What are the dangers of drifting away from God? In today’s message, Pastor Mark discusses the decline of Samaria into darkness and its vulnerability to Satanic activity. The Samaritans had intermarried and adopted a different religion. They had rejected their faith. They were suffering the results of sin. As demonstrated by the nation of Samaria, when we abandon the light of God, darkness prevails. This serves as a warning to us today: when we neglect prayer and Bible study, we become more vulnerable to satanic influences. As America turns its back on God, we become susceptible to perversion, sin, and destruction.

Many religions teach a figure similar to Jesus. Today, Pastor Mark discusses the heresy of believing in any path to heaven that does not recognize Jesus as the Son of God. It is important to understand who we are witnessing to and the flaws that exist in their current beliefs. Knowing the truth is vital to our witness. Belief in Jesus as anything but God is counterfeit. We should not mold our understanding of "Jesus" to fit our personal beliefs. Instead, we must accept the Word of God as our absolute, ultimate authority. Don’t shy away from the truth of Christ’s deity. Jesus stated, "No one comes to the Father except through me.”

God uses difficult times to bring us closer to Him. In today's message, Pastor Mark reminds us that even the suffering of the tribulation is meant to open the eyes of the Jews. Sometimes we must experience hardship before we can truly see the light. We don't recognize our need for Christ until He is all we have left. God has always used persecution to open people's eyes and bring them back to Him. God's greatest act of love is not to leave us to our own ways, but to draw us toward Him. He desires to mold our lives. Although it is not always easy, God is in control. Allow Him to lift your head and turn your gaze toward Him.

The way we share the gospel can vary depending on whom we are speaking with. It might be a rebuke, a logical argument, or a gentle appeal. In today’s message, Pastor Mark suggests that, in general, a softer approach is preferable. He uses Stephen’s example as he addressed the Sanhedrin to illustrate this point. Stephen used history to remind the Jews of God’s preparation for the gospel. We can do the same today by highlighting God’s work in people’s lives. He may have protected them or sent individuals into their lives to demonstrate His love and mercy. Nothing happens by chance; everything is by God's design. 

We, Christians, were given a very clear command to share the gospel. Now, that doesn’t mean that if we fail to do so, maybe we get scared to speak up, or feel it’s the “wrong time”, God’s will will still be done. He doesn’t need you to do anything, but He wants YOU to share about what He has done!!! In today’s message, Pastor Mark will encourage you to be bold and courageous about sharing the gospel! Don’t sit back and wait for someone else to speak up, you have an opportunity TODAY, RIGHT NOW, to go share about the wonders of Jesus Christ and what He has done for you personally!

Sharing about your faith in God can be very daunting. A lot of people struggle with having the courage to speak about God…maybe that’s you, maybe you feel uncomfortable sharing your faith; remember that you’re not alone in that difficulty, most Christians face this at least once in their walk with the Lord. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will give you some pointers on how “easy” it can be to share about God! He will also remind you that, when you’re afraid about what to say, God will give you the words. The Lord isn’t just going to leave you stumbling over your words; He will give you the clarity to speak and the words to change lives!

Speaking about the Gospel is preaching. If you’ve ever told someone about the gospel, about the good news of Jesus Christ, you were preaching…when put like that, it seems pretty simple, right? In today’s message, Pastor Mark will share how easy it can be to preach about Jesus, just like any pastor on a stage. There are so many opportunities for you to share your faith by telling people about what God did then and about what He is doing now in your own life. You can even go a step further and explain it, teach it, so people can understand it and digest it enough to have a real-life transformation today!

The people in this historical story were thankful for their persecution. Isn’t that crazy?! Can you imagine, going through just a sliver of what they did…that alone would be difficult, but counting themselves lucky to be even beaten for the Lord?! We can barely show up for church every week or pray every day. In today’s message, Pastor Mark will ask you how you would and will respond when persecution comes your way. You may live your whole life without even an eye roll for having faith, and you may have to live the rest of your life reading the Bible in secret…no matter what comes, how will you rejoice in the Lord?!

As Christians, we cannot sit aside and say God will handle it. God absolutely can. There is no doubt about it, but that doesn’t mean we get to be lazy Christians. God can do anything He wants… whenever He wants, but He wants to execute His plan with YOU! He wants YOU to be involved and active in His good plan! In today’s message, Pastor Mark will show you just how important you can be in building up the kingdom of God! You must understand that God can do anything, but He wants to do everything with and through YOU! He’s not just looking for “a Christian”, He has special and specific plans for your life!

Peter appeared quite self-assured as he engaged with the elders, boldly accusing them of the murder of Jesus. Peter knew that God was right there with them, and the Holy Spirit was leading the way. After seeing Jesus face to face, post-resurrection, Peter found the courage to tackle every tough situation that crossed his path. Today, Pastor Mark encourages you to welcome that same boldness into your life. Once you come to understand that you’re serving the God of the impossible, you can be certain that He’ll empower you to stand strong against any foe. Don't hold back—spread the love of Jesus to everyone around you!