Playlist: Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (topic)
Human Nature: Good or Evil?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughProgressives tend to believe that human nature is perfectible and evolving. Conservatives tend to believe that human nature is evil and must be controlled.
Evil Desires
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaAll the medieval 'seven deadly sins' could be categorized as a facet of lust. God designed us to have proper desires, just as His desires are always proper.
Eden, The Garden, and The Two Trees (Part Three)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJesus' crucifixion took place outside the camp of Israel, just outside the border of the Garden of Eden, the general area where the Miphkad Altar stood.
Eden, The Garden, and the Two Trees (Part One)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe we follow God's patterns, Jerusalem becomes the likely location of the Garden of Eden and the likely location for the future, heavenly Jerusalem.
Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Seven): Cultivating Goodness
Sermon by David F. MaasGod has provided strategies which will facilitate His people's cultivation of the spiritual fruit of goodness, working effectively as Christ's sharecroppers.
The Reality of Evil
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe best weapon against the evil of our human nature is to develop the mind of Christ within us to displace our carnal nature.
Christ's Death and the Immortality of the Soul
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe dangerous false belief of inherent immortal life has led to an acceleration of sin and the danger of eternal oblivion. Only God can give eternal life.
Considered Rather Than Commanded - Choose Life
Sermon by Mark SchindlerAs God calls His people, He enables them (through His Spirit) to make considered decisions concerning living His way of life by obeying His commandments.
Narrow Is the Way
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughParadoxically, becoming a slave of righteousness — maintaining the narrow way — leads to freedom, peace of mind, and ultimately, God's Kingdom.
Seeking God's Will (Part Six): Forethought
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Pilgrims were unprepared for the bitter New England winters. They had very little practical foresight, paying a heavy toll for not counting the cost.
The Ship Is Yours
Sermon by Mark SchindlerJust as the captain of a ship wants decision-makers, not just order takers, God expects us to make decisions in accordance with His will.
Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Nine)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is universal and for all time, applying to each and every one of us.
Fear of Death
Sermonette by Ronny H. GrahamFear of death originated with Adam and Eve's sin of eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and, in response, they tried to hide from God.
Imagining The Garden of Eden (Part Six)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe rivers identified in the Garden of Eden were given in the context of pre-flood geography, making the use of modern topographical maps irrelevant.
Genesis 3:17-19: Consequences for Adam
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAdam sinned, having abdicated his leadership position. His posterity has been cursed with overwhelming toil just to stay ahead. We are perfected by hardship.
The Law of Liberty
Sermonette by James BeaubelleProtestant theologians have created an artificial divide between mercy and law-keeping, asserting that 'the law of liberty' does away with God's Law.
Romans 14, Judging, Food, and Sin
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We need to be careful about what we consume, but we cannot be judgmental if a brother cannot afford organically grown food and must depend on inferior food.
Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Eight)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Garden of Eden was the perfect place for mankind to get its start, a place where Adam and Eve could become acquainted with God and developed godliness.
Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Seven)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughBoth Shabbat rest (ceasing from activity) and nuach rest (pleasantly creating) are necessary for the proper keeping of the Sabbath.
Poor Choices
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughHuman beings with carnal minds, when faced with a choice between God (or a God-fearing man) or Satan (or a scoundrel) will automatically choose the scoundrel.
The Big Lie (Part One)
Commentary by Mark SchindlerThough we are not to become involved in politics, we need to be aware that enslaving lies are everywhere, generated in the mind of the father of lies, Satan.
No Failsafe Needed
Sermon by Mark SchindlerThe free-will God has allowed mankind has led to some tragic consequences or disruptions, but none of these are outside of His control.
The Spirit of Babylon
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe Spirit of Babylon is couched in brazen outlook of the goddess Inanna/Ishtar, the femme fatale who asserted her free will to overcome the influence of Eden.
Imagining The Garden of Eden (Part Five)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughEating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil opened the minds of our first parents to evil, the experiential knowledge that comes from sin.
Powerful Effects of the Holy Spirit
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWe are intrigued by supernatural power, and many seek to display it. Yet the Scriptures show the activity of the Holy Spirit in ways that are commonly missed.
Looks Fair, Feels Foul
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughBe wary of things and people that appear attractive and fair on the outside, but are actually foul and destructive underneath. Evaluate the fruit.
What's Your Function?
