Playlist: Success (topic)
Set Up For Success
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughRichard Ritenbaugh acknowledges that young people display a proclivity to accept socialism, oblivious to the horrendous damage socialist experiments have brought to the world. Politicians of the ilk of Bernie Sanders have fomented hatred toward capitalism by comparing it to an imaginary utopia. Economist Walter Williams insists …
Success in This World
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe must invest in our own self-improvement and preparation, continually striving against stagnation and deterioration, and the powerful pulls of the world.
Spiritual Satisfaction
Sermonette by Martin G. CollinsThe Parable of the Rich Fool illustrates that, when one has all the material possessions he could want, he may still not be rich toward God.
Prosperity's Consequences
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsProsperity is not always an emblem of God's approval. God will not prosper us if it would cause spiritual damage, insulating us from seeking His kingdom.
Consider the Butterfly
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughCreation teaches the orderly mind of God. The butterfly provides valuable analogies to illustrate our conversion and transformation from mortal to immortal.
The Philosophy of Black Friday
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughBlack Friday stirs up greedy, materialistic, covetous attitudes. When a nation reaches a materialistic mindset, it is on its way to oblivion.
Agape: Does Not Envy
Sermon by Bill OnisickThe source of envy and covetousness is Satan the devil who coveted God's throne and proved himself as a murderer and liar from the very beginning.
Get Understanding
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughIf we ask God for wisdom, we will also need to be ready to work to achieve it. Good results do not just magically happen; 'some assembly' is required.
The Hand You're Dealt
Sermonette by Hunter D. SwansonThe hand that we are dealt contains the potential for victory, but not if we are not equipped to play it skillfully and wisely.
Too Good to Ignore
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWhen we become skillful, doing things that perhaps no one else has done, we acquire passion, creativity, control over output, and fulfillment.
God's Rest (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughCoveting—lust—is a fountainhead of many other sins. Desiring things is not wrong, but desiring someone else's things promotes overtly sinful behavior.
Personal Finance
Commentary by Mike FordAlthough some installment buying (such as a mortgage) may be inevitable, most installment buying is counter-productive, putting us further into debt.
Resuming Ecclesiastes (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEcclesiastes provides a testimony to the conundrum of life, showing the result of both bad and good choices, enabling us to effectively use time.
Psalms: Book Four: All His Benefits
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAll that we have has come from others, especially God. The Day of Atonement points out how needy and dependent on God we are; fasting shows our frailty.
Ecclesiastes and Wisdom
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughThere is a vital linkage between wisdom and understanding, understanding comes only through hard work and experience. Wisdom is skill in living.
The Commandments (Part Nineteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJesus taught that all outward sin stems from inner inordinate desire. What we desire or lust after automatically becomes our idol.
Resistance (Part Two): Solutions
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughMoses, Jonah, David, and Gideon demonstrated resistance to God's prompts, indicating that they initially feared men more than they feared God.
Ecclesiastes: What is it All About? (Part Two)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe activities that Solomon put to the test and found wanting are exactly those things the world emphasizes: hedonism, silliness, mirth, and foolishness.
What Does God Really Want? (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe are called to fulfill our job as a steward, entrusted with managing, protecting, preserving, attending, and increasing what has been entrusted to us.
Elements of Motivation (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughFearing God leads to a determination not to bring shame on God's name or offending and hurting the relationship between God and us.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Eight): Ecclesiastes 11:1-8
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughSolomon counsels us to exercise diligence, work hard, plan for disruptions, obstacles, and roadblocks, spreading risk to work within this futile world.
Are You Living an Abundant Life?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughIf Christianity is lived the way Christ intended, rather than as represented by media caricatures, it is one of the most exhilarating and abundant lifestyles.
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.
Joseph: A Saga of Excellence (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJoseph's example proves that even the most difficult temptation can be resisted and overcome, though this skill must be developed incrementally.
Our Spiritual Career
Sermon by Ryan McClureGod puts everyone in the Body as He sees fit. We should be thankful for the role God is preparing us for rather than try to leapfrog to a higher position like Helel.
Self-Discipline
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughProtestant theology recognizes that Christian self-discipline presents a major logical difficulty in its keystone doctrine of 'by grace alone.'
God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part One)
Sermon by David F. MaasWe have the obligation to bear spiritual fruit, heeding the lessons of the cursing of the fig tree, and the parables of the barren fig tree and the talents.
Psalms: Book Four (Part Three)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPsalms 105 and 106 describe the Great White Throne period, expressing the yearning desire to be included in His Kingdom and declaring God's praises.
Hosea's Prophecy (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsHosea was ordered by God to make a symbolic marriage to a harlot. This heartbreaking marriage portrayed Israel's unfaithfulness to God in spite of His care.
