Lessons for Living (Audio)

In the early church there were conflicts between the Jewish believers and the non-Jewish, or Gentile, believers. Ever since then, there have been conflicts between different “flavors” of Christianity. While sometimes the differences were between what was biblical and what wasn’t, too often the conflict was between opposing preferences rather than actual doctrine. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the reality of the destruction of barriers through the death and resurrection of Jesus. You’ll learn why it matters what you believe and who you follow because without the Truth, you’ll never find true peace.

Prior to Jesus’ time, the Jews were stuck on being called God’s “chosen people”, ignoring the fact that God had always intended them to be a light pointing the Gentiles to God. Even after Jesus’ life, death and resurrection the early church was still stuck in the old thinking. Although Jesus said that He came to save the whole world, they seem to have left that part out in their evangelism. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the importance of remembering that there are only two categories of people – saved and lost – and your job as a Christ follower is to help move people from lost to saved.

Many people complain these days that the legal system is weighted in the favor of those with privilege, whether that be race, financial status or inside connections. It’s understood that when men create the standard that corruption inevitably seeps in. So why would anyone expect it to be any different if men create religious systems? How do you decide who is right and who gets into heaven? Pastor Mark will be teaching about the alternative to man-based religion: the objective standard of God’s word. You’ll learn how it alone provides answers to how men can please God and get into His kingdom.

The Bible talks a lot about spiritual life and death; it also talks about followers of God being pilgrims on this planet. It’s hard for regular people to grasp either of these concepts. Most of us have never had to live as a temporary resident for an extended period of time, and no one listening has had a personal experience of death. Pastor Mark’s teaching today will touch on both of these concepts from God’s perspective. You’ll learn what spiritual death is as defined by the Bible as well as what the scriptures have to say about your residence here and your future abode in heaven.

Isn’t it amazing how quickly things are changing in the world? New ideas, concepts, opinions. Coffee is okay – wait – no, it’s bad for you – no, wait– it’s okay again. It can be dizzying to try to think about. And don’t even mention the societal changes – wow! So, you might ask, how should I think about these things? What is the right position to take? Well, Pastor Mark’s teaching today will point you in the right direction. He’ll be teaching about mankind’s basic problem and what the answers are. More importantly, Pastor Mark will be telling you the source of all the right answers and how to access them.

There seems to be a crisis of negative self-image in today’s society. For all of the talk of and programs promoting having a “positive self-image”, the rates of self-harm and suicide just keep going up. It’s strange how that happens, isn’t it? Pastor Mark will be teaching about mans’ fundamental need, which is to return to the original relationship man had with God. He will be talking about how Adam and Eve’s rebellion broke that relationship and how mankind has gone its own way. That has resulted in people not knowing who they were intended to be. Pastor Mark will give God’s answer to that essential question.

The concept of prayer seems to be such a complicated thing for humans. Jesus made it look easy – it just seemed like conversations with His Father. So, why don’t prayers you hear (or say) sound as natural as Jesus’ did? You hear people speaking in King James English or talking in ways that sound well, weird. Maybe today’s teaching by Pastor Mark will help you. He will be talking about every person’s desire for a better relationship with God. He will be sharing about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christ follower to help them communicate with and hear from God for wisdom in living their lives.

There are lots of people who describe themselves as “spiritual” or “religious”. This might even be how you describe yourself. The problem with living that way is that it ultimately leaves you dissatisfied. You know you need “more” but you can’t define what that is. Pastor Mark would tell you that God has put that void in your life, intending it to be filled by a relationship with Him. This is what Pastor Mark will be teaching about today – the universal desire for people to know God. You’ll learn how you can have a relationship with God and His Son, Jesus, and have that hole in your life properly filled.

An unavoidable truth for every person is that they will go through difficulties in their lives. You are probably too aware of this reality. Throughout time, unscrupulous men and women have taken advantage of people by promising that if you follow their scheme that you’ll be able to live a life without hardships. This deceptive thinking is even found among those calling themselves Christians. Pastor Mark will be teaching about Jesus’ offer of help through the hardships, rather than avoidance of them. Pastor Mark will show you what the Bible has to say about finding true peace in the midst of the storms of life.

Many people are quite aware of their inability to do what they consider the “right” thing to do as consistently as they would like. As a result of this, mankind has concocted all kinds of religions hoping to ease their own consciences. Unfortunately, this kind of attitude can invade the life of a Christian; maybe you’ve experienced this tension. Pastor Mark will be teaching about how the Christ follower can be free of this thinking. You’ll be able to find God’s power for living life His way by understanding the unfathomable price that Jesus paid by coming to earth and giving His life up for you.