And when, as the Book of Joel describes, we go through hard things, we suffer loss, and we face various griefs, there’s a tendency to back down; there’s a tendency to run away because we feel afraid at times. And you know what? It is scary to [...]

You might have been called weak or stupid or dumb or lazy. You might have been made to think that you’re good for nothing or that you’re just too much. But you have been incorrectly labeled, just like Ehud was, and the cross is proof. I was in an [...]

I cannot control the hand I have been dealt in this life. I cannot control the family God has seen in His providence fit to put me into, nor the genetic predisposition He has given to me. I cannot control anything that you are going to do to me. I [...]

Don’t you think that if Jesus, in the Garden of Gethsemane, was contemplating the Cross, falling to his face again and again with blood coming out of his sweat glands, crying out to God, «If there’s any other way for them to be saved,» that if there [...]

This is the series of the wonderful cross part five. We’re talking about the different places on Jesus’s body where he bled while he hung on the cross: seven different places. As you look at the gospels, you see the wounds in his hands and the [...]

I want to begin today with a question, and the question is, what are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? Is it a job? Is it provision? Is it a position? Is it clarity? Are you waiting for healing? Are you waiting for guidance or navigation? [...]

All right, the Book of Joel, chapter 1, is where we’re going to be-the Old Testament Book of Joel. I’m saying that early because it’s going to take you half my sermon to find the Book of Joel. There are 12 Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, so if [...]

Welcome to Fresh Life Church. We’re so glad you’re here. It does my heart good to see you. If you’re new to the church, you may not be aware- and that’s okay. I’m really glad that if you are new to the church, you’re with us today. Whether you [...]

I want to preach today a message, and I want to begin by addressing the fact that there are people in the room today who feel very much like things are out of control in your life. If that’s you, I understand what that feels like. If you feel like [...]

Isaiah 40, the message today is holding on when you feel like giving up. Holding on when you feel like giving up. They say burnout is on the rise: 76% of American workers say they feel burnt out, higher in Millennials-86% of Millennials say they [...]

When we think about hope, don’t think about something dainty; don’t think about something flimsy. We’re talking about a great anchor that can hold a ship in the roughest seas it goes through in this world. And as I’ve said forever, it encourages me [...]

What pressure points to? If we follow the trail of our pressure, we get to find out what our worry is caused by when we feel anxiousness. Let’s pull on that thread. What is it going to lead us to? It’s going to lead us to either a bad thing or a [...]

Okay, he’s much more interested in you growing the fruits of the Spirit than in using the gifts of the Spirit. We love the idea of giftedness and unique ability, and yes, God, come upon me so I can become powerful. I want to do great things; I want [...]

Let’s just dive right into this. I want to draw your attention to Genesis chapter 1, and we’re going to read the first four verses. Then we’re going to jump over to Deuteronomy 8:18, and I want to talk today from these words. This is the theme of [...]

I’m so happy to have the privilege to talk to you about the things of Christmas, and thank you for being such a great audience and allowing me to be a teacher, which I love to do. J.B. Phillips has written a Christmas fantasy. The fantasy involves a [...]

Back in 1824, a 12-year-old boy watched helplessly as his father was taken to the March Chelsea prison in London for unpaid debts. He was crushed. School ended, and this young boy was sent to work at Warren’s Blacking Warehouse, where he spent 10 [...]

Well, you know I have been speaking on the Holy Spirit, and today as we conclude that series, I want to ask you a question. I want you to think about this. Here’s the question: What is the greatest evidence of someone being filled with the Holy [...]

Lately, it seems there’s an award show on TV just about every week. Have you noticed that there are the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Academy Awards, the People’s Choice Awards, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Country Music Awards, and the [...]

Somebody once asked comedian Jerry Seinfeld how to get better at telling jokes. His answer was pretty simple: the way to get better is to create better jokes, and the way to create better jokes is to write one every day. Then he explained how he [...]

We have been studying on these Sundays the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It’s been kind of a new thing for many of us, and we have learned a lot. We’ve learned about how to walk in the Spirit. We’ve learned about what it means to be filled with the [...]

DL Moody was one of the most influential evangelists of the 19th century. You’ve heard me talk about him over the years; he’s one of my favorite characters. He left a successful career in the shoe business to share the gospel. During his brief 62 [...]

When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim on July 17, 1955, it covered 160 acres of former orange groves. Opening day was chaotic; rides broke down, paint was still wet, and the pavement was so soft that women’s high heels sank into the asphalt. [...]

We are studying the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and today, I want to talk to you about the fruit of the Spirit, which is a term used in the New Testament. During World War II, a young teenager tried to enlist in the Navy. He was only 15, but he was [...]

If you have ever watched a halftime show at a basketball game, you know just how hard they try to keep the crowd entertained. I mean, there are Frisbee- catching dogs and trampoline dunkers and even dancing unicyclists. But at a recent Las Vegas [...]

It was the fall of 1940 in a small village in southern France. Four teenage friends and their dog, whose name was Robot, were trotting along a countryside road. As they wandered near a hillside, Robot scampered toward a hole in the ground near a [...]

