Richard Ellis Talks

The Christian life is so much more than a one-time act of salvation! Sanctification is a lifelong process -- and it can also be one of life's greatest challenges. But when we allow God to tear out all the unnecessary parts of our old lives, He's able to rebuild us in a way that is pleasing and honoring to Him.

Scripture assures us that God wants to give us abundant life and a future filled with hope, regardless of the story of our past. It doesn't matter where we've come from, or what mistakes we've made. He'll write a new script for our future if we just surrender our lives to Him.

God gave Joseph a dream -- but he would experience years of hardship before it was fulfilled. Yet God used all kinds of people to give Joseph a leg up along the way in order to get him to where God needed him to be. If Joseph could trust God to bring his dream to fruition, what do we need to trust God for in our own lives, no matter how messy the situation may seem?

There are a lot of reasons that fish jump out of their tanks, but all ultimately boil down to this: they think it's better on the other side. We can be a lot like those fish when we yearn for what we don't have instead of being fully present where God's placed us. Instead of looking back at the things from which God has redeemed and rescued us, let's learn to be content where He's put us today -- because it's there that He provides everything we need!

As followers of Christ, we're living advertisements of the change that God can make in someone's heart and life. There are opportunities all around us to spread the hope of the Gospel, but we have to watch for them and be ready to respond. When we share the Good News, we're making war on hell and we'll face opposition from the enemy, but if God's called us to it, He'll see us through it.

Scripture's filled with stories of men who stood strong in their faith and allowed God to transform them into world-changers. But did you know God wants to do the same with you? He calls us to be warriors of the faith -- and all we have to do is submit our lives to Him, then watch as He uses us to set the world on fire for His glory.

Giants come in all forms -- but the one thing they have in common is that when we face them, they can seem impossible to defeat. God wants to bring us to a place where we step out in faith and trust that He'll intervene on our behalf. When we allow Him to work through us to do above and beyond what we can do by ourselves, He's glorified in the outcome and His power can topple the giants in front of us.

We can buy the bull that the world is selling, or we can build our lives on the truth of the Bible. The devil will always offer us deals that seem good in the moment, but they come with heavy consequences. When we surround ourselves with the wisdom and promises of God's Word, we're better able to avoid the enemy's traps and live according to the Lord's instruction.

Our purpose in life is to give God our best and do anything for ourselves after -- but too often we get that backwards and do everything for ourselves first while giving God what's left over. Career, money, fame or material possessions will never bring us true joy, but when we're obedient to God and put His call on our lives first, He utilizes us for His work and blesses us in the process.

We have a tendency to point fingers at certain sins more than others, like when people have sex outside of marriage or abuse drugs and alcohol. But what about gluttony? Scripture is clear that the struggle with food is as much a sin as any other -- and like any sinful behavior, it requires repentance to God and accountability to others to keep from falling back into our old patterns.

If you've ever prayed, "God, I thank You that at least I'm not like *insert someone else's name here*", then here's the good news: you're not alone! We have a tendency to compare our actions with other people's in order to look better or less sinful than we really are. The truth is this: we ALL fall short of God's standard. Instead of trying to minimize our own sin, we need to accept that we're sinners, too, and repent so He can work in and through us.

The next time you think God can't use you because of your past mistakes, just open the Bible! Scripture is filled with examples of people who messed up time and again. But God still had a plan and purpose for their lives, and He has one for us too, if only we're willing to listen.

What does it look like to pray with persistence? Scripture tells the story of a widow who continued to ask an unsympathetic judge for retribution on someone who wronged her. Eventually, the judge gave in -- all because the widow refused to stop asking! God wants us to come to Him with this same level of unwavering resolve. When we ask for something, let's believe in faith that He will provide and refuse to relent until He answers.

Did you know that our lives are always producing fruit? But the type of fruit we produce depends on how deeply rooted we are in Christ. When we're connected to Him, we produce the good fruits like love, joy, and peace -- and when others see what we have, they want the same life transformation we've experienced.

Scripture assures us that no amount of effort on our part can cause God to love us any more or any less. He offers us complete remission from the debt our sin has caused, free of charge. But in order for His gift of forgiveness to be of any use to us, we first have to accept it -- and when we do, we find ourselves better able to forgive others, in turn.

When it comes to doing the right thing, we have to first be WILLING to do the right thing. We're incapable in and of ourselves of always choosing to do what's right. But God walks with us through the process of making us willing, and as He works in us, He follows through with the doing.

God wants to speak TO us, but He also wants to speak THROUGH us! And if God prompts us to speak, then He'll give us the words to say. We're called to reach others by sharing the power of the Gospel and its impact in our lives, but in order to do so, we have to let Him use us the way He sees fit.

It's one thing to pray for someone to come to a place of repentance towards God and to turn their life around. It's another thing to pray as if we're expecting to actually happen. Let's believe for heart transformation and be like the father of the prodigal son, ready to party as we welcome them home!

It takes courage to persevere in the midst of tough times. But when we recognize that nothing and nobody is stronger than the God who lives within us, we find the fortitude to face whatever battles come our way. As we do so, we can serve as an encouragement to others who might be facing similar struggles and show them the hope they need to keep going.

Jesus sacrificed more than just His blood when He was nailed to the cross on our behalf; He sacrificed Himself. Because of the price He paid, we've been offered the gift of forgiveness from our sin. His blood washes us clean so we can live in right relationship with God -- and guilt and shame no longer have a hold on us.

