The word “legalism” does not occur in the Bible. It is a term Christians use to describe a doctrinal position emphasizing a system of rules and regulations for achieving both salvation and spiritual growth. Today, Pastor Mark will be explaining how legalism is the complete opposite of receiving salvation by God's grace. The reason Jesus was extremely angry with the religious leaders of His day, was because they were leading the people astray with legalism. You can only receive salvation through God's grace by faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross! There are no amount of good deeds you can do to earn your salvation. 

Marriage is one of the most beautiful experiences in life, and at the same time, one of the most difficult. So many people get married thinking that everything will be perfect, but over time they realize how hard it is to live life with another person. That’s why so many marriages struggle and often sadly end in divorce. In his message today, Pastor Mark teaches you that whether you’re single, divorced, or struggling in your marriage, God wants you to experience His joy in your life. No matter where you’re at today, God has a plan for you and He can give you a joy that’s not dependent on your feelings but rely’s His goodness.

Sadly, the majority of marriages these days end in divorce. Even within the church, the divorce rates are astounding. Couples start off excited about their relationship, but all too often the excitement wears off and things fall apart. The former lovebirds end up becoming disillusioned with one another and give up on trying. In today’s message, Pastor Mark addresses this issue of marriages crumbling to pieces. You see, it doesn’t have to be that way, your marriage doesn’t have to become another sad statistic. God designed marriage, and when you do things His way, then your marriage will not only last but thrive. 

There are a lot of different ways we can communicate today; Text messages, email, and both voice and video calls. The thing is, none of them will do you any good if you don’t respond. If you always ignore your messages and calls, then you’ll never find out what people want. The whole point is communication. In his message today, Pastor Mark tells you that Jesus is calling you, and when you answer His call, your life will be changed forever. If you want to hear Him, you have to listen, you can’t just ignore His Word, but you’ve got to open it up and allow Him to speak to you through it. The choice is yours, will you answer?

There are some people, that when you look at them, you think they’ve got “IT.” I don’t know what “IT” is, but that’s what they’ve got. The X factor if you will. Do you want to know a secret? The people who are the most successful are the ones who get up and do something. They didn’t get to where they are, by wishful thinking. In today’s message, Pastor Mark encourages you to get up and do something for Jesus. Do it today! Don’t sit around waiting for some stroke of luck. Wherever you are, Jesus wants you to serve Him right there. He wants you to be His witness to the people that are already all around you. That’s your calling.

Isn’t it mind-boggling that we are Jesus’ inheritance? Out of everything He could’ve asked His Heavenly Father for, Jesus asked to have the Church? He loves us so much that He was willing to come to Earth, give up His heavenly glory, and die a shameful death on the cross so that He could be with us forever! Today, in light of this truth, Pastor Mark asks you how you will respond to Jesus’ love for you. Are you seeking Him because you want something from Him? Or are you seeking Him because you want to be with Him? I pray that you grow in your relationship with Jesus and experience His goodness more and more! 

Do you know what the most significant event in history is? It’s not the discovery of America or the invention of the iPhone. It’s Jesus’ death on the cross. As Pastor Mark teaches in today’s message, Jesus’ death had cosmic importance. It changed the course of history and impacted everyone who lived and ever will live. Until Jesus’ death, there was no way to get rid of the problem of sin. Animal sacrifices were only a temporary covering for sins. But Jesus died once and for all sins - past, present, and future sins. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, there’s nothing you have to do to earn salvation. Jesus already did everything for you! 

It’s scary sharing the Gospel, isn’t it? Even in America, where we have freedom of speech and religion, things can get very uncomfortable and even downright hostile when we share the truth about Jesus. The Gospel is offensive to people because it goes against their pride, self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency. Today, Pastor Mark encourages you to be mentally prepared to share your faith with others. You will be rejected, criticized, and mocked, just like the prophets, the disciples, and even Jesus. But stand firm in your faith, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the boldness to share the message of salvation with those around you! 

Have you shared your faith with a non-believer? Have you told someone about what Jesus has done for you? You might think that you don’t have a testimony that’s worth sharing, but you’ve got a message that’s important for others to hear! In today’s message, Pastor Mark tells you that you have a message of eternal hope! Just as John the Baptist was a voice in the wilderness to prepare people to accept Jesus, you are also a voice in the wilderness of America. More and more people are leaving the church or have never even heard the Gospel. Ask God for the courage and opportunity to share Jesus with those who need the saving truth! 

Many people believe that they’re good enough to get into Heaven. Their definition of ‘good enough’ usually means that they didn’t commit some horrible crime. That’s a pretty low standard. God’s standard is that you have to be perfect. Breaking even one command means you’re not good enough to go to Heaven. The truth is that you’re far more sinful than you realize. That’s what God’s perfect law shows you. But in today’s message, Pastor Mark shares good news. God demonstrated His grace by sending His Son Jesus to live the perfect life, and die on the cross for your sins so that you can have eternal life! That’s good news indeed!