Most of us don't want to be mean. As Christians, that should never be our intention. We should never take pleasure in pointing out the sins of others, and we need to be full of grace when we do. But, as Pastor Ricky clarifies in today's message, to ignore sin and pretend like it doesn't have any consequences at all, is the meanest thing that we could do. People need to know that God is a just and holy God, and living in sin and rejecting Him as Lord has eternal consequences.
And He Shall Reign - Watched, Watched, Weighed and Paid, Part 1
God sees everything you do, He hears everything you say, and He observes your heart on the deepest level. Apart from Jesus, that's a scary thought. If you take an honest look at yourself, you know the injustice that lives in your heart. As Pastor Ricky warns us in today's message, the frightening words that God wrote on the wall as Belshazzar and his nobles celebrated their national success serve as a warning for all of us. God is just and all-knowing, and the success of the wicked will come to an end.
And He Shall Reign - Pride Comes Before Cosmic Madness, Part 3
It can be easy to live in your little world and not think of what other people think or say. Today, Pastor Ricky says we have hope because God was merciful to King Nebuchadnezzar, even though he was prideful. God is trying to show you something new within your own life. He wants to work through your heart and use you to show others just how great He is. You must run to Jesus daily. He alone will humble you and bring you to a place of dependence on Him. Allow God to work through you today.
And He Shall Reign - Pride Comes Before Cosmic Madness, Part 2
Everyone has a little bit of pride hidden somewhere. Therefore, we must check every day to ensure that we're living for God's glory. Today, Pastor Ricky says no matter what, pride always makes its way out of our hearts and into our external lives. Is there something in your life that you're secretly prideful about? Maybe it's a tendency to look for compliments consistently, or maybe it's a project you're working on that’s for your glory and not for God. Give up your pride to the Lord and allow Him to work through your arrogance.
And He Shall Reign - Pride Comes Before Cosmic Madness, Part 1
There is a God who is above all earthly authority. Today, Pastor Ricky says King Nebuchadnezzar had to face the reality that heaven ruled, and he didn't. You see, even when you can't see it, there's a God who's working all things out for His glory. Heaven rules. Now that's a hard concept for us to grasp sometimes, but one that is necessary for growth in Christ. When you recognize there's someone greater than you who has everything under control, it'll give you confidence as you go through your day-to-day life.
And He Shall Reign - When You're Afraid to Look, Part 2
If you turn towards secular sources, things begin to look upside-down and inside-out when you compare them to what God has to say. Today, Pastor Ricky teaches that what God says is wise; the world calls foolish. According to the world, when somebody cuts you off during rush hour, you're supposed to honk and scream. According to God, you're supposed to smile and go about your day. Now, who are you going to trust? Are you going to trust the one made up of fallen people, or are you going to trust God?
And He Shall Reign - When You're Afraid to Look, Part 1
What lies at the bottom of the ocean? Well, we know a little bit about what's at the bottom - Angler fish, the Titanic, fallen satellites, but so much of it is still a mystery. In today's message, Pastor Ricky teaches that life's mysteries can make you scratch your head, but God knows the who, what, when, and where. Maybe the bottom of the sea really does have sea dragons, or maybe it's nothing but sand. Nevertheless, trust in God because He knows the answer to every mystery.
And He Shall Reign - Uneasy the Head that Wears the Crown, Part 3
It seems like just yesterday the world was still out of control. In fact, the world has been out of control for the last week, month, year, millennium, and back until just after the first flower bloom. You can look at the news and try to make sense of it all, but just like Pastor Ricky, it will probably just raise your heart rate instead. Today, try something different. Instead of turning towards the chaos, try turning towards the peacemaker who makes sense of it all. Today, turn towards Jesus Christ.
And He Shall Reign - Uneasy the Head that Wears the Crown, Part 2
How do you usually respond when you get told your project deadline is moved a week closer? What about when a family member ostracizes you for your faith? How about when your car battery dies after you just bought a bunch of cold groceries? Well, today Pastor Ricky teaches that you can respond with bitterness and anger, or you could respond with prayer and worship. Do your actions reflect your prayer life in the way that Daniel’s did? When the world is against you, do you choose to worship God?
And He Shall Reign - Uneasy the Head that Wears the Crown, Part 1
The world as we know it is not the world it was designed to be in Genesis. Back then, God created a garden of peace and beauty. Today's world is engineered to bring stress, anxiety, and depression. In today's message, Pastor Ricky teaches that there's no magic pill. There’s nothing you can buy, watch, or do to make your uneasiness go away. Your only hope for peace is to turn to the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. Only Jesus and His work on the cross can give you peace that is going to last forever.
