The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus' day were experts of scripture. They should have always been on the lookout and the first to see and recognize Jesus was the Messiah. Yet as Pastor Ricky teaches us today, they didn't recognize, and they certainly didn't acknowledge Jesus as the prophesied Messiah. Sadly, most of us today are much like the scribes. We know about Jesus but so often we want to hold onto and build our own kingdom and power. Are you willing to surrender your life to God, in order that you might be saved?
Jesus Movement - What Are You Waiting For, Part 1
What if what you're hoping for from God isn't too big but is in fact too small? The religious leaders of the time were simply looking for a descendant of David to come and subdue their Roman oppressors. But as Pastor Ricky will teach us today, God had a much bigger and more spectacular plan than that. Human plans were far too narrow for the Messiah who is to come. God's plan was for the rescue and redemption of mankind from the enemy of sin and death. God’s plans are bigger and better than anything that you can imagine.
Jesus Movement - The Kingdom Around Us, The Kingdom Above Us, Part 2
The way things are nowadays, it can be easy to despair about politicians and leaders in control of our country. Yet as Pastor Ricky will explain today, God will ultimately hold leaders accountable for the choices they make. God is the ultimate authority and is in control of all things, and He's worthy of our trust and faith. And when you do trust God in all things, you experience a greater sense of peace and rest in the difficult seasons. So don’t allow fear and despair to overtake you, rest in God. He's in control.
Jesus Movement - The Kingdom Around Us, The Kingdom Above Us, Part 1
The political culture of today is divisive and full of conflict. Just about every earthly leader is full of pride and contempt and no one seems to want to obey authority anymore. But as Pastor Ricky teaches us today, all leaders, all circumstances, and all authority on earth is under the authority of God Almighty. The government isn't your god. God is God. You don't need to fear or idolize authority because ultimately God is in control and is above all things. No one can thwart His plans.
Jesus Movement - Cheering Jesus But Missing the Point, Part 2
The crowds that cheered Jesus into Jerusalem wanted a powerful king who would rescue and save them from their Roman oppression. They wanted very specific things from this man that they assumed to be the Messiah. Today Pastor Ricky points out that the people were missing the fact that they had a much deeper need for salvation from sin, hell, and judgment than they did from Rome at the time. Jesus came to His people to give them a better and deeper, truer rescue and salvation than they were hoping for. Have you accepted that rescue yet?
Jesus Movement - Cheering Jesus But Missing the Point, Part 1
People today have all sorts of different understandings and viewpoints as to who Jesus was - an old religious teacher, a good man, a prophet, a quack, or to some, a king and savior. The crowd at the gates of Jerusalem shouted “Hosanna!” because they wanted a powerful warrior king who would conquer the world for them. But as Pastor Ricky teaches today, Jesus did wear a crown but it was a crown of thorns. However, Jesus was a truer and better King than they could ever have imagined. Is He the king over your life?
Jesus Movement - Searching for Greatness in All the Wrong Places, Part 2
It goes against every human instinct to admit that you can't do it, that you need help, that you're weak or incapable. Our proud hearts really struggle to admit those types of things. Yet as a sinner, you just can't work your way out of the judgment of God on your own. Today Pastor Ricky will explain how Jesus, the King of All, humbled Himself, came to earth to serve you, and give His life as a ransom for yours. You must bow your knee in humility and let Jesus serve you in this way. Let Him save you. It's why He came.
Jesus Movement - Searching for Greatness in All the Wrong Places, Part 1
Those considered great in this world are the rich, the super talented, and the famous. They’re envied and admired. But as Pastor Ricky will explain today, society's definition isn't God's definition, nor is the pursuit of that type of greatness what God desires for you. Longing for worldly greatness leads only to ruin and God sees the posture of your heart. He knows if you want to be great in the eyes of the world. Instead, he longs for you to look to Jesus, to humble yourself, and to seek to serve others. That's what will make you great in God's eyes.
Jesus Movement - Design, Divorce, Direction, Part 2
God designed marriage between man and woman in order to illustrate and display His love for His people. That's why He created marriages to last forever. But in our world, it doesn't always happen that way. Today Pastor Ricky will challenge you to examine how you view marriage. It requires a huge amount of humility and sacrifice for another and it needs a lot of grace demonstrated towards each other. Will you resolve today to show God's love for His bride, the church, in and through your marriage?
Jesus Movement - Design, Divorce, Direction, Part 1
God's design for marriage was to be a beautiful union between a man and a woman, demonstrating the love that God has for His people but mankind has warped and changed the value of marriage so much so that divorce is commonplace today. God never intended marriage to end in divorce. This world is broken by sin and marriage has been greatly affected. Pastor Ricky will explain today that divorce shouldn’t be happily pursued but Jesus did outline how it's permissible in this fallen world, despite His desires for lifelong marriages.
