Playlist: Entertainment (topic)
Stupid 'Entertainment'
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughThe fool thinks perverse behavior is funny. He scoffs at the critic who questions it, saying, 'It doesn't mean anything; it's just entertainment.'
The Entertainment Craze
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Elizabeth Taylor exemplified the hedonistic, pleasure-mad lifestyle that destroyed the ancient Roman Empire.
Psychological Manipulation
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Subtle influences seek to continually shape us; our mental state is influenced by our environment, seeking to move us in a direction away from God.
Things We Won't Get Rid Of
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The United States is of major concern to the world's nations because they witness America's profligate spending and realize that their economic futures are precariously linked to the American economic system. Americans cannot discipline themselves to go without, clinging to portable computers, high-speed internet, smart phones, …
Friends
Sermonette by Craig SablichGod's people should not waste their time on entertainments dedicated to spreading Satan's lies, but rather turn their attention to pure and wholesome things.
Overlooking Evil
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughAmerica has descended into the cesspool of immorality in its entertainment as well as in its highest political circles, surpassing the surrounding nations.
Hollywood Propaganda: The Insidious LGBT Agenda (Part Two)
Commentary by David F. MaasFor over two decades, Hollywood studios have been working feverishly to humanize and celebrate perverted lifestyles, putting them on pedestals as special.
Submitting to Sin?
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughWe must analyze and evaluate everything that enters our minds from the media sources that primarily promote a leftist, secular humanist agenda.
Socialism is Mob Rule (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Many religious people realize that liberals threaten adherence to the moral principles taught in God's Word, and that Satan is the poster child of liberalism.
Dating (Part 1): The Purposes of Dating
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsA key ingredient in dating is faith in God's purpose. The relationship one has with God takes precedence over any relationship with any other human being.
An Exhortation for Young Adults
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Wisdom is not a trait valued or acquired by youth, but takes second place to strength, beauty, or fun. We get too soon old and too late smart.
A Disagreement With the Truth
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityGod alone possesses truth and we must seek this truth as we would seek precious gems. Pride could be described as disagreement with the truth.
A Place of Safety? (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe prophecies concerning the Man of Sin refer to a person with great political power with global significance rather than to a leader of a small church.
Our Spiritual Reality
Sermonette by Bill OnisickNeither virtual reality nor spiritual reality can be seen with the naked eye—the first requires equipment, and the second requires eyes of faith.
A Leader in Every Man!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAs Joshua felt fearful at assuming leadership, most men also feel the same trepidation, but God Almighty has placed in their DNA the ability to lead.
Brave New Dystopia
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Both Aldous Huxley and George Orwell predicted a transition from representative government into totalitarian regime, monitored by Big Brother.
Our Battle Against Evil Programming!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsMilitary strategists have desensitized people to accept killing as normal and acceptable, even as Video games condition people to enjoy killing.
The Not-A-Problem Folk
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)We have no bold Phineases today who are unafraid of political correctness. The die has been cast for morally bankrupt America.
Ecclesiastes (Part Four; A)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod is sovereign over time; nothing happens without His superintending. Birth and death are divine events which God alone controls.
Deuteronomy (Part 3)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOur goal shouldn't merely be to be saved, but to finish the spiritual journey God has prepared for us, developing the leadership to help those who follow.
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.
God and Reality
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWhat God puts us through is designed to reveal reality to us. Accepting His doctrine without looking for loopholes will keep us true.
The Occult
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe Bible condemns divination, necromancy, soothsayers, sorcery, spiritism and witchcraft, identifying all these practices as abominations, based on demonism.
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.
The World (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOur intimate fellowship should not be with the world, but be concentrated upon God and those who have made the Covenant, loving them as we would ourselves.
Who is Your Superhero?
Sermonette by Ted E. BowlingWhen difficult times afflicted America, Marvel Comics tapped into the peoples' desire for justice, providing them with heroes that are counterfeits of Christ.
Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughMost people have not used the Word of God as their standard of morality and conduct, but instead are allowing society and culture to shape their attitudes.
Solving the School-Shooting Crisis
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughResolving these problems is not possible unless policy-makers factor in human carnality. The solution is character reform, not political reform.
Keeping Love Alive (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWorks demonstrate our faith, our response to God's calling and His freely given grace. Reciprocity is always a part of our relationship with God.
Conditioned Response
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe defilement that begins in the heart is shaped, molded, and conditioned by the media, training people to override their conscience, desensitizing them.
Maintaining Good Health (Part 4)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWhile drunkenness and gluttony show self-centeredness and lack of discipline, often leading to poverty and ill health, moderation is the way to glorify God.
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.
The Fifth Teacher
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeCorinth had four positive teachers, yet a mysterious fifth teacher was also influencing them and instilling beliefs that were the source of all the bad fruit.
Christianity Is a Fight! (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe must avoid following the negative examples of our forbears. We have been enlisted into spiritual warfare on three fronts: the heart, the world, and Satan.
The Wisdom of Men and Faith
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe pressures and conflicts that the church has undergone is part of the spirit of the time that has embroiled religious and political institutions worldwide.
Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 6)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughChrist emphasizes that the internal, weightier matters, which change the heart, take precedence over external ceremonial concerns that don't change the heart.
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.
The Christian and the World (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe must realize we are walking on a razor's edge, with the Kingdom of God on one side and the world with all its sensual magnetic charms on the other side.
Intimacy with Christ (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe must guard our time, not allowing busyness and involvement with activities of the world to prevent us from forming a deep intimacy with God.
Psalm 23 (Part Three)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe valley-of-shadow imagery symbolizes the fears, trials, and tests needed to produce character, quality fruit, and an intimate trust in the shepherd.
The Times They Are a-Changin'
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaBob Dylan's lyrics in 'The Times They Are A-changin' seem prescient; within a few years of Herbert Armstrong's death, heresies were imported into the church.
Resuming Ecclesiastes (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe only kind of pleasure that fulfills comes from applying God's Holy Spirit in serving others. We must seek those permanent things which are from above.
Listening
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughBiblical listening is not just hearing, but active understanding and responding, leading to changed behavior. Not hearing is tantamount to rebellion.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Until Christ returns, the world's problems will not be solved. Using godly wisdom helps us to deal with our circumstances, but it won't change the world.
Passover and I Corinthians 10
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLike the Old Testament examples, the Corinthians had a careless presumption, allowing themselves to lust, fornicate, tempt God, and murmur.
Foundations of Sand
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWe all have a measure of sand in our foundations, symbolic of the world's evil standards, prioritizing badly, becoming neglectful, and letting things slip.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Sixteen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Ecclesiastes 1-6 contains an indictment of materialism. The only lasting fulfillment comes from establishing and maintaining a relationship with God.
Deuteronomy (Part 3) (1994)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe will not be prepared to rule in the Millennium unless we are experientially persuaded of God's faithfulness to His Covenant and His intolerance of evil.
Prayer and Seeking God
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughRather than having an apathetic relationship toward God, we must ardently, earnestly, and fervently seek God in order to imitate His behavior in our lives.
Wilderness Wanderings (Part Three) - Handpicked Children
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God has allowed carnal nature to remain in His people so He can determine whether they seriously want to defeat the downward pulls of the flesh.
Faith and Technology
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeAs technology becomes more available, the material world threatens to crowd God out of the picture. The information age will destroy us unless we manage it.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Eighteen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We accept most of our opinions, prejudices, and beliefs unconsciously. We must scrutinize our own beliefs through the principles of God's Holy Scriptures.
Living by Faith: God's Sovereignty
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Since God is sovereign over His creation, we need to be careful about reviling someone in authority, even someone who may have been appointed to bring evil.
Be There Next Year!
