Simply By Grace Podcast

#305 - How Good Do You Have to Be to Get to Heaven?

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 21:54:00 -0600

A question on the mind of many is how good they must be to get to heaven. Many people have the idea that if they do enough good things, or their good things outweigh their bad things, then they will be saved eternally. One error in this thinking is the failure to understand the absolute standard of God's goodness. He is perfectly good and therefore cannot tolerate any imperfection in His presence. Another mistake people make is thinking that their behavior is good enough to get to heaven. But they fail to understand that if they resort to performance such as keeping the law, they must have a perfect record or they fall under the curse of failure. It is also a mistake to think that behavior alone can be good enough to get into heaven. Our problem is not sins, per se, but sinfulness. We are sinners who need to have the root of the problem taken care of, and it is sin. The good news is that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life we could not live, and to pay the penalty of our sins, which we could not pay. So we conclude that we can get to heaven based on what Jesus did, not on what we do. Charlie challenges all who see this episode to trust in Christ's righteousness alone in order to get to heaven. That's a message worth hearing and sharing. We trust you will share this, like it, and leave a comment, especially if you place your faith in Jesus as your Savior. #FreeGracegospel#Savedbygrace#Howtogetto heaven#faithnotworks$simplybygrace

#304 - New book on Salvation with Dr. J. Paul Tanner

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 21:56:00 -0600

Everyone likes a new book. Dr. J. Paul Tanner has blessed us with two. The latest is called "Salvation: The Most Incredible Gift from the Most Magnificent God." It is a comprehensive book on soteriology, which is also available as a course book called "God's Free Gift of Salvation: A Coursebook for the Study of the Biblical View of Salvation." Dr. Tanner's deep scholarship is evident behind the pages of this book, but it is written at a level usable by anyone. All subjects related to salvation are covered. You will appreciate his gentle tone and irenic spirit as he writes on the difficult words and ideas that a study in soteriology must cover. But that is not his only recent contribution. He has written a commentary on Hebrews, which is also accessible to anyone. He believes it is written to believers, the warnings also. Charlie talks about both books with Dr. Tanner. In addition, you can find many more resources and scholarly articles on his website at www.PaulTanner.org. His books can be ordered from his website or from Amazon. Also, check out his commentary on Daniel, a comprehensive study that took him many years.

#303 - Common Objections to the Free Grace View

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 18:38:00 -0600

Charlie explains the Free Grace perspective: salvation is an undeserved, complete gift received by simple faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by works. He addresses common objections about Lordship, repentance, assurance, and whether grace promotes license, grounding his answers in Scripture and practical examples.

The episode highlights how grace motivates godly living, the role of the judgment seat of Christ, and how believers can have full assurance of salvation.

#302 - Forever His

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 18:31:00 -0600

Charlie explains eternal security and assurance of salvation, grounding the message in Scripture and addressing common objections.

He shows how understanding God’s unshakable grace changes fear into confident, joyful service, using biblical proof, real-life stories, and the sealing of the Spirit as guarantees of our secure future in Christ.

#301 - Beyond Discipleship to Spiritual Life

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 19:36:00 -0600

What kind of person do you want to be? Or better, what kind of person does God want you to be? In 1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4 the Apostle Paul speaks about four kinds of people: the natural person, the spiritual, the carnal, and the newborn. Charlie describes each from a spiritual perspective, then defines God's ideal, the spiritual person. But what does it mean to be spiritual? It has everything to do with the permanent indwelling Holy Spirit who Christians have today. While there is much written and spoken about making disciples, which is an emphasis in the Gospels, we cannot ignore the Epistles which tell us how to keep the commitments of discipleship. It seems there has been some neglect of the Epistles' view of spirituality. Hear this message and ask youself again, what kind of person does God want me to be and how do I become that person? #GraceLifeMinistries#Spirituality#CarnalChristian#ChristianLife#SimplybyGrace

#300 - Doubtful Self-Examination in 2 Corinthians 13:5

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:05:00 -0600

When it comes to our salvation, is doubt good? This verse has been and is continually used by some to cause many Christians to doubt their salvation. They claim that it is good to question our salvation by examining our works, attitudes, motives, and conduct. But the verse says nothing about examining these things. Understanding the context of the passage--and the whole epistle--is the key to understanding what Paul is saying. In short, he is not telling them to question their salvation. But by using irony, he is making the point that they are saved, and that is how they should know that he is an authentic apostle--because he brought the gospel to them first! In other words, he is saying, "Look at yourselves. Are you saved? Of course you are! Then I must be a true apostle because I got you saved with my gospel." This understanding will free believers who are prone to look within or at their works, which is a quagmire that will stifle growth. God doesn't want us to doubt our salvation! See 1 John 5:13. #Assuranceofsalvation#eternalsecurity#gracelifeministries#Simplybygrace

#299 - Questions of Assurance from Romans 8

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 21:06:00 -0600

Christians can get confused and lose the assurance of their salvation for a number of reasons. Charlie will name some of these, but more importantly, he will show how four rhetorical questions from Romans chapter 8 are designed to give full assurance of salvation. The first question reminds us that since God is for us, no one can stand against us. He answers a question with another question by arguing from the greater to the lesser. That is, if God gave us His Son, will He not also give us everything else needed to accomplish our final salvation? The second question reminds us that no one can bring a charge against us because we have been acquitted (justified, declared righteous) by the Judge of the universe. His third question reminds us that no one can condemn us. The fourth and final question elicits from the Apostle a flourish of imagery meant to convince us that there is nothing, no one, nowhere, at no time which can separate us from God's tenacious love. After hearing this episode, you will find peace as you rest in God's securing and assuring grace. This episode is from GraceNotes no. 6 of the same title. #Assuranceofsalvation#eternalsecurity#gracelifeministries#Simplybygrace

#298 - Grace to Be Strong in Suffering: 2 Corinthians 12:7-12

Wed, 29 Oct 2025 21:06:00 -0500

God's grace can meet all our needs, which is especially important when we are suffering hardships of all kinds. In this passage from Second Corinthians 12, we find an amazing revelation about the Apostle Paul's amazing revelation! He is too humble to claim ownership of it lest he be accused of boasting, but he describes his experience in unmistakable terms. We see that God did not answer His prayers to remove the "thorn in the flesh" for a reason--so that he could experience Christ's power in his weakness. We see that sometimes, God uses suffering to keep us humble, and may allow it to continue. It is at those times that we discover His strength and even take pleasure in our sufferings. Suffering is a part of everyone's life, but God's grace can carry us through it. He has an abundance of grace for any and every need. This message will give you a biblical perspective on your own suffering and how God can use it for your good. (We apologize for a few minutes of silence that are not crucial and are explained in the slides.) #Suffering#GraceLifeMinistries#SimmplybyGrace#Thornintheflesh

#297 - Jesus Christ: He's the Man!

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 21:05:00 -0500

We usually emphasize the deity of Jesus Christ, which is a good thing. But the book of Hebrews has a lot to say about His humanity also. In fact, Jesus' favorite title He used for Himself is "Son of Man." Why? Because he was identifying with the human race as the Second Adam who came to undo the damage of the first Adam. Charlie list six ways from Hebrews chapter 2 how the humanity of Jesus Christ is important. First, he came as a man to rule as the future millennial King. Second, He had to experience and suffering for our salvation. Third, He wanted to make us part of his family. Fourth, He defeated the power of death and the devil to free us from the bondage to fear and death. Fifth, He became our High Priest to make propitiation for our sins. Sixth, He can identify with those who are tempted. This truth should give us comfort in the present and hope for the future that we share with our Lord. #SimplyByGrace #GraceLifeMinistries#Hebrews#HumanityofChrist#BaysideCommunityChurchTampa

#296 - Defining Saving Faith with Faith Bible Church's Epilogue

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 23:44:00 -0500

This episode is a replay of Charlie's interview by Jamie Bryant of Faith Bible Church (The Woodlands, TX) on their Epilogue podcast in a series devoted to the free grace view. They discuss the nature of "saving faith" (a term Charlie thinks needs clarification). Their talk covers the accusation of easy-believism, the intrusion of works into faith, and illustrations of the faith that saves. #gracelifeministries #eternalsecurity #simplebygrace #EpiloguePodcast #FaithBibleChurch

#294 - You Are Eternally Secure!

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:43:00 -0500

That’s the name of a new book written by pastor Gary Johnson of Westport Baptist Church in Indiana. In this interview with Pastor Gary, Charlie explains why he likes this book so much: It is clear, simple, and useful to someone without theological training or a deep knowledge of the Bible. Pastor Gary reviews his religious background that did not give him peace until he searched the Scriptures and came to understand and accept the teaching about eternal security. This interview also discusses some of the key Bible passages and the objection that eternal security encourages people to sin. You will enjoy hearing Gary’s heart and hopefully will get his book and share this podcast and video with others. Here is where you can hear more from pastor Gary: Podcast: Westport’s Words of Hope & Grace - One Verse At a Time (Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Lys2GdE8McfzsE4TxNbua, also available on: Youtube, iHeartRadio, Spreaker, Amazon Music, Deezer, Podchaser, and Podcast Addict). Book: You Are Eternally Secure: Count the Cost, But Know the Promise; Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Eternally-Secure-Count/dp/B0FKHNGXTC, or from Gary Johnson. Contact: pastorgary.westportbaptist@gmail.com #gracelifeministries #eternalsecurity #simplebygrace

#292 - Galatians: The Gospel of Christian Liberty, ch. 4

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 23:41:00 -0500

Chapter 4 of Paul's epistle to the Galatian church is a declaration of the freedom believers have as sons of God, not slaves. The author reveals his heart's affection for his readers and his desire for them to live in the freedom that Christ brings. To illustrate the contrast between the Law that enslaves and the gospel of grace which liberates, Paul uses the analogy of two women in Genesis: Sarah and Hagar. Each had a son, but they were incompatible, so Hagar and her son had to be cast out. So too, the Law and grace are incompatible when it comes to how we are saved and sanctified. Believers are of the free woman, not the slave. #Galatians #SimplybyGrace #GraceLifeMinistries #longstoryshort #winterbibleschoolnewzealand

#293 - Galatians: The Gospel of Christian Liberty, chs. 5&6

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 23:42:00 -0500

This final session covers chapters 5 and 6, where Paul exhorts his readers to stand strong in grace and resist those who want to enslave them to the Law. Should they go back to the Law, they will fall from grace, meaning they will no longer be under the blessings that come from God's promises because they are depending on their own efforts. If they really want to fulfill the Law, they should love one another. The liberty they have in the gospel of grace should be controlled by love, not license. Don't resort to legalism--stand strong in grace! Don't try to live by the Law, but live by the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit. Chapter 6 includes other exhortations that show how to display the love of Christ towards others. Paul's example was to boast only in the work of the cross, not in the work of his flesh. #Galatians #SimplybyGrace #GraceLifeMinistries #longstoryshort #winterbibleschoolnewzealand

#291 - Galatians: The Gospel of Christian Liberty, ch. 3

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 23:40:00 -0500

As Paul continues his defense of his gospel of grace, he rebukes the Galatians for their inconsistent thinking that they can be sanctified, or finally justified, by works not faith. This leads to an explanation of the purpose of the Law. It was not given to sanctify us, but to expose our sin and lead us to our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Law did not replace the promise of God to Abraham to provide a Seed who would be our Savior. Since the promise comes by grace, not Law, faith is the chief principle for living, just as it was for salvation. #Galatians #SimplybyGrace #GraceLifeMinistries

#290 - Galatians: The Gospel of Christian Liberty, ch. 2

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 23:39:00 -0500

As the Apostle Paul continues to defend his gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone, he explains how he did not compromise his message and ministry with the legalists. He uses Titus and an incident with Peter as examples. Paul had to rebuke Peter when Peter would not eat with Gentiles and thus Peter implicitly endorsed the Law as necessary for the Gentiles. This leads to a marvelous exposition of Paul's defense of justification through faith. It also allows him to declare that his life is defined by Christ living in and through Him, thus grace extends beyond initial salvation into sanctification. Paul will not neglect the grace of God! #Galatians #SimplybyGrace #GraceLifeMinistries

#289 - Galatians: The Gospel of Christian Liberty, ch. 1

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 23:39:00 -0500

Galatians is a critical Bible book that shows how the gospel of grace is easily corrupted by the intrusion of works. Its emphasis on the grace of the gospel is one reason why Martin Luther called this book his "Katherine," who was his wife. In chapter 1, the Apostle Paul expresses his surprise and concern at how the readers had so soon been corrupted from his gospel to a different gospel. He argues that he received his gospel from Jesus Christ Himself. He did not change his message to win the approval of others. This message is needed today because the gospel of grace is still in danger of corruption by those who teach works or the law is a necessary component of salvation. #Galatians #SimplybyGrace #GraceLifeMinistries

#288 - Unpacking Romans 8:28-30

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 23:14:00 -0500

In this very theological discussion based on GraceNotes no. 106, Charlie shows how the context helps us understand the assurances of the believer's future found in Romans 8:28-30. The surrounding contexts speak of the believer's future sharing in the glory of God through Christ in His millennial rule. The key to understanding the message of verses 28-30 is seeing our futures from God's timeless perspective. To Him, the past, present, and future are seen at once since He lives in "one eternal now." That is why the believer's glorification is as certain as his justification. It is as good as accomplished because God knows those who are His. His will does not work in exclusion of man's free will, but in congruence with it. The assurances of our future with Christ are as sure as God's Word and purposes. #AssuranceofSalvation#FreeGraceTheology#LordshipSalvation#SimplybyGrace

#287 - Does Free Grace Theology Lead to False Assurance?

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 23:18:02 -0500

This GraceNotes episode begins a series of messages on the assurance of salvation. This is such an important subject because so many people struggle with doubts about their salvation. In this episode, from GraceNotes no. 73, we will see that Free Grace theology is the only theological perspective that can give a believer full assurance of salvation. Three alternate views are explained. First, Reformed Calvinism believes that the elect can be sure of their salvation, but the problem is, no one can be sure they are one of the elect until they die having persevered in their faith and obedience to the end of their life. Another theology, Arminianism, holds that a Christian can be sure of salvation if they are living obediently. However, they cannot be sure of future salvation because thatw obedience is not guaranteed. A third perspective can come from both theologies. It is Lordship Salvation, which teaches that we are saved by committing ourselves to Jesus as our Master, which is proven by our genuine faith, turning from sins, and our full commitment. However, since it is impossible to gauge these things, full assurance becomes unattainable. Free Grace is the only view that gives full assurance of salvation because it depends on God's work and performance, not the believer's. This view is the most biblical and allows for peace and confidence in the Christian's life.#AssuranceofSalvation#FreeGraceTheology#LordshipSalvation#SimplybyGrace

#286 - What Must I Do to Be Unsaved?

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 22:18:00 -0500

Flipping the question "What must I do to be saved" (Act 16:31) to "What must I do to be unsaved?" is a way to see all the things that have been accomplished in an individual's salvation. In order for someone to lose their salvation, there are many things that would have to be undone or reversed, if it was possible. Charlie duscusses twenty-two results of salvation that a believer would have to undo in order for a person to lose their salvation. Of course, Charlie believes Christians cannot lose their salvation, so a discussion of the irreversible results of salvation help us appreciate what God has done by His grace. It is hard to listen to this description of God's blessings given to us at salvation and believe that they can be lost or denied. This is a good listen for any who want to defend eternal security or help others find their security and assurance of salvation. #EternalSecurity #LoseSalvation #GraceLifeMinistries #SimplyByGrace

#285 - Who Could be Cut Off from Christ in Romans 11:22?

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 22:18:00 -0500

In Romans 11:22 some think that the Apostle Paul is warning that if an individual believer does not continue to live in God's goodness, but abusees that privilege, that believer will bt "cut off" or lose their salvation. That view, however, neglects the context. Paul is not addressing individuals, but the fate of two different peoples: The Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews are the natural branches that were broken off by the Lord because of their unbelief in the Messiah. God then turned to the Gentiles and when they believed, be grafted in these unnatural branches to enjoy the blessings given to the Jews. However, Paul warns, if the Gentiles do not continue in faithfulness to God's goodness, they can also be broken off from the blessings. This message is not a message to individual believers about losing their salvation. It is a warning to Gentiles as a group to not neglect the grace of God given to them in the gospel. #EternalSecurity #SimplyByGrace #GraceLifeMinistries

#284 - Lordship Salvation's (not so) Subtle Deception

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 22:23:45 -0500

There is a different gospel being preached, one that differs from the gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. It is called Lordship Salvation, and many people will not recognize its subtlety--until they know what to look for. This episode explains what Lordship Salvation teaches about Faith, Repentance, Lordship, and Discipleship, then shows their erroneous thinking about these important issues. Also covered are the negative consequences of this perversion of the gospel. It affects one's assurance, motivation, Christian living, and interpretation of key Bible passages. The failure to see the distinctions between salvation and discipleship, or justification and sanctification, is a crucial error of the Lordship view. Listen and be equipped. #LordshipSalvation #GraceLifeMinistries #FreeGraceGospel #SimplybyGrace

#283 - But by Grace - Preaching

Wed, 25 Jun 2025 22:07:00 -0500

Where do you get your self-image from? Is it the opinion of others, society, or something someone told you in the past? When we meet God's grace, it changes everything. We view ourselves as in Christ, fully accepted by God. It is by grace that we are who we are and are able to do what we do. There is no room for self-glorification. The Apostle Paul called himself the chief of sinners, but he recognized that the grace of God working in him was able to accomplish much. He had a new identity and a new power through Christ. We must see ourselves through the eyes fo God's grace. #SimmplybyGrace#GraceLifeMinistries

#282 - Understanding the Faith that Saves Q&A

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 09:55:00 -0500

In Part 2 of this conversation about the nature of saving faith, Charlie answers questions on the live-streamed conference. Questions were answered about the view of whether faith is given to only the elect. Also, discussed is faith as a response rather than a divine gift. Can an unregenerated person respond in faith? Can the Spirit's prompting be resisted? What does it mean to be spiritually dead? #GraceLifeMinistries #SimplybyGrace #GraceforAllCoalition

#281 - Understanding the Faith that Saves

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 22:03:45 -0500

Welcome to the Simply by Grace podcast, where Dr. Charlie Bing of Grace Life Ministries delves deep into understanding the true essence of faith and its pivotal role in salvation. Highlighting pivotal biblical references such as Ephesians 2:8 and Acts 16:31, Dr. Bing defines faith as the persuasion or conviction that the gospel is true, while dispelling common misconceptions surrounding its meaning.

This episode challenges traditional views with an insightful examination of how faith is often intertwined with concepts like trust, commitment, and works, and explores how these notions may not align with biblical teachings. Dr. Bing encourages listeners to consider faith as a simple, heartfelt response to God's grace rather than a convoluted theological construct.

Tune in for a refreshing perspective on salvation that keeps the message of God's grace clear and accessible, inviting believers to embrace a faith that is true to the Scriptures.

#280 - The Lordship Salvation Deception

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 21:59:51 -0500

Join Dr. Charlie Bing on Simply by Grace, a podcast by Grace Life Ministries, as he explores the controversial topic of Lordship Salvation. In this insightful episode, Dr. Bing delves into the debates surrounding the belief in salvation by grace alone versus the commitments required by Lordship Salvation. Discover the theological nuances and biblical interpretations that influence how Christians perceive salvation, faith, and discipleship. Journey with Dr. Bing as he clarifies misconceptions and asserts the power of grace as a free gift, encouraging believers to rest assured in their faith. Stay informed and grounded in sound doctrine with resources available at gracelife.org.

#279 - The Vice Lists in 1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 5, and Ephesians 5

Wed, 28 May 2025 21:35:00 -0500

In this episode from GraceNotes no. 96, we discuss the three similar lists of sins that all have the same consequence for those who commit them: they will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-5). Some think that Paul is saying that those who commit such sins will lose their salvation or that they were never truly saved at all. Others say that "not inherit" refers to forfeiting rewards in the coming kingdom. A better interpretation is that Paul is simply saying that these sins are characteristic of unbelievers, so Christians should not act like them. These sins can describe a believer in Christ as shown throughout the New Testament, especially in 1 Corinthians. The interpretation that the readers could lose their reward or that the readers should not act like unbelievers both keep the gospel of grace free from works to earn, deserve, or keep their salvation. Kingdom-bound believers should not act like hell-bound unbelievers. Please leave your comments, like this episode, and share it with others. #GraceLifeMinistries#SimplybyGrace#EternalSecurity

#278 - If You Hold Fast

Wed, 21 May 2025 21:35:00 -0500

"If" can be a very important word if someone thinks it means they can lose their salvation. That is how some might interpret 1 Corinthians 15:2 where the Apostle Paul says, "you are saved , if you hold fast to that word which I preached to you." The word that Paul preached is the gospel he reminds them of in verses 3-4. The readers had received the gospel and believed it, so there is no doubt they are saved (as many other passages in the epistle show). They were saved or delivered from hell. But what does Paul mean by using the present tense as if to say "you are being saved"? He is telling them that their steadfastness to the truths of the gospel will continue to deliver them from sin. That is why he reminds them about the death of Christ for our sins and His resurrectioin in verses 3-4. Those truths that were the foundation of our salvation are also the foundation of our Christian growth and sanctification, as also explained by our union with Christ in Romans 6:2-5. If they depart from these identification truths, then their salvation will be "in vain," or not reach its intended purpose of their sanctification. The gospel truths that saved us also sanctify us, or continue to save us. This episode is from GraceNotes no. 62. Please let us know what you think, like it, and share it. #GraceLifeMinistries#sanctification#eternalsecurity

#277 - Falling from Grace in Galatians 5:4

Thu, 15 May 2025 21:39:21 -0500

What does the Apostle Paul mean when he tells the Galatian readers that they have "fallen from grace"? Some think he is saying they fall short of the grace of salvation. Others say that he is telling them they have lost their salvation. Neither of these interpretations considers the context. As shown, Paul is writing to believers--they had received the gospel of grace from him. However, there were false teachers who were turning the Galatians away from the grace of Christ to the Law. Paul is saying that if they go back under the Law, then they will not benefit from the blessings of grace that are in Christ. They are "estranged" or severed from that grace because they have turned to their own fleshly efforts to be acceptable to God in justification and sanctification. The Law does not bless believers; it condemns them because no one can keep the Law. For believers, the key to living under grace is to walk in the Spirit, not the flesh. Then they will be blessed with all the benefits of Christ's grace. #grace #podcast #christiantheology #bible #Galatians #faith

#276 - Arminianism and the Gospel of Grace

Mon, 05 May 2025 21:23:08 -0500

In this episode of GraceNotes from no. 87 "Arminianism and the Gospel of Grace," we dive into the theology of Arminianism and its views on the gospel of grace. Named after Dutch theologian Jacob Arminius, Arminianism challenges the strong determinism of Calvinism, particularly in its views on salvation, free will, and God’s grace. We’ll explore the historical roots of Arminianism, from Arminius’ objections to John Calvin's doctrines to the formalization of Arminian theology in the early 17th century.

Through this study, we’ll unpack key points of disagreement between Arminianism and Calvinism, such as the nature of election, the concept of prevenient grace, and the question of whether salvation can be lost. While Arminianism emphasizes human free will and the ability to choose salvation, it also presents challenges to the gospel of grace, particularly when it comes to assurance of salvation and the idea of works in maintaining salvation. How do Arminians reconcile their belief that salvation can be lost with the Bible’s teaching on God’s unconditional grace?

We’ll also look at how Arminianism compares to biblical teachings on eternal security, examining the struggles many believers face with assurance of salvation when their security is tied to human effort rather than God’s grace. This episode seeks to bring clarity to these complex theological systems and highlight the importance of understanding the full gospel of grace.

Whether you’re familiar with the terms TULIP, prevenient grace, or the history of Arminianism, this episode will equip you to better understand both Arminian and Calvinist views and how they relate to the truth of the gospel. Join us as we unpack the core of the gospel message—salvation by grace alone, through faith alone—and why it’s essential for believers to rest in the assurance of eternal security.

