The Implanted Word Podcast

It's easy to put Jesus in a box. It's easy to package Him up into whatever you want Him to be and miss who He really is. Jesus did and still does miracles. He does solve some of our physical, earthly problems for us. But that's not His main goal and it's not a sign of your salvation. Pastor Bill reminds you today that Jesus came to be your Savior. You may have a laundry list of things you want Jesus to fix, but His main goal is to fix only one thing in your life: your sin. He came to save you from your own sin.

Nothing is a coincidence with God. Centuries before Jesus came, the temple was built. The gate that the sacrificial sheep came through was aptly named the Sheep Gate. But now, Jesus would walk through that very gate to perform a pivotal miracle in His ministry. Pastor Bill teaches us today that Jesus was The Lamb. All the other thousands of lambs that walked through the gate were only a foreshadowing pointing to Jesus. And now He was here, in the flesh. But would He be recognized as the Lamb of God?

If you wake up in the morning with a throbbing headache, you'll probably not notice your back pain as much. And if you stub your toe getting out of bed, you'll forget you had a headache for a moment. Pain has a way of shifting our focus. Sometimes in life, the physical pain and suffering we endure can shift our focus away from the real source of pain: sin. We suddenly think that sin is not our most important problem for Jesus to fix. But as Pastor Bill shows you today, Jesus came to fix the problem of sin.

Everyone loves the idea of a genie in a bottle. Wouldn't you want someone at your beck and call who could fulfill your every desire? Life would seem so easy! Problems would evade immediately. But genies don't actually exist. Today Pastor Bill warns you to not turn Jesus into your genie. Jesus' main goal isn't to solve your physical problems. He's not interested in just giving you an easy life. He came to be the Savior of the world. He came to solve the problem of sin and give you eternal life.

It’s obvious that no one is perfect. Even the people that seem like they’re doing everything right and have it all together truly don’t. In today’s message, Pastor Bill wants you to know that if you want to change your ways and leave your mistakes behind, give your life to God and be set free. He doesn’t care about anything that you’ve done or will do, He just wants you to dwell with Him in His kingdom. Accept God’s free gift of grace and be changed from the inside out.

As Christians, we’ve always gone to church on Sundays, but why is that? Today, Pastor Bill explains that church is traditionally on Sunday because that is the first day of the week, the same day that Jesus rose again. You need to treat this day and your time with His fellow believers as a fresh renewal of your spirit as you go out into the world in His name. Never forget the sacrifice that Jesus did for you on the cross. None of us deserve it and we need to be shouting the good news for all to hear.

In your walk with Christ, do you ever use times of despair as a tool to make everything about you? It’s easy in difficult times to move God away from the center, but does it ever work for your good? In today’s message, Pastor Bill wants you to know that God is calling you to move past your desire to feel earthly love and give it all to Him. It feels so good to receive praise and encouragement from others, but it’s all for nothing if we don’t give the glory to the person who deserves it—Jesus.

In your walk with Christ, does it ever feel like you’re just going through the motions? Does your connection to Him ever feel faint because you don’t have that same spark you once had? In today’s message, Pastor Bill wants you to know that the only way to stay in close communion with Christ is by keeping Jesus at the center of it all. It’s good to read the Bible and pray, but if you leave Jesus out of it, you’ll never feel the connection that He wants to have with you.

Do you know what's silly? When we ask God for help or advice, and then ignore what He says. I don't know about you, but when I go back to my way of doing things or how I think, I get nowhere. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the way. He shows us the way. He came and died so that we could have a relationship with Him. Do you believe it? This is what will bring joy that LASTS. Hearing the voice of Jesus and embracing what He has for you. Now that's a full, blessed life! This is the message from Pastor Bill.

It's the only thing that matters. Jesus. The real deal. The giver of every good thing, like JOY. You can be happy, but how long will it last? It's like eating a whole bunch of sweets and then feeling sick later. Great in the beginning and then it just wears off, leaving you feeling uncomfortable. Genuine satisfaction can only come from God. BUT. What happens if you don't have a relationship with Him? Then you can't hear Him tell you exactly what would bring YOU joy. And that you're loved! This is Pastor Bill's message today.