Richard Ellis Talks

Though this world is filled with evil, God's given us the ability to overcome it through the power and protection of His Holy Spirit. He's chosen to dwell in us so that we may become more like Him and able to fight against darkness. And once the Spirit lives within us, there's nothing that can ever separate us from Him!

Even Christians who have seen the Light sometimes still choose to live in the dark. When we hide with our sin, we become prisoners of war. But God calls us to expose our sinful ways and walk in truth, embracing the abundant life He offers to us.

When Jesus died to save us from the power of sin, He replaced it with the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. We should live with confidence, not fear, knowing that whatever temptations and trials we face can be overcome through that same power.

As believers in the salvation power of Jesus Christ, we know this world is only a "terminal", a waiting room en route to our permanent destination of Heaven. But while we're here in transit, God's got a purpose for us to fulfill, and it's up to us to live out that purpose while we wait for Him to bring us home.

When our relationship with the Lord is where it's supposed to be, our relationships with other people tend to flourish, too. And the greatest friend we can ever have is Jesus! Through Him, even the most broken relationships can be reconciled if we allow Him to intervene and heal those past and present hurts.

God has the power to raise people from the dead -- He did that through Jesus, and He does that in us when we believe in Him. Christ died so we could live. But He didn't just sacrifice Himself to give us an abundant life in Heaven -- He did it to give us an abundant life here on earth, too.

We're our own worst critics, and when we mess up, if we're not careful, we can spend the rest of our lives wallowing in the mess and just surviving until our time on earth is done. But our purpose in this life is to live for Christ - not to merely exist, or to use this as a waiting room for heaven. God's given us a calling through His Son to be in relationship with Him and to make the most of this time to bring glory to Him.

Our life's purpose isn't to gain glory for ourselves -- it's to bring glory to the God of the universe by spreading the Gospel far and wide. And the best way we can do that is by allowing Him to use us as a "slingshot" for other believers who are looking to us to lead them forward. When we disciple those who are following behind us, we equip them to disciple those following behind them.

The devil will always try his hardest to get us to stumble when we're obeying the Lord. And that's never more true than in our relationships. When we're married, it's critical that we remain content in our own bed, and that we have people around us to hold us accountable. God is clear about the importance of staying sexually pure within marriage, but He is also gracious to forgive and redeem our mistakes.

God sacrificed His Son to save us. That doesn't mean we should just grab our ticket to heaven and waste our time here. He desires to use our lives for His glory, to pour us out as an offering and to let us become part of His Kingdom's work.