If given the choice between good feelings or bad, we would usually choose good. Let’s face it, good feelings are pleasurable. But pleasure as a life-goal leads to bad things. All around us are false gods that scream for our attention and devotion. And pleasure can...
There is one true God. But all around us are substitute gods competing for our devotion. You don’t have to bow down to a statue to be an idolater. False gods are everywhere. One false god that screams for our attention is the god of control. When we’re satisfied only...
Seems like there’s plenty to be upset about in our world. We can even get personally offended by the actions and comments of others around us. Here’s a radical, relational idea: What if you can become unoffendable? That’s right—unoffendable. It’s rare but possible....
It’s possible to live with legitimate, godly desires that are never fulfilled in your lifetime. Pain, disappointment, heartache and disillusionment can expose these restless longings. Unmet desires remind us that we’re living in one world but longing for another. God...
There is no shortage of resources claiming to help us live full lives. Yet, despite the easy access of self-help information, how many of us would honestly describe our lives as full? Why doesn’t information automatically translate into transformation? This weekend,...
We often think we know where we are heading and even how we’re going to get there. God often has other ideas. Sometimes He allows us to go through storms that threaten to batter and break us. At such times surrender to a God who would allow such storms seems like the...
One way to gauge your progress as a person who wants to follow Jesus is to ask whether or not you engage with God every day. Do you instinctively turn to God as a habit and include Him as a normal part of your life? When we understand God makes movement toward us...
We need food and water to survive. It shouldn’t surprise us that God would choose the picture of these absolute necessities to draw parallels to the spiritual life. And today as we celebrate communion, we’re reminded that Jesus took things a step further when He...
In Jesus’ story of two lost and wasteful sons there is a character is who far more wasteful and who willingly loses whatever is necessary – the Father. In response to the rejection and rebellion of his sons, the father answers with extravagant self-sacrificing love...
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is a story of two sons. The older son is the son favored by tradition and culture. In Jesus’ time the older son would receive a larger inheritance and would be responsible to care for and uphold the family. In Jesus’ story the older son...
This modern take on the Prodigal Son parable told by Jesus in Luke 15 was used as the sermon opener for the Prodigal series. Related Sermons
After we realize there is life below the surface, we can then learn to breathe under the water. In other words, we can learn to swim in the real world of our emotions. Being in touch with our emotions means that we understand that our past affects our present and our...
Week 5: The Father This week, we learn that: Jesus has a perfect human relationship with the Father. Jesus has a perfect divine relationship with the Father. Jesus lives in perfect submission to the Father. SermonsStudiesGuidesArticlesStoriesFilmsDonateAboutLifePoint...
Week 4: Authorities This week, we learn that: Authority is from God and for others. Jesus did not object to the power of the scribes and Pharisees but to how they used it. Give what you owe to authority. SermonsStudiesGuidesArticlesStoriesFilmsDonateAboutLifePoint...
What does it look like to have a heart for God? Is it even possible? We know all too well that we are imperfect—we mess up, frequently if not daily. So how then can we possibly have a heart for God? The kingdom is united and God has given them a king. We are going to...
God reminds us in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, that it all begins with Him. Yet people seem prone to mistrust God. God is always on a mission to find people who will trust Him—people He can bless to be a blessing to others. God found such a man in Abraham....
Life is to be lived and enjoyed to the fullest but always with an eye toward eternity. This life is not all there is. After your life is over, you will spend eternity either with God or separated from Him. Your destiny is sealed the moment you believe in Jesus for...
When you “own it” you take responsibility. This is especially true for your spiritual progress. No one can grow for you. Only God has the power to truly change you. But you must choose to engage with God and take responsibility for your spiritual growth. Being honest...
If you’ve ever felt like you sometimes work against yourself, your suspicion is well-founded. Inside of every one of us lies a capacity to make dumb choices and distance ourselves from God. From our earliest days, human beings have tried to hide from God. But it’s...
Consider this exciting and sobering reality: You have one life to live. None of us sets about to waste the time we have on this earth. But unless we’re intentional about the way we live for God, we can easily live a distracted and unproductive life. Maybe it’s time...