#274 - Erwin Interview

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 21:59:00 -0500

The Philippines is the most Roman Catholic country in the world. It is no wonder that it is a starting place for most who become Protestant Evangelical Christians. Erwin Armador, pastor of GFC Nuvali Church in the Philippines journeyed from his Catholic background into Pentecostal Protestantism finding Jesus as his Savior along the way. But ultimately, his Arminian theology left him with questions and doubts. He then adopted Calvinism, but found that it lacked the joy he desired and also left him with theological questions about the character of God. He was a committed Calvinist until he encountered another option, Free Grace theology. With a new enthusiasm and freedom, he received theological training at Grace School of Theology (Grace Asia in the Philippines) earning his DMin degree. He now pastors a vibrant church committed to intentionally making disciples. Pastor Erwin is committed to sharing the gospel of grace with his nation and recently spoke at the Free Grace Alliance regional conference there. Charlie sat with him to record his story, which should encourage everyone to appreciate the free grace of God in the biblical gospel. See how the message of God's grace has changed his life and shaped his ministry. You will see God has used and will continue to use this man as a trophy of grace in the Philippines and beyond.
#GCFNuvali#FreeGracePhilippines#CalvinismPhilippines#SimplybyGrace#youtube.com?@gracelifeorg

#273 - Grace Story - Madel Vanguardia

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 22:02:02 -0500

Madel knew the Roman Catholic theology she was raised with. When she felt it unfulfilling, she migrated to Protestant Evangelicalism where Calvinism was the default view. That is all she knew, but it left her with questions and feeling a bit uncomfortable. Deeply involved in ministry as a Bible study leader, she found herself becoming a "fruit detector" wondering if those in her group were showing enough fruit and good works to prove they were indeed true believers. She had heard of the Free Grace view, but believed the reports that it was "easy-believism." Madel concluded the best way to know the truth about the Free Grace view was to study it, so she enrolled in Grace School of Theology (Grace Asia in the Philippines). In her first classes, she heard that that the gospel of God's free grace meant that she could know for certain she was saved. She learned that Jesus Christ died for all and offers all who believe in Him eternal life that cannot be earned or lost. When this truth dawned on her, Madel had a burden of doubt lifted and left her with a joyful heart. She now shares that message in ministry including writing curricula. Completing her master's degree at GSOT, she is now working on her ThD at another seminary. Charlie spoke at a Free Grace Alliance regional meeting at her church, Grace Victory Church in the Philippines, which Madel helped organize and he was able to record her testimony. Be sure to share Madel's exciting story with those who need the freedom that grace, free grace, brings. #GraceforPhilippines #AssuranceofSalvation #SimplybyGrace#youtube.com/@gracelifeorg

#272 - Simply through Faith - Romans 4, part 2

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 19:37:00 -0500

In this second part of Charlie's message on Romans chapter 4, he begins with verse 9 that argues Abraham was not declared righteous because he was circumcised as a sign of being Jewish. He was circumcised (Genesis 17) some 14 years after he was declared righteous in Genesis 15. This makes Abraham the father of all who believe, not just the Jews who are circumcised. God's promise of Abraham's seed or descendant who would be heir to the promise can only be appropriated through faith, not works or rituals like circumcision. Neither can the Law obtain the promise. On the contrary, the Law brings God's wrath because it condemns all who break it, which is everyone. Paul's conclusion is that grace can only be ralized through faith. A good illustration of faith is how Abraham believed God's promise of an heir even though he and Sarah were old and beyond natural childbearing age. Yet Abraham believed God could do this miracle, and Abraham's faith was again vindicated. Paul assures the readers that this story and its lessons on justification through faith alone was written for the sake of his readers, and by implication, for us today. We can also be justified by faith in the gracious promise of God. #SimplybyGrace#Simplythroughfaith#Faithalone#Romans4

#271 - Simply through Faith - Romans 4, part 1

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:36:00 -0500

How can a sinner be made acceptable to a righteous God? Many explanations of what one must do to be saved have confused the issue. In part 1 of this sermon on Romans chapter 4, Charlie shows how verses 1-8 makes it clear that salvation is simply through faith. Having made the case that jutification salvation is given by God as an absolutely freely gift in Romans chapter 3, the Apostle Paul goes on to argue that the only way for a sinner to obtain that free grace is through faith. Faith is being convinced that something is true and therefore trustworthy. Faith is contrasted with works. Using Abraham as an example, and citing Genesis 15:6, Paul shows that Abraham was not justified before God by his works, but through faith in God's promised descendant who would bless the world. Abraham's faith may have been justified (vindicated, affirmed) before men when they saw him willing to obey God and offer Isaac as a sacrifice, but that did not justify him before God. Charlie takes a quick look at James 2:20-24 explaining that Abraham's faith was seen by others and therefore his faith in God was vindicated or shown to be genuine. King David is mentioned as an example of someone--another key Jewish figure--who enjoyed the benefit of forgiveness of sins because of his faith. There is hardly a clearer passage in the Bible than this one which shows the simplicity of salvation through faith. #SimplybyGrace#Simplythroughfaith#Faithalone#Romans4

#270 - Suicide and Salvation

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 22:46:43 -0500

Suicide by anyone is a terrible tragedy filled with uncertainty by those who kill themselves and those who will miss them. Unfortunately, it is a reality in this world. But what about a Christian who commits suicide? Or, is it possible that a Christian can commit suicide? And does that Christian lose salvation? This presentation is from GraceLife's GraceNotes series, no. 26. It follows previous discussions of eternal security, and the extent of God's forgiveness. Suicide of the Christian relates to those issues. Some think that a Christian, who commits suicide cannot be forgiven because a dead person cannot ask for forgiveness or repent from their sin. The question is, is God's grace, big enough to cover even in an confessed sin like suicide. It is clear from the Scriptures that suicide is a sin because it is taking a life that does not belong to that person (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Some would use 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 to argue that a suicide is punished with eternal destruction, but that passage is talking about the church and a temporal ruin that comes to those who harm the church. Some people would say that someone who commits suicide proves that he or she was not a true believer. But the Bible evidences Christians are capable of all kinds of sins. If someone dies with unconfessed sin, there is comfort in the promise of 1 John 1:9 that God cleanses us not only from confessed sins, but from "all unrighteousness." This is a condition of fellowship with God, not salvation. Besides, all believers have some sins they are unaware of and therefore unconfessed. Romans 5:20 promises that God's grace always exceeds our sins, and that would include the terrible sin of suicide. This should not be an excuse to commit the act, but a reason to live and grow in that grace and serve God. #GraceNotes26#SuicideSalvation#GraceLifeMinistries#AbundantGrace

#269 - Is There a Sin that God Does Not Forgive?

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 01:17:00 -0600

There is a sin that God does not forgive. Some call it the unpardonable sin. But Jesus describes it as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In our previous discussion of Colossians 2:13-14, we saw that God forgives all our sins, even the most terrible sins we could commit or might commit in the future. So what does Jesus mean when He says in Matthew 12:31-32 that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven? There are four main views on this challenging passage.

1) Some say this pertains only to Jesus's time and could only be committed in His presence by those who ascribe His work to Satan.

2) Others say it is Israel's national rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. However, Jesus seems to apply this to individuals in verse 32.

3) Some think it refers to those who do not believe the gospel. Therefore, they cannot be forgiven.

4) It is a willful and slanderous rejection of the Holy Spirit's testimony about Christ. This comes from a hardened heart, which reveals itself in verbal blasphemy. Charlie prefers this view and explains why this makes the most sense. It can be committed today, but if someone is worried about committing it, that is a good indication they have not done it. Some people struggle with this passage, so share it and leave your comments. #GraceNotes16#Unpardonablesin#blasphemyoftheHolySpirit#GraceLifeMinistries

#268 - The Extent of God's Forgiveness

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 20:33:19 -0600

How far does God's forgiveness extend? Charlie will discuss how God dealt with our sins from His timeless perspective. Charlie looks closely at Colossians 2:13-14, which says that God has forgiven all our trespasses. Most know that His forgiveness would include past sins, but what about present and future sins? The work of Jesus Christ on the cross covers all our sins, and all means all. We must understand the difference between positional or judicial forgiveness and fellowship forgiveness. God's grace is that amazing--we cannot out-sin His grace, according to Romans 5:20. When we sin, 1 John 1:9 gives us a way to restore the fellowship lost. We have to look at Jesus' work on the cross from God's eternal perspective to understand that all our sins includes past, present, and future. Subscribe so that you won't miss the next episode on the one sin that Jesus said cannot be forgiven. #GraceNotes33#GraceLifeMinistries#Forgiveness

#267 - Eternally Secure - GraceNotes #24

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 18:08:28 -0600

Can a person once saved lose their salvation? Is it true--once saved always saved? What does the Bible say? Charlie takes a deep dive into this controversial issue. Much of the world believes that a saved person can lose their salvation. Charlie offers twelve arguments from the Bible that support eternal security. Then he explains how believing you can lose your salvation creates problems. Some people point to Bible passages that seem to indicate a believer can lose salvation, but Charlie shows how to approach these passages. He also deals with common arguments used to say salvation can be lost. The most common of these is that teaching eternal security promotes or encourages sin. Charlie shows how this is a hollow argument. The importance of the believer's eternal security includes assurance of salvation that rests in God's faithfulness to His promises to glorify all those He justifies. Be sure to share this episode with the many people who need to hear this message. #GraceNotes24 #GraceLifeMinistries #EternalSecurity #AssuranceofSalvation

#266 - An Exciting Announcement!

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:15:00 -0600

In this short episode, Charlie explains how the Simply by Grace podcast continues to be popular but now GraceLife is expanding to video format. You will be able to still listen via your favorite podcast service or visit the GraceLife Youtube channel to watch the podcast. https://youtube.com/@GraceLifeOrg

On top of this, Charlie's popular GraceNotes will be the kickoff series, beginning with eternal security. GraceNotes are the most popular and most downloaded resource on our GraceLife.org website and the GraceLife app (GL Ministries). GraceNotes are two-page studies designed to be downloaded, copied, and handed out as a teaching tool. No special permission is needed! They are currently available in seven languages and with more on the way.

After beginning with the hot topic of eternal security, Charlie will continue with episodes grouped around assurance of salvation, the nature of faith, grace, repentance, the Judgment Seat of Christ, Rewards, Calvinism, Arminianism, Lordship Salvation, Sanctification issues, discipleship, and special studies on John, Romans, Hebrews, 1 John, Revelation, and problem passages.

These studies originated from the questions Charlie gets when he is teaching and preaching. Be sure to subscribe so you will be notified when the episodes are released. #SimplybyGrace #GraceNotes #FreeGrace

#265 - The Gospel of Grace Preached in Peru

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:40:00 -0600

God is doing great things with His gospel of grace in the country pf Peru. Charlie talks to Pablo Cenep-Torres about he many facets of his busy ministry. Pablo is a missionary with Christian Missions in Many Lands (cmml.us). Discipled by Bert Elliot, brother of martyed missionary Jim Elliot, He went on to receive biblical training at New Brunswick Bible Institute, Washington Bible College, and Capital Bible Seminiary (in Maryland). Pablo is in Peru as a leader of his church, a trainer of other leaders, chuch planter and builder, and helps operate an orphanage. He is busy! But his ministry takes place in a country filled with crime and corruption, which makes it challenging. He describes some of the problems this presents. A strong Catholic theology of works and the strong influence of Calvinist makes his grace-oriented ministry all the more important. Charlie mentions how he was supposed to visit in January to speak at conferences, but was prevented by an illness. Listen to this servant of God and let the Lord touch your heart for this ministry in Peru. You can find out more about Pablo and his needs by going to https://www.cmml.us/m/282. Like, leave a conmment,, and share this podcast so this message will conitnue to spread. #graceforPeru #FreeGraacePeru #MissionsinPeru

#263 - Grace, Grace, Free Grace

Wed, 22 Jan 2025 22:27:00 -0600

Join us for another Grace Story that chronicles the journey of Ian Beck, now a missionary with Ethnos360. He was saved by grace as a child but had to wade through Charismatic, Reformed, and Lordship Salvation churches before he discovered that salvation was truly and totally free. He talks about people, literature, and Bible passages that led him on his journey. You will feel his enthusiasm for living the gospel of grace and sharing it. You can contact him at Ian_Beck@ntm.org. You will be edified and your appreciation for the free grace of God will deepen. Share this heartwarming story with others. #freegracegospel #SimplybyGrace#ethnos 360

#262 - A Ministry of Light

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 09:46:00 -0600

Welcome to a new episode of Simply by Grace. Dr. Charlie Bing delves into 2 Corinthians Chapter 4, bringing to light Apostle Paul's enduring struggle to defend his ministry against false accusations. In this episode, Dr. Bing emphasizes the importance of maintaining integrity in preaching the gospel, without resorting to deceitful tactics for the sake of gaining converts.

Dr. Bing discusses how Paul defines his new covenant ministry, affirming its God-given nature and outlining the divine motivation that encourages him despite challenges. We explore Paul's perspective on why people may not respond to the gospel; attributing blind minds to the influence of Satan, and not to the faults of gospel teachings themselves.

Gain insights into the spiritual warfare faced in ministry, how to preach with sincerity, and the pivotal role of Jesus Christ as the true focus of our message, rather than attempting to make a name for ourselves. This episode is a call to live and preach with authenticity, as Paul exemplified, shining light through the cracks of our own human frailty.

#261 - From the Word to the World - 2 Tim. 4:1-5

Wed, 25 Dec 2024 09:43:00 -0600

Join Charlie as he walks us through 2 Timothy Chapter 4, urging believers to center their lives and ministries on the Word of God, especially in today's challenging times. With references to personal experiences and the prevalent state of biblical illiteracy, he highlights the significance of faithful teaching and genuine service over superficial evangelism.

Charlie challenges us to embrace a word-centered ministry that does not merely entertain or conform to popular desires, but rather, fulfills God's calling to spread His true message. Addressing the pressing issues facing the church today, he calls for steadfastness and true discipleship in the face of societal pressures and misinformation.

In this episode, discover how to align your ministry with biblical truth, preparing to endure challenges while sharing the Gospel effectively through your unique opportunities and circle of influence.

#260 - Grace Reaches Way Down Under

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 19:10:16 -0600

Tasmania may be known for its devils, but God has His angels there, too. This story is about a man, Mick Francis of Tasmania, who searched for the truth. His search took him through eastern religions to various -isms and theologies. After learning a lot about the Bible from Reformed preachers, something didn't seem right about their approach. Mick landed in a dispensational view of the Scriptures which eventually led him to a clear gospel of grace. His new perspective on the Scriptures led to a new approach to the Christian life that was based in trusting instead of trying. Mick is enjoying his freedom in grace. Hear and share his story of a journey to joy and freedom. #gracetasmania #freegracegospel #SimplybyGrace

#259 - GraceLife's Global Mission: A Year in Review

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 11:03:00 -0600

Charlie shares a review of GraceLife Ministries' accomplishments in 2024 and their exciting plans for 2025. From training sessions in the Philippines, Ghana, and Burundi to online theological teachings across the globe, discover how the ministry is impacting both believers and seekers.

Learn about key resources and books authored by Dr. Bing, including 'Simply by Grace' and 'Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship,' which have transformed lives worldwide. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding and sharing God's grace clearly and effectively.

Discover how you can stay connected with GraceLife Ministries through various platforms and hear remarkable testimonials from those touched by their message, all while looking forward to an eventful year ahead.

#258 - Thanks for Giving

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 18:04:01 -0600

Join Charlie as he delves into the cycle of giving and receiving that arises from God's grace. Through personal anecdotes and scriptural insights, discover how acts of kindness like a free coffee can set off a ripple effect that transforms lives, leading to unexpected blessings and opportunities. Explore the concept of 'grace giving' as Charlie explains the biblical perspective on generosity, contrasting it with traditional tithing, and illustrating its impact using the story of the Macedonian church.

In this episode, learn about the 'Thanksgiving Cycle'—a concept rooted in the teachings of Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, highlighting how God's grace, when bestowed, leads to generosity, thanksgiving, and further blessings. Reflect on how the spiritual and emotional benefits of giving can outweigh material possessions, and consider the motives behind our generosity in the contemporary world.

Whether you're a regular at brain-storming coffee shop gatherings or seeking a deeper understanding of the intertwining of faith, love, and giving, this episode encourages listeners to view their potential to give through the lens of Kingdom-nomics, embracing a life of abundant grace and giving.

#257 - Thinking about Heaven

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 18:52:00 -0600

What do you think of when you think about heaven? Does it make you eager to go there? Today? Sometimes myths and misconceptions about heaven give us a stilted view of what it is like and even where it will be. It doesn't sound very appealing to many people. Charlie addresses five myths about heaven:

We will become angels in heaven
We will live in heaven forever
Heaven will be boring
We will miss our old life
Everyone will go there

He uses many passages to clarify what heaven is like, such as Psalm 16:11; 1 Corinthians 15:48; 2 Corinthians 5:1-8; Philippians 1:21-23; Revelation 21:1-3. Most importantly, Charlie makes it clear what one has to do to get to heaven and how those who are going should live. Be sure to share this message with friends or those who might like to look ahead to what heaven is like. #heaven#GraceLifeMinistries#GLministriesapp.

#256 - The Judgment Seat of Christ Explained

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 20:11:00 -0600

Do we hear enough about the Judgment Seat of Christ where every Christian must give an account of how his or her life was used? Some theologies dismiss this judgment altogether seeing only one judgment called The Great White Throne. This results in salvation by works because that is the criteria for the GWT judgment. Even in churches and with preachers who believe in the JSOC, this event is not taught much. Maybe as a consequence many Christians live carelessly not knowing or caring that they will be held accountable by Christ. Charlie sits down with Dr. Paul Weaver to discuss this issue from Charlie's GraceNotes no. 105.

This podcast is a re-broadcast of Dr. Weaver's Bible and Theology Matters podcast and YouTUbe video. The JSOC is for believers only; the GWT is for unbelievers only. It is crucial that Christians keep an accurate and applicable view of the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Dr. Weaver served with Word of Life as dean in their Bible Institutes in Hungary and New York before becoming an Associate Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. You can get his podcast and YouTube videos at www.BibleAndTheologyMatters.com. #FreeGrace#JudgmentSeatofChrist#GraceNotes#GraceLifeMinistries

#255 - He Got a Grip on Grace

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:21:42 -0600

Have you ever attended a church that taught differently or drifted away from what you believe? In this Grace Story, Sean Runcorn took quite a journey from the time he was saved through troubled teenage years, and finally a return to the Lord and regular church attendance. His experience with different churches forced him to think through some biblical and theological issues. His brushes with Arminianism and later with Calvinism made him think through the issues of the gospel of grace. But the result was good--Sean came to a clearer understanding and a stronger grip on God's grace. Sean lives in Springfield, Missouri with his wife of 31 years, Krista. They have seven children and eight grandchildren, who they have faithfully steered into the truth of God's grace.

#FreeGraceAlliance#FreeGraceGospel#GospelofGrace

#254 - Dr. Mark Bailey and a Bible Conversation

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 19:49:00 -0600

In this episode, you will appreciate listening to a man dedicated to teaching the Bible in a conversation with Charlie about the subject of the Judgment Seat of Christ, rewards, man's free will, and the meaning of total depravity. We are honored to have the former president of Dallas Theological Seminary as our guest.

Dr. Mark Baily served as president of DTS for 19 years and was associated with the seminary over 40 years and now serves as Chancellor and Senior Professor of Bible Exposition. He loves to teach the Scriptures and has also advanced that ministry in his associations with Walk Thru the Bible and Bible Study Fellowship. Dr. Bailey has two Masters degrees from Western Seminary, a PhD from DTS and a DD from Dallas Baptist University.

You can use this link to get his book on discipleship, To Follow Him, or the many books he has contributed to or edited. Listen, like, comment, and share this podcast for an interesting conversation that covers issues related to our salvation by grace and our responsibility to respond to God.

#253 - A Passion to Pursue

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 19:21:03 -0500

Charlie presents a challenge to include in our passions the spreading of the gospel of the grace of God. He examines Acts 20:24 with some insights from the original language and the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Paul's life. This was preached at the Free Grace Aliance International Conference in the Woodlands, Texas. Hopefully, you will see the urgency and importance of working together to strategically share the gospel of grace around the world. #FreeGraceAlliance#FreeGraceGospel#GospelofGrace

#252 - Charles C. Ryrie: The Man and His Ministry

Wed, 23 Oct 2024 20:50:03 -0500

You will hear about one of the most influential modern day theologians, Dr. Charles Ryrie. Dr. Paul Weaver, who served as academic dean of Word of Life Bible Institute in New York and Hungary and is now teaching in the Bible Exposition department at Dallas Theological Seminary wrote a book called Charles C. Ryrie: The Man, His Ministry, and His Method. You will hear interesting insights about Dr. Ryrie and his contributions and relevance to theology and social issues. Charlie and Dr. Weaver also discuss Dr. Ryrie's contribution to the Lordship Salvation debate. You will find a deep appreciation for one of our greatest theologians. Dr. Paul Weaver's podcast is Bible and Theology Matters and he also has videos about archeological facts that affirm the veracity of the Bible called Faith Affirming Facts.

#251 - The Disciple Maker's Path

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 17:29:52 -0500

What are we doing here? Why did God leave His church behind instead of taking us straight to heaven? The Lord Jesus Christ left his followers with a command and mandate to make disciples who will make disciples. But what does that process involve? First, a person must believe in Christ, then they commit to follow Christ. However, perhaps the greatest challenge is for the believer to lose his or her life in order to take on the fullness of Christ's life and share it with others. Many talk about making disciples, so it is good to know the process. Charlie starts with an exposition of the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20 and goes on to exposit Matthew 16:24-25. The context and language of that latter passage is often misunderstood, but Jesus is clearly challenging His disciples to the next step. This message will challenge you to become more of a disciple, and just as importantly, make disciples of others. #gracelifeministries #makingdisciples

#250 - From AA to A-OK with God

Wed, 09 Oct 2024 21:40:00 -0500

After living their version of fun and freedom, Roland and Jinni Shafer found themselves in need of help. Alcoholics Anonymous gave them the support and community they needed. But even so, something was missing. So they visited a church--reluctantly. From there, things moved along quickly to bring them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ--the missing piece of their lives. Their journey takes them from church to the Ethnos360 Bible Institute to a commitment to missions even though they were now in their 40's. But God had a place for them to serve. Most exciting is their discovery of the free grace message. It set them free from doubts and insecurities. The Shafer's enthusiasm is contagious. You will find them an enjoyable couple to listen to. You can learn more about their lives and ministry at https://blogs.ethnos360.org/roland-shaferjr/.

#249 - How I Preach Grace in Ghana

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 21:40:00 -0500

How do you share the message of grace in a different country and culture? By being biblical, speaking clearly, and enunciating carefully to help with the accent issue. Charlie explains God's grace from Romans 3:21-25 to a new audience in Ghana, West Africa, at Pastor Rockson Obeng's Miraculous Light Church. This is one of his clearest and most passionate presentations of the Free Grace message. At the end, many people indicated that they wanted to trust in Jesus Christ alone for their eternal salvation. Be edified and share this with others who might need to hear the gospel. They will hardly know they are in Ghana! #gracelifeministies #graceforGhana

#248 - Discussing the Gospel of Grace

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 21:41:00 -0500

When at the headquarters of Ethnos360 mission in Sanford, FL, Charlie sat down for an informal conversation about the gospel of grace, salvation, and how it is shared cross-culturally. Participating were missionaries Steve Sanford (CEO), Bob Nyberg, Butch Bennett, and Ken Frost. This mission has taken a solid stand on the free and clear gospel as they share it in their Bible Institute and around the world. Have a seat in the circle and join the conversation. You can find out more about Ethnos360 (formerly known as New Tribes Mission) at Ethnos360.org. #Ethnos360 #Gracemissions #gracelifeministries

#247 - Mission Impossible - Communism to Christ

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 19:08:00 -0500

In this episode of Simply by Grace, Charlie interviews Nikolai Revtov, the director of Heart to Heart Ministries. Nikolai shares his fascinating journey from a Communist and atheist upbringing in the USSR to becoming a devoted Christian and ministry leader. He recounts the life-changing moment when he first read the Bible and how he transitioned from a successful career in metallurgy to spreading the gospel across Eurasia.

Nikolai also opens up about the challenges he faced as a Ukrainian refugee, fleeing the war and finding a new home in the United States. Despite the hardships, his faith in God's grace remains unwavering. This episode is a powerful testament to resilience, faith, and the transformative power of God's grace.

#246 - Cultivating Your Christian Life - 2 Peter

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 19:05:00 -0500

In this insightful episode, Charlie delves into the importance of spiritual growth, using the book of 2 Peter as a guide. Charlie draws parallels between the nurturing of a newborn and the development of a Christian's faith, emphasizing that everything needed for growth is already present within us.

Through a detailed analysis of 2 Peter, he explores the concept of spiritual fruitfulness and the dangers of barrenness and short-sightedness in the Christian life. He discusses the "virtue ladder" that Peter outlines, encouraging believers to cultivate qualities like moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, and unconditional love.

Charlie also addresses common misconceptions about the Christian life, emphasizing that true spirituality is not just about external acts but about internal transformation. He concludes with a powerful reminder of the rewards awaiting those who diligently grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Tune in to learn how to cultivate a fruitful Christian life and ensure an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom.

#245 - Making Disciples of Grace: Insights from Ed Underwood

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:17:00 -0500

Former pastor, author, lecturer, and speaker Ed Underwood discusses disciple making with Charlie. Ed has revised his Beginning in Grace: Seven Basic Truths to Transform Your Relationship to God discipleship manual to make it even more effective. He has used this tool for many years to make disciples. The conversation includes what a disciple is, how disciples are made, and the importance of making them. This enlightening discussion will help you understand the inner and outer aspects of making disciples of grace.

After retiring as the pastor of Church of the Open Door (Glendale, CA) for twenty years, Ed founded and directs the Recentered Group, a ministry to churches to help build a culture of love and trust. He is also the current president of the Free Grace Alliance.

You can contact Ed or order his book at the Recentered Group web site: https://www.recenteredgroup.com/beginning-in-grace or order your copy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Grace-Truths-Transform-Relationship/dp/B0D7NLBLRV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5CFXQQ7FSCFN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.C7F5G4wBG2edzvn2D7N5Dw.IyLBnKbOKNwz7qHk7bBWnzAGYlLKvHuHoetoBakhB2Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=beginning+in+grace+ed+underwood&qid=1723912166&sprefix=beginning+in+grace+%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1 #makedisciples #disciplemaking #discipleshipmanuel

#244 - Paid in Full John 19:30

Wed, 28 Aug 2024 13:57:00 -0500

Of all the words Jesus uttered, perhaps the most profound and important word is found in John 19:30 translated "It is finished!" But what did that mean to those who heard it and what does it mean to us today.? All over the world, people are working hard to earn heaven or be worthy of eternal salvation. So what did Jesus finish?

Charlie names six things that that were finished at the cross by the Lord Jesus: Satan's fate, Old Testament prophesies, the requirements of the Law, the appeasement of God's wrath toward sin, God's purposes for sending Him, and the sealing of the New Covenant. Knowing this liberates the futility of trying to earn God's gracious gift of salvation. Listen and be set free from uncertainty and doubt about whether you are good enough for God's salvation. The work has been done by Jesus Christ.

For more you can also access GraceNotes no. 104 on our "GL Ministries" app or at GraceLife.org/GraceNotes. #Itisfinished #thefinishedworkofChrist #Paidinfull

#243 - Free, Free, Free! The Story of a Preacher of Legalism

Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:19:00 -0500

You will be thrilled by the story of Pastor Abeiku Okai, who went from preaching morality and legalism to prosperity, to the freedom of grace. Now that he understands the gospel of God's free grace he is totally committed to sharing that message with his fellow Ghanaians and on his Voice of Grace YouTube channel. You can hear his own interview with Charlie at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC1U4AW_L-0. Charlie later had this conversation with Pastor Okai. His enthusiasm will move you as will the story of his journey to freedom that started as a refugee from the war in Liberia and abject poverty. This message deserves to be shared with everyone. Please share, comment, and rate this podcast. #Voiceofgrace #GraceGhana #GraceLifeMinistries

#242 - How Blessed Are We? Ephesians 1:1-6

Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:17:00 -0500

Unlocking Every Spiritual Blessing: Exploring Ephesians 1:1-6

Join Charlie in this episode as he delves into the lessons from Ephesians 1:1-6. Discover the parallel between Hetty Green's untapped wealth and the spiritual blessings many Christians leave unrealized. Explores the concept of being "in Christ." Through historical context and theological insights, gain a deeper understanding of the spiritual riches available to every believer and the call to live a life set apart for God. Don't miss this transformative journey into the heart of Ephesians and the abundant blessings it reveals.

