Simply By Grace Podcast

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?

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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? 

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.

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!

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!