From the moment Jesus took His first breath in the flesh, He faced opposition. He was the reason that Herod committed one of the greatest atrocities recorded in scripture, the massacre of thousands of innocent children, all in an effort to stop Jesus. Throughout all of His earthly ministry and in the thousands of years since, His church has faced heavy opposition. Yet as Pastor Ricky points out, it has just kept going and growing despite all of this because God is at work in it.
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work in Our Growing Pains, Part 2
Leadership doesn’t just happen from a stage. Only a few people are genuinely called to take on that role. But there is so much more to the church than just listening to songs and sermons on Sunday morning. It is a refuge for the lost and a base of operations for spiritual rescue teams that go out to offer hope to the hopeless. As Pastor Ricky challenges us in today’s message, embrace your calling to servant leadership. Whether you’re in the spotlight or not, you are important and necessary in this body.
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work in Our Growing Pains, Part 1
Our concept of a successful church is quite a bit different from the early church as we’ll encounter in today’s passage. When we see a church whose numbers are steadily increasing, requiring a bigger building or new satellite congregations every couple of years, we assume that that is a truly successful church. But as Pastor Ricky points out, attendance alone is not a good measure of health. An easy message coupled with fun music can bring in crowds but you have to ask, are true disciples being made?
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work Despite Opposition, Part 2
There has been a movement amongst some Christians to take a militant stance against the lost world. Whether it's through the ineffective use of memes on social media, picketing, or politicking, this approach doesn’t mesh with Jesus’ sacrificial love. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today’s message, if you’re truly living out your faith, you will face opposition but in the midst of that, it’s important to remember that your real enemy is not flesh and blood but forces of Satan at work in the hearts of man.
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work Despite Opposition, Part 1
Jesus thrives in the face of opposition. If you look at cultures through the centuries that have outlawed Christianity, you don’t see a pattern of people abandoning their faith and dying out in that place. It's in those places where the enemy is hardest at work that Jesus comes to life in the hearts of His followers and spreads like fire. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today’s message, while the battles of life will continue, Jesus has won the victory and His kingdom is actively growing in this world.
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work in the Message, Part 2
The gift of public speaking is a powerful one. People can be persuaded to good just as they can to evil. Emotions can be stirred to anger, sorrow, or joy. But the gospel doesn’t require this gift to be effective, its power is in Christ. As Pastor Ricky continues our study of how Jesus has been at work since His ascension, he reminds us that the apostles, Peter included, were not generally well-educated or trained in the art of public speaking. Yet through them, God has had an impact on millions of people.
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work in the Message, Part 1
Most religions of the world dictate what you have to do in order to attain God-like status or favor with God. This puts you in a place to boast of your own self-discipline and commitment. That’s not how Christianity is supposed to work. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today’s message, your only boast should be in Jesus. Your salvation isn’t based off of anything that you did. It only required that you trust in Jesus and He did everything else to bring you into right relationship with His father.
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work in a Miracle, Part 3
God can, and sometimes does, work supernaturally to meet a need or provide healing. But as Pastor Ricky challenges us to ask in today’s message, how often do you pray for someone in need knowing full well that you have the resources to help them? Keep on praying, that’s good, but ask yourself if God might want to use you to facilitate that miracle in someone’s life. As a member of His church, a physical extension of Christ in this world, you need to be open to act when God gives you the opportunity.
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work in a Miracle, Part 2
Like the Israelites as they wandered freely in the desert or Peter as his gaze shifted from Jesus to the waves he was walking on, how quickly you forget what God has done for you. He has cleansed your soul and given you freedom from the power of sin. He has healed physical and emotional wounds for countless people throughout history and He’s still doing it. Yet as Pastor Ricky points out in today’s message, so often our focus is only on the problem instead of the one who will rescue us from it.
Loving - Loving Jesus, Part 1
When the disciples asked Christ what laws they should keep, Jesus said to them, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength”. All the commandments are summed up in this. In this text today, Pastor Ricky will be teaching on the importance of falling in love with the real Jesus. Many people worship a Jesus that they make in their own image, a Jesus that they’re more comfortable with. Are you worshipping the Jesus of the Bible or an idol you’ve made?
