If you’re part of a sports team you can tell who’s on your team because you all have the same uniform. It’s pretty obvious if someone from another team tries to join you because they wouldn’t be dressed the same. This is helpful because it ensures you don’t give the ball to the wrong person. Today, Pastor Mark explains how, if you are a Christian you are sealed with the Holy Spirit and marked by God. No one else can see the mark, but God can. That mark, or seal, lets the enemy know you belong to God, and he will try to attack you because of it. But because you belong to God, the Holy Spirit will protect you.

When people push you to the edge of your patience, how do you react? Do you just shut down and refrain from reacting at all, or do you lash out and let them know they’ve pushed you too far? You may have a small voice telling you to restrain yourself and not react, many people refer to that as their conscience. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how even the small things, like taking gum or lashing out at people, are considered evil and sinful in the eyes of God. The small voice you hear telling you not to react is the Holy Spirit trying to guide you away from those sins. Learning to listen for that small voice will help you avoid sinning. 

Have you ever tried to get that one hot item at Christmas time that everyone wanted? You may have waited in line for hours, only to be shoved out of the way and miss the chance to get it. Some people will go to extreme lengths for a trivial item that will be forgotten within a matter of days, what if it were a necessity? In today’s message, Pastor Mark illustrates what it will be like in the last days after the rapture. The same people that were fighting over the next hot item, will be fighting over a necessity. Rest assured, as a Christian, you will not have to experience the world without the restraining of the Holy Spirit.

Do you have any scars? Maybe you had surgery and still have a scar from that, or maybe you were injured while helping someone. Maybe you were injured because of a bad decision you made. No matter how it came to be, a scar can be a powerful reminder of a decision you made, good or bad. In today’s message, Pastor Mark reminds us that Jesus still has the scars from the cross. Not so much to remind Him of the decision to go to the cross, but to remind you that He suffered the persecution of the cross so that you won’t have to. The scars will always be a reminder of what He did for you and for me!

Have you ever stopped to consider if you are actually happy? Have you ever experienced lasting happiness? Too many people experience temporary happiness from a person or thing and then spend their whole lives chasing that feeling. It is possible you may be one of those people and not even realize it. In today’s message, Pastor Mark provides a potential explanation for why you are struggling to find true happiness. You may think you know what it means to be happy, but until you realize serving God is your purpose, you will never know true happiness and joy. True happiness is found when you start to glorify the Lord!

Many people as they grow up, have to deal with being picked on, or even attacked by other children. If the attacks became too bad their father would step in and remove them from the situation. After which the others would be punished in some way. You may have been one of those people who faced attacks from others but never your father. Today, Pastor Mark illustrates how even though the church has suffered the wrath of people and even satan, we will not experience the wrath of God. If you are a Christian you may be persecuted and attacked by people all around, even the devil. Be assured you will never face the wrath of God that they will experience. 

Have you ever met someone who said they were passionate about the things you were, but their actions said otherwise? Sometimes you can’t tell if someone actually cares about something or if they are just going through the motions. They refuse to commit to joining your passion, but also won’t confirm their disagreement. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how it is better to either be on fire, or ice cold when it comes to following Jesus. Do you know where you stand? Have you completely rejected Jesus, or are you on fire for Him? Or do you kinda follow Jesus, and kinda follow your own desires?

Have you ever worked somewhere where only one person had access, be it a physical key, or a digital password? If that person was good, there probably weren’t too many problems. But if someone lacking in character had the keys, that could be problematic for everyone waiting to be let in. In today’s message, Pastor Mark reminds you that Jesus is the one who holds the “keys to the Kingdom” so you won’t have to wonder if a door should be opened or not. When it comes to ministry, Jesus is the only one who can give or take away access, you don’t have to rely on anyone else for access. 

Have you ever been a part of something new that is trying to get established? When an organization first starts the focus is on making processes that make things function much more smoothly. Sometimes you can get so immersed in those processes that you don’t remember why you created them in the first place. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains how growing churches can experience the same problem. As a church builds and grows it can implement processes to help the ministry, which are necessary. The problem comes when you lose the ministry part and become too focused on the processes.

Have you ever been busy for the sake of being busy? In the moment you may feel like you're getting a lot done, but in the end, the only thing you’ve accomplished is to have been busy. It comes down to a matter of quality over quantity. In today’s message, Pastor Mark explains that while being busy and doing for the Lord is good, it isn’t as important as being with the Lord. You may think it is better to do as much as you can in the name of the Lord, when in reality spending time with the Lord building relationship, and learning is really what matters.