The timing of Jesus’ birth is amazing. The prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the Messiah’s heritage and location of birth required meeting formidable odds, and yet, Jesus' mother was who she needed to be, and they and Joseph were where they needed to be at the time of His birth. Pastor Ricky will be teaching on how the orchestration of the confluence of these events shows the sovereignty of God. This is also a reminder that God knows where we are and has us on this earth for His reasons as well.
Advent - Everlasting Father, Part 2
The story of Jesus’ birth is one of the triune God deciding to intervene on man's behalf to fix the problem that man had caused. We messed up in the Garden of Eden with eternal damnation as the consequence. Fortunately, the Trinity loved us enough to make a way to restore the original relationship we had with them. Pastor Ricky will be teaching about how the names of the Messiah in the book of Isaiah relate to the character of God the Father and to Jesus, and how those are applicable to us today.
Advent - Everlasting Father, Part 1
It's funny how family resemblances work, isn't it? Facial characteristics, even vocal qualities, are passed on from generation to generation. In the same way, Jesus embodied the characteristics and nature of His father. Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Pastor Ricky will be teaching from Isaiah, using the prophecies about the Messiah to show how the qualities of God the Father will be present in He who is to be the Savior of the world, showing His love for us as well.
Advent - Mighty God, Part 2
Sometimes, as we go through life, we get into situations where we have no solutions to fix our circumstances. It's in those times when we find out what our foundation is, what we really are relying on. God, through the prophet Isaiah, was trying to get the people of Israel to turn back and rely on Him. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from the book of Isaiah, sharing what God was trying to communicate to the Israelites. He'll also teach how the promises given those centuries ago apply to us now.
Advent - Mighty God, Part 1
We read in the Gospels that those who were closest to Jesus struggled at times with believing the one who performed miracles right in front of them. So it's no surprise that we would have the same struggles. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from the book of Isaiah, sharing one of the stories that Isaiah wrote down. The Israelites were threatened and looking for help everywhere except to God. This is a good lesson for us and a reminder that God's help is closer than we think.
Advent - Wonderful Counselor, Part 2
There is a whole lot of insanity going on in the world these days. We observe the wars and threats of war and ask ourselves if these people really know what they're doing. We often find ourselves praying for wisdom for our leaders. God often pleads for His people, Israel, to take advantage of the wisdom that He had to offer. Pastor Ricky will teach about God's wisdom versus man's wisdom and the importance of our asking for the insight that comes only from the author of the universe and using it.
Advent - Wonderful Counselor, Part 1
It certainly seems that keeping in the loop in regards to our surrounding circumstances is the wise thing to do, and that's exactly what the Israelites of Isaiah's time did. After all, they thought their nation was being threatened by the big power of the time. As Pastor Ricky will be teaching, Israel missed the point. God was their refuge and strength. The prophet Isaiah was trying to point this out to them. In the same way, we need to let God be our refuge and strength in spite of what danger surrounds us.
The God of Chance - Risking Everything, Part 2
It’s difficult, or even impossible, to conceive how good can come out of accidents or disasters. We hear the verse that Pastor Ricky quoted and wonder how that can even be. Surely the Israelites in exile asked themselves what good would come from their situation as well. Pastor Ricky will be sharing from the book of Esther, and other scriptures, teaching us about the sovereign will of God. He’ll be teaching us how God with His ability to see the end from the beginning orchestrates events for our benefit.
The God of Chance - Risking Everything, Part 1
Throughout the Old Testament, we see where God’s people turned to foreign idols and God has to discipline them to bring them back to Himself. We in the New Testament era like to think that because we have chosen to follow Jesus, we don’t have those kinds of problems. Not true. We can at times put things like money or jobs ahead of our relationship with God. Pastor Ricky will be teaching on the disastrous result of Israel’s turning away from God and His faithfulness to them nevertheless.
The God of Chance - When Injustice Reigns, Part 2
There’s no question that there are unjust actions occurring in our world. There are wrong things being done on a personal level, as well as the corporate and even international level all the time. Part of the story in the book of Esther deals with a threat that is real faced from a man who is a member of a tribe that was hostile to Israel. Pastor Ricky will be teaching on this and showing how man’s rebellion against God allowed injustice to enter the world and how God saves the day for the Jews.
