Richard Ellis Talks

One of the most remarkable things about Jesus' death on the cross was that it fulfilled dozens of prophecies that had been written hundreds of years before He was even born. That fulfillment all points to the fact that He was truly the perfect sacrifice, dying in our place so we can live forever. We don't have to live in fear of death any more. Because of God's love for us, we've been set free.    

God didn't create each of us with unique gifts and abilities so that we could sit around and do nothing with them! He wants to use our individual giftings to reach people who might not be reached otherwise. God's given us the ability to touch lives with the Gospel -- but have we made ourselves willing and available to respond?  

We're quick to celebrate when someone becomes a new Christian, but we often forget that it's important to teach that new Christian how to stand and take their first steps in their relationship with God. The Lord orchestrates divine appointments for us to meet with people who are crying out to Him. When we listen for His voice and stand up to obey His call, we're taking our first steps towards living a life of purpose!

Following Jesus often involves sacrificing our wants for His will -- that's why He told us that if we're going to pursue Him, it means denying ourselves (Luke 9:23). Sometimes in the moment, it's hard to trust that God's will for us is worth the sacrifice, but Scripture promises that even though we're called to live against the grain in this world, it'll all be made worth it in Heaven.

Did you know that both Jesus and the devil are described like lions in Scripture? 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that "the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." We've got to stay on guard and be aware of his attempts to entice us into sin. But there's only one lion King, and it's Jesus, the all-powerful victor who's promised to come back for us and to reign for all eternity!

Let's face is: sin can be pleasurable. If it wasn't, we wouldn't be tempted to sin all the time. But that pleasure only lasts for a little while, and then consequences (and often suffering) are what's left over. We can choose to "live it up" in sin and try to forget about the clock striking midnight, or we can choose eternity with the Prince of Peace who promises to satisfy us completely and give us abundant life!

We might feel like our sin is too great for God to ever fully forgive, but Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is powerful enough to wash us white as snow -- and that's better than any fairy tale! Instead of dwelling in our mistakes and living like we're condemned, or taking advantage of God's grace and continuing to live in sin, let's celebrate the fact that Jesus has cleansed us from all our past, present, and future sin -- and then live like the forgiven people that we are!

Do you remember how old you were when you realized your parents weren't perfect? As kids, we tend to believe that our parents have all the answers and that they automatically do everything right -- and once we realize that's not the case, we can be pretty hard on them. Parents make mistakes just like the rest of us, but God's command for us to honor them still stands. In the same way that Jesus honored His Father throughout His earthly life, we're called to honor our parents, too -- regardless of whether or not they deserve it.

What do you do when hard times come and you're left stumped by the difficulty of your circumstances? Too often our reaction to suffering is to run from the situation and even to run from God, instead of running to Him with faith that He's got all the answers. We won't always understand what He's doing on this side of heaven, but when we spend eternity with Him, He'll make all things known to us.

We can strive to look attractive to other people on the outside, but without Christ, we'll still be completely empty on the inside. While it's important to take care of the earthly body God's given us, it's most important that we focus on His work in us. We were made by our Creator in His own image -- who we are is a reflection to those around us of who He is!

The Bible calls us to live set apart from the things of this world, but there's a big difference between living a moral life and living a godly life. When we choose not to give in to sin because of moral superiority, we're setting ourselves up for failure because we can never resist temptation completely on our own. But when we develop a lifestyle of obedience to God, it allows us to face temptation while grounded on a foundation of Scripture rather than pride.

The Bible calls us to live set apart from the things of this world, but there's a big difference between living a moral life and living a godly life. When we choose not to give in to sin because of moral superiority, we're setting ourselves up for failure because we can never resist temptation completely on our own. But when we develop a lifestyle of obedience to God, it allows us to face temptation while grounded on a foundation of Scripture rather than pride.

Have you ever stopped to think that fear is just faith that's heading in the wrong direction? If we have faith that God's living in us, then we have no reason to fear anything! The Bible tells us that God is for us, not against us -- and He's stronger than anything the devil can throw our way.

Have you ever stopped to think that fear is just faith that's heading in the wrong direction? If we have faith that God's living in us, then we have no reason to fear anything! The Bible tells us that God is for us, not against us -- and He's stronger than anything the devil can throw our way.

God always answers our prayers -- but He doesn't always answer them the way we'd like! When we find ourselves in trouble and we ask God for help, Scripture tells us He'll answer. But too often we get tired of waiting on Him and we instead try to solve the problem our own way, which only makes things worse. When we pray with a willingness to obey, no matter what His answer is, He'll guide us out of the woods.