Posts with the category “shepherd-talk”

The things we allow to remain in our hearts don't simply stay where we put them. They begin to move things around. They weaken our convictions, crowd out God's Word, diminish our sensitivity to the Ho...  Read More

Knowing when and how to respond in the age of outrage is not about judgment, it is about spiritual discernment. Without it we can find ourselves caught up in matters that stir our emotions, disturb ou...  Read More

Ridgecrest has a simple mission statement… REACH THE LOST, BUILD THE BELIEVER, AND CONNECT the people of God to the mission and purpose of God for their lives. One of the tasks of the church has alway...  Read More

God has a will and He has a will for your life. But God’s call for your life may not always be God’s call for another’s life....  Read More

In the Christian life, God is our "Coach" and He ultimately decides what role we will play on His team. His design for our life is always the right one. We should not waste our time trying to be someo...  Read More

There are things that are sinful that we must lay aside, lest they take us over the “fall”. But there are also weights—things that we have latched onto that may not necessarily be sinful in themselves...  Read More

while the power of the Holy Spirit can’t be purchased, it can be received! It is a gift that comes when you put your faith and trust in Jesus alone as your Savior....  Read More

The promise that truth is relative and that everyone can simply create their own reality has proven to be bankrupt. It has failed to provide the common sense, moral clarity, and biblical answers that ...  Read More

These findings suggest that while many Americans have some exposure to Scripture, relatively few engage with it consistently enough for it to shape their beliefs, values, and daily decisions....  Read More

In his book Heal Your Hurting Mind, Author and Pastor Craig Groeschel references Romans 8:5-6, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live...  Read More

All students of scripture and prophecy should watch carefully the current events, treaties, and alignments going on in the middle east. This past week America and Iran, contrary to what we were told, ...  Read More

In an article titled "The Empire State Building Tracks Nearby Bees’ Buzzing," for the Wall Street Journal, Clara Hudson writes…“The Empire State Building is now wired to detect the wingbeat of a butte...  Read More

America is just a few weeks away from celebrating its 250th anniversary. The American experiment as it has been called is unlike anything in history. No other nation/state empire has ever been establi...  Read More

Many years ago, Harry A. Ironside, the great Bible teacher, was riding on a train in Southern California one Saturday when a gypsy got on and sat beside him. "How do you do, gentleman," she said. "You...  Read More

Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn’t famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murde...  Read More

The phrase "Be afraid, be very afraid" was a tagline from the 1986 horror flick The Fly. Google the phrase and you'll get over 180 million results for that phrase. But the trick is to be appropriately...  Read More

Here's how several elementary school students answered the following questions about moms:Why did God make mothers? • She's the only one who knows where the Scotch tape is. • Mostly to clean the house...  Read More

No place is deemed useless by God. While you may not be in a prison right now, you might find yourself in a challenging, unjust, or undesirable situation. Regardless of the circumstances, let it becom...  Read More

Isn’t it ironic that many of those who protest Christian values, who try to marginalize Christianity, who speak out for godless ideas and affirm godless morality do not even realize that were it not f...  Read More

Are you struggling with anxiety, worry, or fear today? Take it to God in prayer, give it to God to carry, and let His peace guard your heart and mind....  Read More

The survey also reminds us that even in our secular age, many people can’t help but feel that history is headed somewhere and that there is an end ahead. This increasing belief offers the Church an im...  Read More

So this Sunday we gather to celebrate the good news of eternal life that is offered to us because Christ is alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father....  Read More

How important is blood to life? In his digital work from Amazon, Doctor Horace Smith describes the importance of human blood:Each drop of human blood contains over 5 million red cells … In an average ...  Read More

So don’t believe all the misinformation by those who wish to see the demise of religious faith. It’s not happening like they’d hoped. God has always had a people and always will!...  Read More

I know you’ve heard about the National Spelling Bee. But have you heard about the National Bible Bee? In terms of memorization and recitation, it makes the National Spelling Bee look like a game of ti...  Read More

If you’ve been feeling a little ODD lately, counter it by renewing your spiritual wardrobe......  Read More

After the fall of the Syrian regime in December 2024, CNN reporter Clarissa Ward was led deep into a Syrian prison where the Assad regime imprisoned, tortured, and killed thousands of people. This par...  Read More

Maybe you are not there, but if you want to keep growing why not make a goal of reading at least one book a month this year. So, with that in mind, I thought I would suggest some of my recent favorite...  Read More

Since I am currently preaching on “Lessons for Life…” I thought I would share a few things that I’ve learned through these years....  Read More

The point is, God sets the rules, and He has the authority to do so. We do not vote on His commands or nullify them by preference....  Read More

Next Sunday, February 1st, we will once again affirm God’s Word through obedient biblical tithing. We’ve been doing this annual affirmation of tithing for over a decade now and have watched God bless ...  Read More

Think about how different your relationship to Christ can be in 2026 if you apply the practices of a champion athlete to your walk with Christ....  Read More

The truth remains that there is really only one way to deal with our past painful memories or consequences of sin....  Read More

As we prepare for Christmas it is wise to reflect on where our time is going. Are we dedicating our time to the things that really matter like family, friends, fellowship, and most importantly our Fai...  Read More

The gift of Jesus Christ is unprecedented in scope, nothing has ever come close to its value, and it is matchless in its impact on humanity bringing eternal hope and salvation. ...  Read More

We may be tempted to think Lincoln’s statement of gratitude was inappropriate, naïve, or even offensive. Reading the entire text of Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, however, disabuses the modern r...  Read More

Each year we make a significant gift from our “Reach the World” offering to the “Lottie Moon” Christmas offering. In fact we consider this element of our mission giving as one of our major mission par...  Read More

behind that mission statement are the core Biblical values that shape our tasks and purpose. Let me remind you of what they are:...  Read More

I grew up during the late 60’s and early to late 70’s, a period that has come to be known as the “Jesus Revolution.” It was during these years that thousands of young people, particularly the “hippie”...  Read More

In last week’s message on Stephen, I talked a bit about miracles… this week, I came across an article from Emily Brown for Relevant Magazine titled, “Think You’ve Never Witnessed a Miracle? Think Agai...  Read More