Do you ever wonder what God is up to? When there is a path forward that seems to be logical, rational, and reasonable, yet God takes another path? What is God’ doing? Where is He taking us? These are questions we all ask. But here is a better question for us to consider: Will we trust God’s plan? Will we trust our lives to a sovereign God who sees and knows all things? Main Points: 1.Our decision to trust God comes down to our belief in his goodness. If you truly believe God is good, t...

When we live out our faith in public, it naturally produces questions in the minds of unbelievers. We’ll likely hear questions such as: Why are you a Christian? What do you believe about God? Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God? Why did Jesus die on the cross? Where is God in this messed up world? Why do you go to church on Sundays? Main Points: 1. We need to reject the cultural pressure to keep our beliefs to ourselves. This is the strategy of Satan, to intimidate believers into kee...

As we read the four Gospels, we see Jesus modeling prayer and teaching His disciples to pray, but did you know that Jesus gave us only one prayer request? Yes, Jesus himself asks us to pray for something. Main Points: 1. As Jesus speaks about the lost, those who have not put their faith in God, he uses the metaphor of a field of crops that are ripe and ready to be harvested. He said the harvest is plentiful. There are many who would come into the kingdom of God, yet there is one obstacle. Th...

When we see all God has created, simply by speaking a word, we recognize his existence, his majesty, and his power. I believe there is a natural curiosity in our hearts that cannot be completely satisfied by anything else but a belief in the existence of God. Main Points: 1. Listen again to those powerful words: “The heavens proclaim the glory of God.” David looked to the heavens – not the spiritual heaven where God is enthroned, but the heavens of the blue sky and the night sky – and ...

When we recognize how great God’s love is for us, the only response is to love him in return. No one has done for us what God has done. No one has given to us what God has given. Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could have forgiveness and eternal life. It is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. Main Points: 1. Loving God is our great motivation to serve. It is not a drudgery to serve God. It is not a burden or an obligation. It is not a p...

What Jesus did for us on the cross was a complete work. It is a finished work. While Jesus hung on the cross he said these words, “It is finished.” There is nothing more to do. He obeyed his Father completely. Our debt of sin is paid in full. Main Points: 1. How foolish it would be to continue to try and pay for something that has already been paid for, yet that’s what many people do with their salvation. Jesus has paid their debt in full with his sacrificial death on the cross, yet th...

Which physical posture of prayer is the right one for you? I would say, none of them! Rather than the external posture, the Bible emphasizes the posture of the heart. Whether you are standing, sitting, or lying down, the important thing is that your heart is bowed in submission to the lordship of Christ. Main Points: 1. True prayer is characterized by the posture of the heart, not the physical posture of the person praying. 2. So, what is the right posture of our hearts as we com...

I want to assure you today that no matter what you are experiencing or what you feel, God’s face is turned towards you. He does know what you feel and He cares. Main Points: 1. Perhaps you feel down today, thinking all your hope is gone, that even God has abandoned you. Yes, you may feel those things, but that doesn’t mean your feelings are true. The God of Heaven knows what you are feeling. He understands the pressure you are feeling. Most of all, He is there. He cares and He is with...

I started this episode talking about how the world calculates self-worth, but the truth is, you can’t calculate your self-worth. It’s already been determined. Your self-worth was set by Jesus. You are so valuable Jesus laid down his life for you. Paul said, “I live by faith in the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me.” Main Points: 1. Don’t buy into the lies that your value is determined by your performance. Don’t accept the labels others put on your life. Don’t let the rejection...

In a world of mistrust, God can be trusted. He can be counted upon. He keeps his promises, he fulfills his word, and he does what he says he will do. God is worthy of your trust, your faith, and your confidence. Main Points: 1. The Bible teaches us that God is faithful. This means God is always reliable, all of the time. He does not fail or forget. He always keeps his word. His character is consistent and He never changes. 2. Think about the implications of this wonderful ...

