Light of the Word

Be Not Ashamed -- Pt 2

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Monday, February 8, 2010 Host: Pastor Steve Mays Is there something you're afraid of? Well, whatever your fears may be, there is probably an official name for it such as Odontophobia the fear of teeth and of course there is Phobophobia the fear of being afraid, how about that one? Today Pastor Steve reminds us that God has not given us the spirit of fear but the boldness to reach out and share the love of Christ. We find this encouragement in a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy shortly before his execution. 2 Timothy 1:1-20

Be Not Ashamed -- Pt 1

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Monday, February 1, 2010 Host: Pastor Steve Mays It was Norman Vincent Peale that said prayer continues where human capacity ends. How true that was for the Apostle Paul as he sat in prison waiting for execution. His ministry had finally come to an end….or did it? The fact is that Paul’s ministry of prayer was still going strong and his prayers for Timothy are powerful examples of the way in which we can minister to others whether it be lifting up a conflict or just giving thanks. Praying for others should always be the first thing we do. 2 Timothy 1:1-20

Paul's Certainty

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Monday, January 25, 2010 Host: Pastor Steve Mays It's been reported that during the initial construction of the Golden Gate bridge that no safety devices were used. But after several men feel to their death, a large safety net was finally constructed. As a result, the builders noticed a 25% increase in productivity. Why? Because the workers now had an assurance of their safety and therefore were able to work wholeheartedly serving the project. As believers, we have a safety net in Jesus Christ, a Savior who holds our life in His hands. Therefore, we ought to serve Him totally and without reservation. That's the encouragement Paul gave to young Timothy and the encouragement Pastor Steve gives to us today on Light of the Word so let's listen. 2 Timothy 1:12

K. O. K. D., Part 2

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Monday, January 18, 2010 Host: Pastor Steve Mays It's good to have you with us as we continue to glean from the advice the apostle Paul gave to Timothy. It was Paul's desire that Timothy pursue a righteous life; a life of wonder, faith, love, steadfastness and courtesy. And as we'll learn today, it's this same life we are called to. So let's listen as Pastor Steve carefully lays out three steps we can take to seize this victorious Christian life. 1 Timothy 6:11-12

K. O. K. D.

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Sunday, January 10, 2010 Host: Pastor Steve Mays As followers of Christ, we’re called to make a stand against sin. But sometimes that stand starts by running away; away from the things that could potentially pull us down. Don’t just stand there and argue with sin. Run, hard and fast into the love and care of our Lord. Today, Pastor Steve encourages us to seize the life we're called to in Christ. He shares three practical steps we need to follow if we're to stand strong against the lure of the enemy. 1 Timothy 6:11-12

The Function of Conscience

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST

Monday, January 4, 2010 Host: Pastor Steve Mays What is the function of the conscience? I've heard it described as the double yellow line on the highway of life. It's what God has given to guide us where to go, and where not to go; what to do, and what not to do. But like the double yellow lines, the choice is still up to us whether we're going to stay within those parameters. You see, the conscience can't keep us from making wrong choices. So what can it do? That's what Pastor Steve explains today on Light of the Word. It's good insight from the Apostle Paul's counsel to young Timothy, as found in the book of 1st Timothy. 1 Timothy 3:9

A Spiritual Testimony

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, December 28, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays As Christians, we're blessed to have the Holy Spirit to make intercession for us according to God's Will. So who are we to pray any other way? As we head back to our studies in 1st Timothy, we learn how we’re to use this powerful tool called prayer. Not merely to be blessed, but to bless others. It’s this kind of focus on others that we’re called to. It also makes for many return blessings in our lives. Here's Pastor Steve in 1st Timothy to tell us about it. 1 Timothy 1:12-2:15

Spiritual Shipwreck

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, December 21, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays No doubt we’re living in a world filled with many hazards to the Christian faith. Secularism, Humanism, and even religion can leave us feeling devastated. Pastor Steve calls this a spiritual shipwreck. And today, as he talks about this potential danger, he wants to make sure we understand how this could happen to us. And most importantly, what we can do to remedy the situation, and keep ourselves strong from future attacks. 1 Timothy 1:18-20

Why He Came

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, December 14, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." While many of us have a firm grasp on this incredible promise of God, we still can’t help but ask the question, why? Why did Jesus choose to take the punishment we rightly deserved? Today on Light of the Word, Pastor Steve takes this question to the scriptures to help us better understand the person and purpose of Jesus Christ. It comes out of Steve’s study through 1st Timothy. 1Timothy 1:12-16

Job, Are You in Charge? Pt. 2

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, December 7, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays Tell me something, is it wrong to question God? Is it sinful to ask Him why He allows certain things to happen? After all, who are we to question God? His children, that's who. And like our own children who don't always understand the decisions we make for them, there will be times we won't understand God's plan for us. In our studies of Job, we learn the Job was truly a good man with good questions for the Lord concerning Job's bleak situation. But what made Job great was his willingness to praise God in the midst of it. Here's Pastor Steve to share the Lord's response. Job 39-40

