Podcast
Marked by Grace
Hosted by Heath Lambert · EN
Marked by Grace is podcast ministry from Pastor Heath Lambert where he weekly applies the grace of Jesus to all of life.
33episodes
Episodes
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What Is the Church?
Jan 1900:10:14Tap to summarizeWhat is the church really? Pastor Heath Lambert explains that the church isn't a building or a place - it's the blood-bought people of Jesus, both local and global, identified with Christ and accomplishing His purposes in the world. This foundational teaching clarifies what most Christians misunderstand.Timestamps0:00 - Introduction and the question0:40 - Most Christians would stumble on this answer1:46 - The short answer begins with Jesus1:56 - Titus 2:14: Jesus purified a people for Himself2:42 - The church is the people of Jesus3:27 - The church as an organic group, not a building3:49 - 1 Corinthians 1:2: Two ways to talk about the church4:35 - The local church in a specific place4:59 - The global church in every place5:56 - The church is identified with Jesus6:12 - Acts 9:4: Persecuting the church is persecuting Jesus7:24 - The church as the body of Christ7:46 - Other metaphors: Bride, vine and branches8:24 - The church accomplishes Jesus's purposes8:42 - Ephesians 3:10: Making God's wisdom known9:16 - 1 Timothy 3:15: Pillar and buttress of truthKey Topics Covered- Common Misunderstandings - Why most Christians can't properly define the church- Jesus as Starting Point - Titus 2:14 and the foundation of the church- Blood-Bought People - Those redeemed from lawlessness who trust in Christ- Not a Building - Why the church is people, not places or structures- Two Dimensions - Local assemblies and the global body of believers- Local Church - Believers gathering in a specific geographic location- Global Church - All believers across the world in every place- Identified with Christ - Acts 9:4 showing Jesus's unity with His people- Body of Christ - The church as Christ's organism in the world- Bride of Christ - The marriage metaphor showing intimate unity- Vine and Branches - Jesus as source, church dependent on Him- Accomplishing His Purposes - How Jesus works through the church today- Pillar of Truth - The church as God's means of proclaiming truth to the worldScripture ReferencesTitus 2:14 - Jesus purified a people for His own possession1 Corinthians 1:2 - The church locally and globallyActs 9:4 - Saul persecuting Jesus by persecuting the churchEphesians 3:10 - God's wisdom made known through the church1 Timothy 3:15 - The church as pillar and buttress of truthAbout The Ten Commandments BookHeath Lambert's new book "The Ten Commandments: A Short Book for Normal People" is now available. This accessible guide explains how God's commands apply to modern life without requiring theological education. Perfect for personal study, evangelism, or gifts to friends, neighbors, and family.Order now and download a free chapter at fbcjax.com/tencommandmentsLike this episode? Subscribe for more biblical teaching from Marked by Grace. Share your thoughts in the comments below about how understanding the church as people rather than a place changes your perspective.Have a question you'd like answered? Send it to markedbygrace@fbcjax.com
Transcribe →Who Is Jesus?
Jan 1200:10:28Tap to summarizeWho is Jesus Christ? Pastor Heath Lambert tackles the most important question in human history by explaining Jesus's person (fully God and fully man) and His work (living, dying, and rising for sinners). This foundational teaching reveals why your response to Jesus matters more than anything else.Timestamps0:00 - Introduction and the question0:43 - Why this is both important and challenging to answer1:55 - Two parts: Person and work of Jesus2:26 - Part 1: Who is Jesus in His person?2:35 - Jesus is God (Romans 9:5)3:50 - Jesus is man (1 Timothy 2:5)4:53 - Jesus is fully God and fully man together5:20 - Two natures in one person5:44 - The broccoli illustration about understanding mysteries6:45 - Part 2: What did Jesus do?7:03 - Jesus lived, died, and rose for sinners7:40 - Romans 4:25: Delivered for our sins, raised for our justification8:16 - Why only Jesus could save us8:44 - Why this question matters more than any other9:13 - Hebrews 8:1: Jesus exalted in heaven now9:50 - Your required response: Worship and trustKey Topics Covered- The Challenge of the Question - Why there's so much to say about Jesus- Jesus as God - Romans 9:5 and His divine nature as second person of the Trinity- Jesus as Man - 1 Timothy 2:5 and His true humanity, not just appearance- Fully God and Fully Man - The hypostatic union of two natures in one person- Not 50/50 But 100/100 - Understanding Jesus isn't partly divine and partly human- The Mystery We Accept - Why difficulty understanding doesn't mean it's untrue- Jesus's Perfect Life - Never sinning in thought, word, or deed- Substitutionary Death - Punished for our sins so we receive His blessings- Resurrection Victory - Rising from the