Waking Up to Grace

Can Christianity become just another system of rules, even for people who believe they're saved by grace? We can know that Christ has reconciled us to God and still live under the exhausting pressure of wondering whether we've loved enough, given enough, or done enough.

In this conversation, we explore religion vs. Christianity through Paul's words in Galatians 5 and the difference between living from salvation and trying to attain what Christ has already accomplished. We consider how legalism hides in the everyday in-betweens, why guilt and accusation distort our discernment, and how destructive behavior can rob us...

What happens when following Jesus becomes another set of rules?

In this conversation, we return to the Sermon on the Mount and consider what Jesus meant when He said to be perfect. His words reveal the heart of God, but when we turn them into another checklist, we can find ourselves caught in fear, self-righteousness, and endless striving.

We explore the difference between law and grace, what it means to value the words of Jesus without turning them into a new system of righteousness, and how our acceptance in Christ changes our understanding of obedience.<...

What does living in God’s presence look like in everyday life?

We have already passed from death to life. Life in the kingdom includes going to work, enjoying our families, helping our neighbors, and recognizing the Father’s grace in the ordinary moments of our day.

Lenny, Jack, and Melissa reflect on this present relationship with God through Scripture and personal experiences. Melissa’s encounter with a squirrel becomes a reminder that the Father remains present even when the visible reminder disappears. Jack looks back on a dangerous moment at work and recognizes grace that h...

What does it mean to experience the peace that surpasses all understanding when life seems to be falling apart? Can we trust Christ even when we cannot feel His presence?

Beginning with Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Lenny, Jack, and Melissa explore fear, anxiety, self-righteousness, and our tendency to hold on to the very worries we are told to surrender.

Jack shares his experience of facing a life-threatening illness without any feeling of God's presence. Together, we consider how faith enables us to trust what Christ has accomplished rather than allowing our...

What is biblical discernment, and how is it different from simply having an opinion about what is right or wrong?

In this conversation, we look at discernment through the freedom of grace. Romans 12, Philippians, and Hebrews describe a renewed mind that learns to recognize what is good and true. That kind of discernment does not grow from religious rules or from comparing ourselves with other Christians. It grows as we know our Father, understand grace more clearly, and learn to recognize what does and does not fit with the truth of Christ.

We also consider...

What is grace teaching? Is it enough for a church to say that salvation is by grace, or should grace shape the way we understand the entire Christian life?

In this conversation, we begin with a simple definition of grace and then look at three teachings that raise harder questions: tithing drawn from the Law of Moses, the idea that Christians move in and out of fellowship with God, and a pastor-centered church model that leaves little room for believers to share what they are seeing in Scripture.

The larger issue is whether Law and...

What does it mean that we are one body with many members? Christian gathering was never meant to reduce most believers to an audience while one person does all the speaking.

In this conversation, we discuss why every member of Christ’s body is indispensable, how ordinary believers build one another up through honest participation, and why sharing life together does not require a degree, a platform, or a prepared lesson. We also consider transparency, maturity, correction without legalism, and how valuing our relationship with the Father teaches us to value one another.

Read the co...

Leaving church can create a strange tension. You may recognize that the structure you have known is no longer helping you participate meaningfully in the body of Christ, yet still feel as though walking away means you are doing something wrong.

In this conversation, Lenny, Melissa, Jack, and Len talk openly about leaving religious obligation behind, the isolation that can follow, and why the answer is not abandoning Christian fellowship. They reflect on church becoming something we watch rather than something every member participates in, the fear that can come with freedom, and the need for open...

Are spiritual gifts for today? Paul wrote that prophecy would pass away, tongues would cease, and knowledge would pass away, but that faith, hope, and love would remain.

In this episode, we work through 1 Corinthians 12–13 and Ephesians 4 to consider why miraculous spiritual gifts were given to the first-century church and what Paul meant by moving from partial knowledge and childhood toward maturity. We explore the view that signs, wonders, prophecy, healing, and tongues belonged to the period in which the body of Christ was being established and brought to maturity.

We also examine modern claims ab...

How did the early church worship? When Christians gathered in the New Testament, was the meeting centered around a worship service led from the front, or around believers participating together for the building up of the body?

In this conversation, we look at 1 Corinthians 14:26–40, where Paul describes a gathering in which each person could bring a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation, with everything governed by one purpose: building one another up. We also consider Colossians 3, Acts 2, the churches that met in homes, the role of gifted teachers, and why mutual participation does no...

