Episodes

  • No Difference Between Jews and the Gentiles-They Both Need Jesus | Romans 10:1-21

    No Difference Between Jews and the Gentiles-They Both Need Jesus | Romans 10:1-21
    Mar 25 2024

    It may be unexpected, but from the divine viewpoint, distinctions between Jew and Gentile vanish. Romans 3:9 captures this truth, affirming that both groups are subject to the grip of sin and its consequences, necessitating a spiritual renewal facilitated by the agency of God's Spirit.

    The solution to this predicament of being entangled by sin and its repercussions lies in accepting the new life extended through Jesus Christ. Romans 10:13 provides assurance that salvation is accessible to all who sincerely invoke the name of the Lord.
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    21 mins
  • Does Salvation Depend on Your Efforts or God's Mercy and Grace? | Romans 9:19-33

    Does Salvation Depend on Your Efforts or God's Mercy and Grace? | Romans 9:19-33
    Feb 28 2024

    Is this really fair? "That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone."

    This is how God chose how people would be saved, "By the sanctifying work of the Spirit and belief in the truth"

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    21 mins
  • Divine Design: Predestination and the Sequential Spread of the Gospel from Jews to Gentiles | Romans 9:1-18

    Divine Design: Predestination and the Sequential Spread of the Gospel from Jews to Gentiles | Romans 9:1-18
    Jan 27 2024
    According to the divine plan, the Gospel was initially destined for the Jews, who were the first chosen people. However, in Acts 10, the Gospel extends to the Gentiles as well, who were also part of the divine selection. This instance illuminates the essence of predestination—it doesn't entail God choosing one individual over another, but rather reveals the sequential outreach of the Gospel. Initially directed to Israel, who ultimately rejected Jesus, the Gospel then embraced the Gentiles. Transcript Want to discover your freedom in Christ? Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin (0:06) Smith talk about it today on Grace Coach. Welcome to Grace Coach, my name is Kevin (0:12) Smith and I've got my best friend Mike Stone with me today. How you doing Mike? (0:19) I'm doing good.   Yeah, Romans 9 is an incredible little book. It's kind of a (0:26) shift in what Paul's doing here and he's gonna kind of defend his ministry as an (0:32) apostle to the Gentiles and opening up the good news of the gospel of Jesus (0:38) Christ to the whole world. How exciting is that? Yeah, that's very exciting.   You (0:45) know, before we get into that, I thought we would set the stage, Kevin, to talk (0:50) about this thing with the Jews and the Gentiles because a lot of the New (0:55) Testament is talking so much about the Jew and the Gentiles being unified in (1:02) Christ, which really is an unthinkable thing if you think about it today and (1:07) all of the craziness in Israel for Jews and Gentiles to be united in the Spirit (1:13) is incredible. But Jesus even told the disciples not to go to the Gentiles. He (1:19) said that in Matthew 10 5. He said rather go to the lost sheep of Israel.   (1:26) And so in Acts 2 you see that they were up in the upper room and the (1:32) Spirit came on the disciples and there were some more people there but they (1:39) were all Jews and you can see that right after the event of Pentecost in chapter (1:47) 2 that Luke the writer was mentioning that it was going to the Israelites and (1:54) you just see that over and over. And then in Acts 10 there's a big switch, Kevin. (2:01) Peter goes up to the roof to pray.   He's not even sure why. He sees a sheet come (2:06) down with four-footed animals and God tells him to kill and eat and these (2:12) four-footed animals were non-kosher. So he says that I've never eaten anything (2:19) impure or unclean in verse 14 and then God said no I want you to eat those (2:26) things.   So he is completely confused, thought he was obeying the law even (2:31) though he was born again at this point but he still had the law in him and it (2:39) takes years to unshake the law that's in a person's life. But anyway fast (2:47) forward in Acts 27 Peter is in the house of a Gentile Cornelius and the Spirit of (2:55) God comes on the Gentiles while they're in the house and it says in Acts 10 45 (3:01) that the circumcised believers were astonished that the gift of the Holy (3:07) Spirit came on the Gentiles. That was again an unthinkable thing.   This was (3:14) something that you don't hear a lot about. I know when I heard that it just (3:19) rocked my world that they were astonished that the Spirit went on the (3:24) Gentiles. But in Acts 28 Kevin Paul finally after going into the (3:31) synagogues, which was normal for him, he was rejected by the Jews and he finally (3:38) made this statement that I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent (3:43) to the Gentiles because they will listen.   Because the Jews weren't listening to (3:50) Paul about Jesus and he says they will listen. So I'm just setting that up (3:55) because now we're gonna hear Paul's heart even though this happened his (4:02) heart was broken that the Jews were rejecting the gospel because he was (4:09) Jewish he was a top Pharisee but his heart was broken about this and that's (4:14) where Romans 9 comes in. Yes it is yes it is and so basically what I hear you (4:21) saying is that the gospel going to the Gentiles was part of God's plan from the (4:28) very beginning even in the book of Acts even way before the book of Romans came (4:33) actually way before the book of Acts came it was God's plan for the gospel of (4:40) Jesus Christ to go to the whole world not just to the nation of Israel yet it was (4:48) a hard way to do it I mean the nation of Israel like you're saying they rejected (4:55) the gospel they rejected God's plan they did not go to all the nations as (5:01) Genesis 18 talks about and so you know God God's sovereign he knew it all was (5:07) gonna happen and he brought in the Gentiles as we'll read so why don't we (5:14) jump into Romans chapter 9 I'll read the first five verses and we'll take it off (5:22) what do you think yeah let's do it all right Romans chapter 9 verse 1 through (5:27) 5 I'm speaking the truth in Christ I'm not lying my conscious bears...
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    24 mins
  • Nothing Can Separate You From the Love of God! | Romans 8:31-39