I love the words of Jesus. I’ve discovered that most people do, even non-believers. You can even purchase Bibles that only have the words of Jesus printed. It’s been said that no one speaks like Jesus and I would agree. His words have power and they have life. These truths are encouraging, uplifting, inspiring, and challenging. They changed people’s lives in the first century, and they are still changing lives today. But you would have to agree that as much as we love the words of Jesus...

The children of God are peacemakers. A peacemaker is someone who intentionally works to help people reconcile with God and others. Anyone who does the hard work of peacemaking will be blessed by God. Main Points: 1. The word “peace” in Matthew 5:9 combines two Greek words. Together they mean to bring about wholeness, to bring all the essential parts together in wholeness. 2. Peace-making requires God’s power. Real and lasting peace is impossible to create without God...

God desires his church to be in tune with himself and with one another. Nothing interrupts the work of God and discredits the church like disunity. A church that is not in unity with God and one another is dysfunctional and ineffective. Disunity prohibits our message from being a beautiful sound to the community. But when a church comes together in unity, our message is compelling and contagious. Main Points: 1. The goal is not unity in everything. Being humans, it’s normal to have differin...

I want you to acknowledge an important truth today. God’s purpose for your life is greater than your ability to accomplish it. You need a power greater than your own. You can’t fulfill God’s purpose without God. You don’t have enough strength, wisdom, creativity, or resources to do God's will all by yourself. Main Points: 1. If you are a Christ-follower, it’s likely you already know God wants to use your life. As you serve him, he has tasks for you to accomplish. Your life has a purpose. As...

We are not God. We are not little gods, but we were created to be like God in character and lifestyle. Our lives should reflect the glory of God to others. When we do this, we are healthy and whole. The Bible describes this as holiness. Main Points: 1. Our sin has distorted the image of God within us, and now we can’t see ourselves as God sees us. We ascribe to labels the world places on us. We struggle with discovering our true identity. 2. It is essential that you hear this message way do...

As Christians, prayer is always a whisper away. Prayer is communication with God, and we can live each minute of the day in a constant, flowing conversation with God. You don’t need a special appointment to talk with God. You can do so, anywhere, and at any time. Main Points: 1. There is significant value in making a specific time for prayer. In fact, I think that if we are not intentional about a time and a place for prayer, it’s likely we won’t be consistent in our prayer life. 2. W...

You and I are going to struggle with our humanity. Surrender doesn’t seem like a good idea to any of us. It feels like we are giving up and losing control, but when we surrender to God, we lose things we don’t need to gain the things we really do. Main Points: 1. Everything you need is on the other side of surrendering your life to God. 2. Everything you need God can provide. Yet, often the provision doesn’t come until we surrender to God. 3. God’s plan is not about depriving us...

When we have a proper heart for worship, we’ll see that worship is not for us. Worship is for God. We worship for an audience of ONE! He is the audience; we are not. As our hearts are directed in praise, adoration, gratitude, and love for God, in return, we experience joy. Main Points: 1. Worship is the response of all that we are to all that God is. To worship is to declare God’s worth. 2. While worshipping together with a group of believers is both biblical and important, we s...

I believe God wants us to catch a vision of the importance of the church in our lives and community, and the church’s role in fulfilling the mission of Jesus in our world. God is at work in this world, and he has chosen to use the church as his agent. Main Points: 1. The church, as a collection of people with hurts, hang-ups, hiccups, and habits, provides us an opportunity to learn and to grow. We learn to love those who are difficult to love. We learn to bear with one another. We lea...

We’ll spend the rest of our lives trying to understand God’s love, but the best way to get started is to experience it. His love will change your life. Main Points: 1. The world tells us that love is a feeling, something that comes and goes. Many marriages have ended because couples claim that they have “fallen out of love.” Some people say they don’t feel God’s love. Our feelings are fickle; they come and they go, but the truth remains: We are deeply loved by God, and that will never chang...