Lessons for Living (Audio)

How do you feel when you know that there’s about to be a big change in your life? Even if the change is good, there’s still some nervousness. Ask anyone who’s about to get married – there are nerves galore. And fear. Will it work out? Will I be a good spouse? And on it goes. A lot of anxieties can only be lessened by going through the experience that’s causing the concern. Pastor Mark will be teaching about the area where the Christ-follower never has to worry – their foundation, which is Jesus.

Why does God want you to ask Him for stuff when He knows what you want before you ask? Probably only God knows. One thing that asking God for things does do is it helps you to focus on what’s really important for your life. You start to think about your priorities in relation to serving God and doing your best for Him. Pastor Mark’s teaching today will try to do the same thing. He wants you to think about what’s really important as a Christ-follower, and for you to ask God to help you become a better servant of God.

The book of Ecclesiastes tells the story of the richest man in the world pursuing the meaning of life. This journey, though, didn’t include the God of the Bible. He studied philosophy, wealth, and pleasure, among other things. He had virtually unlimited resources to do as much as he wanted to. And in the end, he was as dissatisfied as he was at the start of his quest. Pastor Mark will be teaching today that there’s only one place to find lasting contentment and fulfillment. It’s through an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus.

American society’s all about pleasure. “Do what makes you feel good” seems to be some people’s mode of living. More stuff, more vacations – more, more, more. And yet, when you peel back the façade, you find misery. Dissatisfaction. Despair. Why is there such a huge spread between the image and reality? Pastor Mark will be telling you in his teaching today. You’ll find that the nature of mankind isn’t to pack as much pleasure and self-focus into life as possible; you’re built for something else.

It’s difficult to talk to your own kids about sex. But like it or not, your kids are hearing about sex. Through advertising, through the shows and movies they watch, they’re being given a viewpoint about sex. And it’s not the one that God wants them to have. Pastor Mark’s teaching today about God’s ideal for sex and sexuality. He’ll be talking about the naturalness of sex and how Christ-followers should think about the sexual area of life. You’ll learn that the Bible has answers for every part of your life.

You’re bombarded with ideas of sex and sexuality every day. The world, for some reason, seems to want your thoughts to be oriented toward sexual things all the time. It’s in the advertising – for everything! Schools are introducing kids to concepts of sexuality at younger ages. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about sex – God’s view. You might be surprised to find out that God approves of sex – just under the right circumstances. You’ll find out why God’s plans just work better than mankind’s ideas.

There’s a lot of interest in sex these days. It seems, though, that people are treating it as more of a recreational activity than being what God intended it to be, the glue that helps hold a marriage together. Pastor Mark will be teaching about sex from God’s viewpoint today. You’ll hear about mankind’s attempts to elevate sexual activity, while actually ending up dragging it through the mud. Today’s teaching will help you see how special God made sex to be and its role in helping couples remember that they’re a team.

The religious people of Jesus’ time really gave Him a hard time because of the people Jesus chose to hang out with. Because Jesus spent time with what the Pharisees considered lowlifes, they tended to dismiss what Jesus had to say. Pastor Mark will be challenging you in his teaching today to think about who you spend your time with – and why. And as you hear him talk about the idea of Biblical hospitality, ask yourself if you’re hanging out with the people God wants you to – and for the right reasons.

The traditional American mindset has always been one of "I can do it on my own". This has served well for a long time, for the most part. And it usually has worked when several people are working toward the same end, even if they’re not officially banded together. But Pastor Mark’s teaching today will show you that this attitude isn’t Biblical and won’t work in the Church. You’ll learn today what God’s intent is for people, and how He planned for them to work – together, toward the common end of serving God.

If you’re one of those people who think that the idea of "rugged individualism" is an idea that can be brought into the church, you’ve got a problem. You see, the Bible shows time and again that people need each other. God said about Adam that it’s not good for him to be alone, so He created Eve. Pastor Mark will be teaching today about friendship from God’s perspective. You’ll find out what it means to be a brother or sister in Christ, and your responsibility – yes, responsibility – to your fellow brothers and sisters.