Jesus is Real Radio with Daniel Fusco

People don’t often use the word “persevere” when talking about doing thing that are easy. You don’t need perseverance to finish that donut, or take a nap. Perseverance is for things that are hard, which is how you’ll hear the word used in today’s message. When you stop pursuing excellence in your life, persevering in your work for the Lord…you don’t progress.

In whatever we set out to do…there’s always risk. No matter how much prepare, there is only so much we can control. Today, Pastor Daniel will explain why even following God isn’t without risk…but a life without Him is much more so. Following our own way hasn’t produced the life we planned, right? Operating on God’s program won’t be bump free…but the long-term reward is worth it.

Imagine you’re enjoying a walk through a beautiful forest on a sunny day…and suddenly, you’re hit in the face with a horrible, familiar smell. Skunk. That unmistakable odor overpowers your senses, and you can’t pay attention to any of the beauty around you. Our sin can taint all the good in our lives in the same way. When that sin becomes the thing you focus on…the beauty drops away.

It’s our tendency, all of us, to be drawn to the charismatic leaders, the one with all the answers we’ve been craving. But, words that sound good don’t always contain wisdom. Today, we’ll be reminded that we’re susceptible to circumstance and have very little control over anything outside ourselves. That’s why we must be discerning, looking for God’s wisdom.

Death is mysterious, perhaps even frightening for some…but for everyone, it’s a certainty. It should be a huge measure of comfort that, when you’re in the family of God, you’re in His hands. No one can snatch you out of them. Today, Pastor Daniel will take us through Ecclesiastes nine, which is rife with help for the difficult parts of living with the burden of humanity…and also full of hope.

Imagine how many times you’ve deliberately gone over the

speed limit, or cut corners about something your boss asked you to do. You didn’t get caught…but our indifference to authority here on earth doesn’t go unnoticed by God. Most of us don’t even consider those things as we go through this life…which is all the more reason Jesus’ sacrifice is so precious.

When a person in authority is challenging you, what is your instinctual response? For many of us, it’s to stiffen and stand our ground. If it’s not an issue of compromising our morals…it may just be an issue of submission. But, if we can’t humble ourselves in small situations…how can we submit to our Father? Pastor Daniel will show us how human authority is training for us to bow to God.

BECAUSE I SAID SO. A lot of us have heard this spoken to us as a child, and it’s meant to communicate that we don’t need to understand what we’re being asked…we just need to obey. The authority of our parents is enough. But, even as adults we don’t escape that demand for obedience, we are under authority from so many places. Pastor Daniel will help us navigate that sticky issue, so we can submit.

Going about your life as if you are the expert, as if you have all the knowledge…it’s folly. But, as we’ll hear in today’s teaching…so is listening to EVERYBODY. There is a balance, and you can find it by turning a deaf ear to the things that aren’t loving or edifying…and receiving those things that are words seasoned with grace. This discernment is found in the Word.

If you’ve ever caught yourself, inwardly condemning someone because they don’t attend church as often as you do, or know the Bible as well as you do…then you’re not alone. We all have a tendency to strive…to create perfectionist goals of living like Jesus. But, as we’ll see today…none of those goals achieve salvation, only self-righteous legalism. The key…is simply, Jesus.