Richard Ellis Talks

Discipline is one way that God shows us the areas of our lives in which we need to be refined. The right response isn't to become hardened and allow roots of bitterness to grow towards the Lord; the right response is to allow Him to dig up the roots of sin that are hindering us so that we can experience peace with Him.

Nothing catches God by surprise. Isn't that a comforting truth? Even when we're caught off guard by our circumstances, God is never startled by what happens. He knew every step of our lives before we were born, and when we spend time with Him, like through prayer, Scripture, and fasting, He promises to cover us.

Jesus was the living, breathing, walking embodiment of servant leadership. All throughout the Gospels, he models for us what it means to humble ourselves in a position of servanthood in order to minister to others. As Christ followers, we shouldn't just be willing to serve those around us; we should strive to serve those around us in hopes that they'll be impacted spiritually themselves and inspired to do the same for others.

Every day of this life involves a spiritual battle for our souls; that's why God gives us weapons to defend against the attacks of the enemy. Prayer is a means to protect ourselves and others from the devil's attempts to destroy God's work in us, and Scripture is a tool to fight back against the devil's lies.

Spiritual growth and maturity are critical components of our walk with God. We can't just learn about what it means to follow Jesus -- we also need to apply it so that we can help others grow in relationship with Him.

Billy Graham famously said, "Heaven is my home; I'm just traveling through this world." Can each of us say the same? In Scripture, we read that Jesus is preparing a place in Heaven for all those who choose to follow Him, but those who do not believe will not enter. The choice belongs to each of us -- and if we choose Jesus, then we have no time to waste on this earth sharing the Good News with as many people as we can.

When we come before God with repentant hearts and yield to Him, He can turn even the meanest person into someone who's filled with kindness -- and He gets all the glory. The more we walk in the Spirit, the more naturally His fruit is produced in our lives.

God blessed the Jews out of His love for them. He protected them from countless attempts to destroy the Jewish nation over thousands of years. When Jesus, a Jew, died on the cross, God raised Him from the dead to make salvation possible -- not only for the Jews, but each one of us. The only way into God's family is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that He came so that we might have life more abundantly. God has a plan for each of us, but if we're going to experience it, we have to get up and step into the fullness that awaits us. He offers a life full of purpose; are you ready to receive it?  

The difficulties we face are often symptoms of a root problem: sin. And while we can easily make the mistake of focusing on the symptoms, nothing will change in our circumstances until we deal with the problem. God gives us tools through Scripture to help us address our sin, and it's our responsibility to put those tools in our spiritual toolbox so that we can grow and mature in our walk with Him.

There are defining moments of tragedy in every generation where we can't help but ask, "why?" We live in a world that is broken as a result of the sin within humanity, and because of that brokenness, bad things happen. We might not always get an answer to our "why?" questions, but we know the answer to the question, "who can save us?" It's Jesus Christ alone.

The Bible is clear on the reality of this world coming to a burning end. And the only way to be saved from an eternity burning in hell is by accepting salvation through Jesus Christ. When His blood covers our sins and makes us clean, our names are added to the Book of Life, and with that, we're given the promise of eternity spent with Him.

We learn by example. When we see and hear someone else, and they model a behavior, then we're better able to do the same thing ourselves. That's what discipleship is: seeing and hearing what it means to follow Jesus, living it out ourselves, then turning around and being an example to other people so both our lives and their lives can glorify God.

We're all inflicted with the poison of sin, and the only way to get healing is through Christ alone. Jesus was hung to die on a cross so that all who look to Him and believe would be saved. As followers of Christ, we've been charged with the responsibility to be fishers of men, and to point as many people as possible to salvation.

You've probably heard the phrase, "work smarter, not harder". When we wait on the Holy Spirit to move in His power, we avoid exhausting ourselves (and probably screwing things up in the process!) by trying to work out of our strength. And the power of the Holy Spirit doesn't just enable amazing results in our own lives -- it also moves us to be a witness to others about what Christ has done for us.