Lessons for Living (Audio)

One of the hard lessons for the Christ-follower to learn is that they’re no longer in charge of their lives. This isn’t a new problem; in fact, it’s been an issue since Adam and Eve. But once Jesus came on the scene and made redemption possible, people who chose to follow Christ have to make this decision again. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about a couple of people who thought they were following God, who had to really learn how to follow God when God upset the apple cart of their lives.

Mary was a remarkable young woman. It seems she was a young woman of quality, which is why God chose her to give birth to Jesus. There are some who want to elevate her to an almost godlike status based on the fact of her being Jesus’ mom. Others, reacting to this, seek to deny her ‘specialness’. As Pastor Mark will be teaching today, both sides miss the mark. You’ll hear how she viewed herself, and how that view lines up with scripture. You’ll learn how her self-analysis is a good template for all people.

Western society is so used to kids having sex, that the idea of waiting until marriage or being embarrassed for not waiting, isn’t even considered. But God – the Creator of sex – had and has quite a different viewpoint on sex. You’ll find out in today’s teaching by Pastor Mark what a remarkable couple Mary and Joseph were. You’ll learn from scripture how their personal integrity, which was a byproduct of their devotion to God, guided them and made them the suitable caretakers for God’s Son that they became.

The God of the Christ-follower isn’t the only object of the worship of people on earth. In the nonchristian world, there are millions of so-called gods, and people worship them in much the same way that Christ-followers worship Jehovah. They pray to their gods, too. Sadly, those gods can’t answer the prayers of their followers. Pastor Mark’s teaching today will dive into the idea of how God answers prayer. You’ll learn what it takes for you to become the kind of person whose prayers God can answer.

It feels good to have God save you in an emergency, doesn’t it? To know that God’s there watching over you is quite a comfort. But what about all of the ‘non-emergency’ things that happen throughout every day? Do you think of God then? Maybe not. The habit is to handle things in your own strength, leaving the ‘big’ things for God to take care of. Well, Pastor Mark will be teaching today why that way of living isn’t the way God intended you to live. You’ll learn about the right way, God’s way of doing life.

It’s fun to get what you want, isn’t it? To have your heart set on something and be able to buy it or have someone gift it to you is very pleasing. On the other hand, being denied your desire is a tough learning experience. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about the importance of prayer. You’ll be reminded how much God loves you, wants the best for you, and wants you to pray to Him so that He can answer your prayers. You’ll learn about the things God wants from you so that your prayers line up with His will.

People are so inclined to believe the negative about a situation. Even Christ-followers, who have the Spirit of God inside them, can let the whispering lies of the Devil influence their thinking – and their believing. You’ll hear in Pastor Mark’s teaching today about the unknown battle Daniel had when he was praying about an issue. You’ll get a glimpse behind the curtain, so to speak, and see what’s really going on when you pray. You’ll learn that praying many times is about pushing through ‘til the answer comes.

Do you realize that God cares about your life? Not in an abstract, overall way, but the intimate details of what to you might seem a boring life? Everything you do, say, think about, matters to God. As Pastor Mark will be teaching, this is because God loves you. He sent His Son Jesus to die in your place so that you could have a relationship with Him. And you’ll learn that part of that relationship includes prayer and reading the Bible. Through doing these actions, a deeper friendship with God is guaranteed.

When’s the last time you attended a prayer meeting? Does your church even have them? Many churches don’t have organized times of prayer. Sadly, if they do, only a small percentage of the church attend them. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about the people who are supposed to be the models for today’s church – the Church of Acts. Pastor Mark will be contrasting their prayer life with that of today’s churches. You’ll learn how to achieve the answers to prayer by doing things the way that they did.

Let’s face it: at one time or another, every Christ-follower has gone against what they knew God wanted them to do. The sinful nature in every person rebels against God’s will – even those who are doing their best to follow Him. The great thing about following God, as Pastor Mark will be teaching today, is that He’s always ready to take you back. God wants to have a relationship with you and although sin can separate you from Him, He’s continually there waiting for you to turn towards Him and begin the walk again.