    Nothing Can Separate You From the Love of God! | Romans 8:31-39
    Nov 22 2023
    Is There Anything that Can Divide You from the Love of God in Christ Jesus? Can Continuous Sin, External Forces, or Even Satan Separate You? Though at times it may seem like we're distanced from God's love, those are merely feelings. Feelings aren't always accurate or based on truth. Tune in to discover why nothing can ever sever you from the love of God. Transcript (0:00) Want to discover your freedom in Christ? Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin (0:06) Smith talk about it today on Grace Coach. Welcome to Grace Coach. My name is Kevin (0:13) Smith and I got my best friend Mike Stone with us today. How you doing Mike? (0:18) I'm doing good. Good to see you. Good to see you too. We are going to be talking (0:22) about Romans chapter 8 starting in verse 28 and going through the end of the (0:30) chapter and we are excited to get to it because it is talking about the love of (0:36) God and how secure we are in God's love. So I'll start off and just read a couple (0:45) verses in Romans chapter 8 verse 28 which says, and we know that in all (0:52) things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called (0:57) according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be (1:03) conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many (1:10) brothers. And those he predestined he also called, and those he called he also (1:15) justified, and those he justified he also glorified. Yeah, there's a few things (1:22) here that jump out at me that I underlined. Of course that God works (1:27) together for the good of those who love God. I mean he takes everything, good and (1:32) bad, things that are happy and sad, and he works them together for our good. I mean (1:38) that is just so wonderful to know even when it doesn't feel good, you know, and (1:45) it doesn't feel that God is there for us, but he's always there working everything (1:50) together for good. And then it says in 29 he knew his people in advance, and that (1:57) is like, wow, he didn't force us to believe. He certainly did know in advance (2:04) who would and who wouldn't believe, and so that's mind-blowing to even think (2:08) about. And then the third thing is that he chose us to become like his Son. (2:14) That's my version. And when I think about that, you know, I know we're not (2:21) going to perform miracles and raise the dead and do things like that, but it's (2:27) that the God of the universe was living in Jesus, and he was made and (2:37) born in the image of God's likeness. So when I think about that, we have now been (2:43) also made into God's likeness when we came to believe. We were not in the image (2:51) and likeness of God. We were born in the image and likeness of Adam, but it says (2:56) that he chose us to become like his Son and now to be made in the image and (3:04) likeness of now Jesus. And that only means that the Spirit of God is now (3:10) living in us like it was living in him. Okay, clarify for me what you just said. (3:17) God was living in Jesus? Yes. Chapter 14 of the book of John. Let me just go there (3:27) real quick. The only reason why I'm saying that while you're going there is (3:35) because I don't want the audience to be confused that Jesus wasn't God. No, (3:43) he was God. Jesus was God in the flesh, fully God, fully man is what we (3:51) would say and believe. Yeah, it says in John 14 20, on that day you will realize (3:58) that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. So God was in Christ (4:08) reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's or people's sins against (4:15) them, and so God was in Christ and now God is now living in a born-again (4:22) Christian. So that's how I look at the image of God, that the likeness in the (4:28) image or the Spirit of God is now living in us, and I love it. All right, let's go (4:33) on to read Romans 8 31 to 8 34. I'll do that. What shall we say then about such (4:40) wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he (4:47) did not spare even his own son, but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us (4:56) everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one, (5:04) for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who will then (5:10) condemn us? No one, for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and (5:18) he's sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand pleading for us. (5:25) Amen to that. Says who dares accuse us? Who accuses us is Satan. Absolutely. (5:34) He does that through people, through people who aren't saved. Yes, people are (5:41) trying to condemn us for our actions and behaviors and our belief systems. Yeah, (5:49) well, I mean, I think he's up there accusing us to God too, but God's (5:56) basically, Jesus is interceding for us saying,...
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    16 mins
  • Find Out What You Have in Christ | Romans 8:12-30

