Assured By Grace

How should Christians respond to instances in our culture where biblical morals are publicly flaunted? While all sin is sin, some sins are worse than others; how do we respond to those? Danny and Phil encourage Christians to never compromise biblical morals, or capitulate to the world, but to always respond with love and a sincere desire to reach those who are caught in a web of sin.

Recent events in our country have people wondering where we're heading. Changes are happening, and not for the better! How do we respond to a world that makes us depressed and anxious? Danny and Phil explore some biblical truths to strengthen our assurance by grace. #worries #anxiety #badnews #deplatform #assurance #endtimes #hope #podcast #vlog #bible #assuredbygrace

Many Christians around the world live with fear every day, and Christians in America are increasingly feeling tangible fear -- fear of repercussions if they stand for biblical morals, or salvation only through faith in Jesus, or if they resist the progressive worldview of modern society. We see churches and Christian organizations capitulating to evil, and feel alone...and afraid. We need help from God's Word. Danny and Phil provide some biblical help for those who fear.

#beingcancelled

#anxiety

#fearnot

#assurance

#biblicalsecurity

#fear

#worry

In the wake of the Nashville Christian school killings, old questions get asked: How do Christians respond to evil in the world? On a related issue, some say the God of the Bible is inconsistent: In the Old Testament He is mean and vindictive, but in the New Testament He is gentle and kind! Danny and Phil discuss the reality of sin in the world, God's plan to save us, and how Scripture speaks with one voice about God's holiness and love. #SchoolShooting

#NashvilleShooter

#CharacterofGod

#SolutiontoSin

#CovenantSchoolShooting

#Theproblemofevil

#Suffering

Dennis Prager suggests that holocaust-deniers will all go to hell. Is this true? Are there some sins so heinous that they render a person "unsaveable"? And if one sin can damn us, what about another sin? How many sins are there that condemn us to eternal judgment? Danny and Phil discuss Prager's statement, and the similar 'blanket damning' of people by today's "Woke Religion." #DennisPrager

#Holocaust

#Unforgivablesin

#WokeReligion

#Grace

#Forgiveness

#Unpardonablesin

Many people wrongly think that "Perseverance of the Saints" means something like "once-saved-always saved," or that Christians have 'eternal security.' But for Calvinists it means much more, that if you are truly saved, you will persevere in your faith. Danny and Phil explain why this undermines any objective assurance of salvation, and put the focus back where it should be, on Christ's gracious payment for sin on the cross. Hosts: Danny Woodward & Pastor Phil Congdon #TULIP#Calvinismdoctrine#doctrinesofgrace#grace #podcast #vlog #bible #assuredbygrace

The Calvinist doctrine known as "Irresistible Grace" follows on from other Calvinist doctrines. Since God "elected" or "chose" who would be saved in eternity past, and those He did not 'choose' cannot be saved, it follows that those He did 'choose' are absolutely and irresistibly saved. His grace 'overwhelms' their resistance, and they believe. But are some "unable" to believe, and others "irresistibly" made to believe? Danny and Phil expose the flaws in this doctrine, showing that Scripture offers salvation to all, and all are free to believe God's good news, or reject it. God doesn't limit His offer of forgiveness of sin and eternal life, nor does He effectively 'force' others to accept it.

#IrresistibleGrace

#EffectiveGrace

#EffectualCalling

#EfficaciousGrace

#TULIP

#Calvinismdoctrine

#doctrinesofgrace

The third doctrine of Calvinism's 'five points' is called "Limited Atonement." This doctrine forces an uncomfortable question: Did Christ die on the cross to pay for the sins of only an 'elect' (or 'select') group of people, or did He die for the sins of all mankind? In other words, can anyone believe in Christ and be saved? Danny and Phil explain the practical implications of this doctrine, and discuss Scriptures that emphasize the unlimited extent of God's grace.

#LimitedAtonement

#DefiniteAtonement

#ParticularRedemption

#SubstitutionaryAtonement

#UnlimitedAtonement

#DoctrinesofGrace

The second of Calvinism's 'five points' is "Unconditional Election." What do Calvinists mean by this? What are the implications of this doctrine? How does it stand up to the teaching of the Bible? Danny and Phil explain what this doctrine means, and discuss Scriptures that clarify the offer of salvation to all who believe in Jesus. The good news is this: You can be assured by grace!

#UnconditionalElection

#SovereignElection

#UnconditionalGrace

#ReformedCalvinism

#TULIP

#DoublePredestination

#ConditionalElection

#FreeWill

Manhood and masculinity are distorted in modern culture, and Christian men often struggle to know how to live. Too often, even churches are trading biblical truths of godly manhood for the lies of this world. Those who suffer the consequences of these failures are often the wives and children who are robbed of the leadership of a godly man in their lives. Join Phil and Danny as they discuss the challenges of pursuing spiritual maturity as a man.  What Scripture-based solutions to the needs of men can the church provide?

