Radical Grace/The Lutheran Difference

Lenten Readings for this season, this one based on the Story of Deborah in the Book of Judges, part of a series written by Pastor Gary Held for Lenten services. 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 Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our...

On the way back to Jerusalem after the triumphal Entry, Jesus encounters a fig tree that has no fruit on it, and he promptly curses it. Therefore, Jesus must hate fig trees. No wait, Jesus is teaching you how to curse fig trees, yeah that's it. No, wait, Jesus is teaching you about having faith and speaking to fig trees and mountains so you can overcome these obstacles. There has been so much bad...

Pastor Gary contends that in Jesus' day, the biggest headache the average Israelite had didn't come from the Roman occupation, but rather the Temple itself. If you lived during that time in Judea, you likely owed money to the temple, one way or another and the religious leaders of the time weren't interested in "forgiving debts". First up on the show however is Bill Marello of Child Services updat...

The second Lenten service featured a monolog written by Pastor Gary, and is written from the point of view of an accountant who delivers a report to governor over Egypt and second to Pharaoh, Joseph. Pastor Gary loves the Joseph narrative (as I do) and for more than a little while we got excited about this one. If we drone on too long in the first part of this show, sorry about that...   Visit Mat...

Due to some of our listeners asking about Pastor Gary's Lenten "Dramatic Monologs", we decided to take some time to release one or two of these in the show. The first one from Ash Wednesday was called "8 souls in all", and is one of a countdown to Good Friday. We hope you enjoy it.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://w...

It's Ash Wednesday, and it's the beginning of the Season of Lent. So what better topic to talk about than Pope Benedict XVI Abdicating the Holy See? Upon hearing this, I thought to myself how much of a shame that was because of all the good things this pope had to say about Martin Luther... So we speculate, "what would have happened if this pope had vacated Martin Luther's Excommunication?" We did...

Warning:  This program is too hot to handle.  The contents of this program have been know to shake up legalists, crush pietists, burn the innards of sinners and salve the consciences of the faithful. We also talk about the hottest, most evil chili ever...  DANGER!  If you're satisfied with your Christianity, DO NOT LISTEN!!!    Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.panca...

Have we crossed over to the darkside?  In this episode of Radical Grace Radio, Joel Osteen get's front and center stage to make his case before he gets slapped by Nikolaos of Myra. We also talk about Supernatural Debt Relief.  Yup, darksided... Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/garyheld Visit our Websi...

So Pastor Gary wants to be in a "back to basics" mode, and we wound up talking about the Faithfulness of God.  Did you know, for instance, that God faithfully shows up everywhere He's promised He'll be?  If that's so, then where has He promised to be? Also, huge water jars, the impossibility of having grape juice in the ancient world, and servants who'll do anything Jesus' mom tells them to do.  ...

Historic Jesus.  By that we mean the Christ as we find him in scripture.  Problem is because so many people read their Bibles for moral principles and tips to have your best life now, too many people miss the Jesus that matters.  Also it's about time to get back to basics again.  The mind of Christ first up, which we've talked about before and are about to hammer on again.    Visit Matthew Pancake...

On this edition of Radical Grace Radio we talk about Blasphemy Laws.  They don't exist in the US pretty much, but in several European countries there are still blasphemy laws on the books...  I forgot to mention, those are in Christian countries.  We talk about specific instances in Greece and how if we were in Greece right now much of what we would preach would be considered blasphemy.  And with...

We share out thoughts on what has to be the best movie of 2012, and likely the best movie of 2013, Les Miserables.  Not only are the themes of the film striking, but the story of redemption told of Jean ValJean is one that every Christian should pay attention to.  One can clearly hear strains of law and gospel and how living under the law can lead to spiritual death...  as well as physical death. ...

