Richard Ellis Talks

How often do we get bogged down and overwhelmed by the things this world throws at us, instead of focusing on what we're here to do? Jesus gave us a job before He left: to take the Gospel to the entire planet. We need to live in the mindset that He can use us to take the world for the Gospel's sake, and when we trust Him to accomplish that goal through us, there's nothing that we can't do.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our faith becomes a reflection of Him to the people around us. That's why it's critical that we find a local church where we can plug in. God wants to use us to serve in ways that only we can, knowing that He'll use whatever is in our past to touch someone else's life.

God invites us to ask Him for anything, and He promises that He'll give us whatever we ask -- according to His will. Like a child asks their parents, He wants us to come to Him in relationship and ask Him. As a loving Father, He knows everything we want and need, but He'll only give us what He knows is best for us.

We're all being used by somebody. The question is, are we being used by God or the devil? It's our choice to obey what God is calling us to do, no matter how dirty our hands get in the process.

When Jesus rose from the dead, even His own disciples -- those in His inner circle -- doubted Him and raised questions. God's big enough to take on our doubt, but we also have to be ready to put our faith in the truth that He reveals to us. Jesus is alive and He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us; Hallelujah and Amen!

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the pivotal moment through which all who choose to follow Him now have a way of escape from judgment, sin, and eternal separation from God. And with the resurrection came numerous sightings of the risen Jesus, and numerous attempts to discredit the fact that He rose again. Plots by the enemy to attack those who believe that He came back from the grave happened then, and they continue to happen to us today; thankfully, God provides us with a way of escape.

So many tried to stop Jesus. From his birth to His earthly ministry, on every side from the most unexpected places. Yet, no force could. As His followers we must know that His message is still under attack.

When Jesus was crucified, His last words impacted not only those who were around Him that day -- the thief hanging on the cross next to Him; His brother, whom He told to take care of His mother; and the witnesses of the crucifixion as He proclaimed that "it is finished" -- but they also impact us today. His death was the full payment, once and for all, for our sins, and in finishing what He started, we now get to live in freedom and look forward to an eternity spent with Him.

When Jesus died on the cross, He took all of our sin -- past, present, and future -- and nailed it to the cross along with Himself. It's on us to accept the fact that He paid our debt in full, and then move forward in the freedom that can only come from living in God's forgiveness.

It wasn't enough for Jesus to die for our sins - He also had to conquer death. He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us when He was crucified, but it was in His resurrection that He overcame death and now offers us eternal life. All we have to do is accept His forgiveness and surrender our lives to Him.