The God of Chance - When Injustice Reigns, Part 1
As we see events going on around us, particularly in the government, we’re tempted to feel completely helpless. We want things to change for the better and we elect people we think will do good things yet nothing changes. “Where’s God?” we might be tempted to ask. Certainly, the Jews must have felt like this being under the control of a heathen king, far from their homeland. Pastor Ricky will continue with the story of Esther and how God used this king to accomplish His purposes.
The God of Chance - The Girl With Two Names, Part 2
We all know the saying, “Be careful what you ask for, you might get it.” Many girls dream of being a princess, having the king fall in love with them and then becoming the queen. We don’t know if this is what Esther wanted but it happened to her nonetheless. Pastor Ricky will be teaching about this story and the apparent comprises Esther made in her life along the way to becoming a queen. This certainly can be a warning to us against putting aside Godly principles for seeming advancement.
The God of Chance - The Girl With Two Names, Part 1
As we witness our society’s descent into further ungodliness in normal living, we may find ourselves pulled toward the darkness as well. As much as we want to live godly lives, the sin nature resident in us is allured by the things of the world around us. As Pastor Ricky will be sharing, the Jews in Persia may have had the same difficulty. At such times, it’s all but impossible to give in and go along with everyone else. We’ll find out how Hadassah, also known as Esther, deals with this circumstance.
The God of Chance - When God is Nowhere to Be Found, Part 2
As we travel through our daily lives, mundane as they may seem to be, it can be hard to imagine that God is working behind the scenes on our behalf. As we consider the story of Esther, it seems like this is just a story about a king that got mad at his wife and decided to get another one. As Pastor Ricky will be teaching, much of this story seems to just kind of go along until the end where we see how God has been using the events of these people’s lives to accomplish His purpose for His people.
The God of Chance - When God is Nowhere to Be Found, Part 1
Sometimes in our lives, we can feel as though we’re inside a blender, being swirled around in a million directions. It’s often difficult to see what the point of events and circumstances in our lives are. The Israelites that were in exile in the book of Esther may have felt similar, “Where is God in all of this? We’ve lost everything”. As Pastor Ricky will be teaching, what we see is often not the full extent of what’s actually happening in our lives. God is working behind the scenes on our behalf.
Pass the Torch - The Last Mile, Part 2
Today, Paul testifies that the Lord stands near and strengthens. Even with death looming, he asked for cloak, book, and parchments because grace keeps serving until the finish. Beyond every near rescue lies the final rescue when the King brings His people safely home. For anyone tired, sidelined, or unsure, this is fuel for the last miles.
Pass the Torch - The Last Mile, Part 1
Paul writes as an old soldier of the gospel, finishing his race, and coaching Timothy for the miles ahead. Friends drift, others are called elsewhere, and yet God supplies tough friends for tough times and even writes surprising restorations into the story. This isn't cynicism. It's clarity that frees us to love people wisely while placing our greatest expectations on the Lord. In the world of transient loyalties and weary hearts, this passage steadies our pace and renews our courage.
Pass the Torch - How to Listen to a Sermon, Part 3
We live in a world filled with noise. There’s a constant pull towards what entertains, affirms, or distracts. But Paul calls Timothy, and every believer, to something deeper, to hear the word when it's hard, to stay anchored in truth when others wander, and to let God's voice cut through the clamor of the age. In today’s message, we'll learn how to listen safely and wisely so that our hearts stay grounded in what's clear and life-giving.
Pass the Torch - How to Listen to a Sermon, Part 2
Paul’s charge to Timothy wasn't just to preach but to do so with character, courage without arrogance, conviction without cruelty, and with patience wrapped in truth. Today, we’ll see what kind of man God entrusts with His word and how the church can discern faithful preaching from mere performance. This message reminds us that every listener shares in the work—to lean in, to endure truth when it's hard, and to love the Word more than comfort.
Pass the Torch - How to Listen to a Sermon, Part 1
Paul is nearing the end of his race. Writing from a cold prison cell, with eternity in view, his words to Timothy carry both urgency and tenderness—a passing of the torch to keep preaching the truth when the world grows tired of hearing it. In today’s message, we are reminded that faithful preaching still matters deeply today, not as performance but as the means by which God's Word speaks, corrects, and comforts His people.