Richard Ellis Talks

The Bible tells us that God will provide us with a way of escape from every temptation we face. But have you ever noticed that it's easier to take Him up on that "exit route" for some sins than it is for others? We've all got our weaknesses, and if we're not careful we can find ourselves getting discouraged about our struggles instead of celebrating the Lord's triumphs in our lives. Through Him and Him alone, we've been made victors over sin.

Scripture's filled with stories of ordinary people who stepped out in faith to God -- no matter how crazy it seemed. As we mature in our relationship with Him, we cease to act childish and learn to obey Him in big ways and small. Sometimes He calls us to listen in ways we don't necessarily understand. The question is: are we ready and willing to obey?

As we resolve to follow Jesus, we enter into a relationship with Him that's based on trust -- trust that allows Him to do His will, in our lives, in His time, and by His means. Sometimes, that means we endure long seasons of loss and heartache, filled with questions, impatience, and many tears. But in the end, though there's pain in the darkness of night, He promises us joy in the morning.

How often have you found yourself seeking everything this world has to offer -- instead of seeking God Himself? We chase money, power, material possessions, in an attempt to feel like we've "arrived". But the only destination that's worthwhile arriving to is an eternity spent face-to-face with the Lord, and no alternative will ever be able to satisfy the way only Jesus can.

 

God designed marriage to be the most intimate relationship on earth: full of oneness and intimacy. But when sin becomes involved in marriage, as with any other aspect of life, it brings shame and disconnection with it. Scripture instructs us how we're to love our spouse, and in God's design we have marriage the way it was intended to be, but none of it works without the Lord at the center of it all.

The more we know God, the more we should fear God. But it's not an unhealthy fear -- it's the kind of fear that's accompanied by a certain awe and respect that only the Creator of the universe deserves. When we choose to be irreverent towards Him, or to disobey Him, it only ends up costing us in the end.

We all start off "over our heads" buried in sin. But God made a way through Jesus Christ to take it from us, while still leaving some of the residual consequences for us to learn from our mistakes. The more we dive headfirst into Scripture -- and apply the things we read on a daily basis -- the more God's Spirit works within us and changes us for His glory.

Scripture tells us that when we abide in God, He not only lives in us -- He also lives through us. We can do nothing to bring Him glory apart from Him. When we remain in the Lord, the fruit of the Spirit flows out of us naturally -- and He's able to continually prune us to produce more fruit.

Do you ever feel alone? Ironically, if you do...you're not alone in your feelings. That's why God designed the Church to be a community -- a place where everybody works together to accomplish His plan. In the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, we read that God's people came together to rebuild a city in just 52 days. God wants His Church to work together in such a way that the end result highlights our dependence on one another, and more importantly, our dependence on Him.

We tend to have a hard time accepting God's love -- and His forgiveness for our sins -- when the devil continues to remind us of who we once were. When we come to terms with Christ's sacrifice for us, and recognize that His work on the cross was fully sufficient to cover our sins, we're then held to a higher standard. We have the responsibility and the privilege to extend the same forgiveness and mercy to other people that was first given to us.