Guardians of Grace

guardiansofgrace
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GUARDING The GRACE That Was Entrusted To The Apostles.

  1. 2d ago

    When Scripture Speaks: Jesus, the Living Word in Genesis and Beyond

    Step into the quiet hush of a desert night and the cramped shadow of a tent—then leap forward across millennia into a pulpit where Pastor Steve Lenart guides us on a revelatory walk through the whole sweep of Scripture. In this episode of Guardians of Grace, the Bible stops being a book of distant stories and begins to breathe: living, prophetic, and unmistakably about Jesus. We follow the voice that called to Abraham in Genesis, meet the angel of the Lord at Hagar's well, and trace how those encounters were not isolated miracles but threads in a divine tapestry woven by the One who would become flesh. Through vivid retelling and careful scripture-watching—Galatians, John, Hebrews, 1 Peter—Steve peels back the layers so the listener can see how the Old Testament’s visions, shadows, and promises point forward to the gospel. He frames ancient Christophanies and prophetic longing as evidence of a single, relentless purpose: God accomplishing his plan through Christ. The narrative moves from awe to intimacy, showing how the same Spirit who inspired prophets now dwells in us, making the Bible not just credible history but a living pathway to experience God in our daily lives. Expect moments of wonder and invitation as the host paints scenes of Abraham counting the stars, Hagar recognizing the God who sees, and prophets searching in vain for meanings they would later embody. This episode asks you to listen for the voice behind the pages—the Word who authored the story—and invites you to let that voice change your heart. By the close, the Bible’s ancient prophecies feel immediate, its promises feel personal, and the call to believe feels like stepping into a long-awaited story that still unfolds through us today. Join Steve as he prays for wisdom and revelation, and be prepared to leave not only informed but transformed—ready to meet the living Word in scripture, in the Spirit, and in the ordinary moments of your life.

  2. Nov 5

    Come Boldly: Mercy for Yesterday, Grace for Today

    Imagine standing at a throne that doesn’t judge your story by the worst pages but receives you because of what the King has already done. In this episode of Guardians of Grace we step into Hebrews 4:16 and walk toward a surprising invitation: come boldly to the throne of grace. Through vivid parable and careful teaching, the host draws you from the shame of yesterday into the compassion of a God who is rich in mercy and lavish in provision. You’ll hear the contrast between self-driven attempts at holiness and the life that comes when Jesus becomes both your rescue and your daily sustenance. We begin with a portrait of the throne—not as a distant, stoic judge, but as a place of supply where the great High Priest, Jesus, opens the way. The narrative moves from the torn veil to a living access, and you’ll feel the relief of a confidence rooted not in performance but in the finished work of Christ. Through biblical snapshots—Paul’s declaration that God is rich in mercy, the prodigal son’s return, and John’s vine and branches—you’re invited to see mercy for yesterday and grace for today as two dimensions of the same divine heart. Expect candid pastoral moments that land in Monday-morning life: the temptations to self-reliance, the exhaustion of trying harder, the quiet shame that keeps us hiding. The episode names real struggles—failure, regret, weakness—and refuses both cheap grace and crushing condemnation. Instead, it offers a living theology: mercy cleanses the past, and grace supplies the power to live now. The teaching explores how grace trains us, how it reorders motives, and how it equips us to forgive, serve, and endure—not by our strength but by God’s. Listeners are given practical invitations: when you fail, come; when you are weary, stay close; when you need patience, ask the Vine. The episode closes as a pastoral benediction—an urgent, loving call to abandon performance and to receive life. If you carry guilt, anxiety about spiritual performance, or burdens you cannot explain, this message will meet you at the throne with concrete hope: mercy for what was, grace for what is, and the promise that the same Christ who saved you sustains you every day.

