Playlist: Security, False (topic)
Money, Control, and Sacrifice
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughWealth will certainly damage our character if we permit it to control us. Riches cannot buy forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, or eternal life.
Money, Control and Sacrifice (2015)
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughIn the important things in life, money is powerless. Wealth cannot buy forgiveness, eternal life, or God's Spirit. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath.
Considering the Day of the Lord
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe ancient Israelites smugly believed that God was on their side, and that because He had not yet responded to their sins, they would be victorious.
Carelessness
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughCarelessness, indicative of not thinking, when reinforced or carried on into life, can be lethal or irreparable. Undervaluing our way leads to a careless lifestyle.
New Covenant Priesthood (Part Eight)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPride leads to destruction, tricking us into thinking we deserve better than we have. Paradoxically, pride is a mark of inferiority, causing overcompensation.
Amos (Part Thirteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe people to whom Amos writes have the mistaken assumption that because they have made the covenant with God, they can bask in a kind of divine favoritism.
Amos (Part Fourteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughAmos indicts rampant, dishonest practices, placing gain above honesty, morality, or ethics, and arrogantly and covetously exploiting the needy for profit.
Laodiceanism
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOur love for beauty must be coupled with love for righteousness and holiness. Our relationship with Christ must take central place in our lives, displacing all else.
What Does God Really Want? (Part 5)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWhat God really wants is for us to see things from His point of view, making the right choices, striving to build character, developing into His image.
Maintaining Good Health (Part 5)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn the Bible, eating can be a symbol of fornication. Like Jacob and Christ, we must learn to curb our appetites, learning to distinguish holy from profane.
Of Living Dogs and Dead Lions
Sermonette by Austin Del CastilloGuilt from failure to overcome is a dangerous distraction. When we consider God's profound pity, we realize that He is able to cleanse us, too.
Amos (Part Six)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe favorite-son status of Israel was conditioned on accepting the terms of the covenant with God. Israel, then and now, has placed her trust in material things.
Wrong Will Eventually Be Set Right
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod frequently turns things around with an element of surprise, defeating human will, replacing it with understanding of the benefits of His will.
Habakkuk: A Prophet of Faith (Part Three)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsHabakkuk was frustrated that God would use an evil people to punish Israel, yet he resolved to cease fretting and to become a responsible watcher.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirteen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Solomon teaches us that money may provide some security, but it cannot be relied upon for satisfaction; only a relationship with God will fill that vacuum.
Faith (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPride is a perverted comparison that elevates one above another. Because of its arrogant self-sufficiency, it hinders our faith. Faith depends on humility.
Looking Back to the Future
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe dwelling in booths and the sacrifices were the context for rejoicing at the Feast of Tabernacles. The booths depict our current lives as pilgrims.
The Philadelphia Syndrome
Commentary by David C. GrabbeThe Worldwide Church of God considered itself to be the 'Philadelphia era,' but the fruit has been misplaced trust, idolatry, competition, and exclusivity.
Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThroughout the 'Christian' world, militant atheism may be decreasing, but religious indifference is also increasing at even a more dramatic rate.
Faith (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe example of Lot's wife teaches us that God does not want us to maintain close associations with the world because it almost inevitably leads to compromise.
Micah (Part Three): Who Is a God Like You?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsMicah 5 describes legal proceedings against the people who have rejected God, promising a harsh retribution but future restoration for a physical remnant.
Letters to Seven Churches (Part Six): Sardis
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe letter to the church in Sardis reads like an obituary, warning us who are alive but lacking zeal to repent and become serious about our calling.
Lamentations (Part Seven; 1989)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughLamentations 3 and 4 show the stark contrast of a once proud people (secure in their wealth, technology, and cleverness) suffering bitter humiliation.
Letters to Seven Churches (Part Five): Thyatira
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Thyatira epistle carries a central theme for all seven churches, namely the tendency to syncretize or mix worldly ideas with the truth of God.
Lamentations (Part Seven)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe people suffering under the Babylonians had basked in the privilege of being God's chosen people while also trashing the terms of the Covenant.
Don't Be Indifferent (1995)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe cannot allow ourselves to become surfeited with the world's distractions, being lulled off to sleep as the foolish virgins, wasting our precious time.
Going On to Perfection
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEven though everything we need in this quest has been given to us, our spiritual growth depends on believing in the promises of receiving the divine nature.
In the Woods
Sermonette by Austin Del CastilloIn the woods, or out in pristine nature, too many people project safety and serenity, prompting them to take no defense with them against predators.
Building on Christ's Foundation
Sermonette by Martin G. CollinsEven with all the quality materials and workmanship, its perpetuity would only be guaranteed if its people would walk faithfully in God's laws and statutes.