There is within each person a fundamental longing. Believers and non-believers all long for love, safety, peace, and honor. Today, Pastor Ricky will explain how God created everyone to long for these things from Him. God can uniquely and fully love and protect you because of who He is. He created you for a relationship with Him. Instead of turning to the world for these things that you long for and excluding God, turn first to Him. He'll fulfill all of your longings in amazing ways and transform your heart.
Behold - Don't Stop Now, Part 2
For the believer, this world is not your home. There's something much greater to come. God calls you to live differently than the world while you're here in the world. Pastor Ricky explains today that you should feel a bit restless as you long for eternity to come. He encourages you as you give up desires and lose things you love to remember that every loss will be redeemed more than you can even imagine. Have the perspective that the good to come will far overshadow anything you lose now. God will restore all things on that day.
Behold - Don't Stop Now, Part 1
The world today lives for the here and now, wrapped up in all the pleasure and comfort of the moment. Yet Isaiah encourages God’s people to fix their eyes on eternity instead. There's something much better to come. Today, Pastor Ricky will challenge you to have God’s longing for the full salvation of His people. Yes, you experienced a bit of salvation life now, but the complete glory and righteousness to come are more than you can imagine. Creation will be redeemed completely. You’ll be fully restored and perfect for eternity.
Behold - People of Destiny, Part 2
Despite what the world tells you, God is bringing His people to a great and glorious future. Even if you struggle to believe you are worthy of a God using and desiring you, He promises a beautiful gathering of all who believe. Today, Pastor Ricky will explain some of the glory to come. God will carry you to perfect completion and righteousness. The Godly will triumph over this world and ultimately the glory to come is better than you can even imagine. Don't give up on your Christian walk. The future to come will be amazing.
Behold - People of Destiny, Part 1
Do you ever wonder if this Christian life you’re living will ever go anywhere? You might feel doubtful based on your ability to live in obedience. You may struggle to believe because the world seems to be victorious. Yet as Pastor Ricky will remind you today, God is bringing His people to glory. God's people reflect His glory and God will gather all people for a beautiful complete family. Instead of wondering where this journey of faith is going, just know and believe it’s going somewhere good.
Behold - Welcome to the Family
Do you feel like you're on the outside of the family of God? Like it's for someone with a better past or a Christian upbringing or for someone with good Bible knowledge only? Today, Pastor Ricky will encourage you greatly with the truth that God made a way for all outsiders to be welcome in the forever family of God. Don't buy into Satan's lie that you don't belong and exclude yourself. Bring your messy lives and come to God through faith in Jesus. He longs for you to believe. He welcomes you into His family forever.
Behold - The Great Exchange, Part 2
All of humanity, because of sin, is wicked. Every person has chosen to reject the Lord by choosing sin and for that, death is deserved. Today, Pastor Ricky will explain that God, who is righteous, must bring justice to the world. Yet instead of judging them rightly and simply wiping out all people, He sent Jesus to bear the weight of all sin on the cross. Jesus willingly chose to give His life in exchange for your redemption and forgiveness. He paid it all. He completed the work. Will you accept His perfect sacrifice?
Behold - The Great Exchange, Part 1
Jesus, exalted in heaven from before creation was equal to God in righteousness and holiness. He gave that up for a time to come humbly to earth. He lived a poor and unknown life instead of the exalted, honored life that He deserved. Today, Pastor Ricky will discuss the incredible exchange that Jesus made in order to come to earth, containing His awesome power within a human man. He was rejected and despised and He endured a cross of punishment for the sake of all mankind.
Behold - Listen and Look, Part 2
Are you afraid of what people will think of you or change the way they treat you if you live your life according to Jesus’ values? You may experience mocking or rejection for holding fast to your values from God’s Word. However as Pastor Ricky will remind you today, the world's values, opinions, and ways will fade to nothing and only God will remain. Christ was mocked and rejected yet is exalted and in glory. You too will experience rejection but if you hold fast to Jesus you’ll also experience the glory that only He can give.
Behold - Listen and Look, Part 1
Sometimes it feels hard to muster the desire to continue following the Lord. Circumstances are hard, emotions are out of control and God may not be immediately stepping in. You may even wonder if you'll have the strength, endurance, or perseverance to continue on. Yet Pastor Ricky will remind you today that if you follow the Lord and rely on Him, then your resources will never run out. In fact, they'll grow in your life. You'll have more strength, more hope, more resilience, as you move forward.