#RoleofaMan

#BiblicalLeadership

#FamilyLeadership

#WhatMenNeed

#PostmodernLie

#MenofGod

#MenintheChurch

#SpiritualMaturity

What does "Total Depravity" mean? After all, we are all sinners...right? Calvinists say that Total Depravity means Total Inability -- that mankind is incapable of even choosing to believe in Jesus without God initiating a "divine spark" that changes the heart and regenerates us first. Phil and Danny expose this idea to the truth of Scripture. The implications of this doctrine impact a believer's perception of the character of God. Is our Lord and Savior a capricious deity who created eternal beings without any capacity to escape eternal judgment, or is He a loving Shepherd, seeking for all to turn to Him in faith?

#DoctrineofGrace

#TULIP

#TotalDepravity

#TotalInability

#AbsoluteDepravity

#TotalDepravityRefuted

#FreeWill

Manhood and masculinity are distorted in modern culture, and Christian men often struggle to know how to live. Too often, even churches are trading biblical truths of godly manhood for the lies of this world. Those who suffer the consequences of these failures are often the wives and children who are robbed of the leadership of a godly man in their lives. Join Phil and Danny as they discuss the challenges of pursuing spiritual maturity as a man.  What Scripture-based solutions to the needs of men can the church provide?

#RoleofaMan

#BiblicalLeadership

#FamilyLeadership

#WhatMenNeed

#PostmodernLie

#MenofGod

#MenintheChurch

#SpiritualMaturity

Christian pastors, churches, and ministries are dividing over sexuality and gender issues today. Why? Danny and Phil discuss the roots of the contemporary confusion in the church, and focus on the key issue: Is the Bible really your authority, or not? How we answer this question affects both our response to contemporary sexual immorality, and our assurance of salvation.

#genderfluidity

#LGBTQcontroversy

#BiblicalAuthority

#genderconfusion

#deceptionwithinthechurch

#AssuranceofSalvation

#transcounseling

#deconstructionism

Danny and Phil discuss what happened to the faith of a nation during Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land, and how it shows that spiritual vitality can be quickly lost. There is a lesson here for parents: Don't take your children's spiritual lives for granted! Invest in them while they are young.

Danny and Phil discuss Phil's recent trip to Israel, focusing on just a few of the sites visited, and the way the existence of Israel, and archaeological findings, exhibit both the existence of God and the truth of the Bible. 

With all the cultural craziness swirling around us, how can Christians stand strong? Danny and Phil discuss the unique role of the Bible in resisting the moral relativism and subjective "truths" that are unraveling our society. God's Word is more important to our lives today than ever!

How should Christians respond to the bizarre lunacy of our culture? Many are aggressively 'shaking their fists' in the face of God. We are prone to get depressed, or angry, but God has called us to a higher path: Suffering.

How should Christians respond to the bizarre lunacy of our culture? Many are aggressively 'shaking their fists' in the face of God. We are prone to get depressed, or angry, but God has called us to a higher path: Suffering.  

Hosts: Danny Woodward & Pastor Phil Congdon

The percentage of Americans who see the Bible as the actual Word of God has dropped to 20%, a new all-time low according to Gallup. For the first time, significantly more Americans view the Bible as not being divinely inspired than as the literal Word of God. Even several Christian organizations and denominations who have historically held to an inerrant view of Scripture seem to be teetering on the brink of giving in to more liberal theologies. Phil and Danny take a closer look at one reason this trend is growing in our culture. In the near-term, the trend may not change, but the believer should not fear! Rest Assured: When God gave us His Word, He didn't lie and He didn't stutter.

#Inerrancy

#BiblicalTruth

#InspirationofScripture

#AuthorityofScripture

#ProblemswithAuthority

#ProgressiveChristianity

#ValuesandBeliefs

In the second podcast of this two-part series, Pastor Phil talks with Misty Fraker about her life journey, starting with getting married young, divorce, and a search for purpose in life...all leading ultimately, in God's gentle providence, to a deep appreciation for His sufficient grace.

In this first of a two-part series, Pastor Phil talks with Misty Fraker about her life journey, from a religiously-divided home, to faith in Christ at a young age, then multiple challenges of abuse, family breakdown, and multiple moves. Through it all -- in hindsight, the gracious providence of God can be seen.

