Lessons for Living (Audio)

There’s no evidence that anyone that heard Jesus speak was neutral toward Him. Either they believed His claims of Messiahship or they were opposed to him for any number of reasons. Eventually the nonbelievers won out (or so they thought) and crucified Him. Pastor Mark will be continuing to share Jesus’ story, about a year before the crucifixion. Pastor Mark will be teaching us about the lines that began to be drawn on either side, and how the opposition to Jesus became more vocal and belligerent, and how Jesus continued to press His claim to be the Messiah.

Now, nobody wants to hear, or even think to themselves, that they’re on the side of the Devil! I’m sure this was shocking to those listening to Jesus, especially to the religious leaders. It’s no less challenging to us today, as we often think of ourselves as masters of our own destinies. Pastor Mark will teach this challenging message, reminding us that what was true then is true now. Jesus is the same yesterday and today. Likewise, man is the same now as he was in the days of Christ: lost, rebellious souls desperately in need of a Saviour.

Now, nobody wants to hear, or even think to themselves, that they’re on the side of the Devil! I’m sure this was shocking to those listening to Jesus, especially to the religious leaders. It’s no less challenging to us today, as we often think of ourselves as masters of our own destinies. Pastor Mark will teach this challenging message, reminding us that what was true then is true now. Jesus is the same yesterday and today. Likewise, man is the same now as he was in the days of Christ: lost, rebellious souls desperately in need of a Saviour.

We hear about awful things that happen in our world, and many times we hear pundits speculate on motives and causes. Pastor Mark will be teaching from the book of Luke, relating the story of Jesus’ delivering a man from a demon who had made the man mute. Jesus’ analysis of the situation will be very different than one you might hear on the news, as is His solution. And, as Pastor Mark will be sharing, Jesus’ brutal honesty is a template for how we believers should view events that happen in our lives these days. Being honest about what’s going on is best for us.

We hear about awful things that happen in our world, and many times we hear pundits speculate on motives and causes. Pastor Mark will be teaching from the book of Luke, relating the story of Jesus’ delivering a man from a demon who had made the man mute. Jesus’ analysis of the situation will be very different than one you might hear on the news, as is His solution. And, as Pastor Mark will be sharing, Jesus’ brutal honesty is a template for how we believers should view events that happen in our lives these days. Being honest about what’s going on is best for us.

To say that Jesus’ ministry was controversial would be an understatement – after all, they killed Him because of Who He claimed to be! More than that, He claimed that His followers would do greater things than He did! Outrageous! Pastor Mark will be teaching about the thinking of three groups of people that observed Jesus’ deliverance of a man thought to be unable to speak. He will be sharing about what they thought and how that affected their relationship with Christ, and how they relate to us today.

To say that Jesus’ ministry was controversial would be an understatement – after all, they killed Him because of Who He claimed to be! More than that, He claimed that His followers would do greater things than He did! Outrageous! Pastor Mark will be teaching about the thinking of three groups of people that observed Jesus’ deliverance of a man thought to be unable to speak. He will be sharing about what they thought and how that affected their relationship with Christ, and how they relate to us today.

In our world, people seem to see Satan and Jesus as opponents of equal strength, each trying to gain the upper hand. Even as Christ followers, though we know better, sometimes we think of Satan as actually being able to thwart the will of God. As Pastor Mark will be teaching, Satan’s ability to interfere in our lives really is limited to the degree that we allow him to. Instead of relying on and trusting in and obeying God, we give in to our fleshly desires and our doubts, and try to do life our way rather than God’s way. As we know, this only leads to failure and heartache.

In our world, people seem to see Satan and Jesus as opponents of equal strength, each trying to gain the upper hand. Even as Christ followers, though we know better, sometimes we think of Satan as actually being able to thwart the will of God. As Pastor Mark will be teaching, Satan’s ability to interfere in our lives really is limited to the degree that we allow him to. Instead of relying on and trusting in and obeying God, we give in to our fleshly desires and our doubts, and try to do life our way rather than God’s way. As we know, this only leads to failure and heartache.

Do you remember the kind of prayers you prayed as a kid? Aren’t you glad most of those weren’t answered? As adults, we’re usually glad that prayers we pray now aren’t answered exactly how we had hoped they would be. As Pastor Mark continues his teaching on the Lord’s Prayer, we will gain insight about how we should pray. He will be emphasizing that what matters for us is our attitude towards God when praying and that our primary desire is for God’s will to be done. Even though it’s difficult, we need to put aside our own expectations and allow God to work His will in our lives.