What does the New Testament actually show about church leadership roles and responsibilities? Did the first-century church gather under one ruling pastor, or did elders share the work of oversight, shepherding, teaching, and care?

In this conversation, we examine Acts 20 and several supporting passages to consider elders, overseers, shepherds, deacons, apostles, and the participation of the whole body. The biblical picture is not leadership without order. It is leadership shaped by service, example, protection, generosity, and Christ as the Chief Shepherd.

Read the companion study and join the conversation:
https://wakinguptograce.com/church-leadership-roles-and-responsibilities/

What does a Christian look like? Is there a visible standard that proves someone is a genuine believer, or have we confused Christian identity with religious performance?

In this conversation, we examine the impossible picture of the “perfect Christian,” the pride and fear produced by comparison, and the difference between asking what we must do next and understanding who we are now in Christ. Grace gives us a settled standing with our Father, and the Christian life grows from that identity instead of striving to earn it.

Read the companion reflection and join the conversation:
...

Sometimes life reaches a place where our feelings can no longer reassure us that God is near. In this conversation, Melissa speaks honestly about suffering, and Jack Eldridge shares how grace held him through a sixty-day hospitalization, time on a ventilator, and a moment when a doctor told him he would likely die.

Together, we reflect on trusting who God is when emotions fail, why hardship is not evidence of His abandonment, and the unforgettable assurance that God is always below the bottom.

Read the companion reflection and join the conversation:
 https://wakinguptograce.com/g...

How could David commit such grievous acts and still be remembered as a man after God’s own heart?

In this episode, we walk through Nathan’s confrontation with David in 2 Samuel 12. We consider David’s repentance, the Lord’s remarkable declaration that his sin had been put away, and the important difference between punishment and consequences. David’s story ultimately points us beyond his failure to the grace of God revealed in Christ.

Read the companion Bible study and join the conversation:

https://wakinguptograce.com/how-could-david-be-a-man-after-gods-own-heart/

Grace is not about following religious rules or checking spiritual boxes. In this episode, we discuss children, faith, baptism, and the joy of knowing Christ apart from fear-based religion.

Read the companion study and join the conversation:

https://wakinguptograce.com/knowing-christ-or-checking-boxes/

This Bible study explores whether infants and young children who die are automatically saved, working through several key passages. Starting with 1 Corinthians 7:14, the group concludes that a child’s “holiness” describes the covenant environment a believing parent provides, not a guarantee of salvation.

They apply the same logic to circumcision: it set Israel apart outwardly, but that never meant every Israelite was individually redeemed. Looking at Jesus’s own infancy, the discussion contrasts dedication (an act of parental faith and commitment) with baptism, arguing that Jesus’s baptism symbolized His inauguration into a Melchizedekian priesthood rather than modeling i...

What did Paul mean when he said believers would be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air?

In this episode, we look closely at 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 and question the familiar assumption that Paul was describing Christians physically leaving the earth in a future rapture. We consider what “the air” means in the New Testament, how Paul connects Christ’s coming with resurrection and immortality, and what the passage meant to believers who expected these things in their own generation.

From there, we follow the argument into the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom, t...

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done,” what exactly were they praying for?

In this episode, we look at the Lord’s Prayer in its first-century setting and follow the Kingdom language through Jesus’ teaching, the destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the Old Covenant age, and the establishment of the New Covenant Kingdom.

We also consider the prophetic language of heaven and earth, the New Jerusalem, and why passages often read as descriptions of the physical end of the world may instead be describing covenant judgment and fulfillm...

Do babies go to heaven when they die? Scripture gives us clear answers about how salvation comes through Christ, but it does not give us a simple statement explaining what happens to every infant who dies.

In this episode, we continue the discussion by looking at Peter’s words about David in Acts 2, Jesus’ promise of resurrection in John 6, original sin, Christ’s work at the cross, salvation through belief, and God’s sovereignty in choosing and giving life. We also consider what these truths mean for infants and people who are unable to consciously understand or respond...

What did David mean when he said, “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” in 2 Samuel 12:23? This passage is often used as proof that David expected to see his infant son in heaven, but is that what David actually believed?

In this episode, we work through the death of David and Bathsheba’s son and look at David’s own words about death, Sheol, and the hope of resurrection. When we read 2 Samuel 12 through the worldview David actually held, his statement takes on a different meaning than the one often assumed today.

The...

