Word of Life

Why do we have to deal with death, loss, and sickness when we serve a God who could easily get rid of all the pain? Today, Pastor Richard will encourage you that God puts you through trials so that you will rely more on His grace, His mercy, and His power. If he answered every single one of your prayers all of the time, then why do you even need Him? He lets you suffer because it reminds you of yo...

Sometimes it can be easy to look at the depravity of the world around us and wish that God would just rain down His judgment already. But the truth is, we can’t always see the big picture from our vantage point here on earth. Today, in his message, Pastor Richard urges you to trust God and His timing, knowing that His plan is still unfolding. God’s desire is to show mercy, the same mercy He’s show...

Have you ever seen people camping out in tents before the big grand opening of a store? Well, they do say, “the early bird gets the worm.” Personally, I don’t have the patience to spend all night waiting out on the sidewalk like that. But I guess it’s worth it to some folks. Pastor Richard shares with you in his message today that it’s always worth it to wait on God. God will always come through o...

Have you ever been surrounded by your emotions? It feels like there’s no way out of your pain or sorrow, like you’re in a box and you can’t get out! In today’s message, Pastor Richard says the Lord feels your emotions like a parent to their child. When you’re feeling heavy emotionally, remember that the Lord’s with you. He is in the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. He loves you and is walk...

Have you ever noticed how in a volleyball game, the players constantly encourage one another? Even if a player plays poorly, they still choose to encourage one another. Like volleyball players, we need people to build us up! Today, Pastor Richard says we all need watchmen in our lives to lift us up when we're feeling down. Community is an important aspect of a Christian’s life! We must surround ou...

In the movie Lilo and Stitch, Lilo adopts a destructive alien named Stitch. After being adopted, Stitch slowly learns empathy and love by doing good works. Today, Pastor Richard says we must always do good works, not for a reward from God, but so we can reflect who God made us to be. Like Stitch, you’re born with flaws and a tendency towards sin. You should strive to constantly glorify the Lord in...

Why do we have to deal with death, loss, and sickness when we serve a God who could easily get rid of all the pain? Today, Pastor Richard will encourage you that God puts you through trials so that you will rely more on His grace, His mercy, and His power. If he answered every single one of your prayers all of the time, then why do you even need Him? He lets you suffer because it reminds you of yo...

Have you ever tried to open a lock without the key? You can rattle, kick, or shake it, but it will most likely never open unless you have the correct key. Today, Pastor Richard will remind you that God is the one who holds the key to your salvation. You can try and brute force your way into heaven, but it won’t work because you don’t have access without first going through God. If you’re looking f...

As Christmas comes around, children will start to behave well, so they’re guaranteed to get gifts from Santa! But wouldn’t it be better if they always acted well, so there was no worry about whether they would get presents or not? Today, Pastor Richard says we must always live like God’s going to return tomorrow because we never know when He will! You must be bold for the gospel because you never...

You were made for a purpose. God put you here on Earth for one reason: to glorify Him. That doesn’t mean that you won’t be sinful and go against God, but you must remind yourself daily that you were made in His image and made to glorify Him. People will always go against God’s design, but today, Pastor Richard reminds us that God will reign, and the Earth will be restored to its intended design. W...

Humility opens your heart, like a window letting in God’s grace. In today’s message, Pastor Richard reveals the call to stay humble in heart, never losing that raw admission, “I need a Savior.” Your righteousness always falls short, but Christ’s perfect righteousness, gained through faith, guards you forever. Forget comparing yourself to others. Are you embracing a humble heart, relying solely on...

Prayer in Jesus’ name isn’t a blank check; it’s a lifeline to God’s heart. In today’s message, Pastor Richard recalls where Jesus tells His disciples to ask in His name, the name of the Savior who gave His life to redeem us. It’s not about tagging His name onto any wish, but aligning your heart with His love and purpose. When you pray with that focus, God moves to help you.

