Ring of Truth

Are you filled with the fuel of the Holy Spirit? If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you have the Holy Spirit living in you. All we have to do is remember that the Spirit is our fuel and rely upon Him. In his message today, Pastor Dan will remind you to let your light burn brightly. Just like a candle needs wax or oil, you need the Holy Spirit, so stay connected. Read your Bible, and pray constantly. Tap into the spring of life that is already living in you, then God’s love and truth will spill out of you and shine.

Are you living in the darkness or in the light? We all have sin in our lives, and it’s easy to be ashamed of that sin. We want to cover it up, so people will think we’re good Christians. In today’s message, Pastor Dan will challenge you to walk in the light. Don’t keep your sin in the darkness. Jesus has cleansed you from your sin. You are a new creation, and you are seen as pure in God’s sight. If you try to hide your sin, you’re giving it the power to grow. Live in the light, so you can have honest relationships.

Are you trying to reach God or let Him reach you? We often think the work of “finding” God is done by our own power and our own ability to be pure and perfect, but the truth is God has done all the work. In his message today, Pastor Dan will teach about God’s tabernacle in the Old Testament and how even the layout of the tabernacle was a picture of how God is moving out from His dwelling place to encounter us. God wants to encounter you. He is reaching out and pursuing you. All you have to do is let Him in.

When was the last time you spent extended time with God? When did you last just rest in His presence? Sometimes we’re embarrassed to say it’s been a while. We think maybe it’s been too long and God isn’t waiting for us anymore. In today’s message, Pastor Dan will teach you that God is always available. His table is always set for you to join Him. If it’s been too long, God is not going to reprimand you. God is going to be happy that you are taking time to be with Him. Have some quiet time with God today.

Are you trying with all your might to hold onto God? Are you working on doing religion perfectly? We can try and try to follow the rules, but that isn’t how we earn God’s love. In his message today, Pastor Dan will encourage you to see things differently. You can try to hold onto God, but the truth is that He’s holding onto you. Does that make you relax your grip a little bit? Rest in the knowledge that you don’t have to work so hard to earn God’s love. Let God hold on to you and transform you into the image of Christ.

Aren’t you glad that you are continually forgiven, that your mercies are new every day? In the Old Testament, the priests would go once a year into the Tabernacle, into the holy of holies, and atone for Israel’s sins, so that the people’s sins were forgiven. Then they had to wait a whole year for their sins to be forgiven again. In his message today, Pastor Dan will remind you how amazing it is that Jesus has made the sacrifice for your sin and is always in the Holy of Holies in heaven, constantly making atonement for your sin. You don’t have to wait a year to be forgiven.

As much as we tend to look at the Old Testament as bloody and judgmental, God displayed His mercy and grace in ways that are often overlooked. While there were times when He carried out judgment on wicked men - He is a just God after all - He also showed kindness and patience repeatedly as He worked with Israel and their inclination to rebel. As Pastor Dan will point out in today’s message, even in the structure of His tabernacle, God points to His merciful, forgiving nature, not His judgment.

What a fascinating parallel. In today’s message, Pastor Dan will help us see the connection between the design of the Tabernacle - prescribed nearly fifteen hundred years before Jesus’ coming - and His divine nature. He was a humble, common man, and you wouldn’t have thought anything of Him just from looking at Him. He wasn’t wealthy. He wasn’t a model a bodybuilder or a politician. He was a carpenter and there was nothing remarkable about His appearance. Yet, He was the incarnation of God.

God had very detailed requirements for the building of the tabernacle. He chose materials and designs that were meaningful to Himself and His people. Yet, as Pastor Dan will point out in today’s message, despite the ornate, valuable items found inside, the exterior was kept much more simple. Apart from its size, it would have looked like a tent. Yet, God dwelt in it. It offers us a symbol not only of Jesus, who came in the humble form of a man but of the way that the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts now.

Even in the age of frozen dinners, fast food, and eating in front of the TV, most of us still value sitting down to dine with the people we care about. Whether your everyday meals are given this reverence or not, you can likely think of special times each year when you make it a priority to slow down and eat a meal with your loved ones. As Pastor Dan will point out in today’s message, this practice bore a lot more significance in ancient culture, as does Jesus’ promise to serve us and eat with us when He returns.

