Richard Ellis Talks

When it comes to reaching the world with the Good News of salvation, the most harmful thing we can say is...nothing at all. We need to be on "stand by" mode so that when an opportunity presents itself for us to speak up and share our faith, we'll be ready to step in. God wants to use us to expand His Kingdom -- let's always be prepared to given a reason for the hope people see in our lives!

When Jesus comes into our hearts, the change in us should be so apparent that the rest of the world stops and takes notice! He made us to be the light in dark places, and to bring taste to a spiritually tasteless world. The way we live our lives is a reflection of His workmanship.

When we hit the "F5" button on most keyboards, it refreshes our screen. But did you know that God wants us to hit the "F5" button in our spiritual lives, too? God designed us for a pattern of work and of rest, but unless that rest is found in Him, sooner or later, we're going to burn out. But when we follow Him, the "work" we do for Him doesn't even feel like work -- it feels like refreshment for our souls!

God doesn't tell us that we might be tempted in this life -- He guarantees that we will be tempted in this life! Temptation's inevitable in a broken world, and many of us find ourselves tempted by the same things over and over and over again. The good news? God promises that He'll always give us a way out and an "exit sign" to escape temptation, if we're just willing to obey and follow Him!

What scares you about the future? It's easy to be afraid of the unknown, but our God knows the future and nothing takes Him by surprise! When we trust that God holds the future and He's always in control, He'll lead us according to His will.

We don't sin in a vacuum. Whether we do the right thing or the wrong thing, other people are always impacted by our choices. When Jonah resisted the instructions God gave him, so many other people were affected by his disobedience -- and in the same way, when we disobey God, other people suffer the consequences of our sin.

 

We're born into a world of sin, a world in which we feel naked and ashamed. When Jesus paid the ultimate price by dying for us, He hung on the cross naked and exposed, and He took on not only our sin, but also our shame. He gave Himself for us so that when we come to Him, butt naked and in need, He can cover us with His sacrifice.

Jesus prayed that His Church would be united together as one Body because He knew that we could do so much more for God's Kingdom together than we could alone. The devil will always do his best to stop the Body of Christ from fulfilling God's work by seeking to drive us apart, but when we're "whole in one" and there's unity, no power of hell can stop what's being accomplished!

Scripture mandates that a man must leave his family in order to be joined to his wife. But what do you do when you have a parent who won't let go? The Bible clearly instructs mothers and fathers to not only train their children when they're young, but to let them leave when they're grown. As adults, we can make a distinction between obeying our parents and honoring them -- and doing the latter in a way that also honors God!

Do you ever find yourself "wrestling" with the Lord? We often get in our own way when it comes to obeying what God's calling us to do. But He's looking for us to surrender to His will, and in order to surrender, we've first got to say "uncle" before we can call Him "Father"!