Stumbling blocks clutter the heart like debris in a runner’s path. In today’s message, Pastor Richard mentions the call in Hebrews to cast off the sins and weights that snare you, and to return to God. Those habits or distractions you know too well? Clear them away and set your heart to pursue Him earnestly. It’s about preparing the way, like charting a course. Are you ready to remove the obstacle...

Have you ever tried to open a lock without the key? You can rattle, kick, or shake it, but it will most likely never open unless you have the correct key. Today, Pastor Richard will remind you that God is the one who holds the key to your salvation. You can try and brute force your way into heaven, but it won’t work because you don’t have access without first going through God. If you’re looking f...

God wants you to have the kind of faith that challenges itself! If you have faith that God is going to provide for simple things like this week’s groceries, you may not experience much growth when the Lord follows through. But Pastor Richard encourages you to have faith for something bigger in life. Believe that God is going to fulfill the dream that He has placed on your heart, so that you can gi...

Modern idols seduce just like ancient ones, luring hearts into age-old sins. In today’s message, Pastor Richard explains how submitting to convenience and self-will, as described in Isaiah, mirrors the idolatry of lust and sin that has been present in humanity from the beginning. Society boasts progress, yet spirals back to these practices. Are you recognizing the idols pulling every which way at...

Life can hum along like a calm day, blind to the storm on the horizon. In today’s message, Pastor Richard compares the end times to Lot’s day, when Sodom’s people lived carelessly right up until fire fell. Scripture urges believers to stay sober, alert, and vigilant. Some are ready, others aren’t. Where do you think you are? The call is clear: turn your heart towards God. Are you living alert, wit...

There’s something about jumping into the pool from the high dive that really gets you; If you get up there and you just go for it, then no problem. But if you stand up there and start thinking about it, then the longer you stand there, the harder it gets to jump in. In his message today, Pastor Richard warns you about waiting to get right with God. The longer you put it off, the harder your heart...

Do you have a personal budget? Some kind of means to track how much you have to spend on the different things you need, or want. If so, then you know that you can’t just take your whole paycheck and spend it on whatever you feel like. You need to buy the essentials first. In today’s message, Pastor Richard shares with you an invitation from God not to waste your life on worthless things, but to co...

I don’t know about you, but I certainly remember receiving my fair share of discipline growing up. Well, if I’m being honest, there were probably a handful of things that got missed. But you know what? As much as I hated it then, I understand that it was for my good. In today’s message, Pastor Richard relates the discipline of a child to God’s discipline in your life. If God is chastening you, it’...

God wants you to have the kind of faith that challenges itself! If you have faith that God is going to provide for simple things like this week’s groceries, you may not experience much growth when the Lord follows through. But Pastor Richard encourages you to have faith for something bigger in life. Believe that God is going to fulfill the dream that He has placed on your heart, so that you can gi...

God’s forgiveness is a truly mysterious thing! It’s not a loan that you need to repay over time, or a gift that takes time to take effect. When you are forgiven by God, it’s instantaneous! Pastor Richard draws an example today from the story of David and Bathsheba: when David was called out on his sin, he repented to the Lord. It wasn’t several days later when forgiveness arrived; forgiveness came...

It’s completely unheard of for a convicted criminal to have someone step in and take his punishment in his place. You might hear of someone paying a fine for someone else, but to actually go in and do time, or even face the death penalty on behalf of a guilty party, that’s completely unheard of. In his message today, Pastor Richard reminds you that that is exactly what Jesus has done for you; He d...

Have you ever been in a spot in life where you didn’t know where to go or what to do? That can be a really difficult place to be when you feel like there’s no hope. But do you know that sometimes that’s right where you need to be? In today’s message, Pastor Richard shares with you that you can cry out to God, and HE will help you. When you find yourself in a place of despair, God will hear you and...

Isn’t it fun to look through old family photos? To take a trip down memory lane? To see where you came from and what you’ve gone through to get to where you are today? Pastor Richard encourages you to consider where you are in your walk with Jesus today. Do you remember where you came from? Do you remember what your life was like before? If you haven’t started on your journey with Jesus yet, today...