Lessons for Living (Audio)

When people think of people of faith, they usually think about people that God used to do amazing things. Moses and the parting of the Red Sea, the three Hebrews who went into the fire rather than bow down to idols and were unharmed, or the miracles that the Apostles did. And then there’s you, the ‘normal’ person. What do you have in common with those people, you might ask. Well, Pastor Mark will be teaching about that. You’ll learn that the differences between you and them isn’t as great as you might think. You’ll find out the qualities that made them who they were, and that you can acquire those traits, too.

Are you stuck in what you might call a “dead-end” job? Does having this job tempt you to not care about doing it well, especially if you’re sure that no one will notice? Well, Pastor Mark has a message for you. He’ll be teaching you what the Bible has to say about work and who’s put you in that position. You’ll hear about the sovereignty of God and how you as a Christ follower should respond to that. You’ll hear examples of people who were in less than ideal spots and yet, because they wanted to honor God, did the very best they could – and God blessed them because of it.

The world system portrays living their kind of life as going from one happy-go-lucky event or experience to another. Fun without consequence. And billions of people believe that that kind of life is the one to hope for, to strive for. The true Christ follower knows that the world is lying to all of its victims. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about one of those victims. You’ll hear about a woman who, even though she didn’t know God, had heard about Him and the miracles He’d done for Israel. You’ll learn that telling other people about God isn’t hard; just tell them how He’s changed you.

When people have been saved for a while and have let God clean up their lives from the sinful ways they’d been living, it’s sometimes easy for them to look down on lost people. Especially when someone with a rough way of living comes to Jesus, the more “polished” believers can treat the new Christ followers with disdain. In Pastor Mark’s teaching today he’ll be talking about someone in the Hebrews Hall of Faith who might be a surprise to you. You’ll be reminded of God’s love for every person and His ability to take the most unlikely people and redeem them and make them His followers.

Reading the Bible and looking at the stories of the men and women that God used to do remarkable things can feel intimidating. Knowing that God wants to work through you in the same manner that He used the people you look up to spiritually might seem almost like a cruel joke. But as Pastor Mark will be teaching today, those people weren’t much different than you are. Sure, they seem like these towering models of spiritual maturity. But as you’ll learn today, they were just regular people who were simply willing to trust that what God told them He’d do, He’d really do it.

When someone is hurt or abused, many times they’re told either to “forgive or forget” or maybe to get even with the one who hurt them. Many times, though, trying to get even with someone doesn’t resolve the issue. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that Joseph could’ve chosen one of those two options to get back at his brothers, especially after he became the number two man in Egypt! You’ll learn that Joseph chose another path time and time again. That path helped him to be useful not only to God, but to the country of Egypt, his own family, and the whole world.

It’s no fun having to deal with a bitter person, is it? Especially if they claim to be a Christ follower. You might wonder how it is that God hasn’t touched this aspect of their life, because it sure doesn’t draw people to God. When you read the story of Joseph you might be amazed that he wasn’t bitter against all the people who did him wrong, or against God. But Pastor Mark will be teaching today that the key to Joseph’s constantly tender heart was his trust in God. You’ll find out that no matter what junk has happened to you, if you’ll follow Joseph’s example, you’ll see God work great things in your life.

Have you ever had the experience of being used by God to be a blessing to other people? It’s a wonderful feeling to know that God’s blessed other people as a result of your being obedient to Him. But after that, did you find yourself tempted or challenged in some way? That part’s frustrating, isn’t it? Well, Pastor Mark will be teaching that this cycle is kind of the norm for those who follow God. You’ll be hearing about the life of Joseph and how God used him to bless those around him. You’ll also find out about the type of spiritual warfare that Joseph encountered through an unexpected source.

It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day life that you forget to focus on the things of God. Getting to work, getting home and trying to figure out what to eat for dinner, helping kids with homework, then falling in bed exhausted, knowing you’re going to have to do it all again tomorrow. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about the need for Christ followers to always look at life with one eye looking to the life after this life. You’ll hear about people in the Bible who endured all kinds of hardships, even torturous death, while keeping their eyes on the heavenly kingdom.

It’s natural to want to belong to the group that you most associate with. Whether it be your family, your class at school, your church, or your country, the normal thing is to want to have a sense of kinship. When you become a Christ follower, those family associations become secondary to your heavenly family, and that’s what Pastor Mark will teach about today. You’ll hear about your heavenly citizenship, and why it’s more important than even your blood relatives on earth. You’ll find out about learning to trust God and the things you can’t see, and understand their importance in your life.