And He Shall Reign - Welcome to Babylon High, Part 2
For people without the ability to see, they place their trust in many things to guide their day-to-day activities. They trust their cane to feel objects. They trust their ears for direction. They trust their touch to know when the glass is full. Today, Pastor Ricky challenges you to consider what you've placed your trust in. As you're walking through this crazy life, unable to see what the next step brings, will you trust the Lord of creation to guide each and every step? Will you trust that God will protect and provide?
And He Shall Reign - God in the Waste Land, Part 3
The Cross of Calvary, the most important, powerful, compelling and talked about story of all time. In today's message, Pastor Ricky teaches that this historical event, foretold by prophets like Daniel and Isaiah, would shake the earth for generations to come. Your whole life has been shaped by the events that happened between Jesus, the Romans, and the Jews outside of Jerusalem, whether you realize it or not. As you tune into the Word of God today, reflect on the power of the Cross and what Jesus did for you.
And He Shall Reign - Welcome to Babylon High, Part 1
In the business world, tech companies are faced with a major decision in the life of their products. Do they take an incremental approach to innovation, or a disruptive one? Disruptive innovation has its moments, but for many, incremental is the way to go. Today, Pastor Ricky teaches that each decision you make can either bring you closer to God or further from Him. If you want to innovate your spiritual life, allow every decision you make to develop you into a product that models Christ.
And He Shall Reign - God in the Waste Land, Part 2
There's a phenomenon called “brain rot” that we've all experienced. It's the hyper fixation of something, usually online content, that is meaningless and not beneficial in any way. It grips our attention and causes our brains to rot away instead of doing something productive. Today, Pastor Ricky teaches that your walk with Christ ought to be apparent in all aspects of life. Have you experienced spiritual “brain rot” by placing the trivial things above Christ, or do you allow Him to be productive in your life?
And He Shall Reign - God in the Waste Land, Part 1
Have you ever watched a movie and noticed how the director and cinematographers would focus on some seemingly random and meaningless detail, only to reveal the vast importance of that detail later in the plot? Well, in today's message, Pastor Ricky teaches that many details in your life might seem pointless, but God is going to use them as a part of your unique story. He works all things together for good even when you don't notice. You only see the current scene, but God knows the whole plot.
Jesus Movement - The Cross as the Dividing Line, Part 2
We try, at all costs, to avoid the things that break our hearts. It's in our nature to run away from sorrow. Today Pastor Ricky reminds us just how amazing Jesus truly is. Not only did He not run away from being beaten and crucified but He pursued it His entire life. It wasn't something that He was looking forward to per se but He knew that it was necessary. So well a story about a man being falsely convicted and suffering for it breaks our hearts, we can also see that it was essential to our salvation and we can be so grateful for Him.
Jesus Movement - The Cross as the Dividing Line, Part 1
Have you ever been truly forsaken? Sometimes we feel alone or unloved but feeling it and it being true are two different things. When you know love and lose it can shatter you. Today Pastor Ricky reminds us that that was exactly what Jesus went through by being crucified. His entire life, He knew the love of His father intimately but when the time came for Him to die, it required Jesus to take all of our sin that caused God so much wrath and take it on Himself. He knew the wrath of God so that you might be saved from it.
Jesus Movement - This Can't Be the Right Road, Can It? Part 3
We often let society's narrative translate our actions in order to feel better about them. We think about sin as this big thing when in reality we all sin every day. Pastor Ricky reminds us today how important it is to not downplay our sin because it is a big deal and it's only when we recognize the weight of our sin that we can truly appreciate the weight of what Christ carried on our behalf. We have to see our sin through God's perspective in order to understand what He did for us and to be truly thankful.
Jesus Movement - This Can't Be the Right Road, Can It? Part 2
We don't always choose the wisest options in life. In fact, we often choose the option that we know isn't wise just because we're curious or because we don't think through the consequences. Pastor Ricky reminds us that even though Pilate tried to sway the crowd into releasing Jesus instead of a murderer, it was to no avail. They would rather see a dangerous man walk amongst them than an innocent one who threatened their way of life. And check your pride, because you would have done the same.
Jesus Movement - This Can't Be the Right Road, Can It? Part 1
We all know what it's like to mess up but we still think of ourselves as the protagonist. We may be self-critical but at the end of the day, we're still selfishly inclined. What Pastor Ricky is going to remind us of today, is to have a little perspective. If you'd lived in Jesus' day, you would have been shouting along with the rest of the crowd to crucify Him. Don't think that you would have been brave enough to stand up and defend Him. We're all responsible for His crucifixion, not just the people who were there.