Freely Given

4.9 (145)
CHRISTIANITY
UPDATED WEEKLY

In the vicious cycle of self-help, self-righteousness, and self-loathing, we become a slave to the pursuit of perfection. Through Christ’s own perfection, he has set us free. This is a podcast about the freedom that comes through dependence in Christ, and understanding the depth of his love.

3 DAYS AGO

Be Perfect as Jesus is Perfect

What does Jesus mean that we should be perfect, as Jesus is perfect? Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin look at the context of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5 where this passage is found. Curiously, the command to be perfect comes right after the command to love your enemies. We often think that being righteousness as repelling sin, and repelling sinners, when the righteousness of Christ is goodness and holiness running toward sin and sinners to heal them. We also must define perfect correctly, as it means "complete" in this context. Another translation could be "be complete, as I am complete." This whole sermon is a paradigm shifting lecture on what it means to be righteous. It isn't about doing good enough, or trying our hardest. It's understanding the fullness of the law, and the fullness of our need for Christ, and the fullness of his redemption for us. And as we are full of his righteousness, not our own, we run toward our enemies with love, not away from it, as our self-righteousness prescribes. So how do we deal with our enemies? We get into that, and more. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits Listen to 1517 Executive Director Scott Keith and Magnus Persson on the latest Re:Formera podcast Signup For Free Advent Church Resources for 2024 Clothed with Christ by Brian William Thomas More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin

22 min
NOV 6

Catching Up from Crazy

After a bit of a hiatus, Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin sit down and catchn up. They talk about the recent "Here We Still Stand" Conference out in California. The theme of the conference was "Long Live the Church." They talk about their highlights from the conference, and how this year went. They talk about running around everywhere, what's going on with our families, and what our families do when we are running everywhere. They talk about harvest time, waiting in the drive thru, grad school, and living through a season where you can't finish a thought. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: Broken Bonds: A Novel of the Reformation, Book 1 of 2 by Amy Mantravadi Junk Drawer Jesus By Matt Popovits Listen to 1517 Executive Director Scott Keith and Magnus Persson on the latest Re:Formera podcast Signup For Free Advent Church Resources for 2024 Clothed with Christ by Brian William Thomas More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin Gretchen's New Katie Luther book

24 min
SEP 12

Being Christlike

Katie Koplin and Gretchen Ronnevik talk about what it means to grow in Christlikeness. This can be taken a couple of different ways, of trying to do what Christ did, or walking in what Christ did. They also talk about what it means to stir one another up for good works. Looking at the full context of several verses, as well as giving word pictures, everything somehow keeps coming back to Christ. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin

25 min
SEP 9

Godly or Like-God

What does it mean to be Christ-like? Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin have been hearing various definitions from people on what it means to be Christ-like, and so they go through those definitions. Are we walking in the path made by Christ for us, in his death and resurrection, or are we trying to be like-Christ, in a way that we become the judge of what is right and wrong, and we become the one who keeps the law. It all comes down to control and independence. All stories seem to go back to Eden. We want to know what is right and wrong so we don't need to depend on God quite so much. What does it mean to walk humbly? How does that play into rest? They talk about Philippians 2, and what it means it means to "grasp equality with God" and how that helps our understanding of what it means to be Christ-like. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin

25 min
AUG 29

"Vulnerable" with Raleigh Sadler

In this episode, Katie Koplin and Gretchen Ronnevik interview their friend Raleigh Sadler, who is the founder and executive director of "Let My People Go" which is a ministry that empowers churches to fight human trafficking, and reaching those most vulnerable. These guys have had a lot of laughter together at various conferences, and we start by talking about the weird humor that comes from working in such heavy, dark places. He wrote a book called "Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking" and how everyday, regular church goers can reach their most vulnerable neighbors--not by being a superhero, but by tapping into their own vulnerablity. He gives the old youth group illustration of standing up on a chair, and trying to pull someone up, and how much easier it is for them to pull us down. He invites us instead to step off of our chair, and be vulnerable in the low places. It's an interesting conversation on righteousness, holiness, vulnerability, and what it means to love our vulnerable neighbors. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin

