Why is it so important for Christians to be sober-minded? God made alcohol, didn’t He? Wouldn’t he want us to have a little fun? Well, your mind is an important tool, and God doesn’t want you to give yourself over to things that can alter your thinking and your judgment. Drinking can greatly affect both of those. Pastor Mark teaches today that you should treat your body like a temple of the Holy Spirit, and that treatment begins with your mind. Part of being sober-minded means that you are always ready to do the work of ministry when duty calls. It’s not a nine-to-five kind of job, it’s a lifelong and never-ending commission.

Unfortunately, Christian growth isn’t something you can just do on autopilot. You can’t just hear wise teaching and then grow automatically. You have to take those words you have heard, hold them close to your heart, and actively apply them to your life. You have to put in an effort to grow closer to God. In today’s message, Pastor Mark is encouraging the men listening to take action on the words that he is speaking! Even the most mature of Christians should still have a desire to learn more about God and grow a deeper relationship with Him. Growth never stops, even after our physical bodies pass away.

Have you ever picked lemons from an apple tree? If you have, someone’s probably playing a trick on you. A tree can only bear one kind of fruit! The same goes for Christians, you can tell what kind of person they are by the fruit that their life produces. Do you produce good fruit, or do you produce rotten fruit? Pastor Mark warns you in today’s message to be a good steward of the Gospel. You will be judged in the last days for the fruit that you left behind during your time on Earth. Those who are prudent and wise with their time and resources will leave good fruit, while those who are wasteful and lazy will bear rotten fruit.

Be very careful when you challenge the authority of God’s Word in front of your fellow believers. The Word is the most important basis of Christian faith, and the burden of accountability on Christian leaders is very high. Jesus did not take Peter’s doubtful words lightly, and He won’t take yours lightly, either. Pastor Mark isn’t trying to scare you away from leadership in today’s message. In fact, he is actually giving a message of encouragement! Jesus’ rebuke isn’t a condemnation, instead, it is a strong course correction. If God rebukes you for your actions, you’re being given a chance to make them right again!

Nowhere in Scripture does it say that living faithfully to God will lead to a better life on Earth. In fact, we see the opposite come true in Scripture. The path of righteousness is difficult to follow. You face greater challenges because of your pursuit of Christ’s righteousness. But your reward isn’t on Earth, it’s in Heaven. In today’s message, Pastor Mark warns you to stay away from leaders who teach the “health and wealth” Gospel. They often tie your status in God’s kingdom to how much you are giving to their ministry, and they use their positions of leadership to gain personal wealth. Their teachings aren’t based in God’s Word.

Jesus says in Luke’s Gospel, “To whom much was given, of him much will be required.” If you are in a position of leadership, not only do you have the responsibility to care for your flock, but you also need to live your life as an example of Christian living. You should be the standard for people to live up to. Pastor Mark doesn’t take leadership lightly! In today’s message, he continues to explain the requirements of godly Christian leaders. People are always watching your behavior as a Christian, do you want to be the one who leads someone astray because of your loose following of Jesus’ commandments?

What’s the worst lie someone has said about you? It was probably something so ridiculous that no one actually believed it to be true. Well, if you are in ministry, you are often subject to accusations. And if you are a wise leader and of good character, those accusations will slide off your back harmlessly. Pastor Mark continues his message today on the requirements for healthy Christian leadership. A good leader shouldn’t just have a good character, they should be a shining example of Godliness to everyone around them. They should be so holy that the idea of them committing wrongdoing seems ridiculous.

Have you ever tried to let a toddler drive a car? Without the proper training to learn the complexities of driving, a dangerous accident is almost guaranteed to occur. Well, a church of any size without wise, Godly leadership in place is similarly headed for disaster. People will undoubtedly be hurt in the crash. Pastor Mark reminds you today that good leadership is vital for the local church body. Your leaders need to be committed to the Word, have wise counsel in their lives, and trust God with everything they have, especially the churches they lead. Anyone who doesn’t meet those criteria is unfit to lead God’s people.

Despite our best intentions, we humans are never going to be able to keep 100% of our promises. There are almost always external factors that can cause us to not be able to fulfill a promise. But God exists outside of time and space, He will keep His promises to the letter. He won’t let you down. Pastor Mark teaches you today that God’s promise of salvation isn’t just a promise you can vaguely trust in. You can literally bet your life on it. Lying isn’t part of God’s character, He is always truthful and honest. So when He tells you that you are saved and forgiven, you can be certain that you are saved and forgiven.

Is there someone in your life who is just completely against God, that doesn’t want anything to do with Him? As much as it may annoy you to be around them, you can’t help but feel sorry for how that hatred for God hurts them, you want them to come to Jesus! Knowing Him is the key to complete life transformation. In today’s message, Pastor Mark introduces you to the book of Titus, as well as the time that Paul and Titus spent in Crete. The people of Crete were known for being rebellious and against God, but Paul and Titus had sympathy for them and ministered to them just as they would have ministered to their own people.