  3. Oct 30

    The Veil Has Been Torn: Entering the Throne of Grace

    Imagine standing in a dim hallway, peering at a door beyond which lies everything your soul most desperately wants: not success, not approval, but the living presence of God. This episode begins there, with a simple yet shattering image—the veil of the temple torn from top to bottom at the death of Jesus—and unfolds as a story of access, mercy, and a God who did what we never could. We trace the ancient patterns of the tabernacle and temple—outer court, holy place, and the Most Holy Place behind a curtain—to hear what God was teaching Israel about holiness, sin, and the limits of human effort. Then the narrative turns to Matthew 27 and Hebrews, where the curtain’s dramatic ripping is placed squarely in the story of Christ’s sacrifice: not a random sign, but the decisive action that opens a new and living way into God’s presence. As the preacher walks us through Hebrews, the episode becomes intimate and pastoral. Jesus is revealed as our great high priest—one who has entered heaven, who sympathizes with our weakness, and who has finished the work necessary to bring us near. The torn veil is not a license for carelessness but an invitation to come honestly and boldly, with a true heart and full assurance of faith. Practical scenes bring the theology to life: a weary believer learning to pray without pretending to be perfect, a repentant person finding courage to confess, a community that learns to encourage one another rather than measure one another. The promise of the throne of grace is not that pain will vanish, but that grace will meet us in the middle of it—sustaining, forgiving, and strengthening us for the next step. The preacher also wrestles with common misconceptions—earning God’s favor, self-reliant holiness, and hollow pride—and contrasts them with the gospel’s rhythm: first, Christ’s completed work; then our bold, humble response. This story reorients the imagination from performance to dependence, from isolation to shared life in the church, and from fear to the assurance given by a faithful God. By the end you are invited to stop knocking at a door already opened: draw near through Jesus, embrace the mercy offered, and live out the change his work creates. Whether you’re worn by guilt, tempted to hide weakness, or exhausted by trying to earn your way in, this episode speaks as a companionable voice—reminding you that the veil has been torn, the way is open, and you are welcome to come as you are.

  4. Oct 22

    Approaching the Throne of Grace: From Performance to Presence

    Welcome to a conversation that could change the way you relate to God. In this episode the host walks us into the heart of Hebrews 4—the surprising phrase "throne of grace"—and unfolds a story about how theology meets real life. He paints a vivid contrast between a faith that performs and a faith that draws near, and he tells us, in plain, pastoral language, why the way we picture God changes everything about how we approach him. Through personal confession, scripture, and gentle pastoral challenge, the episode traces the path from the guilt-driven hiding of Adam and Eve to the open confidence believers can now have through Jesus Christ. You’ll hear how Jesus, the sympathetic high priest who knows temptation and weakness, invites us to come not because we have earned it but because he has made a way. The host weaves in familiar passages—John 15, Romans, 2 Corinthians—and the apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh becomes a living example of grace working in weakness rather than only removing trouble. This is not merely a theological lecture; it’s a series of lived scenes. Picture waking up, facing a painful conversation, or watching a plan fall apart—each moment becomes an opportunity to draw near to the throne for mercy, wisdom, and strength. The narrative asks hard questions: Do we try harder or do we go deeper? Do we teach people to perform or to depend? It answers with storytelling clarity: grace is an atmosphere in which we stand, not a borrowing for emergencies. Listeners who are tired of trying harder will find compassionate realism here. The host speaks to the Christian who has failed, failed again, and believes God wants them to fix themselves before returning. Instead, you are invited into a posture—boldness mixed with humility—because your confidence rests in Jesus, not your self-improvement. The episode offers practical rhythms: begin each day by depending on Christ, let mercy meet failure, and let grace shape obedience rather than replace it. As the message unfolds it builds toward a pastoral invitation: come to the throne of grace in your time of need and receive mercy and help. The episode ends in prayer and praise, reminding listeners that the purpose of grace is transformation that glorifies Jesus, not a mask for independence. Expect to be encouraged, challenged, and given concrete hope: when grace is where you stand, the Christian life becomes a dependence on a Savior who supplies what you cannot. If you’ve been worn down by performance or are longing for a more honest, vibrant walk with God, this episode narrates a way back—into mercy, into strength, and into a life where Jesus gets the glory.

