Richard Ellis Talks

Too often, we allow our mistakes to wipe us out, instead of choosing to accept God's forgiveness! No matter how many times we mess up, His abundant grace offers us another chance. But just as He forgives us and allows us to start over when we sin against Him, we, too, are called to show the same grace to others when they do wrong to us.

When we become Christians, the devil doesn't stop fighting for us. On the contrary, he works harder than ever to pull us back into our old sin. When we feel ourselves getting caught in the "undertow" of temptation, we've got to call on God to show us the way of escape. Not only that, but we also have a responsibility to help rescue others who have been pulled back out into the current, and get them safely to shore.

According to today's culture, being "woke" is being alert to injustice around us. But we can't be culturally "woke" until we're spiritually "woke" first. Just because we receive salvation and are born again, doesn't mean we're automatically going to be spiritually alive. We have to make a daily choice to wake up -- not just physically but spiritually, too!

You know the phrase, "There's safety in numbers"? God calls us to be in community with other believers because it keeps us accountable to one another, and it helps protect us from the attacks of the enemy. When He invited us to give our lives to Him, He never intended for us to follow Him in solitude. The best way to stand strong against the devil's schemes is to saturate ourselves in the truth of Scripture.

What's your "binge"? Do you binge on food? On TV? On sex, drugs, or gossip? Whatever it is, we all have certain go-to sins that we keep falling into. But what would happen if we spent more time "binging" on Jesus than we do on whatever our earthly obsessions are? When He lives inside us, He gives us the power to overcome temptation and to focus on the abundant life He promises us.

Satan loves to throw obstacles in our way to try and direct us off-course as we seek to follow Jesus. That's why God's given us certain roadmaps, like Scripture and godly mentors, to help guide us and keep us from wandering off the path He's set for us. When we trust in Him, He protects us spiritually, and we can rest in the assurance that we're safe in His hands.

Have you ever heard the saying, "When one sin is defended, it becomes two sins"? Just because our culture deems sinful behavior to be acceptable, doesn't change the fact that it's still sin. The Bible is clear about what it defines as sin, and as followers of Christ, it's up to us to take a stand and speak biblical truth in love -- no matter how hard it might be.

The Christian life isn't a one-time deal -- it's a forever commitment! And like any relationship, that commitment can go through tough seasons and be put to the test. When we remain faithful to God and where He's placed us, we're less likely to wander away from His will.

Weddings are easy -- but marriage is hard. Making babies is easy -- but parenting is hard. And in order for us to find ourselves with "righteous" spouses instead of "right-now" spouses, we have to start by asking: does this person love God first and foremost? And if not, how can we have patience and encourage them to become the righteous and faithful spouse God's called them to be?

In Exodus, we read the story of how Moses was spared from death as a baby because his mother went to great lengths to save his life. He went on to be a key figure in Scripture and God used his life in amazing ways. Like Moses's mother, we need to not only trust God with our children, but we also need to raise them for His purposes and not our own, knowing He can choose to use them for His glory in ways beyond what we can see.