Radical Grace/the Lutheran Difference

In this Edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about the Healing of Naaman and talk about how Baptism is understood through this healing.  This episode was taped last week before ELCA convention, and as soon as it's available a second special edition will be made available where we talk about the ramifications of the decisions made by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America.

Did you know that married couples can learn something about how to live out their marriage by learning about Baptism and what it means?  I was surprised.  I never would have thought about this, ever!Also, we listen to some clips from some of the very first podcasts of Radical Grace when it was known as "the Lutheran Difference". 

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio we talk about how when people think of Baptism under the Law, they often count Baptism as a work.  However, Baptism is not a work, but rather a gift from God in which he gives us Christ and all his benefits. 

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio we talk about the doctrine of "Once Saved Always Saved", which is hard sometimes because it seems to some people that we are trying to take away the assurance of Salvation?  But we learned from one caller that taking this on can be beneficial and can bring even greater comfort when the believer is pointed to Christ and His Completed work.

In this Edition of Radical Grace Radio Pastor Greg Lesieur and I talk about what Paul might mean by "fighting the good fight".  Does Paul mean fighting the fight to Holiness?  Or does he mean something else?

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio we talk about Pop Psychology and how the "Gospel" of Pop Psychology has worked it's way into the nearly every corner of the church at large.  This show was recorded over a year ago, but is still relevant for people in desperate need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Have you ever wondered about the free will that man is supposed to have when it comes to choosing Christ as your personal Savior?  Have you ever wondered about your own will, which seems bent on rejecting Jesus?  This show is for you. 

Sometimes, when we talk about Law and Gospel to people, there comes a point where someone says "so what".  What that means is they aren't getting how the scriptures not only contain both Law passages and Gospel passages, but that often we have a tendency as sinful, fallen people to misread Gospel passages as Law, and often get these two distinct teachings mixed up.  In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about the "so what" of law and Gospel and how it drastically changes your Christian walk when you keep these two teachings distinct.  In the second half of the hour Pastor Ron Meyr of Faith Lutheran Viera joins us.

The opening theme for Radical Grace Radio, in it's entirety.  No, this isn't necessarily what Sunday morning worship music should sound like.  I remember getting the idea to do an upbeat version of this old Advent Hymn when I heard the Choir at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis do it as though it were a march...  The impression I got was it's a song you sing as you're carrying the Good News to "Those who sit in Darkness".  We all decided this should be the theme for the show, since most other shows already use "A mighty Fortress" as their opening theme.  Speaking of "A Mighty Fortress", listen carefully in the second verse for a re-iteration of this famous melody. 

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we're taking some time to talk about Law and Gospel, a bit of a primer on this distinction that the Formula of Concord calls "that special brilliant light that serves till the end of the age that God's Word may be rightly divided".  Pastor Gary also asked an interesting question:  Law is to Gospel as ________ is to Grace?  What would you put in the blank?Listen to the show to get the answer.

In this edition of Radical Grace we ask the question:  Why is Worshiping in the Church necessary?  From the many excuses that people make, whether they're too busy, or whether they don't like being around hypocrites, or whether they just think the church is "after my money", we still have to remind the people of Hebrews 10:25,"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."Also we do another edition of "You've heard it said", and this week we hear Pastor Adrian Rogers give us 5 things we should be doing while we wait for Jesus' return.  My little brother likes to call this kind of preaching, "3 points and a poem", which is what he's used to back home.

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, Pastor Gary Held talks about how the idea of Christians being at war is misused by some Christians, for instance, how the idea of us being Christian Soldiers fighting against the culture is bolstered by the misapplication of certain Scripture.  We also begin what we hope will be a weekly segment, "You have heard it said", where we take some statements of popular teaching of Christian Teachers today, and do what Jesus did with them on the sermon on the mount.  This week it's Pastor Michael Youssef and what he believes is the Gospel, and how "if you believe with all your heart, God can do great things". 

Actually, what's going on is we're fighting for the doctrine of the Trinity.  It's Trinity Sunday, and we have the Athanasian Creed in mind, and it's time to set the record straight again before the full blown Modalists get their chance to mess things up...  Happily, most Modalists don't celebrate Trinity Sunday.  Strange...

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio Pastor Greg does a mean Sean Connery impersonation as he makes a great point about the love of God, and we answer an emailer who wanted to know...There's something which confuses me about Sola Fide.  If we're saved by grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone on the authority of scripture alone, why are sacraments necessary?  I'm not necessarily doubting the necessity of sacraments, I just don't understand that if access to salvation comes down to faith alone (sola), then how is it alone if a sacrament must be coupled with it?  Thank you in advance for your answer. -Chris Danville, Indiana

Sandra, a listener in Melbourne Florida, called the show...  but she didn't realize exactly which show she was calling.  We're not making fun of her, it was just a funny situation.

In this Edition of Radical Grace Radio we go over some listener emails, and Pastor Greg LeSeiur Tells about his days at ELCA Seminary in Gettysburg...  Where apparently he learned the Jesus is reduced to being a condiment on the burger of World Religion.  Apparently other religions are just fine, but they are better if you add Jesus...  We know, it's bad.Larry in KY Writes Something Matt mentioned in the last was the first time I’d heard someone else really articulate it, someone who’d been there once and that is the spirit of antichrist wafting in the protestant church.  I use to tell my wife back during my struggles with “was Christ really for me”, that dark, dark, dark time, “I believe more deception and covering up of Christ occurs not so much overtly but under the guise of “nice” and smiles and from well meaning fellows and pastors.  Not the kind of guys you’d label, ‘that’s my enemy’.”  I’ve told her, “…I think we’ve been tainted by dispensationalism and Hollywood…we think antichrist and Pharisees are

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about literalism applied to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we look at how Jesus interprets his Revelation, and we get a chance to talk about the consequences of believing messed up versions of End Times Teachings and how it leads us to false Gospels.Question of the week:  Can you get a right faith from wrong doctrines?  Email us at RadicalGrace@ live.com your take on this question.

In this edition of Radical Grace we take time to clarify the historic position that Lutherans have confessed concerning who or what the Anti Christ is.  We talk about what our confessions say, and about how this same spirit of Anti Christ exists not just in Rome in the form of the Holy See, but also in Evangelicalism, obscuring the Gospel just as much as Rome does.Also, a caller challenges us on this, stating that we shouldn't be sowing hatred in a time where religious hatred is rampant in the world. 

In this third part in a series about the End Times, we get specific about the Anti Christ, and Pastor Gary Held has a very interesting (and chilling) theory about who or what the Beast of Revelation 13 really is.  This is a must hear episode.

In this re-release edition of Radical Grace Pastor Gary and I talk about the parable from Matthew 13:44, "The treasure hidden in a field".  In the discussion we talk about applying Law and Gospel to this to discover what Jesus was really telling about the kingdom.  If you've never heard of a law and Gospel interpretation before, don't miss this discussion.