#241 - How a Good Person Gets to Heaven

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 14:06:00 -0500

Join Charlie in this enlightening episode as he explores the profound simplicity of attaining eternal life. Through a deep dive into John 3, he addresses common misconceptions and highlights the essence of faith. Charlie shares a memorable childhood experience, emphasizing that life's complexities often mask simple truths.

Discover how Nicodemus, a learned Pharisee, sought answers from Jesus and received a direct, yet profound revelation about being "born again." Charlie explains the significance of this term and how it transcends mere religious rituals, offering a relationship with God.

Charlie clarifies that eternal life is a gift from God by faith, not earned by deeds. This episode is a heartfelt invitation to embrace the simplicity of believing in Jesus for eternal life, making it accessible to all.

#240 - What's Going on with the Gospel? The FGA

Wed, 31 Jul 2024 13:58:00 -0500

Charlie talks with Free Grace Alliance leaders president Jeremy Vance and director Jeremy Mikkelson about the growing ministry of the FGA. They share how the ministry has blessed them and others with the emphasis on the free grace of God. Hear about exciting conferences, the magazine, church map, and other resources. Also, get a preview of the October 17-19 International Conference in The Woodlands Texas at Faith Bible Church. The FGA continues to connect, encourage, and equip people to advance the gospel of grace around the world. Find out why and how you should be tuned into this ministry which expanding around the world.

#239 - Grace for a Tough Journey with Carmen Pate.

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 09:35:00 -0500

This is a story about how sin tried to ruin and waste a life, but God would not allow it. Carmen Pate had a rough start being sexually abused as a child. That did not stop her from hearing the gospel at a young age and believing in Jesus Christ as her Savior. Carmen strayed away from the Lord in her teen years. What should have been a joyful blessing ended up as spiritual abuse in legalistic churches that made her feel guilty for her lifestyle with little hope of forgiveness. Finally, God's grace broke through when she and her husband read a book by Jody (Joseph) Dillow. That put her on the hopeful path of God's love and grace. While living in this new joy, Carmen encountered another trial--cancer. But the disease did not abolish her faith; it strengthened it and allowed her to write and speak about it for others. You will be encouraged by this trophy of grace and will want to share her story with others. Carmen is married to Bob with three children and nine grandchildren. She ministers with her radio shows and Saving Grace podcasts for Grace School of Theology. You can find her book on Amazon or at gracetheology.org. It is called In Our Weaknesses, God is Strong: The Power of His Touch through You. You can get on Carmen's regular devotional list if you leave your phone number at Pate.Carmen@Gmail.com.

#238 - Kept from the Time of Tribulation: Revelation 3:7-13

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 10:00:00 -0500

In the sixth of the seven letters to the churches, Jesus makes a precious promise to the church in Philadelphia in Asia Minor that applies to the church today. They will not go through the time of tribulation that is coming upon the whole world. Jesus also promises them that He is coming quickly. We call this imminency--nothing in God's prophetic timeline needs to happen before Christ comes for His church in the Rapture event which keeps all the church out of the Tribulation period. The Philadelphian church merited no complaint from the Lord because of their faithfulness amidst the adversarial Jews of the "synagogue of Satan." They are promised unique rewards that indicate a deeper intimacy with the Lord in the future kingdom. Believers will find comfort in this message of the Lord's coming with rewards and will be challenged to urgently share the message via the open doors God provides.

#237 - Fishing for Life

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 09:34:00 -0500

Whether you enjoy fishing or not, you will enjoy the stories about fishing in this podcast with Carmen Pate of Saving Grace podcast interviewing Charlie about his book, Fishing for Life. Charlie talks about the purpose of the book, which is to share the gospel through insights gained from his many fishing experiences. He tells some of the stories covered in more detail in the book. The book, Fishing for Life, is more than a collection of fun stories and meaningful insights, it offers a clear presentation of how to have eternal life through Jesus Christ. The book is not only delightful reading, but it makes a great gift to anyone who likes to fish or who enjoys good stories. Sit back and enjoy a light-hearted conversation about Charlie’s lifetime love of the sport of fishing. #fishingforlife #gracelifeministries #simplybygrace #fishingformen

#236 - Understanding the Law and Embracing Grace

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 16:53:00 -0500

Join Dr. Charlie Bing and special guest Dr. Michael Halsey, Chancellor and Co-Founder of Grace Biblical Seminary, for a discussion on the law and grace. In this episode, they explore the Mosaic Law, its historical significance, and its impact on society and the church.

Dr. Halsey, author of "Laying Down the Law, Embracing Grace," delves into the complexities of the law, including the 613 commandments given to Israel, and how Christians should relate to these laws today. The conversation covers the distinction between law and grace, the importance of understanding the law of Christ, and practical advice for those struggling with legalism in their churches.

Discover the freedom and joy found in living under grace, rather than the heavy burden of legalism. Listen in and deepen your understanding of theological concepts and enhance your spiritual journey.

For more resources and to connect with the speakers, visit gracelife.org.

#235 - Galatians Part 6

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 22:22:00 -0500

When we live according to God’s grace, we realize we have loving responsibilities to others. This includes helping those who fall into sin and doing good deeds to all people. There is a temporal reward when we sow to the spiritual life and not to the flesh. Under grace, we have nothing to boast about, but we can boast only in what Christ has done for us. Grace allows us to live under God’s blessings.

#234 - Galatians Part 5

Wed, 19 Jun 2024 22:21:00 -0500

This third section of the epistle addresses practical living issues. Charlie explains from his family heritage personal reasons why freedom means so much to him. Not only must we stay away from legalism, but we must also take a firm stand in and for grace.

Legalism is depending on our works to find approval with God instead of trusting in His grace. If we resort to legalism, we will fall from grace and not benefit from God’s free blessings.

We see in this passage four marks of a Christian growing in grace. Grace means that we do not turn to legalism, nor we do we turn to license. We have freedom, but it is a freedom that our love for others should control. This love and other fruit of the Spirit come by walking in the Spirit. We should not live like unbelievers who do not know God’s grace but live under the control of the Spirit.

#233 - Galatians Part 4

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 22:20:00 -0500

There is a world of difference between a slave and a son. Through our faith in Christ, we become sons of God and heirs of the promise of blessing that God made to Abraham. We should not attempt to go back under the slavery of the law or a system of performance. Grace and law do not mix. Those who have been saved through faith in God’s grace should not try to mix in the law or works. They must make a clean break and rely on the grace of God.

#232 - Galatians Part 3

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:03:00 -0500

This section of chapters 3-4 enters a theological discussion of the Spirit’s work in us, faith, and the law. Faith allows us to become a part of God’s family, but the law only brings a curse. It shows us our sin. It impossible to keep all the law, therefore it cannot save us. The law leads us to Jesus Christ who frees us from the curse of the law. We are saved by the Spirit of God given to us in the gospel and that same Spirit helps us live a godly life.

#231 - Galatians Part 2

Wed, 29 May 2024 22:01:00 -0500

Sometimes there is a temptation to compromise the gospel of God’s grace not only doctrinally but practically in how we behave. The gospel does not need our embellishment. We are justified before God by His grace through faith and nothing else. Our behavioral performance cannot earn God’s grace. Those who compromise the gospel need to be confronted as Paul did Peter. Peter was behaving inconsistently with the gospel, but Paul took a firm stand against his behavior. The key to living for God is to identify with Jesus Christ and by faith allow Him to live His life through us.

#230 - Galatians Part 1

Wed, 22 May 2024 22:01:00 -0500

In this introductory message to Charlie's 6-part series on Galatians you will learn the setting and a simple outline for this important epistle. The Apostle Paul is amazed at how quickly the Galatians turned away from the grace of the gospel they received from him. What was the gospel that Paul preached? It was a gospel of grace, which means works have no role in the reception of salvation. Today, many pervert the pure gospel of grace. Only the true gospel can produce a godly change in a person’s life. This series was recorded at the Gulf Coast Bible Conference.

#229 - How Calvinistic was Calvin? Dr. David Allen discusses Calvin's view of the atonement.

Wed, 15 May 2024 21:59:00 -0500

Calvinism has characteristically argued for limited atonement (the "L" in TULIP), but can they attribute that to John Calvin? Dr. Allen will prove from Calvin's original statements that he held to unlimited atonement without exception. Only later, through the revisions of Theodore Beza and the ecclesiastical councils of the Synod of Dort and the Westminster Assembly, was limited atonement adopted as representative of genuine Calvinism even though there was significant disagreement within those assemblies. Limited atonement is a theological extrapolation from a system based on a faulty understanding of total depravity. As Dr. Allen says limited atonement is a doctrine in search of a proof text.

Dr. Allen received his PhD from the University of Texas and now serves at Mid-America Seminary in Memphis. He is currently a candidate for the presidency of the Southern Baptist Convention. He also has a unique ministry coaching preachers in their preaching skills (see PreachingCoach.com). He has written extensively on the atonement in his lengthy book, The Extent of the Atonement, as well as a chapter in Calvinism: A Biblical and Theological Critique.

Share this episode with your Calvinist, and non-Calvinist, friends and leave a comment with your thoughts.

#228 - Grace and Our Salvation

Wed, 08 May 2024 14:52:21 -0500

In this episode, Charlie provides deep insights into the principle of divine grace and its significance in salvation. Offering analysis of the free grace viewpoint, he questions commonly misunderstood terms and beliefs, draws from various biblical scriptures, and presents a redefined understanding of faith and salvation grounded in Gods' unconditional love.

Challenging the conventional belief system associated with works and earning salvation, the Charlie contrasts that God dispenses undeserved grace or "amazing grace." He discusses at length the concept of 'repentance' - not as a vow of turning of sins, but an inner change of belief or understanding realigning us with Jesus Christ. Further, addresses the concept of 'Lordship Salvation' and succinctly deconstructs the relationship between faith, discipleship, and true salvation.

Lastly his conversation dwells on eternal security and provides comforting assurance of God's unwavering faithfulness.

#227 - Are the Great Commissions for Today?

Wed, 01 May 2024 22:22:00 -0500

Welcome to an enlightening episode of Simply by Grace podcast, featuring Dr. Charlie Bing and David Roseland, the Pastor of Preston City Bible Church. In this captivating discussion, David delves into the profundity of the Great Commission, analyzing its distinctive appearances and universal message across various gospels. Learn more about this divine mandate entrusted to believers and the urgent call to carry out the work of the Kingdom.

Explore the entangled concepts of missions and dispensationalism. Trace the timeline of classic dispensationalism all the way back from Darby and discover how these ideas have shaped modern day beliefs. Roseland further reveals his plans to base his doctoral dissertation on these complex studies, providing profound insights into the evolution and interpretation of these theological concepts in the contemporary era.

Walk away from this episode with a profound understanding of your broader spiritual life and the role of the Holy Spirit. Tune in to this fascinating journey through biblical scriptures and church history and find your purpose reaffirmed, charged, and emboldened to carry the compelling message of Christ to the ends of the earth.

Be part of an inspiring mission-oriented conversation that transcends mere institutional tasks. Learn about the potential pitfalls of focusing too much on assigned roles and not enough on the gospel mission. Drawing from real-world analogies and personal experiences, learn how mission work can bring a renewed focus, vigor, and purpose to life.

Don't miss David's powerful recounting of his experiences in evangelism and outreach. Through his stories, understand the importance of engaging with the Bible at a profound level and the impact of human connection in gospel propagation. This episode is a vivid testament to the importance of maintaining a clear gospel and reaching out to those around us, highlighting the undeniable impact of children's ministries.

End the episode with a heartwarming reminder on the significance of the uncensored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Invitation to delve deeper into the magnanimity of the grace Jesus offers. Tune in for an inspiring episode that challenges you to dive more profoundly into evangelism and better comprehend its challenges in the world today.

#226 - Israel's Dome of Grace

Wed, 24 Apr 2024 22:05:00 -0500

Charlie delves into the concept of God's divine protection over Israel, also referred to as an "Iron dome of grace". He conducts an exciting exploration of biblical history and his personal narratives to establish a solid foundation of God's grace shielding Israel from historical perils.

Taking us on an engaging journey through the Old and New Testaments, Charlie shares fascinating tales of God's intervention and deliverance during critical periods in Israel's history. As he throws light on modern-day dimensions of grace, Charlie also touches upon his own experiences of international ministering, revealing the pivotal role of grace in Christian faith and life preservation.

He holds captivated anyone from theologians to Bible students and those intrigued by the cross-roads of faith and history. The talk illuminates the arduous journey of Israel under God's care, drawing thought-provoking analogies with collective human experiences. It also highlights Israel's incredible strength and resilience amidst trials like the Holocaust and conflicts with neighbor nations. All these are attributed to God’s benevolent grace and serve as a testament to His eternal promise of life.

This episode uncovers the compelling parallel drawn in the Bible between Israel and Christians, and how God's "iron dome of grace" envelopes both. Beyond theology, the teachings touch upon the practical aspects of Christian life. The listener learns from Israel's experiences, trials, and admonitions, realizing the immense privileges of grace bestowed by a loving God.

Drawing upon scriptures from Romans 5, Timothy 2, and various parts of the book of Romans, Charlie emphasizes on God's unwavering faithfulness and the guarantee of His promise to glorify the justified. This episode is a testament to how our understanding of God's grace should inspire us to adopt righteous living. Charlie concludes affirmingly the certainty of our preservation and protection under God's grace, promising hope and security for eternity.

#225 - The Reformers and How They Helped, or Not.

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 21:47:00 -0500

In this insightful episode, Dr. Charlie Bing converses with esteemed Bible teacher and Pastor Andy Woods of Sugar Land Bible Church about the captivating history of the church and its theological implications. Exploring topics from the prophetic aspects of the Bible to the culmination of the Protestant Reformation, they strive to make sense of a wide range of issues including biblical interpretation, Anti-Semitism, and the consequences of amillennialism in the current spiritual sp

Charlie talks with Dr. Andy Woods about the thesis of his book, Ever Reforming. For all the good we received from the Reformers, we should also be aware of their shortfalls. There is a tendency to venerate and codify their teachings without question. On some doctrines, they were helpful. Unfortunately, on others, they were incomplete at best, or wrong at worst. Andy explains how this happened as a result of an inconsistent hermeneutic and a heavy reliance on Augustine. We also hear insights on why Martin Luther did not like the book of Revelation, and a discussion of "progressive illumination." Andy received his PhD from Dallas Theological Seminary, pastors Sugarland Bible Church, and is president of Chafer Theological Seminary. Two of his books are Ever Reforming, and The Coming Kingdom. You can find an abundance of Bible study resources and messages at AndyWoodsMinistries.org.

#224 - A Deeper Understanding of Forgiveness

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 21:34:00 -0500

The Bible speaks about different kinds of forgiveness. Charlie talks with Dr. Robby Dean, who has some deep and fascinating observations about the forgiveness spoken of in Colossians 2:12-14 and 1 John 1:9. What did Jesus Christ do on the cross that applies to our forgiveness and when is that applied? Robby dives deep into the Greek, but hang in there, his conclusions are comforting. Robby pastors West Houston Bible Church; he did his doctoral studies at Dallas Theological Seminary and received his doctorate from Faith Evangelical Seminary. He is also a board member and professor at Chafer Theological Seminary. You can find a load of Bible teaching on many subjects on his ministry web site, DeanBibleMinistries.org. His teaching is also on the YouTube channel called "Light from the Light."

#223 - An Overview of Free Grace Theology

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 10:41:40 -0500

What is the Free Grace perspective all about? Here, Charlie explains this view in a slightly revised presentation that he has done before. The FG view begins with a clear understanding of what grace means, then the importance of faith and Jesus Christ as the object of faith. Our salvation was accomplished by the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, therefore, we can add nothing to that work. Assurance of salvation comes from God's Word and the assurance the eternal security of one's salvation. It is also crucial to distinguish between salvation and discipleship. The latter deals with Christian life issues. Grace is essential for Christian growth and the best motivation to serve God. Though salvation is secure, this does not promote sin. The Bible teaches that believers are responsible for and will be held accountable for how they live at the Judgment Seat of Christ. If one does not understand these truths, the gospel can be corrupted and made ineffective. The Free Grace position is biblically sound, makes assurance possible, and is a foundation for spiritual growth.

#222 - Phil. 3:17-4:1 - Walk This Way

Wed, 27 Mar 2024 09:25:37 -0500

In this insightful episode Charlie leads us into Philippians Chapter 3, guiding listeners all the way through to Chapter 4, Verse 1. Charlie emphasizes a life lived in the path of Christ, a life reflecting a distinct purpose, brimming with enthusiasm, joy, and freedom.

Framing life as a walk, Bing challenges listeners to examine their own paths, forcing introspection on whether they are oriented towards this world or the one to come. He expertly unravels Apostle Paul’s teachings in Philippians and emphasizes the value of following in the footsteps of Christian role models such as Paul, Timothy, as well as Epaphroditus. Nevertheless, Charlie warns against the 'enemies of the cross,' those whose lives are tainted by worldly desires.

Through this discussion, listeners are urged to acknowledge their true spiritual calling, to reject temporal worldly pleasures, and to redirect their focus to a larger, more fulfilling heavenly mission. Echoing Christ's values and character, this enlightening episode concludes with an inspiring call to arms, challenging listeners to confront sin and eternalize their true citizenship.

So, are you ready to affirm your devotion to Christ? Are you prepared to steer your life towards an eternal heavenly existence with Christ? Join us on this journey as we "walk this way".

#221 - Phil. 3:12-16 - Profile of a Winning Christian

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:14:00 -0500

Profile of a prize winning Christian. In this podcast Charlie looks at Philippians 3:12-16 and how Paul presses on to the prize, the upward call towards Christ. But what does that look like in practice, what is the profile of a prize winning Christian? What work is involved and what lies ahead?

#220 - Phil 3:10-11 - Knowing Christ

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 16:13:00 -0500

Charlie continues his walk through Philippians and focuses on two verses today. Chapter 3 verses 10 and 11. In this passage Paul provides wonderful insight in how God wants us to know Him and understand Him. Many think that when you become a Christian your freedom is over, that you have to live by a set of rules or regulations in order to be a "good" Christian. But is this what it means to know Christ or understand Him? Find out what is truly involved in knowing Christ.

#219 - Phil. 3:1-9 - Trading Rubbish for Righteousness

Wed, 06 Mar 2024 16:12:00 -0600

Continuing in Philippians chapter 3 verses 1-9 Charlie focuses on trading rubbish for righteousness. What are you depending upon as the basis for your relationship with the Lord in the now and for eternity? If you're on the right path you will experience joy. The wrong path will steal joy and it will end in eternal tragedy especially for people who have trusted in their own efforts. Join Charlie as he walk through this important message about keeping your most important thing the most important thing.

#218 - Phil. 2:19-30 - Six Marks of the Person God Uses

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 17:59:20 -0600

Continuing our study through Philippians, Charlie focuses on a very practical message in terms of recognizing servants for God; what markers are there? How do you spot them in others and yourself? Many people base their service on their degree of comfort as opposed to the degree of need. Can we really serve the way Christ served us or the way Paul served the churches? Join Charlie as he walks through the six marks of a person God uses.

#217 - Phil. 1:27-30 - Live up to the Gospel

Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:27:34 -0600

Do you live with a gap between how you behave and what you believe. Many of us do to some degree, but the goal is to close that gap and make sure our ministry matches our message. In this podcast Charlie continues in Philippians where Paul is encouraging the believer to live up to the gospel that we've been given.

#216 - Phil. 1:1-8 - Thank God for Fellowship

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 18:05:55 -0600

In this podcast series, Charlie walks us through the book of Philippians. Today the focus is Philippians chapter 1 verses 1-8. We live in an age with "super-connectivity" where everyone is quickly and easily reached. But the problem that has arisen in the culture is we are actually more disconnected than ever. This causes a lot of isolation and loneliness which is a significant problem and only getting worse. In the attempt to not feel lonely people turn to drugs or fill their lives with things in order to fill that void of loneliness. As Charlie points out we are made for relationships; specifically with God and other people. God has a provision for real relationships; it's called fellowship. So listen as Charlie takes us through what true fellowship is about and the commonality that we have in the Christian life, Christ in me and Christ in you. We may be different but if we have Christ as the basis, we have a shared close relationship. As you'll see, this is the kind of relationship Paul had with the Philippians.

#215 - Learning to Give and Receive, Philippians 4:14-23

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 23:54:00 -0600

Good things happen when we give. Sharing our finances can be a delicate subject to talk about, but the Apostle Paul wanted the Philippian Church to know the reality of his and their situations. When Paul first met them, he did not ask for financial support, but they were generous with him. Like the Philippians, though not rich, we can still give out of poverty. When we do, the recipients of our giving are blessed, God is blessed, and we are blessed. Not only are needs met, we have the promise of God to meet our own needs. Have you learned to both give and receive?

#214 - The Profile of a Prize-Winning Christian - Philippians 3:12-16

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 21:32:00 -0600

Is your goal to attain to full Christlikeness? It was for the Apostle Paul. When he describes his pursuit, we see a profile of a Christian determined to win the prize of a deeper intimacy with Christ. Like Paul, we must be dissatisfied with our present condition, devoted to a single goal of pursuing Christ, directed in our advance towards Him, determined to persist, and disciplined in mind and body. Listen and see if you fit this profile and learn how you can.

#213 - Israel Past, Present, Future: A Conversation with Dr. Arnold Fructenbaum

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 20:34:00 -0600

How should we view the nation of Israel today in light of their past rebelliousness, present disobedience, and future salvation? Do they deserve the full unmitigated support of Christians? Charlie talks to Arnold about this and other subjects like the importance of dispensationalism when discussing Israel, understanding anti-Semitism, and the significance of the recent war with Hamas. Dr. Fructenbaum has a calm and measured response to these issues. We would do well to heed his words. He is founder and director of Ariel Ministries, which reaches out to Jews with the gospel of grace. See https://www.Ariel.org

#212- Arnold Fructenbaum’s Odessey from Jew to Messianic Jew

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 20:34:00 -0600

When you hear Dr. Fruchtenbaum tell of his journey from Poland to Siberia, to Poland, to Germany, to the United States, you will see that it was truly an epic geographical shift that led him to a greater spiritual shift from Judaism to Christianity. This did not please his Hasidic parents so they kicked him out of the house. But God put Arnold on a path to a Bible education and eventually the founding of Ariel Ministries which shares the gospel and issues of Messianic importance with Jewish people. You can find out more about Dr. Fructenbaum and Ariel Ministries at https://www.Ariel.org.

#211 - Christian Liberty, License to Sin - Gal. 5

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 21:45:00 -0600

There is a very common accusation against those who hold to free grace. If we are saved solely by grace through faith in Christ, why can't we as Christians live however we want? You'll often hear it said that this sort of salvation isn't genuine or that it's "fire" insurance. So, the real question is this; Is there such a thing as absolute freedom to do whatever you want to do, or is there something that governs our liberty? Charlie addresses this very common accusation in Galatians 5:13-15.

For further reading, see Gracenotes #35 Does Free Grace Teach License and Gracenotes #84 The Christian and the Law

#210 - Discussing Grace and Galatians on The Grace Hour Show

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 20:32:00 -0600

In October when Charlie was in the Baltimore area, he talked with Pastor Thomas Schaller on his "The Grace Hour Show" podcast. They talked about the freedom found in Galatians and it's teaching about grace. This is a re-broadcast of that Grace Hour Show. Pastor Schaller oversees a local church, Maryland Bible College, and over 600 churches worldwide. He heads Greater Grace World Outreach which is committed to the gospel of God's free grace. You can find out more about GGWO at http://www.ggwo.org.

#209 - Hope for a Dying Church - Rev.3:1-6

Wed, 27 Dec 2023 20:33:00 -0600

Many churches are dead or dying. They have a lot of activities and busyness, but are spiritually bankrupt. Even churches with great reputations and programs can be spiritually empty and not know it. The church at Sardis is an example of a church with a reputation but they were dead on the inside, useless in God's service. Still there were a few faithful that Jesus encourages the church to build upon. The reward for overcomers of not having one's name removed from the Book of Life is misunderstood by some. We will explore its meaning. We can learn how to stay alive, vibrant, and useful to the Lord.

#208 - God’s Iron Dome of Grace

Wed, 20 Dec 2023 17:49:00 -0600

We see a lot about Israel in the news today. That tiny nation is surrounded by huge enemies who are determined to exterminate them, but their Iron Dome is protecting them. Or is it more than that? Will Israel be victorious? What does the Bible show us about how God has dealt with the Jewish people in the past, what is He doing in the present, and does Israel have a future? Is there anything believers can learn from how God deals with Israel? God preserves Israel and God will preserve His people today. Hint: Grace makes the difference. After an overview of Israel's past, present, and future, Charlie shows analogies between their experience and the believer's experience. A key passage is Romans 8:35-39 which says no one and nothing can separate the believer in Christ from His love.

#207 - All In For Freedom

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:47:00 -0600

Charlie says this was a difficult message for him to share at the Free Grace Alliance International Conference because he has never shared this much detail about his own story. God created us in His image so that freedom is in our spiritual DNA. But freedom is never free and we must stand firm and even fight to keep it. The book of Galatians shows how the enemy of freedom is legalism in its various forms. Charlie anchors his message in Galatians 5:1-4 and explains what it means to fall from grace. Charlie's story includes the struggle for freedom his ancestors had to endure, including slavery, and his own liberation into the assurance of salvation and a clear conscience. We have to stand firm in the grace that God gave to set us free and use our freedom to love and serve God and others. #FreeGraceAlliance

#206 - Mrs. Massachusetts Gets Grace!

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:45:00 -0600

You would think that growing up as a pastor's daughter would guarantee an understanding of grace, especially if her father preached a clear gospel of grace. But it took a few years and the story of the Woman at the Well in John 4 to deepen Samantha's grasp on the extent of God's grace. This wife and mother of six has an interesting story to tell. Part of that story is about her winning Mrs. Massachusetts 2020. She is building a ministry to women on the foundation of her father's ministry and her "crowning" achievement. You can learn more about Samantha McLaughlin Meideros's Women Prayer Warriors group and other resources at www.GBible.org.

#205 - Trouble in a Tolerant Church - Rev. 2:18-29

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 17:34:45 -0600

In Charlie's Bible study, we see that a church hardly deteriorates suddenly. Usually it is a slow erosion from within starting with toleration of sin. And quite often, as in the church in Thyatira, it is sexual sin. The message to this 1st century church is that the sexual immorality of someone named Jezebel cannot be tolerated. Do we see the same toleration of sexual immorality in our churches today? It seems so. Learn what toleration means and doesn't mean. What does a church need to do to please the Lord? What do Christians need to do to acquire the rewards Jesus promises to those who overcome this sin with their faithfulness?

