Do you ever find yourself having to redo a task because you rushed to get it done? Instead of taking the time to read the directions – twice – you were sure you knew how to do it, only to realize it didn’t turn out like it should’ve? Pastor Mark will be teaching that you can do the same in your spiritual life, as well. Instead of taking the time to read the instructions (the Bible), you push through, confident in your own wisdom to do what you think God wants you to do. You’ll hear Pastor Mark using Jesus’ behavior as an example of how all of His followers should organize their days.

The world system values results over the personal quality of the individual. You see and hear about the ‘rich and famous’ and you’re told about all of their successes. It’s rare that you hear about their actual personality or their temperament when out of the spotlight. Pastor Mark will be teaching about God’s expectation for His followers. You’ll hear about God’s valuing of character, and how He works in your life to develop the quality of character that he wants you to have. You’ll also find out some of the reasons that developing godly character will matter in your life.

Do you work in a church setting? If your answer is “no”, then you’re working around people who don’t know Jesus. They might be really nice folks who seem to have their lives together, but the most important issue in their lives is unresolved. Pastor Mark will be showing you through scripture that everywhere you go is a potential missionary field. You’ll learn from the story of Paul and Silas being thrown in jail that circumstances don’t have to dictate either your feelings or the ability of God to work. You’ll be encouraged to not be afraid, trust God, and do what He tells you to do.

Satan is a bully. He yells and screams and tells you things about yourself with the intent to discourage you. When these kinds of attacks happen, it’s hard to keep focused on who God says you are. But Pastor Mark is going to be teaching that it’s critical that you remember who you are in Christ. You’ll hear that one of the ways to get your identity ingrained inside yourself is to do the things that disciples of Jesus do. That includes telling other people about Him. You’ll hear a story of how the apostle Paul and his traveling companions handled situations that came their way.

You know, even though you have to deal with people on a daily basis, there are times when you’re kind of tired of the people around you – right?

Even the people that you love and care deeply for sometimes just get on your nerves. And it’s just the same with your other family – your Christian brothers and sisters. Pastor Mark will be teaching that those sometimes-annoying spiritual siblings are a crucial part of your growth as a Christ follower. You’ll be hearing about God’s original intent for you as a human, and his new plan to use other people to make you useful for His kingdom.

It’s rare that you learn something by only going over it one time; it usually takes repetition to really get information to stick in your memory. Many times the learning doesn’t take place in the lecture hall; it happens when you’re with your friends studying. You have a chance to pick each other’s brains and fill in the gaps in your memory. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that it’s the same way in the church. Many times, the Sunday meeting is similar to a lecture in that the flow of information goes one direction – from the pastor/teacher to the listener. You’ll hear about a way to get godly messages deeper into yourself.

Much has been said over the years about the ‘nobility’ of the solitary person. Particularly in America, the person who goes against the flow, who stands up to the crowd, is lauded and praised. At the same time, mental health professionals warn against isolation, showing that it can lead to depression and other maladies. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that the reason for this contradiction - the praising of isolationism while acknowledging the problems with isolating oneself – can be found in the Bible. You’ll hear about the problem as well as the solution to the problem.

Almost since the beginning of mans’ existence, he has wanted to do things his own way; that’s how the fall happened. The unintended consequence of that separation from God was separation of men and women from each other. Pastor Mark will be teaching that this individualism has carried on into the Church, causing the body of Christ to be dysfunctional. He’ll be talking about the negative fallout of behaving as if Christians didn’t need each other, and showing how it’s impossible to have a deepening relationship with God without doing the same with those around you.

People get uncomfortable when pastors bring up the topic of money. Members get defensive, or self-righteous, suspecting that someone’s angling for a raise or fancier stuff for the facility. Pastor Mark’s going to tackle this topic today, from a biblical standpoint. You’ll hear about who really owns all your stuff, and who you’re responsible to for it. You’ll learn that your attitude toward money is a pretty good barometer of your overall spiritual maturity. If you’ve struggled with giving, for whatever reason, today’s teaching is one that will challenge and encourage you in your spiritual growth.

Do you have trouble talking to your family or friends about Jesus and salvation? If you do, you’re not alone – only about one-third of Christians who know about their part in fulfilling the Great Commission actually follow through with this job. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the importance of every Christ follower who wants to be a growing, maturing Christian, to be involved in telling others about Jesus. You’ll have an opportunity to learn the steps in sharing about Christ, and Pastor Mark will try to help demystify this aspect of becoming a disciple of Jesus.