You Are What You Choose
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughYoung people must make a choice in favor of God's will. We have the freedom of choice to set our destiny, and must bear the consequences of our choice.
The Father-Son Relationship (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Father and the Son are two distinct beings, not co-equal as the trinity doctrine proclaims, but with the Son deferring to the Father in all things.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Seven): Ecclesiastes 10:12-19
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAs teachers, we are all burdened with an unholy tongue, but we need to rule it to produce only holy speech. Ecclesiastes 10 focuses on a leader using gracious speech.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Six): Ecclesiastes 10:5-11
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughCause and effect relationships will always cause multiple metaphorical dominoes to fall. Similarly, sin never occurs in a vacuum but will continue to ripple.
Secret Faults and Presumptuous Thoughts
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPeople can mentally 'legalize their iniquities,' in doing so attempting to make God the accomplice of their sins. But He will not overlook blatant faults.
Sin Defined and Overcome
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughSin creates estrangement from God, causing us to fail in everything we attempt. Sin always produces separation; it never heals, but causes death.
Loyalty and Submission (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAs wives are admonished to emulate the ideal of the Proverbs 31 woman, husbands must emulate the sacrificial spirit of Jesus Christ.
Loyalty and Submission (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLoyalty and submission to God (not always easy) empowers and guarantees ultimate success and leadership, actually freeing us from the fear of death.
Avoiding Superficiality
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughSuccess in spiritual things does not consist in growing large and powerful, but humbly living by faith, overcoming, and yielding to God's shaping power.
Why Three Kings Are Missing From Matthew 1
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJoash, Amaziah, and Uzziah are kept out of Christ's genealogy. Although they started out well, their hearts were turned away by the end of their lives.
Hebrews (Part Three)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJesus blazed a trail, giving a pattern for qualifying (through suffering and resisting sin) for our responsibility as priests, reconnecting man and God.
Seeing is Submitting
Sermon by Bill OnisickAll of us have received the biblical mandate to submit, even when the authority is flawed, emulating Jesus Christ.
Strategies for Interfacing with Babylon Without Becoming Assimilated (Part Six)
Sermon by David F. MaasWe must embrace failure as a tool for spiritual growth. Trials are essential in shaping character, building faith, and reinforcing dependence on God.
The Imposter Syndrome
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityThe Imposter Syndrome leads to an identity crisis with an exterior covering or facade that protects exposure of internal feelings of inadequacy.
Attitude Is Everything
Commentary by Bill OnisickWe must wrest control of the narrative away from Satan, the Destroyer, expert in promulgating misinformation, focusing instead on the end of the story.
Cheating in School
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughSome parents will engage in unethical, even felonious practices, to position their offspring to enter privileged places within the 'establishment.'
It's Important to God Too (Part Two)
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughGod does not do things uselessly, and certainly does not need our physical goods. Being a living sacrifice produces successful living.
The Joyful Advantage
Sermonette by Bill OnisickBecause a brain with a positive attitude has higher levels of dopamine and serotonin, it is more successful and productive.
Psalms: Book One (Part Four)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughDavid reminds us in Psalm 37 that we should not be concerned about the wicked, whose destiny is to perish, and that the righteous are infinitely better off.
What Do The Mentally Strong Avoid?
Commentary by Martin G. CollinsAmy Morin, a psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker, compiled a list in Forbes, identifying the things mentally strong individuals don't do.
God's Investment in You
Sermon by Mark SchindlerGod wants to protect His investment in us, calling those whom He knows will exercise the zeal, and willingness to sacrifice, to complete the project.
Our Core Business
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. ReidWhen corporations get rid of their core business, they become less effective. Likewise when we deviate from our core job, we risk returning to the world.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 5)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPurpose-driven churches experience exponential growth through tolerating any belief. These churches would sacrifice any doctrine if it stands in the way of growth.
Sanctification, Teens, and Self-Control
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughYoung people are responsible for the spiritual knowledge that they have learned from their parents, as well as the custodianship of spiritual blessings.
Perseverance and Hope
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn the turbulent and uncertain times ahead, we will need extraordinary fortitude and courage. Trials can improving perseverance or active endurance.
To Whom Honor Is Due
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsDishonoring one's parents is a serious abomination, considered a capital offense by God. Fathers must be worthy of honor, teaching their children to honor God.
The Role of Women
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsEven though feminist leaders have attacked the Bible for allegedly denigrating and demeaning women, God's Word emphasizes the honor and dignity of women.
Persistence
Sermon by John O. ReidPersistence is impossible without a transcendent and ardent vision, which prevents us from casting off restraint and gives us the will to keep on.
Matthew (Part Twenty-Six)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughTrue greatness does not come from dominance but from serving with the attitude of a slave. Willingness to sacrifice self is the secret to success.