  5. Oct 16

    Living Where Grace Reigns: The Life Jesus Gives

    Welcome to the final episode of Guardians of Grace’s series on living by God’s mercies. Imagine a tired believer — weary from striving, counting prayers and checklists, ashamed after a misstep — hovering just outside a throne room because they think they must first become worthy. That image opens our story. Through Scripture and candid conversation, the host dismantles the myth that the Christian life is a project of self-improvement and leads listeners into the heart of a different reality: grace as our standing, not a spare tire for emergencies. We travel through Romans, John, Galatians, and Paul’s own struggles: a people brought into union with Jesus, a vine supplying life to its branches, and a thorn that reveals God’s strength made perfect in weakness. Along the way we meet real moments — the temptation to grit teeth through anger, the burnout of ministry busyness, the shame that keeps us hiding — and are shown a better way. Instead of manufacturing love or patience, we are invited to abide, to depend, to receive the Spirit’s fruit as God’s work in us. The narrative presses in with urgency and tenderness: don’t run from God when you fail — run to the throne of grace. It reframes obedience not as a way to earn God’s favor but as the grateful response of those already accepted by Christ. Through vivid metaphors and personal application, the episode makes clear that living under grace means daily, confident access to mercy, ongoing dependence on Christ’s life within us, and giving God the glory when love, joy, and patience appear. By the final beat we stand with the podcast’s core claim: grace doesn’t license sin nor does it let us live independently — it reigns, through righteousness, unto eternal life. The episode closes with a warm, stirring call to look away from self-reliance and toward Jesus as the ever-present source of strength. Whether you’re worn thin or sailing smooth, this episode invites you into a story where weakness becomes the stage for God’s power and where you are always welcome to come boldly and be sustained by grace.

  6. Oct 8

    Run to the Throne: How Grace Meets You in Your Weakness

    He opens the episode with a warm shout-out to the guardians who show up every week, and then he walks you straight into a truth that reshapes everything: grace is not merely something God gave you once — it is the place where you live. By linking Romans 6:14 with Hebrews 4:16, the host sets the stage for a journey from shame and self-effort into a confident dependence on Christ. This is a story about a throne, but not the kind that asks you to be perfect before you enter. It is the throne of grace, built for people who are weak and aware of it. He paints a vivid contrast between the old way — where law exposes what’s wrong but cannot empower — and the new covenant, where God becomes the source of the life he calls you to live. Using the vine-and-branches picture from John 15 and Paul’s hard-earned wisdom in Romans and 2 Corinthians, the episode shows how our weaknesses are not disqualifiers but invitations for God’s power to be revealed. Instead of hiding after failure, the narrator urges you to run toward the throne. Through short scenes and practical examples — temptation, anger, fear, failure, success — the host invites listeners to try a different habit: when you’re tempted, come to the throne; when you’re angry, come; when you fail, come. This is not passive resignation but active dependence. Grace is not mere forgiveness; it is enabling, strengthening, and producing the obedience and fruit that human effort alone cannot produce. The episode draws the listener into Paul’s personal testimony: a thorn, persistent prayer, and a divine reply — "My grace is sufficient; my power is made perfect in weakness." That line becomes a turning point in the narrative. Weakness becomes the setting where God’s excellence shines through earthen vessels, so the world sees the power is from God, not from us. By the close, the tone is both pastoral and prophetic: maturity in the Christian life is not self-sufficiency but the growing awareness that our sufficiency is from God. The throne of grace is not an emergency room for the ashamed; it is the daily residence of the dependent. Listeners are invited into a practice of boldness — not arrogance, but confident access — because Jesus, our sympathetic high priest, has opened the way. In the final appeal, the host issues a simple, urgent call: when you discover need, don’t run away — run to the throne. Come boldly, obtain mercy, and find grace to help in the very middle of your struggle. The episode closes with a benediction for the guardians, leaving you with Hebrews 4:16 and a renewed conviction that grace supplies what you lack, right when you need it.

