heidi austel

Amazed by God's Grace, Jesus lover. Gospel-loving. Author of "Discovering God's Grace in Depression."

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Is there a place in the church for sermons that don’t make Christ and his work the central message?

Yes. That place is the trash can.

Preach Christ and his work or sit down and shut up till you are ready to do so.

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@TullianT We love him too!

[Tullian Tchividjian @TullianT]

When I was in seminary, one of the constant refrains in preaching classes was: “Don’t just explain the text—apply it!”

The assumption was that every sermon needed to end with a to-do list. We were trained to believe that the real power of the Bible is unlocked when we put it to work in our lives. “Application,” they told us, is where the rubber meets the road.

But here’s what I’ve learned: the Bible is first and foremost about what God has already applied to us. It’s not a toolbox for self-improvement—it’s a testimony to divine accomplishment.

God is the Applier. We are the applied.

The holiness you need isn’t something you have to go out and get—it’s already been credited to you. The righteousness you lack isn’t a project to work on—it’s a gift you’ve already been given in full. The love and acceptance we long for has already been finally secured for us.

The overarching message of the Bible isn’t about our work; it’s about His. And because His work is finished, we can rest. That’s the point. Freedom.

Spiritual growth doesn’t start with “What do I need to do now?” It starts with “What has He already done for me?” The gospel is not a call to get busy; it’s an announcement that we can finally breathe.

Seminary told me the end goal of preaching was application leading to “holier” behavior. The gospel tells me the end goal is rest.

Theologian Gerhard Forde asked the only real post-sermon question worth asking: “So, what are you going to do now that you don’t have to do anything?

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@TullianT Exactly, yes!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@TullianT 🥰

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@TullianT Wholeheartedly agree!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@TullianT But what if, like Stacy alluded to yesterday, you know how deeply God loves you unconditionally, but here on earth, you don’t have anyone but your spouse who gives a darn about you. 😪 That’s where I am this morning.

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

Seek God! Don’t seek formulas or how-tos or look for examples or heroes. God says that those who seek Him, will find Him. It is the heart of God to be found by His people. Believe it! https://t.co/ZvgvSS5Jsu via @billaustel1

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@MelaniaTrumpo A. Yes!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@PSETalk All of Lakeland hills, WA is out. That is not simply 39 customers as your website shows. This is bigger than you realize. That’s hundred if not thousands of households!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@PSETalk What the crap PSE? Why is the power out? Get your crews out there and figure it out!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

The “overcoming” is done by Jesus over Satan & the world that he rules. Second, that "victory" is given to us based on our faith in Jesus. The only thing we do to be "victorious" is to believe in Jesus for our salvation. https://t.co/5iLl1fVVQe via @billaustel1

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@TullianT When I came to believe this was possible, it was a scary revelation. Praise God that I will never have to fear that God will not remain faithful to His promises and His love to me!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

Excellent blog! Inconceivable! https://t.co/5iLl1fVVQe via @billausel1

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

The “overcoming” is done by Jesus over Satan & the world that he rules. Second, that “victory” is given to us based on our faith in Jesus. The only thing we do to be victorious is to believe in Jesus for our salvation. via https://t.co/u6ju7X3QVN by @billaustel1

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@AltcoinDailyio Where can I buy toncoin?🤷🏻‍♀️

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@AltcoinDailyio And yet, I can’t figure out how and where to buy it!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

@TullianT @rustyrockets Heartbreaking! 😩 I am praying the same thing! Because probably 99% of churches today will ADD behavior improvement and moralism to his walk with God and he will lose his sense of freedom! 😓 How did the church of today fall so far from the true “it is finished” gospel!

[heidi austel @learningtolean1]

Good words

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Why Job’s Friends Failed Miserably at Comforting

There sat Job. A man who had lost all ten of his children in one day. A man who had lost all his riches in one day. A man who had lost everything, including his health. There he sat atop an ash heap, his body infested with loathsome sores, scraping his skin.

To such a pain-racked, grief-stricken, disconsolate man, what does one say?

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, the three “friends” of Job, each said the same thing in their own way: “Obviously, Job, you are harboring some secret sin. Confess and turn to God. Then he will restore you.”

In the theology of these men, there was no room for an innocent sufferer. Job must have committed some sin that prompted God to punish him. For these men, the righteous are rewarded and the wicked are punished. A cut-and-dried theology. A always leads to B.

This same thinking was expressed by the disciples of Jesus, who said of the man born blind, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).

This same thinking still infests people today, especially those who attribute worldly success or riches to a God-pleasing life, and sickness or suffering to a God-displeasing life. “If you have enough faith, if you please God, then he will reward you with material prosperity or physical healing.” A always leads to B.

The story of Job plants a fist in the face of this lie. Indeed, the only perfect, sinless, truly innocent man who ever lived, Jesus, suffered more than any man before him or since.

Why do people suffer? Yes, sometimes for their sins, but also for any number of reasons—the fallenness of the world, the evildoing of others, and sometimes for reasons of which God alone knows.

Rather than answering “Why?,” the Scriptures point us to the “Who?” Who is with us in suffering, upholds us, and carries us through it? The Man of sorrows and suffering himself, Jesus the crucified, who will one day restore all believers in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.