Beautiful Attitudes | Blessed Are the Peacemakers - Season 4, Episode 127
Our world claims to value peace while simultaneously waging wars, nursing grudges, and prioritizing personal comfort over reconciliation. But what does it truly mean to be a peacemaker? Pastor Ben argues that peacemakers are those who stop evaluating everything through the lens of self-interest and instead actively pursue reconciliation with God and others, following Christ's sacrificial example. Drawing from Matthew 5:9-12, he illuminates how genuine peacemaking differs fundamentally from passive people-pleasing, and how the Christian's willingness to face persecution for righteousness demonstrates authentic commitment to peace. You are challenged to examine your relationships and ask whether you are truly making peace or merely avoiding conflict for your own comfort.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Stand Fast in the Faith - Season 4, Episode 126
Many of us struggle to finish what we start—whether in marriage, parenting, faith, or calling—because life's difficulties tempt us to abandon our posts. How do we find the strength to persevere when circumstances grow hard? Pastor Dorrell argues that Paul's final exhortation to the Corinthians reveals three requirements for spiritual survival: watchfulness, mature responsibility, and resolute strength grounded in faith. The sermon contends that true endurance is not achieved through willpower alone, but through a purpose greater than ourselves—our faith in Christ and our commitment to those we serve. You are challenged to identify what God has called you to guard and to stand fast on that ground, drawing daily on Christ's infinite strength to remain faithful.
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Spiritual Disciplines - Season 4, Episode 125
In a world of constant noise and digital distraction, how can we cultivate a spiritual life that feels alive rather than depleted? Pastor Dorrell argues that modern culture—amplified by technology and relentless connectivity—creates an environment hostile to spiritual flourishing, leaving many believers spiritually atrophied. Drawing on 1 Timothy 4:7-8, he contends that intentional spiritual disciplines are not burdensome obligations but essential practices that create space for God's voice, reorder our misplaced priorities, and transform us from the inside out. The sermon challenges listeners to view fasting, prayer, Scripture meditation, and solitude not as duties to earn God's favor, but as tools to remove obstacles preventing us from experiencing His grace more fully. Commit today to one spiritual discipline that will deepen your connection with Christ and awaken your dormant soul.
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Beautiful Attitudes | Blessed Are the Pure in Heart - Season 4, Episode 124
What prevents us from experiencing God's presence in our daily lives? Pastor Daniel argues that an impure heart—contaminated by sin, selfish motives, and worldly compromise—blinds us to God's reality and fractures our relationships with others. Drawing from Matthew 5:8, he demonstrates that purity of heart is not merely a moral aspiration but the essential condition for seeing God in nature, history, and most importantly, in the people around us. Using the metaphor of a water filter and David's confession in Psalm 38, Daniel reveals how impurity burdens the soul and obscures our vision of the divine. He challenges listeners to halt their spiritual compromise, confess their sin, and allow God's Word to cleanse their hearts so they might recover the blessing of seeing God and loving others as Christ does.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Watch Out - Season 4, Episode 123
In a world of endless distractions and subtle spiritual dangers, how do we maintain vigilance in our faith? Pastor Dorrell argues that Paul's final exhortation to the Corinthians—"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith"—addresses our fundamental human tendency toward spiritual carelessness and drift. Drawing on Deuteronomy 8 and biblical warnings throughout Scripture, he demonstrates that we are naturally inclined to forget God's goodness, fail to perceive danger until it's too late, and underestimate the enemy's strategic assault on our relationships, faithfulness, and joy. The sermon challenges believers to reposition their spiritual sentries, maintain constant awareness of potential threats—both from worldly allurements and internal compromise—and protect the blessings God has entrusted to them. Will you commit today to watching out for the subtle ways you might be drifting from your walk with Christ?
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Freedom from Digital Captivity - Season 4, Episode 122
Can we maintain spiritual freedom and biblical thinking when our minds are constantly flooded with digital information? Pastor Dorrell confronts the insidious ways smartphones and social media have created a form of bondage that threatens both individual souls and church unity. Using 1 Corinthians 6:12—"All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any"—he argues that while technology itself is morally neutral, our unchecked attachment to devices has compromised our capacity for prayer, genuine relationships, and sound doctrine. Drawing on contemporary research and pastoral experience, Dorrell reveals how digital distraction fragments our attention, isolates us despite promises of connection, and leaves us vulnerable to ideological capture. He challenges listeners to reclaim their souls through intentional boundaries, sustained silence, and renewed devotion to Scripture and face-to-face community.
