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Pride, Contention, and Unity
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughIs any sin as prevalent and destructive as pride? Is any other sin the underlying and perhaps unseen cause of so many other sins as is pride? The first recorded sin in all of God's creation involved pride, as Ezekiel 28:17 states, Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. This pride in lucifer not only caused his downfall but also corrupted the wisdom that should have kept him from falling. It blinded him to its own existence and to the impossibility of what he was attempting. God describes him as the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, yet his very gifts and strengths deceived him into misjudging his value in comparison to others. Pride brings us into contention with God, exalting us to break His commandments, deny clear scriptures, reject church leadership, strive for positions, and contend with brothers over trivial matters. It stirs up strife, as Proverbs 28:25 warns, while God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Whenever contention disrupts unity, producing confusion and frustration, we can be sure that this dominant attitude of pride, stemming from its father and king, is infecting the group.
Living by Faith: Human Pride
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOur human nature is pure vanity with a heart that is desperately deceitful and wicked, motivated by self-centeredness, a deadly combination for producing sin.
Where Does Righteousness Come From?
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeJob was righteous because of the work of God, forming his righteousness out of nothing, guiding events and providing an environment in which character was formed.
What I Believe About Conspiracy Theories
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe drive toward one world government is a transparent reality having several biblical prototypes, all inspired by demonic opposition to God's rule.
The Spiritual Mark of the Beast
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAnger and hostility, driven by self-centered competitive pride constitute Satan's spiritual mark that divides nations, ethnic groups, families, and the church.
Job: Things Left Unsaid
Sermon by David C. GrabbeEven the accuser of the brethren made no accusations against Job, the first of several curious absences—things left unsaid—in the book of Job.
New Covenant Priesthood (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPride is the basis of resisting God, while humility is the key to a relationship with Him. We recognize it in others but we seldom see it in ourselves.
God's Rest (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe two principal robbers of peace are pride and the drive to have complete control of our lives. Discontent and imagined victimization led Adam and Eve into sin.
The New World Order Rises
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The Beast is a reality, and it is coming to pass in the scope of globalism. Satan has a vast reservoir of people he can work through; we used to be a part of it.