Richard Ellis Talks

Satan has only one goal when he tempts you and me into sin: to steal, kill, and destroy our lives. He lures us in with promises that the ways of the world will be fun and fulfilling, but it's all smoke and mirrors. The only way to an abundant and fulfilled life is by submitting to God -- hating what's evil, and clinging to what's good.

We can have good things in our lives, but unless they're also God things, they can come between us and Him. Sin struggles, distractions, or even innocent pleasures can be barriers to the life of freedom God has in store for us. It's important to examine our day-to-day living and identify whether we need to do teardown in some areas that are keeping us separated from Him.

Have you ever been in a situation where you've felt prompted by God to obey Him...and you've felt your neck stiffen because you just don't want to do it? Those are the instances where we need to ask Him to soften us the most! He's going to call us to action in ways that make us uncomfortable, because He has a purpose beyond what we can see, and often it's not only for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the people around us.

The Christian life is meant to be lived out in community. Those who are more spiritually mature serve as examples to us when they follow Christ and we imitate them. Likewise, there are others who come behind us who can follow us as we grow in our own maturity.

The more we come to understand the magnitude of our sin, the more we're able to appreciate the magnitude of the forgiveness God extends to us. He's made a choice to forgive and pardon us. We've received unmerited grace through Christ's death on the cross, a sacrifice that paid the price for all our sin.

Religion says that we have to follow manmade rules in order to earn God's love for us. But the Bible assures us that we already have His love. Salvation is a free gift, unmerited and unearned, and once we accept it, we can begin to respond to His love by letting Him live in and through us.

Throughout Scripture, God teaches us to pray with persistence. The words we use, big or small, are far less important than the heart behind them -- and whether or not He answers the way we want Him to, He'll transform our hearts through the very process of prayer.

God created the entire universe, and expanded it far beyond anything we have yet to discover. He created humanity. He knows all things -- past, present, and future. The idea that we could impress Him with anything we say or do is laughable in comparison. He sent His only Son to cover our sin so that our lives could bring Him glory, not through our own doing, but through His.

Life wasn't meant to be lived in solitude or isolation -- and the same is true for the body of Christ. When we choose to follow Jesus, we become part of God's family. Scripture teaches us the importance of not neglecting to meet together, but it also teaches us the importance of loving one another the way God first loved us.

The more we try to be in control of our own lives, the more out of control our lives will become. The more we can learn to trust that God is ultimately in control, the less we'll stop fighting to take over. No matter what comes our way, He's faithful to love us and to meet every need.