Lessons for Living (Audio)

God loves people so much! He sees their despair, their lost-ness. Throughout time He’s sent people to mankind to speak on His behalf, to tell them that there’s a way out of their messes. Needless to say, prophets haven’t been popular throughout history; they tend to get killed by the people they’re reaching out to. Still, as Pastor Mark will be teaching today, God is giving people this unique gift. You’ll hear what qualities someone with the gift of a prophet will display, and how God uses them.

What comes to your mind when you think of a prophet? Some wild-eyed man with weird clothes, yelling at people to get right with God? That might have been John the Baptist – or what Hollywood wants you to think prophets of God are. But Pastor Mark will be teaching that the Bible indicates that there’s a gift of prophecy that’s supposed to be used in the body of Christ. This gift – like others spoken of in the New Testament – is for making Christians stronger spiritually. Today, you get to learn how God defines the prophetic gift.

People in churches in America tend to think that the proper operation of a church, both spiritually and physically, is only dependent on the paid staff. Unfortunately, that thinking isn’t Biblical and leads to thousands of pastors calling it quits every year. In his teaching today, Pastor Mark’s going to talk about the proper operation of the body of Christ, both on the local and universal levels. You’ll learn that while not everyone’s gifted with talents that put them in front of people, everyone has a talent to use in the church.

It’s tragic to witness someone who has a neurological disorder. Watching them struggle to do things that they used to have no problem doing is heartbreaking. Alzheimer’s is even worse – people’s memories of those closest to them are erased, never to return. Well, God set the body of Christ up to work much like a human body should work. Pastor Mark will be teaching about this today, and you’ll be able to see the parallels between the two bodies. You’ll find out more about how you should function in the body of Christ.

When God made Adam, He told Adam who he was. Adam’s problem was that knowing what God told him wasn’t enough. And ever since then, mankind has not been interested in hearing what God had to say about them and their condition, to their eternal doom. But Pastor Mark will be teaching today that because God made mankind, He actually does know what’s best for them. You’ll get to learn God’s intention for men and women, and how you can get on the path to fulfilling your original intent.

Let’s face it; everybody likes to be liked. You want to be well thought of. Of course, in school, everybody wanted to be thought of as “cool”, no matter what form that might take. And you see the people who are devastated by rejection from the group they want to be a part of. That’s always sad. So, how do Christ-followers deal with this desire? Pastor Mark will be teaching about this desire for significance that’s built into all people. He’ll tell you what the Bible’s view of this is and how to find true fulfillment in this area.

People want to feel like their life matters. Lots of people feel useless, even worthless. But that’s because deep down inside, they want to have a life of significance. That’s why people join kooky organizations and cults – they think they’ve found a place where they fit in. Pastor Mark will be teaching about this desire for significance and how it can ultimately only be fulfilled by becoming a part of God’s family. You’ll be urged to get out of your comfortable lifestyle and step up to the challenge God has for you.

These are crazy times in which to be living. Sometimes, it seems like everything’s been turned on their heads. The condoning and the celebration of open sin is breathtaking. What it shows, is that unsaved men and women will do almost anything their minds set upon and that the devil is loose in the church, wreaking havoc. Pastor Mark’s teaching today will talk about the gifts that God’s given you, and how to properly use them. You’ll learn that the gifts that God gave you are to be used for the good of God’s kingdom.

Doing business with anyone – from the most humble merchant to the biggest multinational corporation – first requires trust. You have to believe that they are who they say they are and that they’re going to provide the goods or services they’ve told you they can provide. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that it’s the same way in dealing with God. He’s told you Who He is, who you are, and how to get out of the problem of eternal doom. It’s up to you to believe that what He’s said is true – and then act on that belief.

Have you ever daydreamed about what you’d do if you were God? Sure, probably everyone has. Deciding whose prayers you’d answer – and whose you wouldn’t. But giving that idea serious thought makes you realize that your character wouldn’t be up to being God – you’d make a mess of things. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about the gifts that God’s given everyone, and how they should best be used. You’ll find out about the types of gifts that all Christ-followers have, and you’ll find out how to be ready to use them.