#204 - My Grandmother Wouldn’t Let Me Go!

Wed, 22 Nov 2023 20:57:00 -0600

Never underestimate the prayers of a godly grandmother. They may lead you to a godly pastor who will show you the way to salvation. Jeff Welch was determined to figure something out before he took the Christian faith seriously. But grandma's prayers caught up with him and he believed in Christ as his Savior. His burning desire to share the good news with others led him to Word of Life Bible School and other ministries that allowed him to preach the gospel on the streets of the US and Europe. God has used Jeff to lead many people to Christ and train many to share Him. He now works with Fellowship International Mission. If you have questions about evangelism or if you want to help support his outreach ministry, you can contact him at http://www.fim.org/give/welch or http://www.welchfamilyministry.com Jeff is married to Phoebe and have a young daughter,

#203 - A Lesson in Divine Compassion - Jonah 3-4

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 19:53:22 -0600

In part 2 of this 2-part series from Jonah, we see more than the usual Sunday school story of a fish that swallows a man. We see a picture of Israel and their neglect to use their blessings and privileges to reach the Gentiles with God's love and grace. God emerges as the main Actor in the story from beginning to end. Jonah pictures a self-serving callousness to the needs of other people not his own. Could his experience in the fish and at the bottom of the sea remind us of what it is like to be hopelessly separated from the love of God? But Jonah finds the grace of God even there and realizes salvation is God's prerogative, not ours. Can we identify with a calloused uncaring heart? Are we living in disobedience as a church or a believer? Do we care about people as much as God does?

#202 - A Workbook for Disciples: An interview of Charlie

Wed, 08 Nov 2023 20:57:12 -0600

In this podcast, Charlie is interviewed about his popular Living in the Family of Grace workbook on The Book Podcast on Youtube. He explains why and how it was developed to help ground people in a grace perspective. After 2 chapters from the book of John on Salvation, there are 7 Chapters on Romans about grace and our sin, salvation, sanctification, security, selection, and service. The last 7 chapters examine 7 conditions for discipleship that Jesus taught. Charlie explains why he used an expositional approach rather than topical, and how he integrated the motivation of grace into each lesson. This book is available at the GraceLife.org web site. The Book Podcast can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@hearthebookpod/about.

#201 - Grace Stories - I’m Free

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 19:21:29 -0500

Growing up in New Jersey in a Catholic family, Gary McNally, never really understood the gospel, but was inquisitive. He loved his ocean diving charter business, and he loved beer with his friends. One day he picked up a Decision magazine by Billy Graham and some lights came on. He finally understood that salvation is a free gift. This put him on a path to ministry training at Dallas Theological Seminary and Western Seminary. Then he planted and pastored a church in New Jersey and later, pastored a church in Pennsylvania. Today, Gary is semi-retired, because he helps his wife, Janine, in her children's resource ministry, Grace4Kidz.org. (Some of her material is also available on the Gracelife App!) Be sure to get Janines new book on Generation Alpha, When You See Fireflies. Listen to Gary's liberating story and share it to liberate someone else.

#200 - Jonah 1-2: The One that Didn’t Get Away

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 23:31:00 -0500

In part 1 of this 2 part series from Jonah, we see more than the usual Sunday school story of a fish that swallows a man. We see a picture of Israel and their neglect to use their blessings and privileges to reach the Gentiles with God's love and grace. God emerges as the main Actor in the story from beginning to end. Jonah pictures a self-serving callousness to the needs of other people not his own. Could his experience in the fish and at the bottom of the sea remind us of what it is like to be hopelessly separated from the love of God? But Jonah finds the grace of God even there and realizes salvation is God's prerogative, not ours. Can we identify with a calloused uncaring heart? Are we living in disobedience as a church or a believer? Do we care about people as much as God does?

#199 - Return to Your First Love Rev. 2:1-7

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 23:34:00 -0500

#198 - Rev. 2:13-18 Hate What God Hates

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 23:21:00 -0500

Charlie teaches about the church at Pergamos in this informal Bible study. This church lived in an atmosphere of evil. Whatever is meant by "Satan's throne" it doesn't sound healthy. This prominent city was also known as a center for cultic worship and emperor worship. They were commended by Jesus except for one thing: they tolerated those who followed the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. In other words, they compromised with evil by allowing it to exist among them. They did not hate what God hated. Still, they were faithful in Satan's backyard. Yes, Satan is alive and well still, but as with this church, Jesus will swiftly judge those who follow him and not the true Lord. We must learn to hate what God hates and give no room for evil in the church or in our lives. Rewards of intimacy with Christ await the faithful.

#197 - Bud Brown Grace Stories: He Found Smooth Sailing under Grace.

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 23:26:00 -0500

We start this conversation with L. E. (Bud) Brown talking about some of his exploits on his sailboat with his wife, Lea. But the real story begins when as a young man, he was able to break through his religious traditions and finally realize how to have eternal life. He was saved by grace, but found that he needed grace more than ever because even though the eternal battle was won, his internal battle with pride, competitiveness, and a negative self image kept him sailing against the wind on rough waters. Bud came to realize the love and acceptance that grace brings and found peace. After graduating from Western Seminary and Dallas Theological Seminary and pastoring two churches, he helped start a ministry called Turnaround Churches. He also has an excellent book on the importance of prayer in the church, Lifelessness to New Life: Biblical prayers to resurrect the lifeless church. Bud has other books and ministry projects in mind that we hope to hear about later. You can contact him at Bud@BudBrown.net and find his books on Amazon under L. E. Brown and at TurnAroundPastors.com.

#196 - Prepare to Suffer, Rev 2:8-12

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 23:25:09 -0500

In this informal Bible study, we see how the Church in Smyrna shows us that a poor and persecuted church can still be faithful to the Lord. The Lord has no complaint against this group of Christians despite Satan's work behind the scenes to harm them. Jesus promises them rewards for their faithfulness. One assurance is that they will not be harmed by the second death. Does this mean that they could be, or is there a better way to understand this difficult passage? The fact of persecution of Christians is more relevant today than ever. Some modern day statistics and facts will open your eyes to how Satan is still harming believers. But there is no need to fear the future, because we are safe eternally in the Lord. He knows our suffering and rewards our faithfulness.

#195 - Grace and Our Service

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 22:39:00 -0500

Romans. It has been called the most important letter ever written. It changed St. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley, and the world. Romans is a book about God's amazing grace. Every Christian needs to grasp the truths highlighted in this 5-part series, Romans: What's So Amazing about Grace? This clear explanation of the life-changing truths in Romans is taught by Dr. Charlie Bing in New Zealand at the Winter Bible School hosted by the Long Story Short ministry . This series includes:

Grace and Our Sin: How Low Must Grace Reach? 1:1-3:20
Grace and Our Salvation: How Acceptable Does Grace Make Us? 3:21-5:21
Grace and Our Sanctification: How Righteous Can Grace Make Us? 6:1-8:27
Grace and Our Security: How Far Does Grace Go? 8:28-39
Grace and Our Selection and Service: Who is Grace For and What Should Grace Motivate? Chs. 9-12

Watch the videos on the GraceLife Ministries Youtube channel or listen to the Simply by Grace Podcast http://www.SimplybyGrace.org. This series starts August 24, 2023. Be sure to subscribe so you won't miss an episode.

#194 - Grace and Our Security - Rom. 8:28-39

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 22:38:00 -0500

Grace and Our Sin: How Low Must Grace Reach? 1:1-3:20
Grace and Our Salvation: How Acceptable Does Grace Make Us? 3:21-5:21
Grace and Our Sanctification: How Righteous Can Grace Make Us? 6:1-8:27
Grace and Our Security: How Far Does Grace Go? 8:28-39
Grace and Our Selection and Service: Who is Grace For and What Should Grace Motivate? Chs. 9-12

#193 - Grace and Our Sanctification - Rom. 6:1-8:27

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 22:37:00 -0500

Grace and Our Sin: How Low Must Grace Reach? 1:1-3:20
Grace and Our Salvation: How Acceptable Does Grace Make Us? 3:21-5:21
Grace and Our Sanctification: How Righteous Can Grace Make Us? 6:1-8:27
Grace and Our Security: How Far Does Grace Go? 8:28-39
Grace and Our Selection and Service: Who is Grace For and What Should Grace Motivate? Chs. 9-12

#192 - Grace and Our Salvation - Rom. 3:21-4:24

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 22:37:00 -0500

Grace and Our Sin: How Low Must Grace Reach? 1:1-3:20
Grace and Our Salvation: How Acceptable Does Grace Make Us? 3:21-5:21
Grace and Our Sanctification: How Righteous Can Grace Make Us? 6:1-8:27
Grace and Our Security: How Far Does Grace Go? 8:28-39
Grace and Our Selection and Service: Who is Grace For and What Should Grace Motivate? Chs. 9-12

#191 - Grace and Our Sin - Rom. 1:1-3:20

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 22:36:00 -0500

Grace and Our Sin: How Low Must Grace Reach? 1:1-3:20
Grace and Our Salvation: How Acceptable Does Grace Make Us? 3:21-5:21
Grace and Our Sanctification: How Righteous Can Grace Make Us? 6:1-8:27
Grace and Our Security: How Far Does Grace Go? 8:28-39
Grace and Our Selection and Service: Who is Grace For and What Should Grace Motivate? Chs. 9-12

#190 - Burundi Debrief

Wed, 16 Aug 2023 22:56:00 -0500

While in the small East African country of Burundi, Charlie recently led a team teaching GraceLife Institute courses in partnership with Pastor Anicet Ndikuriyo of Grace Bible Church, Burundi (with 60 locations) and Grace Initiative for Burundi. Along with pastors Marvin Effa (Bethany Bible Church, Plano, TX) and John Salvesen (Bear Creek Bible Church, Keller, TX), they taught Grace and Romans, Basic Bible Doctrine, and Bible Study Methods. Also, John's wife, Carolyn, taught Ruth to 24 key women church leaders. Of the 110 men pastors and leaders, 20 graduated the four-year curriculum. About a third of the pastors and leaders were new and many came to faith and assurance of salvation. Listen to each of these teachers and host, Anicet, report on what they saw and experienced. They will also challenge others to consider ministry in Burundi. God blessed the ministries of those who went, those who came, and those who worked.

#189 - Always Triumphant - 2 Cor. 2:12-3:6

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 00:45:54 -0500

In this episode Charlie is teaching a class and takes a look at 2 Corinthians 2:12 - 3:6. How do we find triumph in Christ? What should our perspective be in ministry? With the world crumbling around us, know that we can triumph in Christ; no matter what happens nothing can take away our future from Him.

Stay tuned next week for a summary on the ministry in Burundi.

#188 - An Unlikely Fighter Transforms to a Gospelizer

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 22:45:53 -0500

Growing up in a tough family in a tough part of Denver, Greg Stier is not a likely candidate for leading a world-wide youth movement--or maybe he was, because grace changes things. Grace saved Greg at a young age and he went on to lead his inner-city body-building family to the Lord and establish Dare 2 Share, a ministry that reaches youth and trains youth leaders to reach others with the gospel. You can get his story, Unlikely Fighter and other books, from his website or from Amazon.com. Also on the web site you will find his app for sharing the gospel, Life in 6 Words, and his podcast. Be sure to get online for Dare 2 Share Live on November 11, 2023, an event where youth ministries around the world unite on one day for one purpose— activating young people to share their faith. You will be inspired by Greg's story and his passion for reaching youth with the gospel. Share his Grace Story with youth leaders especially. Find out more at http://www.dare2share.org and http://www.gregstier.org. For more information or questions, you can reach out by emailing: information@dare2share.org. You can also find Dare 2 Share Ministries and Greg Stier on social media.

#187 - Questions & Answers Session of the Bible Coalition Forum

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 23:52:00 -0500

After a presentation on the Bible's teaching of full assurance of salvation, Charlie had a question and answer time with those who attended this Bible Coalition Forum in New Zealand. The forum was attended by pastors and ministry leaders who came together to address theological issues at a deeper level. This session was moderated by Jeff Coleman (Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary). Questions included subjects like Lordship Salvation, repentance, the content of the gospel, Calvinism, and some comments on 2 Corinthians 13:5, Hebrews 6:1-8, and James 2:14-26.

#186 - The Bible Teaches Full Assurance of Salvation

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 23:52:36 -0500

In June Charlie had the privilege of ministering in New Zealand at three Bible conferences and three churches. (Those messages on Romans will be available later). While there he also participated in the inaugural meeting of the Bible Coalition Forum led by Jeff Coleman (Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary). The forum was attended by pastors and ministry leaders who came together to address theological issues at a deeper level. Charlie's presentation was on the Bible's teaching of full assurance of salvation. He discusses the prevalent problem of those unsure of their salvation and some reasons why that could be. There are systems that prohibit full assurance, like Arminianism and Calvinism. He also addresses several passages that are often misunderstood and misused to deny full assurance. Full assurance comes by believing the promise of God for eternal life, not by examining one's faith or performance. The Forum presentation was followed by a question and answer time, which will be released in a subsequent podcast.

#185 - Getting Grace in Kiwi Country

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 18:12:00 -0500

During Charlie’s recent visit to New Zealand, he interviewed two men who have a vision to see the gospel of grace spread throughout their country. Torrey Hilton met Charlie at a Free Grace Alliance conference in the USA. At the invitation of Torrey, Charlie taught Romans in three weekends of Winter Bible School in NZ. Torrey explains how he came to a Free Grace Gospel and his vision to see more FG people come to NZ to mentor and influence church leaders. He appeals for pastors and retired pastors to spend 2-3 years to help the church leaders in NZ. Jeff Coleman, an American ministering in NZ, also explains the needs there. You can see past teaching, and eventually Charlie’s, at https://www.winterbibleschool.co.nz/page/recordings/.

Torrey is also involved with Longstoryshort.co, a ministry that seeks to reach people using high quality videos to tell the Bible’s story simply. The videos have been viewed by millions around the world. Catch the vision for getting the gospel of grace to this grace needy country.

Torrey can be contacted at Torrey@longstoryshort.co

Jeff Coleman can be contacted at mail@firmfoundation.org.nz

#184 - Free to Serve - Romans 6

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 23:09:39 -0500

Charlie focuses a lot on being saved by grace and how we stay saved by grace, but in this episode the focus is on what it means to live by grace. With grace though comes freedom. Charlie addresses this freedom in Christ and deals with some tough questions like; Can a believer do anything they want and still be saved? What law or laws are we under?

So, join Charlie and turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6.

#183 - Talking Theology with Dr. Tommy Ice

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 23:48:00 -0500

Recently, Charlie met up with Dr. Tommy Ice, an old friend, at a prophecy conference in Tulsa. Since Dr. Ice specializes in historical theology, eschatology, and Israelology, they sat down to talk about some of these things but also about the history and meaning of the Free Grace message. You will admire Dr. Ice's encyclopedic memory and his sense of humor. He also talks a little about his most recent book, The Case for Zionism. But Dr. Ice has written and contributed to dozens of books, many on the end times. In 1994, he co-founded with Dr. Tim LaHaye the Pre-Trib Research Center which every year has a Pre-Trib Study Group Conference in Dallas, TX. This ministry impresses upon people the importance of prophecy and especially the any-moment possibility of the Rapture to motivate godly living. Dr. Ice earned a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary and a Th.D. from Tyndale Theological Seminary. You can find a treasure trove of resources including books, Bible studies, and videos at the website https://www.pre-trib.org/. Oh--Tommy Ice also gives an answer to the question "When is Jesus coming?" Most people are interested in prophecy, so be sure to share these insights from a leading thinker on the subject.

#182 - A Jesus Freak Bears Fruit

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 00:09:16 -0500

While the young people of Southern California were indulging themselves in the excesses of the late 1960's, God was busy rocking their world. The Jesus Movement was born and long-haired hippies started coming to Christ in a steady stream. Ed Underwood was part of that movement, and you will hear his story about that start to his present-day ministry. After stints as a firefighter and a commander in the Army tank corp., he attended Dallas Theological Seminary to get his Th.M., pastored several churches (including 21 years at the famous Church of the Open Door in Glendale, CA), and taught and teaches at Bible schools and seminaries. After retiring from the pastorate, he started the Recentered Group which helps churches reconnect to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. A long advocate for the gospel of grace, Ed serves on the board of the Free Grace Alliance and has authored books about his story: When God Breaks Your Heart and Reborn to Be Wild. You can see these and many other resources on his website, https://www.recenteredgroup.com/. Listen to and share his fascinating story of God's life-changing grace.

#181 - A Peek at Piper

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 23:51:00 -0500

This discussion with the pastor of New Braunfels Bible Church in Texas, Phil Congdon, will help you understand the theology of John Piper. Piper is pastor emeritus of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, and a popular and prolific writer and speaker. He has influenced many with his views that come from a Calvinistic theology. But is that good? Piper’s views on assurance of salvation can be confusing, and when understood, crippling to the conscientious Christian. Phil has read Piper extensively, analytically, and critically, and you will benefit from his insights. Phil is the author of The Church in the World: Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, a Commentary. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+church+in+the+world+congdon&crid=LV5XZV16J1MB&sprefix=the+church+in+the+world+congdon%2Caps%2C141&ref=nb_sb_noss

He has also contributed to Living by Grace. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=living+by+grace+bing+congdon&crid=30HR00IMTI50A&sprefix=living+by+grace+bing+congdon%2Caps%2C101&ref=nb_sb_noss

You can hear Phil’s sermons on the church web site NewBraunfelsBible.org and contact Phil at PhilCongdon@NewBraunfelsBible.org. Be sure to share this podcast and give a good rating so more will hear.

#180 - Grace Makes a Difference

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 23:37:00 -0500

Chela Armstrong can tell you life is hard--she's the wife of Pastor Gary Armstrong--OK, that's a bad joke. You heard Gary's Grace Story a couple weeks ago. Now, here's the other half of that story. Chela did have a hard life growing up and adjusting to adulthood and marriage. She and Gary had a rocky path until both found the Lord. Life had some dramatic changes in store for them. But all is well snd they minister together at Burleson Bible Church in Texas. Chela offers some insights along the way as she tells her story that started out rough, but keeps getting better. Grace made the difference! You can contact her through Gary at BurlesonBibleChurch.org.

#179 - Why Rewards Make Sense

Wed, 31 May 2023 19:11:19 -0500

The reality of rewards for believers is a pervasive teaching of the Bible. Yet due to their theology or neglect of Scripture, many churches and Bible teachers teach very vaguely or nothing at all about rewards. Teaching about rewards makes sense because they are part of God's plan for believers to encourage, motivate, and reward them for living faithfully. It delights the Lord to do so. Having clear thinking about rewards also helps us keep the gospel free and clear because we do not mistake rewards passages for salvation passages. Charlie addresses why we should teach and live by God's plan for rewards by addressing the subject topically with nine reasons. For more information, see GraceNotes no. 9 on why we should teach about rewards https://www.gracelife.org/resources/gracenotes/?id=9&lang=eng. This message was preached at a Free Grace Alliance regional conference at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Starkville, MS. This passage is also discussed in Charlie's book, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship.

#178 - The Prodigal Path from Prisoner to Pastor

Wed, 24 May 2023 23:46:00 -0500

Though he was raised in a good church and knew enough of the Bible, he strayed onto a path that led away from God and eventually to prison. But this was a turning point for Gary Armstrong. He remembered what he had learned about God's Word and way. The more he studied the Bible, the more he found hope, encouragement, and freedom. After prison, Gary had to adjust to a new life. He got married to Chela, got biblical training, and entered pastoral ministry, eventually landing in his present position as pastor of Burleson Bible Church in Texas. Find Gary on Facebook and at Gary@BurlesonBibleChurch.org.

#177 - Wisdom Rules

Wed, 17 May 2023 23:37:00 -0500

Ecclesiastes 9:13-10:20

Ever wonder where the sayings "a fly in the ointment" and "a little birdie told me" come from? Charlie explains what they really mean from the original context of Ecclesiastes. This passage is part of the admonitions and advice that Solomon leaves the Hebrews in his old age. It gives us guidance in how to live in a world that seems full of "vanity" or enigmatic meaninglessness. There is wisdom about how to recognize the value of a wise person, how to apply wisdom at work, in our words, and even in our criticisms of others. This message is part of a series that Charlie preached at Bayside Community Church in Tampa. You can find the series of messages in previous podcasts. Also, see the full outline of Ecclesiastes in Charlie's Old Testament Introductions and Outlines on the GraceLife.org web site https://www.gracelife.org/resources/bibletools/OldTestamentOutlines.pdf

#176 - Cockfighting, Rocketship Churches, and Basketball Religion

Wed, 10 May 2023 23:54:00 -0500

These are all part of Jonel Arcedera's story as he grew up in the Philippines. Oh, and he sold ballut on the streets. What's ballut, you say? You'll find out in this fascinating interview with the Field Director of Word of Life, Philippines. Jonel's parents abandoned him when he was two years old, but he survived on the streets and became a "christ" in the world of cockfight gambling. Through it all, God's grace kept him safe and changed his life when he heard the gospel of grace. Now he is with Word of Life, Philippines, which has multiple ministries and sees thousands come to Christ as Savior every year. Find out more about this ministry or contact Jonel at

Jonel Arcedera
Word of Life Philippines - Field Director.
jonelarcedera@wol.org
JonelEunice Arcedera - face book
www.wolphilippines.org

#175 - Jesus Gets the Final Word

Wed, 03 May 2023 23:32:00 -0500

All the Old Testament prophets spoke of the coming Messiah, but now that He has appeared, what He says is even more authoritative because He is God's final Word. In keeping with the theme of Hebrews, that Jesus Christ is preeminent over all things, we start with who He is as God's final revelation, the Creator, and our Redeemer. If He is God's full and final revelation, we should more diligently heed what He says. Jesus has promised a rewarding future in the kingdom if we do not neglect our spiritual progress. On the other hand, there will be serious consequences for those who do not mature. As believers, we must listen to Him. For more context, you can see GraceNotes no. 15 about interpreting Hebrews https://www.gracelife.org/resources/gracenotes/?id=15&lang=eng. Charlie unpacks this passage at Bayside Community Church in Tampa.

#174 - The Amazing Dr. Tony Evans

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 17:53:00 -0500

He has been named one of the top 12 expository preachers in the English-speaking world. That claim is backed up by a congregation of 10,000 people at the church he has pastored for over 40 years, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in the Dallas area, and his large listening audience around the world. Dr. Tony Evans has a multi-dimensional outreach. He is the founder and president of The Urban Alternative and the Tony Evans Training Center. He has served as chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys football team and the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. He is published prolifically with over 100 books and booklets and remains in high demand as a preacher of the Word. Tony's story is mostly a story of ministry, but ministry from the perspective of a clear gospel of grace (see his book, Totally Saved). His new Tony Evans Study Bible is becoming popular with those who value Free Grace interpretations. Charlie and Tony enjoy a chat about their pasts and Tony's ministry story. You can find out more about his ministries and resources at TonyEvans.org.

#173 - Save Your Life Don’t Lose It

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 18:22:00 -0500

Whoever wants to be a disciple must follow Jesus Christ's example of giving His life to do God's will. Believers should not seek life in their personal pleasures or pursuits, but will find true life when they give their lives away to God. The language of this passage about saving and losing the soul is actually talking about losing one's essential life, not one's salvation. This interpretation comes from a consistent use of the word sometimes translated "soul" but is better translated "life." Charlie explains what it means to find life by losing it and how this leads to gaining rewards from the Lord. This message was preached at a Free Grace Alliance regional conference at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Starkville, MS. This passage is also discussed in Charlie's book, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship available in the GraceLife.org bookstore https://gracelife-ministries.square.site/product/grace-salvation-and-discipleship/6?cs=true&cst=custom.

#172 - Waddo Ya Meme?

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 21:28:29 -0500

If we compared Jon McCray’s spiritual journey to a plane ride, an early experience with a legalistic church kept him on the runway by turning him off and away from Christianity. In college he took a philosophy of religion class and came to the realization that there is a God. Now he’s taxiing for takeoff. Then a friend took him to a good church and Jon found the wind beneath his wings to get air bound as a believer. But he reached cruising altitude when he discovered the Free Grace message. A committed student of the Word, he now has a popular YouTube channel called Waddo Ya Meme? Check it out and you will see and hear him cover a lot of current social and cultural issues as well as his biblical views on the gospel of grace. Almost 300,000 followers can't be wrong!

#171 - Learn to be Content

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 21:10:00 -0500

A study on Philippians 4:10-13.

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

#170 - Free Grace Makes a Living Difference - A Study.

Wed, 29 Mar 2023 21:54:00 -0500

Dr. Kenny Hodges was associated with Emmanuel Baptist Church in Starkville, MS, for 50 years, most of that time as lead pastor. This church had a long legacy of Free Grace teaching. Did it lead his people into sin, as so many claim is the result of Free Grace teaching? You'll be surprised at the results of Kenny's doctoral project (or maybe not!). Join Kenny as he discusses the results with Dr. Charlie Bing. Kenny has a ministry called "The 2 Circles" which you can visit online at The2Circles.org. At its core is a clear presentation of the gospel truth distinguishing between establishing a relationship with God through salvation, and enjoying that relationship through fellowship. On his web site you can also access his podcast and weekly Bible study.

#169 - Return to Your First Love

Wed, 22 Mar 2023 23:17:14 -0500

Ever lost that lovin' feelin'? It's easy to do if you don't work at it, many relationships start out hot, but fizzle out quickly. The churches in Revelation chapter 2 are somewhat like this. They lost focus and their first love quickly. It's easy to do if you don't work on the relationship; so how do we return to that relationship. Charlie spoke at a training session at a church recently and dealt with the book of Revelation and the 7 churches spoken of in chapter 2. Are they literal churches or something else, and what lessons do they teach us today?

#168 - The Prodigal Son Is a Preacher

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 16:18:06 -0500

Many times those raised in the church will turn and go their own way as teenagers. Some get so entrenched in the prodigal life and drug culture, they don't make it back. But Jeremy Vance's Grace Story is a testimony to how God's grace restored his soul and his relationship with his parents. From there, Jeremy followed God's will all the way to become pastor of Faith Church in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and president of the Free Grace Alliance. You can see the church web site to hear his messages here https://faithchurchmanitowoc.org/media/past-sermons and get his books Companions with Christ and John, Jesus, and Me here https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=jeremy+vance&crid=18LVCMHLPDS7E&sprefix=jeremy+vanc%2Caps%2C127&ref=nb_sb_noss. Join the Free Grace Alliance here https://www.freegracealliance.com/.

