The Open Word (Audio)

Do your actions show a consideration for the body of Christ, or do they show only a consideration for yourself? Pastor David teaches you today that you're called to contribute to the body. This means that you need to be aware that your journey with Christ is not just about you and Jesus, but also about you contributing to His Kingdom. Through being open to His Will and consistently trying to be more like Him you'll find yourself serving and placing others before yourself.

Christianity is not a fad that you can move in and out of. It is a commitment to seek and place Jesus as the center of your life. Pastor David teaches you today that being Godly when it suits your desires will not be enough for Jesus. You must be born again and dedicated to pursuing the life which He desires for you. This means placing Him above yourself, pushing back against the sins you struggle with, and seeking out His Word even if it's inconvenient. It means dying to yourself so that you can live for Him.

Strive to place the love of Jesus at the center of your being. When you get it there you'll then have the ultimate truth of the universe inside of you. Pastor David challenges you to fully grasp the great love that Jesus holds for you and to place that love at the root of all that you do. Once you have accomplished this you'll find that that love will spill out and bless those around you. To do this commit yourself to consistent prayer and study of God's Word. Place your faith in Him and serve His Will regularly.

To have Jesus as your savior you only need to acknowledge Him and invite Him into your heart. You don't have to make things right or try to become a better person you only need to say yes to Jesus. Pastor David teaches you today that salvation does not come through deeds or law, but instead it comes through acceptance of the savior. If you've been holding back from the Lord due to a fear that you're not good enough, know that Jesus gave His life so that you don't have to.

Pastor David teaches you today that God will place you in uncomfortable situations to move His Will forward. From this you learn that a life of Christianity does not guarantee an easy life. In fact it may assure the opposite. Know that when you commit to serving the Lord that you'll sometimes pushed to a breaking point. Serve God faithfully knowing that if He breaks you He'll rebuild you. Through serving the Kingdom you'll find your true purpose and help others find their purposes too.

The Saducees began to realize that Jesus had had a phenomenal impact on Peter and John. They knew that the two men were simple fishermen and as such they where marveled by the wisdom that they found in them. Pastor David asks today whether others are marveled by the Jesus they see in you. Have you allowed Him to influence your life so much that others will see in you His goodness? If not now is the time to begin seeking that level. Commit to Him and His Word so that one day others will see Him in you.

There will always be those who will not want to hear about Jesus. They'll do all that they can to silence you. Pastor David teaches you today that despite the Sadducees desire to silence Peter and John, Peter and John continued to declare loudly that salvation is found through Christ. From this you learn that you are never to stop proclaiming Jesus as your savior even if it costs you your freedom. Know that Jesus will always be with you. Place Him as the guide for all your words and actions.

In today's message, Pastor David will share with you the story of Jesus serving His disciples. This story reveals that even those high in authority should be serving those below them. There should be no hierarchy in serving in a church. In a church, it shouldn't be that the congregation only serves their Pastor and church staff, but that their Pastor and church staff should serve them also. Then from there, all can work together for the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Pastor David will also remind you that serving as a church community is the responsibility of the church.

As Pastor David will share with you today the famed “Sermon on the Mount”. This was a sermon preached by Jesus to His disciples. The sermon was meant to encourage the disciples as Jesus knew that the time after His death would be difficult for them. Pastor David will also share with you some common conflicts that some have with this account. As you'll see, though, Jesus sermon was powerful and it doesn't matter where it was shared!

In today's message, Pastor David will give you a bird's eye view of the entirety of the Gospels. As you'll see throughout these books, each of the writers have a very specific view on the events of Jesus' life. Some recalled the events on a more detail-oriented basis, whereas some were seemingly in awe and were only able to record the base facts. Pastor David will also share with you that if every single act of Jesus' ministry was recorded on paper, not even the whole world could contain the number of books!