We never know when we will run into a situation where we can share the Gospel with someone! But in order for us to recognize those situations, we have to open our hearts to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to us. In today’s message, Pastor Richard encourages us to push through the awkwardness of sharing the Good News with a stranger. Someone shared the Good News with us, so we should be willing to share it with others. 

No one comes to Jesus without having someone guide them along the way. Even the apostle Paul, who encountered Jesus on his way to Damascus, still needed help from a fellow believer in order to become fully adopted into God’s family. Pastor Richard reminds you today that you may be someone’s best chance at encountering the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Is your life a good reflection of the love of Christ within you?

You may go through your entire life without facing very much persecution for your faith. For some people, the most persecution they will face may just be a rude stare from a nearby table when they pray over their dinner at a restaurant. But no matter the nature of the persecution, Pastor Richard wants you to count it as a blessing, because Jesus teaches that those who suffer for the sake of righteousness will be blessed. 

Which would we rather have? Going through trials and tribulations or going through life easy breezy? We’re gonna wanna pick joy over suffering every single time. But our faith is more important than our comfort. In today’s message, Pastor Richard tells you about finding joy through suffering. Overcoming obstacles may not be easy, but your faith will strengthen, and you will learn to lean on God rather than on yourself.

When you’re new to Christ, not everyone in your life will celebrate the change. In those moments, it’s natural to look for new people to walk alongside you, as you grow in your faith. But sometimes you might choose companions simply because they’re available, not because they’ll hold you accountable to God’s Word. That’s why today, Pastor Richard urges you to pray for godly friendships and trust that God will bring the right people into your life.

When you go to a busy emergency room, the doctors may not necessarily see you in the order you arrive. If someone comes in with a serious injury, they just might get moved to the front of the line. Pastor Richard wants you to understand today that Jesus came to this world to serve those who are poor in spirit. Until you realize that you are a sinner in need of a savior, you will stay at the back of the line, and you won’t encounter Jesus!

The only thing that can hold Jesus back from working in your heart and transforming your life is you. It’s your decision - whether to trust in Him for salvation and follow in the light of His Word. As Pastor Richard will encourage you in today’s message, the Kingdom of God is near to your heart when you are aware of your own weakness and need for a Savior. He is coming again, and those who have believed will be called up to be with Him. 

All of us long for justice. Some have a stronger draw for the world to be right than others, as sin dulls this God-given desire, but even in the cruelest heart, you often can find some remnant of this longing. As Pastor Richard will point out in today’s message, we find hope for this justice in Jesus. But we have to be patient. While we can be instruments of His peace and justice in this world, it will not be perfected till He makes all things new.

The marriage relationship is the most important human relationship most of us will ever have. You become one with that person. You’re connected spiritually, emotionally, and physically in a way that neither death nor divorce can fully separate. This connection is wonderful, but as Pastor Richard will warn in today’s message, if you marry someone who doesn’t share your faith, it creates a major challenge to your spiritual compatibility.  

God’s Word should always be at the center of what we do as the Church. If the focus is on a particular pastor’s interpretation, a certain worship leader’s talent, a specific stance on an issue, or a denominational creed, we’re missing the point. As Pastor Richard will point out in today’s message, this is a pastor’s primary job – not to be engaging, charismatic, or magnetic, but to present the Word of God clearly, with integrity.