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Indistractable
Commentary by Bill OnisickSocial media, text messages, e-mails, websites and blogs are competing for our time, eroding our attention spans and exhausting our ability to concentrate.
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.
Meditation: Preventing Spiritual Identity Theft
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasIf we don't cultivate the ability to meditate on a regular basis, we run the very real risk of losing our spiritual identity and letting someone take our crown.
A Thoughtful Offering
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughIn our daily lives, we often experience lapses of thought and attention, such as when driving and suddenly realizing we have no recollection of the past few miles. These moments of daydreaming are common, but the deeper concern lies in the habits of thoughtlessness, lack of attention, and carelessness that our frail human condition and this world make so easy to develop. Christianity demands thoughtfulness, attentiveness, and care, requiring us to devote our entire hearts, souls, and minds to this way of life. If we fail to cultivate these habits, we risk missing the essence of our calling. The consequences of inattention are grave, as Proverbs 19:16 warns that he who is careless of his ways will die. This speaks not only to physical death but to spiritual peril as well. God desires us to apply His commandments with constant thought and effort, keeping them ever before us in all aspects of life. In contrast, thoughtlessness and inattentiveness in applying His ways lead to dire outcomes. Paul, in Titus 3:8, emphasizes the need for believers to be careful and thoughtful in maintaining good works. The Greek term used here implies a deep concentration and constant occupation of the mind with finding ways to do good. There is no room in a Christian's life for a wandering mind, as our enemy seeks to exploit such moments of lost focus. We must remain vigilant, always thinking about how to live out this way of life and serve others through acts of kindness and outreach. God calls us to thoughtful participation in His work, not merely giving offerings out of routine but considering both the blessings He has bestowed upon us and the needs our contributions can meet. He does not want us to adopt a detached attitude, thinking our responsibility ends once our offering is given. Instead, He desires us to be actively engaged, thoughtfully considering how we can contribute to the needs of others and the work of the church. Through such attentiveness, we fulfill our purpose to bring pleasure and glory to Him.
Make Sure of Your Focus!
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughDistractions produce a movement toward randomness and confusion, seriously endangering one's calling. We must sharpen our focus on God and His purpose.
Conscientiousness
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityWe are obligated to be conscientious and diligent in whatever work is placed before us, guided by our conscience and influenced by God's Spirit.
Lessons From First-Century Christianity
Sermon by David C. GrabbeEven though the believers of the first century experienced extraordinary events, because of entropy, their zeal atrophied after the shockwaves dissipated.
Fatherhood and Modern Temptations
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsMany fathers abdicate their leadership responsibilities, becoming addicted to workaholism, television, or even pornography. The culture teeters on destruction
Living Abundantly In Tough Times
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughLived properly, a Christian's life is scintillating and deeply satisfying, full of rewards, even though it involves responsibility and self-control.
Waiting
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe discipline of waiting is on the same level as the other spiritual disciplines, requiring substantial admixtures of faith and hope, building endurance.
Something Is Wrong
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughWith the hubris that comes from money, power, and boredom, Americans are trying to outdo the ancient Romans for spectacle and perversion.
Parenting (Part 4): Discipline
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughRealizing that parental authority must be used with godly love, the prompt discipline we mete out should be fair and appropriate.