Jesus Movement - Who Is Marriage For, Part 2
The concept of marriage is quickly becoming viewed as out of date and restrictive in society today so culture tries to change it, redefine it, or swap out who it's for. But as Pastor Ricky teaches us today, God designed marriage and His design is good. It's radically countercultural. He created marriage to be a complete union between a man and a woman and no matter how much you change up or redefine marriage, you'll never get back to the goodness and blessing of God's design for this union.
Jesus Movement - Who Is Marriage For, Part 1
There's a lot of debate and some really high emotions around the issue of gender today. Culture shouts that anyone can be anything, any gender or even non-gender, and anything to the contrary isn’t just out of date but downright wrong. But as Pastor Ricky teaches today, God in His glorious wisdom created man and woman as two distinct beings. Men and women are designed to complement and improve each other in beautiful and unique ways. The way that God designed humanity is for our ultimate good and for His own glory.
Jesus Movement - How to Be Great, Part 2
The last time you were with us, Pastor Ricky began dismantling the idea that in order to be great we have to step on and over anyone in our way. We learned that Jesus set the supreme example by serving, not being served. So as you listen today you're going to be challenged to ask yourself, “Am I serving those around me? Am I serving my family? Am I serving my co-workers?” Those are some difficult questions to answer as the answers themselves can be incriminating but nevertheless, Jesus says that in order to be great you must be the servant of all.
Jesus Movement - How to Be Great, Part 1
The American dream is fueled by a dog-eat-dog mentality. You just have to step on the person next to you to get ahead. Make sure that you get that promotion before anyone else. When it's raised like that it doesn't sound very nice but we all know that is true. Today Pastor Ricky flips this completely upside down as he shares with us just how different the kingdom economy actually is. Jesus says that if you want to be great in His kingdom you have to learn to serve, to be below, to be less than.
Jesus Movement - Hope for Insufficient People, Part 2
How do you respond when faced with circumstances that seem impossible? Do you immediately begin to question the goodness of God and why He even allowed a struggle in your life to begin with? Well, today Pastor Ricky shares that learning to see your circumstances through the lens of an all-powerful God is key to seeing God move. It begins with believing that you, in and of yourself, are insufficient. You need God to move on your behalf. That kind of faith will move the heart of God.
Jesus Movement - Hope for Insufficient People, Part 1
There's a really big difference between wondering whether God can do something and declaring that He can't do something. Today you learn that God has pretty broad shoulders. He can take your doubts. The important distinction is to not allow your doubts to turn into unbelief, where you simply believe that God can’t do something. Pastor Ricky will share that God is so, so sufficient while we are completely insufficient. This helps us to see our great need for God and to depend only on Him.
Jesus Movement - The Low Road to the High City, Part 2
Sadly, pulpits all across America blur the message if you believe in God enough, you'll be healthy and wealthy. You’ll never have a bad day in your life. If you’ve been told this message, you've been told a lie. In fact, Jesus actually promised the exact opposite. He said that you would experience trouble in this life. Today Pastor Ricky brings some clarity to the murky waters of suffering. You’ll learn just because you're suffering doesn't mean that you're outside of God's will or being punished by God.
Jesus Movement - The Low Road to the High City, Part 1
Maybe you're not quite sure that there's anything after this life, that you’ll just cease to exist when you die. Well, today Pastor Ricky will help us see a little more clearly just how much death has been changed through the work of Jesus Christ. You’ll learn today that death is not the end and that you are an eternal being. Right now, right where you are listening, you have the capacity to choose where you're going to spend eternity.
Jesus Movement - One Change to Save the World
Maybe you're not quite sure that there's anything after this life, that you’ll just cease to exist when you die. Well, today Pastor Ricky will help us see a little more clearly just how much death has been changed through the work of Jesus Christ. You’ll learn today that death is not the end and that you are an eternal being. Right now, right where you are listening, you have the capacity to choose where you're going to spend eternity.
Jesus Movement - Who Do You Say Jesus Is, Part 2
Stop and think about the last time that you had unexpected guests over. You might have gotten a call on the drive home from work that there's going to be some extra seats needed at the dinner table. You frantically race home and you clean up the house in a whirlwind and now as the friends arrive there are probably some places where you’ve crammed some of the mess that you don't want them to see. Today Pastor Ricky asks, are there places in your life and in your heart that you don't want Jesus to see?