Messages

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: Solitary Confinement
Message by Dr. Rick Mandl, January 14th, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist Church
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
 
 
Hey church family. I want to talk to you about a subject that I’m going to guess, most of you don’t spend a lot of time thinking about. . . And that subject is “Solitary Confinement.”
 
But before we get into that I want to extend an invitation for you to join us for Live Worship in our parking lot beginning this coming Sunday morning – – and each Sunday following at 11:00AM. You may think – – – that’s a kind of a strange segue – – to go from Solitary Confinement to Parking Lot Worship. Hopefully the connection will become clearer as I move forward.
 
This worldwide pandemic that we’re going through – – -and the shutdown that goes along with it – – has affected different people in different ways. There is no doubt a tiny subset of people that don’t mind it too much. Now make no mistake, they are very concerned about the affect that it’s having on others. They see the number of deaths, and hospitalizations, and they see what it has done to businesses, and they weep with those who weep, but on a personal level . . . They’re still working . . . . They’re working from home – – – which is something that they would have loved to do, but were not allowed by their bosses to do – – pre-pandemic. And because of this shift they have eliminated a monster commute that they had to do (oftentimes more than an hour each way at the beginning and end of each work day – with a lot of that time spent stuck in traffic). Now they’re working from home, so for them an 8 hour day is truly an 8-hour day, not a 10 or 11 hour day. And although they are stuck at home. They’re not stuck there alone. They’re with their family. So they still have community – – And I know that spending that much time in close quarters, even with those you love can bring challenges.
 
But on the other hand… Think about it this way… For some people their ideal vacation is to be able to travel – – To go and get away from home. For others, when they have time off, their ideal is to do a “Staycation.” Not to go anywhere, but just to stay home with those they love. I know what you’re thinking… You’re thinking “Yes, but there’s something called Too Much Of A Good Thing”
And even for those who enjoy their family, they feel like they passed that point about 10 months ago.
 
Anyhow, back to my subject… Solitary Confinement… Did you know that according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are more than 80,000 men, women, and children in solitary confinement in prisons across the United States? That is more than any other democratic nation. Which is just another example of how when it comes to the U.S. “We’re number one!” But I digress. . .
 
When in solitary, prisoners are typically confined to a 6 x 12 cell… 23 hours a day, with nothing but a small sink and toilet to look at. Solitary confinement was first introduced in America in the late  18th century, and at that time it wasn’t intended to be a punishment. In fact, solitary was first put into practice at U.S. prisons by a pacifist spiritual community called the Quakers, as part of an experiment to improve prison conditions and rehabilitate inmates. Prisoners were placed in solitary confinement so they could contemplate their crimes and perhaps become repentant.
Imagine 23 hours a day, in a bathroom-sized cell, under florescent lights that never go off, under 24-hour video surveillance, not really speaking or hearing from anyone.
 
All that time for you, to just think about your mistakes and missed opportunities…the people you’ve hurt and time you’ve wasted.
Maybe that is why although prisoners in solitary confinement account for just 5 % of the total prison population. . . They account for nearly half of its suicides. No one wants that much time alone.
 
I’ve talked to some people in our church family who’ve told me that for them this whole “Stay At Home” thing feels like prison. They feel like they’ve been sentenced to Solitary Confinement. That’s probably a slight exaggeration.
 
On the cross, Jesus took solitary confinement to a whole new level. Jesus’ death took about six hours. His hands and feet were nailed to wooden beams at 9:00 a.m. He spent the next six hours in excruciating pain. As darkness descended in the middle of the day, the Son of God screamed, “Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani?”
In a mixture of Hebrew and Aramaic, Jesus cried out the most bone-chilling words in human history. . . That cry translates. . . “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” It is the most unique and mysterious statement that Jesus ever made. From the cross He spoke to His Father in a way He never had before, and never will again. Because of this statement, we know that Jesus was at the peak of His agony.
 
Throughout His beatings, whether it be the crown of thorns placed on his head, and even the nails piercing His body He had never said a word. But when He felt the separation from God that sin brings – as the sins of the world were piled upon Him – it was more than He could take. In all of His humanity, all He could do was scream, “Why?” In His questioning, His brokenness, we see ourselves…because we have all asked that same question… “Why, God?”
 
