Richard Ellis Talks

Have you ever considered that the devil's first interaction with human beings involved planting seeds of doubt about their trust in God? The same tactics the enemy used then are what he uses today. Doubt is a normal human emotion, and it's not a bad thing to question what we believe. But at some point, faith requires us to bring our questions to God and then choose whether to keep doubting or to put our trust in Him.

Racism, sexism, and all manner of prejudice are more alive than ever in the world today. But God calls us to take OFF the lens of the world and to put ON the lens of a Christ-follower instead. We're equal in His eyes, created in His image, and filled with a heavenly value that's been given to us by Him.

The Christian life is so much more than a one-time act of salvation! Sanctification is a lifelong process -- and it can also be one of life's greatest challenges. But when we allow God to tear out all the unnecessary parts of our old lives, He's able to rebuild us in a way that is pleasing and honoring to Him.

Scripture assures us that God wants to give us abundant life and a future filled with hope, regardless of the story of our past. It doesn't matter where we've come from, or what mistakes we've made. He'll write a new script for our future if we just surrender our lives to Him.

God gave Joseph a dream -- but he would experience years of hardship before it was fulfilled. Yet God used all kinds of people to give Joseph a leg up along the way in order to get him to where God needed him to be. If Joseph could trust God to bring his dream to fruition, what do we need to trust God for in our own lives, no matter how messy the situation may seem?

There are a lot of reasons that fish jump out of their tanks, but all ultimately boil down to this: they think it's better on the other side. We can be a lot like those fish when we yearn for what we don't have instead of being fully present where God's placed us. Instead of looking back at the things from which God has redeemed and rescued us, let's learn to be content where He's put us today -- because it's there that He provides everything we need!

As followers of Christ, we're living advertisements of the change that God can make in someone's heart and life. There are opportunities all around us to spread the hope of the Gospel, but we have to watch for them and be ready to respond. When we share the Good News, we're making war on hell and we'll face opposition from the enemy, but if God's called us to it, He'll see us through it.

Scripture's filled with stories of men who stood strong in their faith and allowed God to transform them into world-changers. But did you know God wants to do the same with you? He calls us to be warriors of the faith -- and all we have to do is submit our lives to Him, then watch as He uses us to set the world on fire for His glory.

Giants come in all forms -- but the one thing they have in common is that when we face them, they can seem impossible to defeat. God wants to bring us to a place where we step out in faith and trust that He'll intervene on our behalf. When we allow Him to work through us to do above and beyond what we can do by ourselves, He's glorified in the outcome and His power can topple the giants in front of us.

We can buy the bull that the world is selling, or we can build our lives on the truth of the Bible. The devil will always offer us deals that seem good in the moment, but they come with heavy consequences. When we surround ourselves with the wisdom and promises of God's Word, we're better able to avoid the enemy's traps and live according to the Lord's instruction.