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Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughConcentrate on the faith once delivered to the Saints. Do not be distracted and confused by peripheral issues and unimportant ideas. This is the crunch time. The trunk of the tree is the part you hold on to, not the twigs. Twigs will snap. The tree will stay in place. Remember and follow the faith of Abraham, the father of the faithful.
Meditation: Preventing Spiritual Identity Theft
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasConcentration is essential for maintaining spiritual identity. Our ability to focus has been compromised by modern distractions, leading to dangerously shortened attention spans. Legitimate meditation, which requires focused concentration, is often avoided by those who are mentally lazy, contributing to spiritual flabbiness. To combat this, exercises such as counting words in a paragraph, counting backwards, and reciting multiplication tables can help kick-start our concentration. These exercises serve as a prelude to sustained meditation on biblical passages, prayer, and Bible study, helping us to regain control over our attention spans and protect our spiritual identity.
Is Your Eye Single?
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughConcentration is essential when we engage in activities we enjoy or consider important, as we prefer not to be distracted. We aim to devote all our attention to the task at hand. The question arises whether we maintain focus or allow distractions to interrupt our concentration, and whether we are devoted or double-minded. In Matthew 6, Christ emphasizes the importance of being focused on the Kingdom of God as our primary goal. He uses the metaphor of the eye as the lamp of the body, suggesting that if our focus or aim is single and devoted to the truth, our entire being will benefit. A divided interest, trying to focus on both God and possessions, leads to a lack of clear vision and direction. Jesus further explains that serving two masters is impossible, advocating for single-minded devotion to God. He points out the limitation of our focus, as we can only concentrate on one thing at a time with our two eyes working together. Therefore, He advises ensuring our focus is predominantly on God, from which only good can come. In Matthew 12, Jesus reinforces the need to ensure that our focus does not work against our main goal. While we may have multiple areas of focus such as family, job, and hobbies, our ultimate goal must always be the Kingdom of God. Each activity should contribute to qualifying for the Kingdom, enhancing our character or benefiting others. The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 illustrates how daily activities can become thorns, hindrances that distract us from our primary priority. If these activities crowd out essential practices like prayer, study, and helping others, we must refocus and reorder our priorities. James 1 warns that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, unable to be trusted due to divided loyalties. James later advises in chapter 4 to purify our hearts, examining where we need to align more closely with God's revealed will, as split loyalties dilute our devotion. Hebrews 12 encourages us to lay aside weights and distractions that hinder our forward movement, especially as we approach the end of an age. The text suggests focusing on principles like brotherly love, helping strangers, maintaining righteous marriages, and avoiding covetousness, all aimed at securing our focus on the one goal of the Kingdom of God. In summary, we must seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, ensuring that our concentration remains undivided and devoted to this primary objective.

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.
Walking the Tightrope
Sermonette by Bill OnisickOur calling could be compared to tightrope walking, in which balance and proportion must be assiduously maintained and elements are in correct proportion.
Consequences of a Wrong Focus (Part Two)
CGG Weekly by Clyde FinkleaContempt manifests itself in bad feelings and wrong attitudes against the source of the problem and against God and the purposes He seeks to accomplish.
Meditate on These Things
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWe must avoid shallow thinking, developing spiritual depth by meditating upon God's creation, His truth, His Law and His standards of righteousness.
Hebrews (Part Fourteen)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughLike Jesus and other heroes of faith, we need to look beyond the present to the long term effects of the trials and tests we go though, seeing their value.

Avoiding the Ruts of Our Carnal Mind
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Bill OnisickIf we could see the traffic of our perpetually wandering minds, we would be embarrassed as to how often it strays from God's thoughts and His laws.
Looking Back to the Future
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe dwelling in booths and the sacrifices were the context for rejoicing at the Feast of Tabernacles. The booths depict our current lives as pilgrims.
Hands That Hang Low
Sermon by Mark SchindlerThose caught in the throes of chronic depression, unable to cope with the stress of horrendous events, need the sympathetic understanding of brethren.