Richard Ellis Talks

Would you rather run the risk of you looking foolish to other people because you obeyed what God asked you to do, or of God looking foolish to the world because you disobeyed Him when you claim to follow Him? Prayer is important, but we have to be careful not to use prayer as procrastination and to respond with obedience the first time we hear His voice.

Jesus Christ made it possible for us to find peace with God through His sacrifice on the cross -- and in doing so, to find peace within our souls. Why settle for less anxiety when we can access total peace in our relationships with the Lord, with others, and with ourselves?

We're conditioned by this world to believe that we control our own lives. We think we can run on self-confidence -- that is, until we find ourselves in a situation where we can do nothing to help our circumstances. In that moment, it becomes abundantly clear that the only way out is if God comes through on our behalf, and He does so in the richness of His mercy and grace, time and time again.

One of the most powerful ways we can demonstrate that we love God is by loving our brothers and sisters in Christ -- regardless of our differences. When we make the decision to follow Jesus, we're called to love other people in such a way that it makes the world stop and take notice. When those outside the Church look at us, may they see God working in us and through us by the way we love one another!

When we ask God for something (and what we're asking is God-honoring), then we need to persevere and continue knocking, no matter how long it takes! He wants us to ask Him for things according to His will, and to keep asking until He answers. But when God shuts a door, He shuts it with a bang -- and the best way to hear His voice in our requests is to let Him in when He knocks at the door of our own hearts.

Have you ever been so impatient for something that you just couldn't wait? We'd rather fall into sin to satisfy our fleeting impulses than wait on God to come through for us. And even though He's gracious to forgive us and welcome us back when we repent, the consequences are often painful and could have been avoided. When we live in obedience and walk with Him, our hearts can't help but worship and dance in the joy of His presence.

We can't expect true change to happen around us until it first takes place within us. While our purpose on earth is to glorify God, we'll quickly find that not even our best "religious" attempts can succeed. Following Jesus requires a genuine heart transformation -- and that leads to the world around us being transformed for His glory.

Did you know that the Bugatti Chiron has such a thing as a “speed key”? It was made to literally unlock the speed limits of the car. As Christians, God’s gifted each of us with a spiritual “speed key” that opens up a whole new level of abundance and allows us to live in the fullness that God intended. But to access that special key, we have to first be prepared to deny ourselves and surrender in obedience to Him.

As Christians, we never walk alone. But that doesn't mean we don't feel lonely sometimes. Jesus took the consequences of our sin so that we would never again need to be separated from God. Once we accept His gift, it's our responsibility to surround ourselves with other believers both to be encouraged and to be an encouragement as we navigate this life together.

Tithing isn't about giving back to God what's left over -- it's about giving back to God what's first. Tithing means taking the first of our income and offering it to the One who gave it to us to begin with. Funding His Church isn't about raising big buildings or buying material things; it's about investing in the Great Commission to spread the Gospel, while trusting Him to take care of us and meet all our needs.