Guardians of Grace

Pastor Steve Lennart opens the podcast with a simple invitation: listen as the Lord Himself speaks through Scripture. What begins as a warm greeting becomes the doorway into a journey—one that moves from the pressure of performance to the quiet, transformative life that only the Spirit can produce. Through Romans 12 and the life of Christ, this episode traces how God’s mercies free us from the old covenant’s treadmill and place us inside a new reality where Jesus, not willpower, becomes our source. Walking listeners through vivid biblical scenes—Jesus at the Jordan, the voice from heaven, the vine and branches—Steve builds a narrative: God’s eternal purpose is centered in Christ, and the invisible divine life becomes visible when it flows through our fragile human vessels. The renewing of the mind is not something we conjure; it is wrought by the Spirit, and it shows up under pressure. Trials are reframed as proving grounds where the life of Jesus is made manifest and where the Father’s pleasure is revealed. Drawing on Paul, Hebrews, John, and Acts, the episode paints a portrait of a faith that is tested and revealed—not to expose failure, but to make clear whose life is living in us. You’ll hear that true Christian living is not about learning rules or mustering resolve, but about abiding in Jesus so His works, words, and fruit flow through you. It’s a call to step out of self-reliance and into dependence, to watch God work in willing and doing, and to see the Father glorified when Christ is made manifest in ordinary lives. Whether you’re weary of performance or curious about what it looks like to prove God’s acceptable will in daily life, this episode offers a steady blend of theological clarity and pastoral heart. Stay with the story—it culminates in a gentle but powerful reminder: the goal is conformity to Christ, and the road there is grace, not grit.

Hello, fellow guardians of grace — welcome into a night where scripture and confession meet. In this episode the host invites you into a quiet room lit by the presence of God and a single question: what did Paul really mean when he begged us, "by the mercies of God, present yourself as a living sacrifice"? The episode opens with a candid correction of a common misreading — it is not a rallying cry to muster more willpower in light of God’s past kindness, but a plea that depends on mercy because our own human nature simply cannot do it. Through vivid scenes — the almost-insane struggle of trying to live right, the two o’clock-in-the-morning anxiety that won’t quit, and the shame of repeated failures — the host tells his testimony: years of sincere effort that only led to frustration until he learned to ask God to act on his behalf. He walks listeners through Romans 7–8 and Romans 12 like a storyteller following a trail of clues: the mind ruled by the flesh is powerless; sin is not just an act but a lurking force inside; and the life we long for — zoe life, the mind of the Spirit — comes not from human striving but from God’s mercy. The narrative then widens, drawing threads from Titus, Colossians, and Joshua to show how Scripture consistently flips the script on self-reliance. "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" becomes an irresistible image — not of human effort, but of a passive, holy work the Spirit performs. The host contrasts the sour words of our self-preservative instincts with the fresh breath of God’s mind: life, peace, gentleness, encouragement — the voice we could never manufacture on our own. Finally, the episode becomes an invitation. Rather than guilt or an instruction manual for better behavior, this is a call to daily dependence: to plead for mercy, to allow the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the body, and to wake up to the experience of God that is eternal life. Listeners are left with a prayerful benediction and a promise — that the mercies of God are new every morning, and that true transformation is not a victory of will, but a gift to be received.

Welcome to the 350th episode of Guardians of Grace — where a quiet studio conversation becomes a doorway. In this episode the host leans into Philippians 3 and unpacks one powerful turn in Paul’s testimony: the moment a man with every reason to trust his own righteousness chooses instead to count it all as loss for the surpassing value of experiencing Christ. What begins as biblical exposition becomes a lived story of transformation, grace, and the whisper of God moving through ordinary lives. We follow Paul from Pharisaic pride to surrendered witness, and trace a single word that changes the way the whole gospel reads. The episode traces biblical threads — Ezekiel and Jeremiah’s promise of a new covenant, Mary’s miraculous pregnancy, the woman who touched Jesus’ hem — to show that the Bible invites us not only to know about Christ but to experience him. These ancient scenes are woven together to reveal how God moves from the outside in, putting his Spirit within so that the kingdom of God is felt as righteousness, peace, and joy in the midst of life. Through vivid examples and pastoral storytelling, the host paints scenes you’ll recognize: a storm-tossed sea, a courtroom of Roman rulers, a flat tire in the rain — moments where Christ manifests in and through ordinary people, changing the atmosphere and producing peace. Paul’s longing — to be found in Christ, to know the power of his resurrection, to gain more of Christ — becomes an invitation. Not a duty to perform, but a present experience to receive. This episode invites listeners to let go of performance and step into the promise of the new covenant: that God will put his Spirit in us and we will all be taught by experience. It’s an appeal to taste the good news as it happens — to allow the life of Jesus to be born through us and to discover that heaven can be felt here and now. The narrative is both theological and practical, urging reflection, scripture study, and a posture of expectancy. Whether you’re wrestling with legalism, curiosity, or the quiet longing for more of God, this episode welcomes you to a story of grace. Stay with the host as he guides you through scripture, personal testimony, and the warm invitation to experience Christ — not as a distant doctrine but as a present, life-changing reality. Be blessed, and listen on.

