Playlist: Control, Internal (topic)
Self-Government and Responsibility (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's purpose of making man in His image requires free moral agency, so God does not control individual decisions but instructs, commands, and lets people choose, as with Adam and Eve and Israel in Deuteronomy 30. The image He is forming is a character, not a shape, and it can be attained only by freely submitting to His way. …
God and Self-Government
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughInternal self-control emerges as the essential principle that distinguishes God's government from every form of human bureaucracy, and understanding this contrast illuminates the entire purpose of God's plan of salvation. Beginning with observations on how human jurisdictions require ever-expanding bureaucracies as populations …
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Thirty-Nine): Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughYouth, according to Solomon's teaching in Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, is meant to be a season of joy, experimentation, and freedom, yet it must be lived within boundaries, because God will bring every action into judgment. This tension between enjoying life and being accountable to God reveals that true maturity depends on developing …
Avoiding the Ruts of Puny Faith
Sermon by Bill OnisickWhen we have severe trials, we can experience a divided mind, exercising a puny faith. Does God find us willing to surrender to Him in all circumstances?
What Is the Work?
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe work of God does not always stay the same, continually shifting media, techniques, and approaches, similar to the Israelites following the Cloud.
The Merciful
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe harsh religion of the Pharisees was unfeeling, placing more attention on rituals and man-made laws, and had turned their super-righteousness into sin.