When you’re bruised and damaged from trials and pain in this life, the help the world offers is empty. All the self-help books, meditation, positive thoughts won’t do for you what the Lord God offers to do for you. Pastor Ricky will explain today the tenderness in which God cares for you. God sees the justice needed throughout the whole world but He also sees and knows your hurt. He's a personal and intimate savior who deeply loves you. He will tenderly restore you. He will strengthen you to continue in this world.
Behold - Good News for the Bruised and Fainthearted, Part 1
Idols. They're not just statues of gold that you worship. They are in fact anything you worship, serve or elevate above God. You may seek joy, peace, comfort, and justice in an idol, you'll eventually become enslaved to it. Yet, it's completely empty and useless. Today, Pastor Ricky will reveal that Jesus is the only good, powerful One who can and will accomplish all things like joy and peace in your life and heart. What He gives is lasting and strong. He won't leave you empty and disappointed but fulfilled and satisfied.
Behold - Four Words of Comfort, Part 2
It's easy to believe, after failing the Lord again, that maybe this time, God's plan or purposes would fail. The enemy will try to convince you that you've ruined all God intends to do. Yet as Pastor Ricky will explain today, because of God's faithfulness, all of His plans will be accomplished. And amazingly, He will still use you as a part of what He's doing despite your flaws and failings. He’ll remake you, bit by bit, and lead you in amazing ways towards fulfilling His purpose if you cling to Him in humility and repentance.
Behold - Four Words of Comfort, Part 1
God’s people time and time again turned away from Him despite prophetic warnings and discipline. So God sent His people into exile with their enemies. But the miracle of the story is that God didn't leave them there. He didn't abandon them. He came to them after their failure in discipline and offered them comfort. As Pastor Ricky will remind you, He reminded them that they were still His people and He was still their God. Despite any of your failures, He still loves you and He still longs for you to return to Him.
Behold - Failing and Unfailing Leadership, Part 2
Every leader both in the world and in the Bible have failed and will continue to fail. However, there's one man who never failed. Only Jesus is perfectly seamless and good. Only Jesus will forever do what is good and right. Pastor Ricky will remind you today that those leaders who truly seek to live under Jesus's rule and reign and who seek Him above all other things, will be strong. Only by relying on His power and righteousness can you lead well. And thankfully God uses flawed but faithful people in amazing ways.
Behold - Failing and Unfailing Leadership, Part 1
One thing that the Bible clearly demonstrates is that all humans fail. All of God's leaders failed God and their people, even the good ones. Humans are weak and sinful, even when you believe in God. Yet His plans and promises still stand despite all of the human failings. Today, Pastor Ricky will challenge you to recognize the imperfections of those in a place of leadership in your life. Don't place your hope and trust in them. God must be your object of trust. Trust Him, obey Him and continually return to Him when you fail.
Behold - Lean In, Part 3
Sometimes in the middle of crisis, it's hard to see the Lord. Is He even with you? Does He really have control? Today, Pastor Ricky will encourage you with the truth of God's promises. His power is unmatched by anything in the world. His wisdom far surpasses even the wisest people. When you really think about who the Lord is, you see He alone is trustworthy. Trust the Lord to act even before you know if He will. You must trust and believe in God's goodness to know that He'll act in a way that is best.
Behold - Lean In, Part 2
When the world is trying with all its might to convince you to turn to the world for comfort, it's a test of sorts to see if you’ll give up trusting God in that moment. Today, Pastor Ricky will demonstrate how the good kings of Judah, especially Hezekiah, turned immediately to the Lord in crisis. Instead of being swept away with fear and doubt, he sought the Lord. This is a call to you today. Don't pull away from God in scary moments. Instead, moment by moment, turn to Him. Remember His works and who He is.
Behold - Lean In, Part 1
In a moment of crisis, where will you turn? The world will try to convince you to give up on God and to join them. The world is against God and pressures you as a believer to turn away from trusting God, the only thing to trust is the tangible invisible things, not God or His promises. Yet today, Pastor Ricky will challenge you to recognize the lies you hear in the world and remember that God is the only solid thing that can hold you together. He is the only source of hope and strength and the only one worthy of trust.
Behold - We Have a Strong City, Part 2
Everything you experience in this world has the power to cause despair and hopelessness if you allow it to. However, there is a better way to experience life's big and little circumstances. If you can, bit by bit, daily learn to trust the Lord. He will prove himself faithful and trustworthy. Pastor Ricky will encourage you today with many reasons why God is worthy of your trust in all circumstances. If you remember that He's never been defeated by the enemy and is for your good, you can continue to grow in trust of Him.