Relax and settle in — this episode of the Guardians of Grace podcast takes you behind the microphone and into a candid, heart-level conversation about what it really means to live under grace. The host opens with a personal testimony and a prayerful plea for the Spirit’s eyes to see and ears to hear, setting the tone for a journey that blends scripture study, pastoral frustration, and a longing for spiritual clarity. He tells a story of listening to a charismatic preacher who left an audience exhausted and afraid, burdened by a list of imperatives no one could fulfill. That experience becomes the spark: a pet peeve ignites a pastoral sermon of his own—one that refuses to trade fear for faith. He invites listeners into a detective’s work, examining the phrase "fallen from grace" where it appears in Galatians and asking, "What does the Bible really mean by this?" Through an accessible walk through Galatians 4–5—picture the bondwoman and the free woman, the old covenant and the new—the episode reconstructs the scene of Pentecost, the birth of the new covenant, and why Christ’s Spirit matters more than human effort. Using vivid imagery and plainspoken theology, the host contrasts the life-giving power of the Spirit with the exhausting treadmill of legalism. When Paul warns that those who seek justification by law have "fallen from grace," the host reframes the phrase: it isn’t primarily a scandal about moral failure or public disgrace, but a spiritual severing—an exchange of the Spirit’s power for human performance. He unpacks the circumcision example, the trap of taking one command and obligating oneself to the whole law, and shows how returning to the Ten-Commandment mentality actually empowers sin rather than restrains it. Listeners are guided through consequences and hope: falling from grace severs us from Christ’s life-giving presence, but remaining in the new covenant reconnects us to the Spirit who makes us life-givers to others. This episode is equal parts warning and encouragement—an invitation to stand firm, avoid the yoke of slavery, and depend on the Spirit to become the kind of neighbor, spouse, and believer who truly blesses others. Closing with a pastoral benediction and a simple charge to rest in God’s finished work, the host leaves you both comforted and convicted: grace is real, and the freedom it brings is the only power that will remake our lives. Tune in to be challenged, soothed, and equipped to hold fast to grace.

Welcome into an intimate, fire-lit conversation where a pastor wrestles with the loud, restless ache of trying and finally discovers the hush of God doing the work. We begin as you settle in to the Guardians of Grace podcast—an honest confession about fast speech, rewound sections, and the hard clarity that spiritual truth requires more than clever words: it requires the Spirit. Through the lens of Paul’s letter to the Philippians we walk a path from striving to surrender. Paul’s bold claim—"I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing value of experiencing Christ"—becomes our compass. You’ll meet scenes that turn doctrine into life: changing a flat tire in the rain yet tasting joy, two squabbling sisters learning real harmony from the seed of Christ inside, and the stunned relief of a man who lies down on his living room floor and simply gives up trying to be good—only to find himself filled with effortless grace. This episode reads like a revival sermon and a personal testimony braided together. We trace the radical new covenant—a Spirit placed within us to live the life we could never manufacture by willpower. Listen as the speaker moves from theological exposition to vulnerable testimony: the harder he tried to perform, the worse it got; the moment he surrendered, joy and kindness began to flow without effort. Expect vivid metaphors—the tree planted by a river, roots deep and unshakable; the seed of righteousness that sows peace; the upward call to press toward Christ. These images are tethered to practical, soul-level advice: set your mind on heavenly things, make your requests to God, rejoice in the Lord, stand firm in the Lord’s strength. You’ll hear Paul’s confidence reframed as an invitation: what God began in you, He will carry to completion. As the episode builds, it alternates between teaching and a living example: the host’s own life moves from exhausting performance to unexpected transformation. The sound of relief is palpable—no more strain to be "the joy of the party," only the strange, gentle overflow of Christ in him. This is not motivational pep talk; it is story-driven theology showing how the Spirit produces real fruit—love, joy, peace—whether you’re at a celebration or changing a tire. By the end, the listener is invited to a quiet revolution: stop proving yourself and let God prove Himself through you. The episode closes in prayer—roots set, hands surrendered, a plea to be kept from the old performance treadmill—leaving you both stirred and comforted. If you’ve ever been exhausted by trying to be good, this episode offers a narrative of mercy: God’s work in you, not your work for God, is where life and joy begin.

