Lessons for Living (Audio)

Jesus’ call to the original disciples was truly a scary thing. Jesus simply told them to follow Him. He didn’t promise them anything – no comfort, no food, no place to rest, no success – nothing! And yet they became part of a movement that turned their world upside down, and affects the world yet today. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the source of their success, the power behind their march through the Roman Empire. He’ll be speaking about the person of the Holy Spirit. You’ll learn that you need to have Him in your life to be a successful Christ follower, and you’ll find out how to have Him living in you.

If you think back to the days before you came to Jesus, there were many times when you felt all alone, that the circumstances of your life felt like they were going to overwhelm you. Even sometimes as a follower of Christ the insanity of daily life can get you to feel that way, right? It happens to almost every believer, so you shouldn’t feel condemned by that. But Pastor Mark wants to share some good news with you: you don’t have to be alone as you struggle with life. He’s going to be introducing you to God, the Holy Spirit, and will be teaching you what this Person of the Trinity can do in you and through you.

The Holy Spirit. Brings up images of Casper, or Ghostbusters – right? It’s almost as if someone (Satan) was trying to corrupt people’s perception of Who the Holy Spirit is and His role in the lives of Christ Followers. Many churches certainly seem to avoid mention of Him if at all possible. Well, Pastor Mark is planning on tackling this sorely neglected topic. So, if you don’t know what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit or if you know a little about Him but want to learn more, stick around. Pastor Mark will be teaching about this third member of the Trinity and why you need more of His power in your life.

No matter what you do to keep healthy, no matter how many times a week you work out or watch what you eat, you are going to die. That’s the way it’s been since the fall of man, and it won’t change until the end of time. The one thing that won’t ever change is God. He was around before the world began and will be after it has been destroyed. Pastor Mark will be teaching about David’s significance to Israel and how, though a flawed man, he exemplified many of the qualities you would want to display in your life. He often sought and received God’s forgiveness, which is a good trait to cultivate.

How do you respond when an authority figure tells you that you can’t do something? Do you take it calmly, recognizing that person’s authority over you in that area? Or do you seethe inside, hoping for a chance to get back at them? Pastor Mark will be sharing that king David had that kind of decision to make when God told him that he, David, couldn’t build the temple. It would be so easy for David to do his own thing – he was the king, after all! Pastor Mark will let you know what David’s decision was, and how the choice David made impacted both his kingdom and his descendants’ history.

The Levitical rules regarding stealing and the like showed how important the concept of personal property was and is to God. The penalties were so severe that they were meant to be a deterrent to those who might have been inclined to pilfer their neighbor’s stuff. But David had stolen a man’s wife – and then had the husband killed when all his other plans failed. Pastor Mark will be teaching you about the importance of remembering that God will get His judgment. It may not be right away but there will always be a reckoning. Please remember that when you’re tempted to sin.

Has anybody ever done you wrong and refused to admit to it? I’m not talking about a simple misunderstanding; I mean something that any objective observer would agree was bad and wrong. Have you noticed that as time went on they became more unsettled and angry with not just you but lots of other people? Well, as Pastor Mark will be teaching, King David became that way after his affair with Bathsheba. He will be illustrating the personal toll that unforgiveness takes on the whole person, and how that setting things right with God will make all the difference in your life.

One of the noteworthy things about the Bible is that it is not afraid to talk about the sins of those it mentions, even a hero of the faith like David. A man that God declares is seeking God’s best, he was still an imperfect man. Pastor Mark will be teaching about God’s honesty concerning man and man’s fallenness, and God’s solution for that condition. You’ll hear about a man who indulged a particular vice for many years without ever hearing God mention it even one time. Maybe you’re in the same situation. As you listen to the teaching you’ll hear that there was a day of reckoning for David; there will be one for you, too.

Sexual temptation is all around. From fitness products and the entertainment industry to the most innocuous things, sexuality – in the clothing worn or the scripts that are written – pervades society. This was a problem in David’s time, too. Temple prostitutes for pagan gods of fertility were a big part of the religions of the nations that surrounded Israel and sometimes in Israel as well. Pastor Mark will be teaching what you as an individual can do to resist giving in to these enticements and to live your life in the way that God intended. God’s way of life will help minimize society’s effect on your lifestyle.

Anger seems to have taken over our society. Television shows that once consisted of reasoned discussion with occasional raised voices are now mainly raised voices with occasional reasoned discussion. Many in society tell you that it’s good for you to vent your anger, while all around you the evidence of unrestrained anger reveals itself in an ever-increasing violent society. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the Bible’s solution for the anger you might be harboring as well as other aspects of your character that frustrate you. He will be sharing how God can bring peace and contentment to your life.