Ridgepoint Sermon Audio

In this final message of the "Words Matter" series, Pastor Brent reminds us of the importance of backing up our words with genuine action. We shouldn't be hypocrites who merely pay lip service to God (and others); we need to walk the narrow road and ensure our words match our deeds.

Jesus gave us the Golden Rule as a starting point for relating to others. We'd all love encouragement from others, so we might as well decide to be as kind and encouraging as possible. As we continue our Words Matter series, we'll be reminded of the opportunity to be kind and encouraging.

We all get angry. Jesus did too. There's a difference between righteous anger about injustice and inappropriate anger about trivial matters. Good anger leads to constructive action, while bad anger only hurts others. How can we distinguish between the two, and how can we increase our self-control to handle anger the way Jesus taught?

When those around us sin or hurt us, should we confront them? There seems to be biblical support for confronting AND not confronting... so what should we do? Generally, wise people confront with love, honor, and humility--and they're also open to correction themselves.

No one can fully tame the tongue, but Jesus warns that one day we'll give an account for every careless word we speak. We can still stand confidently in God's grace, but we must learn to surrender our tongues daily with the help of the Holy Spirit.

We all experience stress, tension, and difficult relationships. In those moments, what we choose to do with our words really matters. How can we learn to "tame our tongues" and control our speech? What does it look like to aim for "relational ties"? Pastor Joe dives into this and more as we explore spiritual maturity and relational health.

What happens when we die? Are heaven and hell real, and what are they like? Belief in any kind of afterlife requires faith, but Pastor Brent outlines several sections of Scripture that explain what we can expect. We're left with many difficult questions, but this we know: Heaven will be a wonderful place where we experience and worship God fully.

What is morality, and who sets the rules? There are only two options--either people or God. If God is who He says He is, then He is the logical and correct source for moral truth.

This week, Pastor Brent unpacks the Christian perspective on our purpose in life. Are you living for your own self-determined purposes, or God's? How you can you discern God's "general will" versus His specific plans for you? Watch or listen this week as Brent encourages us to keep a soft heart and open ears to discern and follow God's will.

Who are we as humans? What is our identity? Where does it come from, and why does it matter? Pastor Brent unpacks Mark 1 to give us helpful context and answers to these foundational questions.

Where did life and our universe come from? What is the origin of life? In this week's message, Pastor Brent contrasts three views: special creation (God created each species), atheistic evolution (no God), and theistic evolution (God used evolution).

Christianity requires faith in a God we cannot see. Still, there is significant evidence for a Creator, and this week Pastor Brent unpacks three defenses for the existence of God, and what that means for us today.

It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. God's love for you will endure forever. God is love, and He loves you.

Although the Psalms have more cries for help than words of praise, the editor of the Psalms sought to close the book with an all-call for loud praises to be sung to God. Although being a calm and calculated believer is acceptable, sometimes our faith calls us to bring God a ruckus song of praise. Psalm 150 is a form of that type of jubilant worship.

The world is chaotic and can feel completely contrary to the teachings of the Bible. This isn't a new problem, and David has advice and reminders for us to place our trust in a God who is always faithful.

Are there two better words to describe our purpose than praise and surrender? God invites us to a life of praising God and surrendering to Him!

When you are confident in your relationship with God, you can stay motivated to follow God well, love others well, and live with joy and peace.

When you find yourself in dark and difficult seasons, there are no easy answers, but here are two things you can try: speak truth to yourself, and declare praise to God.

A guilty conscience doesn't just cause sleepless nights and anxious worrying; it erodes our lives and afflicts our world. The Bible implores us to confess our sins, and freedom abounds in our lives when we do. 

Pastor Brent interviews our worship leader Kim Bontrager about the "what" and they "why" of worship, taken from Psalm 100.

Help me! I trust You. I will exalt You. May every person on earth glorify You!

We believe God created us with gifts and skills designed to help others and to do good things. This week Pastor Brent will examine what the Bible says about serving, and we will kick off a month-long emphasis on changing the world through the giving of ourselves.

At the heart of being Christian is dwelling in union with God. Throughout our lives, we'll sense God's guidance and care. Psalm 23 mentions three ways that God cares for our souls in our union with him.

King David's prayers often had a similar structure: requests, defenses, and declarations. We can pray like this too, and today Pastor Brent shares an example we can all pray--maybe especially so for dads!

Money can bring a lot of good things, but it can't save you. Only God can save you from the grave. So where are you putting your trust?