Steve begins the episode by stepping back and letting God speak through him: a humble invitation that sets the tone for a journey through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. What follows is not a dry lecture but a lived story — of prisoners and pastors, of churches under pressure, and of a living Spirit that quietly turns human weakness into surprising strength. The narrative unfolds like a personal letter read aloud beside a warm lamp. We trace Paul’s gratitude, his confidence that the good work God began will be carried on, and the raw honesty of a man who counts his own accomplishments as loss because he wants more of Christ. Along the way Steve translates first-century phrases into modern longing: to truly know Christ, to feel the power of His resurrection, and to be shaped by the Spirit rather than by human grit. We meet characters who bring the letter to life—Timothy, sent to encourage; Epaphroditus, welcomed with joy—and the Philippian church itself, tested by persecution yet invited to depend on the Spirit’s fruit: love, peace, and joy. The tension between the flesh and the Spirit becomes a dramatic theme: a battle that is won not by willpower but by God working within us to both will and do His good pleasure. Steve weaves vivid scripture and plain confession together, explaining how Paul’s refusal to boast in his human pedigree becomes a model for every believer: true righteousness is not self-made but received through Christ. The episode moves from doctrine to experience, insisting that 'to know' Christ in the original sense is to encounter and be transformed by Him — not just to believe in the head but to feel heaven on earth in the soul. The climax of the story is a yearning for the higher calling: Paul’s passionate press toward the prize, and Steve’s own candid desire to be used to the fullest. This is a call not to isolation but to expanded influence — to let rivers of living water flow out of a transformed life so others might taste the same hope and power. In the closing moments you’re left with a living invitation: to stop striving in your own strength, to receive the supply of Christ’s Spirit in your daily conflicts, and to press on toward the upward call. The episode ends gently but insistently, sounding like a hand extended: come and experience more of Christ — and bring that light to a world that desperately needs it.

Night has fallen and a quiet microphone catches a man speaking as if from the corner of a Roman prison — but this is Steve Lenart, and his voice carries a different kind of captivity: gratitude. He opens the episode with prayer, then walks us into Paul’s letter to the Philippians as if it were a living room conversation, weaving scenes of chains and courtroom courage into an intimate lesson about grace at work. Paul’s words become the spine of the story: thanksgiving for a people who display Christ’s power, a plea for love that can only be kindled by God, and an unwavering confidence that the work God began will be carried on. Steve paints the picture of a man willing to face judges and death not by his own might but through a “supply of the Spirit,” a holy current that speaks and performs when human words and strength fail. The narrative turns inward and honest as the episode explores the battle between human will and the Spirit. Steve reads Paul’s teaching on humility and obedience — Christ emptying himself — and pulls the listener into the raw tension of Romans: wanting to do right yet watching weaker flesh stumble. But here is the pivot: that struggle is not the end of the story. God works in us, shaping will and action, producing fruit that human effort cannot sustain. Through vivid metaphors — the vine and branches, light in a crooked generation, the invisible child born of Spirit — the episode shows how Christians can prove their identity not by perfection but by Spirit-formed character: unity, absent grumbling, and a joy that radiates like a lamp in the night. Steve’s teaching makes the doctrinal feel personal and urgent, turning theological terms into a roadmap for daily life. We hear the call to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” not as a burden of self-reliance but as a call to cooperate with God’s work within us. The episode closes like a benediction: an invitation to stop striving in our own strength and begin depending on the living, active Spirit that brings righteousness, courage, and the mind of Christ into ordinary moments. Compelling and pastoral, this episode reads like a short pilgrimage — from confession and struggle to hope, power, and praise — and leaves the listener ready to pray for more of the Spirit, to live as visible lights, and to trust that the grace begun in them will indeed be carried on.

Step into a prisoner’s cell and hear a letter that sings—this episode opens the door to the book of Philippians not as a dry exegesis but as a living conversation. We walk with Paul in chains, feel the weight of his circumstances, and discover a voice that keeps returning to one steady truth: God’s Spirit is at work in believers, and that work changes everything. Paul’s opening words are a surprising portrait of gratitude. He isn’t thanking people—he’s thanking God for the Philippians’ participation in the gospel. From that single observation the episode unfolds like a story: a new covenant promised long ago, a Spirit placed within, and a way of life that looks nothing like the tired treadmill of human performance. Instead of rules and guilt, Paul points toward a life of righteousness, peace, and joy born from the Spirit. Listen as the host traces the threads of the new covenant through Paul’s letter: how God’s Spirit enables bold witness even in prison, how suffering becomes a strange privilege, and how trials become the ground where Christ is revealed. You’ll feel the tension between law and Spirit, the pull of fear before judges, and the quiet confidence that the work God began in believers will be brought to completion. Through vivid echoes of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the episode shows that the promise to put God’s Spirit in people was never theoretical—it’s practical, daily, and transformative. The narrative presses on the heart of the gospel: not human grit, but God’s active life within us, producing fruit that points back to God’s glory. Paul’s clarity—and joy—shines as he declares, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” The episode gives you the sense of standing beside him, choosing between life and death, and realizing both paths magnify Christ. Even motives that fall short cannot stop the gospel’s spread; Christ is exalted whether by life or by death. By the end you are left with an invitation: to live worthy of the gospel by seeking the Spirit each day, to embrace unity, and to see suffering as a door to Christ’s manifestation. You’ll be prepared for the next chapter—literally—promised as a coming revelation. Join this journey through Philippians and let the Spirit that inspired Paul speak into your life through the pulse of this ancient, life-changing letter.

