Pastor Ricky will be asking you this question today, “Do you place all your trust in God or in idols?”. Your actions will reveal if you place your trust in God. You can't say that you believe God will provide for you and then live in worry and forsake the call God has on your life in order to stock up on money and resources. When times get tough do you run to the world for comfort or do you turn to Christ? There is nothing that can save you and give you peace like God Almighty, turn to Him alone.
Behold Your God - Behold Your God, Part 2 - Isaiah 40
Today our focus will be on the importance of beholding our God and falling deeper in love with Him. The only way that you can become more Christ-like, the only way you can rid yourself of sin, is if you focus on Christ and His presence. When you spend that intimate time with Christ in communion you will naturally begin to become more and more like Him. Don't allow sin to be your main focus, have Christ as your main focus and He will enable you to live for Him.
Behold Your God - Behold Your God, Part 1 - Isaiah 40
God has put eternity into our lives. He has created man with a longing for the Lord. Before you came to the Lord you had a God-shaped void in your heart that only God could fill and satisfy. Now that you've received Christ into your heart you have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding but you still have the flesh within you that tries to sway you into longing for everything other than God. Always remember your first love and pursue God. He will satisfy you.
This Is What You Trained For - Mark 3:13-14
Christianity is not meant to be a spectator sport. We’re all called to declare the good news of the Gospel and help others to follow Jesus. What would change in our Christian lives if we, like the disciples, knew that one day we would become fishers of men? That when we read our Bibles, we did so ready to teach others, and when we prayed we do so in a way to teach others to pray? Lord, help us to be active partipants, learning in order to pass it along to others.
The Wrong Healing - Mark 2:1-5
At times it may seem like Jesus gives us a gift that we don’t quite want as much as a gift He does not give. That’s because Jesus sees past our immediate physical needs and sees our deep spiritual need. He desires to give us the greatest gift, to be forgiven from all our sins, to be justified before God, and reconciled to Him. He doesn’t want to just give us something that will make us whole for just a day, a decade, or even a lifetime, but for all of eternity!
Leaving the Nets - Mark 1:16-20
In our current day, do we feel the cost of following Jesus? Have we offered Jesus every part of our lives or just certain parts? As followers of Christ, we are called to offer every part. Is He worth it? The Scriptures tell us He is! And what we gain is far more than we lose.
Even Jesus Got Away - Mark 1:35-38
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Jesus withdrew and prayed. If Jesus, the Son of God, chose to do this, if this was His pattern, shouldn’t it be our pattern as well? Prayer is an open invitation from the King of the Universe, to come, find rest, be refreshed, and ask for help for the day.
The God Who Speaks - Habakkuk 2:1-2
“Why do bad things happen to people who seem good?” That’s a question humanity has been asking and struggling with since the beginning of time. And although God is not required to answer, He does! And He does it time and time again. He has revealed Himself through His Word and invites us to wait on Him, to seek Him, to hear His voice, and ultimately trust Him.
The God Who Actually Cares - Psalm 8
When we look up and behold the expanse of space and begin to grasp all of that, we can’t help but ask the Lord, “Who am I that you are mindful of me?” However mind-blowing that might be, the glorious truth is that the same God who made and sustains the universe around us is the same God who is interested and cares about every detail of our lives.
Strength In Weakness - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Today you’ll notice a change to our normal format. You’ll learn why in today’s podcast. But what will not change is our desire to share encouraging gospel thoughts, Better News, for each day. As Pastor Ricky works to improve his health, isn’t it reassuring to know that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness, that the more we lean on Him the stronger we become? Let’s all lean on Him today.
A Better Picture of Jesus - Romans 8:31-34
“He who was once despised and rejected of men, now occupies the honorable position of a beloved and honored Son.” Often the picture of Jesus we are most familiar with is him hanging on the cross. Surely, that picture is right and we should never forget it. But Scripture also gives us another picture: the picture of Jesus in glory at the right hand of God. This glorious Jesus should encourage and strengthen our souls as well.
A Legacy Worth Leaving - Proverbs 20:7
“If we walk before the LORD in integrity, we shall do more to bless our descendants than if we bequeathed them large estates.” It’s right to think about the kind of legacy we will leave to family, friends and the generation after us. But here Spurgeon reminds us that if we want to leave a godly legacy we should start with our own character.
The Test of Prosperity - Nehemiah 9:38
“We should not only let our troubles confirm our dedication to God, but our prosperity should do the same.” Often in times of adversity, we go to the Lord and pray fervently and ask for His help to follow Him. But in times of prosperity or peace, we can sometimes drift from God. Spurgeon encourages us that great joys should be times of recommitting ourselves to follow the Lord as well.
The Lamb Slain - Revelation 5:5-10
“The wounds of Jesus are His glories, His jewels, His sacred ornaments.” Many leaders try to hide any sign of weakness or humiliation or injury. But Jesus is an utterly different kind of king. He shows his glory through his wounds because they point to our salvation. As we follow Jesus then, we remember that weakness and wounds can display the glory of God.
My Redeemer Lives - Job 19:25-27
“A living Redeemer, truly mine, is joy unspeakable.” It is not enough to know that Jesus is a savior or a redeemer. Spurgeon encourages us to know that and say that He is *my* savior, or *my* redeemer. In making the Savior our own, we unlock a deep joy for any trial.
Bowed Down, Lifted Up - Psalm 146:5-8
“We who are today bowed down and sorrowful shall yet be set on high.” Spurgeon makes a striking claim -- that no matter what has us bowed down, we shall be lifted up by the Savior. In sorrow, in condemnation, in sickness, in affliction, in poverty, in every case the work of Jesus makes it possible for our souls to be lifted up today.
Living By Faith - Romans 1:16-17
Living by faith is not just a one-time placing a faith in God. It is a regular thing, a way of life. Spurgeon highlights these two senses in his encouragement to us today. As Christians, we place our faith decisively in Christ in order to be saved but we progress and are sustained in the Christian life by placing our faith more and more in God, every moment of every day.
Precious Beyond Measure - 1 Peter 1:18-19
We often sing about the precious blood of Jesus, or hear it preached, or sometimes see it depicted in artwork or film. But sometimes that precious blood becomes nothing more than a religious symbol. Spurgeon helps us rediscover how and why the blood of Christ is so precious, and why it brings us comfort.
It Is Well - Isaiah 3:10
It doesn’t always seem to be going well for us in our lives. But Scripture encourages us that it is and will always be well with the righteous. Spurgeon encourages us, “O beloved, if God declares that all is well, ten thousand devils may declare it to be ill, but we laugh them all to scorn.”
Deep Depression, Deep Love - Psalm 22:14-15
There are times when we experience a heaviness of soul that nothing seems to shake. It can be depression, or grief, or crippling anxiety. But Spurgeon points us to something even deeper than our heaviness of soul: the deep love of God. God has shown His great love for us on the cross and walks with us in love day to day.