Lessons for Living (Audio)

Satan loves religion. He has no problem with you if you’re religious; knock yourself out. But if you embark on a relationship with Jesus – well, then the gloves come off! In his teaching today, Pastor Mark will remind you that the war between God and Satan actually is over – God won! However, there are a lot of skirmishes yet to fight for the Christ follower. You’ll learn that these battles are nothing new: all Christians will experience them. You’ll also find out that God has made available the power to win these little fights. There’s more good news in today’s teaching, so give it a listen!

Have you ever gotten pushback from somebody because you’re talking about Jesus? Maybe you’re not even talking to them but they don’t like hearing what you’re saying. If that’s happened to you, you’re not alone. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. Paul was trying to encourage them to hang in there even though they were being persecuted for choosing to follow Jesus. You’ll be reminded that going against the flow of the world’s way of doing things will result in some opposition, but you need to trust God and push on through.

There have always been ups and downs in regards to the world’s hostility toward God. It has always been quite open and accepting to religion and religious behavior, but when devotion to the true God is mentioned, resistance appears. Pastor Mark will be teaching about Paul’s experiences of introducing the Gospel to Jews and Gentiles and how that relates to your own attempts to do the same. You’ll learn that the response of people you know won’t be any different that people’s response to Jesus Himself, but it’s important that they know how they can escape God’s judgment.

There are a lot of things that Christ followers sometimes seek after: fame, position, recognition, and even wealth. When people try to achieve those things in the name of God, only bad can come out of it. Pastor Mark is teaching about the characteristics and signs of a healthy church. You’ll discover that trying to toot your own horn and serving God are opposites. Pastor Mark will be illustrating that God’s looking for people to be His tool to show the world the evidence of a changed life. You’ll learn that when you do things God’s way, everyone benefits: the church, yourself, and the society at large.

Many people – believers and unbelievers alike – have difficulty understanding the concept of prayer. Lots of times the struggle happens because humans are trying to figure out God, while God’s just wanting you to trust and believe Him that He can do what He says. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the need for you to rely on God’s ability to answer prayer, and just pray to God. You’ll be hearing about God’s willingness and desire to answer your prayers. You’ll also find out about examples of the Apostle Paul’s prayers, what he prayed for, and how God answered his prayers.

What do you think about prayer? Do you think that it matters in your life? Do you pray for other people? Well, the apostle Paul sure did. You can read in his letters to the churches where he talked a lot about how he’s praying for the people he was writing to. Pastor Mark will be teaching about prayer, too. He’ll be talking about God’s view of prayer and why you should be praying for yourself, and mainly for other people. You’ll discover how you can affect other people’s lives for now and for eternity if you pray, and how God’s hands can be tied, somehow, if you don’t pray.

The world seems to run on formulas, doesn’t it? Do this thing, and you’ll get a good result. Do this other thing, not so good. It seems to help keep society running smoothly and, for the most part, peacefully. But the tendency is to take the same approach with God: follow His rules and you’ll get to heaven; don’t follow His rules, and you go to the other place. Well, Pastor Mark will be teaching that that mindset is completely wrong when it comes to God. You’ll be reminded that there’s no way for you to be good enough to get to God on your own, so just accept His grace and be set free!

All around you, everywhere, are people who don’t know anything about Jesus. They may have been to church their whole lives, but if they haven’t been open to hearing the true Gospel, they don’t know about Jesus. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the fact that every single person on earth starts out knowing nothing about God. Those who have become Christ followers have done so because the Holy Spirit has opened their blinded eyes. Pastor Mark will be reminding you that you have been put here and had your eyes opened so that you can tell others about Jesus.

Some people live their lives without making plans for the future, living by the seat of their pants as it were. Others make detailed steps for how they intend their lives to progress. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the apostle Paul, the plans he made, and how he reacted when God changed Paul’s plans. You’ll learn about God’s being in charge of the lives of His followers and that He has designs for them. Pastor Mark will remind you that the Christ follower’s primary responsibility is to partner with God to make God’s plans on the earth happen. You won’t find true peace until you are living with that attitude.

The world thinks that being a follower of Christ is nothing more than drudgery and misery. Unfortunately, some Christians help to reinforce that perception! If that’s what you think being a Christian is supposed to be like, you need to listen to Pastor Mark today. He’ll be teaching about the biblical attitudes that Christ followers are supposed to have. He’ll be reminding you that Jesus came to free people from chains, not to put more chains on them. You’ll learn about the purpose God has for you and how He is ready to give you two things the world can’t give you: joy and peace.