God's promised in His Word to give us a future and a hope. But until we let go of the sin that marks our past, we'll never be able to grab hold of what He offers for our future. When we allow His power to overcome our sin, we ensure that the future won't be a repeat of the past, but a new life of freedom in Him!

It can seem like this life will stretch on forever. But in reality, our time on earth is a blink in the scope of eternity. Scripture teaches us that our lives are like a vapor, here one moment and gone the next, so we've got to use what limited time we have to do honor the Lord and do His will.

WE may have the right to do something without it being sinful for us -- but if our actions cause somebody else to stumble, then it's not the right thing to do. We can make choices that might not be "wrong", but that doesn't always mean they're wise. As believers, let's be aware of other people's struggles and make sacrifices where needed to help them walk in the right direction instead of being a stumbling block for their sin.

Scripture tells us that as believers, we walk by faith and not by sight. The Bible itself is filled with stories that seem crazy to many, but those who believe are given the privilege of seeing and experiencing the power of God. And the best part is this: the miracles that Jesus performed when He walked on earth are the same miracles that continue to happen today through us, the Body of Christ!

One of the biggest gifts wrapped up in God's design for His Church is the blessing of being part of a community. God never intended for us to suffer or celebrate alone and in isolation. We're all part of the Body of Christ -- and when one part hurts or rejoices, the whole Body needs to hurt or rejoice alongside that part.

The taming of the tongue comes directly from the Holy Spirit. Without it, we lack a filter not only for our mouths, but for our hearts and our minds. But just as animals can be tamed to obey commands, God can tame us so that we can obey Him. Instead of trying to filter our thoughts and words through our own doing, we should focus on growing our relationship with the Lord so that HE can do that work in us.

Pride is one of the biggest barriers that prevents us from turning to God. The Bible promises that one day, every knee will bow before Him, but we can't wait until eternity to do so. When we submit ourselves to Him here on earth, He's able to carry out His plan and His purpose for us -- and no matter how far gone we think we may be, there's hope for anyone who's prepared to yield their will to His.

No matter what comes AT us, if Jesus is IN us then nothing will never be able to destroy us. Sometimes God uses our suffering for His glory. He can magnify all circumstances, including our struggles, to reach people we may have never come across otherwise -- and if we allow Him to work through us, He'll sustain us in the process.

Scripture makes it clear that God values commitment from His children. That's why obedience to Him isn't a "one-and-done" act, it's a daily pursuit! The same goes for our prayers; He invites us to ask Him for anything according to His will and to continue to ask until He answers our request.

We've all been guilty at some point of pretending to be someone we're not. We often put on a facade for the rest of the world to see, but when we let Christ manifest Himself through us, we don't have to pretend to be anyone, because we allow ourselves to become His image-bearers. In every situation, Jesus was led by the Spirit, and we too also have to be Spirit-led so that in every step we take, we're portraying the image of Christ to others.

Have you ever considered that when someone else prays for God to send them help, His answer to that prayer might be...you? He wants to use us to reach other people with the Gospel and the love of Christ, but we have to listen for His voice and obey when He calls. Following Jesus means being willing to do whatever it takes to help others -- before it's too late.

The Bible is clear that we're slaves no matter what -- but it's up to us who the Master will be. We can choose to be slaves to sin and allow the devil to run our lives, or we can be slaves to God and to righteousness. And even when we disobey Him, He still extends His grace to us.

There are people in this world who have no idea that there's a spiritual battle going on for their soul. But the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and when people live wickedly, the enemy wins. It's our job as Christians to put on the armor of God and fight for them by sharing Christ's love and His offer of salvation.

There's a difference between being a committed follower of Christ and being a ticketholder of salvation! God offers the latter to all who believe in Him and accept His free gift of eternal life with Him. But beyond that, Jesus offers us the chance to take up our own cross and follow Him -- and while that road is far less traveled, it's also far more rewarding.

Ask yourself two questions: What type of person are you when life gets difficult, and who do you run to in those tough times? We each face difficulties in life, and we each have a choice on how we're going to handle those challenges. Even during the storms, we can trust God in the meantime and allow ourselves to be filled with His peace and joy to sustain us.

Just like Jesus picked His disciples to walk with Him during His earthly ministry, Scripture tells us that God has chosen us for the privilege of being in relationship with Him. We can choose to stay rooted in our past and find reasons why He shouldn't pick us. Or, we can accept His love for us and choose to move forward in a life of obedience to Him!

Whatever we fill ourselves with is what will be poured out of us to the world in turn. When we fill our hearts with the truth of God's Scripture, He presents us with opportunities to speak to others about Him. Our words make a difference when they have His power behind them -- and that difference has the ability to make an eternal impact on someone else's life.

Our lives are meant to magnify God through the hope, peace, and joy that He offers us -- regardless of the circumstances around us. Whatever He chooses for us, it's up to us to remember that our lives are meant to magnify Him in all situations. And when other people look at our lives, may they see His greatness through the hope we find in Him!

Would you describe yourself as the type of person to minimize drama, or the kind who loves to stir up strife? The Bible's filled with verses that instruct us to use wisdom when it comes to choosing every word that comes out of our mouths. The only One who can train our tongue and control our words is Jesus, and through Him we're empowered to speak in love and build one another up instead of tearing each other down.

The Christian life is about constant pursuit of God through Scripture and gathering together as believers. Instead of letting the change He’s made in our lives fade out and get to a point of rejecting Him, let's be intentional in pressing on to learn about Him more and allow Him to continue molding and shaping us.