Richard Ellis Talks

There's a difference between memorizing facts ABOUT God and His Word, and actually knowing the Author because we've taken the time to meditate on His Word. The Bible teaches us the importance of "chewing" on God's truth. He wants us to do more than just learn the facts -- He wants us to let them change our lives.

When was the last time you thought about the God of the universe DELIGHTING over you? Scripture tells us that God loves us so much that when we confess our sins and return to Him, He rejoices and sings over us. No matter how far we've strayed or how long we've been gone, we can return to His presence and He'll sing with joy because of His great love for us!

When it comes to deciding where we're going to invest our time and our efforts, kids are easily overlooked. Yet Jesus taught us that they're THE greatest investment! Children will grow to carry on the values that are instilled in them when they're young. If we take time to invest in them now, we're also investing in a future that will outlast us long after we're gone from this life.

It's easy to find ourselves in a spiritual rut. We can get stuck in infancy or childhood or adolescence instead of taking responsibility for our spiritual growth so we can mature in our relationship with God. But as long as we choose to live in immaturity, we'll never be able to raise new Christians to become disciples and make disciples themselves.

We're quick to judge other people who claim Christianity with their mouths and reflect something entirely different with their actions. But if we took a look in the mirror, what would we find? It's easy to be judgmental of others and even of ourselves, but it's important to understand that it takes time for God to transform our lives from the inside out. Nothing happens overnight, so let's take hope in His promise that He'll complete the work He began in us!

Have you ever tried to do something -- build a piece of furniture, follow directions on a map, or even bake a cake -- out of order? If so, you know that a lot of things are designed to be done in a specific sequence for a reason! The same is true of what God has ordained for our lives. Throughout Scripture we read that He's designated order to all things, and it's in following this order that we find the abundant life He's promised us.

The only way for our nation to be godly is if its people are godly and choose to trust the Lord with their lives. It's one thing to slap a bumper sticker on our car saying, "In God We Trust", but it's another thing to live it out daily. If we want our country to progress towards godliness, we have to allow God to use us to touch the lives of those around us.

Scripture tells us we're either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness -- but we can't be both. When we give our lives to Christ, we relinquish control and submit to God as our Master. And when we become "slaves" to Him, we discover the true freedom and liberty that only He can offer us.

As human beings, we seek independence so we can avoid being vulnerable. But the truth is, we all need God -- whether we choose to admit it or not! When we can surrender our pride and admit our reliance on Him, He shows us that we can trust Him as our Rock. And knowing we're secure in Him brings peace beyond understanding, even in the midst of adversity.

When we live our lives apart from God, the only possible outcome is a life of sin. And that sin separates us from Him forever, unless we accept the forgiveness He offers us through Christ's death and resurrection. By His grace, we do not have to face Him based on our own works -- we just have to let Jesus erase our sins and write our names in the Book of Life.