Did you ever need a tutor in school? Once they did their job to help you understand the subject at hand, the tutor was no longer necessary. Today, Pastor Bill reminds us that the law of the old testament is much like a tutor; it tries to teach and restrain us and help us understand God’s heart. It wasn’t pointless, it was meant to lead you to Christ. Once you’re in Jesus, you have no more need for the law because you’re free in Him! Don’t keep going back to the tutor when you already know how to read.

If all you knew was a house that was stocked with everything you need, would you even dream of a place other than that house? Pastor Bill talks to us today about why there was a need for God’s law in the old testament. The law imprisoned everyone who’d ever sinned and since they didn’t know what it meant to be without sin, they didn’t even realize they were caged. Christ came to live a perfect life and be the perfect sacrifice so that, if you make the choice to believe in Him, you can truly be set free!

We’re all subject to the law of the land we live in. Today, Pastor Bill talks about the law of the old testament and why it was necessary in our coming to Christ. When you see a list of all the things you can’t do and then realize you do a lot of those things on a daily basis…it’s disheartening. The law was set into place in order to reign people in and keep them civilized as well as to show people how it imprisoned them. If you never know that you’re caged, you’ll never realize how badly you need freedom.

What do you think you deserve? Love? Kindness from others? Patience? Are these qualities what you represent, as well as what you expect? Pastor Bill reminds us today that, there’s nothing – outside of faith – that we can do in order to get into Heaven. Your salvation has never been based off your works or what you deserve but rather, the overwhelming love that God has for you. You can’t add to it subtract from it; it’s perfect in all it's ways and there is nothing you could do to make it better than that.

Isn’t it true, that when you’ve wronged someone and they treat you with kindness in return, you feel guilty? You feel the need to go out of your way to pay it back. Today, Pastor Bill talks about how our actions can never make us worthy of God. You had nothing to do with your own salvation, outside of believing the gospel; Christ did everything. But instead of feeling guilty since you don’t deserve it, you change your ways out of gratitude for what’s He’s done. Your faith is all that’s required to receive His grace.

Many people think that if you’re a Christian, your life will be sweet and nothing but good things will happen. Pastor Bill reminds us today how untrue that is. Jesus warned His disciples that their lives would be full of tribulations. When you live for Christ, you’re going to go through trials for His sake. You may be fighting lots of battles, but Jesus has overcome the world; the war’s been won. So even though life can wear you down, the end is in sight because you know your savior has conquered death.

A lot of times Christians are looked at as being foolish; kind of dumb. And do you know that’s actually biblical? Pastor Bill reminds us today that God uses people who are less than great so that His greatness will shine through and not be mistaken as human accomplishments. Your actions and your words have more effect than you might think; don’t think you have no purpose. Take a page out of Paul’s book and boast in your weakness, because when you’re weak, God’s strength can work through you.

Human beings are such visual creatures; some of us need to see to learn and some of us need to see to believe. Today, Pastor Bill reminds us that faith is believing when you cannot see, and blessed are they who believe. You don’t need a visual represent-tation to know the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. You don’t need to see the hurt in his heart when people tortured and mocked Him to know it was there. The message of the gospel is for everyone, but not everyone will believe when they haven’t seen.

We tend to throw the word “love” around a lot. We use it to express our feelings for others as well as places or things or food… but it seems we’ve lost the true meaning. Today, Pastor Bill talks about the epitome of love, which is sacrificing all, in order that you might save another. Now imagine that the person you’re saving is immoral and even quite evil; would you still do it? God did. Though He knew there would be millions who’d turn their back on Him, He sent His son in order that they might be saved.

Do you ever feel like, if everyone acted like you, things would be better? Sometimes we think that we’ve got it all figured out and everyone else is in the wrong. That’s half right; GOD’s got it all figured out and WE ALL are in the wrong. Pastor Bill reminds us today how there’s nothing we can do to get into Heaven. None of your actions qualify you to live eternally with God. And what good news! Because if it were up to us, we would simply fail over and over again. But it’s not about what you do, it’s about what HE’S DONE.