Phil address a question that atheists use to challenge Christians, and Christians often struggle with. Theologians suggest that God sovereignly elects those who will be saved, and makes sure they hear and believe the gospel, or that God omnisciently knows who would believe if they heard the gospel, and saves them even if they don't believe in Jesus. But Scripture is clear: There is no wa...

Many are grieving and angry following the senseless killing in Uvalde, Texas. Danny and Phil address this tragedy, and the Christian response to evil in the world.

Danny and Phil address a question that atheists use to challenge Christians, and Christians often struggle with. Theologians suggest that God sovereignly elects those who will be saved, and makes sure they hear and believe the gospel, or that God omnisciently knows who would believe if they heard the gospel, and saves them even if they don't believe in Jesus. But Scripture is clear: There is no wa...

People who come out of legalistic religion to faith in Christ know from experience the freedom and assurance God’s saving grace provides. Today we highlight ex-Mormons who found grace, forgiveness of sin, and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Online resources: Adam’s Road – https://www.adamsroadministry.com/ Ex-Mormon Christians United for Jesus – https://unveilingmormonism.com/about-us

In this episode Pastor Phil and Danny take a look at the spiritual hazards of neglecting and undermining a believer's assurance of salvation.  Can a Christian have assurance that they are indeed a Christian? Can a Christian know that they are part of God's family? These are basic questions that, when paired with Biblical truth, demand an affirmative response. As such, a believer's assura...

Danny and Phil discuss how knowing God's truth, and being assured by grace, helps us deal with inevitable difficult times in these last days.

As recent world events have reminded us, life isn't easy. Trials have a way of finding us, and when they do, questions often arise: Why did God let this happen? Does God really love me? Can I know it for sure? Theology makes a big difference in answering these questions, as we discover in this week's episode of Assured By Grace.

Biblical prophecies of the first coming of Jesus, which we focus on at Christmas, were fulfilled literally. But alongside those prophecies are other prophecies that point to a yet-future time, when Jesus will come in power and authority, defeat the forces of evil, and reing in a time of peace and righteousness. Just as Old Testament saints were assured by faith in the coming of the Messiah, so we...

The Christmas story is a story of hope, a wonderful reminder of how God humbled Himself as He came into this world to create a path of Salvation for all mankind. However, the Bible's story of Christmas didn't just start back at the beginning of the first century. Scripture throughout many books of the Old Testament predicted aspects of the birth of Christ centuries before He was born! In fact, man...

Parables are often a minefield for Christians; some pastors and theologians interpret them in ways that undermine assurance of salvation. We discuss the parable of the Hidden Treasure, showing how John Piper's misguided interpretation destroys assurance of salvation, and providing two better interpretative options which fit the context of Matthew 13, and motivate believers in their Christian lives...

We all experience pain and suffering in this life. Many books and articles attempt to answer some basic form of the question, why do bad things happen to good people , though most of their answers fall flat as authors pitch platitudes to excuse God while clinging to a deterministic view of His sovereignty. Yet, is this really even the right question to be asking when facing such problems? Join Phi...

Calvinism is a system of theology that destroys assurance of salvation. John Piper exemplifies the teaching of Calvinist theologians in his writing, and today we expose the flaws in that theology, and the despair and hopelessness it creates in the lives of believers.

For many believers it is difficult to confidently stand in faith when facing larger-than-life challenges. Yet, how was David able to confidently confront Goliath? In this episode, our hosts take a closer look at how the promises of God provide strength and assurance to modern day believers in the midst of troubling situations.

Have you experienced a bit of dread as you've looked at the news lately? Are you worried about any of today's problems including disease, political instability, or debt? In a time when an overabundance of information can draw our attention to all that is wrong in this world, how can we protect ourselves from being swept away by fear and insecurity? Join our hosts, Phil and Danny, as they delve int...

Many Christians today have little or no knowledge of the Rapture, and often this goes hand-in-hand with a lack of assurance. After all, a person who is uncertain where they will spend eternity will probably view an event that inaugurates the next life with apprehension, not anticipation. In this podcast, we 'connect the dots' between assurance of salvation, and looking forward to 'our blessed...

Millions of Christians fear witnessing because they are confused about the gospel. Many aren't sure it's really "good news" -- after all, the gospel is often confused with requirements to do something. Some today are saying it all depends on your good works. What does the Bible say? Is the gospel really "good news?" Yes!     Hosts: Danny Woodward and Pastor Phil Congdon   #grac...

Many popular Bible theologians teach that failure to heed the warnings seen throughout the book of Hebrews can impair a person’s eternal destiny, meaning whether they end up in heaven or hell, but do the Scriptures support such interpretations? How might a Christian “Drift Away” and what does it mean to hold fast to our confidence in Christ? In this episode we take a peek into the book of Heb...