How can a believer have free will and choose Christ and God be sovereign and choose those who would receive Him? Pastor Ricky will be tackling this controversial issue with his teaching today. The truth of the matter is that you can't completely understand the vastness and majesty of God's being and His ways. You have to trust that somehow, someway both these truths are a reality and work in God's plan. As a believer, you must be comfortable with God's mysteries and trust Him.
The Book of Acts - Missionary Work in Our Own City, Part 2
Paul had such a good way of preaching the gospel. Pastor Ricky relates Paul’s methods to us today. Paul educated himself on the people group he was going to preach to and then related to them prior to bringing in the big guns of the gospel. He found common ground that got them listening then began to preach the good news. Take Paul's example and apply it to your life. Get to know those around you and be a missionary in your own town. You don't need to travel far to share the good news.
The Book of Acts - Missionary Work in Our Own City, Part 1
Anything we choose that takes the Lord off of the throne of our lives is considered an idol. Many believe that they don't have an idol because they don't have a carved wooden image in their home that they worship. However, if there is a hobby, a job, a car, a person that you put before Jesus, it is an idol. The Lord comes first in our lives or we will become enslaved by whatever we allow before Him. If it's money for instance then there will never be enough. You'll kill yourself working for more and more.
The Book of Acts - A Right & Wrong Response to the Word, Part 2
We have a responsibility before God to examine everything in light of scripture. You will stand before God and will be judged. We will be held responsible for what we believe, the choices that we've made. Pastors and teachers will also be held accountable for what they’ve taught. Know that there will be no way to say that you didn't know. God's word says to find out the truth and not just blindly follow. Pastor Ricky implores us to take every teaching we hear and compare it to the word of God.
The Book of Acts - A Right & Wrong Response to the Word, Part 1
Today Pastor Ricky encourages us to take everything to the Word of God. The tendency of our human heart seems is to want to make choices based on our own self-interest. Paul would preach in different places and Luke pointed out that some of them compared what he said to the Word of God, then they believed. This is what we are called to do, to rightly divide the Word. We’re not supposed to just believe everything that comes our way. We need to compare it to scripture then make our choice.
The Book of Acts - Advancing and Enduring Through Tribulation, Part 2
After Paul is stoned in Lystra, he regains consciousness and goes back into the city. Pastor Ricky shows how this is a picture of Christ. When both Paul and Christ were mistreated and sinned against, neither one of them cursed their aggressors. They both went back to them to tell them the good news. This is so unlike our human nature. Running away or fighting back are more common but they continued to love.
The Book of Acts - Advancing and Enduring Through Tribulation, Part 1
Paul and Barnabas were thought to be Zeus and Hermes. Paul could have allowed these people to continue and make sacrifices to him. Instead, he stuck his neck out and preached the gospel. You may be faced with times like this too when it would be easier to not be the odd man out and stand up for the gospel. You may not want to be known as “that person”. Paul didn’t just preach the popular gospel that God loves you but he preached that what they were doing was wrong, they needed to repent.
The Book of Acts - The Difference One Church Can Make, Part 2
Pastor Ricky teaches about the church in Antioch, their faithfulness to follow God's leading. They faithfully pursued God's word which made them have hearts and ears that could hear His leading. You may be listening today and confused about a decision that you have to make. Diving into God's word and following hard after Him will help to make the right choice clear. It will clear out your heart and mind of the things that don't matter, refocus you in His clear direction for you.
The Book of Acts - The Difference One Church Can Make, Part 1
The church in Antioch gave us such a great example, they loved and cared for others so much. They didn't stop at the members of their own church. They supported other churches that were in need, whether financially or needs of manpower, they helped. They sacrificed in ways that so many people find difficult. Pastor Ricky encourages us to follow their example, to care for others, to break down the walls, and really get to know our brothers and sisters in Christ and love and care for them.
The Book of Acts - Breaking Down Dividing Walls, Part 3
Peter showed such a great example of not allowing dividing walls stop him from sharing the gospel. Today Pastor Ricky shares the huge divide between Peter and Cornelius. In their day, Jews weren't even supposed to receive Gentiles. They weren’t supposed to eat or stay with them. Peter went to a Gentile, Cornelius, because the Lord told him to break that divide. This one act of obedience by Peter opened the door of salvation to a huge people group that otherwise would have been shunned.