Step into a small room where a rushing wind and tongues of fire changed everything — and one man’s life was remade by a discovery that turned his Christian effort on its head. In this episode, Steve Lenart recounts the slow-burning frustration of a decade spent trying to live by commandments and willpower, and then the sudden, freeing revelation: spirit gives birth to spirit. Through the scene of Nicodemus, the words of Paul, and the chaos of Pentecost, the gospel becomes not a set of do’s and don’ts but a living presence — Christ formed within us. Listen as the narrative unfolds from confusion and legal striving to the intimate miracle of the new covenant, when God promised, “I will put my Spirit in you.” Hear how being born again is not a metaphor but a spiritual birth — the Father’s sperma quickening a new nature inside the old — and how that revelation explains why the law could never do for us what the Spirit now does. With vivid images and personal testimony, Steve traces the arc from Moses’ tutor to the hope of glory raised with Christ. Along the way you’ll meet the two natures that live in each believer, the practical comfort of being saved from condemnation, and the radical invitation to stop relying on human grit and start trusting the faithfulness of Christ within. This is a story of transformation — a map out of guilt and striving into rest, belonging, and the daily power of the Spirit. Tune in, be drawn in, and let this episode open a door to revelation that could change the way you live your faith.

He begins the episode as a man with an empty, restless life and ends it on fire with revelation. In a personal, unguarded testimony, the host recounts how God apprehended him 35 years ago and turned his nights and days into a single, relentless devotion to Scripture—an addiction not to rules but to revelation. What started as a search for meaning after a secular spiral led him through churches, guilt, and even clinical depression, until one encounter loosened the door for a spirit of wisdom and revelation to transform everything. Through intimate storytelling, he traces the painful arc of trying to live the Christian life by verbs alone—do this, don’t do that—only to fail, fall short, and feel defeated. He shares raw moments: the shame of repeated failures, the temporary solace of good days, and the crushing repetition of nights when he disappointed himself. Those confessions make the later breakthrough all the more vivid. The heart of the episode is the moment the Bible becomes alive. He describes how, after receiving the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, scripture stopped being a list of commands and became a tapestry of interconnected truths—Genesis to Revelation—revealing God’s plan to replace human striving with Spirit-given power. The old Mosaic covenant, he explains, proved the limits of human effort; the new covenant brings the Spirit to live inside us, enabling us to love, please, and bear fruit in ways our natural strength never could. Using vivid metaphors—the vine and the branches, being born twice, and a spirit “sown” into the believer—he invites listeners to understand grace not as mere pardon but as the power to become what we could never accomplish alone. The episode blends theology and testimony into a compelling narrative of failure, revelation, and freedom, offering hope to anyone exhausted by trying harder and hungry for a deeper, Spirit-led transformation. Tune in for a story that moves from loneliness and legalism to the fierce, freeing reality of being born from above—an honest, pastoral witness that turns doctrinal truth into lived experience.

On this episode of Guardians of Grace, Steve pours out a river of spiritual reflection about what it truly means to be "born again"—better translated, "born from above." Through vivid imagery and personal testimony, he guides listeners from the frustration of failing human effort to the freedom of a life empowered by God’s Spirit. You’ll hear how the new covenant, inaugurated at Pentecost, reversed the pattern of flesh giving birth to flesh and began the work of spirit giving birth to spirit—placing Christ Himself inside believers as the source of love, wisdom, and lasting change. Steve draws on scripture—John’s intimate promises, Paul’s teaching on Christ in you, and the ancient story of Adam and the Last Adam—to weave a compelling narrative: every Christian carries two natures, the earthly human and the heavenly Spirit. He shares his own struggle with wondering if he was "good enough," then reveals the relief of learning that true goodness is the life of Christ born within us. This episode alternates clear doctrinal teaching with pastoral warmth: prayers, invitations to rest in Jesus, and candid encouragement for anyone exhausted by moral striving. Listen in as the podcast explains how the Spirit in us does what we cannot—enabling real love, transformation, and the power to "give birth" to life in others. Whether you’re wrestling with doubt, hungering for a deeper understanding of grace, or simply need a burdensome weight lifted from your heart, this episode offers a hopeful, Scripture-rooted journey toward living by Spirit rather than by effort. Stay tuned—there’s more depth to come in the next episode as the speaker and the Spirit lead you further into this glorious truth.

