Lessons for Living (Audio)

The idea of miracles by their nature is hard to figure out – in fact, you can’t figure them out! Although God doesn’t have to prove Himself to mankind, He sometimes does something that makes it clear that He is Who He says He is. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about the church mentioned in the book of Hebrews. They were going through a tough time and were thinking about abandoning Christianity. The writer of Hebrews will give them some examples of why they should keep hanging on to Jesus.

Because of technology, Americans have had the fortune to be able to choose to work less physically demanding jobs than their ancestors. As a result, there’s a lot more leisure time and the ability to retire at much younger ages than ever before. The desire to kick back and relax at sixty-five or even younger is tempting, but Pastor Mark will be teaching today that this idea is unknown in the kingdom of God. You’ll hear about keeping your spiritual walk sharp and how to maintain good health in your relationship with God.

Everybody has places where their feelings can be hurt. Kids are really good at finding those in other kids, which is why childhood is rough for most people. The ability to handle those jabs and darts varies from person to person, and it’s usually linked to how that person thinks about themselves. Pastor Mark’s teaching today will deal with this from a spiritual perspective. He’ll be talking about the importance of sticking close to God so you can find out who you really are.

If you had a relative who was famous and you wanted to meet up with them, there’d be hoops you’d have to jump through. You’d have to prove that you were actually related to this person. You would have to prove that your immediate family was related to their immediate family. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that it’s the same for someone who claims to be a Christ-follower. You have to show proof of your family ties. You’ll learn what in your life gives an indication of the spiritual family you belong to.

As a parent, one of the hardest things to do is to get out of the way of a wayward child. When they become able to take responsibility for their actions, you have to let them go their way – even as it tears you up inside – and pray they get their lives straightened out. Today, Pastor Mark will be teaching that it’s much the same with God’s relationship with men and women. You’ll hear about the risk God took when He created mankind with free will and the lengths He’s taken to show them the way back to Himself.

Some people think that becoming a Christian is a lot like joining another social club. That is, you go through the ‘membership’ process, add your name to the list of members, and then go on with your life. The problem with that viewpoint is that that’s not how God looks at becoming a Christian. In his teaching today, Pastor Mark will talk about what the Bible says becoming a Christian is. You might be surprised by what you hear because there’ll be some warnings along with all of the good news.

Free will or election? Do you even know what these terms refer to? These have to do with two major points of view in the Christian church regarding salvation. One view believes that man is the main decision-making agent in his salvation, while the other believes that God is. Pastor Mark will be going through both of these viewpoints in his teaching today. You’ll find out that the main concern in the scripture passage is with those who are currently following Christ, that they might stop following Him.

If you’ve ever had knee or shoulder surgery, you know about the importance of physical therapy. Working the weakened joint is critical not only for healing the affected area, but to rebuild the strength of the joint. It’s the same in the spiritual realm, as Pastor Mark will be teaching today. You’ll find out about this home church in Italy that had gotten weak spiritually and needed to go through rehab. You’ll learn what’s needed for you to get stronger spiritually and what things can weaken you if you’re not careful.

When you start out learning, it’s sometimes tough to know what to do. It’s good to have someone who can mentor you, show you the ropes of living, or learning a skill. Over time, you might even surpass your mentor’s achievements – good mentors will encourage your success. But as good as a human spiritual mentor may be, Pastor Mark will be teaching today that they’re not good enough as an example. He’ll tell you why that’s the case, and why it is you need to be looking at Jesus for your ultimate leader and guide.

When you were a kid – especially as a teenager – did your parents ever complain that you weren’t listening? How many times were they right? Be honest. Especially these days, with all of the things that are tugging at us for your attention, it’s easy to miss or misunderstand what you’re told. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that this listening problem can carry over into your spiritual life as well. Today you’ll find out that just like in the physical world, hearing and responding correctly in the spiritual area is important, too.