33 min
AUG 22

"All Your Works Are Bad" and Other Hopeful Things

After chatting a bit about the names of their houses, and life in general, Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin jump back in to the Heidelberg Disputation of 1518, and how it is such a great foundation for Biblical counseling. Thesis 2 of Luther's Heidelberg Disputation get into how your good works are hindering your ability to see your need for God. How do we define good works, and how does it get dangerously intertwined in our idenity? This impacts our response to others who come to us with complaints, and our relationship with others, when we realize that we can continually try to justify ourselves, or we can acknowledge that Christ justifies us. This impacts our ability to receive criticism from others, and reflect on what is true. Repentence is a turning, but not a turning from vice to virtue, as it's often described, but turning from depending on our works, to depending on Christ's works. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin Worthy Episode Mentioned: https://worthycelebratingthevalueofwomen.libsyn.com/episode-168-interview-with-grethchen-ronnevik

26 min
AUG 15

Wrestling Against Needing God

Working through the book, "Making Christian Counseling More Christ-Centered," Katie Koplin and Gretchen Ronnevik discuss how the theology of the cross impacts how we view ourselves. Luther put the focus on idolatry rather than ethics or morality. This puts our works in the hot seat, as we need to ask the question: why are we doing what we are doing? What is our striving for? Do we need God because we are sinners, or do we need God because we are his creation? Did we need God before the fall? We did! We just called it good back then. Now we despise our neediness, and so often use our good works as a defense against his grace. The theology of the cross boils down to: you are not crazy, it is that hard and God is that good. It is a core theology that fights the gaslighting of ourselves that we "should be" doing better, if we could just get on top of the law. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin

29 min
AUG 5

Uncomfortable Work of the Law

What does mental health have to do with the 95 thesis and the Heidelberg Disputations? Gretchen Ronnevik and Katie Koplin. This episode is very full with these two friends catching up, and hearing all about how sound theology impacts how we see ourselves and each other, and how disorienting it can be for the mind to have either of those distorted. Much of this episode is based off of the book: Making Christian Counseling Christ Centered which brings Lutheran theology into Christian counseling, starting witht the Heidelberg Disputations. Gretchen and Katie talk about the work of the law, and their wrestling with this doctrine, in how things aren't always as they seem, which is important to know when learning how to call something what it is. This is a full episode full of lots of gospel and friendship. Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What’s New from 1517: The Inklings: Apostles and Apologists of the Imagination with Sam Schuldheisz Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament by Chad Bird 30 Minutes in the NT on Youtube Remembering Rod Rosenbladt Encouragement for Motherhood Edited by Katie Koplin More from the hosts: Gretchen Ronnevik Katie Koplin

26 min

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4.9

out of 5

145 Ratings

Humorous and Real

Apr 12

AmberBillerica

I always enjoy this podcast because it feels like a breath of fresh air compared to the typical fare aimed at women.
Thankyou

Mar 9

caligirlHis

Finding God in the darkness episode so helpful In a place of suffering with physical mental health I’m broken and God seems distant Will pick the book again and read it God bless
Recent episode on “A Good Man Is Hard To Find

08/01/2023

llehsrop

This episode kept me engaged for a solid 60 minute evening walk! Thanks ladies! I even downloaded the short story on my Libby App. Super excited to hear that you are reviewing Beth Moore’s memoir next month. Listening to it is a must as Gretchen said. I have recommended to all my friends. I totally agree with Gretchen’s Goodreads review and it doesn’t surprise me that there were so many comments. Wouldn’t it be fun to actually get Beth on your Podcast!
Freely Given

Jan 16

Fufu Nation

I appreciate Gretchen’s wisdom and insight and her compassion. Katie’s loudness and cackling is annoying. I would appreciate definition of terns, I.e. vocation - what is meant by that?

In the vicious cycle of self-help, self-righteousness, and self-loathing, we become a slave to the pursuit of perfection. Through Christ’s own perfection, he has set us free. This is a podcast about the freedom that comes through dependence in Christ, and understanding the depth of his love.