A form of the golden rule is used by many parents to teach children how to think of the needs and concerns of others, but it’s usually not the Golden Rule. It’s a variation of it and a powerful illustration of how humans often turn the gospel of Jesus Christ into religion.

Thanksgiving sneaks up on people and presents a unique dilemma: though united in celebrating Thanksgiving there is much disagreement about giving thanks and to whom to give it.

Thanksgiving is a time for Christians in particular to pause and reflect. Greg talks about Christian gratitude — a kind of gratitude that transcends normal human appreciation — that reaches beyond materialistic and surface happiness into a deeper and more profound spiritual joy.

Have we forgotten the blessings we’ve been given and the God who makes them possible? Thanksgiving is rooted in the gratitude we have to God because he is the giver of every good and perfect gift.

Thanksgiving is not just a national holiday — it’s an important part of being a Christian. When we truly understand the reasons for being thankful, we can’t stop ourselves from expressing our appreciation to God.

Sarah was barren so she had her slave, Hagar, be a surrogate mother of sorts, but later Sarah had a child of her own. The apostle Paul used the story of their resulting conflict to illustrate the conflict between the old covenant of law and the new covenant of grace.

What two words would you use to summarize the gospel? In two words how would you define God, what he stands for and what he’s all about? What is the condensed gospel? Be sure to catch Greg’s discussion of which words work and which words don’t.

Our natural state spiritually is that we’re dead corpses — among the walking dead. How does God determine that you will be saved? On what basis? How much of your salvation is up to you — does God expect you to do everything you can and then he’ll do the rest?

Legalism and license are two ways people lead their lives that lead to destruction. Many people follow these two opposing paths that are in their own ways popular and enticing, but the third way, liberty in Christ — freedom in Christ, is found by only a few.

Do these teachings sound familiar? “You’re the most important person in the universe, the master of your own destiny, truth for you is what you decide it is and you can do everything necessary to save yourself.” Greg talks about the “Master Heresy and Greatest Lie”.

What is the world at large thinking about Christianity when it sees the circus antics of some Christian TV, religion posing as the gospel and people playing the “church game”? Authentic Christianity exposes the bad-news imposters freeing us for the good news of Christ.

Some congregations and even a few denominations think they are the best, or even claim to be the one and only true church. Just how small is the body of Christ? Are you a spiritual loner – part of a small group of people you believe is better than anyone else?

If you don’t have enough faith will God return some of your prayers unanswered, rubber stamped with the message, “Insufficient funds”? When it comes to faith many are confused. You may think you need more faith, but is that true?

Religion tells us that we should maybe just try harder, that we should pull ourselves up by your own bootstraps.

What’s our biggest problem as Christians…is it religion? Is it legalism? Is it a lack of knowledge of the Bible? Is it too little obedience? You may be surprised.

Religion and legalism are uncomfortable with God’s grace, claiming that the grace of God encourages people to sin. But can we have too much grace — is it possible to overdose on grace?

The biggest threat to Christianity isn’t apathy, indifference or its own woefully inadequate example – nor is it from Islam, New Age thought or the myriad cults. The greatest challenge to Christianity is religion insidiously thriving under the flag of Christianity.

Christianity is in a completely different category from other religions. In fact, it is opposed to all religion – including religion appropriating the name of Jesus Christ. Religion is bad news – the polar opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ – which is by definition, good news.

Organized religion frequently tries to solve the problems of this world, encouraging involvement in all sorts of causes and even political action, but that “religion” can become a substitute for our relationship with God – for authentic Christianity.

Religion assures us that if we do stuff – if we comply with its rituals, its formulas and its prescriptions – that we’ll be able to please and appease God. Religion supplants Jesus Christ by telling us we have to be involved with and rely upon it to “make it to heaven.”

What do true Christians say and do — what are they like? How righteous does a Christian have to be? Would you identify a real Christian mostly by what they don’t do — by actions and habits they avoid?

The Bible admonishes us to count the cost before we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, but once we’ve done that, we’re to stop counting. What do we stop counting? For one, how good we are, but listen as Greg discusses other things the Bible teaches we no longer count.

This tongue-in-cheek program suggests four things you can do to be successful in religion (as opposed to authentic Christianity). These four strategies are prominent in our religious world today. See if they don’t ring a disturbingly familiar bell with you.

Greg talks in today’s program about the visible and the invisible church. Just what are those? In this program important to every Christian, Greg talks about some of the hallmarks of a healthy church and gives some guidelines for finding one.

There is much debate about what “church” means. Many groups claim that they are “the church.” What is the perfect church and how does one become a part of it? This is a vital question for every Christian to have considered and answered.

In 1985 Ivan Boesky told UC Berkeley Business School graduates, “Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that greed is healthy. You can be greedy and feel good about yourself.” Don’t miss God’s perspective on greed in today’s program.

There are three ways to live your life – 1. Run away from it — drugs and religion help people do that. 2. Run along with it — the way of indulgence and selfishness. 3. Let God help you run your life.

Difficult question: What is the balance between protecting our children from evil and preparing them to navigate the world we live in? In today’s program Greg takes a hard look at this question and suggests that as parents we model God’s love for our children.

Many people find themselves in a spiritual traffic jam, lives out of control, trapped in their circumstances. Is life for you same-o, same-o every day? Have you lost your zest for living? What are you running after — what is your life about?

The Bible clearly identifies sin as a mortal enemy. But there is another enemy, a very subtle enemy, which poses as the solution for sin by promising to deliver us from it by our own efforts.

Does God’s love for us depend upon our spiritual batting average? Does our spiritual batting average determine whether we’re admitted into God’s Kingdom of Heaven? How do we become part of God’s team?

We’re talking about the ultimate way to be centered spiritually, what it means to be Christ-centered, and how this plays out in our lives — what it looks like in the flesh.

In this series on the Book of Colossians we talk today about the Apostle Paul’s warnings about heretical teachings. Those teachings continue to this day and are counter to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This program is about freedom from human regulations through life with Christ.

This is the second program of our 4 program series surveying the Book of Colossians. In it we’ll see just what the gospel is, how we’re rescued and qualified and how we can be Christ-centered.

You need to be Christ-centered. That’s a major theme of the Book of Colossians and this is the first program in a 4 program survey of the Book of Colossians.

Are you passing on God’s grace? Or, have you accepted God’s grace and are you passing it on to others? Greg examines the parable of the laborers in the vineyard for its lessons about the grace of God.

Letting go of hurt, anger, pain and hatred is extremely difficult for us to do, yet Christians are called not only to forgive but to have compassion as well.

Do Christians tend to check their brains at the door of the church? Do we avoid thinking about anything that can’t be expressed on a license plate? Are Christians brainwashed? Are we out of our minds? Be sure to catch this program as Greg urges us to think and ponder.

Do you own a Bible? Do you know where it is? When did you last see it — when did you last open it? In this program Greg offers five reasons to study the Bible.

Grace is getting something we don’t deserve, mercy is not getting something we do deserve, and when you put those two together you have great news! Grace and mercy are two sides of the coin of God’s love for us.