Richard Ellis Talks

People often learn best by watching others first, then doing it themselves. Jesus calls us to make disciples by sharing the Good News. Not only that, but when we disciple others, we can teach them to do the same thing, so that God continues to be glorified.

Jesus was nailed to a cross and hung to die so that all who look to Him and believe may be saved. When we chose to follow Christ, we also chose to be witnesses to the world and to share the Good News. We've been called to pick up the Gospel message and become fishers of men -- to tell those we meet about the saving grace of Jesus.

The pure power of the Holy Spirit is what moves us to be witnesses to others about all that Christ's done for us. And when we wait on the Spirit before we move, we save ourselves from a boatload of exhaustion that comes when we try to work out of our own strength! God wants to use us to reach the world -- and when we partner with Him, we help usher others into a changed life through the Gospel.

In the age of social media, it's easier than ever to believe what we see or hear instead of seeking out the truth ourselves. When we build our lives on a weak foundation, we're prone to be blown away in all directions. But when we set our foundation on God and anchor ourselves to His truth, nothing that comes our way will shake us!

The world is filled with people struggling to find peace in this life. We spend so much time in the grip of worry and anxiety. Jesus offers to take our fears and exchange them for His peace, and to rest in the knowledge that He'll take care of us.

Jesus set us free from all sin. But too many times, we choose to stay in our sin because we're afraid of being truly free. Instead of remaining in the prison that is sin when we've already been released, let's choose to walk out and live in the liberty God's given us!

Jesus teaches us that we can't serve two masters. But we are called to serve one! When Jesus died on the cross, it made it possible for us to choose God as our Master. We can either be a slave to sin or a slave to God -- the question is, what's our choice going to be?

The truest sign of friendship is when someone walks not in front of you, or behind you, but alongside you -- mourning when you mourn, and rejoicing when you rejoice. When it comes to the body of Christ, we as believers should be modeling these kinds of genuine friendships, not only for the sake of one another, but because of the example it sets. When others look at our relationships and see that we love and accept one another, they believe they can be loved and accepted too -- not only by people, but by God Himself.

The reality of life is that troubles will come. But God's designed His Church to be a source of support and strength. He wants to use us to comfort one another during tough times, and when we walk side by side with one another through trials and tribulations, His goals are accomplished in spite of difficult situations.

The Bible describes God as being patient towards us, extending undeserved love and grace no matter what we do. And when we let Jesus come into our lives, He changes us from the inside out. As the fruit of the Holy Spirit begins growing in us, it becomes noticeable to everyone around us.