Our culture strongly encourages hoarding. Whether it’s food, money, or possessions, we never want to be without. Some have such a fear of not having that they even buy things that they have no intention of using simply because it's a good deal. In today’s message, Pastor Ricky compares that mindset to our approach to prayer. We can’t hoard God's blessings and guidance. As Jesus taught us to pray, we need to depend on God for our daily sustenance, both spiritual and physical.
Thy Kingdom Come - Give Us Our Daily Bread, Part 1
Our culture strongly encourages hoarding. Whether it’s food, money, or possessions, we never want to be without. Some have such a fear of not having that they even buy things that they have no intention of using simply because it's a good deal. In today’s message, Pastor Ricky compares that mindset to our approach to prayer. We can’t hoard God's blessings and guidance. As Jesus taught us to pray, we need to depend on God for our daily sustenance, both spiritual and physical.
Thy Kingdom Come - Your Will Be Done, Part 2
We only get one chance to live a life that glorifies God. Bringing Him glory is at the backbone of living within His will. As we walk in the flesh, in this temporary existence, we have free will. We have the choice to live for self or to live for Him. As Pastor Ricky leads us through our study of the Lord's Prayer, he challenges us to surrender ourselves fully to the will of God. Will we use our time on this earth to make a name for ourselves and accrue earthly treasures or will we live for Him?
Thy Kingdom Come - Your Will Be Done, Part 1
When we pray, “Thy will be done”, do we really know what we're asking? The answer is not as simple as it may seem. As Pastor Ricky continues to explore the Lord's Prayer, he asks the question, “What is God's will?” We often think of His will as a secret map directing us on every life decision that can only be deciphered through years of study and prayer. Often times His will is much more straightforward than that. He doesn't withhold it from us but instead offers to lead us as a Good Shepherd.
Thy Kingdom Come - Your Kingdom Come #2, Part 2
Whose kingdom are you advancing in your life? Are you praying for the kingdom of God to come while making decisions and living a life focused chiefly on bringing about your own kingdom? It's a common error for many believers. In today's message, Pastor Ricky emphasizes the importance of praying for God's kingdom. Even if we find ourselves stuck living for ourselves, praying this way from the heart, will lead us towards a life that reflects the desire for that Kingdom over our own.
Thy Kingdom Come - Your Kingdom Come #2, Part 1
When we imagine the rewards of heaven, we may have a tendency to picture the mega-mansions that will be given to Christianity’s great icons - famous authors, and leaders who are nearly as well known as the apostles themselves. But in today's message, Pastor Ricky draws our attention to an act just as important as preaching the Gospel in front of packed stadiums. Prayer warriors are the unsung heroes of our faith. Their great work is almost never seen by others but its influence cannot be ignored.
Thy Kingdom Come - Your Kingdom Come #1, Part 2
When we die to ourselves and allow Christ to make us new in Him we become citizens of a great kingdom. We can't realize it fully in the flesh but our actions will start to reflect the love that abounds in that kingdom. It knows no physical limitations or boundaries. From the land of the free to lands oppressed by dictators, this kingdom reaches in and exists in the heart of believers. In today's message, Pastor Ricky urges us to actively involve and align ourselves with this beautiful kingdom.
Thy Kingdom Come - Your Kingdom Come #1, Part 1
In our dreams as children, most of us never imagined our lives working nine-to-five in a monotonous job. We dreamed of great fantastical lives. We wanted to be heroic soldiers, princes, princesses, or superheroes. Yet at some point, most of us decided to grow up and accept reality. As Pastor Ricky warns us in today's message, many of us do the same thing in our lives as believers. We forego the greatness God desires for His kingdom, replacing it with plans that we deem more realistic.
Thy Kingdom Come - Hallowed Be Your Name, Part 2
So often our prayers are centered around asking God to accomplish our will. We may tack a “Thy will be done” on to our prayer but is that what we really want? As we continue to study the Lord's Prayer, Pastor Ricky reminds us that this prayer should reflect a state of our heart. When we hallow God's name, we put Him in a place above all else. That means His will begins to take precedence to ours, even if it means temporary hardship or discomfort it, becomes our foremost desire.
Thy Kingdom Come - Hallowed Be Your Name, Part 1
When we recite the Lord's Prayer is easy just to ramble off the words with little thought of what we're saying. Certain phrases may stand out but ‘Hallowed be your name’ isn't usually one of them. As Pastor Ricky explains, this phrase is much more meaningful than it's usually given credit for. It represents setting God above all else that battles for our heart’s affection. Today's message will continue to reveal the heart of what Jesus intended when He taught His disciples this way of praying.
