Every year, right around the time the flowers start to bloom, I get nasty colds. And, as much as I’d love for them to never happen again, they’ve taught me a few things. First off, I need to wear a mask when I cut grass to protect my lungs. Second, I need to make sure my car stays clean so pollen doesn’t ruin the paint. Today, Pastor Bill teaches that sometimes sickness leads to lessons, so while God can heal everything, there’s no guarantee that He will. Next time you’re sick, ask God what He’d have you learn.

If I could make people obey my every command, it might be nice. It would put me first in line at the register, my spouse would cover all the chores for me, and my kids would clean their room the first time I ask. But, unfortunately, that’s not how the world works… and honestly, I’m kind of glad. I’d miss out on all the connections and would never see love acted out. Everyone would behave like a robot. Today, Pastor Bill teaches that God doesn’t just want mindless obedience… He wants your heart.

There’s a phrase that goes, “love the sinner, hate the sin”, and that phrase is extremely relevant in today’s message! As we see in the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, Jesus did not excuse or endorse her sin. But what Jesus did was show mercy and forgive the woman’s sins. Pastor Bill teaches you today that you can show mercy to someone without endorsing the sin that they committed in the first place. We cannot confuse Jesus’ mercy with apathy or the endorsement of sin. 

When you make a mistake, and someone calls you out on it, would you rather they react in anger or with mercy? Pastor Bill reminds you today that the way you treat others is the way you will be treated. If you want to be shown mercy, then you should show mercy to others when they make mistakes. That doesn’t mean that you should ignore the harm that they caused, but you can correct someone while still showing mercy to the person who made the mistake. That’s how Jesus treats us when we sin! 

Have you ever gone back and read an old journal? Every once in a while, I’ll pull out that small notebook and read about the things that were on my mind several years ago. Many times, I’ll realize that there were prayers I had several years ago that the Lord had answered without me even knowing it! Pastor Bill reminds you today that when you come to the Lord in prayer with thanksgiving, you remind yourself of what He has already done, and you realize your current issue isn’t too big for God.

Every Thanksgiving, videos of grease fires go viral online because oil and water don’t get along nicely! In today’s message, Pastor Bill reminds you that you can’t mix your priorities in life. You can’t serve God and yourself; you have to choose one! So when your priorities begin to shift away from the things of God, it’s up to you to recognize what is going on and take action to correct it! God is a jealous God, and He does not want His children trying to serve two masters.

Spending your effort on the things of God instead of following your own agenda is like keeping your money in a bank vault instead of in your pocket. In the bank, there are security measures in place to keep everyday thieves from stealing what you have worked hard to earn. But if you keep your money hanging out of your pocket, you may draw attention from those who want to hinder you and harm you. Pastor Bill reminds you today that when you serve God, those wages go straight to the bank!

Being hurt by people and forgiving them is hard. Being hurt by someone you are close to makes it even harder to forgive. Have you been hurt by others close to you, and you haven’t fully forgiven them? He might have stolen something from you or broken your trust. In today’s message, Pastor Bill helps you see that when you hold onto unforgiveness, it doesn’t hurt the other person, but it hurts your relationship with God. God calls you to forgive others because Christ has forgiven you through His sacrifice. 

We all have that favorite song that we can sing off the top of our heads, without having to think of the words. What is a song that you can sing by heart, without having to think about the lyrics? Now, think about the words you might pray to God.  Do you start the same way every time, where it just comes out without thinking about it? Has it become a routine without meaning? Today, Pastor Bill shares the importance of your prayers to God, which aren’t just empty words, but a meaningful conversation.  

Motivations are a great thing. They can help us get things done. We can feel compelled to look good, so we work out.  We want to learn, so we study. We all have motivations. What is yours? What pushes you to do good things, or to get up in the morning, or work at becoming a better person? What rewards are you seeking, and from whom? In today’s message, Pastor Bill shares that being motivated to earn a reward from God is not a bad thing - when the intentions are in the right place.