Job, Are You in Charge?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, November 30, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays The animal kingdom is the kingdom most and least familiar to us. Almost all of the animals we commonly think of – mammals, fish, and birds – belong to only a single subgroup within 33 that make up the animal kingdom. What would it take to know everything about every animal on this earth? Answer: nothing short of the mind of God. It's clear that God is all-knowing. Yet there are still times when we can't help but question the Lord's design in each of our lives. That's what Job did, prompting God to ask, Job, are you in charge? Here's Pastor Steve with this fascinating account. Job 39-40

Hearing God in a Storm, Pt. 2

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, November 23, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays We all want God's attention. There isn't one of us who doesn't have the desire for God to take notice of us. This is especially true when we want or need something from Him. Well, the good news is that we have God's attention. But as we'll learn today, there may come a time when we wish we didn't. Take Job for example. In the first 37 chapters of Job, we find Job calling on God for answers to the troubles in his life. In chapter 38 God responds. But not the way Job expected. Instead of answering Job's questions, the Lord presented his own set of questions back to Job. It's an experience that absolutely humbled Job. Job 38:1-3

Hearing God in a Storm

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, November 16, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays You know, this might come as a surprise to some folks, but the fact of the matter is, God is God. And He'll do whatever it takes to remind us of this fact, and to pull us back to Himself over and over again. Though we may not always understand His methods, we can trust Him to do what is right. That's what Job needed to be reminded of as he was in the midst of a personal storm. Like Job, we might ask, "why God?" And today on Light of the Word, we begin to learn what God would say back to us. Job 38:1-3

Man Proposes, God Disposes, Pt. 2

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, November 9, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays It’s good to have you with us as we go further in our study of Job. In our last few times together we’ve come to know a new character in this story, a man by the name of Elihu. Now Elihu took it upon himself to counsel Job during his time of great loss. And it’s in this discussion that we’re reminded of the need to turn to God for strength and wisdom, and not to man. Even though Elihu did all he could to help Job, Job knew the only place to find real answers was from the Lord. Here’s Pastor Steve with the conclusion of his lesson entitled Man Proposes, God Disposes. Job 36-37

Man Proposes, God Disposes

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, November 2, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays You know, it's easy for us to think ourselves wiser than we really are. But as life moves on, and we mature, we began to discover how much we fall short in this area. For a young man by the name of Elihu, perhaps the reason he thought so much of himself, and his counsel for Job, was simply a lack of maturity. Job, on the other hand knew exactly where to find wisdom. Not from the overconfident Elihu, but from God. That's one good example we take away from Pastor Steve's lesson today called Man Proposes, God Disposes. Let's pick it up in the 36th chapter of Job. Job 36-37

Songs in the Night

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, October 26, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays All the world has it's "night" and it can be a time of terror for some folks. And like the world, we too have our nights – nights of sorrow, nights of doubt, nights of anxiety and depression. But as God’s children we can say, like Job, that the Lord will give us songs in the night. What are these songs? And how can we experience them in our darkest moments? Pastor Steve answers these questions by way of Job chapter 35, where we’ll look at a conversation between Job and Elihu. Job 35

Somebody Listen To Me, Pt. 2

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, October 19, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays You know, there are quite a few folks who think we live in the world devoid of God’s presence, that God has receded from human concerns. Perhaps that’s what Job imagined as his life was ripped to shreds. What he needed was a man to encourage him in his faith. Instead, what he got were the opinions of a man by the name of Elihu. Today on Light of the Word, Pastor Steve Mays shows how Elihu failed Job, and what we can learn from his mistakes. More from Steve’s in-depth examination of the book of Job. Job 34

Somebody Listen To Me

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, October 12, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays Tell me, are you a person who likes to stand out in a crowd? Make a name for yourself? Get noticed? Let's face it, just about everybody loves attention. But is getting attention a good thing? Today on Light of the Word, Pastor Steve Mays shares the example of a little attention grabber, a man by the name of Elihu. His efforts to counsel Job during Job's darkest moments proved to be merely arrogant and self-serving. It's a lesson Steve has entitled Somebody Listen To Me. And it's a good example of the kind of attention we don’t want. Let's learn about it. Job 34

Another Opinion, Pt. 2

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, October 5, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays A surprising study found that if you're suffering from emotional problems, the probability that you'll be well in one year if you go see a psychoanalysts is really only 44%. Odds are a little better with a psychotherapist at 53%; a psychiatrist shows 61%; but seeing no one at all is 73%. We certainly see these types of odds to be true in the life of Job. As he suffered from his loss of family and fortune, his friends only seem to make Job's situation worse. Now it's Elihu’s turn. What did this arrogant and misguided young man have to say to Job? Let’s find out.

Another Opinion

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST

Monday, September 28, 2009 Host: Pastor Steve Mays It's been said that opinions are like faces, everyone has one, some even have two. But whose opinion can we rely on? Who can give us good counsel 100% of the time? That’s the question Pastor Steve addresses as we get to know a new character in our studies of Job. It’s an arrogant little man by the name of Elihu. What could Elihu possibly say to Job that he hadn’t already heard from his friends? Let’s find out as Steve kicks off the fifth and final volume of his in-depth studies in the book of Job. Job 32-33

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