A mother who loses a newborn child. A father who has to watch his 10-year-old die of cancer. The single mom trying to raise four children on minimum wage whose husband abandoned her for another woman. A faithful employee of 25 years who gets a pink slip without warning. There are no shortage of “Whys?” Because there is no shortage of pain.
 
But Christ’s punishment brought our peace… His loneliness ensures our fellowship with God forever. Because of the cross, we don’t have to live in the solitary confinement of regret, hurt, or even sin. Because He was willing to have God forsake Him… We never have to worry about God forsaking us. Jesus’ death and resurrection put an end to mankind’s solitary confinement for all time. Through faith, we can be united with Christ forever… Fully accepted, never alone, and always loved.
 
If you’re at all feeling isolated, abandoned, forsaken by others. Take a moment and thank God for his promise. . . Hebrews 13:5 (ESV) tells us. . . . “He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” And if you’re one of those who feels like you’ve been sentenced to solitary during this whole Stay At Home thing. . . Join us in our parking lot this Sunday at 11:00. Bring along your mask and your camp chair and we’ll look forward to seeing you
 
For the rest of you . . . All of our online services will continue uninterrupted at their regular times. Looking forward to seeing you in person or online this weekend. God bless.
 
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
  

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Has anyone ever told you that “You’re an answer to prayer”? Judy Mandl looks at John 17:17 and reminds us that it’s possible for you and me to become an answer to a prayer that Jesus prayed.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Reflecting on Acts 2:46 and Acts 16:3-5 and Matthew 28:19-20, Pastor Andrew reminds us that you and I were saved for a purpose. God has given each of us a mission and it’s not one we were ever intended to complete on our own.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Raquel Blanchard looks at Psalm 40:1-2 and reminds us that everything comes to us at the right moment and that as we wait for that moment we need to be patient.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: What Are You Boasting About?Message By: Dr. Rick Mandl, January 12, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist ChurchRecorded in Los Angeles, CA.
 
Hey church family. Here’s a question for you to ponder. And my question is . . . “What are you boasting about?” Not sure??? Well check your social media feeds, and it might give you some ideas.
 
One person who wouldn’t have had a hard time answering that question was the Apostle Paul. Paul knew what he boasted about, and what makes that even more remarkable is that he lived in a time before social media. When it came to boasting, here’s what Paul said. . . . At the end of 2 Corinthians chapter 11 Paul said, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (v 30).
 
If you take time to read Second Corinthians chapter eleven, you will find the things that the Apostle Paul decided to boast about were things like… The fact that he had been in prison more times… The fact that he had been been beaten more times… The fact that he had been been closer to death from being beaten by his own countrymen and foreign occupiers… The fact that he had been been shipwrecked, spent a day and night floating in the open sea… The fact that he had faced dangers of every kind, and has been thirsty and hungry not knowing where the food and water would come from. These are the things that the Apostle Paul boasted about . . .
 
You read on into 2 Corinthians 12 and you’ll see Paul talking about THIS THING – – – and we don’t know what it was – – but he referred to it as “a thorn in the flesh.” It could have been a physical ailment – – It could have been something else. Whatever it was, he said, he prayed three times that God would remove it – – He writes. . .  (2 Corinthians 12:8-10) “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time GOD said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’”
 
Paul follows that up by saying . . . So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” If you look at your life . . . And you don’t feel like you see much that you can boast about . . . Let me encourage you to look at it through the lens that the Apostle Paul used when he looked at his. . . Every place where you see weakness. . . Realize that, that is a place where God has the opportunity to demonstrate his strength.
 
Not all boasting is necessarily bad. It’s all about what we’re boasting in. 2 Corinthians 10:17 tells us. . . “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” My prayer is that HE would be our reason for boasting – – – AMEN
 
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Do you ever feel inadequate for all of the challenges that life is throwing at you? Do you ever feel as though you don’t have what it takes to handle everything that comes your way? Judy Mandl reflects on a number of passages to remind us of the truth that even if we’re not enough, Jesus is.

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Devotional Manuscript: God Is For UsMessage By: Dr. Rick Mandl, January 11, 2021, Eagle Rock Baptist ChurchRecorded in Los Angeles, CA.
 