We’re studying the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. People want to know who the Holy Spirit is and what in the world He has to do with life. We’re going to talk about that today as we focus our attention on a verse of Scripture in Ephesians chapter 5, [...]

What’s up, Lake Point family? Great to see you guys this weekend! My name is Mike, bro, in case we haven’t met before, and I get the privilege of being on the teaching team around this place. I just want to welcome all of our campuses and those of [...]

There are millions of dreams that die each and every day because they were never acted upon. There are countless life-changing possibilities that slip silently into the night because they were never seized upon. Why do we miss life-changing [...]

You know, the last couple of weeks we’ve been targeting the heart. We’ve been focusing on the heart because the Bible says everything you do in life flows from your heart. Now, the Bible describes your heart as those internal motivations and [...]

I heard about a small country church in a rural farming community where just about every member of the church was a farmer, and they were going through a terrible drought in the whole area. So, one Sunday, before the pastor started his message, he [...]

We’re in this series I’m calling «Windows of Opportunity.» I have some windows on stage because God wants to unlock the window of His blessing in our lives. Now, when we think of the word «blessing,» what do we normally think of? Financial blessing, [...]

You know this Friday we celebrate Good Friday, and it’s good for a reason. It was 2000 years ago on that day that the Son of God shed sinless blood so we could be forgiven of our sins. This coming Sunday, we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, the day [...]

You know, Chris and I are so excited to be back. Every July, we take some time off, and it helps me because I’m not preparing to preach a message. So, Chris and I can pray, plan, and have meetings with others, really get ready for the fall. But I [...]

Happy Easter, Woodlands Church! How you doing? Yeah, you can be seated. You look great! By the way, as I look out over our auditorium at our Easter services, I’m always struck by all the bright and brilliant colors that you’re wearing. You break out [...]

Have you ever watched one of those extreme fishing shows like River Monsters? How many of you have watched River Monsters or something similar? I love watching the reruns now. It ran for about nine years, and this guy, Jeremy Wade, said the reason [...]

We have 10 adults and 10 grandchildren in our family, and it’s such a blessing that we all get together at our house quite often. But after everyone leaves, our outdoor trash cans, which were empty before they came over, are filled to overflowing-I [...]

How cool is it to be able to drive a steamroller while building a road? Don’t worry about it. Okay, I need to learn how to drive a snowplow. It sounds like a great stress reliever; I can tell you that. You just think about your problems and stresses [...]

You know we’re concluding this miniseries I’m calling «River Monsters» as we’re learning how to overcome the monsters that are in our minds that keep us from swimming in God’s river of blessing. And today we’re going to look at a really powerful [...]

Hey, for those of you who are married, have you ever said to your spouse, «I love you, but I don’t understand you»? Chris and I have said that to each other a lot over the years, and there have been many more times that we’ve thought it. «I love [...]

You know, this weekend, we’re concluding the series we’ve been in called the «Rodeo of Life.» As we’ve been going to God’s Word to learn how to hold on when life tries to knock us down, this is also the last weekend of the biggest rodeo in the [...]

Hey, we’re starting this new series this weekend I’m calling «Detoxing Your Life» because we’re going to learn over the next few weeks some healthy habits for healing relationships. And the Bible tells us that we better recognize and deal with the [...]

What if you could just recycle everything in your life? I mean, just like you recycle plastic or paper products. What if you could recycle anything in your life, and you could do it instantly? What if you could recycle all your stressful thoughts, [...]

In the 1930s, Noah McVicker, the owner of the Coutal Products Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, created this Play-Doh; he developed it as a non-toxic wallpaper cleaner that would clean coal residue off of wallpaper. It was originally called Coutal Wall [...]

Last week, we talked about how important it is to guard your heart and nourish your heart because the Bible tells us that everything you do in life flows out of your heart. Every outward action comes from an inward attitude in your heart. Every [...]

We are in this series that we just started, which I’m calling «Detoxing Your Life,» because we all have these toxic habits as we go through life. We all pick up some unhealthy ways of relating as we navigate through life, and those unhealthy ways [...]

When our kids were little, there were several times that Pastor Ry’s family and our family would go on vacation together. Their oldest kids and our kids were about the same ages, and they all have great memories looking back on those trips-well, [...]

What a great weekend it’s been at Woodland Church! It is Super Bowl weekend. I mean, it’s been super; God has been moving. I mean, over a thousand students at Reality Weekend at Woodland Church — unbelievable! I got a chance with my wife, Chris, to [...]

Lord Jesus, we want a blizzard, but we will take two inches. Amen. I want some snow, guys. I just need you to know—listen, I’m 37 years old, but whenever snow is a possibility, I’m six. And so, hey, if you’re new with us, welcome! My name’s Josh; [...]

Well, before we start today’s teaching, I’m personally inviting you to this year’s Love Life Women’s Conference. My special guests and I will share God’s word and help you experience His presence and love in a life-changing way. I will show you what [...]

Well, thank you for joining me today in enjoying everyday life. How many of us don’t want to do that? We all want to enjoy every single day of our lives because I was abused in my childhood. I never really got to be a child, and I really didn’t even [...]