When you’re in the middle of a torrential rain in the midst of the ocean, you’re more than happy to be thrown a life-preserver. You’re going to hold on to that as if it were life or death. So what about when it comes to Jesus being your lifesaver? Pastor Bill teaches today on how you should want to cling to Jesus because your choice about Him really is a matter of life or death. Hold on to what He says, who He is, and what He’s promised and you’ll reach the shore safely, able to live fully and completely.

Why is it so inspiring when there’s a story about someone overcoming odds and rising above their circumstances? It’s not because the person wallows in the unfortunate hand they were given. It’s because despite the hardships, a person can have the resolve within them to push through and even conquer those extremely difficult situations. The person becomes a hero and everyone around them can champion their cause. Today, Pastor Bill gives a direct message about the real reason Jesus came.

As a child, your brother stole your toy and then broke it. As a teenager, your best friend pursued the one guy you were interested in and ended up dating him. Now you’re an adult and you’ve been deeply wronged by someone you work with, betrayed by someone you had given your trust to. So should you harbor all these wrongdoings and hold them against those people for life? Today, Pastor Bill explains how Jesus had another way. He chose forgiveness and so should you!

Have you ever had a chore that you got volunteered for and didn’t really want to do it? But then as you start the work, it becomes less undesirable because you see the benefit of it as you put the work into it. Well today, Pastor Bill expresses the value of entering into something, even if it wasn’t your idea in the first place. God has a way of bringing people to a point that allows them to have a chance at salvation, even if they’re not looking for it. So what’s the level of your willingness today?

Jesus underwent pain and anguish that we simply can’t fathom. Even before the nails pierced His hands and feet and He was raised on that cross, as He knelt in the garden, praying for the cup to pass if possible, He had our sin laid on Him and His Father turned away. That means your sin and mine, as well as that of every human who’s lived and will live. As Pastor Bill will remind us in today’s message, Jesus did that for you. He exchanged Himself so that you could be free and be with Him eternally.

It’s sad the way the world can put the Church to shame at times. As Pastor Bill will point out in today’s message, if Herod and Pilate, wicked men who held each other in contempt previously, could stand united in their hatred, why can’t we stand together in the love of Christ? This love is so much more powerful than the hatred and evil that unites those that oppose Christ. If you find yourself allowing small disagreements to come between you and your fellow believers, your focus is in the wrong place.

Today, Pastor Bill teaches over the scripture regarding Jesus’ betrayal. Judas brought a crowd with him in the middle of the night and Jesus went willingly. He knew His time to save the world had come. However, some of His followers weren’t so keen to let their Savior go quietly. Peter, in particular, wanted to go down fighting. One minute he’s unsheathing his sword, and a few hours later, he’d deny Jesus three times. Jesus’ care and love for His followers is evident in his reaction to Peter’s denial.

God encourages us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all people. He desires that we have friendships with nonbelievers. He wants us to be in the company of people who need Jesus. But not to the detriment of our own relationship with Him. In today’s message, Pastor Bill asks about how you spend your time? Who you’re with? What do you post? What do your conversations sound like? You can’t always be bombarded with temptation and then expect to make it through life on the narrow path.

God sees all, knows all, and oversees all things. The enemy isn’t allowed to mess with one hair on your head without permission from God first. In the Bible, we read accounts of both Job and Peter being sifted by the Devil. We may never know exactly why God allows such things, but also, we need to trust that He has a master plan that is bigger than you and me. In today’s message, Pastor Bill also reminds us that Jesus prayers for us. What a gift that the Father and Son of the universe love and care for each of us!

If you fail a test, does that mean that you’re a failure altogether? No, it just means that you slipped up in a way that you didn’t fully understand the material or you misunderstood the content of what the test was about. But you as a person are most definitely not a failure. In today’s teaching, Pastor Bill provides Peter as an example of someone who made some mistakes. But Peter also goes on to be an important leader in the early church. That should give you hope that you can rise above the fall.