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.
Pass the Torch - Hold Fast, Part 2
Every generation needs courage to hold what holds us. We've been learning that the God-breathed Word is not one more book in the stack but the compass for life. Today we're invited to begin as beginners—opening the Bible, thinking, and praying so truth can shape our loves, steady our steps, and train us for every good work. When the winds rise and voices multiply, we don't drift. We hold fast to what is enough.
Pass the Torch - Hold Fast, Part 1
Paul’s final letter to Timothy carries the weight of a dying man's words. Every line is meant to strengthen the next generation. From a cold prison cell, he writes to his spiritual son— urging him to stand firm when others fall away, to remember the faith handed down through his mother, his grandmother, and through their years of shared ministry. The world around them is unraveling, yet Paul’s call remains steady and timeless. When trials come and truth is tested, don't let go.
Pass the Torch - How to Spot a Hypocrite, Part 2
Some warnings are mercy in disguise. Today's passage calls us to reorder our loves--loving God above self so compassion, integrity, and discernment flow from the heart. We are not to judge leadership by charisma, clicks, or crowds, but by character you can see up close. Look in the mirror first, then choose friends and guides who make you more like Christ. In a culture hungry for celebrities, Jesus forms servants.
Pass the Torch - How to Spot a Hypocrite, Part 1
Some passages lift our spirits. Others flash a warning light. Today is one of those merciful warnings. Today, Paul hangs a wanted poster, teaching us to discern appearances from the loves that steer a life. It's not about winning debates or spotting flaws, but examining our hearts, weighing leaders by character, and refusing quarrels that multiply. God calls us to truth with gentleness, courage with humility, and a faith that works.
Pass the Torch - When the Bar Fight Breaks Out, Part 2
When conflict flares and words fly faster than wisdom, Paul's words to Timothy cut through the noise. The call isn't to win the room but to look within—do I resemble Christ? Flee the heat of youthful reactions, pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Teach with clarity, correct with gentleness, and carry the measured strength of Jesus into hard spaces so people, not points, are won.
Pass the Torch - When the Bar Fight Breaks Out, Part 1
Paul writes to Timothy from his cell while Timothy faces a church brawl-- quarrelling controversies, counterfeit teaching. It feels less like a sanctuary and more like a saloon as chaos spreads. In moments like that, what does a servant of Jesus do? Paul aims Timothy's heart--see the goal, examine yourself, refuse foolish fights, and display the measured strength of Christ. Conviction with gentleness, clarity with patience, for the good of God's household and a watching world.
Pass the Torch - Remember, Remember the Flame and the Ember, Part 2
As Paul writes his final words to Timothy, his body may be chained, but his hope is free. Nothing can silence the gospel's advance. Empires crumble, leaders fade, yet Christ's work keeps moving forward, alive and unbound. Even in the fog of war, when faith feels fragile, we're called to remember the one we follow and the message we carry.
Pass the Torch - Remember, Remember the Flame and the Ember, Part 1
Paul’s final letter to Timothy was written from a prison cell, a message born in the fog of war. Both men were weary and surrounded by uncertainty, yet Paul's words cut through the chaos with a single command: remember. When life feels cluttered by fear or suffering, remembering Christ rekindles our faith and helps us see through the storm. In this moment of deep clarity and conviction, Paul passes the torch once again.
Pass the Torch - Notice the Hands of a Christian Worker, Part 3
In every generation, the gospel advances through ordinary people with extraordinary perseverance. Paul's words remind us that following Christ isn't polished work; it's patient, steady labor done with calloused hands and steadfast hearts. Like a soldier who won't abandon his post, an athlete who endures the strain, and a farmer who waits for the harvest, we are called to endure for what lasts forever. This is how faith is forged and passed on.
Pass the Torch - Notice the Hands of a Christian Worker, Part 2
Paul reminds us that true strength doesn't come from effort but from grace, the kind that grows as we lean fully on the Lord. Like a climber trusting the rock beneath him, we find stability not in control but in independence. Faith is shaped through daily reliance on God's strength rather than our own. The hands of a Christian are strengthened by grace, joined with others, and marked by faithful work that carries the Gospel forward.