Behold - We Have a Strong City, Part 1
When you face attack, or pain, or desperation, where do you turn for peace and security? Often people think that inward peace and safety from the outside will come from money, friends, or knowledge but you can't find it with some desired results or a certain feeling. Pastor Ricky will explain today that you can only find peace and security in the strong city, dwelling with God through faith in Jesus where the walls are your salvation and Jesus is your righteousness to enter. Don't turn to anyone or anything else.
Behold - The Death of Death, Part 2
Life is hard. Death is tragic. Because in the garden man chose to sin, death entered creation yet thankfully that's not the end of the story. Today, Pastor Ricky will encourage you with the hope available to those that have put their faith in Jesus. He, as God, paid the penalty for sin and death is no longer victorious. Because He rose from the dead, He conquered death and took away its power. Because of His resurrection, you can have hope in the eternity to come. All pain will be gone. Every tear will be wiped away.
Behold - The Death of Death, Part 1
People react to the reality of death in different ways. Some may avoid the topic altogether, some try to numb themselves against it, and some fight. Death is a reality that God never intended for humanity. Pastor Ricky reminds you today that death reigns in the world because of sin. Humans chose to rebel and the consequence of sin is death, individual physical death and spiritual death apart from God. His justice demands it. However, because of the sacrifice of Jesus, death is swallowed up forever in the end.
Behold - The Valley of Vision, Part 2
Admitting you're wrong and confessing sin is a difficult thing to do but as God disciplines you and you recognize areas of sin in your life causing this discipline, you may desire to repent. However, as Pastor Ricky will point out today, trying hard to change, working to be better, will not work. It's not good enough and you're not strong enough to change on your own. The true way to salvation, forgiveness, and change is through Jesus. He alone can do what you can't. Through the Holy Spirit, He will transform you.
Behold - The Valley of Vision, Part 1
When you find your way by visual landmarks it's difficult to navigate when the things that you rely on are hidden. You become completely lost. God’s people oriented their life around God for a time but began to lose sight of Him because of turning away and choosing sin. As Pastor Ricky will point out today, they no longer had God as their guide spot and reference point in how to live their lives and they became quite lost. Don't lose sight of your Savior. Frequently, continually orient your life around Jesus.
Behold - Twist Ending, Part 2
There's no source of power on this earth that can ever compare to God and His infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. Pastor Ricky will explain today how God can and will strike down the things that people put their trust and hope in, in this world. But He is harsh for a good purpose. He tears down false security so that you'll turn to Him for security. He strikes down earthly wisdom so that you’ll trust Him entirely. He can take away everything in your life that draws you away in order for you to recognize that He is all you need.
Behold - Twist Ending, Part 1
Political power, national strength, or a good economy can cause a country or an individual to feel invincible. These things give a false sense of security, strength, and comfort. But today, Pastor Ricky will challenge you to examine what you put your trust and hope in. Does your joy and stability ebb and flow based on the state of your environment? None of these things have any power and none can save you. God may strike down these false sources of power in your life in order to draw you back to Himself.
Behold - The Kingdom of Self, Part 2
If you live your life seeking your own honor, glory, comfort, and desires you’re building up a kingdom of self, instead of building the kingdom of God. It's satisfying and impressive for a moment but God promises that it will not last. Today, Pastor Ricky will instead encourage you to seek to live your life building up the kingdom of God and glorifying His name instead of your own. God's kingdom is worthy. It alone will last into eternity. So take up your cross, live a sacrificial and humble life to bring honor to Him.
Behold - The Kingdom of Self, Part 1
If God were only just and not loving, all of humanity would be doomed to be eternally separated from Him. The great news however is that Jesus came to earth and took the punishment of humanity’s sin to satisfy God's holy justice. Today, Pastor Ricky will challenge you to now take this good news and make known His deeds and proclaim His glory. Share what He's done in your life and how He's transformed you. This is news that the world needs to hear. It's what God can and will use to bring others to Himself.
Behold - Good News Changes Everything, Part 2
If God were only just and not loving, all of humanity would be doomed to be eternally separated from Him. The great news however is that Jesus came to earth and took the punishment of humanity’s sin to satisfy God's holy justice. Today, Pastor Ricky will challenge you to now take this good news and make known His deeds and proclaim His glory. Share what He's done in your life and how He's transformed you. This is news that the world needs to hear. It's what God can and will use to bring others to Himself.