grave to justify believers- Why Only Jesus Could Save - Needing both divinity and humanity to pay for sin- The Most Important Question - Why your response to Jesus determines everything- Jesus Exalted Now - Currently seated at God's right hand in heaven- The Required Response - Turning from sin, trusting Christ, worshiping foreverScripture ReferencesRomans 9:5 - Jesus is God over all, blessed forever1 Timothy 2:5 - The man Christ Jesus as mediatorRomans 4:25 - Delivered for our sins, raised for our justificationHebrews 8:1 - Jesus seated at the right hand of God's throneJonah 2:9 - Salvation is from the LordAbout The Ten Commandments BookHeath Lambert's new book "The Ten Commandments: A Short Book for Normal People" is now available. This accessible guide explains how God's commands apply to modern life without requiring theological education. Perfect for personal study, evangelism, or gifts to friends, neighbors, and family.Order now and download a free chapter at fbcjax.com/tencommandmentsLike this episode? Subscribe for more biblical teaching from Marked by Grace. Share your thoughts in the comments below about how understanding who Jesus is has changed your life.Have a question you'd like answered? Send it to markedbygrace@fbcjax.com
Transcribe →How Can God Be Good When He Allows Evil to Happen?
Jun 16, 2025Tap to summarizeOne of humanity's most persistent theological questions is thoroughly examined in this episode of Marked by Grace. Pastor Heath Lambert tackles the challenging problem of evil and God's goodness, providing three classical Christian responses that have guided believers through centuries of doubt and difficulty. Whether you're wrestling with personal suffering or trying to understand God's character in a broken world, this episode offers biblical clarity on why God can remain perfectly good while allowing evil to exist.TIMESTAMPS0:00 - Introduction: The Persistent Question of Evil and God's Goodness1:08 - The Specific Question: Why Doesn't God Intervene Like We Should?2:08 - Granting the Premise: When Human Inaction Becomes Sin3:21 - God's Perfect Nature: Light with No Darkness4:08 - Response 1: Primary vs Secondary Causes Explained5:24 - Genesis 50:20 - Joseph's Brothers and God's Sovereignty7:27 - The Shakespeare and Hamlet Analogy8:34 - Response 2: All Evil as Judgment Against Human Sinfulness10:27 - Luke 13:5 - Jesus on the Tower of Siloam11:04 - Response 3: The Greater Good - God's Ultimate Plan12:10 - Romans 8:28 - All Things Work Together for Good13:19 - The Cross: Ultimate Example of Good from Evil14:16 - Eternal Perspective: Praising God for His Redemptive PowerKEY POINTS- The Question Explored: If humans are morally obligated to intervene when witnessing evil acts like assault or abuse, how can God witness atrocities daily without intervening and still be considered good and just?- Primary vs Secondary Causes: God operates as the sovereign primary cause behind all events, while humans act as secondary causes. Evil is always chargeable to secondary causes (human sin) never to the primary cause (God). This distinction explains how the same event can have both a sinful human motivation and a righteous divine purpose.- Universal Human Sinfulness: All people live in a fallen world where we deserve judgment, not blessing. The real theological question isn't "Why do bad things happen?" but rather "Why do any good things happen to sinners like us?" Every person deserves divine judgment due to their rebellion against God.- The Greater Good Principle: God's omnipotent righteousness enables Him to bring ultimate good out of every evil situation. This doesn't make evil good, but demonstrates God's power to redeem and transform even the worst circumstances for His glory and our benefit.- The Cross as Ultimate Example: Jesus Christ's crucifixion represents the worst act of victimization in human history, yet God transformed this ultimate evil into the means of salvation for countless people. This demonstrates how God can use even the most horrific events to accomplish his perfect purposes.- Eternal Perspective: In eternity, believers will praise God not despite the suffering that occurred, but because of how He used that suffering to accomplish His glorious redemptive plan. The eternal weight of glory will far exceed any temporary affliction.Submit your questions for future episodes to MarkedByGrace@fbcjax.comSCRIPTURE REFERENCES1 John 1:5 - "God is light and in him is no darkness at all" - Establishes God's perfect, sinless natureGenesis 50:20 - "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" - Primary example of primary vs secondary causesLuke 13:5 - Jesus' warning about the tower of Siloam - All people deserve judgment without repentanceRomans 8:28 - "We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" - The greater good principle2 Corinthians 4:17 - "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison" - Eternal perspective on suffering
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