400. Good News Reminders

Sometimes we just need to pause and reflect on what Christ has done and what it means for us. Our days are often filled with bad news and it can even carry over into Bible teaching that we're exposed to. It's good to be reminded that God isn't angry with you, that He doesn't hold sin against you, that you are fully accepted by Him through Jesus Christ and that there is no reason to hide or to be afraid. God prepared Jesus with a body for a sacrifice that would be the last but certainly not the least.

And by the way, we've hit another milestone here on Growing in Grace! This is our 400th podcast!!! To celebrate, we've compiled three bonus podcasts that we'll be sharing on the next three Wednesdays. All of the weekly "GIGBites" that are posted with each podcast, to give listeners a tiny taste of the content of the podcast, contain grace and encouragement in and of themselves. The upcoming bonus podcasts will each be 15 to 16 minute mixes of all the GIGBites from the past 100 Growing in Grace podcasts!  Look for the first bonus podcast this Wednesday.

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Download Good News Reminders
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

"Watch" this episode on YouTube.

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This week's GIG Bite - A tasty sample of this week's program!

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399. Religion Chases People From God

Many have been exposed to various kinds of "religious" teachings in the past and it has led them to a place where they attempt to avoid anything to do with God in the present. This would indicate that they either haven't heard the actual gospel or never arrived at a place where they began to understand it. It can lead to a desire to hide from God or act as if He doesn't exist. Of course we really can't hide from the Lord but this can be the mentality that one can fall into. If you've ever felt like you weren't worthy of God or that you couldn't live up to His expectations as good as the "church" people you've been around, we've got good news for you!

Religion Chases People From God (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

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"Watch" this episode on YouTube.

This week's GIG Bite (A quick highlight from this week's program.)

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Growing in Grace Together - Allan Scott

I'm very pleased to welcome music artist Allan Scott to the Growing in Grace Together podcast. I think many people will relate in one way or another to Allan's story.  After his life had spiraled out of control due to a destructive lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, he knew it was grace through which he'd been saved when found himself being radically transformed by God.  However, he would soon find himself in a place many of us are all too familiar with - struggling with an up and down, performance-based relationship with God.

Listen in as Allan shares how he came to find rest from the performance treadmill, as he discovered the gospel of God's grace and the New Covenant.  It's very evident that his heart is now overflowing with grace and is focused on sharing this liberating message with the church, both through his music and through connecting with others wherever he goes.

You can find out more about Allan Scott on his website, allanscottmusic.com.  I think you'll be greatly encouraged by listening to this podcast and checking out Allan's music!



Download Growing in Grace Together - Allan Scott (26 Min, 24 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

Here's a quick bite from this podcast.

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398. The Bible Can Be Dangerous to Read If...

It's one of the oldest tricks in the book. Bible verses being taken out of context. Of course most don't even realize this is what they are doing. Sometimes when we read or memorize certain verses it can lead to tunnel vision, misunderstanding and confusion. Of course we'll often have different opinions on things from time to time but one of the reasons there are thousands of church denominations, doctrines and cults is due to a general misunderstanding of what the gospel is. And a leading cause of that is taking scripture out of context along with confusing the Old Covenant with the New and mixing them together into one.

As someone once told us: "The Bible can be one of the most dangerous books you'll ever read if you..." (Take a listen to the podcast for the conclusion to this suspenseful cliff hanger.)

The Bible Can Be Dangerous to Read If... (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

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"Watch" this episode on YouTube.

This week's GIG Bite (A quick highlight from this week's program.)

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Growing in Grace Together - Lucas Miles

It's time for another Growing in Grace Together podcast! It's been a while, and I'm very happy to get back into the swing of things with my very special guest, Lucas Miles. Lucas is the President of the Oasis Network for Churches (OasNet) and he is helping to spread the message of God's goodness, love and grace in many ways. In this podcast Lucas shares about his involvement in church planting through OasNet, nationally and internationally, in order to spread the message of God's grace and to connect people together. We also chat about the upcoming Oasis Grace Conference in October 2013, which is something many Growing in Grace listeners will want to put on their calendars!

Listen in to find out what other nuggets of grace Lucas has to share, as well as the many resources that can be found through the OasNet website.

Growing in Grace Together - Lucas Miles (20 Min, 14 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

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397. Our Nature of God's Righteousness, Not Self-Righteousness

On our last podcast we talked about those who feel the need to accuse others of wrong doing and how it stems from a foundation of legalism and self-righteousness. This week we take a closer look at why the law inspires accusations against us and how we have been freed from this. In Christ we have received a brand new nature of righteousness, that is, the righteousness of God has been revealed in us. This is the gospel at its very foundation. It allows us to live free of guilt, condemnation and accusations that would try to come against us and provides us with grace to experience a relationship of love without fear of wondering what God thinks of us.

Our Nature of God's Righteousness, Not Self-Righteousness (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

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"Watch" this episode on YouTube.

This week's GIG Bite (A quick highlight from this week's program.)

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396. Where Are Your Accusers?

We take a look at the well-known story of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Why was she accused and what happened to her accusers? The devil is called the accuser of the brethren in one passage of scripture. But of the nearly 2 dozen references of accusers in the New Testament, almost all of them are religious people who were zealous for the Law. If you're looking to be accused of wrong doing, hang out with self-righteous religious people.

Yet Jesus did not accuse the accusers. Rather, He pointed out someone who did accuse them of not believing in Him. It turns out to be one of their heroes.

Where Are Your Accusers? (14 Min, 9.6 MB)
(Click to Play or Right-Click to Download.)

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"Watch" this episode on YouTube.

This week's GIG Bite (A quick highlight from this week's program.)

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