In C.S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters, the demon Screwtape gives instructions to his nephew, Wormwood, on how to make a Christian man lose his faith. Wormwood is told to use subtle methods to undermine the man’s faith in God, so that it crumbles from the inside out. Pastor Jeff teaches you today that Satan will employ those very tactics against you! He places trials and obstacles in your life to attack your faith in God, but you can resist him by choosing to trust in God, despite your struggles. 

If you ever go on a missions trip to another country, you may be surprised by some of the customs in their worship services that you’re not used to at your home church! Maybe the songs they sing are different, or the people dress differently than you’re used to. But in today’s message, Pastor Jeff reminds you that to be unified as the body of Christ, you must recognize that one size does not fit all. As long as you are reading and believing in God’s Word, those small differences should not divide the body!

Did you ever think that obeying God by loving others would become counter-cultural? Well, in today’s message, Pastor Jeff reminds you that the standard for treating others in today’s society is to treat them with contempt and rudeness. In a brutal and unforgiving world, an excellent way to make someone curious about following Christ is through showing them love. Is there someone in your life that you can show just a little more love to today? By loving one another, you bring glory to the Father.

The Bible tells us that we can’t serve two masters. We can either serve God or serve our government. But in today’s study in the book of Romans, Pastor Jeff teaches us that we serve God by serving our government. The Lord has a purpose for the institutions of this world, even if we don’t understand how His plans will be fulfilled through our flawed leaders. Unless the government’s laws directly contradict God’s Word, we should honor our Father in Heaven by obeying the world’s laws. 

It breaks my heart to look around the world and see people misuse God’s Word to justify the mistreatment of others. People have taken the Scriptures out of context to discriminate against others based on their race, their national origin, and even their gender! But in today’s message, Pastor Jeff pushes back against that evil rhetoric. The Bible is clear that all are created equal in God’s eyes, and no one is higher or lower than any other in the Kingdom of God. We must not use God’s message of love to spread hate.

When I think of surrendering my life to God, I think of Carrie Underwood’s song, “Jesus Take The Wheel”. I imagine myself letting go of the steering wheel of my life, and trusting in Him to steer me through the trials I face. But life isn’t a highway, and giving the Lord control over everything is a lot more complicated than just letting go of the steering wheel. In today’s message, Pastor Jeff is going to teach us about what it means to truly surrender to the Holy Spirit and let Him control every aspect of our lives.

The easiest way to get discouraged from the difficult path you are on is to look back. After all, if the road ahead is so hard, wouldn’t it be easier to go back to where you were before? But Pastor Jeff encourages you today to stay on the straight-and-narrow path God has called you to! Abraham knew that God’s promises ahead were greater than the challenges he would face on his journey. He was able to stay the course and become the father of a great nation, all because he didn’t look back!

There are thousands of foreign missionaries serving around the world, doing work God has called them to do to bring the Good News to people who might not hear it otherwise. But let me tell you from experience, it takes a great amount of sacrifice to fully uproot your life and follow after God’s calling. Pastor Jeff wants to teach you today that Abraham didn’t just have to say “yes” to follow God. He had to depart from the only home he had ever known and leave his friends and relationships behind!

Paul understood that the Jewish people would be stubborn and unlikely to accept Jesus as Lord. After all, he had similarly resisted Jesus and persecuted Christians all over Israel! Pastor Jeff wants us to understand today that the Gospel is available to all people, but the people who got to witness Jesus’ ministry firsthand were the ones quickest to reject His gift of salvation. Paul isn’t trying to pit Jew against Gentile, because we are created equal in God’s eyes. Jesus’ salvation is for all of us!

Have you ever looked at the night sky, hoping to see a shooting star? They’re only visible for a brief moment, so imagine how disappointing it would be to blink or get distracted by something nearby, only for that distraction to cause you to miss the thing you’ve been waiting for! Pastor Jeff teaches you today that the Jewish people have been waiting on the Messiah for so long, they don’t even realize that the Messiah has already come! Jesus has been waiting for His people to open their eyes and witness His glory.