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A Day Is What You Make It - Season 4, Episode 121
Do you wake up feeling like a victim of circumstances, or do you recognize your power to shape the day ahead? Pastor Dorrell confronts the tendency to surrender our joy to external conditions—weather, setbacks, and disappointments—and argues that Psalm 118:24 reveals a biblical truth: we possess agency over our perspective and response. Drawing on Paul's example in Philippians 4:8, the sermon demonstrates how intentional meditation on what is true, lovely, and praiseworthy becomes the material with which we construct our days. Rather than passive resignation, we are called to active participation in God's kingdom through deliberate choice. Will you commit today to building your day through gratitude, perspective, and the defiant joy that honors God?
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Better Is a Handful With Quietness - Season 4, Episode 120
In an age of constant connectivity and information overload, how do we protect our souls from spiritual shallowness? Pastor Dorrell examines Ecclesiastes 4:6 to argue that modern technology and the relentless pace of contemporary life—while not inherently evil—are diluting our spiritual depth and hollowing our capacity for meaningful connection with God. Drawing on scientific research about screen time, social media addiction, and cognitive decline, he contends that the sheer volume of information we consume is replacing contemplative prayer, biblical meditation, and genuine human relationships. Listeners are challenged to consider practicing digital temperance and intentional abstinence, reclaiming quiet space for the soul to reconnect with God's presence.
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Beautiful Attitudes | Blessed Are the Merciful - Season 4, Episode 119
What keeps us from extending mercy to others, and how does understanding God's boundless compassion transform our capacity to show mercy? Pastor John examines Matthew 5:7 to argue that true mercy flows from recognizing God's daily mercies in our own lives. He traces God's merciful character throughout Scripture—from the tabernacle's mercy seat to Christ's ultimate sacrifice—demonstrating that believers who grasp the depth of God's forgiveness become conduits of that same mercy to those around them. This week, consider how meditating on God's mercy might reshape your interactions with neighbors, family, coworkers, and the lost world you encounter.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Great Doors and Many Adversaries - Season 4, Episode 118
Why does every significant opportunity seem to come with fierce opposition? Pastor Dorrell confronts this universal tension through Paul's ministry in Ephesus, where a "great door and effectual" opened alongside "many adversaries." The sermon argues that in God's economy, meaningful work—whether in marriage, parenting, ministry, or character development—always demands sacrifice and perseverance. Paul's refusal to abandon his post despite hardship models a crucial principle: the best things in life are guarded by the greatest challenges, yet they yield eternal glory. Listeners are challenged to identify the "great doors" God has placed before them and commit to staying the course despite inevitable adversaries.
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Soul Keeping in a Digital Age - Season 4, Episode 117
What happens to our spiritual health when we surrender our attention to the endless noise of modern technology? Pastor Dorrell argues that while our eternal spirit is secure in Christ, our soul—the seat of our mind, will, emotions, and inner identity—remains vulnerable to corruption and distraction in this world. Drawing from David's cry for restoration in Psalm 51, he contends that contemporary devices and social media platforms, though often benign in appearance, wage a subtle war against our souls through addiction, shallow thinking, and manufactured division. The sermon challenges listeners to recognize how technology companies deliberately engineer dependency and to reclaim their mental and spiritual freedom through intentional digital fasting and disciplined soul-keeping.
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Beautiful Attitudes | Making God Your Greatest Desire - Season 4, Episode 116
Does the word "righteousness" sound intimidating or even judgmental? We often associate it with a strict set of external rules—an impossible standard we can never meet. Examining Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:6, Pastor Daniel argues that Jesus radically redefines this concept. Righteousness is not the self-focused, outward performance of religious leaders, but a deep, internal craving for God Himself. The sermon illuminates how this hunger and thirst for a relationship with God is the true path to being "filled." Listeners are ultimately challenged to make God and His ways their single greatest desire, trusting that all right actions will naturally follow.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | The Grace and Accountability of Giving - Season 4, Episode 115
Is Christian giving just a financial duty, or is it something more? We often struggle to connect our professed love for God with how we use our money. Examining Paul's instructions for the collection in Jerusalem from 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Pastor Dorrell argues that Christian giving transcends mere obligation. He presents generosity as a grace—a disposition of the heart, an act of worship, and a tangible expression of love modeled on Christ’s own self-giving. This act of being a help not only meets practical needs but also creates gratitude that glorifies God. Listeners are challenged to shift their perspective and see their resources as a primary opportunity to be a help in the world.