Step into a restless night and a weary heart: Steve Lenart invites you to walk beside him from the wreckage of a worldly life to the quiet, revolutionary discovery of what it truly means to be born again. This episode reads like a late-night conversation—honest, raw and tender—where a seeker’s exhaustion becomes the soil for a deeper hunger. Steve describes his years of searching through churches and sermons, chasing rules and verbs, until one encounter with a mentor and a persistent prayer opened the Bible not as a list of dos and don’ts but as a living map. Through vivid images and plainspoken theology, the episode unpacks an electrifying idea: spirit gives birth to spirit. Using the ancient Greek root sperma, Steve paints the gospel as a seed planted in the soul that grows into a new, invisible person—the spiritual man—who lives by the power of Christ, not human willpower. He weaves Scripture (Nicodemus’ night visit, Paul’s tears of childbirth, Ephesians’ prayer for revelation) into a narrative arc that reveals how the new covenant reorders life from frantic performance to quiet dependence on God’s indwelling power. The stakes are personal and universal: what if your best days are not the result of heroic effort but of an interior birth you weren’t taught to trust? Steve’s testimony—his years reading the Bible, smoking pot, and then returning to scripture hungry for meaning—creates emotional tension that resolves in revelation. He recounts the prayer that changed his Bible reading, the slow unlocking of phrases that suddenly became transformative, and the taste of a faith that is not vanity but life. Listeners are guided through practical landscapes—relationships, speech, good deeds—and shown how the Spirit’s work gives meaning and value where human effort falls short. Steve’s voice blends pastoral warmth with scholarly curiosity: he uses spoon-sized bites to teach big truths, demonstrating how spiritual sight, hearing, and wisdom can be trained to discern the presence of God in others and to live with real harmony and joy. By episode’s close you are not left with abstract doctrine but with a clear invitation: to exchange exhausting performance for the new covenant’s inner life, to learn the language of the Spirit, and to expect real, tangible change. It’s a story of conviction, conversion, and daily hope—an intimate roadmap for anyone tired of “trying harder” and ready to be changed from the inside out. Tune in for the next installment to continue the journey in spoon-sized, life-changing revelations.

Welcome into a night conversation that changes everything. In this episode Steve Lennart throws down a bold challenge: the words "saved" and "born again" are not interchangeable. As he unpacks John 3 and walks us beside Nicodemus under the hush of midnight, the familiar Gospel flips into a living mystery — one that begins with water, but is completed by an invisible wind. Picture the Pharisee approaching the Teacher under starlight, baffled by language of birth and spirit. Jesus answers not with doctrine but with images — water breaking, an unseen wind, and a new birth that cannot be photographed but whose effects can be seen. What begins as a theological puzzle becomes an intimate portrait of how God brings a new, spiritual person into being. Then the story accelerates to Pentecost — a tornado of sound and tongues of fire — when heaven’s wind finally touches earth and the Gospel becomes fertile seed. Steve shows how that first rushing wind set in motion a chain of spiritual births: every proclamation of the good news that is believed becomes an act of spiritual conception. The Gospel doesn’t merely inform. It impregnates. Using Paul as our witness — the missionary who could honestly say, "I fathered you through the Gospel" — the episode reveals the hard, loving labor of spiritual formation: the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in us. Steve draws out the startling image of spiritual sperm, imperishable seed, and a child of God who is inwardly transformed, alive with Christ’s mind and power. That inner transformation matters because we house two realities: a visible human person and an invisible spiritual person. Only the spiritual man bears the true treasures Jesus taught us to store in heaven. The episode unpacks how our good works, discernment, and the power to live differently flow from the Spirit living inside us — not from our flesh or upbringing. The stakes are eternal. This podcast episode folds biblical insight into a vivid narrative that moves from midnight questions to Pentecostal wind, from intimate conception to the marketplace of daily life, urging listeners to choose the life that lasts beyond the mist of this world. Steve’s voice is both pastoral and urgent: come back, listen closely, and let these truths rearrange how you live and what you invest for all eternity. Close with an invitation: return for the next installments, let the Spirit sharpen your spiritual eyes and ears, and discover how to store up treasures in heaven. Find more episodes and revelation at guardinggrace.com — and be prepared to meet the new person you have become.

On a quiet night a respected Pharisee slips through the darkness to meet a teacher who will turn his world upside down. In this episode the host opens with a bold, unsettling thesis: the words "saved" and "born again" are not the same. That one claim sparks a heartfelt, urgent exploration — not to wound, but to illuminate the Gospel’s deepest imagery. Through storytelling, scripture, and personal invitation, the episode revisits the first-ever explanation of the new birth — Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3. Picture the hush of midnight, the urgency in Jesus’ voice as he says, "You must be born again," and the paradox he gives Nicodemus: what is invisible can change the visible. Flesh gives birth to flesh; spirit gives birth to spirit. The wind blows where it wills — you hear its effect but cannot see its source. The host walks listeners through the shock of that revelation, teasing the larger framework of the New Covenant: multiple kinds of salvation in scripture, the surprising absence of the modern “saved from hell” narrative in many New Testament passages, and the single, focused meaning behind "born again." Using John 3 as a master key, the episode traces how belief in Christ unlocks an inward, spiritual birth — an invisible shift that reshapes sight, entry into God’s kingdom, and the very language Christians use about faith. Expect gentle but provocative questions that challenge comfortable assumptions, moments of biblical excavation that clarify hidden nuances, and an invitation to receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation. This is the opening of a series committed to simplifying the Bible by revealing how one phrase reframes the whole story of the gospel. Come back for the next episode: the host promises to mine John 3 for the full definition of being "born again," to calm the heat this conversation has started, and to lead listeners toward clearer vision, spiritual insight, and a renewed understanding of what it truly means to be part of God’s kingdom.