The Book of Acts - Breaking Down Dividing Walls, Part 2
You may be out there listening today and think it is impossible for you to be saved. You may think if you walk into a church lightning will strike you down. The good news is that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. No one deserves what Jesus did on the cross for them. Jesus died for everyone. He didn't just save the people from sin who weren't too bad seeming on the outside. He isn't picking and choosing, so now that you know choose to follow Jesus today.
The Book of Acts - Breaking Down Dividing Walls, Part 1
Today Pastor Ricky teaches that Jesus, as He taught, did two things over and over again. One, He abolished the additions to His law, like the cultural divide. And two, He raised the bar for what it meant to be holy. Jesus let them know that those laws weren't even in the Bible, to begin with. He taught that The Law was meant to reveal our hearts, to show us how holy the Lord is and our need for Him. Not to be a list of ceremonial laws. Even today we can create a divide like this among people.
The Book of Acts - Does Jesus Still Walk, Part 2
There are people who live as if God was part of creation but isn't around now. Like as if He started things off and now we're on our own, things will just work themselves out. Pastor Ricky teaches us through the miracles in the book of Acts that Jesus is here with us now. He is active in our lives and we're filled with His power right now. We don't have to do things alone in this life. Jesus overcame even death to have the victory so that we can live confidently in that victory all the days of our lives.
The Book of Acts - Does Jesus Still Walk, Part 1
Luke tells us in his gospel about Jesus taking on different forces and winning. In Acts these stories are similar. Jesus healing people shows that He has power over every realm. He takes on nature, spiritual forces, sickness, disease, and even death and wins. The story of Peter healing in Jesus’ name in the book of Acts shows that Jesus is still with us, that He still has the power. Pastor Ricky encourages us that even today Jesus is with us, and in power, we can have daily victories in this power.
The Book of Acts - Impossible Circumstances, Impossible People, Part 2
All people need to be restored to God. We're going to come up against people who seem impossible to save. Pastor Ricky points out that the passage about The Suffering Servant was put in the Bible for times like that, to show us all to have a heart that cares that everyone should come to Christ. Some people make us so angry, they mock us or mock Jesus but Jesus died for them too. He wants us to continue to love them regardless. If you win that soul for eternity your blessings will far outweigh the suffering.
The Book of Acts - Impossible Circumstances, Impossible People, Part 1
When we’re living in the world we can take on bad habits from the world. Separating ourselves into groups and subcultures, there are stigmas that go with any group. There's a class system that gets developed. The Samaritans coming to the Lord and becoming part of the fellowship of God shows us to break down those barriers. The Samaritans were thought of as lower than the Jews. The believers accepting them as just as good as they were, spoke volumes. Jesus died for us all, not just some.
The Book of Acts - Leaders, Ethnic Dividers and the Gospel, Part 2
Have you ever been looked at disparagingly because of your race? Maybe walked into a place that you thought you didn't belong? Or maybe you have tattoos, or are watched when your shopping because you’re thought to be a thief? Pastor Ricky preaches the gospel to you and to me. He wants us to do the same. The gospel breaks down worldly dividers. The gospel changes things for everyone. We're no longer a certain race or group. We become sons and daughters of God. We’re family.
The Book of Acts - Leaders, Ethnic Dividers and the Gospel, Part 1
During the early church, they had the same issues arise as we do. They had people with needs. They had widows, orphans, and handicapped people who couldn’t work and relied on the goodness of others for their sustenance. Just like today, there are millions of people that without humanitarian efforts would be dead. The lesson here in Acts, that Pastor Ricky is teaching, is that the main thing needs to stay the main thing. The Gospel is to be preached first.
The Book of Acts - Gospel Advanced, Part 2
Pastor Ricky likens our sharing Jesus to a balance scale. The scale has the other person, issue, or obstacle on one side, it's totally way down. But when we get on the counterbalance side alone, nothing happens, it barely budges. But we aren't alone. We have the power of Jesus on our side. He is on the scale with us and it's weighed down enough. This is what happens when you share Jesus. You may not know the words going in but the Holy Spirit will give you the wisdom and power.
The Book of Acts - Gospel Advanced, Part 1
We get our power from Jesus. His name is where our power to share the gospel comes from. Pastor Ricky speaks about Peter being uneducated but having the power of Jesus. He stood before educated men and preached the Gospel in a way that blew them away. They spoke to each other saying that he was uneducated but the way he spoke about the Gospel made them see and believe there was a real change in him. That's what will bring people to Jesus around us, the change they see in us.