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWhether we do or do not make it to the Feast of Tabernacles next year depends on our faithfulness at stirring up the gift of God's spirit within us.
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.
Don't Be Indifferent
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe frightful Trumpet Plagues are coming on the world because of the breaking of covenants on the part of people who should have known better.
Death, or Not A Hair of Your Head?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsOur challenge in the wake of the terrible things we witness now is to retain confidence that God is in control, even though our faith will be sorely tested.
Start Now to Begin Walking
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The things of God require digging; it is time to walk step-by-step to the finish of the cause He has called us to complete.
Don't Be Indifferent (2010)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Labor-saving technology seems to have had the effect of separating us from each other and making us indifferent to things that should be important to us.
Don't Take God for Granted
Sermon by John O. ReidWe all tend to allow familiarity to lure us into carelessly taking something for granted. This is particularly dangerous regarding God and His purpose for us.
Leadership and the Covenants (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Paul urges Euodia and Syntyche to follow the example of Christ rather than placing their desire to be right over unity. Godly leadership follows submission.
Testing the Spirits (Part 1)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe Apostle John exhorts us to test and discern the spirits, judging between the true and the false, using the scripture as the steady standard of truth.
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.
Unity (Part 5): Ephesians 4 (B)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAdopting a revolutionary stance for the sake of change, variety, or relieving boredom will systematically destroy the faith once delivered.
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.
Deuteronomy: Hearing
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughBy listening, taking heed, and drinking in of God's Word daily, we take on the wisdom of God, upending and making foolish the wisdom of man.
Esther (Part Four)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughSome regard approaching the Bible as literature to be demeaning, yet the literary approach can be a powerful tool to appreciating it more fully.
Mightier Than the Sword (Part Twenty-Four)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)John Dewey immersed himself in the works of Rousseau, Darwin, and Marx, applying their doctrines to his Humanist Manifesto.
Mightier Than the Sword (Part Twenty-One)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)In 1888, Nietzsche identified himself as the anti-Christ, about a month before he became clinically insane, never to recover his lucidity.
Mightier Than the Sword (Part Nine)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Rousseau's and Robespierre's philosophies encouraged abortion, the destruction of the family, and the ascendancy of the state.
Tests of True Knowledge
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsA person who is puffed up parades his knowledge by exhibiting impatience, intolerance, or a false modesty, marginalizing what the uneducated in their minds.
Conspiracy Theory (Part Eleven)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Satan has been meticulously and carefully preparing for a war against God for millennia, stepping up the pace as technology has developed exponentially.
Ecclesiastes (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughTime and events are in the hands of God; He knows when to relieve the pressure and when to bring on more. Looking above the sun teaches us about the seasons.
The Handwriting Is On the Wall (2010)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)A perception is how we affix significance to what we look at. With a distorted perception, we will not accept reality; our perception becomes our reality.
Vision (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)We must protect ourselves from toxic information overload by keeping the vision of our calling in front of us, living for the future. We cannot be distracted.
The Day of Israel's Calamity
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAs a nation, we have rejected wisdom in favor of foolishness, bringing about major calamities: famines, pestilence, earthquakes, cosmic disturbances.
Maintaining Good Health (Part 6)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe can do nothing to gain the favor of God before our calling, but we are empowered by God to carry out a particular part of His plan to edify the body.
A Bed Too Short (Part 2)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)Americans, living well on credit and enamored with technology, have deceived themselves that they have advanced beyond the consequences of God's Law.
A Bed Too Short (Part 1)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles WhitakerOur society is too connected with the present, too enamored of technology, too surfeited on abundance to pay attention to basic laws of cause and effect.
Be Thankful!
Sermon by John O. ReidThe danger of abundant blessings is that we tend to forget the source of the blessings and cease being thankful. When we forget to be thankful, we forget God.
Prayer and Persistence
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPersistence in prayer does not mean an incessant pestering God into action. God always looks at our petitions from the vantage-point of His purpose.