Pastor Steve explores how the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of our heart to recognize Christ at work within us and others. He explains the difference between human effort and spiritual life under the new covenant, emphasizing that true good comes from God in us, not from our flesh. Throughout the episode he cites scripture—John, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians—urging listeners to give God the credit for good deeds, store up treasures in heaven, and live with spiritual vision that sees the invisible kingdom at work.

This episode prays for and explains Paul’s request in Ephesians 1:17—receiving the spirit of wisdom and revelation so the eyes of your heart are enlightened. Steve shares a personal testimony of how that revelation transformed his life, urging listeners to pray, memorize Eph 1:17-19, and seek the mind of Christ. The episode also explores the coming of the kingdom of God, Pentecost, the new covenant, and practical encouragement to continue studying the Bible through the following of Guardians of Grace podcasts.

This episode teaches listeners how to develop spiritual vision to discern the difference between the human (flesh) and the spiritual (Christ) in themselves and others. Using passages from Genesis, Paul, and John, the speaker explains how being born again opens the eyes to the kingdom of God, enabling believers to recognize God’s activity, give Him credit for good works, and live in the new covenant.

Steve Lenart explores how the Holy Spirit enables believers to read and understand scripture, distinguishing spiritual sight and hearing from natural perception. Using passages from Mark, Matthew, 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, and Hebrews, the episode emphasizes abiding in Christ, receiving the Spirit’s wisdom and revelation, and training spiritual senses to discern flesh from spirit.

In this episode Steve Lennart examines John the Baptist's confrontation with the Pharisees and explains how their exchange reveals the judicial language of the new covenant: repentance, Spirit-birth, and works tested by fire. He connects John, Jesus, Paul, and Revelation to show that true Christian living depends on Christ in us, not human effort, and outlines how believers can bear lasting fruit and store up rewards in heaven.

In this episode, Steve Lennart examines John the Baptist’s confrontation with the Pharisees at the Jordan, explaining key "terms of art" in the New Covenant—baptism, repentance, and being baptized with fire. Using passages from Matthew 3, John 3, 1 Corinthians 3, and Revelation, he shows how works done in human strength (the chaff) are burned up, while Spirit-led works (the wheat) are stored as heavenly treasure. Steve emphasizes that repentance means changing one’s mind about who is the source of good deeds, urging listeners to rely on the Holy Spirit so their deeds bear fruit and receive reward in God’s judicial system.

Steve Lenart hosts Guardians of Grace in a focused Bible study on John the Baptist's confrontation with the Pharisees, unpacking the new covenant language behind baptism, repentance, wheat and chaff, and what it means to bear lasting fruit. The episode contrasts human effort with Spirit-led life, explains the spiritual meaning of baptism and circumcision in Christ, and previews a deeper look at the new covenant's judicial system in the next episode.

Host Steve Lennart examines John the Baptist's confrontation with the Pharisees in Matthew 3, highlighting that they came to be baptized and introducing the new covenant meanings behind repentance, baptism, and judgment. Referencing Hebrews 6, Romans 7, and Colossians 2, the episode explains key "terms of art"—dead works, the axe at the root, and the baptism of fire and the Spirit—to reveal how the new covenant's judicial system works. This episode begins a series that reframes familiar gospel passages by teaching the distinct language and legal framework of the new covenant.

Steve Lenart examines John the Baptist’s rebuke of the Pharisees in Matthew 3, explaining new-covenant terms like wrath, repentance, fruit, and the fire and Spirit of baptism. He argues that John’s call was not about avoiding hell but about receiving the Spirit so believers can bear lasting spiritual fruit. Throughout, Lenart connects Matthew 3 to Romans and the New Covenant to reveal how these terms reshape how we read Scripture.

Hosts Bill and Steve explore what it truly means to be a disciple: experiencing the truth of Christ—"the I Am"—so the Spirit can live through us. They contrast human effort and law-based righteousness with relying on God’s Spirit, showing how acknowledging Jesus in all our ways turns off sin and brings freedom, rest, and the power of resurrection life.

The host opens a new study connecting 1 John with the rest of the Bible, focusing on Jesus’ warning in Matthew 7 about judgment. The episode distinguishes judgments we must avoid (condemnation) from righteous discernment — knowing people by the fruit they bear and watching for false prophets and antichrists. Practical guidance is given on fellowship: minister to the lost but do not closely fellowship with those living in the flesh, and give credit to Christ in you to store up treasures in heaven. The episode closes with a prayer asking God to help listeners live by the Spirit and grow in discernment and fellowship that pleases the Lord.

Steve Lennart walks through Romans 9–10 to reveal a fresh perspective on the new covenant: salvation from shame and daily disappointment rather than only eternal deliverance. He contrasts Israel’s attempt to earn righteousness by the law with the Gentiles’ reception of righteousness by faith, explaining how the Spirit in us fulfills the law’s righteous requirements and enables Christ-centered living. The episode emphasizes confessing Jesus as Lord, relying on the Spirit for transformed behavior, and giving Christ credit for the good in our lives so we won’t be ashamed. It points listeners to practical new-covenant living in family, community, and ministry.