Please share his story, leave us a comment, and rate this podcast.

#167 - Faith’s Future Reward - Hebrews 11

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 21:25:28 -0600

Charlie recently spoke at a conference on Hebrews at a church in the U.S.. In this lecture he walks us through the end of Hebrews chapter 11 where the writer talks about the nature of faith and the many examples of faith. In it, Charlie answers a number of questions; how are we supposed to live? Do we live by faith as Hebrews instructs? What does living by faith mean? What does faith mean?

If you want Charlie to speak at your church, please visit us on our website at conferences on the home page.

#166 - The Son Is the One - Hebrews 1

Wed, 01 Mar 2023 20:52:14 -0600

Charlie recently spoke at a church and provided a 30 minute overview of the book of Hebrews. More specifically who the readers were and what persecution they were under, who Christ is and why the author is emphasizing His nature, His attributes, and His sacrifice. The author of Hebrews spends and inordinate amount of time on emphasizing that Christ is superior to anything that came before.

Find out why though; why does the writer spend so much time doing this, what is the purpose for them and to us today?

For further reading checkout gracenotes #39, How do we explain Hebrews 6:4-8

#165 - How to have Peace: Philippians 4:6-9

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 20:35:00 -0600

Have anxiety about recent events or worry about what's happening in your own sphere of influence?

Charlie had a recent speaking event where he spoke about having peace. We have peace with God on a universal scale through Christ, but that doesn't mean we have peace in our own hearts.

Many escape into their hobbies, which isn't necessarily a bad thing; others delve into drugs. What is our first resort when trouble occurs? How do we respond?
Charlie brings insight into how to deal with this and what the proper response and attitude should be. So, what can we do to keep focus and have peace within ourselves?

#164 - The Punching Pastor from Pakistan

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:57:00 -0600

As a street fighter in his youth, Raheel knew how to beat up people. Though raised in a nominal Christian home, a small minority in Muslim Pakistan, he ended up in a denominational seminary with questionable beliefs including salvation by works. When he discovered the gospel of free grace, he shared it so aggressively that he earned the title "The Punching Pastor." He has since learned to mellow and now ministers through his translation and podcast editing skills. But life is hard as a Christian minority in a poor Muslim country, yet Raheel has a vision to share the gospel with his country and give them a much needed online seminary and a new Bible translation. In this Grace Story you will hear a different perspective from the other side of the world. We hope it moves you to pray for Raheel and the people of Pakistan, and maybe even help. Raheel's email is

cleargospel@gmail.com

#163 - A Vision for the Churches: Revelation 1

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 20:26:01 -0600

In this podcast we catch-up with Charlie in a sermon while on the road. He covers an overview of Revelation with a focus on chapter 1 which is in itself an overview of the rest of the book. There are several views of how to interpret Revelation but it's largely a futuristic viewpoint. Many find the book a challenge to understand; some going so far as to say we can't know what it's saying. God certainly has given us some challenges but the key to interpreting Revelation is to understand the Old Testament. Almost everything is based on this as there are over 300 references to it. While some of the visions are difficult to understand, they will likely become clearer as we approach Christ's return.

But the importance of this book cannot be understated. It is ultimately a vision of the future designed to encourage us and give us hope. So find out how knowing the end game can help us in our daily Christian walk.

#162 - A Couple’s Journey out of Calvinism

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 19:14:00 -0600

Raised as Christians, Matthew and Emily later found themselves in a church that preached Reformed Calvinism. They were usually happy, but questions about their salvation haunted them and eventually became tortuous, especially for Emily. When she turned to the internet for answers, Emily discovered there was another theological system out there that had the answers to her questions. She and Matthew studied new truths that took them from doubts to certainty and joy. Theirs is a Grace Story you will not want to miss. Maybe you or someone you know is struggling with assurance of salvation and Calvinistic beliefs. Listen, share, comment, and rate this story. You can contact the Kuchers at EmilyKuchers@gmail.com and Matthew at kuchers.1@gmail.com.

For more information on Calvinism, visit our bookstore at GraceLIfe

#161 - Have a Happy Life - Psalm 1

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:16:00 -0600

This psalm deserves its place as the first of the 150 psalms. The themes of the centrality of God's Word and the contrast between the righteous and unrighteous characterize so many of the Psalms and other wisdom literature. But best of all, this psalm has a promise of a blessed (or happy) life for those who distance themselves from evil people and stay close to God's Word. Who doesn't want a happy life? It's guaranteed if you follow the psalm's wisdom.

#160 - Free Grace Linked to Dispensationalism

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 03:53:36 -0600

Is Free Grace theology a contrived system? Where does it come from? We will hear in this interview with Grant Hawley, director of the Free Grace Alliance, that it depends on how we interpret the Bible, our hermeneutic. When interpreted literally with the plain sense of the language, we see the Bible has distinct ages where God deals differently with His people. Yet all through the Bible, salvation is always by grace through faith. We should not confuse the promises to Israel with promises to the church. Systems like Reformed Calvinism, Amillennialism, and Covenant Theology interpret the Bible differently and ot gives them a distorted and confusing gospel.

#159 - I Smoked the Whole Book of Proverbs

Wed, 11 Jan 2023 19:32:00 -0600

Eventually, Bryan Conard learned that reading Proverbs was a better idea than smoking it. But he was a different person as a young man living in an environment of crime and drugs. It took a spell in prison to get his attention, and once God's love and grace broke through Bryan's brokenness, things began to change. How God intervened in Brian's life to save him from himself and a wasted life in prison will amaze you. Today, Bryan and his wife, Martha, along with three young children, are missionaries with Ethnos360 in Senegal, West Africa. How he became a missionary is another story in itself. Are you or someone you know headed down a wrong path? Listening to this story could change that trajectory. You can find out more about the Conards' ministry or how to support them at https://ethnos360.org/missionaries/bryan-and-martha-conard. You can contact Bryan directly at Bryan_Conard@NTM.org. Let us know what you think about Bryan's story and leave us a good review and a lot of stars.

#158 - Understanding Misunderstood Passages with C4C Apologetics

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 23:20:11 -0600

Daniel Weierbach recently interviewed Dr. Charlie Bing for his YouTube ministry, C4C Apologetics, and we repeat it here. In this interview, Charlie explains how some well-known verses are misunderstood and teaches what they actually mean, through careful exegesis and context.

What does it mean to carry our cross? To fall from grace? Will Jesus cut people in two? What about the sheep and the goats judgment in Matthew 25? Will unbelievers enter the millennial kingdom? This Q & A will answer questions you may have about some difficult passages. Be sure to check out these links:

GraceLife Ministries https://gracelife.org/ GraceNotes

https://gracelife.org/resources/grace... Grace Salvation & Discipleship, by Dr. Charlie Bing https://www.amazon.com/Grace-Salvatio... C4C Books: Investigating Lordship Salvation: https://www.amazon.com/Investigating-... A Biblical Sketch: Free Grace Theology https://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Sketc... C4C Apologetics Website: www.c4capologetics.com T YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/c/C4CApologet...

#157 - I Experienced Pleasure but Never Joy

Wed, 28 Dec 2022 19:47:00 -0600

Some listeners will identify with Keith Stanton's search for pleasure in a hedonistic lifestyle. Eventually, in jail, Keith realized that he really wanted to experience joy. Then he found that joy in the gospel of grace that put him on an exciting path of joy, freedom, and ministry. He and wife, Jaqueline, are now serving with Ethnos360 as missionaries committed to sharing the message of grace and joy with the world. Have you experienced pleasure but not pure joy? Let Keith help you understand what God's grace has for you. You can contact him or find out how to support him in ministry at https://ethnos360.org/missionaries/keith-and-jacqueline-stanton or at Keith_Stanton@NTM.org

#156 - Why God Became a Man - John 1:1-18

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 19:49:00 -0600

In this podcast Charlie discusses John chapter 1. In this chapter John explains why God became man. Matthew and Luke both have their Christmas stories but John tells you about the significance about why Christmas is. So sit back and listen and Charlie walks you through the importance of the season.

#155 - They gave me 30 days to get saved.

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 19:44:00 -0600

Gordon "Butch" Bennett was a troublemaker from the youngest age. As an adult, he was dating a woman when she became a Christian. Her friends told her to dump him, that he was a bad guy. But they said they would pray and if he doesn't become a believer in 30 days, well.... Drugs were a big part of Butch's life, but he got to reading the Bible while high, and God started working. Did God pull him in before the cutoff date? Today, Butch has served a lifetime with Ethnos360 (formerly New Tribes Mission) in Mexico and as dean for their Bible Institute. He has a fun and infectious personality, and you will enjoy hearing his Grace Story. Subscribe, Like, and leave us a good review.

#154 - Discussing the Extent of Christ’s Atonement with Dr. David Allen

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 19:42:00 -0600

The atonement refers to the finished work accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross that makes salvation and all its blessings possible. Dr. Allen has written extensively on the subject (see the books mentioned in the introduction to the previous discussion of Calvinism). Strict Calvinists insist that Jesus did not die for the sins of all people, but only the elect. We will see how weak and unfortunate this theological position is.

#153 - The Gospel of Christians - Galatians 1:1-5

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 19:51:00 -0600

Are you sure you know what the gospel is? What is it that actually saves a person and what do we need to do or know? You might be surprised that many Christians have a skewed view of this because they don't understand fundamental doctrines like justification and sanctification.

This podcast is an excerpt from a series on Galatians Charlie did many years ago at Burleson Bible church. Charlie provides an overview of the importance of the book, the doctrines it addresses, and why those are critical to the believer.

#152 - Discussing Calvinism with Dr. David L. Allen

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 19:39:00 -0600

In this episode, we talk about what is Calvinism, how Calvinistic John Calvin (1509-1564) was, and the Calvinism of the Synod of Dort (1618-1619). We discuss Calvinism that is taught today and why it has become so popular and how it has shaped the Southern Baptist Convention. There are unfortunate consequences for one’s assurance of salvation, the clarity of the gospel, and evangelism. David Allen (PhD, University of Texas) serves at Mid-America Seminary (Memphis) as the Dean of the Adrian Rogers Center for Preaching and is the Distinguished Professor of Preaching. Before that, he served 18 years at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the theology and preaching departments. He served as the senior pastor of two churches for 21 years and has been a teacher of preachers for more than 25 years. He has written many books available on Amazon and elsewhere. Referred to in this episode are his book on The Extent of the Atonement, The Atonement, and his contribution to Calvinism: A Biblical and Theological Critique. You can learn more about his ministry of coaching preachers at preachingcoach.com.

#151 - The Gospel-driven Man: Yankee Arnold

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 20:33:00 -0600

First, you will find out how he got the name Yankee. You will also hear how God took him from feeling like a hell-bound reject to a great winner of souls. Yankee shares how he came to know Christ as Savior and fulfilled his vision of winning thousands to Christ, which he continues to do today through his preaching and teaching. You can access his messages on his podcast and YouTube ministry at YankeeArnold.com. You’ll see that Yankee is all about God’s grace, the clear gospel, and winning people to Christ wherever he is—even when in a hospital room near death.

#150 - Never too Late!: Lessons from the Thief on the Cross

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 20:32:00 -0600

Three gospels tell the story of two thieves crucified with Jesus, but only Luke lets us see the change of heart in one thief that brought him eternal life with Christ. In a time and environment where so many people confuse or complicate the gospel, this story reminds us of the simplicity of faith in Christ as Savior. You will see what the thief did and did not do to obtain eternal life. It is a picture of God’s grace in salvation and a challenge for us to never give up on anyone who needs to be saved.

#149 - Blessed by a Stroke of Grace

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 17:27:17 -0500

Always given to fitness and athletics, Katie Taylor ran into a surprise major impairment that slowed her down. After some soul searching and church searching, she landed in a good place. Grace restored her health and spirit so she can now say, “Jesus means absolutely everything.” Katie’s journey is a story of God’s love and grace. Today she is a fitness trainer who lives for Jesus in Florida. You will be inspired by her story of faith and persistence.

#148 - 2022 FGA Question & Answer

Wed, 26 Oct 2022 17:11:12 -0500

Charlie recently attended the FGA conference in Keller, TX. In one of the sessions, he had a question-and-answer with the attendees. On stage with Charlie was Grant Hawley, the FGA Executive Director, along with Asare Kyei-Baffour from Ghana. We thought you might enjoy this as a podcast to hear about how each of the ministries touch lives around the world and how grace reaches believers and the lost.

#147 - Grace that Defeats Doubts and Death

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 17:31:00 -0500

In this Grace Story you will meet Don and Patty DenHartog. Don is pastor of Grace Bible Church in McPherson, Kansas (GBCMcPherson.org). Though raised in a Christian home, Don was plagued with doubts about his salvation until he went to seminary and found good biblical teaching. Find out what he heard that drove his doubts away. Patty grew up on the mission field in South America. They came together in college and after seminary, they ministered at several churches. Not long ago, tragedy struck when their grown daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Christy’s story is woven with theirs and demonstrates the power of God’s grace in difficult times. You will see how faith can persevere through doubts, in ministry, and in suffering.

#146 - Dear Family: I’m Going to Die Here

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 17:28:00 -0500

Where? In a jade mine in northern Myanmar (also known as Burma). Why? Because he is totally addicted to opium and heroin. Who? Han Bo Tun, who we call by his western name, Edward. Charlie talks to a ministry partner on the other side of the world in southeast Asia. Edward’s journey out of drugs and into ministry happened because he remembered his Christian upbringing and people were praying for him. Today, he trains hundreds of pastors as the director of Bible Education by Extension (BEE) in Myanmar. The recent Covid pandemic and military coup has made ministry difficult, but Edward and wife, Hannah, continue to share the gospel of grace in an environment of legalism and Buddhism. Listen and tell us what you think. You can check out their ministry and find out how to support them at BEEMyanmar.org.

#145 - The Priority of Evangelism with Dr. Larry Moyer

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 20:00:00 -0500

How important is evangelism to you? Can Christians and churches do evangelism better? This discussion with Dr. Larry Moyer, founder and CEO of Evantell, will evaluate how he thinks the ministry of evangelism is going in America and how it can be done better. With a lifetime of experience in sharing the gospel and training others to do so, Larry brings some valuable insights that will help you make evangelism a priority and help you share the gospel clearly. Today, Larry focuses his ministry on training others to do evangelism and speaking at his Wild Game Feasts where his hobby of hunting is used to reach people with the gospel. Check out his web site or contact him at Evantell.org.

The web site has two new videos on the Bad News – Good

News gospel presentation, including one in Spanish: https://www.evantell.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Bad-News-_-Good-News.mp4

Spanish: https://www.evantell.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Bad-News-_-Good-News-Spanish.mp4

Also Available on the Gracelife App!
GL Ministries on the App Store (apple.com)

GL Ministries - Apps on Google Play

#144 - Choose the Best Part

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 17:48:03 -0500

There are a lot of things that dominate our lives, but how many of those things are important? Which things will outlive the week, the month, the year? Which will have eternal significance?

In this podcast, Charlie speaks on Luke 10:38-42 regarding the story of the interaction between Mary, Martha, and Jesus. What priorities did they each have and how can we learn from this to prioritize things in our own lives?

#143 - Tough Love Wins

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 14:56:30 -0500

Ever struggled to restore a relationship but you ended up tearing each other down instead of building one another up? Are there relationships you have that you want to see restored?

In the church in Corinth, Paul was writing to them to give them some tough love. What we’ll see in Paul’s words are not doctrines or commands but a desire to restore a relationship that was important to him through love. We get a glimpse into his openness with them and an example of how to view others as Christ views them.

In this podcast Charlie walks us through Paul’s tough love in 2 Corinthians 7:2-16 with fellow believers in the church in Corinth. It starts with being open and honest and viewing others as Christ sees them. It’s by no means easy, but in the long run it creates bonds with one another that Christ intended for us.

#142 - He Fled Dark Spirits and Found the True Light

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 18:58:18 -0500

Brian's search for peace led him into the dark world of spiritism, and he used spirit guides to help others--or so he thought. This did not seem like darkness to him until he came to the Light and was confronted with the truth of the Word of God. His story will amaze you and also serve as a warning about dabbling in the demonic realm. His book about his experience, Running Against the Wind, though out of print, can still be found on Amazon.com. Hear how God's grace has changed his life and given him peace. Let us know what you think about this podcast.

#141 - Simply by Grace meets Grace4Kidz

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 18:40:04 -0500

The most fertile people for evangelism may be under your roof or in your church. They are called Generation Alpha, those 13-years old and under. They are open to the gospel and spiritual truth, but who are they? How can we share the gospel clearly with them? Our guest, Janine McNally, has a lot of experience in children's ministry with theological training to back it up (Bible college, Dallas Theological Seminary, D.Min student at Grace School of Theology). She has a ministry called Grace4Kidz which has excellent resources that reflect her passion for a clear gospel. Listen and learn about Generation Alpha and how to reach them.

#140 - Grace Stories - A Burden Lifted

Thu, 01 Sep 2022 18:06:30 -0500

This episode tells the story of a devoted Catholic woman who tried to check all the right boxes of her religion, but never felt that she measured up. Then she did something radical--she read the Bible. As she studied it, she began to see the truth she had never heard, that she could be saved by God's free and undeserved grace through simple faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. Susan Pooley would never be the same. As hard as it was, she left the Catholic church and joined a new church where she is active in ministry and missions. Best of all, her relationship with God is not a burden; she is free.

#139 - Have a Blast While You Last

Wed, 24 Aug 2022 23:50:38 -0500

Ever wonder how people find a life of meaning? Some travel the world, others climb mountains, and still others exercise. In this Podcast, Charlie focused on the words of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes chapter 9.

What Solomon had said was to enjoy life while you can. This life can be short and uncertain so we must find a balance and maximize our time. Solomon talks about living life, not just enduring life. A balanced life sets proper boundaries and proper goals and one thing about this life is that it's the only time one can believe in Christ as savior. The goal is to make this life richer and fuller through Christ.

So, listen as Charlie walks through Solomons wisdom.

#138 - Grace Stories - Eternal Security Makes the Difference

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 19:54:00 -0500

"Most churches don't know what they believe, or don't believe what they know," so says our Grace Stories guest. He says his discovery of eternal security made him "the Rodney Dangerfield of Christianity"--he gets no respect. To know your salvation is secure forever may thrill you, but if you are not sure, it will/should threaten you. In this episode, Joe Clemons shares how his understanding of grace and eternal security made a difference to him and the gospel he preaches. He got so excited, he wrote a short book about it and other great gospel words called What Is Eternal Salvation?: A Big Lie or a Simple Truth? To get the book, visit amazon. Have fun listening to Joe rejoicing in grace.

Please subscribe to the Simply by Grace podcast and leave a review or comment

#137 - Four Dimensions of Evangelism

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 22:53:12 -0500

Did you know there's one thing we as believers won't be able to do once we get to heaven?

That's evangelism...sharing the gospel. Evangelism, what is it, what does it look like, and what should it look like? Charlie focuses on 2 Cor. 4:1-6 which gives us different aspects of evangelism. How do each of these aspects play out practically speaking, and what does it mean for those giving the message and those receiving it? What is Satan's role and what is God's role?

Find out in this episode and stay tuned next week for another Grace story.

#136 - Grace Stories - What motivates you?

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 19:46:08 -0500

In this grace story, Charlie speaks with Stephanie Hosey, who found the grace of God in Jesus Christ. She was born and raised within the Catholic church and didn't have an understanding that Christ died for her. She only understood the historical facts but didn't believe them for herself. It was through God's gentle nudging that she came to understand the power of God's grace in her life and ultimately why she was in need of a savior and what Christ had done for her.

From this new understanding her life changed from living a Christian life that was performance oriented, which is a form of bondage, into living a life by grace.

Be sure to checkout this Grace Story and others on the Simply By Grace Podcast.

#135 - Great Grace for Ghana

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 18:38:10 -0500

Charlie and a team of instructors teamed with their ministry partners in Ghana, West Africa in July. You will be amazed at the report on how the gospel of grace was received. You might be more amazed at how Charlie was even able to make the trip. Listen as he tells his story and also hear from the three GraceLife Institute Instructors. Grace makes a great difference in Ghana!

#134 - Grace Stories - From Plato, to Marx, to MLK, to Jesus

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 15:29:41 -0500

There’s no friend like an “old” friend. Charlie talks to one of his best and oldest friends, Larry Butler. You will be surprised to find how their lives intersect and now remain close. Larry’s search for truth and meaning in life took him from Plato to Marx to Martin Luther King to King Jesus.

#133 - Transform 365 Interview with Charlie

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 22:46:33 -0500

T365 Podcast of SWCC had Charlie on their podcast and we're rebroadcasting it on SimplyByGrace. Pastors Cody and John covered a variety of topics, everything from his books to the importance of having a clear definition of what salvation is and means. Some questions include, why is it important to make a distinction between salvation and discipleship? What is "free grace"? What is discipleship? What is Christ's Lordship and how does it all fit in? How does free grace relate to dispensationalism?

#132 - Grace Stories - It’s All by His Grace

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 20:00:00 -0500

When talking about grace makes you weep with joy, you know you have discovered the true grace of God. After he made his life-changing discovery, Bill Boggess spent his life telling others about his discovery of God’s grace. He has gone through some serious trials, but you can hear and share his joy. Listen to him.

#131 - Unwanted Grace

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 19:04:11 -0500

Back in May of 2022, Charlie spoke at a church and the topic was "unwanted grace." In it he discussed a number of stories which you may have heard already as they've been posted in prior podcasts (see links below). In all of these grace stories they met God's grace in one way or another. They were facing something that they weren't sure they could deal with. Doubt, fear grips the mind, but God reaches out in his grace.

But what is grace? What does it mean in salvation or generally speaking? Can it be earned? ...and what is "unwanted grace?" Find out more in today's podcast!

#130 - Grace Stories - 13 Bottles of Beer Up a Water Tower

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 20:00:00 -0500

When you hear Butch Simmons's story, you may think of a warrior. Once a troublemaker, then a karate expert and teacher, now a Christian saved by grace. You'll see that grace exudes from this retired fighter and carried him through some difficult trials in life. He could break 18 inches of concrete block with his bare hand. Now he is just as strong in the Lord.

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Grace Stories is a periodic podcast series where people will tell their stories about how God's love and grace changed their lives. We hope you enjoy these personal interviews and are encouraged by God's love for the lost. Make sure to share these with friends and family!

#129 - Bear Theology 101

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 20:00:00 -0500

It's summertime, so let's kick back and have a little fun. Dr. Dave Anderson and Charlie were recently in Canada on a spring bear hunt. Did they get their bears? And by the way, why is the millennium important to the Free Grace gospel? Believe it or not, in this random conversation, you'll find out the answers to both!

#128 - Grace Stories - She Shouted into the Darkness, “Is Anybody Out There?”

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 20:00:00 -0500

When everyone has abandoned you and you have nowhere to turn, who will hear a question like that? God was listening when Adriana reached the end of her rope. She was alone and hopeless, but that desperate cry for help was heard. What happened next will amaze you as well as how God changed her life and filled it with peace and purpose. When you hear her Grace Story, you will weep and rejoice with her.

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#127 - Grace and Salvation - Eph. 2:8-10

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 15:43:15 -0500

There's a story about C.S. Lewis who was attending the British conference on comparative religions. To paraphrase, during this conference they were debating the question "Is there anything unique to the Christian faith?" The incarnation of Christ maybe? nope. The resurrection? nope. Miracles? nope. Changed life? nope. They couldn't find anything unique as all other religions had something similar (true or not). That is until C.S. Lewis walked in and asked, "What's the rumpus about?" They informed him of the question and his response was "oh, that's easy, it's grace." ...and that was the end of the discussion.

There's really nothing else that comes close to Christ's teaching that God's love and relationship with Him come absolutely free. It is unconditional love with no strings attached. It's this idea that's not just unique amongst other religions, but to mankind's very nature.

Mankind has a natural aversion to grace. There is something inherent within us that says that we must have something to do with our own salvation; be it the Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of Karma, the Jewish covenant, and Muslim code of law.

Christianity is built on grace, it's what makes our faith unique. If we don't understand this foundational truth, we can end up misapplying things in our daily walk and stunt our growth as believers.

This is the topic Charlie takes on in this podcast as he focuses in on Ephesians 2:8-10.

#126 - Grace Stories - My Dad Put a Gun to My Head …

Wed, 25 May 2022 20:00:00 -0500

Do you want to know what it’s like to become a Christian in a hostile culture? We take a journey with Dr. Sukhwant Bhatia that begins far away in India, then on to the United States, and back to India where he leads a Christian college and seminary and Bible translation ministry.

Though his path was not easy, He found that Jesus Christ’s grace is sufficient. You will want to check out his web site at seekpartners.org https://seekpartners.org and watch a short video about his life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-M0qIylyMI before or after you hear his Grace Story.

#125 - Generous and Joyful Giving - 2 Cor. 9

Wed, 18 May 2022 21:32:53 -0500

In this podcast Charlie speaks about giving joyfully. When we think of giving we often just think about money, which is good, but there's giving of oneself in service to others. Using your gifts and talents to serve others is an important aspect of the Christian life.

Some aspects of giving Charlie touches on include how giving is to be...

... purposeful, or planned (consistent).
... done with a cheerful heart.
...generous.
...personal, confidential, and not seek praise.
...motivated by love; love for God and people.

So follow Charlie along in chapter 9 and stay tuned for several more upcoming episodes of Grace Stories!

#124 - Grace Stories - Free Fall into Grace

Wed, 11 May 2022 17:30:46 -0500

Most would see a brilliant student and star athlete. That is why everyone would wonder about the night she took a fateful leap into the unknown. But God had a different plan for her, and His grace saved her from herself. Ashlie Teely tells about a night that redirected her life into a new joy and purpose. You will be amazed by her Grace Story.

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#123 - 2022 FGA Panel Discussion

Wed, 04 May 2022 20:18:43 -0500

In this podcast we share the panel discussion that occurred at the end of the 2022 Free Grace Alliance (FGA) conference. This incorporated questions from the audience and then responses by each of the panelists, one of whom was Charlie. Some of the topics ranged from witnessing to why label yourself free grace to why people don't go to church?