Thy Kingdom Come - Who Art in Heaven, Part 2
There are many misconceptions and false doctrines regarding prayer. The Prosperity Gospel teaches that if we have enough faith and ask God for material wealth and blessings, we're guaranteed to receive them. Then there are those that believe that prayer has little, to no effect, in this world and things will just happen as they're supposed to happen. As Pastor Ricky continues his in-depth study of the Lord's Prayer we can gather a lot of insight into God's intentions for the gift of prayer.
Thy Kingdom Come - Who Art in Heaven, Part 1
Does prayer really work? It’s a question many Christians don't want to ask. At its core, we want to say that we believe it does but our lives often paint a different picture. Most of us spend very little time in prayer and is often only as a last resort. There are many different reasons but as Pastor Ricky suggests in today's message, our limited use of prayer most likely reflects a lack of faith in its effectiveness. If we really believe that prayer could influence outcomes, we would probably make it a much higher priority.
Thy Kingdom Come - Our Father, Part 2
Every loving parent knows that feeling of having their child come to them scared or in need. All we want to do is help them feel safe and provided for. Most of us would quickly drop whatever we're doing and take the time to comfort them and address their needs. As Pastor Ricky explains in today's message, our parental love reflects the way God views His children. He loves us with a deep sacrificial love and when we pray He delights in listening to the cries of our heart.
Thy Kingdom Come - Our Father, Part 1
The gods that men create and imagine typically have power and authority in a form that men wish they possessed. These fake Gods often sit on a pedestal above their worshippers. They rarely, if ever, come down to the level of their subjects. Yet as Pastor Ricky points out, the God of Israel loves to be amongst His subjects. He loves us so much that He endured the agonizing pain of the Cross equating Himself with the lowest level of humanity. This type of love simply doesn't exist in the gods of man.
Thy Kingdom Come - When You Pray, Part 2
We were designed to have an intimate connection with God. Adam and Eve walked with Him in the Garden and talked to Him every day. The consequence of their sin was a break in that relationship. All of mankind displays an innate longing to return to that intimacy. As Pastor Ricky explains in today’s message, it’s exhibited in various forms but our quest to understand our world and the universe around us can always be traced back to that intimacy that was lost in the Garden.
Thy Kingdom Come- When You Pray, Part 1
One word that aptly describes our culture today would be “distracted”. How many of us have spent more time watching shows or browsing social network feeds than we did reading the Bible and praying this week? As Pastor Ricky warns in today’s message, these distractions, while not bad in and of themselves, are designed to be addicting. If our time with God is taking second place to the diversions of life, the intimacy He desires to have with us is guaranteed to suffer.
Redemption - God and Stuff, Part 3
Today you can have life to the fullest. Pastor Ricky teaches that Jesus was the perfect one that went to the cross for us. He did not envy. He did not take anything that didn't belong to Him. Jesus was generous. He died a painful death on the cross so that we would not have to. Therefore, when you're tempted to think you need something else just remember that God provided everything you need through His son Jesus. Won't you accept His gift of salvation today?
Redemption - God and Stuff, Part 2
Adam and Eve were drawn to what looked good. Pastor Ricky will remind us that Satan was crafty enough to pull them away with the things that delighted their eyes. God had provided everything that Adam and Eve needed in the garden, just like He provides everything we need. However, when we start to crave something other than what God has given us, that’s when we end up losing it all. God knows what you need and when you need it. He's the only thing that will truly fulfill. Turn to Him.
Redemption - God and Stuff, Part 1
What do you crave? Today Pastor Ricky will teach us that the things we crave are the things we worship. Exodus 20:17 says, ‘thou shalt not covet’ and today we learn this basically means do not crave things that don't belong to you. Our God is a good God. He gives good things to His children. When we take things or covet things that He has not given us, then we're actually saying we know better than God. If God wants you to have something He will open a door and provide a way. Trust in Him.
Redemption - God and Speech, Part 3
Do your words condemn you? That's what Pastor Ricky will ask us today. What if you had to take everything you said recently, in every form, whether face-to-face, phone, text or email and run it through the filter of God Himself. How would you do? Does that frighten you? When you speak, do you try and be biblical or do you say whatever you feel like saying? Today’s message is a great reminder of the importance of our words. Remember, as a Christian, you are representing Christ.