Richard Ellis Talks

God sent His Son to this world as a human being to experience being human. And that experience encompassed all of the emotions we face on a daily basis -- including loneliness. Jesus understood what it meant to be alone, yet He made us a promise that nobody else around us could ever fulfill: He promises that He will never leave us.

There is no fear in love, but there is perfect love when we trust in God through faith. We can choose to give in to the "fear knot" that allows the voice of the enemy to override the voice of God, or we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and in turn keep our hearts and minds in perfect peace, even in the middle of the biggest storm.

We get so easily ensnared in the sins of our past that they bar us from making the most of our present and looking hopefully ahead to our future. No matter what lies behind us -- whether it was done to us or done by us -- God can cleanse us and move us forward in incredible ways. His Word assures us that He removes sin from us as far as the east is from the west; let's live in the promise of that truth!

Do you ever feel unsatisfied? If you answered, "no", you're probably not being honest with yourself! We all, at some point, look to the things of this world to satisfy us. But only Jesus gives us water to quench the thirst of our souls, and breath to give us life forever.

What is it that Satan uses to tempt you? The devil knows each individual's greatest weaknesses, and he uses that knowledge to offer us a hell of a deal when he tempts us. But God has provided a way of escape through Christ's power in us. He gives us the strength to resist temptation, no matter what kind of deal we're offered.

Jesus left His disciples -- and all of us -- with the Great Commission to share the Gospel with the world. But the Bible also teaches us to be careful who we share it with. Not everyone is hungry for the truth we have to offer, and their intention is to tear us apart. It's important for us to look to Jesus and follow His example on when to speak and when to be silent.

From our mind to our tongue, our eyes to our stomach, our hands to our feet...sin is inherently linked to different parts of the physical body. That's why God wants us to surrender our whole selves to Him. And when we give over the parts of us that cause us to struggle, He can heal the pain that those sins cause in our lives.

God's Word is an instruction manual on how we should live -- and it's designed to save us from countless consequences that come with disobeying His direction. He doesn't ask us to yield to Him so that He can "take away our fun"; He does it to show us what it looks like to experience the life of fullness that comes from surrendering to Him.

The world is constantly feeding us lies about how we can be in control of our lives. But the reality is this: we're not in control, and that's a really good thing. When we believe the truth that God holds our yesterday, our today, and our tomorrow, we can surrender to Him and follow His leading without fear.

The Church is filled with messy people -- because messy people are the only kind that exist. But God designed the Body of Christ to be one family. And when that family comes together, we're able to care for one another and serve as a powerful testament to the world of what it means to follow Jesus together.