Hey church family. I’ve got one verse of scripture for you today. And to focus it even more specifically – – four words within that one verse. That one verse is Romans 8:31 which says, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” And the four words I want to ask you to focus on are . . . God is for us. God is for us. God is on our side. God wants what is best for us in all things. God will never leave us or forsake us.
 
Sometimes it’s easy to believe those words. What about the times when it’s not? What about the times when it seems like God is far away? How can we learn to hold on to this truth when it doesn’t feel true? One thing that’s important to realize is that those four words – God is for us – are the response to a question posed by the Apostle Paul at the beginning of the verse. Romans 8:31 asks, “What, then, shall we say in response to these things?” The answer Paul gives, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
 
I believe the key to knowing that God is for us, no matter the circumstances or feelings we face, is found within the phrase, “these things.” What “things” is Paul referring to that should automatically elicit the response, “God is for us?”
 
To answer this question, we must look at what Paul had previously written in Romans 8. He has told us (verse 1), that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus He has told us (verse 2), that we have been set free from the law of sin and death. He has told us (verse 14), that those led by the Spirit are children of God. He has told us (verse 15), that we have been given the Spirit of adoption. He has told us (verse 17), that we are co-heirs with Christ. He has told us  (verse 26), the Spirit Himself intercedes for us. He has told us  (verse 28), in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. He told us in verse (verse 29) we have been predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.
 
Then he asks the question: In light of all of these things that God has done, what should we say in response? Is there any other conclusion we could come to apart from the conclusion that God is for us? And if God is for us, who could be against us? So the next time you don’t feel like God is for you, let me encourage you to read through Romans chapter 8 and be reminded of all of “these things” He has done to demonstrate His love and faithfulness. Whatever we face in this life is temporary, but His gifts are eternal. This is all the reason we need to believe that God is for us – Amen!
 
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
 
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” Looking at Jesus’ words from a story recorded in Luke 10:25-37, Judy Mandl reminds us that not a lot has changed in terms of human nature in 2,000 years when it comes to how we respond to God’s conviction in our life.