#122 - Surprised by Grace

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 17:41:26 -0500

What makes Christianity different than any other religion in the world? Have you ever thought about it? There is of course Christ, who died and rose from the dead, but in practice, what makes our faith unique? It's not a set of rules or things you must do to earn favor with God, quite the opposite. It's grace.

Grace is sometimes thought of as unmerited favor, or the acrostic, God's Riches At Christ's Expense. It's getting something we don't deserve. It's so important though that if we lose our understanding of grace, we lose that uniqueness, and end up like any other religion that has or will exist.

Grace is a surprise, it's one of the reasons that the world doesn't understand what Christ did. Without grace the everyone struggles in a world of ungrace to find acceptance from others, they struggle for joy, for hope, for assurance. All of these are wrapped up in grace.

So follow Charlie today's podcast as he helps you to better understand what grace is and why it's so important and unique.

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For more information on Grace, checkout Charlie's Gracenotes. Man's Aversion to Grace

#121 - Moved by Grace

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 12:47:14 -0500

Why be good? Is it to gain some favor with God? Is it to prove your faith is "genuine"? Is it to avoid condemnation? What is your motivation for doing good and how can you stay motivated?

Charlie addresses this by stating that "the greatest motivation for living right is ...???".... find out as he walks you through being moved by grace.

#120 - Grace Stories - From Punk Rocker to Pastor

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 21:00:00 -0500

What changes a punk rocker into a pastor? Jeremy Edmondson's story takes us on a wild ride from a religious upbringing to rebellious teenage years, to a music career, to the tragic death of a friend, and finally, the pastorate of a vibrant and growing church. Grace made a difference in how he saw himself and his God. His story may make the same difference for you.

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#119 - An Eternal Weight Of Glory

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 20:32:21 -0500

How do you deal with keeping motivated in ministry? What drives you? Where is your focus when times get tough? In this episode, Charlie focuses on 2 Cor. 4:13-5:11. Specifically, how to deal with your motivation for ministry and not lose heart despite the difficult realities of life. Paul was motivated by An Eternal Weight of Glory - find out more about this as Charlie walks through Paul's view of the gospel, his view of his decaying body, and his situation.

#118 - Six Marks of the Person God Uses

Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:00:00 -0500

Can we serve the way God wants us to serve? Can we serve the way Christ served us? The challenge of a servant is to have the mind of Christ, one of servitude.

So, are there any indications that would allow you to determine if someone is being used by God? Yes! There are six that Charlie identifies as he walks through Philippians 2:19-30.

#117 - Grace Stories - From African Prince to Preacher

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 16:34:13 -0500

He was destined to be a prince of his tribe, but grace got a hold of his heart. Now he is spreading that message all over the world. Meet Asare, of the Ashanti tribe in Ghana, West Africa. His grace story will challenge and amaze you.

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#116 - The Gift and The Prize

Wed, 16 Mar 2022 22:29:11 -0500

In this podcast Charlie focuses on John 4:1-30 where he meets a woman at the well. She's getting water and Jesus offers her "living water." Water where she would never need to return to get more and would satisfy her forever. This clearly peaked the woman's curiosity. Jesus stressed the freeness of this water that only He could offer her. It likely made her wonder; who is this man and what is this living water and what's the catch?

#115 - How to Treat Your Pastor

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 17:41:53 -0600

Have you ever considered what it takes to be a pastor? In a recent topical sermon Charlie challenges us to gain a new perspective on pastors and how we should treat them. It really has to do with expectations. Should your expectation be that he cure every illness or make you wealthy? Should it be that he raises people from the dead?

So what do you expect from your pastor? What should you expect and not expect? In part of his preparation, Charlie sent out emails to a number of his pastoral friends and this reflects advice from them.

We hope you enjoy this podcast and gain a new perspective about pastors.

#114 - Grace Stories - From Cartels to Christ

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 19:22:27 -0600

This first episode focuses on the story of Wayne Brown; a teeth bustin', bull ridin', drug dealing thug who meets God's forgiveness. And how do you land a plane with no gas but full of drugs?

You won't want to miss this first episode!

#113 - A Prayer for the New Year - Psalm 90

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 19:58:35 -0600

Some people say that a person's death can tell you a lot about their life. Sometimes that life is reflected on a tombstone. Some tombstones have a humorous statement like "well, I knew this was coming", still others just have some dates with a dash between them. Is your life just a dash? Are you focused on the proper things and just what are those proper things? Are they eternal or are they temporal?

In this podcast Charlie addresses some of those questions and walks us through Psalm 90.

Stay tune next week for a new monthly series!

#112 - Simply By Grace Ch.13 - Sharing the Gift

Wed, 16 Feb 2022 20:14:53 -0600

This is our final episode of Simply by Grace - The Book! In this last episode Charlie reads through Chapter 13 - Sharing the Gift, where he focuses on how to share the gospel clearly.

Charlie follows his discussion with Greg Stier. Greg is totally committed to sharing the gospel, especially with youth. He has a podcast: The Greg Stier Youth Ministry Podcast. His new book Unlikely Fighter tells how a family of street thugs found Jesus Christ and changed their lives. His website is Dare2Share.org.

Stay tuned for the next series!

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If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Charlie's book, Simply by Grace is an easy-to-read introduction to a core Christian belief. By looking at the major questions and issues that surround the concept of grace, Charlie helps readers understand and appreciate this God-given gift and how simple it really is. "Because only when you understand the simplicity of His grace, can you begin to understand its deep riches also."

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#111 - Simply By Grace Ch.12 - A New Freedom

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 17:00:00 -0600

What is freedom worth to you? Many have given their lives for it. Many long for it, still others who have it, abuse it. Many don't understand it, and few treasure it. But what about spiritual freedom? What does that mean as a believer? Freedom from what? Should it be treasured or feared?

Believers are often taught to fear grace as part of the Christian walk. When people speak about grace there always seems to be a caviat; "better be careful with grace...that can lead to license." Grace is ultimately risky, as with ANY freedom. Too many live fearfully thinking God is displeased with them and they fall into the trap of trying to do good to make-up for the bad. Grace sets us free though, it's the antedote to slavery and a doorway to freedom in Christ! We are free to be all that God made us to be and free to love.

You don't want to miss this episode as Charlie speaks with Ed Underwood, an Army vet, Theologian, and former pastor of Church of the Open Door. This was the church made famous by J. Vernon McGee who was also a former pastor in southern California. Ed started a ministry called Recentered, a grace-based ministry geared towards training leaders within the church. Recentered Group was born in 2016 with Ed as the Executive Officer and Lead Counselor. Since then, he has helped numerous pastors and church leadership teams to recenter their ministries.

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If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#110 - Simply By Grace Ch. 11 - A New Commitment

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 18:38:30 -0600

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 11 - A New Commitment. As we enjoy a new life in Christ, we can also enjoy a new purpose. Jesus challenged believers to be disciples. The great commission in Matthew 28:18-20 focuses on making disciples. Jesus called unbelievers to salvation and called believers to discipleship. One follows the other, one is free the one that follows is hard work. One is directed to unbelievers, the other believers. Keeping them distinct is key to growing in Christ; so, find out more about what discipleship is but maybe more importantly what it is not.

So, find out more as Charlie follows his discussion with an interview with Cody Wallace. Cody is pastor of Southwest Community Church in Miami, he has a book available called Break the Mold a ministry called Transformed365

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If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

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#109 - Simply By Grace Ch.10 - A New Life

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 21:01:00 -0600

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 10 - A New Life. Grace has given us the free gift of salvation, so now what do we do with it? Enjoy it! Many Christians understand how grace plays a role in our salvation. However, many don't understand how it's also central to our sanctification, or our Christian walk and growth. The Christian life is a life of faith, and we walk with Christ. This walk is part of the sanctification process through which we need grace.

So, find out more as Charlie follows his discussion with an interview with Jeremy Vance, who is a senior pastor at Faith Church in Manitowoc, Wisconsin and currently president of the Free Grace Alliance.

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If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#108 - Simply By Grace Ch. 9 - A New Accountability

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 18:29:15 -0600

Charlie reads through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of the podcast.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 9 - A New Accountability. When a person believes in Christ for salvation, who do they have to answer to and what should their motivation be to serve Christ? How do rewards fit into this? Should they be motivated by works or by grace or by rewards?

Contrary to common belief, grace doesn't teach license; some people think an emphasis on Grace will produce a Christian who will live however they want. These people motivate a believer from the negative, often making them believe if they don't do good works, salvation must not have been bestowed upon the believer.

But this misunderstands grace. Grace teaches us to be responsible for the grace we have received. Charlie addresses this and focuses on the positive and negative motivations to serve.

At the end he speaks with Dr. Roger Fankhauser on the motivations for serving and how to deal with sin in your life and in the lives of others. He is a former pastor and author of several books on topics of grace and serving God.

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If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#107 - Simply By Grace Ch. 8 - Grace and Good Works

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 18:54:42 -0600

Charlie reads through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of the podcast.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 8 - Grace and Good Works. In it he focuses on the difference between grace and works. What are they and how do good works fit into the salvation picture? Ephesians 2:10 speaks of our purpose in salvation. It says that we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works... good works come after salvation and are intended to be an outpouring of what Christ has done for us. So, while good works are not a condition for salvation, they are a consequence of salvation. However, they aren't to be used as proof of salvation as good works can vary extensively.

Charlie goes on to have a discussion with Dr. Fred Lybrand who has pastored a number of churches and written a number of books on this topic specifically and the book of James. Some questions in the discussion that are raised are what is a good work? What is a bad work? What are live works and dead works? How does a person's motivation play into works? Can it prove a person's salvation? Are good works important to an unbeliever and also a believer? Does every Christian do good works? They also touch on common cliche's like "It's faith alone but the faith that saves is never alone." ...what does that mean and who said it?

Fred has a ministry called Back to Faith which you can visit here.

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#106 - Simply By Grace Ch. 7 - Assured by Grace

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 18:47:43 -0600

Charlie reads through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of the podcast.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 7 - Assured by Grace. In this chapter he focuses on a believer's assurance of salvation. Assurance is simply a believer's understanding of their eternal security in Christ. Without a solid understanding of God's free grace, assurance can be something believers end up struggling with. This can stunt growth and/or lead to works-based salvation. Charlie has a great discussion on this critical topic with Phil Congden, pastor of New Braunfels Bible Church.

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#105 - Simply By Grace Ch. 6 - Secured by Grace

Wed, 29 Dec 2021 20:59:13 -0600

Charlie reads through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of the podcast.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 6 - Secured by Grace. In this chapter he focuses on a believer's security of salvation, aka. Eternal security. He also has an open discussion with Dr. Mark Haywood, who was a dean at the Grace School of Theology and is now a provost.

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#104 - Simply By Grace Ch. 5 - A Maze of Grace

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 23:10:00 -0600

Charlie reads through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of the podcast.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 5 - A Maze of Grace. In this chapter he focuses on how salvation can be confused by commitments or works in order to be saved or prove you've been saved. He also addresses the accusation of 'cheap grace'. He also has an open discussion with Dr. John Salvesen, pastor of Bear Creek Bible Church. John's dissertation focused on cult like characteristics of selected doctrinally orthodox churches which can be found in the Grace Research Room.

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#103 - Simply By Grace Ch. 4 - Saved by Grace

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 23:19:10 -0600

Charlie reads through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of the podcast.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 4 - Saved by Grace. In this chapter he focuses on how salvation is by grace through faith alone. He also has an open discussion with Dr. Fred Chay who is an active part of the Free Grace Alliance and he also works at Grace School of Theology as a professor and academic dean.

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#102 - Simply By Grace Ch. 3 - Surprised by Grace

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 20:40:52 -0600

Charlie reads through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of the podcast.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 3 - Surprised by Grace. In this chapter he focuses on Justification by Grace alone and Romans Chapter 3. He also has an open discussion with Ben Santamaria, who is originally from Mexico City and is a pastor at FBCVA.org . Dr. Juan Sanchez who works at Grace School of Theology.

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

You can also find the Spanish versions of GraceNotes here (and other languages coming soon!).

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#101 - Simply By Grace Ch. 2 - The God of All Grace

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 21:35:27 -0600

Join us for a special podcast series! Charlie will be reading through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of each chapter.

In this podcast Charlie reads through Chapter 2 - The God of All Grace. He also has an open discussion towards the end with Garth Oliver of TrueQuest Outfitter Ministries. He also has a podcast called Making Sense of Life and walks you through the whole Bible, be sure to check it out!

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#100 - Christmas Greetings from GraceLife

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 16:29:55 -0600

Christmas is just around the corner and Charlie and his wife Karen wanted to share a special Christmas message with you. We hope you enjoy this quick special podcast!

Merry Christmas from GraceLife!

#99 - Simply By Grace Ch. 1 - The Gift of Grace

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 23:02:36 -0600

Join us for a special 13-part podcast series! Charlie will be reading through his book Simply By Grace with a special guest interview and discussion time at the end of each chapter.

In this podcast Charlie reads through his introduction and Chapter 1 - The Gift of Grace

.He also has an open discussion towards the end with Dr. David Anderson, President of Grace School of Theology.

If you've never heard of Charlie's book, Simply By Grace, you can order it here.

There's also a Spanish edition available!

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#98 - How to Live by Grace

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 20:55:28 -0600

How do you practice grace in ministry? What does that look like? When we talk about ministry one should view it as a gift from God, this is how the apostle Paul viewed it. Paul said that his apostleship is a gift of grace from God. it wasn't something he earned, it was a privilege to him. So how do we cultivate this same attitude and put it into practice?

This is a special podcast that is a rebroadcast of a live webinar with Mark Ray of Grace Center for Spiritual Development (GCSD). This webinar featured a discussion with Charlie who helped author some of the materials provided by GCSD. The book, Living by Grace, is available right now and it focused on how grace can help us in ministry.

Help Support This Podcast and GraceLife Ministries.

#97 - Free Grace Q/A with C4C Apologetics

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 20:27:26 -0600

This is a rebroadcast of C4C Apologetics interview with Charlie. It is one of our longer podcasts but we think you'll enjoy this because of the breadth of topics covered. Daniel Weirback talks with Charlie and focuses on a number of items including the accusation that Free Grace gives believers a license to sin.

Some of the questions addressed are:

What is "Free Grace Theology"?
Is Free Grace Theology a new view about salvation?
What is meant by the derogatory terms "Cheap Grace" or "Easy Believism"?
What is "Lordship Salvation", is it just a Calvinistic term or something other?
Are there Christians who are not disciples; are they born or made?
What is Antinomianism? How does the law of Moses apply in our lives today?
What is Necronomianism? Are we under law or under grace?
What is the difference between entering the kingdom versus inheriting the kingdom?
Are there grey areas related to Free Grace Theology?
What is the "Outer Darkness" mentioned in Matthew?
Can a Christian fall away from the faith? (hint: Christians are capable of doing anything)
What is the meaning of Hebrews 6:4-6?
Is continual belief required to keep your salvation?
Do we have to "Work out" our own salvation to see if we're saved?
Is it good to have doubts about your salvation to motivate you to serve? (hint: can a marriage thrive under the continual threat of divorce?)

Daniel let us rebroadcast this so be sure to checking his great ministry, C4C Apologetics, here. For further reading on any of these topics, be sure to checkout GraceNotes!

We would love to continue providing great content so please be sure to help us out by commenting on this and other podcasts and giving as you're led.

#96 - Hebrews 11 - Faith

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 22:05:01 -0500

Charlie takes a quick look at Hebrews 11 during a conference and addressing how and why we are to live by faith. But what is faith, what is the nature of faith? What does faith look like? Who exemplified faith? How do we emulate it? Christians are to live by faith and wait for the kingdom of God. But what does that mean?

Charlie answers these questions and more in this episode of SimplyByGrace.

#95 - How to Evangelize in Difficult Times

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 20:06:43 -0500

Speaking from his office Charlie attends a virtual Word of Life Conference in the Philippines. In this podcast, Charlie focuses on Evangelism during this pandemic time and focuses on Philippians chapter 1 where the Apostle Paul was imprisoned. He was literally locked down, but it didn't stop him from sharing the gospel and evangelizing. The things that occurred to Paul gave him an opportunity to witness to guards and those within the palace; from the servants, to other inmates, to the Pretorian guard. So the gospel made headway in spite of his condition.

The other aspect of his presence in jail, also emboldened other evangelists to be more bold about their witness. So Paul should be an encouragement to us to continue to spread the gospel.

In evangelism many people focus on the methods, but the key is to start with the message and the method can come naturally. Methods need to adapt and change constantly, but the message never changes. So what message do you share? Do you keep it simple? Find out more about how and what to share in this episode.

For more information checkout GraceNotes #40 The Content of the Gospel of Salvation and #27, Sharing Grace Graciously

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If you like this podcast, consider donating to help support this effort and GraceLife Ministries.

#94 - Because He First Loved Us

Wed, 20 Oct 2021 21:12:34 -0500

This is a rebroadcast of Charlie's discussion on another Podcast, Hope Builders Ministries. This discussion focused on the Gospel of Grace and making Disciples. They address a number of things in Charlie's book, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship; answering questions like are all Christians disciples? What does a disciple look like? When Jesus says come to me vs. come after me, what does that mean?

From their podcast:

Charlie Bing, Author and teacher, speaks with Mike about the power of the Gospel to transform lives. He will help us to understand the significant differences between being saved by Grace and becoming a Disciple of Christ. There is no better ambassador of Christ than someone who knows the power of His great love. You can help GraceLife & HBM by sharing this episode with someone via social media.

We hope you enjoy the discussion!

#93 - Don‘t Receive the Grace of God in Vain

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 22:43:26 -0500

Ever done something in vain? To do something that produces nothing or has no meaning? I think at one point or another we've all experienced this in our lives. In this podcast Charlie focuses on 2 Corinthians 6:1-7. In this passage, Paul warns his brothers and sisters in Christ, to not receive the grace of God in vain. In other words don't prevent the purpose of the gospel from reaching the goal; that is to prepare us for eternity. Paul wants to bring his readers forward in terms of harmony with God and with each other. So find out how the grace of God should reach its fruitful purpose.

#92 - How to Work Out Your Salvation - Phil. 2:12-18

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 11:21:57 -0500

What if someone promised you everything they owned? They say it's free, but there's a catch...you have to live a good life and do everything right, from keeping the speed limit to not arguing, paying taxes to loving others, not lying to speaking the truth in love. If you messed up once, or twice, you wouldn't get anything. Sounds like good news, but then reality sets in. Who can possibly do that?

So what if God did the same thing? He'll give you eternal salvation but you have to be good and do x,y, and z. How would you feel about that? Questions would arise, how much would I have to do? How often? For how long?

This is one of the problems when people read this passage, they interpret it to mean you must "work" for the gift. (note: if you have to work for it, it's not a gift) Do people have to "work" for their salvation? Do they have to earn it by being baptized, going to church, being good, etc.. People add work in two ways, either before or after salvation. People will frontload the gospel by adding works to be saved or they will backload it by adding works to prove you were saved. Either way works becomes consequential to receive the gift of eternal life.

As can be seen, work, at any level, becomes an impossible standard. In this podcast Charlie expounds on the meaning of Paul's words; rest assured, salvation IS a free gift, no strings attached.

#91 - Grace in Suffering - 2 Cor. 12

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 22:00:49 -0500

Grace can be a theological concept, and we know grace sometimes as an abstract concept. But have you ever thought about how grace meets us in our suffering and how it makes us stronger as believers? There's probably no better time when Grace takes on in important role and teaches us, shapes us, and mold us as God works through our lives.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul is feeling very weak, he's having to defend himself against false motives. They are trying to capitalize on his weaknesses. But what does Paul do? Find out in this podcast as Charlie walks us through this chapter and teaches us how Grace can meet us in suffering.

#90 - Forever His - Your Eternal Security

Wed, 22 Sep 2021 20:05:59 -0500

Ever been accused of teaching license to sin or worse, being called a heretic for believing that once you believe in Christ you can never be separated from God? It might come as a surprise but eternal security is not well understood at best, and at worst, is simply not well received by many.

So it begs the question, why? What would cause someone to deny that eternal life is eternal? It's really a critical doctrine and sets the stability for a Christian and their growth in the Christian life. In this episode Charlie walks us through what eternal security is and why it's important in our everyday life.

For further reading be sure to checkout GraceNotes #24 Eternally Secure and GraceNotes #39 How Do We Explain Hebrews 6:4-8

If you wish, you can help support this podcast and other GraceLife material by donating here.

#89 - Free Grace Theology and How it Makes a Difference

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 01:00:00 -0500

Ever wondered why we call Grace...Free Grace? Isn't Grace Free by definition? Often times, particularly in theological discussions, it's important to define terms. The word Grace is often thrown around, but it can mean different things to different people.

In addition, when we don't understand the freeness of God's grace you can end up stunting your Christian growth. Not only is grace the basis of our initial salvation (justification), it is also the basis of our growth (sanctification). By God's grace we are born into His family and by God's grace we are free to grow as His children. Unfortunately, this life of liberty can be lost unless we stand firm in grace.. (cf. Rom. 3:24)

In this podcast Charlie walks through 10 things to help you understand what Grace is and why it matters. So what is Free Grace? How does it make a difference?

For further reading checkout Charlie's GraceNotes #67, What is Free Grace as well as GraceNotes #12 The Grace Life

#88 - Grace in the Mirror - 1 Cor. 15:10

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 23:03:00 -0500

So who are you and what do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see who you are or do you only see what others see? Often times we get caught up at what other people think about ourselves and we shape our perception of reality around that. Many of us are confined by the voices of others. These voices can come from various places including the culture, graceless religion that condemns people, unaccepting parents, even childhood experiences, and legalistic churches. These and more can influence the way we think about ourselves. These influences are grace killers and produce people who feel insignificant.

So how should we view ourselves? Where does God fit into the picture and how does grace move us into a healthy perspective about ourselves?

#87 - Principles for Discipleship, A Look at Peter

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 22:50:33 -0500

Charlie spoke at a conference recently about discipleship. Salvation is instantaneous and free, but discipleship is lifelong and requires work. But what is Discipleship as a spiritual journey involved, and what does the Bible say about it? What are some key differences between salvation and discipleship and why is making a distinction important for both aspects of the Christian life?

To address this, Charlie looks at the life of Peter. More specifically he looks at various aspects of Peter and his walk. Peter could be argued is a typical model of discipleship and many people relate themselves to Peter because he does things in his life that correlate well with our own. Charlie argues that this isn't by chance. Peter's experiences trace those of a typical disciple.

Be sure to checkout Charlie's GraceNotes #63 "Were Jesus' First Disciples Called to Salvation or Discipleship?"

#86 - Reserved In Heaven - Eph 1:7-14

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 22:09:37 -0500

Ever fear the future? In these tumultuous times fear seems to be par for the course. People are driven by fear. Fear of rising seas, fear of politicians, fear of losing something, fear of climate change, fear of Covid, fear of death, fear of the future and what it might bring. There's so much about life that's unstable, you could have a job one day, gone the next. But should we live this way? People often live life with fear unsure of what's after death.

But is there hope? Have you ever wanted to know what waits for us beyond eternity? As believers we can know and should take heart in God's power, His provision, and His promises. This hope is available to everyone who believes. It has the power to heal us now and help us live a life without fear.

In this podcast, Charlie walks us through Ephesians 1:7-14 and the hope we have in our salvation.

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6.

#85 - A Brother’s Ungrace - Luke 15:25-32

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 22:27:44 -0500

Have you ever envied another person's success or seen someone get a financial boost and you ask yourself, "why did God pass me by?" What is our attitude towards someone we know who has success, or even someone we don't know? Do we revel in their blessing and become excited for them, or do we become angry?

Charlie was a guest speaker recently and focused on the story of the prodigal son, but not in the way you might think. Many people focus on the bad son who left and then returned, still others focus on the father and his acceptance and joy. But in this episode, Charlie wants to focus on the "good son" in the story.

The overarching truth in this parable is that anyone who comes back into a relationship with his or her Heavenly Father, is cause for rejoicing. We see in this story the idea of Grace in restoration, grace in reconciliation, and joy. But we also see that the "good son" was ultimately a brother of ungrace.

#84 - Is Heaven Hard Work? - Eph. 2:1-10

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 00:00:34 -0500

Hard work, it's what we know in this world. We're taught that if we work hard, we can earn something for it. We often joke that nothing is free as we have it ingrained into us that nothing is free and we must work for it. But when it comes to the spiritual, and becoming a Christian, does the same idea apply? if we work hard enough do we get salvation?

Charlie has often asked people around the world, and it seems to be universal. To get salvation you must earn it. He's heard them say "well, if I'm pretty good, I'll get to heaven." or "all you really need to do is live by the 10 commandments." For many people, this idea of obtaining salvation requires work, some certain amount of effort, and God, they believe, gives them a reward for that effort.

But is this the case? Can we do something to obtain salvation? if so what must we do?

For further reading on this topic, checkout Gracenotes #29, How Good do you have to be to get to heaven?

#83 - Entering the Kingdom - Mark 10:13-31

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 22:08:31 -0500

What exactly does it take to get into heaven or the kingdom of God? What does it take to obtain eternal life? In the kingdom there will be duties, responsibilities, and rewards. There are things that we can learn on this side of eternity that can help us in the long term. Humility is one of them. As we'll see in today's podcast, humility is also essential to entering the Kingdom of God.

Most people believe that by being good, or doing good things will get you there, despite what the Bible says. The question that often follows is how much and which ones? The idea of the unbeliever, and even the believer, that "I must do something" to obtain eternal life is a kind of pride. It's a pride that says I can be good enough on my own. Jesus, in Mark, teaches us about breaking down this pride and having a sense of humility. He give us two stories, one about a child and the other about a young man who was rich and powerful.

So checkout Charlie's message and for further reading also checkout Gracenotes #29, How Good Do You Have to Be to Get to Heaven?

#82 - A Ministry and Message of Love

Wed, 28 Jul 2021 23:29:51 -0500

What is your ministry? What message are you sharing with your ministry and why? In this podcast Charlie speaks to 2 Corinthians 5:12-21. Paul talks about his motivation for ministry.

Here we find a positive motivation that is through the love of Christ; it compelled him and it should compel us. Love is one of the most powerful forces in the world. It shines a light in the darkness. It can overcome barriers and provide a means to bring people together. Much like Christ did for us in taking our place and reconciling us back to God.

So find out more about ministry and how we should focus on the message of love.

