Radical Grace/The Lutheran Difference

While he was writing his sermon for the days service, Pastor Gary noticed something that's likely true about every person he reads this verse from Hebrews. They likely read this verse like this, even though the word "obedience" is not in the verse. Hebrews 11: 39 These were all commended for their obedience, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better f...

This week we're taking a break, but we're posting the very first Radical Grace Radio program.  In this program our first caller, ever, wondered what he should do to "cover all his bases" with God.  You guys will enjoy this, but Pastor Gary and I would just cringe at how inexperienced we sound.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Faceb...

Because someone said, "that line 'I'm too holy for you' is from Monty Python and the Holy Grail," here's the scripture verse. "Isa 65:5 (I say to a people) who say, ‘Keep away; don’t come near me, for I am too holy for you!’ Such people are smoke in my nostrils, a fire that keeps burning all day." So in this special edition on how to Drive the Millennials away, we let Good Charlotte answer some of...

The question that keeps coming up, over and over again, is how to attract and keep the so called "millennial" generation. We at Radical Grace Radio take a different approach. We're going to research how to drive them away. Yes we are, folks. All the stupid, obnoxious things that are done in the name of Christianity that tends to make millennials roll their eyes. You betcha. All that stuff. Maybe w...

I thought that this weird doctrine about the Mark of Cain had long since been put to bed. Apparently there are still some people who say that the "Mark" is that God turned Cain black. Seriously. This is still being taught. Pastor Gary, however, put that to rest in 3 seconds flat.  Also, we talked about Repentance. Pastor Gary seems to have found something interesting comparing how the word "repent...

It's possible to angry and still be level headed. Don't argue, yes, it is possible. If you have to be angry with the criminal justice system, try to be level headed about it. Of, we're talking about the Zimmerman/Martin case, but in what we hope was a level headed way. We also talk about the last of the old testament Prophets as part of an extended study on the inter-testamental period.   Visit Ma...

A few years ago we did a program called "The United States of the Beast" in which we showed that if you use the presuppositions that many Christians use to interpret Revelation you clearly find that the Beast of Revelation is the United States. Well, we weren't seriously proposing that this is true, but apparently there are people out there who believe it's true. They believe that United States IS...

It's always good to be prepared. No one I know of would disagree with that. But isn't it interesting that we spend a lot of time being prepared to be frightened? Or depressed even? It's like that for us sinners all the time. Back in the wilderness when the people had been led by Moses out of Egypt it seems that all the people were prepared to do was complain. All too often, that's how it goes with...

In this show we were able to make one point and make it well. That people stop and listen when you mention "Zombies", and people really are interested in how to survive a Zombie Apocalypse. Wait, that's two points. Maybe we made another point about remember that the actual coming apocalypse reveals Jesus as the winner, the victor, the King... And that there's a way in which being prepared for a "z...

When the Prophet Haggai delivered to Zerubbabel and Joshua the Word of God to rebuild the temple, not only did the new temple lack the literal glory of the original temple, but the Glory of the Lord never seemed to come to the temple again the same way it did in Solomon's day. So what happened? Did God's word not come to pass? Well, let's find out on Radical Grace Radio.   Visit Matthew Pancake's...

D. L. Moody once said "I can write the Gospel on a dime", and ever since then that's exactly what the Church at large seems to want to do. But if you do that, you wind up leaving out a full, robust proclaimation of the Gospel, leaving people with some "spiritual laws" to keep or who knows what. Whatever it is, it usually winds up leaving the believer in a quagmire of confusion. So this episode is...

How much would a place in Heaven be worth? Better question, how much would YOU pay for a spot in the glorious hereafter? $10,000? $50,000? $100,000? Or better yet, what's the going rate for saving the life of a dying servant?   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Website www. RadicalGr...

