Richard Ellis Talks

God has designed in each person, unique gifting, talent, skills, and passions to accomplish His work in the world. When we discover what it is that we're passionate about, we can use that passion to help grow the Kingdom of God!

The simple message of the Gospel: I was once lost, but now I'm found, because of God's great love and grace shown to me through His son Jesus. Telling others about how Christ has redeemed us is important, but living an authentic and transparent life is the strongest form of evangelism!

Prayer isn't about running down our daily wish list to the "big Santa in the sky"! Prayer is our direct communication channel to the God of the universe. And the communication is meant to flow in both directions. As we grow in our relationship with Him, He begins to put things on our hearts to ask for, that are according to His will, and we see Him provide those things over and over!

Putting aside the influences that we may have been raised around when it comes to people who are different than us, Jesus unites us together and asks us to love one another. God’s family doesn't differentiate by race, economics, social standings, or anything else that our culture uses to distinguish people. We're ALL invited into salvation, because we're ALL equally loved by Him, and we can equally love Him, and equally love each other.

Richard Ellis puts it this way in today's Talk: We ALL make mistakes and stumble in our spiritual walk. But it's what happens afterwards in our response, as we accept and embrace our loving Father's discipline, that the power of grace and growth is most visible.

Salvation is a FREE GIFT from God, there's not one thing that we can do to earn it! However, once we receive that gift of God's grace, which places our names in the Book of Life, there are various "DNA tests" that can reflect that we're Christ followers, showing others that He lives in us and He's given us hope.

Walking "by faith and not by sight" is most vitally important when it comes to life's battles, struggles, trials, challenges. Those times when, on the surface, it seems like that battle's too big for us to fight. That's because, well, it is. We're not meant to fight alone. God promises to stand before us and fight the battle for us, if we just step out in faith and trust.

It's too simplistic and spiritually immature to presume that "God's protection" means that nothing bad will happen. That's just not the case. However, we can rest in the truth that He knows every detail of our lives, and cares for us as a Father cares for His children! So be assured that He's aware of our every need, and knows us intimately.

Sin is sin. It only takes one small sin to separate us from God for eternity. That's why He sent Jesus, to be the once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sins! We've ALL sinned, and fallen short of God's glory. So how dare we judge others against their sin! Let's be the first in line to LOVE the sinner, and let God take care of the sin.