Many pastors and Christian writers teach a form of Replacement Theology, the idea that the Church has "replaced" national Israel in Old Testament kingdom promises. Danny and Phil discuss how this not only makes God's promises deceptive at best, and dishonest at worst, but additional implications on eschatology and soteriology. In the end, Replacement Theology can effectively undermine assurance of salvation.

Danny and Phil reflect on 50 years of abortion in America, what this means for our country, and how Christians should respond. They also reflect on the character of our life-giving God, how His holiness coincides with His love, and how just as He gives physical life, He gives eternal life.

Preachers garble the gospel when they make good works necessary for salvation. and this makes assurance of salvation impossible. Good works are not necessary to get saved, stay saved, or prove you're saved. Danny and Phil respond to a video of John Piper which confuses the gospel and misapplies a teaching from the Sermon on the Mount. If you've been confused by a preacher or a Bible verse that seems to teach that if you sin you will go to hell, this podcast is for you.

Hosts: Danny Woodward and Pastor Phil Congdon   #grace #podcast #vlog #bible #assuredbygrace #salvation #nbbc #christian #johnpiper #desiringgod

"Am I Truly Saved?" That was the title of Jon Harris's interview with Joel Webbon on his Conversations that Matter podcast. Danny and Phil unravel the confusion that ensued, and help us understand how anyone can know they have eternal life.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, many preachers and teachers muddy the waters of assurance of salvation by tying it to our behavior. While pursuing holiness is critical for spiritual growth and future rewards, telling a believer he should be "worried" he might go to hell because he struggles with sin is destructive to the Christian life! Danny and Phil respond to a couple of online examples to help clarify this issue.

#grace #podcast #vlog #bible #assuredbygrace #salvation #nbbc #christian #MattChandler #VillageChurch

Danny and Phil address a question that atheists use to challenge Christians, and Christians often struggle with. Theologians suggest that God sovereignly elects those who will be saved, and makes sure they hear and believe the gospel, or that God omnisciently knows who would believe if they heard the gospel, and saves them even if they don't believe in Jesus. But Scripture is clear: There is no way to gain eternal life but through faith in Jesus Christ. So...what about those who never hear the gospel? Does Scripture provide an answer? Yes! The grace of God provides the only biblical and satisfying answer, and provides hope to everyone in the world.

Many are grieving and angry following the senseless killing in Uvalde, Texas. Danny and Phil address this tragedy, and the Christian response to evil in the world.

Danny and Phil address a question that atheists use to challenge Christians, and Christians often struggle with. Theologians suggest that God sovereignly elects those who will be saved, and makes sure they hear and believe the gospel, or that God omnisciently knows who would believe if they heard the gospel, and saves them even if they don't believe in Jesus. But Scripture is clear: There is no way to gain eternal life but through faith in Jesus Christ. So...what about those who never hear the gospel? Does Scripture provide an answer? Yes! The grace of God provides the only biblical and satisfying answer, and provides hope to everyone in the world.

In this episode Pastor Phil and Danny take a look at the spiritual hazards of neglecting and undermining a believer's assurance of salvation.  Can a Christian have assurance that they are indeed a Christian? Can a Christian know that they are part of God's family? These are basic questions that, when paired with Biblical truth, demand an affirmative response. As such, a believer's assurance should be confirmed and reaffirmed from the first time they are exposed to the gospel through discipleship. Yet sadly, theological views that demand "proof" of faith to validate "genuine" belief often side-step this topic of assurance during evangelism while awkwardly attempting to deliver a works-based tie-in on the back-end.

Danny and Phil discuss how knowing God's truth, and being assured by grace, helps us deal with inevitable difficult times in these last days.

As recent world events have reminded us, life isn't easy. Trials have a way of finding us, and when they do, questions often arise: Why did God let this happen? Does God really love me? Can I know it for sure? Theology makes a big difference in answering these questions, as we discover in this week's episode of Assured By Grace.

Biblical prophecies of the first coming of Jesus, which we focus on at Christmas, were fulfilled literally. But alongside those prophecies are other prophecies that point to a yet-future time, when Jesus will come in power and authority, defeat the forces of evil, and reing in a time of peace and righteousness. Just as Old Testament saints were assured by faith in the coming of the Messiah, so we too today can be assured by faith in the return of Christ in fulfillment of Bible prophecies. This is our blessed hope as we enter another new year.

The Christmas story is a story of hope, a wonderful reminder of how God humbled Himself as He came into this world to create a path of Salvation for all mankind. However, the Bible's story of Christmas didn't just start back at the beginning of the first century. Scripture throughout many books of the Old Testament predicted aspects of the birth of Christ centuries before He was born! In fact, many of these prophecies of Christ's first coming are comingled with prophecy of His Second Coming. Looking back at a few of those original hints of the Christmas story in an Old Testament book like Isaiah can help us all to see how God keeps his promises and serves to remind us that the rest of the story is yet to come! Merry Christmas!