    Find Out What You Have in Christ | Romans 8:12-30
    Sep 30 2023
    Our ministry is centered on empowering Christians to grasp the full extent of their inheritance in Christ. Through our efforts, we also aim to share the good news of the gospel, which can lead unbelievers to salvation. We rejoice when individuals embrace this message. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul endeavors to enlighten Christians about their spiritual possessions in Christ while simultaneously highlighting what those without Christ lack. Here's a summary: For Born-Again Christians: God resides within you.You dwell in the realm of the Spirit.God has infused life into your mortal body.Eternal life awaits you with God.You are embraced as a child of God.You have been legally adopted into God's family.You are an heir of God and share in Christ's inheritance.The Spirit has bestowed upon you His first fruits.God orchestrates all things for your benefit.God has foreseen and chosen you.You are being transformed into the image and likeness of God. For People Without Christ: You lack the indwelling of the Spirit.Pleasing God is unattainable without Christ.There is hostility between you and God.You are confined to the realm of the flesh.You do not belong to Christ.The Spirit does not abide within you.  Transcript       (0:00) Want to discover your freedom in Christ? Then listen in as Mike Stone and Kevin (0:06) Smith talk about it today on Grace Coach. Welcome to Grace Coach, my name is Kevin (0:11) Smith. I got my best friend Mike Stone with me today.   What's up Mike? Hey good to (0:18) be here and I'm glad I'm still your best friend. Nothing's changed from the last (0:23) podcast. From the last podcast.   I don't think anybody's ever gonna overtake you (0:28) as much things as we've been through. I think you're in. But there are a couple of people (0:36) that are close second.   I'll duke it out with them. You better take me out to (0:41) dinner again sometime soon. Okay.   All right, so today we're talking, we're (0:48) actually probably not going to finish Romans chapter 8. This chapter has got so (0:53) much in it. It is unbelievable. And it is just an affirmation of what we have in (1:03) Christ.   And it's rock-solid. It solidifies our standing with God in so (1:13) many different aspects of it. So we really hope you guys listen up, get your (1:20) Bibles out.   We're gonna be starting in, we're actually gonna backtrack a little (1:25) bit. We covered up to Romans 8 11 last week, but we're gonna backtrack just a (1:30) little bit of a review. I'm gonna read Romans chapter 8 verses 8 through 11.   (1:37) Which says, that's why those who are still under the control of the sinful (1:43) nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You (1:51) are controlled by the Spirit, if you have the Spirit of God living in you.   And (1:57) remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not (2:02) belong to Him at all. And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will (2:09) die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right (2:15) with God. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.   And (2:22) just as God raised Christ from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies (2:28) by this same Spirit living within you. Wow. That is incredible right there.   That (2:37) is packed full of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are dead and (2:43) we are alive by the Spirit. If you look in your Bibles, many of the chapters (2:49) headings, I don't know what Bible you have, but most of them are has something (2:55) to do with life in the Spirit.   And that's a major theme of this chapter and what (3:01) we're going to be talking about today. Yeah, and I especially love Romans 8-11, (3:08) Kevin. Whenever you talk to somebody and you ask them what's your understanding (3:13) of salvation, many times you'll hear that, well, Christ died for my sins.   And then (3:21) when you say to them, well, what's the meaning of the resurrection? What's the (3:26) resurrection mean to you? Here in Romans 8-11, it really says the purpose of why (3:33) Jesus rose from the dead, that the same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead, who (3:39) lives in you, will give life to your mortal body. Yes. The same Spirit living (3:47) within you.   So that's a unbelievable reason for the resurrection that we're (3:56) made alive by Christ living in us, just as Jesus was resurrected and made alive (4:04) from his tomb. Amen, amen. But what I see, Kevin, and through this, what Paul is (4:14) doing, he's constantly, and I think you said this, he's talking about what we (4:21) have received, which is the Spirit of God living in us.   And then he's also (4:26) contrasting that with what you have not received. And so he's just concerned with (4:35) eternal life, that people would be born again and saved and ...
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    26 mins
  • Guess What! You Are No Longer Under Law | Romans 8:1-11