A message from the series “In God We Trust.” Sermon Manuscript: In God We Trust Message 2- Under The Influence
Sermon preached by Dr. Rick Mandl, Eagle Rock Baptist Church, January 9 & 10, 2021
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
As we come together for worship this weekend, we extend our love and condolences to the family of Romo Cantal. Long-time member here at ERBC, very involved in service, loved to share his faith, loved to share God’s Word. By vocation, Romeo was a civil engineer who worked in construction as president of the Cantal Construction Company, but he knew his calling, and his passion was to share Jesus Christ – every opportunity he had. This led him to be involved with an organization called “The Gideons” who most people think of as the ones who put those Bibles in hotel rooms – the Gideon BiblesBut more than that they are people who are dedicated making God’s Word available to everyone. Toward that end they’ve worked to take God’s Word in 95 languages to 200 countries around the world.Romie was known to many here in our church family through his year’s of ministry at ERBC.
But funnily during this pandemic which has closed many of our churches when it came to meeting face to face, Romie became known to many more in our church family, through his participation at our Saturday night online services. Romie would regularly post in the chat box, as he watched the service from his home in Glendale, and would welcome, and introduce us, online to friends of his who were watching from the Philippines. It was three year’s ago that we said goodbye to Romie’s wife Lorna, who went to be with Jesus. And so, while our prayers are with the Cantal family upon the occasion of Romie’s homegoing – we do give thanks that Romie and Lorna are together again, with the Lord they loved. Would you pray with me . . .
Father, as we’re going through a teaching series called “In God We Trust” – I’m glad that as we’re saying goodbye to member of our church family, we can do so knowing that he lived a life characterized by trusting in you. Romie trusted in you day by day as he walked with Jesus, And prior to that he made the decision to place his trust in his Lord Jesus Christ for his salavation and because of that . . . Not because of his good works . . . But because of the work of Jesus on the cross . . . He’s with you now. May you comfort family and friends with the anticipation of a reunion when they join him in your heaven – – – Thank you for his life – – For a life well lived in service to you – – In Jesus’ Name.
Hey church family. These are trying times for our nation. I don’t have to tell you that. You only have to turn on the t.v. to see it for yourself.And because of that it’s a good time to ask ourselves, as we’re looking at what’s going on around us and as we’re lookin to the future. . . What are we hoping in? What are we trusting in? Today what I’d like to do is to take a step back and let God’s Word reset our hearts and prepare us to continue to trust in Him and walk with Him no matter what the future holds.
We begin with a verse from 1 Peter 5:6, that says, “Humble yourselves…” Pause there for a moment. Why is it important for us to humble ourselves? It’s important because, there is one God, and we’re not Him. Whoever is sitting in the office at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is not him. And so it’s important to we keep that perspective it’s good to “humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).
Today I want us to think about what it means to live “Under God”In fact, you might want to underline that part of the verse in your notes . . . Just those words. . . UNDER GOD. And I want us to consider the question of how do we, as followers of Christ, live under God in a culture that’s becoming increasingly hostile toward God? How do we, as disciples of Jesus, faithfully serve him, faithfully live for him, faithfully represent him in a culture that’s becoming increasingly hostile toward God.
I want to talk about how we live under God. But before we talk about how we live under God, I want to first try to identify and help you identify in your own walk. . . What it is that you’re actually living under right now. In fact, I’m gonna show you a scale that will come up on your screen with the numbers between 1 and 10. And I want you to try to place yourself on this scale. When you look at your own life, what is that’s influencing you? Are you under the influence of God? Is he influencing most of your decisions, directing your steps, moving your emotions and leading you every single day? Or would you say you’re more under the influence of culture… The systems of this world, the thinking of this culture.
If you’re someone who would say, “I don’t even believe in God. Then obviously you’re over on the left on this scale You’re under culture. Maybe you would give yourself a one or a two.” Or you might say. . “No, I’m really, really passionate about the things of God, I’m under God.” I’m going to give myself a 10. Don’t give yourself a 10. You’re not a 10. Jesus is a 10. You might be a nine, but you’re not a 10. But what I want you to do, is try to think about, what are you under? What’s influencing you?
Maybe to break it down you could think about some different categories. Let’s start with like, “What entertains you?” Think about that for a moment. I want you to think about whenever you watch something, enjoy something, listen to something . . . Would you say that you’re more under the influence of God? Meaning before you watch a show on Netflix, before you listen to some music, before you read something, before you open up social media, you’re thinking consciously asking, “Is this pleasing to God? Is this going to help build my faith?” And if the answer is no, you might stay away from it. If the answer is yes, you might go toward it. Would you say that which entertains you is influenced by God?Or would you say you’re more under culture? In other words, you’re kinda entertained by whatever is recommended next, perhaps on Netflix. Doesn’t matter if it’s God honoring.. Doesn’t matter if it’s filthy. . . If it’s funny, or if it’s high quality — that may be good enough for you. When it comes to the music you listen to, or what you read.. Are you more under culture or are you more under God?
