The Good News Cast

What is shaping Law-centered church preaching and practices? Let's talk about it.

We love to talk about God's Law and Gospel. Some have said if you do not understand the distinction between the Law and the Gospel, you can't understand the Bible. On this episode, Jeff and Collin discuss how the Law and Gospel work in the Christian life. Specifically, some say that the Law drives us to the Gospel and then as Christians “we go back to the Law”. But is that the best way of talking about the Law in the Christian life? Let's talk about it!

Our American culture is in a race to find the secret to health. We're told to avoid eating until the afternoon, cold plunge, sauna, work out unless you're sick, and basically never eat processed foods. We're looking for the key and things seem so...complicated. Similarly, in the church we seem to always be looking for the secret, the key to arriving in the Christian life. We are motivated often by a sense that we are not 'OK' yet. Something is wrong but maybe this new Christian pastor, speaker, or author has the secret. We're looking for the key and things seem so...complicated. Perhaps it's time to return to simple Christian living, like we see in the New Testament.

Of course many outside the church find is easy to criticize the church. And a lot of the criticism is valid. We are all humans with corrupt natures, even those who are in Christ. It is also right to criticize ourselves. The Bible is full of correction and rebuke coming from within the church directed to the church. However, it is sometimes all too easy to miss the otherworldly difference between the church community in comparison to all other communities on the planet. So, what makes the church so positively…incredible?

Sometimes in the church we feel the pressure to present a different picture from reality about who we are, what's going on in our lives, and what we're actually feeling. We do this with our church communities too. Let's talk about it.

Sometimes in the church we make talking to people about Christ and Christianity more complicated or difficult than it needs to be. Sure, it can be hard. We don't always have the answers we think we need to have. But talking about Christianity in our culture seems to be getting…easier.

Sometimes in the church we make talking to people about Christ and Christianity more complicated or difficult than it needs to be. Sure, it can be hard. We don't always have the answers we think we need to have. But talking about Christianity in our culture seems to be getting…easier.

Whether you're looking for a church or settled in a church, you've probably thought about what you want in a church. Our mindset for evaluating our church needs to be biblical, so let's talk about it!

Many churches are filled to the brim each week not because people are coming to hear the Gospel but rather to hear another lesson in how to improve as Christians. While we assume most people on Sundays don't want to hear more commands and demands (Law), the opposite appears to the case. It seems safer to assume most on Sunday want to hear more of the Law, less of the Gospel. Moralism sells. But while we need God's authoritative Law, the Gospel should always get the last, triumphant Word.

Maybe you've never heard of the Institute In Basic Life Principles (IBLP) but perhaps you've seen the recent documentary, "Shiny Happy People", about the Duggar family and IBLP. And if you're an evangelical Christian you've probably come into contact, in one form or another, with the general teachings and ideas of the former leader of IBLP, Bill Gothard. In fact, it is surprising how so many churches teach the same idea just in a slightly different “flavor”. In this second episode in a series about IBLP, a former member and a former staff member of the movement discuss whether Bill Gothard and IBLP taught the biblical gospel, examining whether or not they do in fact teach historic Christianity.

How do you think about yourself? Who are you, where'd you come from, and why are you here? And what does all of that have to do with gender? Let's talk about it!

Maybe you've never heard of the Institute In Basic Life Principles (IBLP) but perhaps you've seen the recent documentary, "Shiny Happy People", about the Duggar family and IBLP. And if you're an evangelical Christian you've probably come into contact, in one form or another, with the teachings of the former leader of IBLP, Bill Gothard. In this first episode in a series about IBLP, a former member of the movement discusses the core teachings of Bill Gothard and IBLP, examining whether or not they do in fact teach historic Christianity.

The church's mission can be describe in many ways. At our church we like to say we exist to connect people to God, to connect people to people, and to connect people to mission, all because the Gospel reconciles us to God, unites us to each other, and is the message the world around us needs.

Pastor Michael Visy joins the podcast today to talk with Collin about what it's been like to be young pastors, what we've learned, and why it matters for our church families.

We are inundated with messaging 24/7, usually through our phones. What kind of posture should a Christian have towards the onslaught of media messaging we receive and how should we teach children to navigate this kind of world? Let's talk about it.

Should individual Christians hold to a non-violent ethic, believing that to be violent is always sinful? Can a Christian practice self-defense or defense of others if it means being violent? Can a Christian own and carry a weapon? Can a Christian be in a profession that may require violence, such as being a police officer? The guys talk about all of this and more in this episode.

We are made to live comforted. Living in a fallen, corrupt world full of dark tragedy only reveals how desperately we need comfort. So, what is our comfort in life and in death? Let's talk about it.