Parables are often a minefield for Christians; some pastors and theologians interpret them in ways that undermine assurance of salvation. We discuss the parable of the Hidden Treasure, showing how John Piper's misguided interpretation destroys assurance of salvation, and providing two better interpretative options which fit the context of Matthew 13, and motivate believers in their Christian lives.

We all experience pain and suffering in this life. Many books and articles attempt to answer some basic form of the question, why do bad things happen to good people, though most of their answers fall flat as authors pitch platitudes to excuse God while clinging to a deterministic view of His sovereignty. Yet, is this really even the right question to be asking when facing such problems? Join Phil and Danny as they take a closer look at who is really to blame for suffering and where true comfort and assurance can be found in times of trouble.

Calvinism is a system of theology that destroys assurance of salvation. John Piper exemplifies the teaching of Calvinist theologians in his writing, and today we expose the flaws in that theology, and the despair and hopelessness it creates in the lives of believers.

For many believers it is difficult to confidently stand in faith when facing larger-than-life challenges. Yet, how was David able to confidently confront Goliath? In this episode, our hosts take a closer look at how the promises of God provide strength and assurance to modern day believers in the midst of troubling situations.

Have you experienced a bit of dread as you've looked at the news lately? Are you worried about any of today's problems including disease, political instability, or debt? In a time when an overabundance of information can draw our attention to all that is wrong in this world, how can we protect ourselves from being swept away by fear and insecurity? Join our hosts, Phil and Danny, as they delve into Psalms for a timeless answer to the problems of our time.

Many Christians today have little or no knowledge of the Rapture, and often this goes hand-in-hand with a lack of assurance. After all, a person who is uncertain where they will spend eternity will probably view an event that inaugurates the next life with apprehension, not anticipation. In this podcast, we 'connect the dots' between assurance of salvation, and looking forward to 'our blessed hope' of Jesus' appearing!

Millions of Christians fear witnessing because they are confused about the gospel. Many aren't sure it's really "good news" -- after all, the gospel is often confused with requirements to do something. Some today are saying it all depends on your good works. What does the Bible say? Is the gospel really "good news?" Yes!    

Hosts: Danny Woodward and Pastor Phil Congdon  

#grace #podcast #vlog #bible #assuredbygrace #salvation #nbbc #goodnews

Many popular Bible theologians teach that failure to heed the warnings seen throughout the book of Hebrews can impair a person’s eternal destiny, meaning whether they end up in heaven or hell, but do the Scriptures support such interpretations? How might a Christian “Drift Away” and what does it mean to hold fast to our confidence in Christ? In this episode we take a peek into the book of Hebrews and highlight God’s desire for fellowship!

After Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias passed away last year, his legacy was tarnished by revelations of sexual sin over many years. As a result, many pastors and Christian leaders have suggested that his sin brings his eternal salvation into doubt. Some have condemned him to hell because of this. Is this something we should do? Is the question of a person’s eternal destiny determined by their works? Danny and Phil discuss the response of John MacArthur and others, and the issue of “false teachers” in the church.

In this episode, we take a deeper look at a Scripture passage from 2 Corinthians 11:12-15. Does this passage provide a litmus test for how bad a person can be before they can be deemed “unsaved,” or does it simply demonstrate an obvious truth regarding the presence of false teachers in our midst?

A discussion with Dr. Charlie Bing

Do you have a family member who was raised in a church but they no longer claim Christ as their savior? Maybe you simply have someone close to you who is living like they could care less about their faith and they have no interest in discussing their beliefs with you. It is heart-wrenching to sit alongside these people we love and to feel so helpless to reach them. In this episode Pastor Phil discusses the importance of prayer. How do we lift these people up to God and what can we pray about for them?

So the Bible promises that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, but how can we trust the Bible? Where does the Bible get its authority? Were the Scriptures simply written by men or were those men inspired to write what they wrote by divine intervention? Join us as Pastor Phil offers reason and insight while responding to these important questions.

Many Christians question what “real” belief entails. This podcast will tackle this fundamental question with Biblical clarity. It will also take a deeper dive into how doubts seep into our understanding of an assurance of Salvation. Join us as we shift the spotlight off of us and onto Christ!

What does assurance really mean? Where does it come from? This week we pause to define the gospel message and to take a closer look at our justification as believers in Jesus Christ.

How can I know I am going to heaven when I die? Why is there so much confusion in Christianity over the topic of assurance of Salvation? Join our cohosts, Danny Woodward and Pastor Phil Congdon, as they share their own personal testimonies and as Pastor Phil provides clarity on these two critical questions!