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Guarding Your Soul in a Noisy World - Season 4, Episode 114
Do you ever feel disoriented and depleted by the constant noise, speed, and digital demands of modern life? We live in an age of unprecedented convenience, but this constant barrage of information may be doing profound damage to our inner lives. Examining the question posed in Mark 8, "What good is it to gain the whole world and lose your soul?," Pastor Dorrell argues that modernity itself, while offering many external blessings, functions as a disease that impoverishes the soul. He contends that we risk gaining the world's comforts and technologies at the cost of our soul's depth, focus, and connection with God. This message challenges listeners to practice "soul keeping" by intentionally guarding their hearts from the endless noise and cultivating quiet for connection with the Lord.
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Beautiful Attitudes | Strength Under God's Control - Season 4, Episode 113
In a world that values power and self-assertion, why does Jesus call his followers to be meek? Society often mistakes meekness for weakness, a quality to be avoided rather than cultivated. Pastor Andrew examines Matthew 5:5 to correct this misconception, arguing that biblical meekness is not an absence of strength, but rather “strength under God’s control.” Drawing from the lives of Moses and Jesus, he demonstrates that true meekness is a powerful, God-surrendered posture that produces rest, restores relationships, and steadies leadership. Listeners are challenged to respond spiritually rather than react emotionally, placing their power under God’s authority to find rest and inherit what He promises.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Be Steadfast and Unmovable - Season 4, Episode 112
Why do Christians so often drift, derailed by life’s hardships and their own wavering emotions? Confronting this spiritual instability, Pastor Dorrell analyzes 1 Corinthians 15 to argue that the resurrection is more than a future hope—it is the present reality that empowers a durable faith. He illuminates how the certainty of our own resurrection provides an indestructible purpose and the motivation to live for an eternity that is more real than our present circumstances. This foundational doctrine is the believer's source of courage, conviction, and transformative power. This message challenges listeners to respond by becoming steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.
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What Will He Find You Doing - Season 4, Episode 111
The timing of Christ's return has sparked endless speculation, but what if our curiosity about the 'when' causes us to neglect the 'what' of our present lives? Examining Jesus' teachings in Matthew 24:36-51, Pastor Ben argues that Christ intentionally redirects his disciples' questions about eschatology toward the urgency of practical faithfulness. The sermon's thesis asserts that since no one knows the day or the hour, true readiness is not about cracking a timeline but about being a 'faithful and wise servant' who is consistently stewarding their God-given assignments. Listeners are ultimately challenged to assess their own lives and persevere in service so they may be found 'so doing' when the end comes.
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Beautiful Attitudes | The Sorrow That Leads to Joy - Season 4, Episode 110
Why does Jesus promise happiness to those who mourn? We instinctively avoid sorrow, often ignoring or excusing our sin rather than facing the grief it causes. Pastor Dorrell examines Matthew 5:4 to argue that the “mourning” Jesus blesses is not general sadness, but a specific and necessary grief over our personal sin. Building on the foundation of being “poor in spirit,” he demonstrates that this honest grief is the essential prerequisite for receiving the profound comfort of the Holy Spirit. This message challenges the listener to courageously confront their own sin, to grieve it honestly, and to thereby discover the unparalleled joy and comfort that God promises to the mournful.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Our Gifts, God's Glory - Season 4, Episode 109
How do we truly measure spiritual maturity? In a world focused on impressive talents and outward success, Christians can mistakenly elevate spiritual gifts, leading to pride, comparison, and division. Examining the iconic chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, Pastor Ben confronts this miscalculation. He argues that Paul presents "a more excellent way," demonstrating that without charity—a radical, selfless love in action—all other spiritual demonstrations are ultimately empty and amount to nothing. This love, perfectly embodied by Christ, is the supreme virtue and the true evidence of the Spirit's work. Listeners are challenged to stop being a mere reflection of a selfish world and instead become a clear window through which others can see the love of Christ.
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The Initiative Is God's, Not Yours - Season 4, Episode 108
Have you ever felt a heavy burden to act, yet God seems silent? We hate waiting; it makes us feel powerless and anxious, tempting us to force a solution on our own timetable. Examining Nehemiah's four-month wait before King Artaxerxes, Pastor Daniel argues that the initiative for opening doors belongs to God, not us. The sermon illuminates how true faith is demonstrated not by rushing ahead, but by patiently praying and actively preparing for the opportunity God will provide. While we wait, God is not inactive; He is working on our hearts and on the hearts of those in authority to bring about His perfect will. This message challenges listeners to trust God's sovereignty in the waiting, allowing Him to build the strength and courage needed for the work He has prepared.
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