    Guess What! You Are No Longer Under Law | Romans 8:1-11
    Aug 27 2023

    The Apostle Paul indeed employed stark contrasts to underscore his teachings on salvation and eternal life. In Romans 5:18, he juxtaposed the consequences of one trespass with the outcomes of one act of righteousness, highlighting the parallel between condemnation for all through sin and justification leading to life through Christ's righteousness.

    Expanding on this theme, Paul dedicated two chapters, 6 and 7, to explain that believers are no longer bound by the law but are now united with Jesus Christ. He emphasizes that believers have been freed from condemnation, as seen in Romans 8:1: "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

    Consequently, Paul draws a clear distinction between those who are in Christ, saved from condemnation, and those who are not, still subject to condemnation. Through various contrasts and illustrations, Paul elucidates the profound difference between the saved and the lost, emphasizing the pivotal role of being in Christ for salvation and freedom from condemnation.
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    23 mins
  • Salvation in Christ versus Condemnation Without Him | Romans 7:13-25

    Salvation in Christ versus Condemnation Without Him | Romans 7:13-25
    Jul 29 2023

    Interpreting Romans 7:13-25: Paul's Perspective as a Born-Again Christian or Reflections on His Past? Join Mike and Kevin as They Delve into the Significance of These Verses and Their Implications for Daily Living.
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    22 mins
  • Believe It: You're Free from the Law | Romans 7:1-12

    Believe It: You're Free from the Law | Romans 7:1-12
    Jun 30 2023

    In Romans 6, the Apostle Paul employs the analogy of a slave and master to illustrate that a Born Again Christian is no longer bound by the law. Similarly, in Romans 7, Paul utilizes the metaphor of a marriage that ends due to the death of a husband to convey the same idea.

    Once a person experiences the transformative power of being Born Again, the law has fulfilled its purpose in their life. They become liberated from its constraints; they are no longer under its jurisdiction.

    Tune in as Mike and Kevin delve into this thought-provoking and controversial subject.
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    19 mins