Many are looking for contentment, but go about finding it in the wrong way. Scripture tells us that this is only found through Christ. We must learn to be content as Paul says. And, as a result, peace will come.
What does a loving heart really look like? If we are Chrsitians, we must love like Christ loved.
The heart is at the root of all things for us - how we act, what we say, what we love, what and who we worship. This message kicks off the HEART SERIES and starts to look deeply into the matters of the heart and how this affects the Christian walk.
God is all about taking away disgrace and shame. At Christmas we celebrate this in the baby Jesus. Ultimately, He came to give us another chance. He came to redeem us and give us hope. This message is largely built upon the story of Zecariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1. God grants them a child late in life called John the Baptist.
What is Christmas really about? In Philippians 2 we can find what it really means. Jesus came to empty Himself for us. We should do likewise, living for Him.
Do you consider the redemption of your sins at Christmas a gift from God? We are ONLY justified through Christ. It is because of His grace rendered upon us. A deeper more powerful way to consider celebrating this Christmas!
We live in a country that is filled with pleasure. We may fall prey to seeking all kinds of pleasure that, in the end, do not fulfill us. Our choices regarding this affect us everyday. Do your personal pleasures rob you of pleasure in the Lord?
Have you lost the joy? Studies have shown that joy in the midst of trials and disease can improve your health and even add years to your life. But, more significant than this is God's glory through you in this world.
What does it take to truly make Jesus smile? Jesus delights in His followers loving in extraordinary ways just as He did.
A message based on the storyline of the book of Esther. Don't you want to be in the middle of God's providence? As followers we should be willing, trusting and courageous to step foot into His plan and purpose to experience and witness God's providence in our lives. As a result, we can be blessed and ultimately, God will be glorified.
As God's people we have so much to look forward to. There will be a day when we will be glorified for being His. This is a gift and a goal of ours.
Sanctification occurs when we surrender our minds and our hearts to God. It should be our endeavor as followers.
Justification is all about allowing Christ to redeem you. Because of what He did on the cross, we can be justified. When we ask Him to forgive we should leave behind the guilt associated with what we did.
Everybody's got a vineyard. The question is, "What does yours look like?". God wants to assist us with this life so that we can flourish for Him. He wants us to fight entropy that sets in and causes us to deteriorate. He wants us to tend to what matters in this life and is ready to help us. Is your vineyard unkept or maintained? Message is based in Proverbs 24.
The heart is at the center of it all. The condition of the heart is at the root of who we are and what we do with our lives. When we trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, we yield to Him and are open to His instruction.
Our reactions say a lot about our inner discord. According to Proverbs, we must consider putting off a quick, emotionally charged response to someone or something. A wise person is careful about their reactions.
Proverbs 5 is all about guarding your heart and focusing on what can bless your spouse. If we learn to make this our way of handling our marriage, we will flourish.
Introductory message to the series. This message sets forth the basic components of being wise. Those who are correctable are wise, but those who refuse correction are foolish. We must be moldable before the Lord and others.
For those who are in the Lord, is there really anything to fear at all? Scripture tells us time and time again that He will take care of us and that He can be trusted. We must not let fear control us in our lives.
What is your flat tire? What is your problem that needs to be dealt with now? We need to be "real" about what is keeping us from fully living for God. Just like the prodigal, we may need to experience bad circumstances to realize we need to make a change. The kind of change that takes humility, self-awareness and total commitment.
Failure is a good thing. When we expose our problem of sin, we finally realize that we need change. Secret sin is too easy to jusify. We need so desperately to be open to failing so that we can move forward in our "change" process with God. What do you need to be honest about?
Change cannot happen until we admit and believe that we are not our own. Scripture states that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We must submit ourselve FULLY to God so that He can transform us inside and out.
The people who are going to experience real change in their life are the people who overcome problems and failure. God is ready to help when we are willing to try. Change is waiting for you.
The presence of hardship is the environment where God does good things and exciting things. Hardship could be a powerful opportunity for God's people to bring glory to His name.
Burdens realized can be the start of something wonderful if given to God. If we are sufficiently bothered by injustice, sin, or needs, we can change our world. What bothers you about this world that you belive God can change through you?
The most critical step for real change in your life is admitting you have a problem. Much like addicts in a 12-step program, we need to admit we are sinners (confess) and be healed.
We find that our culture is placing the importance of dad lower and lower. The truth is that a dad is a significant part of leading a family. Dads are needed and dads are important.
Jesus ministry was characterized by embracing the kinds of people that the regular religious folk of his time did not want to embrace. With this message, pastor Byron concludes the A.D. series by challenging us to open our hearts to people in our culture who are difficult to embrace.
In the book of Acts, Jesus' words and the teaching of the Apostles were transformative. The church grew exponentially. New converts were won every day because of the Word. Since then, it has become quite apparent that of all the books you could have, the Bible is most valuable.
One of the most powerful stories in the New Testament regarding conversions and great change is that of Saul's experience on the road to Damascus and then his very different life thereafter. This is a message stemming from the A.D. series based on the book of Acts.
