Today Pastor Mark reminds us that temptations are used by satan to lead us into sin, and away from God's will. He points out that In every enticement, the decision to give in and sin is your choice and your's alone. Doing the wrong thing is called the sin of commission. You're essentially agreeing to carry out satans special orders, like he's commissioned an important painting, or statue. The problem here is, you're not Michelangelo and you don't want the payment he has to offer. Listen in to learn how to finally stop being lured in by this fraud.

Trials affect everyone. Believer, unbeliever, rich and poor. Since they're no respecter of status, gender or convenience, there's nothing we can do to avoid them. They're a fact of life and if you're a Christian, they can enrich your life. Today instead of looking at them in a negative light, Pastor Mark helps us understand their purpose. He teaches that trials help Believers endure and mature. Once we've gone through them, we're stronger, wiser and more spiritually mature. Listen in to hear more Biblical truth on how, if you'll let them, you'll develop a deeper trust and dependence on God.

How can you have great faith and not doubt? Well today Pastor Mark helps answer that question with three biblically based keys. One, take your eyes off the circumstance and put them on God. One of the benefits of trials is they build our faith. The more we go through the stronger we'll become. Second, you have to remember, nothing's impossible with God. We might not understand how or why but that's not what's important, it's the Who. And lastly scripture say's Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. You'll never learn how to hear His voice, when the only time you pick up the Bible is on crisis day.

Lord I believe...help my unbelief. This is a true story found in scripture of a desperate father reaching out to the only one who could help his tortured son. In one moment he's claiming he believes in God, and that's good. But wait a second. In the very next breath, he's admitting he doesn't really believe Him. Now that seems bad, right? Not necessarily. His unbelief wasn't because he doubted God, it was because he'd never had to really trust Him. He took a chance and laid it all out there because he had nothing left to lose and his transparency was honored by God.

The first step to getting more wisdom is to admit you need it. It's much more than the accumulation of human knowledge. Wisdom is the application of the facts that you retain. Today Pastor Mark reminds us we were designed to be fully dependent on God. That means we need His wisdom in every area of our lives, not just the trials. In order to do life right we have to understand that wisdom is living life according to God's point of view, with His values and in His time. God is the source of all wisdom, so ask for it, and be certain He'll give it to you.

We know and scripture say's, that in the life of a Believer, God works out all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Now Pastor Mark makes it very clear that God isn't saying that all things are good,because some things are really bad. What He's saying is that He's at work, in His own ways and will eventually bring some good out of it. God ordains everything in our life. He doesn't control it but he allows it. You can either walk on His path with Him, or on your own path, by yourself. Keep in mind, God knows the outcome and you don't, choose wisely.

The purpose of our trials is this. Trials grow our faith and strong faith eventually produces endurance. Pastor Mark likes to call it... staying power. He explains it like this. As you mature in your faith in God, you're in it for the long haul. He say's faith in put into action becomes real and will prove itself, which in turn proves your salvation is real. It's a spiritual litmus test. If you pass the test you come out stronger and spiritually mature, instead of weak and barely breathing. Keep in mind, all things we go through aren't necessarily good, they just work towards our good.

Everyone faces trials. Some people think the minute you become a Christian, you get a “get out trials free card”. This can't be farther from reality. Today Pastor Mark challenges this belief and encourages us to think of two things when the inevitable happens. What's going to come out of this? And what's my attitude like, in the midst of it? How you respond when your faith is put to the test, reveals what you really believe about God. Listen in to learn how the trials you face and the faith that you have are directly connected.

God's powerful Word never returns void. Truth! When all else fails, humanly speaking, go back to what you know. God's Word. Mixed with prayer is the work. And that dear Christian friend, is an unstoppable force. Scripture says the Good News is the power that can save anyone. Today we're reminded that God's love and patience shows He's not willing for anyone to perish. So even when you're ready to throw in the towel, He's not. Despite what you may feel. No matter how long it takes. No one is beyond the reach of God's love, so keep up the Good Work!

It must have been painful for Jesus to be rejected like He was by His siblings. God could've set Him up with the perfect family but He didn't and He did it to give us hope. Why didn't they believe? And what made them change? We can only speculate on the first question. Issues like sibling rivalry favoritism are the most likely reasons, and if you're from a large family, you can certainly relate to that. Ultimately it was sin that was blinding their hearts and minds. Listen in to learn how our Saviors example of obedience, in every area of His life, finally made the difference in theirs.