True North

As Pastor Gary speaks today about God’s desire to save entire families, he notes that there are often people we care about who don’t know Christ. We desperately want these people to come to faith, and it hurts us to see them walking in sin. But we can take hope knowing that God cares deeply about these people too. And His grace is sufficient to save them. It may take a long time before they turn to Jesus, but redemption is certainly possible! We shouldn’t give up on praying for them, even when it’s difficult.

Today, Pastor Gary explains that God is interested in saving entire households – He wants to see whole families come to faith. But that doesn’t mean that we can rely on a family member’s faith to save us. Putting our trust in Jesus and choosing to follow Him is an individual choice that we all have to make. Some people think that having Christian parents automatically makes them Christians. But this is not biblical; saving faith is not hereditary, it’s a personal commitment.

Do you ever feel isolated in your faith? Do you feel like those around you care more about the things of this world, than they do about the things of God? That sure can be a tough place to be. Be encouraged by today's message as Pastor Gary reminds us that our faith is not in religion, but it's in Jesus Christ! If we're standing on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, all the wind and the waves of this world can never knock us down. When all else fails, Jesus will always be there to lead us through, as we follow Him.

If you look on the internet, you'll see that there are a whole lot of pretenders out there. People that know how to make their life look like something it's not. They post the right pictures and say the right things, but the truth is that these things couldn't be further from the reality of their lives. In Today's Message, Pastor Gary Teaches us, that just because you go to church, know the right people, and say the right things, it doesn't make you a Christian. To be a Christian, you must follow Jesus Christ!

Do you know that flying from Los Angeles California to Hawaiian is about a 2400-mile flight? And did you know that if the coordinates are off by just one degree, by the time you've flown 2400 miles, you will be so far off course, that the Hawaiian islands will be nowhere to be seen? Pastor Gary reminds us in today's message, that as Christians, we need to constantly be aligning our lives with the truth of God's word. We need to make sure in His word that we're on track with what He want's for us.

Are you prone to procrastination? You'll “do it tomorrow.” or “when you get around to it.” You know, you're looking for that goldilocks opportunity, but things always seem to be, too hot or, too cold, too soft or too hard... You're waiting for things to be “Just right!” - In today's message, Pastor Gary Teaches us that, when it comes to the church, we need to set things in order today! We can't get stuck on traditions, or hold out for the stars to align... We need to align ourselves, with God's word, TODAY!

Are you having trouble overcoming your sin? It feels like your sin tracks you down and consumes you. You ask if you will ever be free from this. In today's message, Pastor Gary declares that when you surrender to Jesus you receive a new nature. This new nature gives us options to overcome sin through the Holy Spirit’s power. We notice a new desire to please God and a heart that quickly repents. The Holy Spirit delivers the power to conquer sin. Let’s embrace His work inside us to overcome our sinful nature.

Do you ever find yourself stuck in a dilemma where there appears to be no way out? You struggle and strive to find your way out, but everything you do fails. Pastor Gary tells us today that God purposely creates these problems that require and demand us to walk in faith. True faith must be tried. God is most interested in bringing us closer to Himself and He does this by testing our faith. Let’s be glad when these dilemmas come because you are about to know God in a deeper and more powerful way.

Did you ever try to do something you used to do, but found out that it is not as good as it used to be? God could be calling you to change. In today’s message, Pastor Gary says that, with God’s help, we can change. For example, God transformed the Apostle Peter from a fisherman to a fisher of men. Sometimes God has bigger fish for us to fry and wants us to change. Often, God calls us into something new and greater. Let's be brave and allow God to feed our souls to grow us into all that He wants us to be.

Are you ever afraid? You feel the fear that grips you and makes you stop doing what God has called you to do. Pastor Gary today calls this a distraction, an illusion that the devil uses to keep us from accomplishing God's purpose. What God has in mind is so wonderful that Satan tries to distract us with fear: false evidence appearing real. Satan uses illusion; God uses truth. Let’s recognize Satan’s tricks and smash the lies by constantly reminding ourselves of the truth in God’s Word.