Have you ever asked God for something, and He didn’t give it to you until several years later? Maybe it was a spouse, a new job, or someone’s salvation. If we’re honest, we all want God to move faster. We’re not good at waiting. We live in a society of instant messaging, movies on demand, and microwaveable food. In today’s message, Pastor Mark teaches that when you get impatient with God’s timing and try to do things your way, it leads to problem after problem. God never needs our help to accomplish His promises. His timing is always perfect. Is there anything right now that you’re waiting on God for? Trust in His timing. 

If you claim that you’re a fan of The Beatles, but you don’t listen to them and don’t know many of their songs, then you’ve just proven that you’re actually not a fan. The same thing is true of your relationship with Jesus. If you claim that you’re a follower of Jesus, what evidence in your life can you show that you love Him? Today, Pastor Mark teaches that in every believer’s life, there needs to be evidence that they are truly following Jesus. Are you spending regular time in prayer and reading the Bible? Are you serving in your church? If you’re not sure whether there’s evidence of your faith, take time to recommit yourself to God. 

If you’ve been around Christians for some time, you’ve probably heard the term “born again.” This might sound like some weird religious term to describe converting to Christianity. But Jesus said that you have to be born again to enter Heaven. Today, Pastor Mark teaches you that being born again is an actual event.  Just as your physical birth was an actual event, your spiritual rebirth is also an event that happens. You know when you’re born again. Something radically changes in your heart and in your life. A weight is lifted off your shoulders, and you start understanding the truths of the Bible. You truly become a new creation. 

Have you ever wondered what kind of music God likes? Would He listen to rap and heavy metal? Or does He only approve of hymns and worship music? I’m sure all of us come from various Christian traditions that have certain rules about different issues. They may not be wrong, but they’re also not based on anything in the Bible. Today, Pastor Mark teaches you that as a Christian, you don’t have to be bound by specific traditions that have no basis in the Bible. You can be free from rules and traditions that you follow to feel spiritual or be right with God. There’s nothing you can do to make God love you or approve of you any more than He already does. 

When you hear the word “idols”, the first thing that probably comes to your mind is carved statues of false gods. While those are indeed idols, if there’s anything that you love more than God, then that’s an idol. It can be a spouse, a career, or a hobby. Those are all good things, but they can’t take the place of God in your life. Today, Pastor Mark teaches that whatever has the most worth in your life is what you ultimately worship. While spouses, careers, and hobbies are good gifts from God, they are worthless compared to God. Only God can completely fill you. Everything else will end up leaving you empty. Who do you choose to worship today? 

What a feeling that would be! To be purchased as a slave by someone, only for them to set you free! Who would do such a thing? That would be a big financial loss. But that’s exactly what Jesus did! He purchased our freedom through His death on the cross, and we’re no longer slaves to sin. That is good news! Today, Pastor Mark teaches that not only did God free us from sin, but He adopted us as sons and daughters! It’s like going to your parent’s house for Thanksgiving: You're freely eating all the food and watching whatever you want on TV because it's your parents! Today, you can enjoy that kind of freedom with your heavenly Father!  

When you were a kid, your parents had to teach you the rules. When you broke a rule, you probably had some type of punishment, so your motivation for following the rules was to not get into trouble. Now as an adult, you’re no longer motivated to obey your parents out of fear, but because you love them. Today, Pastor Mark teaches that as you mature in your relationship with Jesus, you’re no longer motivated to follow His commands because you don’t want to get in trouble. You obey Him because you love Him and want to do what makes Him happy! We encourage you to continue growing in your relationship with Jesus!  

When you were young, your parents probably did a good deal of teaching you rules. You may even have had a list of house rules written down, such as sharing your toys with your siblings, not hitting anyone, and brushing your teeth before bed. As you got older, you hopefully needed to be reminded of these rules less and less! Today, Pastor Mark teaches you that the Bible serves as guidelines to help you mature in the Christian faith. New believers need to understand how to grow in their relationship with Jesus. As you get to know and love Jesus more, you’re motivated to do things because you love Him and want to make Him happy! 

Most Americans, if not all, know who Jesus is. They’re probably also familiar with the basic Christian beliefs about salvation. But what about people living in remote villages who’ve never heard about Jesus? What about everyone who died before Jesus was even born, including people in the Old Testament? How are they saved? Today, Pastor Mark teaches you that the only way anyone can get to heaven is through believing in Jesus. That has never changed. People who’ve never heard of Jesus are saved through faith in God’s promised savior for their sins. If you’ve heard of Jesus but have never accepted Him as your Savior, make that choice today! 

Did you know that everyone is born a sinner? Even before they do a single action, they’re sinners. How? Because sin is in our blood. We’ve all inherited the sin nature of Adam and Eve. We don’t become sinners when we sin. We sin because we already are sinners. That’s why it’s impossible for us to live a perfect life. Today, Pastor Mark highlights the importance of Jesus’ virgin birth. The virgin birth wasn’t just a gimmick for God to show off. The virgin birth was necessary so that Jesus wouldn’t be tainted by the same sinful nature that corrupts all humans. It’s only through Jesus’ righteous blood that you can be perfect before God.