Let’s talk about another category. When it comes to your money. Maybe you get paid once a week, once every two weeks. When you you have money, what influences what you do with your money? Would you say that you’re really, really, really under God. Like you recognize this comes from God is a gift from God, so much so that I wanna worship God with the very first that comes in. I wanna give him the tithe, because I know this comes from God. And then you recognize, “I really want to honor God with what I have. You want to be a good steward. Sure, I’m going to enjoy some, but more than that I’m gonna use what I have to make a difference in this world.Again, “When it comes to your money, are you really under the influence of God?
Or would you say, it’s probably more under the influence of culture? In other words, you probably don’t even think about God. And IF you’re gonna give to God, it’s not first, it’s probably last, It’s from whatever’s leftover if you can afford to. Because culture drives and consumes your spending and you find that almost whatever comes in, goes out because you see the ad and you want it. And you think, “If I have that, I’ll be happy.”
What about the WORDS that you speak? Think about the last week, just what you said during the week. Would you say that you were under the influence of God, as you were speaking to people. In other words, your words were life-giving, your words were God-honoring, your words were encouraging and pointing people toward eternity and the things that last and the things that matter. Or would you say you’re more under culture? Meaning, yeah, you kinda just go along with the flow and everybody else is griping so your griping too.And you’re tearing people down and your words are angry and sometimes hateful and often critical.
When it comes to politics you found yourself talking bad about all those LIBERAL idiots or all those CONSERVATIVE idiots or whatever it is? When it comes to your words, would you say that they’re more influenced by God? Or would you say they’re more influenced by culture?
One more category. How about your SELF-WORTH? Talking about the way you feel about yourself? Would you say that you’re under the influence of God? Meaning it doesn’t really matter what other people say about me or what they think about you. What matters most to you is who you are in Christ. And to the best that you can, you’re living your life for an audience of one rather than for the approval of others. Would you say that your self-worth is more based on what God says about you, or what others say about you?
A lot of us have never taken the time to think about what it is that influences us. And today I want to challenge you to do that, and the way I want to do that is to look at the example of an individual in the Old Testament named Daniel. Many of you have probably heard of Daniel. Most people know Daniel from the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. It’s a powerful story. But long before Daniel ever got to the lion’s den, you find another interesting story in Daniel Chapter 1. And that’s what I want us to zero in on..
Daniel was a young man who had been raised worshiping the one true God – Jehovah. But then one day an evil King named Nebuchadnezzar came with his army and invaded Daniel’s homelandNebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army invaded Jerusalem.This invading army completely destroyed Daniel’s Homeland, they burned the temple to the ground, they wrecked the city. And they took a number of young me as prisoners and transported them to Babylon where they were forced to serve as slaves. Daniel was one of those captives.
As we come to Daniel chapter 1 we find that King Nebuchadnezzar does something very interesting. The king tells one of his palace officials and he says “Go out to those slaves and pick out the best and brightest and bring them in and let them live in my palace and let them eat my food.” King Nebuchadnezzar’s desire was to raise up future leaders. So he reasoned – “If these young men were the best and brightest of Israel, maybe they have something to offer my kingdom. Maybe they will be the best and brightest now in Babylon.”So Daniel and some of his friends are chosen to come and live in the king’s palace. The plan was to Babylonianize them. You can read the story for yourself in Daniel 1:3, it says, “Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace” (Daniel 1:3-4a).
And thus began a plan, as I said to Babylonianize these young men. The chief of the king’s court officials was going to . . . He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. Stop there for a moment. Now this was not the normal food they would eat. This was food that was dedicated to pagan gods and the scripture continues and says. . . Verse 5 concludes by telling us . . . They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service. Daniel was one of several young men that was taken prisoner. And the Babylonians then changed their language, changed their education, indoctrinating them with the Babylonian views so they would be under the culture, under the thinking, they even changed their names.
Verse 6 tells us. . .  “Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.” Originally their names reflected the one true God but these young men were given new that represented the pagan gods. And as I read, they changed their diet so they wouldn’t eat that which was good, right, pure and healthy but instead would eat food that was dedicated to pagan gods. The goal was to bring these young men under the influence of the Babylonian culture.
The king reasoned, “If we can change the way they think, then we can change what they believe. And if we can change the way they think and what they believe, we can change how they will behave.” It’s a this point that Daniel’s faces his first TEST OF INTEGRITY. Long before he faced the lion’s den, Daniel faced the diet test. He said, “Will I live according to God’s standards?
The answer is found in Daniel 1:8. There we read. . . “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine…” Go ahead and underline that word . .. resolved. That word “resolved” may be the most important word in this message and so I’ll come back and unpack it in just a moment, but before I do, let me review for you what’s happened up to this point . . . Daniel has had to compromise in a lot of areas. You read his story and you’ll find that Daniel compromised in a lot of ways.