How do you pray to God without wondering whether you are doing it the right way? Prayer can easily become another spiritual performance measured by posture, length, technique, or the right words.

In this conversation, we look at prayer through the freedom of grace and reconciliation. Because of Christ, we can approach our Father honestly and confidently. Prayer does not have to be a formula. It can become an ongoing conversation with the God who already knows us, loves us, and invites us to trust Him.

Read the companion study and join the conversation:
...

Is God disappointed in me when I fail? This conversation begins with whether a Christian can become displeasing to God and looks at that question through the New Covenant. Because our standing with the Father rests in Christ, we do not have to live wondering whether every failure has changed His mind about us. God is pleased with His children, and our failures do not make Him see us as failures.

From there, we talk about what happens when fear, anxiety, or difficult circumstances cause us to forget who we are. Renewing the mind brings us back...

What is the church according to the Bible? Many Christians instinctively think of church as a building, an organization, or a Sunday morning service. But the biblical picture begins with people: believers joined together in Christ and sharing life in genuine community.

In this conversation, we explore what it means to be the church rather than simply go to church. We talk about Christ being revealed through Christian community, why Scripture and biblical knowledge remain essential, and what happens when knowledge begins pointing to ourselves instead of Jesus. We also consider how grace, the new heart, and...

Why do so many Christians continue carrying guilt even after believing they are forgiven? This conversation begins with the tension many believers experience in church life and moves into the familiar cycle of sin, repentance, forgiveness, and repeat. When forgiveness always seems to depend on what we do next, Christian guilt can keep us looking at our failures instead of resting in what Christ has already accomplished.

We talk about religious performance, self-effort, uncertainty about forgiveness, and the exhaustion that comes from continually trying to make ourselves acceptable to God. Rather than returning to repentance and asking...

What does Christian living actually look like after we have been saved by grace? Peter does not begin with sin management, religious rules, or a list of behaviors. He begins with a faith we have already received.

In this episode, we follow Peter’s progression in 2 Peter 1 from faith to virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Each quality grows from dependence on Christ and a deeper knowledge of what He has already accomplished. Christian living is not an attempt to earn righteousness. It is the expression of the life and righteousness already given to us...

What does Peter mean when he says believers become partakers of the divine nature? Does divine nature describe Christian behavior, spiritual growth, our standing before God, or something deeper?

In this episode, we work through 2 Peter 1 and Peter’s declaration that believers have received a faith of equal standing through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Divine nature begins with what God has given, not what we earn. Peter connects it with the gospel, forgiveness, the life of Christ within us, and a growing knowledge of the Lord that multiplies grace and peace.

We also consider wh...

Peter says God’s divine power has already given believers everything pertaining to life and godliness. But what does that mean when life becomes painful, uncertain, or frightening?

In this episode, we walk through 2 Peter 1 and the difference between living by what we can see and trusting what God has already provided in Christ. Peter’s promise does not depend on easy circumstances. Through the knowledge of Jesus, believers have been given what they need to endure hardship, walk by faith, renew their minds, and depend on the power of God rather than their own strength.

We...

Does God want us to be happy? What does happiness in the Bible look like when life includes suffering, fear, anxiety, and circumstances we cannot control?

In this episode, we look at Paul’s experiences of despair, fear, imprisonment, and anxiety for the churches, along with what he later described as learning the secret of contentment. His life helps us distinguish between experiencing difficult emotions and allowing those emotions to control us.

We also consider Paul’s instruction not to be anxious about anything, the role of prayer, thanksgiving, humility, and trust when anxiety surfaces, and...

What was Paul’s thorn in the flesh, and why did the Lord refuse to remove it? Paul identifies the thorn as a messenger of Satan sent to torment him and explains that it kept him from becoming conceited because of the revelations he had received.

In this episode, we follow Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12 and consider why God allowed the thorn to remain. Paul’s suffering was not punishment for his past. The Lord used it to keep him humble and dependent on His grace, teaching Paul that His power is made perfect in weakness. We als...

What is fellowship with God? Is it something Christians move in and out of depending on their behavior, confession, or spiritual performance?

In this episode, we look at fellowship with the Holy Spirit and what Scripture reveals about the believer’s relationship with God under the New Covenant. Fellowship is not a cycle of losing God’s favor and working our way back into it. The Holy Spirit has been given to believers forever, and our standing with the Father rests in Christ rather than our ability to maintain it.

We also consider what fellowship look...

