Ridgepoint Sermon Audio

In this final message of the "Words Matter" series, Pastor Brent reminds us of the importance of backing up our words with genuine action. We shouldn't be hypocrites who merely pay lip service to God (and others); we need to walk the narrow road and ensure our words match our deeds.

Jesus gave us the Golden Rule as a starting point for relating to others. We'd all love encouragement from others, so we might as well decide to be as kind and encouraging as possible. As we continue our Words Matter series, we'll be reminded of the opportunity to be kind and encouraging.

When those around us sin or hurt us, should we confront them? There seems to be biblical support for confronting AND not confronting... so what should we do? Generally, wise people confront with love, honor, and humility--and they're also open to correction themselves.

We all get angry. Jesus did too. There's a difference between righteous anger about injustice and inappropriate anger about trivial matters. Good anger leads to constructive action, while bad anger only hurts others. How can we distinguish between the two, and how can we increase our self-control to handle anger the way Jesus taught?

No one can fully tame the tongue, but Jesus warns that one day we'll give an account for every careless word we speak. We can still stand confidently in God's grace, but we must learn to surrender our tongues daily with the help of the Holy Spirit.

We all experience stress, tension, and difficult relationships. In those moments, what we choose to do with our words really matters. How can we learn to "tame our tongues" and control our speech? What does it look like to aim for "relational ties"? Pastor Joe dives into this and more as we explore spiritual maturity and relational health.

What happens when we die? Are heaven and hell real, and what are they like? Belief in any kind of afterlife requires faith, but Pastor Brent outlines several sections of Scripture that explain what we can expect. We're left with many difficult questions, but this we know: Heaven will be a wonderful place where we experience and worship God fully.

What is morality, and who sets the rules? There are only two options--either people or God. If God is who He says He is, then He is the logical and correct source for moral truth.

This week, Pastor Brent unpacks the Christian perspective on our purpose in life. Are you living for your own self-determined purposes, or God's? How you can you discern God's "general will" versus His specific plans for you? Watch or listen this week as Brent encourages us to keep a soft heart and open ears to discern and follow God's will.

Who are we as humans? What is our identity? Where does it come from, and why does it matter? Pastor Brent unpacks Mark 1 to give us helpful context and answers to these foundational questions.