Simply By Grace Podcast

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. 

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.

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!

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.

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.