Compromise is not always a bad thing. The king says “I want these young men to dress like Babylonians.” Daniel said, “Okay, you want me to dress like a Babylonian, I’ll dress like a Babylonian.” The king says I want them to be assigned Babylonian jobs . . . Daniel said, “Not a problem – what have you got for me to do?” The king said, I want to change their names. . .give them Babylonian names. Daniel, hmmm. I’ve sure grown accustomed to the name “Daniel” – – – after all that’s what they’ve called me all my life, but . . . you want to give me a new name . . . “You want to call me Belteshazzar. . . . “Okay then Belteshazzar it is, whatever floats your boat.” He agrees to dress Babylonian. He agrees to get a Babylonian name. He agrees to take a Babylonian job. Get a Babylonian education. . .
There were a lot of ways he participated in Babylonian society. But where Scripture said “NO” he said “NO.” Daniel said “I can compromise on a lot of those cultural areas… But where the Bible says No I say No.” And in his case, it was in the area of diet. And he knew that as a Jewish young man, who was committed to live by the laws given in the Hebrew Scriptures, he couldn’t in good conscience, eat the food that was being set before him. It was food that had been sacrificed to idols. . . It was food that was not kosher. . . Again, back to verse 8 . . . But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. “Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. “At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.”
And if this weren’t a true story, you conclude it by saying that . . “They all lived happily ever after” But it is true, and it did happen, and …. It all began with that decision that Daniel made that we’re told about in verse 8 where it says. . .”But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine,” That word “Resolved” means . . . He Pre-decided. He decided in advance. . . He made a pre-determined resolution. A resolution to not live “under culture’ but “under God.” What’s interesting in that Daniel didn’t push back when they took away his name. Because he knew that was an outward label, and inwardly, he knew who he was. He didn’t push back when they enrolled him in a Babylonian course of education . . . . Or taught him the Babylonian lanuage, Or gave him a Babylonian job to do. He compromised in a number of areas. . . But he had resolved. . . He had pre-determined. . . He had decided in advance . . That he would draw a line in the sand, where God had drawn the line. And of course that pre-supposes, that you know where that is.
As we seek to be people who are “living under God” as opposed to “living under culture.” That’s going to require that we make some decisions. Trust me on this. . . Nobody stumbles into righteousness. Nobody just drifts into godliness. It starts with a decision and plan. It’s really the same as in any other area of life. We can’t halfway follow Jesus. We know this but yet we often forget it. Because we don’t recognize how much under the influence of culture we really are.
Think about any other era of your life, and ask… “Can you just kinda sorta try and become great?” Take your body. Let’s say, you wanna get healthy. What’s your plan? Well, I’m gonna work out one time a month. You think you work out one time a month to get in good shape? Good luck. Or let’s talk about your diet. Some people commit to healthy eating but then have a cheat meal once a week, One meal a week, they eat something unhealthy. You say, well how about if I try that the other way around? “I’m gonna have a healthy meal once a week, and I’m gonna get in shape.” That’s just crazy, that’s just crazy. Same with your relationships. Imagine I said to my wife, “I wanna have a really good marriage, so I’m going to be nice to you once a week.” That’s crazy, right?
And yet, for so many of us as followers of Christ, “I want to be close to God, so I may go to church once a week.” But that’s about it, nothing else. And one day we wake up wondering why we’re not closer to God. Our memory verse for this week. . . “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, That’s another way of saying. . . Don’t live under culture. Okay, don’t do that, then what’s the other option?
The other option is . . . but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2). How do you renew your mind? With God’s Word. And this weekend, while we’re still at the start of a new year, is a great time to commit to getting into God’s Word, and getting God’s Word into you. If you’ve got a plan that you’re working . . .consistently. . . to get you into God’s Word. . . Then keep on doing it. If you don’t. . . There’s a link in the box on the back of your notes to the YOUVERSION Bible plan And when I say plan, it’s actually plans. . . .
Bible App features 2,062 Bible versions in 1,372 languages, audio Bibles for popular versions, offline capabilities, as well as over 800 Bible Plans. Plans for you to read your Bible. Plans for you to have your Bible read to you. Plans for you to read it while it’s read to you. Which one is the best plan for you? I’ll answer that the same way I heard someone answer the question. . . What is the best piece of exercise equipment at the gym? It’s the one you’ll use. The same with a Bible reading plan. . . One year plan, 30-Day plan, Whole Bible, New Testament Only.
We also send out Daily Devotionals – – not a substitute – – but a supplement – – you can sign up for that on your connection cardI mention it today because a couple of days ago, R.B. did one on the importance of getting in to God’s Word. If you want to be someone who lives UNDER God, rather than UNDER Culture, it starts with  Getting His Word into you. Let’s pray. . .
Recorded in Los Angeles, CA.
 

A message from the series “Daily Devotional Videos.” New Year’s resolutions can be helpful if they move us forward toward goals we’re aiming to achieve in our desire to grow to be more like Jesus. Sadly, those unachieved resolutions can also be something that the enemy uses to foster feelings of inadequacy and failure in us. Judy Mandl reflects on Romans 8:1 and what God calls us to remember to be true as we walk with Him.