Larger Than Life

Sin, like misery, loves company. When you're living in sin, it's natural to be drawn to other people who tolerate, celebrate, and practice similar sins. But those whom you spend time with have a massive impact on your spiritual life! Today, Pastor Ron will show you that being around other Christians is one of the best ways to grow closer to God. And surrounding yourself exclusively with people who...

It's easy to feel like you're on fire for Jesus and trusting in His plan when life is going well. It's a lot harder to trust in God's plan when everything seems to be falling apart. Yet the Lord calls us to submit to Him and hold on to faith, even in trials and spiritual battles. Today, Pastor Ron will look at the life of Abraham, a man who was willing to kill his own son because he trusted in God...

We've got two simple options in this life. Trust in what we can see, or trust in God. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when we go with the first option. This world is turbulent and unpredictable, and placing our faith in our own strength will always leave us anxious and frustrated. Today, Pastor Ron will challenge us to trust in God's plan, even when we can't see how it all plays out. Our Lord knew e...

Today, Pastor Ron reminds you that God wants to see real works in your life. You are not saved by good works, and you are not kept saved by them either. But if you are truly saved, those works will naturally follow. Noah found grace in the eyes of God and was saved by grace alone. Yet he showed his faith through his obedience. True faith will always be accompanied by good works. If someone says th...

What happens when someone keeps choosing their own way over God's way? In today's message, Pastor Ron reminds you that God sometimes says, "If this is what you want, that is what you will have". Jesus spoke of a time when the love of many grows cold. That describes the days you are living in right now. Society shows the results of hearts that drift further and further from God. You do not have to...

In today's message, Pastor Ron reminds you that God actually has a great plan for you, and close communion with Him is a key part of it. Enoch lived that close walk with God, and his departure from this earth gives you a wonderful picture of the rapture of the church. Rapture means being caught up suddenly into His presence. This shows how God wants to bring you close now and keep you close foreve...

Have you ever thought about what it really means to walk closely with God day by day? In today's message, Pastor Ron reminds you that walking with God implies a surrendered will. God does not make you accept him. He offers Himself to you, which is amazing because He is the God of all glory and creation. Salvation is His free gift. But once you begin to walk with Him, you must willingly surrender y...

What distinguishes faith from religion? Today, Pastor Ron contrasts a faith that relies on God with a religion that relies on human effort. He explains that Abel offered a sacrifice, based on the shedding of blood, in accordance with God’s command, while Cain presented the products of his own labor. Many individuals today place their hope in personal achievements, such as church attendance and goo...

True faith develops through obedience to God. It is strengthened, as we understand God’s ways, listen to his guidance, and respond accordingly. Today, Pastor Ron examines the story of Cain and Abel, focusing on how God responded to their sacrifices. God had determined both the method and timing of sacrifice, emphasizing the necessity of shedding blood for the forgiveness of sins. Cain and Abel lik...

By faith, the elders placed their trust in God and His promise of salvation. The author of Hebrews commends them for their confidence in realities that were not visible. In today’s message, Pastor Ron encourages us to exercise even greater faith than these elders, as we live after the fulfillment of the gospel. We have witnessed the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and possess the complete...

Many aspects of the spiritual realm are beyond what we can perceive with our physical eyes, yet they are essential to our spiritual journey with God. Faith provides the confidence regarding these unseen realities. Today, Pastor Ron emphasizes that even when we do not fully understand all that God has said, we can trust in His ways. Faith involves believing without direct evidence. Although an invi...

How can we discern whether our faith is placed in the right object? In today’s message, Pastor Ron contrasts individuals who are humanists and place their faith in themselves with those who trust in God. He states that the strength of one’s faith is determined by the reliability of its object. The object of trust must possess substance that provides a foundation for genuine confidence. Trust in Go...

When you notice someone facing a tough situation, how often do you step in and lend your support? For those who believe in Jesus, facing persecution is just part of the journey, as the Word of God reminds you. So, when you see your Christian friend facing bullying because of his beliefs, how often do you step in to support him? Today, Pastor Ron invites you, as a believer, to confidently stand str...