Behold - Looking for Revival in All the Wrong Places, Part 3
God gives you good things in life that can quickly and suddenly become warped into idols. Instead of pointing to the goodness of God, it ends up pulling you away from God. Idols can't deliver you, save you, or help you in any way but there is good news. Today, Pastor Ricky will explain that there is a way to deliverance and redemption and that's through Jesus. You must however acknowledge your sin and idols to God who desires to forgive and to save you. Recognizing God is the only source of abundant life now and eternally.
Behold - Looking for Revival in All the Wrong Places, Part 2
Do you long for the renewal and refreshment that God can bring to your life but continue to feel dry and barren? Then as Pastor Ricky will explain, perhaps you're too reliant on idols in your life. All the things that you devote your heart, mind, and hopes on, that are not God, actually lead you farther from true peace. Pastor Ricky will challenge you to examine what idols you’ve placed above God or what things you've shaped for your purpose instead of God's purposes. None of these things will give you abundant life and transformation.
Behold - Looking for Revival in All the Wrong Places, Part 1
Are you feeling weary and unfulfilled in this life? Often what you look for to renew or revitalize you leaves you more discouraged than before. Today, Pastor Ricky will remind you that only God can bring new abundant life in a way that nothing else can. He brings transformation to you through the Holy Spirit within you. The Spirit will empower and fill you to cause you to become more like Christ. He's like water in a dry desert to your soul. When you seek Him, He will refresh you, and renew you, and fill your life with Himself.
Behold - Good News for the Bruised and Fainthearted, Part 2
When you’re bruised and damaged from trials and pain in this life, the help the world offers is empty. All the self-help books, meditation, positive thoughts won’t do for you what the Lord God offers to do for you. Pastor Ricky will explain today the tenderness in which God cares for you. God sees the justice needed throughout the whole world but He also sees and knows your hurt. He's a personal and intimate savior who deeply loves you. He will tenderly restore you. He will strengthen you to continue in this world.
Behold - Good News for the Bruised and Fainthearted, Part 1
Idols. They're not just statues of gold that you worship. They are in fact anything you worship, serve or elevate above God. You may seek joy, peace, comfort, and justice in an idol, you'll eventually become enslaved to it. Yet, it's completely empty and useless. Today, Pastor Ricky will reveal that Jesus is the only good, powerful One who can and will accomplish all things like joy and peace in your life and heart. What He gives is lasting and strong. He won't leave you empty and disappointed but fulfilled and satisfied.
Behold - Four Words of Comfort, Part 2
It's easy to believe, after failing the Lord again, that maybe this time, God's plan or purposes would fail. The enemy will try to convince you that you've ruined all God intends to do. Yet as Pastor Ricky will explain today, because of God's faithfulness, all of His plans will be accomplished. And amazingly, He will still use you as a part of what He's doing despite your flaws and failings. He’ll remake you, bit by bit, and lead you in amazing ways towards fulfilling His purpose if you cling to Him in humility and repentance.
Behold - Four Words of Comfort, Part 1
God’s people time and time again turned away from Him despite prophetic warnings and discipline. So God sent His people into exile with their enemies. But the miracle of the story is that God didn't leave them there. He didn't abandon them. He came to them after their failure in discipline and offered them comfort. As Pastor Ricky will remind you, He reminded them that they were still His people and He was still their God. Despite any of your failures, He still loves you and He still longs for you to return to Him.
Behold - Failing and Unfailing Leadership, Part 2
Every leader both in the world and in the Bible have failed and will continue to fail. However, there's one man who never failed. Only Jesus is perfectly seamless and good. Only Jesus will forever do what is good and right. Pastor Ricky will remind you today that those leaders who truly seek to live under Jesus's rule and reign and who seek Him above all other things, will be strong. Only by relying on His power and righteousness can you lead well. And thankfully God uses flawed but faithful people in amazing ways.
Behold - Failing and Unfailing Leadership, Part 1
One thing that the Bible clearly demonstrates is that all humans fail. All of God's leaders failed God and their people, even the good ones. Humans are weak and sinful, even when you believe in God. Yet His plans and promises still stand despite all of the human failings. Today, Pastor Ricky will challenge you to recognize the imperfections of those in a place of leadership in your life. Don't place your hope and trust in them. God must be your object of trust. Trust Him, obey Him and continually return to Him when you fail.
Behold - Lean In, Part 3
Sometimes in the middle of crisis, it's hard to see the Lord. Is He even with you? Does He really have control? Today, Pastor Ricky will encourage you with the truth of God's promises. His power is unmatched by anything in the world. His wisdom far surpasses even the wisest people. When you really think about who the Lord is, you see He alone is trustworthy. Trust the Lord to act even before you know if He will. You must trust and believe in God's goodness to know that He'll act in a way that is best.