Steve Lenart explores the heart of the Christian life: not human imitation of Christ but Christ living inside believers by the Holy Spirit. He traces the theme from Genesis and Old Testament sacrifice through the prophets to Jesus' fulfillment and the birth of the new covenant. Using passages like John 15, John 17, Romans, and Galatians, the episode emphasizes abiding in Jesus, Spirit-empowered obedience, and Jesus' prayer for unity so the world may believe.

Host Steve Lenart opens with gratitude and a personal testimony about his 2016 stroke and humility, emphasizing that the insights shared are from God through him, not from him alone. The episode recaps 1 John chapters 1–4, highlighting the central theme of fellowship with the Father and the Son, the difference between spirit and human nature, the new covenant, and the visible fruit of God’s love in believers. Steve admits he finds 1 John 5 challenging and prays for clarity, inviting listeners to receive revelation and discern how to fellowship in spirit rather than in the flesh.

In this episode the host walks through 1 John to show how the new covenant teaches Christians to experience God and build joy-filled fellowship. He emphasizes that true love is God's love flowing through us—not human effort—and explains how to recognize and manifest that spirit in everyday relationships. Practical encouragement and biblical insight on waiting for God, becoming His instrument, and finding confidence and joy in authentic Christian fellowship.

This episode walks through 1 John and unveils its single life-changing message: learn to fellowship with the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit, not human nature. It reassures listeners about assurance of salvation and explains how to discern when someone is manifesting the Spirit versus the flesh. Practical and encouraging, the talk urges listeners to abide in God, let His power work through them in daily life, choose healthy fellowship, and experience deeper joy and confidence in their Christian walk.

In this episode the host begins a study of 1 John, explaining that the letter is about the new covenant and spirit-to-spirit fellowship rather than proving or maintaining salvation. He clarifies key themes like discerning the Spirit versus human nature, abiding in Jesus, and how the Holy Spirit’s anointing makes Christian relationships joyful and life-giving. Listeners will learn practical insight for recognizing when fellowship is led by the Spirit, how Christ’s life works through believers, and why this understanding transforms everyday Christian relationships.

This episode is an overview of the book of James, explaining its central thesis: trials test for manifestations of the Holy Spirit, and those manifestations produce spiritual maturity and reward. It covers practical application — asking God for wisdom, being doers of the word, controlling the tongue, patience and prayer of faith, and turning others back to the truth — all framed as living under the new covenant where God works through us.

Host Steve (Guardians of Grace) walks listeners through James 5:8–20, explaining the new-covenant reality where God’s Spirit manifests through believers rather than human effort. The episode emphasizes patience in trials, faith as a manifestation of the Spirit, the power of prayer and anointing for healing, and restoring those who stray from this truth. Practical illustrations (Abraham, Rahab, Job, Elijah) are used to show how waiting on the Lord brings God’s life and wisdom into ordinary fellowship and struggles.

Host introduces the Guardians of Grace podcast, prays for a friend harmed by internet fraud, and shares a passionate study of the letter of James. The episode explains James’s central theme: tests reveal manifestations of the Spirit under the new covenant, where God’s work through us earns heavenly rewards while our self-made prideful deeds burn away. Key passages from 1 Corinthians, Colossians, and Revelation are used to illustrate Christ’s spiritual circumcision, the refining fire that consumes the flesh, and the call to patiently depend on God rather than human effort.

Steve Lenart recounts personal moments of being unexpectedly used by the Holy Spirit and explains his lifelong practice of letting Scripture answer questions. He emphasizes that true faith and righteous words come from the Spirit, not human effort. Using James chapter 4, he contrasts active commands (resist the devil, draw near to God) with the passive work of the Spirit (submit, mourn, humble), urging listeners to depend on the Spirit, give God credit for every good work, and live with humility under God’s guidance.

In this episode Steve explores the book of James, contrasting legalism with the new covenant of grace. He explains how the Spirit of God dwells in believers to produce righteous fruit, especially during trials, and why humility and dependence on God—not human effort—are essential. Listeners are encouraged to see everyday conflicts as tests that reveal either human nature or the Spirit, to submit to God’s power, and to manifest Christ through peaceful, Spirit-filled living.

This episode explores the Book of James, focusing on the idea of manifesting the Holy Spirit under the new covenant. It explains how daily trials reveal either the flesh or the Spirit and shows how Christians live by depending on Gods Spirit to produce righteous deeds and fruit. Key themes include faith and works (Abraham and Rahab), wisdom from above versus earthly ambition, the power of the tongue, and practical encouragement to wait on and rely on the Spirit to bring peace, wisdom, and righteous action.

In this episode Steve walks through James 2:13 onward, reframing "faith without works is dead" as "dormant" and explaining how daily trials test for manifestations of the Holy Spirit. He contrasts the inactive faith of Abraham with the immediate action of Rahab to show how true faith is activated by works. The episode emphasizes the new covenant: Christ’s Spirit living in us does what we cannot, and we are called to give God credit for the good that comes through us, storing up heavenly treasures by letting the Spirit manifest in our actions.

