Lessons for Living (Audio)

There’s a lot of evil activities taking place all around. Sex trafficking, random acts of violence, and on and on. Corruption in leadership from the top to the lowest local offices. It’s easy to look around and feel helpless. And Pastor Mark will be teaching that if you’re going to try to oppose this evil in your own strength, you will fail. What you need first of all is the Holy Spirit living inside you. You’ll hear about the next steps that have to be taken once you take care of that basic one. You’ll discover that you need the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through you, and you’ll hear how to make that happen.

When looking at Jesus’ life, it’s easy to focus on the miracles and such. Raising the dead – who could top that! Feeding five thousand men – not including women and children – maybe fifteen thousand, with five loaves of bread and two sardines! Well, Pastor Mark will be teaching about what often gets overlooked – the relationship that Jesus had with the Holy Spirit. You’ll hear about the amount of time that Jesus spent in prayer, and His reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that made it possible for Him to be the conduit for the miraculous acts He did. And He wants you to access and yield to the same power.

You’ve seen those men or women on “Christian” television: they’re praying for someone or something, and as they reach the end of their prayer, they begin screaming, “In Jesus’ Name!” Maybe they say it over and over but you get the point. It’s as though there’s supposed to be a correlation between their volume and their holiness. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the real Holy Spirit and how you access Him. You’ll find out that it might be very different from what you’ve seen or heard. You’ll learn that God’s sometimes a far cry from what you’ve been led to believe.

Did you ever, before you became a Christian, try to read the Bible? Did you struggle and give up trying to read it, thinking, “This is stupid! It makes no sense whatsoever!?” It’s like trying to read a foreign language without a translator. Pastor Mark will be teaching about Jesus’ disciples and how many times they didn’t get what Jesus was talking to them about. It wasn’t until after they’d received the Holy Spirit that they understood the things that Jesus had said to them, trying to prepare them for his suffering, death, and resurrection. Pastor Mark will let you know how you can receive the same enlightenment.

What’s the difference between a Christ follower who has a vibrant relationship with Jesus and a person who doesn’t? Is it because they spend more time in prayer, or Bible reading, or witnessing? Maybe it’s that they take part in the jail ministry or help the homeless out. Well, Pastor Mark will answer this question with, “No”. None of those activities makes a person a “better” Christ follower. You’ll learn that it has very little to do with what’s done on the outside. There’s a change that has to happen on the inside, and today you’ll learn how it can happen for you.

The brain is an amazingly powerful organ. Doctors say that it’s even able to make you believe something about yourself that’s not true. People believe that they have diseases they don’t have and never did. Some are able to be absolutely sure that they did things or had things happen to them that never occurred. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the danger of a similar trickery happening in the spiritual realm, and how to avoid this self-deception. You’ll find out how you can know for sure that you’re saved, that you’re a Christ follower for real, without a shadow of a doubt.

There are many people who think they have a relationship with God, who don’t know Him at all. They think that because they were raised a certain way or attend a certain church that they’re all good with God. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that this is totally not the case. You’ll hear about Jesus’ encounter with a man who had thought he was at the pinnacle of Jewish belief. Although he didn’t understand why, he was drawn to Jesus’ teachings. You’ll hear how Jesus brought the man into a true relationship with God, and how He can do the same for unbelievers that you might know.

There’s a battle happening around you all the time, every day. It’s a battle that you’re involved in whether you realize it or not, whether you want to be or not. It’s been going on for thousands of years, even before men and women were created. Pastor Mark will be teaching about this war, and your place in it. You’ll find out which side you’re currently on, and how you can get from the losing side to the winning one. You’ll find out about some of your weapons and how to use them, and about the weapons that are being used against you at this very moment, as you listen to this teaching.

Having instances where you know that you’re thinking and acting like God wants you to think and act is both humbling and brings you joy. Being able to know that what you’re doing pleases God is like a breath of heaven, right? Then there’s the rest of your life – not so much like heaven’s breath, eh? Pastor Mark will be teaching about this conflict that’s a part of every Christ follower’s life. You’ll learn the cause of this conflict as well as who the major players are. You’ll find out that when you become a disciple of Jesus that you’ve entered a battle that’s been going on for a long time.

Some people do Christianity a disservice by claiming that if someone gives their life to Jesus, that all of their problems will magically go away. Their marriage that’s on the rocks will be repaired, the drug problems will end, and on and on. Pastor Mark will teach that these claims are not biblical, and he’ll explain why it just isn’t true. You’ll find out about the reality of who you are, and why you are your own worst enemy when trying to live your life for Jesus. You’ll also find out how to overcome the obstacles that are put in your way by your flesh, the world, and the devil.