I've noticed some folks at church, really diving into worship and pouring their hearts out in prayer. But over time, they start to drift away from God, eventually stepping away from the church and letting go of their faith, choosing instead to embrace a more worldly lifestyle. I’ve always found it a bit puzzling how that could even happen. Today, Pastor Ron is diving into the topic of what it mean...

Because of sin, we found ourselves distanced from God, but He made the move to draw closer to us. Isn't it incredible how God crafted this amazing plan? Through Jesus, that barrier that kept you from stepping into God's presence has been broken! God really took on all the hard work. So, what’s your story? How often do you make an effort to connect with God and have some quality time in His presenc...

Back in the days of the Old Testament, folks would bring forth sacrifices as a way to seek forgiveness for their missteps. Over time, it turned into a bit of a ritual for the folks, as they found themselves constantly stumbling into sin and then making their way to offer sacrifices. This left them feeling as if their sin was never truly washed away. But you know what? God had an amazing plan lined...

Do you ever wonder why God doesn’t just brush aside sin and offer forgiveness without a second thought? It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? If God were to stop judging sin, we would lose both accountability and justice. The main point here is that if God allowed sin to exist in the world, it would challenge the very essence of who He is as God. That would diminish His holiness and credibility....

For Jesus to carry the weight of the world's sins, He had to be perfect in every possible way. If He had even the tiniest flaw, He simply wouldn't have been fit to conquer sin and death. Today, Pastor Ron shares why Jesus stands out as the only one truly worthy of saving you from your sins. Though He came into the world as a human, He walked through life without a trace of sin. That positioned Him...

Back in the days of the Old Testament, people couldn’t just reach out and be in God’s presence like we might imagine today. A massive veil hung in the temple, creating a distinct separation. It was a special privilege, reserved for only the most sacred of priests, and even then, just once a year! Well, did you know that Jesus shattered the barriers that separated you from God? In today’s message,...

So, there we were, cruising along the road with my family, when out of nowhere, we found ourselves stuck in a massive traffic jam! As I was waiting, I thought it would be fun to explore Google Maps for a different route. I was totally taken aback—there were absolutely none! In the end, I just had to hang tight until the way was free and clear. People often believe there are multiple paths to Salva...

Some believers would rather just ignore the Old Testament. It’s just rules and regulations, and we don’t need any of it now that we have Jesus, right? As Pastor Ron will clarify in today’s message, while the details of the Old Covenant God held with man pale in comparison to the New Covenant in Christ, it still has a valuable place. It’s a necessary reflection of our brokenness and religion's inab...

What a beautiful representation of the significance of what Jesus did on the cross. In light of that, His Words as He took His final breath have so much deeper meaning. “It is finished.” As Pastor Ron will clarify, this wasn’t referring to His ministry or life. The need for continual sacrifice and work in a religious system that could never actually bring salvation was finished. All of those symbo...

We never lived through the Levitical system of priests and sacrifices representing various heart postures towards God. It was complicated, messy, and a never-ending cycle. The priests couldn’t take away sin; their sacrifices only offered a symbol of atonement, demonstrating repentant, obedient hearts. As Pastor Ron will explain in today’s message, with Jesus, His sacrifice on the cross was once an...

The Levitical priesthood had no permanence. What does that mean? One priest would come along, carry out his rituals, over and over, and then he would die and need to be replaced by a new priest, who would go on to carry out the same rituals, over and over. It was a never-ending cycle of symbolic sacrifice after symbolic sacrifice. As Pastor Ron will explain in today’s message, Jesus brought a perm...

Most of us don’t know what it’s like to deal with slaughtering animals. We enjoy the ease of picking up a package of meat at the grocery store and never having to kill the animal or deal with the mess that comes with that process. The sacrificial system of the Old Testament would not have been as shocking in its time, but it was deeply meaningful. As Pastor Ron will point out in today’s message, w...