Host Steve walks through James chapter 2, emphasizing James 2:12: "Speak and act as those who will be judged by the perfect law that gives freedom." He explains the new covenant judicial system, the need to give God credit for good works, and how depending on the Holy Spirit—rather than human effort—stores up eternal rewards. The episode challenges listeners to change their daily speech and actions, live by the Spirit, and understand how words can justify or condemn in the age to come.

This episode explores James 1:22–25 alongside Romans 7–8, explaining the difference between being a forgetful hearer and an effectual doer. The host shows how the Spirit — not human effort — empowers true Christian living, setting believers free from the law of sin and producing perseverance and genuine fruit. Practical parallels to Jesus’ teachings and the New Covenant highlight why abiding in Christ is the way to spiritual victory.

Steve unpacks the opening of James, showing that trials test for manifestations of the Spirit, produce perseverance, and lead to spiritual maturity. He connects James with Paul (Romans and 1 Corinthians) to explain the new-covenant reality of being "in Christ" rather than relying on human effort. Practical takeaways include asking God for wisdom, humility over self-reliance, being quick to listen and slow to anger, and the promise of the crown of life for those who persevere. The episode ends with a cliffhanger leading into James 1:22–26.

In this episode Steve explains James chapter 1, teaching that trials are not random punishments but tests designed to reveal the Holy Spirits work in us. He contrasts the old-law performance mindset with the new-covenant reality: God puts His Spirit in believers so we can manifest love, patience, perseverance and other fruits during daily trials. Steve shows how humility, serving others, and relying on the Spirit (not human effort) leads to perseverance and eternal reward — the crown of life. The episode ties James to Paul and Jesus to clarify how new-covenant language reframes faith as visible spiritual manifestation.

In this episode the host unpacks James 1:2–4, arguing that trials are not merely punishments but tests that reveal whether the Holy Spirit will manifest through us. He emphasizes that in the new covenant, faith is a manifestation of the Spirit and that these daily tests expose either our human (Adamic) nature or the life of Christ within us. The episode links James to Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians and Romans, urging listeners to ask God for wisdom, believe without doubting, and respond to trials with patience. The goal is spiritual maturity—being perfected and lacking nothing as the Spirit is displayed through our lives.

In this episode Steve introduces a series on the book of James and explains James’ central thesis: trials test for manifestations of the Holy Spirit. He unpacks the new covenant idea that Christians are vessels through which God’s Spirit produces faith, patience, wisdom, and good works, and shows why life’s trials are opportunities to experience and display God’s power rather than mere punishment or reward. Steve emphasizes that faith and other virtues are manifestations of the Spirit, not human effort, and urges listeners to root their lives in this new-covenant reality so they can bear fruit and give God the proper credit for the good that flows through them.

In this episode, Steve opens the book of James to explain how the New Covenant redefines faith as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. He contrasts old covenant legalism with the Spirit-led life, showing how trials test our faith and produce perseverance so we can become complete, lacking nothing. Steve also shares personal reflections, encouragement to seek wisdom from God, and the hope that the Spirit empowers us to serve others effectively.

In this episode Steve explores 2 Corinthians and related New Testament passages to explain that spiritual victory comes from divine power, not human willpower. He emphasizes the Holy Spirit as our "divine weapon" that brings thoughts into obedience, produces the fruit of the Spirit, and enables believers to experience righteousness, peace, and joy—"heaven on earth." Through reflections on Romans, Galatians, and the new covenant, Steve urges listeners to rely on Christ-in-us rather than self-effort and to live out the kingdom of God daily.

This episode explores Genesis 15 and the promise God made to Abraham: “I am your shield, I am your very great reward.” Hosts Bill and Steve unpack how God’s covenant—sworn by Himself—rests on God’s faithfulness, not human perfection. They trace the theme through the Old and New Testaments, showing how Abraham’s credited righteousness points to Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, offering listeners encouragement and a steadfast hope that anchors the soul.

Hosts Steve and Bill discuss production struggles and invite listeners into the heart of the Guardians of Grace message: relying on the Holy Spirit’s anointing rather than human effort. They unpack 1 John and John 16 to explain how the Spirit convicts of sin, declares righteousness through Christ’s work, and assures believers of judgment’s outcome while warning against taking credit for the Spirit’s work.

Bill and Guard Dog Steve unpack Romans 8, explaining how God prepares us as vessels for the Spirit to dwell (akoya), the meaning of “no condemnation,” and the contrast between the mind controlled by the flesh and the mind controlled by the Spirit. They show how grace and the Spirit bring life, peace, freedom from striving, and practical transformation for daily Christian living.

Bill and Steve unpack Jesus’ parables of the lost sheep and lost coin, contrasting the Good Shepherd’s relentless love with the Pharisees’ self‑righteous judgment. They explain the new covenant, warn against fear‑mongering about the rapture, and call listeners to rely on the Spirit’s power to produce love, peace, and joy instead of legalism and condemnation.