What Jesus Did Next - Jesus at Work in a Miracle, Part 1
We like to make things as efficient as possible. The number of people we can reach with the least effort is a common fixation for many churches. That's not wrong, we are called to spread the gospel to the ends of the world after all. But as Pastor Ricky points out in today’s message, Jesus didn’t seem to be concerned with efficiency. Instead of prioritizing big crowds or the rich and powerful, He would take the time to stop and interact with individuals, especially those that society had overlooked.
The God of Chance - The Great Reversal, Part 2
The story that plays out in the book of Esther is one that begins with impending doom for an entire people, it ends instead with their victory over their intended destroyers. It’s remarkable to watch the intrigue and behind-the-scenes dealings of a real-life drama playing out before our very eyes. Pastor Ricky will be teaching about the providence of God and how His hand works in our lives even when we can’t perceive Him. It’s beneficial for us to pay attention to history because we can learn from it.
The God of Chance - The Great Reversal, Part 1
We all like celebrations, right? So did the Israelites. It’s interesting that God mandated not just solemn assemblies like the Day of Atonement but also joyous ones like the Feast of Tabernacles where people camped out and ate for a whole week. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from the book of Esther focusing on the creation of the feast called Purim. He’ll be showing the importance of remembering events through celebration and how these lessons from the past apply to us today.
The God of Chance - Perfect Justice in God's Timing, Part 3
It can definitely be vexing to observe injustices being done around us and it’s hard not to get frustrated with God in those regards. We want justice and we want it done now. At those times, it's best to listen to Pastor Ricky. He’ll be teaching about the importance of our submitting such frustrations over to God and understanding that His timing will always be perfect. He also is the only just judge because He knows all of the circumstances as well as the heart of those involved.
The God of Chance - Perfect Justice in God's Timing, Part 2
As Christians, we believe that what the Bible tells us is true. It indicates that in the last days, there will be a final judgment. Although that’s sometimes not a comfort at this present time, it is comforting to know that God has not turned a blind eye to what’s occurring. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from Esther, emphasizing that God is indeed watching over all and is keeping track of what men are doing. He alone will be the final judge and His verdict will be final.
The God of Chance - Perfect Justice in God's Timing, Part 1
So often we see people get away with doing bad things, and that’s frustrating to us. We see people getting away with crimes without any consequences. It seemed like the same thing was going to happen in the story of Esther. Haman was planning to kill all of the Jews and no one realized it. But as Pastor Ricky will be teaching, God knew all about Haman’s plans and He had already put His own plans into motion. And as we’ll learn, God’s plans included appropriate justice for Haman and preservation for the Jews.
The God of Chance - Where the Story Turns, Part 3
We all have different stories about how we came to saving faith. The undercurrent in all of them though is God’s grace in showing us our need for Him and then providing the faith necessary to receive His son’s salvation. The story of Esther is in many ways a foreshadowing of our own redemption. Pastor Ricky will be teaching about how Esther and the exiled Jews’ deliverance by God is a precursor to our own rescuing by God. He’ll also teach us about God being the final arbiter of justice.
The God of Chance - Where the Story Turns, Part 2
So often it’s hard to see God working in our lives. Maybe we’re looking for something obvious, like being able to see angels stopping out-of-control vehicles. The truth is, God works most often than not behind the scenes. We only see His hand after the fact. Pastor Ricky continues teaching from the fascinating story of Esther where we’re allowed to peak behind the curtain as it were. In this story, we can observe all the players involved and watch God orchestrating circumstances for maximum effect.
The God of Chance - Where the Story Turns, Part 1
All around us, we see bad men and women prospering seemingly without a check on their actions or behaviors. It’s really frustrating and we wish for justice to be done to them and for them to be stopped. Pastor Ricky will be continuing to teach from the story of Esther where we find a similar situation. Pastor Ricky will be reminding us of God’s sovereign will and how He has the final say in all matters. This should be encouraging to us despite the aggravation we often have to endure.
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.