#81 - Falling in Life’s Journey

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 20:17:53 -0500

Ever fail in life? I think we all have at some point. In this podcast Charlie talks about Peter and focuses on recovering from failure. They say it's the journey that is the reward, not the destination. But sometimes along that journey we fail to meet our goal, or even failure to meet what God intends for us. How do we recover and move forward? Do we wallow in our failure or do we learn from it and grow and mature?

#80 - Good Ground for Discipleship - Luke 8:13-25

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 22:07:53 -0500

In this podcast Charlie speaks about the parable of the soils which is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In this episode the focus is on Luke. The purpose of this parable is to see how people respond to God's truth and it also talks about fruitfulness as a disciple of Christ. But many use these passages to claim that only a true Christian produces fruit and that if you don't, you must not be a true believer or that a person should question whether their faith was genuine to begin with.

The problem with doing this, or requiring "fruit" (by this definition we mean good works) to prove ones salvation, is that it necessarily adds works to salvation. It's even worse than that because it does so more deceptively than people who add works before salvation. Adding works to salvation before is more obvious to most, but adding works after salvation is less obvious. The result is the same though and can cause a believer to take their focus off of Christ and place it on themselves.

Beyond that, what measuring stick should a believer use for "fruit"? For further reading, Charlie's discussed this in his GraceNotes Can Good Works Prove Salvation?

So listen and find out the nature of the soils and how each relates to believers.

#79 - Water Baptism and Salvation

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 21:44:38 -0500

Water Baptism...does it save? Is it required for salvation? There's a lot a confusion and even controversy over baptism and what it entails and what the meaning of it really is. Baptism really comes up as a controversy as it relates to salvation, not so much the method. Baptism is misunderstood because people don't understand grace. When someone doesn't understand grace, and salvation by faith alone in Christ alone, Baptism is one of the things that is often added as something you must do in order to be saved.

The word Baptism is really a translation from the Greek word. It actually means to immerse or dip and to take on the a new identity. It is ultimately an outward physical expression of a believers new spiritual reality.

So checkout Charlie as he speaks to a church congregation and discusses this topic and provides insights from a grace perspective.

#78 - A Father’s Grace - Luke 15

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 14:13:42 -0500

Dr. Bing walks us through the parable of the prodigal son. This story is about a young man about a rumor of love, and it paid off for him. Some have called it the greatest story ever written or told. It starts in chapter 15 with an objection to people who accuse Jesus of spending time with sinners. This is one of Jesus' answers to that accusation, and his attitude towards sinners. The first one is the parable of the lost sheep, the second is the parable of the lost coin, and this is the last one. The first two focus on the joy of finding the lost. Here we have something that was lost and is now found.

Much has been written about this well known parable but Charlie looks at it from a unique grace perspective. He wants us to take special note of the attitude of acceptance and joy.

So pay attention how the father responds to his son, what was his reaction, what was his attitude? Why does it matter and how can it apply in our lives today? What does it show us about grace?

If you like to donate to GraceLife and help support the ministry you can do so here.

#77 - From Here to Eternity - Salvation to Discipleship

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 23:01:28 -0500

In this podcast, Charlie speaks about moving from salvation to discipleship. Many come into the family of God and have a desire to move from milk of the word to the meat. But many churches today are stunted and don't move away from the milk of the word so the people starve and stagnate. God clearly teaches us that He desires for us to grow. Having a life after salvation is supposed to be abundant. Christians are meant to live an abundant, overflowing life.

Salvation isn't the end, it's the beginning! It's the beginning of a whole new life. So what comes next? Find out as Charlie walks through the process and what needs to be done to move from salvation to discipleship.

If you like to donate to GraceLife and help support the ministry you can do so here.

#76 - A Call to Go Fishing - Matt. 4:18-22

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 23:28:30 -0500

In this podcast Charlie speaks about the topic of evangelism, specifically addressing the lack of winning people for Christ. What can we do to help improve the status and win people of Christ? How can we get the message out, how should we share the gospel? Have you ever led someone to faith in Christ?

In Matthew Chapter 4 we see Christ inviting a few disciples to come follow him, and he will make them fishers of men. His goal was to recruit and assign tasks for those who would share the gospel and lead people to Christ.

So join Charlie as he breaks down Jesus' call to follow him in Matthew 4:18-22.

#75 - Lordship Salvation & Free Grace

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 22:28:57 -0500

What is Lordship salvation and how does it affect the gospel for the unbeliever and also the believer? In this podcast, Charlie is speaking at Bear Creek Bible church and gives an overview of Lordship and Free Grace. He focuses on four aspects that are key in the debate: Faith, Repentance, Lordship, and Discipleship. For example, faith, to those who espouse Lordship, equals submission, as opposed to simply being convinced of something as true. In other words, a person cannot be saved unless they submit to Christ fully. You have to make Jesus "Lord" of all of your life; hence the name Lordship salvation.

So be sure to checkout the rest and share with your friends!

Also, if you like to donate to GraceLife and help support the ministry you can do so here.

#74 - Do You Have the Mind of Christ? (Phil. 2:5-11)

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 10:59:54 -0500

Have you ever despised doing something around the house or taking on a job that you hated?

Can you imagine what it would be like for the God of the universe to take on the job of sending His son to become human to deal with this this fallen world? It's hard for us to imagine God stepping down to become human in order that we might have a relationship with Him. What was going through God's mind to be so selfless and so loving and how can we emulate that?

Paul, in Philippians, was trying to shape people's thinking into the mind of Christ. When we think of Philippians we think of joy, but Paul also speaks quite a bit about knowing and attitude. "Be like minded" striving for unity and placing the interests of others first. We tend towards our sinful nature and it manifests itself in selfishness and pride. So we need a good dose of humility and selflessness among others.

In this podcast, Charlie walks us through Philippians 2:5-11 where we find out some of the things it takes to have the mind of Christ and then apply that in our lives.

#73 - Living a Life of No Regrets - Phil. 1:19-26

Thu, 27 May 2021 00:07:47 -0500

Ever been accused of a wasted life? Have you ever regretted doing something or maybe not doing something? I think we all have regrets to one degree or another and I think we would all change something about our lives. In this podcast, Charlie walks us through Paul's view of his life, one of joy, despite his circumstances. In Philippians 1:19-26 we find out three characteristics in making a life of no regrets.

#72 - Faith and Works in James 2

Thu, 20 May 2021 08:50:49 -0500

This weeks' podcast was used with permission from Learn the Word podcast where Charlie was a special guest with Academic Dean Paul Weaver at the Word of Life Institute.

Charlie and Paul discussed James chapter 2, arguably the most misinterpreted passage of scripture. Key topics discussed are the context of James, who is James talking to and why? What is faith? Are there "kinds of faith" in the Bible? What about the demons? Is there demon faith? How does James align with the Pauline epistles?

We hope you enjoy this special podcast!

For further reading checkout related gracenotes.

#71 - The Key to Christian Unity - Phil. 2:1-4

Tue, 11 May 2021 22:49:44 -0500

In this podcast Charlie looks at what the key is to Christian unity. Ever been around Christians you can't stand? Ever wonder why there are so many different denominations? How many church splits have you heard of? When we have problems on the horizontal level with one another, it usually stems from a vertical problem towards God.

But it's important to have unity for many reasons, one being it affects your witness. The public takes note of disunity and becomes hardened by religion. It's a constant problem of the church. So how do we resolve this and how should we respond? Find out in this episode as Charlie walks us through Paul's words in Philippians.

#70 - Towards a Deeper Fellowship - First John

Wed, 05 May 2021 22:36:36 -0500

Charlie spoke at a conference on the topic of moving towards a deeper fellowship with a focus on the book of First John. Some of the passages in First John are difficult to deal with, challenging to the believer not only to understand but also in practice. Charlie helps unwind some of the issues by explaining the various views.

One view says that First John is a series of tests of salvation. Robert Law popularized this view, saying First John was about tests of eternal life. Another, John MacArthur, says that there are eleven tests of salvation in First John. He wrote a book called "Saved Without a Doubt" that walks you through these. Another however, says First John's focus is tests of fellowship. Dwight Pentecost was probably one of the first to popularize this view. There's also an interesting third view, which says First John was written as tests of experiencing eternal life.

So which is it? How are these understood, how are they applied, what is the result of application?

#69 - Finding Your New Life - A Look at Peter

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 12:53:01 -0500

There are some people who believe disciples are born not made. In other words they claim that every Christian is a disciple. That is to say, when a person first believes they must meet all the conditions of discipleship in order to be saved.

This is simply not the case though, it creates an impossible standard. Disciples are made not born. This is clear from the life of the Apostle Peter. He is actually given more attention than any other disciple in scripture. As always, that's not by accident. I think God wants us to see Peter as an example of the journey that one takes in the Christian life; from becoming a believer to becoming a disciple. There are different stages in a Christian life, Charlie broke this down into three; Curious, Convinced, and Committed.

So follow Charlie as he walks you through the life of Peter in this episode!

#68 - Is Salvation Easy?

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 19:25:44 -0500

There are many organizations in this world that have standards for entrance into the "club." Some charge fees, while other say you must have a certain income level or be from a certain family lineage. But what does it take to get into heaven, what is the standard that must be met? What is the condition for salvation? Is salvation easy? Is the idea of faith alone in Christ alone lowering the standard to get into heaven or must there be something else?

It should be noted that faith alone in Christ alone is often referred to as "easy-believism." This is because it does not add additional steps to salvation. The accusation is that if all a person has to do is believe, it's too easy... they say that a person is fooling themselves and in order to be truly saved, they must also go that extra step and commit their life to Christ.

One famous author and theologian makes the accusation that, "the good news of Christ, has given way to the bad news of easy-believism that makes no moral demands on the lives of sinners." In other words, it's wrong to say, all you have to do is believe in Jesus as your savior and not ask for any kind of commitment or surrender, or personal submission of your life.

Is this correct? Is there more to believing when it comes to salvation?

Come join Charlie in this podcast as he answers these questions and more!

#67 - The Contribution of John’s Gospel to the Salvation Controversy

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 21:40:47 -0500

In this podcast Charlie gets detailed and focuses on the book of John and its intent. Specifically that it's an evangelistic book. There are three aspects that Charlie touches on and the second one is the primary focus of this podcast.

1. Jesus is a divine son, John begins and ends focusing on Christ' deity.
2. Presentation of belief as a proper response to Christ's offer.
3. Eternal life is the result of belief. "That by believing you may have life in His name."

John's purpose then, was to induce and foster faith. The intent was to lead people to faith. But what were the conditions for salvation? Would we not expect a clear condition if this was the purpose of the book? The answer is yes!

But is there a "special" kind of faith or belief required? Listen to find out.

#66 - Free to Accept Others - Romans 14

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:08:34 -0500

Someone once said "Christians are the only army that shoots its own wounded." I think we've all seen this before where Christians will place burdens on others that are based on their own standards and not God's, and if they fail to meet the test, or if they're different, then they're out. Christians, in other words, can be extremely intolerant of imperfection or even perceived imperfection in others.

It was Jesus who said in Matthew 5:7 "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." In this regard He stressed the foolishness of criticizing someone else.

In this podcast, Charlie focuses on Romans chapter 14, more specifically about what it means to be a people of grace. How do we express grace to other people? We'll see how grace gives us the freedom to accept others and their differences.

Having a good understanding of God's grace that he gave us goes a long way in helping us show that same sort of grace to others and allow us to accept people for being different or accept people for holding different views than our own.

#65 - What About Lordship?

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 19:34:42 -0500

In this podcast, Charlie focuses on the issue of Lordship. What is it, what does it mean, and how does it relate to salvation and discipleship? Charlie walks you through the Lordship controversy and focuses on three passages.

In a nutshell, the Lordship view is the belief that Jesus Christ must be recognized as Lord and Master of one's life as a part of salvation. In other words, a person must be at least willing to give up their life or surrender their life to Christ in order to be saved. Advocates of this view say that faith equals obedience. This effectively conflates salvation and discipleship. The opposite view is often mocked as the "no Lordship" view that denies Christ as Lord. This of course couldn't be further from the truth as you'll find out.

Incidentally, Charlie did his Doctoral Dissertation on Lordship Salvation and provided a biblical evaluation and response, which you can find here on GraceLife. His goal was to write in such a way that it would be a useful tool and could be used by anyone who was interested. (You can also visit LordshipSalvation.org for related information)

So checkout this podcast as well as his dissertation!

#64 - James 2:14-26 - How to Make Your Faith Useful

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 22:40:21 -0500

In this episode, Charlie walks through a very controversial passage, James 2:14-26. It's controversial because it's often misunderstood and consequently misapplied. James says some strange things that seem to contradict Paul like "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." But it can be confusing if you don't understand the context and the distinction between discipleship and salvation.

Most people understand this passage as a call to look at your works to prove you're saved. If you don't have works, it proves you're not a Christian. The problem with this is that it takes the focus off of Christ, who did all the saving, and creates an inward focus by the individual to determine if the works they are doing will be sufficient.

Those same people will also argue that you have to have "biblical faith" or the "right kind of faith" and they pull from James saying "Even the demons believe..." So if you had that right kind of faith then, you're saved. The argument goes like this: "A person who says that he believes in Jesus Christ as Savior, but does not do good works is not really saved. He is like the demons who believe in God but are not saved because they have not submitted to God or obeyed Him." This is at best a careless misuse of the verse.

Many pastors and theologians explain James this way saying "we are saved by faith alone but the faith that saves is never alone." Sounds like a good example of an oxymoron.

But could James be talking about justification by works before men? Could he be talking about encouraging Christian growth? The answer is yes, so be sure to listen and find out how to break down this passage and make proper sense of it, and how it can be applied in your walk today.

For further reading checkout Gracenotes #47 Demon Faith and the Misuse of James 2:19.

#63 - Answering Common Objections to Free Grace, Part 2

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 22:17:36 -0500

In this special podcast, Charlie expounds upon his latest Gracenotes #91 which is a second part in his Gracenotes Common Objections to Free Grace. While certainly not an exhaustive list Charlie explains some of the more common ones, many of which are either strawman arguments or other logical fallacies. Part 2 objections include the following:

Objection #7: Free Grace theology cheapens grace by not requiring commitment and good works.
Objection #8: Free Grace teaches that faith is merely mental assent.
Objection #9: Free Grace is antinomian.
Objection #10: Free Grace believes a person can apostatize (fall away from the Christian faith) and still be saved.
Objection # 11: Free Grace is a recent historical and theological aberration.
Objection #12: The Free Grace Movement is an irrelevant minority movement

Charlie hopes this will help encourage you in your faith and growth in your Christian walk.

So what objections have you run into and how have you answered them?

For further study and objections 1 through 6, see Gracenotes 90 Part 1.

#62 - Can 99% Assurance Lead to Maturity?

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 11:24:31 -0600

Charlie spoke abroad and addressed a topic related to assurance. Can a person be 99% sure of their salvation and grow in grace?

Assurance is a bedrock of our spiritual growth and maturity. Charlie spoke on the problem of assurance deficit disorder plaguing churches today in another podcast, but how does this lack of assurance affect the believer? What are the real world impacts to the believer in lacking assurance.

Keep in mind, assurance is our understanding of our security in Christ. Can a person be 99% sure? Charlie argues that 99% sure is no assurance at all. Being 99% sure begs the question, do we look to ourselves for salvation or do we rest in the power and promises of God?

GraceLife's slogan is "sharing the gospel of grace with the unsaved, and the grace of the gospel with the saved." So, in this podcast Charlie emphasizes the last half, helping to ground Christians in the "grip of grace" and moving from doubt to discipleship. A key component to this is assurance.

1 John 5:13 - These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

For further reading checkout GraceNotes #6 Questions of Assurance From Romans 8

#61 - Grace to Forgive - Matt. 18

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 21:44:14 -0600

C.S. Lewis said that "To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you."

What did he mean by this exactly? Why is forgiveness so important? Why is it necessary to do?

In this podcast, Charlie teaches us how to become a person of grace through forgiveness. The focus of this podcast is the grace to forgive with a focus on Matthew chapter 18.

One of the key elements in becoming a person of grace is understanding and practicing the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness is undoubtedly one of the hardest things that God asks us to do. It has been called an unnatural act because seeking revenge and retaliation is much easier than allowing forgiveness to take root. Our natural bent is to seek revenge and it's also what the world teaches. However, revenge or retaliation in any form, never resolves the issue.

The Bible however, teaches the opposite. To become a person of Grace you must understand and practice forgiveness.

For a related reading, checkout Gracenote #33 The Extent of God's Forgiveness

#60 - How to Answer Common Objections to Free Grace

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 22:29:26 -0600

Charlie spoke at the 2020 FGA conference about six selected common objections to Free Grace. The six objections include:

1) Free Grace is Easy Believism (aka Decisionism) - it may be simple to believe, but it's not easy. Why would God make salvation difficult?

2) Free Grace Rejects Jesus as Lord and still be saved - we don't teach this as part of salvation but we certainly teach it regarding discipleship.

3) Free grace does not teach that a sinner must turn from sins (aka Repent from sin). - If Repentance is defined as turning from sin, then yes, we don't teach that. But if repentance is defined as a change of mind, then yes, many do teach that. Repentance isn't defined by outward actions.

4) Free grace believes a saved person does not have to show evidence of good works (James 2:14 - faith without works is dead) - Well who says that? Which works and how often, and how do you define good works? Which ones are legitimate? Good works can be evidence, but not proof.

5) Free Grace leads to false assurance of salvation - John MacArthur publicly admitted he's 99% sure he's saved. Those who object as he does, cannot say they are 100% sure because they are basing it off of subjective assurance, not objective assurance. Our assurance is based on the power and promises of God, not based on works before nor works after salvation.

6) Free Grace leads to license (aka antinomianism) - Antinomian means against the law. We are not against the law, but the law doesn't govern. Paul addresses license in Romans 6.

For more detailed information, checkout Charlie's GraceNotes - Answering Common Objections to Free Grace which deals with this very specific topic!

#59 - What About Repentance?

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 09:53:49 -0600

In this podcast Charlie answers the question, "What about repentance?" What does repentance mean? You might be surprised!

One of the reasons for this discussion is that repentance, and its role in salvation, tends to be a controversial subject. Should we preach it more or less? What should we say when presenting the gospel. Do we understand what we're saying and can we explain each word?

You've probably heard from many preachers and evangelists their invitations where they say that in order to be saved you must "turn from your sins, from your self efforts and receive Christ alone as savior and Lord." Others say that you must "repent of your sins and ask forgiveness in order to be saved." Still others note that "you must turn from every sin before receiving Christ" (In other words clean yourself up before you come to the cross). Another says that, "if you don't give up your sin after you repent that your repentance must have not been real." and "Thus the call resounds, is there genuine faith?" (In other words, clean yourself up after you come to the cross to prove you were saved).

As believers we've heard this language all our lives but it raises some questions. If we are required to repent of our sins, which sins must I repent from in order to be saved? How many must I repent from? What about the ones I can't think of right now, or can't recall? How do I know when enough is enough and where is that line drawn? Must I also change my conduct? How sorry must I be?

So we'll take a look at the word repentance in this podcast and also relate it to faith and grace. We'll look at the confusion and take a look at the details. Warning: theology discussion ahead.

#58 - A Truth B Truth - Seeing Distinctions between Salvation and Discipleship

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 09:48:37 -0600

Charlie spoke at an FGA conference about seeing the distinctions between salvation and discipleship. This was taken from his book Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship where he breaks it down into A-Truth B-Truth...salvation truth (justification) and discipleship truth (sanctification).

Distinctions make a big difference in the Bible, even down to the letter or word and if you're not careful you can end up down a theological path that leads to poor application. So seeing distinctions in scripture is critical.

One of the potential dangers is that the Gospel becomes corrupted. Lordship Salvation for example, says that a person must surrender and show obedience in order to be saved. They have taken discipleship truth and ported it into salvation truth. They go so far as to say every true Christian is a disciple, they have to be, otherwise they aren't saved. Reformed Calvinism and the idea of perserverance of the saints says that unless you continue to work and die in the faith, you were never saved to begin with. Arminianism does this as well, if you unbelieve or severely sin you can lose your salvation. Likewise, legalism is simply the idea that you have to do something in order to please God.

Needless to say this confuses people and ends up making them questions their salvation. A person cannot have assurance of salvation if it's based one's performance. "Performance based salvation" includes everything from commitments made, obedience, one's surrender, or anything that has to do with one's attempt to please God. This is a challenge to anyone who says you can have assurance and holds to performance based views. The lie of the devil is do good and God will love you. But the fact of the matter is, you can't do good, yet God already loves you; so much so that he sent his son to die in your place and satisfy the payment for sin.

So let's keep the gospel clear so that we can preach it to the world freely and make that critical distinction between salvation and discipleship. "Only when we clearly understand what God says can we effectively share a clear gospel, be assured of our salvation, and grow in our relationship with Him."- Norman L. Geisler, Ph.D.

----more----

For further reading see Charlie's GraceNotes, Are Disciples Born or Made?

#57 - What Must I do to be Saved? Acts 16:31

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 00:06:54 -0600

Almost 2000 years ago, a very frightened man asked "what must I do to be saved?" The apostle Paul gave a very simple answer...yet theologians have been arguing about it for centuries. It takes a theologian to do that right? But what does it mean to be saved? The issue involves the gospel itself. What is the condition for eternal salvation?

Paul said "believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."

Compare that to an answer from a modern day preacher where after his message, one of his listeners came up to him and the preacher asked him, "is there any reason you should not become a Christian tonight?" The man responded "No". The preacher's response was "well, let me give you a few." So for the next few minutes the preacher began to explain that there was a cost to become a Christian and that he needed to surrender his whole life, his future, his ambitions, his relationships, his possessions, and everything he was to God. Only if he was prepared to do this could Christ then begin to give him eternal life.

The preacher leaned in and asked "so, can you still think of a reason not to become a Christian tonight?" The man responded "well, now I can think of some." The preacher said, "Well, don't become a Christian until you're ready to surrender to Jesus Christ and you've dealt with every one of those reasons."

So what is the Biblical truth?

In this weeks' podcast Charlie deals directly with this question.

#56 - Lordship Salvation Deception - Part 2 of 2

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0600

Charlie was interviewed by Rev. John Crawford on his YouTube channel called Preach the Word TV. This weeks' podcast is part 2 of 2 of the audio from that interview. The following is from Rev. Crawford's Youtube Channel, Point of Defense. We discuss the differences between salvation and discipleship from the book, "Lordship Salvation: A Biblical Evaluation and Response.

Does a lost sinner have to hate his family to get saved? Does a lost sinner have to give up everything to the poor, deny self, take up a cross to follow Jesus just to be saved? Does a sinner have to abide in Jesus in order to get saved or stay saved? Is following Jesus the same as coming unto Jesus? According to lordship salvation, a sinner must commit, obey, and promise to do good works in order to be saved. Is this what the Bible teaches about receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and the free grace that He offers? This confuses justification with sanctification and front loads the gospel with good works in order to be saved. There are many differences between salvation and discipleship:

Salvation is a one time event
Discipleship is a life long process
Salvation happens when one believes and receives the gift of everlasting life
Discipleship happens when a saved person obeys Jesus on a daily basis
Salvation is belief in Jesus
Discipleship is something that you do
Salvation results in eternal life
Discipleship results in eternal rewards
Salvation cannot be earned, returned, or lost
Discipleship is either rejected, neglected, or maintained

In this podcast we discuss the clear differences between salvation and discipleship.

#55 - Lordship Salvation Deception - Part 1 of 2

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 06:00:00 -0600

Charlie was interviewed by Rev. John Crawford on his YouTube channel called Preach the Word TV. This weeks' podcast is part 1 of 2 of the audio from that interview. The following is from Rev. Crawford's Youtube Channel, Point of Defense. Lordship salvation is a view that is typically held by Calvinists. This is the teaching for a person to get saved, the person must not only trust Jesus Christ as Savior but also as the Lord of his life, submitting his life to His sovereign authority by promising to commit to Christ, obey Him, persevere in the faith and repent by turning from and ceasing from sin (repentance). This a view that has caused much division, confusion, and it has clouded the very message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and His message of free grace to lost sinners. Is repentance part of the gospel? Does a sinner need to repent or just believe on Jesus Christ and His promise of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins? What are the different views on repentance? How does that fit into the context of the gospel? What does repentance mean in the Bible? Does it mean to turn from sin? Does it mean to change the mind? My special guest on the show today is Dr. Charles Bing. He has an earned Ph.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is the founder and president of GraceLife Ministries. He is an active author, conference speaker, and adjunct professor. We discuss some chapters from his book, "Lordship Salvation: A Biblical Evaluation and Response. You can download the book and other helpful resources for free on his website: grace life.org

#54 - From Here to Eternity - Salvation to Discipleship

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 20:45:20 -0600

There is life after salvation believe it or not. In fact, the desire God has for the believer is an abundant life. Salvation is just the beginning, not the end. It's the beginning of a whole new life. But how do we mature and have we matured as Christians?

Many people live their entire Christian life living off the milk of the word, not the meat. In first Corinthians chapter three, Paul calls the church in Corinth babies. He fed them milk not meat because that's all they were ready for. (So we have a pathetic picture; Paul was expecting them to mature out of their baby status and move on to chewing solid food.)

So how do we move from crawling to walking to running as Christians? In this podcast Charlie helps us understand the steps to growth and moving on from stagnation. not only that, but why it's important and why moving on helps us gain that abundant life God has prepared for us.

#53 - Discipling Believers in Grace

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 15:19:44 -0600

How do you disciple believers in grace? Sometimes you ask this question of pastors and other believers and you get multiple answers. Many have come up with their own ways while some copy others. But what does the Bible say and what principles should be emphasized? What are the important ingredients and is there more than one way to do this?

In this podcast Charlie answers these questions and more and provides his own experience in doing so.

#52 - Grace Means Go!

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 13:29:13 -0600

In this podcast we finish out 2020 and look ahead to what the new year brings. This episode reminds us that Grace Means Go!

Charlie speaks of his story about how GraceLife came to be and become the focus of his ministry. The idea is to get the gospel out around the world. To share the gospel of grace with the unsaved and the grace of the gospel with the saved. That is to say, for unbelievers that salvation is free and it's simple. For believers, it's living in the family of grace and helping them not get ensnared in works based systems and understand their assurance of salvation, knowing that they are secure in Christ forever.

