Richard Ellis Talks

You'll never fully know who you are until you first know Whose you are. Our identity isn't found in ourselves -- it's found in Christ alone. Before we go chasing ideas that try to tell us our identity in the world, we need to back up and understand our identity in the Lord...and that can only happen when we die to ourselves and live the way He tells us to live.

Sometimes God speaks loudly. But more often, He speaks softly. He might be speaking to you this very moment, but you're not hearing it because you're too busy listening for some extravagant manifestation of His voice. Listen for the whisper -- and then obey what He's telling you to do.

God designed us to work, but He also designed us to rest -- and true rest can only be found in Him. We have to purposely and purposefully take time out of our work and allow the Lord to refresh our souls in order to avoid burnout. When we do things His way, even the work that we do for Him is rejuvenating.

We each have a conscience built within us that creates boundaries in our lives -- and we can tell when we've crossed those boundaries. Only through Jesus Christ is it possible to receive forgiveness for our transgressions and live in freedom. We get to choose whether we're going to carry the guilt of our sin with us everywhere we go, or whether we're going to find forgiveness and freedom in Christ.

God doesn't suggest that we might be tempted -- He all but guarantees it. Temptation is inevitable, and often, we find ourselves being tempted by the same things over and over and over again. But God is also faithful to provide a way of escape...provided we're willing to take it.

What scares you about the future? It's easy to be afraid of what lies ahead, because you don't always know what comes next. But God does; nothing takes Him by surprise. Trust that He holds your future, and He'll lead you according to His will.

God's Kingdom has been described as "the upside-down Kingdom" because it's counter-cultural to what society teaches. But Jesus Himself turned the world upside down when He made the ultimate sacrifice on the cross for our sake -- and that's why He tells us that anyone who loses their life for His sake will find it in Him.

Jesus warns that money reveals the condition of the heart in Matthew 6:21 when He says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Money fosters a love/hate relationship: it can either control us, and we become slaves to its influence, or we can surrender it to God, and allow it to be used as a conduit for His Kingdom's purposes.

We're born sinful, into a world of sin, where we find ourselves naked, exposed, and ashamed. Jesus not only took our sin to the cross with Him -- He also took our shame. When we come to Him "butt naked" and in need, He offers Himself as the ultimate sacrifice and makes it possible for us to be covered by clothing us in His righteousness.

 

Christians are called to be united as one Body. That's because so much more is accomplished together than when everyone works alone! The devil makes it his mission to keep the Body from carrying out the Lord's work, but when there's unity among God's children, no power of hell can stop what's being accomplished.