Do you have friends who help bring you to Jesus and encourage your faith? Do you have friends who pull you away and extinguish your faith? Which kind of friend are you? Looking at two gospel stories we discover how relationships are often critical to our faith and deliverance and the importance of having and being a good friend.

Jesus has already told us what he is going to say on the day of judgement. Hearing his words can help us orient our lives about what really matters now in light of eternity.

Fear stops us from living by faith and fully giving ourselves to God. There is risk involved in trusting God and His way but the reward is great. Playing it safe isn't a virtue of a follower of Jesus. Jesus' parable of the talents from Matthew 25 speaks to these truths.

It's tempting to take matters into our own hands when doing things God's way seems hard or slow. As David brought the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem, he learned an important lesson about doing things God's way rather than improvising, taking shortcuts or going without the direction from the LORD. If we choose to live life God's way, he will help us. If we choose to live life on our own, we're on our own. Which will you choose?

The LORD deserves first place in all things. He's not simply a lifeline we call in times of crisis nor an accessory we add to our already cluttered lives for good luck or blessing. Does the LORD have the proper place in our heart today? 1 Samuel 4-7 tells of a season in Israel's history when He did not have the right place and the events that finally led to their repentance.

John 11 tells the story of Lazarus' death and resurrection and teaches us about hope, hurt, and how Jesus meets us in both places. We discover that sometimes the love of God is known not but the removal of difficulty, but the redemption that comes after difficulty.

The prophet Jeremiah believed God's word and made decisions because of this belief. At times he seemed foolish to those who did not have faith in God's promises. Jeremiah believed that even though difficult times and exile were on the horizon, God's people were coming back and would be renewed. This is a great example of how our belief in the resurrection should impact our lives today.

Death is something our culture avoids thinking about but cannot avoid experiencing in the end. No matter your status in life, all humans share the same fate. The Bible teaches us how death entered our world and God's plan for immortality for those who trust in Jesus Christ. And the testimony of Scripture beautifully shows that what God originally intended in the beginning he will bring about in the end.

Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, those who trust in Jesus will be raised back to life at his return. This foundational biblical truth isn't just to remember at a funeral, but a reality that give us courage, comfort and our calling.

Pastor Pam Bzdyra has seen God's goodness, provision and power over the course of her life. In this message, she shares the latest update in her cancer journey and calls us to consider the brevity of life. If we believe the gospel of Christ, then the fear of death is taken off the table empowering us to live fearless lives for our great and loving God. He calls us to not waste our life living for now, but to live for God's coming kingdom.