Charlie has a passion for clarity of the gospel and I hope you will too. So make your new years' resolution a passion for keeping the gospel clear and sharing it where ever you go!

#51 - The Gospel of No Regrets - A Privilege and a Duty

Thu, 24 Dec 2020 18:41:03 -0600

In the last podcast Charlie focused on keeping the gospel clear and simple. In this one, Charlie spoke at an FGA conference and presented "The Gospel of No Regrets." In it he expounds on how it's a privilege and a duty.

Charlie turns to 1st Corinthians chapter nine. When we read this passage it kind of gives us an x-ray to the heart of one of the world's greatest evangelists, the apostle Paul. Do we hold up to Paul's standard, are we as faithful to preaching it clearly and with the proper motives as Paul was?

We hope you enjoy the podcast this Christmas Eve and use this as a springboard into 2021, keeping the gospel clear both in words and in your motives, knowing that to do so is a privilege and a duty.

#43 - How to Present the Gospel Clearly

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 15:16:40 -0600

There's an old saying, that you really don't know something unless you can teach it. This has never been more true especially with the gospel.

So how well do you know the gospel? Do you share and teach it clearly? Sometimes believers carry a lot of "intellectual" baggage with them and what may seem clear to them, can be very unclear to the recipients. Other times people have been influenced by other believers and speak using "Christian lingo" which might as well be Greek to the unbeliever.

So the goal is to preach it, teach it, and share it with clarity. Keeping it simple also has another side effect, which is gaining confidence...you'll realize "I can do this!"
In this podcast, Charlie shares with you four important ingredients to getting the message out. We hope you find them useful for gaining that confidence and keeping your words clear.

#44 - The Great Grace Killer

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 06:00:00 -0600

What does Grace mean and how does it, or should it, shape our lives? In this podcast Charlie emphasizes what is contrary to Grace, the great grace killer. What is it you ask? It's legalism...living under rules as opposed to living under grace. Trying to fix ourselves on the inside by enforcing rules on the outside.

But are we to live this way as believers? One of the key things to remember in the Christian life is living by Grace. You can always legislate behavior but you can't legislate morality. Grace is an inward motivation...not because of the laws or rules, but because of how God has transformed us on the inside. It's easy to get caught up in the rules and laws and put ourselves back into chains.

So how do we go from legalism to liberty? How do we avoid the legalism pitfall, the great grace killer? Find out in this weeks' podcast.

#42 - The God of All Grace

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 17:15:48 -0600

This podcast is an exerpt from a series Charlie preached at Burleson Bible Church. In it, he explains what Grace is and how important it is to the people of God.

Charlie defines Grace and shows that it's not just a theological experience but something that must be lived out. We are commanded in the Bible to be strong in grace, and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. We should strive to be "grace-full", a people full of grace. When you are full of grace, you will be at peace with your neighbors and those around you.

So find out how Grace is liberating and essential to the Christian walk and how it all begins with God.

#41 - When God Uses Evil for Good - Genesis 37-50

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0600

Evil happens. Sometimes it is intentionally inflicted on others, maybe on you. We all have had someone do us wrong and sometimes get away with it leaving us suffering for their evil deeds. Evil happens and it does not help to ask the philosophical questions about "Why is there evil?" or "Why does God allow evil?" The important question for us is "How can God use this for good?" The fascinating story of Joseph shows how God can take wrongdoing by others and use it for the good of many. Charlie illustrates this from his own story also. How would you apply this to your story?"

#40 - Closed Quarter Evangelism

Thu, 19 Nov 2020 06:00:00 -0600

In this Podcast, Charlie speaks at the Word of Life Conference and discusses evangelism during the pandemic. He starts with Philippians chapter 1 where Paul was in Prison. Paul was literally locked down, but it didn't stop him from sharing the gospel. He shares many things that are very applicable to our circumstances today. So Charlie hopes you find encouragement and gain a new and focused perspective on our role in this world.

#39 - From Victim to Victory

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 16:57:48 -0600

"Silver is purified in fire and so are we. It is in the most trying times that our real character is shaped and revealed." ~ Helen Keller

All of us go through difficult times at one point or another. How do we react to those times and challenges? The truth is, our true character is often revealed in the way we respond to those challenges. Do we play the victim and pass the blame to others, or do we seek out the positives of the situation and become a victor?

In today's podcast, Charlie looks at Philippians 1:12-18, in it, Paul, who is imprisoned, takes advantage of the horrible situation and proclaims the gospel. Through his actions it not only keeps his spirits alive, but he also recognizes that it emboldens others to do the same.

So how will you respond to your challenging situation?

#38 - The Bible - A Kingdom Story

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 16:46:40 -0600

The Bible is really a miracle when you think about it. There are 66 books with over 40 different authors; and each of those authors their occupations range from kings to shepherds, rulers to fishermen. It was also written over a period of 1600 years in different cultures, times, and places. There are various themes as well including nations, the future, etc.. but it's all brought together because there's only one divine author.

In it, there's one practical goal and there's also one story in the Bible. In this weeks' podcast, Charlie talks about this story. What is the story you ask? You'll have to listen to find out!

#37 - How to Answer Common Objections to Free Grace

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 20:25:19 -0500

Ever been accused of "easy believism" or "antinomianism"? Ever wonder how to respond when you are asked to defend your faith...from other Christians? In this podcast Charlie is at the FGA 2020 conference and addressing common objections to "free grace". Other accusations include..

How can Free grace can reject Christ as Lord but still be saved? aka the "no Lordship view".
Free grace doesn't teach that one must "repent" in order to be saved, how can that be?
If salvation is free, what prevents a Christian living however they want?

Our hope is that as you encounter objections you are better equipped to share grace graciously with other believers and keep he gospel clear for unbelievers. In other words, share the gospel of grace with the unsaved, and the grace of the gospel with the saved.

#36 - Finding Your New Life

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 21:03:59 -0500

Have you found your new life?

There are some people who teach that disciples are born not made...in other words every Christian is a disciple, thus in order to be a Christian, you must first meet the conditions of a disciple. The problem is that this removes grace and takes away what God has done and focuses on what we must do. It in effect, makes salvation a work. But what we find is that scripture teaches disciples are made not born.

In this podcast, Charlie focuses on the conditions for discipleship focusing on Peter and new Christians in the Bible who are looking for answers. Charlie defines what is required for salvation and contrast's that with what is required for discipleship.

What you'll find is that the condition for discipleship is first to be a believer, and then to follow in the footsteps of Christ finding your new life in Him.

For further reading, checkout Charlie's GraceNotes, Are Disciples Born or Made?

#35 - A Truth vs. B Truth, Salvation vs. Discipleship

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Ever had a problem trying to figure out certain passages in scripture where it seems to indicate work for salvation? Hebrews 6 comes to mind or Philippians 2:12-13; there are numerous examples of difficult passages. The key to helping one understand this is context of course and understanding that scripture makes a distinction between salvation and discipleship; one is freely given, the other requires work.

In this weeks' podcast, Charlie breaks this down into A Truth vs. B Truth and helps us see distinctions between salvation and discipleship. Without understanding and making this key distinction eternal life salvation becomes something that must be earned as opposed to a gift. In addition, scripture can also be very confusing as it will seem to contradict itself.

For more information on this topic checkout Charlie's Gracenotes #23, Are Disciples Born or Made? and you can also follow-up with his book, Grace, Salvation, and Discipleship (also available in Spanish).

#34 - The Judgement Seat of Christ - The Future For Believers

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 09:21:41 -0500

Mark Twain once said the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

What if you don't understand the difference between diesel fuel and regular gasoline? What about the difference between salt and sugar; one could easily make a cup of coffee enjoyable, while hilarity would ensue with the other in coffee. Biblically speaking what if we don't understand hellfire in the Bible to potentially mean hell or simply an image of God's wrath? What about the word salvation?

This is important because in our podcast today, Charlie will focus on the Judgement Seat of Christ (JSOC), not the Great While Throne of Judgement. Many mistakenly believe that only unbelievers will be judged. But The Judgement Seat of Christ focuses on the believer.

Charlie helps us understand the JSOC and how it is important to the Christian in our daily walk and how we can better understand the scriptures.

#33 - Fruit and False Followers - Matthew 7:15-23

Wed, 30 Sep 2020 19:09:09 -0500

George Barna did a survey some years ago, and 48% of those who claim to be born again Christians agreed with the following statement: "If people are generally good, and do enough good things, they will earn a place in heaven."

When we come to a passage like Matthew 7:15-23, we find it's often used to express judgement on someone's salvation. But when we look at the passage is that what it's teaching? Certainly there's a recurring idea about fruits...but what is "fruit"? How much "fruit" is necessary? Can we know if someone is saved by their "fruit"? ...and are we to be "fruit" inspectors?

This passage is often used to support the idea of works for salvation. So it's pertinent we understand what it is teaching and maybe more importantly, what it's not teaching.

Charlie expounds on this in this weeks' podcast. For further information checkout Charlie's GraceNotes #51, Fruit and False Prophets

#32 - Must We Persevere to the End to be Saved?

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 20:30:08 -0500

Perseverance of the saints? Is this biblical? Can we rely upon our works to prove we're truly saved?

The concept of Perseverance of the Saints has been a part of various Christian theological systems from early Christianity. Simply stated, this teaching says that a true Christian will persevere in faith and good works to the end of life and so proves he or she is eternally saved. If a professed Christian does not persevere to the end of life, it proves that person was not a true Christian after all.

Charlie breaks it down for us in this episode. For more information and further reading, checkout Gracenotes #49 Perseverance versus preservation

#31 - Beware of Legalism (Col. 2:16-23)

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 21:49:04 -0500

Charlie shares a message on Col. 2:16-23 and gives examples of how churches fall from grace into legalism. Many churches create rule after rule squeezing out grace. Paul warned of these types of churches and warned not just about legalism but to not be swayed by anything other than Christ.

So what is your attitude about the Law (Mosaic Law) and how does it apply in your life today? Are you still trying to earn God's favor and righteousness by doing things like keeping rules? If you're in a legalistic church, what can you do, where should your attitude be? How should we respond to legalism?

#30 - Secured by Grace

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 14:37:09 -0500

Uncertain of where you'll go after you die? Questioning whether you have enough faith or the right kind of faith? Many people, after they believe in Christ and are saved, question their faith and question their salvation. Eternal security is a central part of the gospel message and many in the church do not understand this and try to live a good life in order to prove their salvation or so they won't lose salvation. This is why at GraceLife Charlie shares the gospel of grace with the unsaved, and the grace of the gospel with the saved. Charlie helps us understand that we are secure in God's hand and by His grace.

For more information checkout Charlie's related gracenotes entitled Eternally Secure

#29 - Be Wise with Your Wealth

Wed, 02 Sep 2020 21:23:16 -0500

In this podcast, Charlie is preaching on Ecclesiastes chapter 5 starting at verse 8 where the focus is on being wise with our wealth. How should we view our wealth, things that we have and things that we don't have? Recall that we're not to love the world nor the things in the world. One of the dangers about being wealthy is that we neglect our spiritual needs.

Charlie expounds on this providing practical application and helping you keep your eyes and focus on your treasure in heaven.

#28 - Learning to Enjoy Your Life

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 21:22:03 -0500

Life has been different for all of us. GraceLife is no different and has had to adjust and trim some travel, but this hasn't stopped how GraceLife reaches the lost. Life goes on and there are many things to find joy in.

But there are many people in this world who are just miserable. Carl Young once said many people live a life of quiet desperation. Many have wealth, power, popularity, but they can't enjoy what they have because they desire what they don't have.

So what would it take to make you happy in life today? Are you enjoying life the way God intended you to enjoy it? Solomon, a wealthy king, reflects on his life in Ecclesiastes from a human perspective. In it he asks the tough questions we've all had and what we find is that the rest of the Bible answers them.

But the fact is, we can enjoy life and enjoy it abundantly. Listen to this snippet from a series as Charlie walks through Ecclesiastes chapter 6.

#27 - Serving to Gain

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 06:00:00 -0500

In many churches you won't hear about rewards. It's actually a vast study and much of it is ignored. It permeates Christ's teaching and Paul's teaching. There is a day coming where our works will be tested by fire and we'll be rewarded...or not. The Christian does have accountability, and comes down to what Jesus pronounces at the Judgment seat of Christ. This is not a judgement about whether we go to heaven or hell. This is a judgement for rewards not salvation.

Some of the things we'll be judged for is our treatment of others, for our service, our use of money, our leadership, etc.. In this podcast Charlie takes us through our opportunity where we make account for how we live in this life. What foundation have we laid and how do we build on it? Are we serving to gain?

Be sure to checkout Charlie's GraceNotes on a related topic:

Why Teach About Rewards?

#26 - Cross Threaded Spirituality

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 19:08:06 -0500

Charlie is speaking a conference about spirituality, specifically about people who are full of the spirit. There is a spiritual life available to all believers but realized only by some. Each Christian is led by the Holy Spirit in their own timing and in their own way. But we have a responsibility to the third person of the God-head (1 Thess. 5:19). Charlie discusses how Lordship salvationists believe they are filled with the spirit. More specifically, how believers in their view will demonstrably progress in their spiritual life…and in doing so they will have the opportunity to evaluate their presuppositions.

#25 - The Making of a Disciple

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 20:23:27 -0500

Discipleship...what are we to do? Are disciples born or made? How to we train disciples? In this episode Charlie is speaking to a church group and talks about how a disciple is made. Charlie focuses on Peter as an example, someone who was a crude rugged fisherman and became someone like his master.

So we want to understand what the discipleship journey entails; the difficulties, the hardships, the rewards. But one of the questions Charlie addresses is why Peter? Why should we use Peter as an example? Listen and find out!

For more information, checkout Charlie's GraceNotes Are Disciples Born or Made?

#24 - Introduction to Free Grace

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 21:05:33 -0500

In this episode, Charlie is speaking at an FGA conference where he discusses the essentials of Free Grace. But what is Free Grace anyway and what are the essentials? Is there agreement of those essentials within the community and if not, what can be agreed upon? These questions and more are directly addressed by Charlie in this episode!

For more information, be sure to checkout Charlie's Gracenotes entitled "What is Free Grace Theology?"

#23 - Curious, Convinced, or Committed?

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Are you curious, convinced, or committed? In John 6 we see three groups of people. Some followed Jesus at a superficial level, others believed in Him as Savior, while some followed Him as disciples. In this chapter we see how Jesus related to all three groups.

It's important to keep in mind there's a distinction between those who believe in Jesus as Savior and those who commit to follow Him as disciples. There are conditions for salvation and conditions for discipleship. One is free, the other requires extensive work.

Everyone in the world belongs to one of the three groups and each group needs to be addressed accordingly. Where are you in the progression?

For further reading, be sure to checkout Charlie's GraceNotes where he answers the question Are Disciples Born or Made?

#22 - False Christians or Faulty Christians?

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 05:06:55 -0500

Not all who call themselves Christians act like it. How should we think about them? Can Christians be worldly? The parable of the soils in Luke 8 shows that people have different responses to the gospel. Other Bible passages mention Christians who are not living correctly.

Is it possible that some who call themselves Christians have lost their salvation? Maybe they were never really saved to begin with. It is possible that Christians can be immature in their spiritual growth and so also in their conduct. The Bible calls these "carnal" Christians or "babes in Christ." Perhaps these Christians have backslid or fallen back into sin or are struggling with sinful urges and habits.

We should not deal with the problem of worldliness in Christians by changing the gospel to demand works or commitment up front or later as proof. These faulty gospels rob people of assurance of salvation. The best option is to teach a clear gospel of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again and promises eternal life to all who believe in Him for it.

For more reading, checkout "The Reality of Carnal Christians" and "What about a Christian Who Doesn't Act Like One?"

#21 - Assurance Deficit Disorder

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 06:00:00 -0500

Many people struggle with the assurance of their salvation. It is a huge problem. Some Christians teach that it is good to have doubts about your salvation using 2 Corinthians 13:5. But that is not at all what that passage teaches.

You will see that there are many reasons why people may doubt their salvation. Doubts are spiritually crippling, but assurance is essential to the gospel and to growth in Christ. When we understand the gospel of grace, we will have assurance. It is not helpful to look at our works or try to evaluate our faith. We have to keep our eyes on Jesus Christ. First John 5:11-13 and Romans 8:31-39 are important passages that help those in doubt.

#20 - The Lordship of Christ in Salvation

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 07:38:45 -0500

Jesus is Lord of all, but how does that relate to salvation? What's the difference between the objective lordship of Christ and the subjective lordship of Christ? Charlie examines some of the issues with the Lordship Salvation view and compare it to the gospel of God's free grace. You will hear about the lordship of Jesus Christ in relation to salvation in Acts 16:31. Also, you will hear what it means to confess Jesus as Lord in Romans 10:9-10. The lordship of Christ is essential to Christ's saving work, but that does not mean that someone must make Him master of all of his life in order to be saved. Salvation is through faith in Jesus who is Lord, but sanctification is by submission to Jesus as Lord and Master of one's life.

We must distinguish between justification truth and sanctification truth and between the condition for salvation and the conditions of discipleship. The Bible has examples of those who believed for salvation, but did not fully confess Jesus as Lord or submit entirely to Him.

#19 - The Gospel from God

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 07:18:19 -0500

What is the content of gospel? What is the condition for salvation? A look at the issues in Galatians 1 and First Corinthians 15 make clear the content and the condition of the gospel. There are distortions of the gospel, so beware. Make sure your gospel is clear!

The apostle Paul explained in Galatians 1 how he received the gospel directly from God and warned about false gospels. Then in 1 Corinthians 15 he declares the two great propositions of the gospel--the death of Christ for our sins and His resurrection. He reminds the Corinthian church that this is what he preached and what they believed unto salvation. You will hear about four different gospel presentations. One is based on works, another on faith plus works, another on faith that works, and finally faith alone.

#18 - Misunderstandings about Acts 16:31

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 16:19:54 -0500

About 2000 years ago, the apostle Paul (with his co-laborer Silas) answered a frightened prison guard’s question, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” He answered simply, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, you and your household.” Since then, that simple answer has generated debate about its meaning.

Charlie discusses his latest GraceNotes regarding some common misunderstandings of Acts 16:31 which can be found here.

#17 - Serving God - What’s Your Motivation?

Tue, 09 Jun 2020 19:46:18 -0500

What is your motivation for serving God? What is your story? Why do you serve God?

Many come from an illegitimate perspective where they are motivated by status, power, popularity, or money. These stem from pride. On the other end of the spectrum, Lordship theology looks at things you should be doing to prove you're saved or to prove you're one of the elect. But can you really serve out of a pure selfless heart when this is your motivation? Is this really motivation out of love for God?

But why study motivation in the first place? Charlie found that there wasn't much written on this, especially from a free grace perspective. Grace is tied to the answer, we don't serve God in order to be saved, we serve God because we have been saved. Charlie focuses on legitimate motivations for serving God which includes things like love, gratitude, duty, and rewards.

For further reading checkout Charlie's Gracenote on this topic and be sure to share it with your friends!

#16 - Christians Who Don’t Act Like It

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 19:45:02 -0500

Have you ever known a Christian who didn't act like it? How do we deal with these folks? How do we know if they're saved? People are always asking..."what about my friend, he says he's a Christian, but he doesn't go to church, doesn't read the Bible, so is he saved?" The quick response is to assume they were never saved to begin with because they aren't showing "fruit". Some suggest that their salvation didn't stick or wasn't genuine. Still others suggest that they might have been saved, but have lost it. These responses are typically man's way of looking at it, both compromise the gospel to some extent by either front-loading the gospel or back-loading it. Front-loading adds works to do in order to be saved where-as back-loading adds works to prove to yourself and others that you are saved. In either case, it's works which are highly subjective. So how can we know if someone is a believer or not? Charlie dives into this providing several practical answers that don't involve compromise but stand on the authority of God's word. For further reading, checkout Charlie's GraceNotes on this specific topic.

#15 - What is GraceLife all about?

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 20:25:53 -0500

Have you ever wondered how GraceLife Ministries got its start and what its purpose is? In this brief episode, Charlie explains how GraceLife Ministries started in response to the need for more teaching on grace and the clear gospel. GraceLife makes disciples how grace around the world who are making disciples of others. Hear how this is done in multiple ways.

For more information on GraceLife and resources available visit https://www.gracelife.org

#14 - Grace 101

Fri, 29 May 2020 05:03:14 -0500

How does grace relate to salvation? Is it free or costly? What is grace? In this podcast Dr. Bing discusses the relationship between grace and eternal salvation. He compares and contrasts grace as unmerited favor or unconditional favor given to sinners as opposed to the idea of "costly" grace. As Dr. Bing notes, Grace is not expensive, it's not cheap, it's free. Additionally Dr. Bing provides a primer on how grace relates to Faith, Repentance, Lordship, Assurance & Security, and our Motivation for Serving.

For more reading be sure to checkout GraceNotes.

#13 - This is My Story

Sat, 23 May 2020 15:01:30 -0500

Who is Dr. Bing? When was he saved? When did he become Free grace? When did he start GraceLife? What is his life verse? ...these questions and more are answered by Charlie in this special podcast episode where Charlie talks about his story and his prayer for you. So check it out and be sure to follow Simply By Grace!

You can also read more about Charlie, GraceLife, and his vision here at GraceLife.org.

#12 - How to Pray for Growing Christians - Philippians 1:9-11

Thu, 21 May 2020 19:22:13 -0500

Are you growing and if so in what direction? Are you like a well cared for rose bush or more like a wild vine, growing unchecked?

This message recorded from Charlie's studio focuses on Philippians 1:9-11; specifically how to pray for growing Christians.

The prayer Paul uses is a model for praying for believers and helping with each other's spiritual needs. It starts with love, centers on authentic character, and ends with being fruitful.

Phil. 1:9-11
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

#11 - A Certain Hope - Assurance

Fri, 15 May 2020 05:08:42 -0500

Assurance of salvation, it is the bedrock of growth in a Christian's life. You can't be all that you should be when you doubt your salvation. Some of the NT's most vehement passages of warning and rebuke refutes the legalism and works theology that threatens to subvert a Christian's assurance of salvation. Dr. Bing takes us through the importance of assurance and how it impacts a believers growth and spirituality.

Read more about security of salvation with Charlie's GraceNotes.

#10 - Grace to Be Strong (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Sun, 10 May 2020 13:00:09 -0500

Do you find yourself in difficult circumstances? You may be going through some type of suffering be it from COVID reprecussions or some other infirmity. Dr. Bing walks us through 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 and describes how to use grace to help us through trying times. Grace is not just a theological term, but becomes practical when we need help. It is when we feel weak that we can find the strength that God provides through the grace of the Lord Jesus. His grace is sufficient.

#9 - 10 Questions For Lordship Salvationists

Sat, 09 May 2020 07:33:44 -0500

This is a discussion led by Charlie on helping Christians graciously engage those who hold to Lordship theology. In this discussion we should be reminded of 2 Tim. 2:24 - And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition. With an attitude of grace we want to talk with other believers and ask key questions to understanding their perspective. Charlie's has 10 questions, some include the following: 1. How do you know when you've really believed?
2. If salvation depends on your perseverance in faithfulness and good works, how can you know for sure you are saved?
more...

#8 - Why Lordship Salvation Misses the Mark

Wed, 06 May 2020 13:30:58 -0500

Dr. Bing speaks at a GES (Grace Evangelical Society) Conference on why lordship salvation misses the mark. Dr. Bing expounds on what Lordship salvation is and why it fails as a theological system as well its failure as a principle for living by grace.

For further reading, be sure to visit https://www.gracelife.org/resources/gracenotes and checkout Dr. Bing's GraceNotes:

The Lordship of Jesus Christ

#6 - Watch Your Words! (Ecc. 5:1-7)

Tue, 05 May 2020 16:18:25 -0500

The last in this series on Ecclesiastes, Dr. Bing takes us through the warnings about watching your words, knowing that a fool's voice is known by his many words and a wise person by few. Honor God by the things we say.

#5 - Making Work Worthwhile (Ecc. 4:4-16)

Tue, 05 May 2020 16:17:33 -0500

Ecclesiastes written by Solomon as an honest perspective about the world. Some things are still a puzzlement to him though and he mentions the word vanity 38 times. Solomon expresses it as a form of futility. In this chapter Dr. Bing walks us through Solomon's view on work and how work can often be futile. So how do you make work worthwhile? What attitude and perspective should you have on work? We all have to work, but there are extremes, laziness to making it your entire life. So let's look at why work can be a vanity or futility and how to have a proper perspective on this gift God has given us.

#4 - Living in an Unfair World (Ecc. 3:16-4:3)

Mon, 04 May 2020 19:49:49 -0500

"under the sun"...this phrase appears 29 times in the book of Ecclesiastes, and it is used by Solomon to describe what life is like in the human dimension without God. It's what life looks like here in our world. In this chapter Dr. Bing walks us through Solomon's observation that there's injustice in the world. From shootings to pandemics, iniquity is there. If there is a good God, why does he let bad things happen? Why would he allow them? How do we deal with it? It's not until the end of the book that Solomon describes how to view life differently, from God's perspective.

#3 - The Time of Our Lives (Ecc. 3:1-15)

Mon, 04 May 2020 19:47:37 -0500

Ecclesiastes is really about when we don't really understand life, we should trust God anyway. Dr. Bing takes us through chapter 2 and in it he talks about the timing of events in our life, not just why, but when. We seem to question why things happen, but not often think about when. For example, how do we make sense of the timing of tragedy or challenges in life? Let's remind ourselves of life's vanity (incomprehensibleness) and see what the wisdom of Solomon helps us understand God's timing in our lives.

#2 - Chasing the Good Life (Ecc. 2:1-26)

Mon, 04 May 2020 19:46:27 -0500

We all want to have a good life, we all want to chase a good life. Do we ever really catch the good life by chasing after wordly things like a better home, location, cars, or other possessions? Most people don't find the good life by catching success, but by rejoicing in something that's beyond this world. People look for fulfillment and some people try to fill that emptiness with many things. So what do we fill our life with?

#1 - Living a Life With a Long View (Ecc. 1:1-18)

Sun, 03 May 2020 14:27:05 -0500

Dr. Bing begins walking us through Ecclesiastes and addressing questions like, How do we find success to significance? How do we find meaning in our life? Most people live a life of quiet desperation, yet we should number our days with wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Don't just count your days, make your days count. Don't just measure success, measure significance in the eyes of the Lord. By following the wisdom of King Solomon in the scriptures, we can find true significance and meaning in our lives.