After a really tough year in a lot of ways, it's a good thing that Christmas comes this time of year.  We all need some good news.  But here's something about the Good news that we usually don't think about.  Where did Jesus learn it?  You can say, if you want, that He's God and he therefore knows everything, but in his human nature, growing up from a baby to a young man, where did Jesus hear this...

It's Doomsday at Radical Grace Radio!  Yes, it's the end of the Mayan Calendar, and this is it.  It's over.  Again.  Oh wait, we've been here before, haven't we?  But all is not lost because Christ has won. Also, we talk about the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, which isn't an easy topic because it's so difficult to make sense out it.  However, we may not be able to make sense out of it, but w...

When John The Baptist came and was calling the people of Israel to repent and be baptized, he wasn't having them do it because they needed to get holy really fast.  He was calling them to repent, or to "defect" because something was about to shake this world.  The one whose advent was foretold was coming to dispense his blessing on his people, and to lay an axe at the foot of the root of the tree...

Keeping the Holidays pure, or at least not getting them mixed up...  Look up!  For your redemption draw near.  It's Advent Folks, and that's important because the church at large is living in what can be described as a long, long wait for Jesus to return.  It was a long wait the first time, and since he came the first time we have assurance he will come again. So Look up!  Your redemption draws ne...

Is it ever right to ignore the things that God has put in your lap to do?  Now there's a loaded question, especially in a Christian culture that is constantly asking people find "God's will for your life".  Well, the problem is that too many people think that God's will basically stops at conquering sin in your life.  This is where Martin Luther in his Small Catechism, when talking about the comma...

So We're exploring Repentance lately, mainly because we think people's understanding of Repentance is off base, again...  So we looked at the passage from Luke Chapter 3 verses 1 through 14... "John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?  Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves...

So the elections are over, and Barack Obama won.  So what's a Christian to do?  Fret over the coming Gloom and Doom, that's what.  Or at least that's what the buzz has been ever since.  In fact, there's been such a loud call to repent from various corners of Christendom that you'd think God's about to go off on the United States for not voting Obama out.  But here's a game, if you will, consisting...

It's Election Day folks!  And what better topic for a Christian Radio Show than to talk about Voting and Politics!  Yes!  All your electioneering needs are met in this one episode.  Yes! Then it's 7 principles for measuring your Christian Walk.  Or is it 70 times 7, I keep forgetting.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor Gary Held's Facebook http:...

Observing Reformation day this year has me thinking about a couple of things.  One, doctrines of men wind up flaying the consciences of the faithful wide open and abusing them for work in man's agenda.  But also, over and against that we have to thinking about Grace alone through Faith alone on account of Christ alone, which we at Radical Grace Radio call having a "reckless confidence in Christ". ...

Why do Christians Worship on Sunday instead of the Sabbath?  You'd be surprised, but there is still discussion on this topic after 2000 years.  We talk about the what and the so what, and we also talk about Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban because she wants to go to school.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook.com/matthew.pancake Visit Pastor...

In the 16th Century Pope Leo X wanted to build a Basilica to house the bones of the Apostles, but to do so he needed money, and lots of it.  So, this Roman Pope hit upon a plan to sell indulgences, or get out of purgatory free certificates, to fund this project. Why does this matter?  After all, it's ancient history, right?  Well, it matters because today we have preachers telling their people tha...

"There is nothing more dangerous than an isolated individual with a Bible".  ~ Pastor William Cwirla - The God Whisperers A listener sent us a message asking about a conversation we had in the show titled "Rage Be Unto You", that got us to talking about how there are so many Christians basically making up their faith and then blaming the Holy Spirit for it, er...  I mean attributing it to the Holy...

Are you ready for Radical Law Radio?  For a good segment of the back half of this show we took one commandment.  Just one.  And Pastor Gary, in his usual gregarious way, describes all the way in which people break this commandment.  Turns out there are lots of them.  I mean a lot.  That and a jab or two at 'greasy grace' and 'easy believism'.   Visit Matthew Pancake's Facebook http://www.facebook....