Sermonette by Joseph B. Baity'Functional' refers to fulfilling the role for what was intended or performing as designed. Functional families deal with conflict, avoiding abuse or neglect.
Satan (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSatan uses disinformation, spread through false ministers/prophets, teaching smooth things that destroy. We must test the spirits to ensure a teaching is from God.
Fast or Famine
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod has used famine as one of the tools to get the Israelites' attention when they violated the terms of the Covenant with Him, forsaking His holy law.
Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Ten)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe statement, 'it is not good for man to be alone,' is the first declaration that something was not good. Being alone denotes separateness.
What's So Bad About Babylon? (2003) (Part 2)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe entire Babylonian system has an enslaving, addicting, and inebriating quality, producing a pernicious unfaithfulness and Laodicean temperament.
Snares
Sermon by John O. ReidEven as the world contains bait and switch schemes and false advertising, so also there are spiritual snares, far more dangerous than physical ones.
Genesis 3:20-24: Consequences for God and Man
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWhen Adam and Eve were given the death sentence by God, they also received hope that through the offspring of Eve a Savior would be born to crush the serpent.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughDespite the growing popularity of Purpose-Driven churches, national immorality is still increasing. The 'emerging church' grows numerically by suppressing truth.
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.
Choices and a Man After God's Own Heart: Turn, Turn, Turn
Sermon by Mark SchindlerHonoring our free choice and understanding our weaknesses, God alters time and chance for us, using our mistakes as tools to enhance our godly character.
Biblical Principles of Justice (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAll authority for law and justice resides in God; when God is taken out of the picture, darkness and chaos dominate. God's laws create a better life and character.
Pitfalls of Scholarship
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWhile we find much biblical scholarship useful and productive, without God's Spirit, most biblical scholarship is at best a mixture of good and evil.
It IS All About Government
Sermon by Mark SchindlerEvery form of human government established on this earth has been established as an attempt to declare independence from the sovereignty of God.
Living by Faith: God's Grace (Part One)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Sometimes God's sense of justice seems unusual or strange to us, giving us many questions to ponder about fairness. Justice and fairness are not identical.
Leadership and the Covenants (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)All of the sufferings in the present had their origin in the Garden of Eden when our parents sinned, seemingly in secret. The effects of sins radiate outward.
What's So Bad About Babylon? (1997)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBabylon constitutes the fountainhead of instruction that, like strong drink, impairs the ability to function properly while creating the illusion of ability.
Who Do You Trust? (Part Two)
Sermon by Mark SchindlerCarnal men prove themselves to be dangerous, hopeless fools when not equipped with the wisdom of God, made possible only with his Holy Spirit.
God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part Four)
Sermon by David F. MaasSatan's malicious forked tongue has become a symbol of lies and falsehood, blending good and evil, truth and mendacity, into poisonous mixtures.
All Leaves, No Fruit
Sermonette by Bill OnisickJesus cursed the fig tree because it lacked fruit and produced only leaves. It symbolized pharisaical hypocrisy, where works and talk are not in alignment.
What's in It for Me?
Sermonette by Mark SchindlerBecause seed-bearing designates fruit that is good for food, it is possible that the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was not seed-bearing.
The Hard Makes it Great
Sermon by Mark SchindlerThe hard things God wants us to do are preferable to the harsh bondage to sin. The hardness makes us hardy enough to be included in the first harvest.
The Great Unknown
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityMan's greatest fear is of the unknown. Since there is more unknown than known, it is little wonder that we thirst for knowledge because we fear not knowing.
Hosea's Prophecy (Part Seven)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsNations, like individual people, die first in spirit and then physically. They seldom die cataclysmically, but in gradual, incremental stages.
A Millennium of Preparation
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod has been preparing His plan from before the foundation of the world, and life's complexity and symbiosis reveal a super-competent Designer and Planner.
Imagining the Garden of Eden (Part Eleven)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's selection of Eve as a companion to Adam took into account the need for a helper as a counterpart—like himself, but standing opposite as complementary.
Humanism's Flooding Influence (Part One)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Humanism stems from the Renaissance, a time men felt free to exalt human reason and self-realization over religion and divine authority.
Not Just a Better America
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod does not endorse the American system any more than any other system not based on God's Laws. The Millennium will not resemble America.
Healing the Breach
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe have been called as an elite unit to work with Christ to help repair the breach caused by ruptured covenants between God and man for all mankind forever.