Is Jesus coming back, or were Jesus’ promises about His coming directed to the first-century generation that heard Him? This episode examines the rapture, the return of Christ, and the timeline Jesus gave His disciples.

Starting with Luke 21, we look at Jerusalem surrounded by armies, the destruction of the second temple, Jesus’ words about “this generation,” and the coming of the Son of Man. We then consider how these passages relate to AD 70 and compare that biblical timeline with dispensational teaching about a future rapture, a third temple, restored Israel, and a thousand-year kingdom.

If Jesus’ c...

Did God create evil? Isaiah 45:7 records Yahweh saying, “I make peace, and create evil,” while other passages present God as good, just, merciful, and the One who delivers His people. How do those truths fit together without making God the author of sin?

In this episode, I look at Isaiah’s difficult words alongside Paul’s suffering, the crucifixion of Jesus, Stephen’s death, human will, God’s sovereignty, and Martin Luther’s discussion of the hidden will of God. Scripture does not answer every question about what God sovereignly allows or accomplishes, but that does not leave us witho...

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21–23 are some of the most frightening in Scripture: “I never knew you; depart from me.” But who was Jesus speaking about, and should believers today fear that they could one day hear those same words?

In this episode, we follow the context of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ warning about false prophets, His first-century Jewish audience, and the religious leaders who claimed God while rejecting the Messiah He sent. We also examine the appeal to prophecy, mighty works, and casting out demons, and why religious works cannot substitute for faith in Christ.

When...

What does Paul mean when he says, “Christ lives in me”?

Galatians 2:20 describes something far deeper than trying harder to live a Christian life. The believer has been crucified with Christ, given new life, and joined to the Lord. Christianity is not about manufacturing spiritual life through human effort. It is about learning to live from the life Christ has already given us.

In this episode, we look at what it means for Christ to live in us, why religious striving can obscure that reality, how the Holy Spirit relates to our new identity, and why...

Are heavenly rewards and crowns something Christians earn in this life to receive later, or have we misunderstood what Scripture is saying about them?

In this episode, we look at the crowns named in the New Testament, Paul’s race analogy in 1 Corinthians 9, Jesus’ dependence on the Father, the timing of resurrection and redemption, and the judgment seat of Christ. Along the way, we ask whether heavenly rewards are the result of human effort or something found only through Christ.

The apostles were waiting for promises connected with resurrection and redemption. What does that mean for...

What is a pastor in the Bible? Modern church tradition often pictures a pastor as the single leader of a congregation, but is that the picture we find in Scripture?

In this episode, Lenny examines Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 5, Acts 20, and the qualifications given in Timothy and Titus to explore the biblical relationship between pastors, shepherds, elders, and overseers. We also consider what pastoral leadership is meant to accomplish, how authority should function among believers, and why Christ remains the Chief Shepherd of His church.

Read the Companion Bible Study and join the conversation:
https://wakinguptograce...

Will a man rob God? Malachi 3:8–10 is often used to teach Christians that they are required to give ten percent of their income to the church or risk withholding something that belongs to God.

But who was Malachi speaking to, what was the biblical tithe, and does that command carry over into the New Covenant?

In this episode, we look at tithing in its Old Covenant context, the purpose of the storehouse, Jesus’ words about tithing, and the difference between giving under the Law of Moses and giving freely under grace. We also consider what the...

We challenge comfortable assumptions and ask listeners to test church teachings against Scripture in context. We walk through ten common doctrines, contrast law and grace, and call believers to Berean-style courage, clarity, and confidence in Christ’s finished work.

How do you live a holy life without turning Christianity into an endless cycle of trying harder, failing, repenting, and trying again?

In this episode, we examine the behavioral standards often attached to Christian holy living, including conditional fellowship with God, repeated confession, fear of punishment, and the pressure to measure ourselves against the perfection of Jesus. When those standards are applied consistently, they expose the impossibility of producing holiness through our own effort.

Scripture points us somewhere different. From Jesus’ words about perfection to Israel’s failure to trust the Lord, Paul’s life of fai...

Why does God allow us to suffer? Scripture never promises that believers will escape physical suffering in this life. Jesus told His followers that they would have tribulation, yet He also promised peace in Him.

In this episode, we look at Paul’s suffering and the lesson he learned when he was burdened beyond his own strength. Rather than teaching us to simply try harder, Paul points us toward dependence on the God who raises the dead and the strength of Christ at work within us.

We also consider the difference between asking the Lord to...