Summons Radio

In today's message, we'll begin our glimpse into the life of Esther. Through her story, we will learn how God can use us, right where we are. This means that regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in, no matter how bleak they may seem, God is in control. And if we'll submit to Him, He can use us to do great and mighty things.

As we come to a close in our study of the book of Second Timothy, we'll be reminded that Paul looked FORWARD. He didn't allow life's circumstances to deter him from focusing on the goal. And that GOAL...was to serve God. Paul had an eternal perspective. He knew that no matter what life threw at Him, God was in control.

Christian, do you realize that your life is no longer your own? You have been bought with a price. Your will, your agendas, your own ideas and understanding are irrelevant...when it comes to living the life of a believer. You see, as disciples of Jesus, we're to live for Him...according to His Word. It should be our delight...and our heart's desire...to do what pleases the Lord.

The Scriptures teach us that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pastor Terry will share with us today that prideful attitudes will be more and more prevalent, as we draw near to the last days. And as believers, we shouldn't have proud or arrogant hearts. Any pride we have, should be in our Savior.

As Christians, we understand that one day, Jesus will return for His bride. We also know that there will be troublesome times surrounding His return. In our message today, we'll talk about the signs that are present in the world. Signs that COULD mean we're heading into the last days. But regardless of WHEN Jesus returns, YOU must be ready now.

Most of us carry our Bibles to church. We might even bring them with us to work. But REALLY...how important ARE the Scriptures? Well in Psalms we learn that the Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Later on in the book of John we learn that Jesus IS the living Word of God. And with that being said, the Bible...is VERY important.

The Bible, much like any other book, can be taken out of context. You can pull individual verses out and twist them to prove a point that might not even be Scriptural. So how do we avoid this? By rightly dividing the Truth. Don't just read one verse at a time. Study the Word as a whole. Search for cross references, do word studies. LEARN the Word of God.

The Bible was given to us, so that would know God's standard. From Genesis to Revelation, we have all we need to live a life pleasing to our Heavenly Father. But as we'll learn today, there are countless translations of the Scriptures, made available to us. But which one is RIGHT? And how do we determine which version to use in our studies?

We have been given truth. We have received the WORDS of life. And as Christians, we should be about SHARING what we've received. Now that doesn't mean we can cram the Bible down people's throats. It simply means that by our actions and through our words...we should be accurately representing the Word of God.

The Bible is God's loving Word for His people. From Genesis to Revelation we have all that we need to live a godly life. We don't have to make up our own rules, regulations or traditions. God has already established these for us in HIS Holy Scriptures! So dig in! Get to know God! Apply His Word to you life and WATCH as His grace change you...from the inside out.

What Pastor Terry just shared a moment ago is quite sobering! Is that you? Are you a professing Christian who is exactly the same as the day that your made that confession? Remember, God's Word says that the evidence of a person's salvation is obedience. Now, none of us will ever be perfect...but each of us should be making progress.

One of the most simple ways to get through the difficult times that we face in this life is to remember...remember what God has done so far in your life. Of course, the most important important work of God in your life is the fact that He's saved you! And now He's promised to complete that good work that He started in your life.

As believers of Jesus, we must make it a priority to PRACTICE...what we preach. You see, we can't SAY that we love God and His Word... and then turn around and live in opposition to it! As Christians, we should live according the the Word of God. We should desire to walk in a manner that would please our Father.

There's a lie that's been circulating through the world of religion for years. It's that once you come to faith in Jesus, all your problems will vanish. It's the belief that as a Christian, you will never endure hardships. Well, that's not the case. As believers, we WILL go through difficult times. However, we know that if our God is for us... then NOTHING can stand against us!

Believer, did you know that we are ALL called to spread the truth of God's Word with others? That we're to be about our FATHER'S business? It's true! But here's something important to remember: Telling others about Jesus doesn't require a pulpit or seminary degree. All we need is to be born-again, called by God, and willing to obey.

God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. That's why it's so difficult for the world to receive HIS Word. You see, when we live according to our own understanding, when we follow the dictates of our OWN hearts...we won't be able to clearly discern the voice of the Living God.

Jesus said: Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in Heaven. But whoever DENIES Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father. You see, we can't and SHOULDN'T be ashamed of the salvation we've found in Jesus. Just consider who He is and what He's done! Don't you WANT to proclaim your belief in Him!?

People are important. God loved the world so much...that He sent His Son to DIE...for PEOPLE. It's His desire that NONE would perish, but that ALL would accept His free gift of salvation. So believer, shouldn't WE also have a love for people? Shouldn't it be our goal to share the truth...to develop godly relationships...and be the loving hands and feet of God?

Paul tells us, in His letter to the Ephesians, that we have been saved by grace through faith...not of our own works. He also states that we are God's workmanship, created in Jesus to do good works, which were prepared beforehand for us to walk in. So you see, as believers, we have been given good works to do! The question is: What ARE those good works?

The Scriptures teach us that our hearts are desperately wicked, more than we can ever know. So you see, no matter how GOOD we think we are...we'll NEVER be good ENOUGH to earn salvation. God, in His love for us, sent His one and only Son so that our wicked hearts could be made clean!

In today's message, we'll learn that it was Jesus who gave Himself for us to be redeemed from every LAWLESS deed. It was His desire to purify Himself a people that are HIS...that are ZEALOUS for good deeds. You see, it was LAWLESSNESS that we've been set free from! NOW...by His GRACE...we're given the divine power that enables us to obey HIS Word!

Society has never been perfect. But in recent years we've seen things become worse and worse. And one of the BIGGEST examples of moral decline, is the family unit. Fathers are absent and mothers don't REALLY mother their children. So HOW did this happen? Well, when we ignore God's Word and His plan of how a family SHOULD operate...we're bound to have issues.

In today's message, we'll look at the specific BIBLICAL qualifications for leaders in the body of Christ. And as we're reading through our text, ask yourself if YOU line up with any of these qualifications. You see, regardless of whether we're elders, deacons or pastors...we're ALL called to serve. We've all been given a mission. And that's to spread the gospel.

When we made the decision to accept Jesus as our Savior, we did it because we knew that WE were sinners in desperate need of forgiveness. But what happened AFTER our conversion? You see, we weren't just saved for ourselves. We were saved so that we might be used in our Father's ministry. We were saved so that others will see the hope we have in Him.

Real belief in God is active. When we SAY we believe something, typically, that belief brings about a response. It brings about... ACTION. So the question is: What are the actions of a TRUE believer? What response is generated when someone TRULY loves the Lord? Well according to the words of Jesus...if we LOVE Him, then we'll obey His commands.