Are there times when you don’t feel like you are of any use in God’s work? It’s easy to assume we are not accomplishing anything for God when we are not seeing Him move through our work. Even the apostle Paul had times when he felt like he was not doing anything for the Kingdom. Today, Pastor Richard describes how Paul continued to do the tasks that were within his reach, and we also must keep doing what we know to do.

Do you ever find yourself frozen in your spiritual growth because you are waiting on answers or waiting for God to do something? In today’s message, Pastor Richard teaches us to go as far as we can, do our best, and then commit the rest to God. He encourages us to keep moving forward and to be willing to trust God to bring our work to fruition. You may not always see immediate results, but our responsibility is to remain faithful.

Our Father in Heaven is incredibly patient. Our sin breaks His heart and separates us from Him, but it’s the sin He hates - not us. He loves us dearly and works long before we come to Him to reveal that love and draw us in. As Pastor Richard will remind us in today’s message, when you accept Jesus as your Savior, you become a Child of God and He patiently works on your heart. It rarely happens overnight, but He is transforming you as you seek His heart.

You don’t need to be afraid of the spiritual realm all around you if you’ve trusted Jesus as your Savior. He’s with you and protects you, but there is a full-on battle happening for your soul as well as every soul around you. As Pastor Richard continues our study of the book of Acts in today’s message, he’ll challenge us to open our ears and eyes for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we encounter daily opportunities to share Jesus with this world.

That really is the polar opposite of what culture is teaching, isn’t it? Our culture says you need to put yourself first. How you feel and what you want is more important than anything else in your world. This self-worship comes naturally. But, as Pastor Richard will challenge us in today’s message, God calls us to a life that puts Him and others above ourselves. When you devote yourself to that selfless life, you’ll find deep meaning and purpose.

All of us are called to serve the Lord in different ways. God created us to be unique and our gifts and roles will be just as unique. You’ll have some who have much more visible gifts and teach or lead well, whereas you’ll have others who serve vital roles behind the scenes, with little to no recognition. As Pastor Richard will point out today, those who serve in quiet humility may not be recognized in this life, but God sees them and will reward them greatly. 

It’s easy to sing worship songs when things are going well. You’ve resisted sin and everything’s been falling into place. The music will naturally flow from your heart in those moments. But, as Pastor Richard will challenge us in today’s message, can you worship God in the dark moments? Worship doesn’t come naturally in a dungeon, but it brings your heart into a place of faith and gratitude that can sustain you through that dark time.

The future can be daunting, even without certainty over what’s to come. That unknown aspect can be the hardest part. For many of us, if there were a way to look ahead and get a glimpse of what’s to come, we’d take it. But, as Pastor Richard will explain in today’s message, this isn’t something God will typically reveal. He’s given us promises of the hope we have in Him, but the journey there is a mystery, and we’ll need to trust Him through it.

There will be believers in Heaven who weren’t baptized. It isn’t essential to receive salvation - Jesus has done everything necessary to save us, and all you need to do is trust in Him. But, as Pastor Richard will encourage us in today’s message, sacraments like baptism and communion are important symbols that all Christians should practice as a public and personal demonstration of what Christ has done in their hearts.

Our relationships with each other are an essential part of the Christian journey. Far too many believers take on a cowboy-type mindset where they just want to take on the vast wilderness on their own. You may do fine for a while, but God designed us to need relationships. As Pastor Richard will encourage us in today’s message, it’ll require stepping out of your comfort zone, but it’s important to find ways to get involved in your church.