  7. Oct 1

    When the Greater One Wins: Lely's Testimony of Faith Over Cancer

    On this special episode of the Guardians of Grace podcast, the host welcomes his wife Laylee to share a raw, intimate testimony that moves from shock to celebration. Two months after a breast cancer diagnosis, Lely recounts the moment the words landed, the tidal wave of questions that followed, and the scripture that became her anchor: the One who is in you is greater than the one in the world. What follows is a story of trembling fear transformed into steadfast trust. Through prayer, prophetic dreams, and small, startling confirmations—a clear dream of the word "negative," the number 21 that kept appearing, and a vivid vision on the eve of surgery—Lely and her husband walk listeners through the appointments, the genetic test, the hand-holding words of an oncologist, and the long hours of surgery. Each scene is painted with the textures of ordinary life: waiting rooms, needles, phone calls, and the quiet power of a husband’s prayers. The couple’s faith is not abstract; it intersects with every practical moment, shaping how they speak, how they breathe, and how they respond to fear. In a hospital hallway and on the operating table, Lely feels a presence—an unmistakable awareness that she is not alone. The pathology report becomes the climax of the story: margins clean, the tumor removed, and a future marked by medications and radiation that she receives as reminders of God’s faithfulness rather than tokens of fear. Throughout, she names Scripture—Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 56—and frames each medical step as an opportunity to trust, to remember Jesus, and to draw others closer to hope. This episode is not simply a medical timeline; it is a pastoral narrative about how grace shows up in appointments and hospital corridors, in friends who stay, in prayers across oceans, and in the everyday acts of marriage that become ministry. Lely closes with gratitude and a benediction for anyone listening: you are not alone, and even when tomorrow is unknown, the One who holds tomorrow has already shown up. Tune in for a testimony that will steady your heart and spark courage for whatever you face next.

  8. Sep 25

    From Dead to Alive: Romans 6–12 and the Power of Grace

    Join Pastor Steve Lennart on the Guardians of Grace podcast for a deep, story-like journey through Romans 6–12—an adventure that begins with the familiar struggle of wanting to do good but falling short, and ends with a startling revelation: God doesn’t only tell us what to be—He supplies the life to become it. Through a storyteller’s lens, Steve traces Paul’s language from being "under law" to living "under grace," from the cry of "Who will deliver me?" to the triumphant answer in the Spirit. As the narrative unfolds, the abstract doctrines of mercy, renewal, and deliverance become living scenes: a fallen body presented as a living sacrifice, a mind slowly exchanged from the human nature to the mind of Christ, and a hidden power that turns private renewal into public blessing. Hear the tension of Romans 7—the frustrated will—and the turning point of Romans 8, where the Spirit becomes the source of life and peace. Then watch the story widen in Romans 12: transformation moves from inward renewal to outward action: humility, hospitality, forgiveness, and community shaped by grace. Theoretical teaching blossoms into vivid encounters—neighbors finding mercy instead of retaliation, families discovering patience, churches becoming safe places of restoration. Steve weaves scripture and pastoral warmth into a compelling narrative that refuses to let grace be only a post-failure pardon. Instead, grace is portrayed as a new realm, a living atmosphere in which we are constantly invited to come boldly for mercy and help in every moment of need—anger, fear, temptation, weariness, and relational pain. This episode reads like a map and a testimony: a map through Paul’s varied metaphors—alive from the dead, delivered, walking by the Spirit, renewed by the Holy Spirit—and a testimony to what happens when God’s supplied life shows up among people. It’s practical, pastoral, and prophetic: grace changes how we treat enemies, how we serve, and how communities become safer and more loving. Whether you feel stuck in an old pattern or hungry for a fresh dependence on God, this episode invites you to experience the new covenant as a story you are living within—not a list to follow. Listen as Pastor Steve calls you to stop striving from human resources and to begin depending on the Spirit so that Christ’s character can be seen and felt by everyone around you. Come for the theology, stay for the hope: a transformed mind, a life supplied by mercy, and a people through whom God’s goodness becomes visible. Let this episode guide you from knowledge to reliance, from trying harder to living by the Spirit—so your life can bless others and bring glory to God.

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GUARDING The GRACE That Was Entrusted To The Apostles.

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  • Creator
    guardiansofgrace
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Guardians of Grace