It seems many churches don't take the Lord's Supper regularly due to confusing about what it is. But it also may be that many don't serve it regularly due to the fact that Gospel no longer holds a central place in the church. Let's talk about it.

Why do many churches in America sing so much on Sundays? Could it be that we have left the Gospel out of our preaching and think that music is the Gospel itself? Could it be that people are looking for the peace the Gospel brings in the mere act of making music? Let's talk about it.

What if we are expecting not too little but too much with our walk with God? Many Christians seem to be expecting to experience what we will only experience once we are glorified and they are left disappointed again and again. And what if the ways in which we are seeking to connect with God are not ways given to us in the Bible? Many Christians are told to connect with God through means not prescribed in the Bible and they are left disappointed again and again. But what if there is a better way forward in your daily walk with God, a way forward that doesn't leave you feeling so disappointed week after week? Let's talk about it.

What just happened at Asbury? Everyone in the church seems to be talking about it, wondering what happened. On this episode we'll answer what a revival is and look at what happened at Asbury in light of that. The original audio was damaged for unknown reasons so this episode is a summary of the original conversation between Jeff and Collin.

We live in a city with tons of churches. Big ones, average ones, small ones. But does that mean our city is loaded with people who have been reached by the Gospel or are even hearing much of the Gospel at those churches? We hope so. In this episode we give our thoughts on what it could mean to be underreached in the Bible belt.

Reading the Bible can be very easy at times and at other times very frustrating. On this episode the guys discuss the simplicity of interpreting the Bible and the tools available to take your interpretation to the next level.

If you're like us, you've cracked open the Bible, read a bit, understood little, and then closed it to move on with your day. Reading and understanding the Bible can be so easy sometimes and so hard at other times. In this episode, Jeff and Collin discuss how understanding the big picture of the Bible will immediately help you understand the specific verses or passage you're reading.

Is your growth in the Christian life up to you, up to God, or is it the result of God teaming up with you? Our views of how sanctification takes place in our lives greatly affects our practical, daily lives and it can even affect our understanding of our justification. It is vital to understand who is sanctifying who in the Christian life. Let's talk about it!

What are spiritual gifts? Are they still being given out today? Specifically, is God still giving out the gifts of miracles, prophecy, and tongues? Jeff and Collin recently hosted a theology night on this topic that can be found on Redeemer Waco's YouTube channel. On this episode the guys recap some of the content and more.

Whether it's praying a certain prayer, walking an isle, or cleaning your life up by surrendering all, we are tempted to think we can secure God's acceptance of us. We think we can justify ourselves to some degree. In this series Jeff and Collin will discuss popular ways we try both justify ourselves (i.e. secure God's acceptance) and sanctify ourselves (i.e. become more like Christ).

Our American culture has opened itself back up to the idea that there might be much more to our world and reality than meets the eye. But Christians have known this from the beginning and Christians must understand the invisible world. The Bible regularly talks about it and ultimately does so for our encouragement and comfort. In this conclusion to this series Jeff and Collin will discuss the invisible realm and why we must understand it.

What are angels and how should we think about them? Our American culture has opened itself back up to the idea that there might be much more to our world and reality than meets the eye. But Christians have known this from the beginning. In this series Jeff and Collin will discuss the invisible realm in general and demons and angels in particular, so buckle up!

What are demons and how should we think about the invisible realm? Our American culture has opened itself back up to the idea that there might be much more to our world and reality than meets the eye. But Christians have known this from the beginning. In this series Jeff and Collin will discuss the invisible realm in general and demons and angels in particular, so buckle up! *Please forgive some audio issues on this episode.

What are demons and how should we think about the invisible realm? Our American culture has opened itself back up to the idea that there might be much more to our reality than meets the eye. From the beginning Christians have known that God made the visible and the invisible. In this series Jeff and Collin will discuss the invisible realm, demons, angels, and how understanding these realities is so helpful in our daily lives, so buckle up!

What is confession of sin and spiritual discipline? And what does it look and feel like to be in a church culture in which your sin and discipline for your sin is the central focal point? The guys talk about all that and more on this week's episode.

Christians agree to disagree on all sorts of topics and one of those is the topic of election. Election is definitely in the Bible but what is it? On this episode Collin discusses how Arminians and Calvinists both affirm the general reality of election but disagree on the topic in at least one significant way.

Christians agree to disagree on all sorts of topics. In the debate between Arminian and Calvinist theology, Arminians think Calvinists violate genuine love for God, making genuine love for God impossible. In this episode Collin responds to that objection.

On our last episode Jeff and Collin discussed our personal approach to God. But how should a local church on Sunday morning approach God? We are not asking what components should be included in worship but rather how should those aspects of worship actually be done. Should the music only sound joyous? Should the responsive readings only be somber? Is there any room to acknowledge that we are humans coming from all sorts of backgrounds with all sorts of realities at play on Sunday morning? Let's talk about it.

