Richard Ellis Talks

We all need encouragement. So why are we so reluctant to give it away? When we have an opportunity to build someone up, let's take it as a chance to encourage them and not worry that it'll give them a big ego. And when it comes to giving praises, let's start by praising our God for all He's done for us!

In order to "run the race" that Scripture talks about, we have to find our strength and source in Jesus. And before we can do that, we have to allow ourselves to receive God's free gift of grace. When we keep our eyes on Him and allow ourselves to be used for His glory, He equips us to run not just any race, but a winning race.

Scripture tells us that no matter how "good" a person thinks they are, we're each lost and adrift in this world. Regardless of our status or title in life, we're all shipwrecked and in need of a Savior. And while we're on this "island" of a temporary home called earth, we should be using our time to share the Good News so others can find rescue, too.

Men tend to find their value in their work -- and when they lose a job, they often lose their sense of value along with it. But when a man finds his identity in Christ, He can rest in the Lord's will for his life knowing God will take care of him no matter his work. Instead of trusting in earthly positions, let's put our trust in the Father who promises to sustain and carry us.

The Proverbs 31 woman is the kind of woman who works hard at the tasks God's given her -- but that can look like a lot of different things, depending on the season! When we become parents, it's important for us to learn to work around our kids, not make our kids work around our jobs. And if the Lord is laying on our hearts to stay home with our kids when they're little, it's equally important for us to obey His prompting because it's a season of life we'll never get back.

The workplace is a prime location for relationships to start innocently, only to ultimately lead down a path of ungodly behavior. And when we're married, it's not only to the detriment of ourselves, but also to our spouses. Instead of "playing with fire", we're called to live up to a standard of integrity with everyone we encounter -- including our colleagues.

God's placed us at our jobs for His purpose, not our own. And in those workplaces, we're to be reflections of Him to those with whom we work. Instead of gossiping about others, or chasing after our own gains, let's be diligent in our responsibilities and remember that ultimately, we're working for the Lord.

When we step into a saving relationship with Jesus, we simultaneously step into an "all-access pass" to every blessing, every power, and every piece of knowledge we need to live a God-honoring life. But to actually take advantage of this access, we have to be consistently growing in our walk with God, and one of the best ways to do that is through discipleship with other believers.

When we continue to entertain thoughts of sin, we're living in disobedience to God and we'll inevitably suffer the consequences. But Jesus didn't die for us to stay captive to sin -- He gave His life so we could be set free. What happens when we surrender to Him and live in the freedom that He offers?

Scripture tells us how the Apostle Peter learned what it meant to love and accept all people -- even those society viewed as "unclean". In the same way, we have to learn to look at others through God's eyes. Sometimes it makes us uncomfortable, but we've got to be willing to say "yes" when He calls us to reach out to other people, because they might be depending on us to lead them to Christ.