When troubles or disasters come, and we know they will, do we have to be uber-ministers? What I mean by that is, do was absolutely have to give an answer as to why the troubles have come to us? Or, is it better to keep silent, at least in the beginning? Particularly if it's our neighbor who is in pain, do we have to run in and be super Christian Ministers or is it OK to just be silent and listen?...

After Christmas and Easter, what do the majority of Christians do with Pentecost? Is it even really on the radar? Is it just lost in the morass of mis-focused Pentecostalism? Or was there more to it than just people speaking in tongues?   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Website www...

In today's show which has not been hacked by anyone (seriously, who would retitle a Christian Radio show "LIVE STONED NUDES") we talk about Pietism, beating your brothers and sisters about the head and neck with made up rules, Orbital videos, Nudes, marijuana, and broadcasting live from outer space... Not exactly in that order. We ARE the epitome of disorganized religion. Music today: Space Oddity...

Christians these days don't have much to say about the Ascension of Jesus Christ. I tend to think this is because they don't know what to do with the concept, since what we read in Luke's Gospel has Jesus literally flying up into the sky, right? But what if it means something else? The early Church knew what to think about the ascension of Jesus Christ... Music today: Tico Tico - Paco de Lucía, In...

In the last few weeks or so there's been a lot of discussion about what some people call "Sanctification". The debate has formed around two seemingly opposing viewpoints. Without belaboring these two viewpoints again, let's just suffice it to say that we really do think there's an obedience to the law that is of utmost importance. In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, you'll find advice on how t...

How badly has the Church in our time mishandled the proclamation of the Gospel? Here's how badly. After decades and decades of preaching the Gospel through evangelistic programs that purport to tell people where they would be "if you died tonight", people still have serious doubts about whether they were saved or not. They still walk the isle and pray the pray repeatedly, recommitting their lives...

This edition of Radical Grace Radio is an encore from July of 2010.  Radical Grace Radio will return with a new edition next week. In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, Pastor Gary takes on a tour of the parable of the 10 virgins.  Pastor took the month of June off from teaching Bible study because he wanted to take some time to go over the scriptures himself and see if there was something he wa...

To be assured that you are saved, you have to have assurance that your assurance is sure. There's only one way to achieve that assurance and that is by the long rabbit hole of works mixed with spirituality. If you want assurance that your assurance is sure, you have work hard for God and be as sincere as Jesus. Because that's what Jesus would do.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.faceb...

How did we miss releasing this episode? I'll tell you why. In the flurry of releasing Lent related material, this one slipped through. So take a walk backwards through time with us to two weeks ago.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Website www. RadicalGraceRadio.com    

And now, the last two of the series of lenten dramatic readings.  The first is "2 covenants of the Kingdom", read by Pastor Bruce Rudolph, while the second is "1 atoning sacrifice". 8 Souls in All 7 Years of Famine 6 Day until Sabbath 5 Smooth Stones 4 Large Jars 3 Day and Nights in the Fish 2 Covenants of the Kingdom 1 Atoning Sacrifice   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/m...

It's Holy Week, which Means it's Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. But there's an argument made around certain parts that the beginning of Holy Week, Palm Sunday, should instead be called "the Sunday of the Passion", which I think is a stupid thing to do. My argument is simple. Is you have the Sunday before be all about the passion, people will begin to think Jesus was in the tomb a whole week.   V...

In this Countdown to Redemption edition of Radical Grace Radio, we present the next two readings of the lenten series written by Pastor Gary Held.  This time we're bundling up two in one, and you can expect the last two for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday in the next couple of days. The list so far is 8 Souls in all 7 Years of Famine 6 Days until Sabbath 5 Smooth Stones 4 Large Jars 3 Days and Nig...

Another in the series "Countdown to Redemption", this reading is titled "5 Smooth Stones".  Written by Pastor Gary Held for our Wednesday Lenten services, this one tells of the story and feelings of one of King David's more obscure sons. The readings so far are titled... 8 Souls In All 7 Years of Famine 6 Days until Sabbath   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake...