Lessons for Living (Audio)

Because we can’t see God, it’s easy to think we can get away with thinking or doing sinful things; you know, God’s so “far away”, He’ll never know. In the story Pastor Mark will be teaching from, the Pharisee Simon seems to have thought the same thing as he mentally criticized the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet. Jesus, however, soon made it clear that He knew everything Simon thought. He also tried to teach Simon a lesson by the parable He shared. Pastor Mark will be using this story to remind us that God is aware of our thoughts but more importantly, that we have been given an amazing gift from God, and we have an obligation to give likewise.

When we have disappointments in our lives, there are a couple of ways to cope with them. Many times, people decide to take control of their lives as much as they can. By doing this they hope to minimize or eliminate discouragements. Pastor Mark will be teaching that we need to hand over our doubts to God, trusting that He has ordered our lives according to His will and purpose. He will be teaching through scripture the differences between doubt and unbelief. He will also be sharing what Jesus had to say about unbelief, and the warnings that Jesus made to those around him, reminding them of God’s judgment.

When we have disappointments in our lives, there are a couple of ways to cope with them. Many times, people decide to take control of their lives as much as they can. By doing this they hope to minimize or eliminate discouragements. Pastor Mark will be teaching that we need to hand over our doubts to God, trusting that He has ordered our lives according to His will and purpose. He will be teaching through scripture the differences between doubt and unbelief. He will also be sharing what Jesus had to say about unbelief, and the warnings that Jesus made to those around him, reminding them of God’s judgment.

Every human being has to deal with disappointment; it is an inevitable part of living. The challenge, it seems, is to find the proper response to that disappointment. John the Baptist sent a message to Jesus that seemed to show that John was doubting what he had heard about Jesus. Pastor Mark will be sharing Jesus’ response to John’s question and how it applies to our times of doubt. He will be teaching our need to begin doubting our doubts and putting our trust in God’s Word. He will also be teaching about the difference between doubt and unbelief, and our need to avoid unbelief and let God handle our doubt.

Every human being has to deal with disappointment; it is an inevitable part of living. The challenge, it seems, is to find the proper response to that disappointment. John the Baptist sent a message to Jesus that seemed to show that John was doubting what he had heard about Jesus. Pastor Mark will be sharing Jesus’ response to John’s question and how it applies to our times of doubt. He will be teaching our need to begin doubting our doubts and putting our trust in God’s Word. He will also be teaching about the difference between doubt and unbelief, and our need to avoid unbelief and let God handle our doubt.

We’ve all had feelings of doubt, haven’t we? Sometimes we doubt our ability to perform a new task or job, or when learning a new skill. Even in our Christian walk, we sometimes wonder if God really will do everything He promises to do. When John the Baptist was in prison, he expressed doubts as well. Pastor Mark will, while recounting this story to us, teach us how God views doubt. In addition to that he will be encouraging us to trust God, to believe that He is Who He says He is, and that He will provide the solution to any situation that may come up.

We’ve all had feelings of doubt, haven’t we? Sometimes we doubt our ability to perform a new task or job, or when learning a new skill. Even in our Christian walk, we sometimes wonder if God really will do everything He promises to do. When John the Baptist was in prison, he expressed doubts as well. Pastor Mark will, while recounting this story to us, teach us how God views doubt. In addition to that he will be encouraging us to trust God, to believe that He is Who He says He is, and that He will provide the solution to any situation that may come up.

It’s safe to say that intellectually, at least, all Christians believe in God’s ability to heal – we just don’t expect to see something as dramatic as what we see in the Bible. It seems that “childlike faith” would say, “why not?” Well, Pastor Mark won’t be answering that question definitively, but he will be talking about the power that Jesus demonstrated in the passage of Luke he will be covering. We’ll also learn one of the reasons we’re here – to touch lives and to make God look good. We’ll also be reminded of the fact that Jesus was given all authority over Heaven and earth, and how we fit into His plan.

It’s safe to say that intellectually, at least, all Christians believe in God’s ability to heal – we just don’t expect to see something as dramatic as what we see in the Bible. It seems that “childlike faith” would say, “why not?” Well, Pastor Mark won’t be answering that question definitively, but he will be talking about the power that Jesus demonstrated in the passage of Luke he will be covering. We’ll also learn one of the reasons we’re here – to touch lives and to make God look good. We’ll also be reminded of the fact that Jesus was given all authority over Heaven and earth, and how we fit into His plan.

In the story of Jesus healing the Roman Centurion’s servant, one notices the soldier’s humility. He was an important soldier in Rome’s chain-of-command, but because he understood authority, he knew his place. Pastor Mark will continue teaching about Jesus’ view of authority as well as His demonstration of the authority He had over sickness. We will be reminded of our need to have more faith as well as the nature of faith. We’ll also see another example of Jesus exercising His authority over the physical realm when he raises a young man from the dead. The faith of these people should be encouraging to us.