As we study the book of Exodus with Pastor Dan, we’ll be frequently reminded of just how complicated and messy the Old Covenant was. It was a work of mercy and grace that God allowed the Israelites an opportunity to commune with Him, but it was all indirect, through priests, offerings, and temples. But because of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, we now can approach God - the Creator of the Universe - on a daily basis and He wants to listen and speak to our hearts.

Why has mankind, from past to present, routinely gone against what God commands of us? Today, Pastor Dan will highlight the Lord’s expectations of the Israelites as they acquire land. So much of our walk with the Lord simply comes down to trusting and obeying Him! No matter what enticing alternatives we come across, or what may seem “best,” God’s ways are always best! Are you quick to trust and obey the Lord in your life? He wants to guide you in a manner that is perfect and true!

Does it sometimes feel like those who do evil in our world are either celebrated or “given a pass?” In today’s message, Pastor Dan will teach about God’s Law given in Exodus, and how it rewarded the righteous. What a concept - living righteously is the best standard for a government! We know that our calling as a Christ-follower will always trump our status as a citizen of this world. What is your guide for righteous living? The Lord gave His Word as the perfect roadmap for life now and eternal!

Who actually rejoices when they are slandered? In today’s teaching, Pastor Dan will show where Jesus said that false accusations can come with being a Christ-follower. Sometimes in our world, it can feel like truth is scoffed at, while lies are celebrated. Jesus knew that the Truth of the Gospel would contradict the patterns of this world. Even in the midst of performing great miracles, Jesus was still rejected! How can you continue to live boldly for Christ, even when others don’t approve?

Premarital sex is very much a norm in our culture, but Scripture makes no mistake in its stand against it. Today, Pastor Dan will teach on The Lord’s standards about this topic for those in the Old Testament. There can be a ripple effect of emotional consequences as a result of sexual sin, but there were real practical consequences in the Old Testament as well. God knew that even though our flesh may desire such sins, His Will for us to abstain is what is best. You will never regret obedience to God!

Our culture is quick to assume the worst of others, but Scripture states that love believes and hopes. In today’s message, Pastor Dan will encourage listeners to give people the benefit of the doubt, when applicable. Of course, we know that some situations are scarred by previous sins, but even in our worst state, Jesus still loves and desires relationship with us. This is a high calling that can only be made possible through the Holy Spirit! How can you show greater love, by your hope and belief of others in your life?

Are you often looking to deflect blame for your own sins? In today’s teaching, Pastor Dan will walk listeners through God’s Law given in Exodus 22, and how the core principle is taking responsibility for our actions. While we don’t live according to the Old Testament Law, it still provides valuable lessons for us to learn. The Lord knew back then, and knows now, that personal responsibility is a huge part of restoring what may have been broken. Where might you be able to confess and correct in your life?

Have you ever lost something important to you? I know that for me… I have probably lost more things than I’m willing to admit. Whether it be your car keys, wedding ring, or wallet - we all know the feeling of finally finding that lost item… it’s one of the best in the world! In today’s message, Pastor Dan takes us through a familiar story of the prodigal son. Throughout today’s message, you will hear the characteristics of Jesus and how incredibly much his love is for you and me.

When we hear the word “slave,” we usually think of it with a negative connotation; however, what if we thought of being a slave to Christ? You see, when we as Christians truly begin to understand and grasp just how Holy God is, we begin to want nothing for ourselves anymore. In today’s message, Pastor Dan reminds us that this life here on Earth is not our own - WE are not our own. We were bought with a price and should only live our lives for the purpose and mission of Jesus Christ!

Have you ever attended a church service where you felt as though one of the leaders or something else was stealing the spotlight from what we were truly there to focus on? Unfortunately, there will be people in our lives and instances that we face where the significance of Jesus Christ will be replaced with something else. In today’s message, Pastor Dan reminds us of this and encourages us to be on guard for these things. The enemy is out to distract us in any way that he can!