Where does your ultimate loyalty lie? Is it with your political party? Is it with the Church? For far too long, the Church has allowed outside parties and causes to drive how we approach politics in our nation. These political movements are usually motivated by things other than the cause of Christ and will never fully conform to the heart of God’s Kingdom. In this message, Pastor Mark will challenge us to stand for Christ. His cause – His glory and the sharing of His Gospel – should be at the center of our focus. If any other cause or movement is pulling us away, it has become an idol.

The comfort and freedom we enjoy as Christians in our nation are a blessing – but they have had a negative side effect for many. Our enemy may still try to threaten these freedoms, but being as clever as he is, he has also turned them into a weapon for his purposes. He has lulled many believers into a state of sleepiness, and many of us hold tighter to our comforts than we do our faith. This good thing we have in our country can’t last forever. And, as Pastor Mark will propose in this message, we may see our freedoms taken away sooner than later. What will you do when that happens? Are you willing to give it all for Christ?

Think about the amazing stories of God’s providence and intervention found in Scripture. For the most part, those events rarely happened in the midst of times of peace, prosperity, and stability. When we’re blessed with those things, we should be grateful and take advantage of the chance to glorify God for His goodness, but it’s often in the hardest times that we experience His greatest work. As Pastor Mark will point out in this message, trials are an opportunity to realize your own weakness and vulnerability. In that state, you’re ready for God to come in and work, revealing His power and love.

The size of a church is not directly connected to God’s favor. You can have a massive church that is doing next to nothing for the Kingdom of God, while the tiny church next door is making a huge impact with few resources. The truth of God has a much deeper impact than any clever program, fog machines, lasers, or loud music. It’s not that those things can’t be used in worshipping God, but ultimately, the focus should be on worshipping Him. Let’s be open to Him, letting Him work in a way that transcends human methods.

There are times for direct, bold confrontation, but generally, that should only happen between close friends and family because they know love motivates it. Usually, when you see a fellow brother or sister in Christ struggling, telling them to put on a brave face is only going to push them further into despair. In this teaching, Pastor Mark will encourage us to offer comfort and encouragement, even in the midst of holding each other accountable.

God is much better at recognizing and assigning leaders than we are. He’s the one who bestows that calling after all. As Pastor Mark clarifies in this teaching, we need to recognize this and be purposeful about who we place in leadership within the body of Christ. As we all know, the ultimate authority is God, and He administers His leadership through the Holy Spirit and Scripture. Below Him, you’ll find pastors and elders within the Church who have been chosen by God to serve. We should respect and submit to them, not because they are better than any other member of the church, but because they are called by Him.

It is time for us to wake up as followers of Jesus. Too many of us are in an in-between state, basically sleepwalking through our spiritual walk. We need to be alert and pursuing the Lord diligently. The Scripture tells us to be watchful and to pray without ceasing. In this teaching, Pastor Mark will try to snap us out of a spiritual daze.

God knows the hearts of man, and He has immeasurable compassion and grace for us. Still, knowing our hearts and the future, He also has the knowledge of who will reject Him to the end. He doesn’t force anyone to choose Him. He will give people over to their desires and the consequences that follow. As Pastor Mark will clarify in this teaching, many may question why God allows anyone to go into eternal separation from Him in His, but it isn’t His choice, it’s theirs.

Naturally, we focus on our own perspective when we think about rapture and meeting Jesus face to face. Unless you’ve experienced a rare vision of His face, most of us have not seen the Savior we’ve placed so much faith in. As Pastor Mark will explain in this teaching, if you’re filled with longing for Jesus, you can be certain that His longing for us is greater than anything we can feel in our limited capacity.

Naturally, we focus on our own perspective when we think about rapture and meeting Jesus face to face. Unless you’ve experienced a rare vision of His face, most of us have not seen the Savior we’ve placed so much faith in. As Pastor Mark will explain in this teaching, if you’re filled with longing for Jesus, you can be certain that His longing for us is greater than anything we can feel in our limited capacity.