What we’re tuned into, becomes what we are turned into.  And according to Pastor Ford, if we keep inundating our minds with the mess that the world provides as entertainment, that’s how we’re going to program our minds to think.  We’re going to disregard the mind of Christ and we’ll instead be utilizing the mind of the world. 

If you’re committed to God, then you’ll be committed to His word.  If you’re committed to His word, you will walk in His ways.  If you walk in His ways, then you’ll avoid those people who refuse to walk in His ways and obey His word.  Learn more as we begin a new study in Psalm 1.

Pastor Ford describes how one critical person can stop the progress of an entire congregation.  He’ll explain more about how to determine the truth within a criticism and how to avoid unnecessary ministry hindrances.

As we continue this study from Luke 16, Pastor Ford will identify some of the characteristics of hell.  He’ll explain that souls will still have consciousness there.  And he believes that every opportunity a person has had to receive the good news of Jesus Christ, is going to be playing over and over again in the computer of their minds for all of eternity.  Can you imagine what kind of agony that will be?

There are some who would say that they’re going through hell right now.  But what they don’t realize is that hell is a real place and no matter how bad things are for them now, it’s not as bad as it’s going to be, if they don’t have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  Because if someone is on their way to hell, they need to realize that this is as good as it’s ever going to get for them. This is their heaven right now.

Our praise should not be to impress God or others, but to express our love for God alone.  As we continue to look at Psalm 34, we’ll see that the degree of our gratitude should equal the degree of the glory that we give to God.  It’s not about us, it’s all about Him!

Have you come to the place where everybody knows that you are not ashamed to praise the Lord?  To lift Him up, anywhere, anytime?  For any reason at all, in front of anybody?  In other words, have you gone public with your praise?

Isn’t it amazing that people who generally don’t get along, can find a way to do it when it comes to not getting along with you?  Isn’t it amazing how folk that don’t like each other, can find a common ground when it’s time to come against you?  Just a few of the observations that Pastor Ford makes today as we continue our study about criticism from Nehemiah.

Pastor Ford points out that when we are being criticized, we need to not retaliate and just ride it out.  Because if the criticism is untrue, then our lifestyle will prove to other people that it’s not true.

When we encounter criticism, we can use it t help evaluate whether our focus is on God or whether it’s on ourselves.  So, when we get criticized, if God gave us whatever we’re doing, then we should ask ourselves why are we offended that somebody is criticizing what God told us to do?