Christians agree to disagree on all sorts of topics. In the debate between Arminian and Calvinist theology, Arminians think Calvinists violate the character of God, making him out to not be as loving and merciful as the Bible teaches. In this episode Collin responds to that objection.

Should we approach God with fear, reverence, and awe because He is high and lofty or should we approach him comfortably and casually because He is our Father? Many churches and many in the church communicate that we should approach him with both fear and comfort, balancing the two. And sometimes we do not even understand what it means to have fear or joy before God. So, how do we approach God…with fear or comfort? Our answer: yes.

Christians agree to disagree on all sorts of topics and one of those is the topic of how someone comes to have faith in Christ. Some people believe in Jesus. Others don't. A key question is: why? On this episode Collin discusses how Arminians and Calvinists both affirm strongly and clearly that faith is a gift of God and brought about by God's grace. However, the Arminian theology and Calvinist theology diverge significantly at a crucial point.

We are all longing for glory. The Bible says Christians are headed towards glorification, life with God in glory where there is no sin, sadness, or death. Life with God. This longing can drive us to want something more in the Christian life and to seek to be on the forefront of Christianity or find a secret no one else knows. We can think we are on the forefront of Christianity because of our spiritual disciplines schedule, small group structure, theology accuracy, or because we think we found the secret key to unlocking the power of the Holy Spirit. On this episode, Jeff and Collin discuss what that looks like and how we should respond.

Christians agree to disagree on all sorts of topics and one of those is the topic of the sinful state of people. How sinful are we and what are we capable of in our sin? On this episode Collin discusses how Arminians and Calvinists both affirm the reality of “total depravity” but diverge significantly at a crucial point.

We're back for season 4! On this episode Jeff and Collin discuss joy and happiness as Christians as well as upcoming topics for their church's theology nights: Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Gifts.

God's Church, and local church congregations that make up the Church (past, present, and future), is an astounding community. It is remarkable not because of its moral standards or practices but because it is a people who have been rescued and raised from the realm of the dead. The gates of hell have not and will not prevail over it.

Christians are always talking about sanctification. We are always talking about the Christian life, what it should look like, what progress looks like, how holy we ought to be, and on and on we go. So, what is sanctification, who does it, and what do we need to understand about it to not go crazy? Let's discuss!

It is easy to treat the doctrine of justification as what we learn as we enter the Kingdom of God but what is just fine to forget as a Christian. But the reality is that, as Martin Luther said, we need to incessantly hear the message of justification. So, what is justification and why is it central to Christianity, the church, and the daily Christian life? Let's talk about it.

Faith often becomes yet another "work" Christians think they need to do for God. Faith often becomes something we think we need to harness and grow in order to make God work in our lives. But biblically speaking, what is faith? Let's talk about it! **We apologize for the audio issues that start about halfway through. We went to seminary, not a technical school, so we do not know why that issue occurs nor how to fix it.**

Have you ever wondered why you believe in Jesus? Where did your faith come from? In this episode Jeff and Collin briefly discuss the “Calvinist” understanding of where faith comes from and then move to talk about the substitutionary death of Christ for sinners.

The covenant of works was broken and sinners stand in need of reconciliation. Who will mediate between God and man? In other words, as the guys recently discussed covenant theology, who is the substance of the covenant of grace? On this episode Jeff and Collin discuss who Jesus is as our mediator. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” 1 Tim. 2:5-6

What's up with the one command given to Adam and Eve in the garden and why do you personally feel like you just can never measure up? On this episode Jeff and Collin discuss the architectural structure to the whole Bible: covenant theology. Specifically, they discuss what is the covenant of works and what is the covenant grace.

Have you ever wondered if the world has always been as dark as it is? Have you ever wondered if the darkness will ever break to light? The creation is account in Gen. 1-2 tells us about the true legend of the world before the fall and points us to look forward to life after sin is done away with. Find all episodes wherever you listen to podcasts and at www.goodnewsnotgoodadvice.com.

What is the Bible? Knowing what is the Bible is incredibly liberating. On this episode Jeff and Collin discuss what the Bible is, highlight common errors in how we view the Bible, and emphasize the dangerous roads those errors lead us down.

We did not grow up in the "infant baptism” world. So it's interesting that we recently hosted an event at our church, Redeemer Waco, on infant baptism. A local Christian baptist pastor, Drake Osborn from Grace Church, came in to explain his position in favor of “believers-only baptism” (in opposition to infant baptism). Jeff then presented our church's position in favor of baptizing believers and their infants, giving everyone a clear understanding of both sides. You can find the whole event recording here. This episode is a follow up, including some areas where Jeff and Collin see holes or missteps in the opposing argument.