Category: confrontation

• DECISION v. DISCERNMENT

  Everyone of us comes to a place of needing to make a decision. Of needing to make a change in life, habits, job, friends, starting something new. This is part of life. We all have to decide what we need, or want, to do. But, one of the challenges this brings is the emotional state […]

  Ryan Stratton

  09/22/2022

  belonging, Bible, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, Communication, conflict, confrontation, disciples, glory to God, God’s grace, holy life, holy living, John Wesley, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, motivations, Spirit led, transformation, trust, Truth, worship, writing, youth ministry

  anxiety in making decisions, Christian life, complete life change, devotional on discernment, God has a plan, how to make a decision, live differently, Trust Jesus, what does discernment mean, who does God want me to become

• God Responds

  Click here to read 1 Samuel 8. Samuel is an interesting character. He is a mild-mannered prophet who has no problem removing the head of enemy kings. He is someone you can go to in order to hear from God, and also someone who will make sure the job gets done. (Stay with me this […]

  Ryan Stratton

  06/08/2021

  bible, Bible, calling, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, conflict, confrontation, devotionals, disciples, Emotions, faith, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, holy, holy life, holy living, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, Life, methodism, methodist, ministry, praise, Prayer, prayer life, trust, Truth, uncategoried, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  1 Samuel 8, God hears prayers, god is not caught off guard, God knows, God loves you, God seeks us, God’s response, Israel asks for a king, rejecting God

• Noah: Nobody’s Perfect

  There are movies and books and stories that we allow to speak to our hearts. We fall in love with the characters and root for them, or want what’s coming to them to happen. The stories we seem to pay more attention to add to our notion that life is all about us. One of […]

  Ryan Stratton

  07/21/2020

  anger, attitudes, belief, Bible, bible stories, bible study, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, confrontation, Creation, disciples, eternal life, evangelism, Failure, faith, forgiven, glory, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, learn, Life, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, people pleasing, perfection, plan, planning, priority, purpose, relationships, rest, sin, trials, trust, Truth, Uncategorized, wisdom, Work, worship, writing, youth ministry

  Genesis 6, in Christ alone, Jesus is the way truth and life, live a holy life, narrow is the gate, noah and the flood, noah found favor in the eyes of God, nobodys perfect, perfection in Christ, Trust in Christ

• People Like Us: Adam

  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, but the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Right here we get a picture of God who seeks to be intimately connected with his creation by remaining close. For God it was, and still is, all about […]

  Ryan Stratton

  07/14/2020

  belief, Bible, bible stories, bible study, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, conflict, confrontation, disciples, Failure, faith, faithful, glory, glory of Christ, glory of God, glory to God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, holy life, Holy Spirit, hope, humble, Jesus, Jesus Christ, judgement, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, proclaiming Christ, Relationships, revival, transformation, trials, trust, Truth, Uncategorized, worship, writing, youth ministry

  becoming more, blaming others, Christ changes everything, Christ is victorious, Christian blog post, I am not a failure, is it my fault, it’s all about Christ, People like us, sermon on Adam, taking responsibility

• FREE BOOK!

  FREE book to help you study the Old Testament book of Jonah.

  Ryan Stratton

  05/26/2020

  belief, believe, belonging, bible, challenge, Challenges, Christian Life, Christianity, church, Communication, compassion, conflict, confrontation, conversion, devotionals, disciples, eternal life, evangelism, faith, faithful, glory of God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy living, Holy Spirit, Identity, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, judgement, judging, kindness, leadership, Life, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, mindset, ministry, miracles, mission, motivations, peace, people, Relationships, repentance, respect, revival, Savior, serve, service, sharing our faith, Sin, Spirit, Spirituality, struggles, transformation, travel, trials, trust, Truth, uncategoried, worldview, Worry, worship, writing, youth ministry

  bible study, book of Jonah, Christian life, faith in Christ, glory of God, God, God is with us, Good News of Jesus Christ, gospel of Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, mission, new life in Christ, praying for revival, revival, talking with God, transform the world, Trust God, Trust Jesus, Who is God

• Discovering God through the Book of Jonah (Part 3)

  

  God reveals himself and his mission in a huge way in the book of Jonah. What does Jonah 3 teach us about who God is? Check out this blog post.

  Ryan Stratton

  10/25/2019

  apostles, awakening, beauty, belief, believe, belonging, bible, bible stories, bible study, Christian Life, Christianity, church, confrontation, conversion, devotionals, divorce, eternal life, evangelism, example, faith, faithful, Forgiveness, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, humility, hypocricy, Identity, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, judgement, leadership, learn, lost and found, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, pastor, preach, preaching, proclaiming Christ, revival, trust, Truth, uncategoried, Uncategorized, Worry, worship, writing, youth ministry

  bible study on Jonah, book of Jonah, called by God, God brings salvation, God’s Grace saves, Jesus’ call for our lives, Jonah Bible study, listening to God, mission from God, Relentless pursuit of God, sent into the world, trusting God’s call

• Moving Toward Victory

  Welcome to the beginning of Holy Week. This is the week, we have been preparing our hearts for as we continue our journey to the cross which will take us through  Palm Sunday (Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem…today) Maundy Thursday (Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, betrayal and arrest…Thursday) Good Friday (Jesus’ death and burial…Friday) […]

  Ryan Stratton

  04/14/2019

  anxiety, apostles, belief, Bible, bible stories, bible study, Christian Life, Christianity, church, confrontation, disciples, Easter, facing challenges, Failure, faith, faithful, freedom in Christ, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, Gospel of Mark, grace, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lent, Life, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, pastor, pray, Prayer, prayer life, Spirit led, trials, trust, Truth, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  facing victory, Jesus has won, keep moving forward, marching toward victory, Mark 11:1-11, Palm Sunday sermon, trusting God, trusting God’s plan, trusting in Jesus, trusting the Holy Spirit

• NEW BOOK: “Jesus Is…”

  Kindle & Paperback Editions “Who do you say Jesus is? Some say he was just a good person. Some say he was a prophet. Others say he didn’t exist. CS Lewis says, “A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said wouldn’t be a great moral teacher. He’d be […]

  Ryan Stratton

  04/09/2019

  belief, believe, belonging, bible, Bible, bible stories, bible study, body of Christ, born again, Christian Life, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas story, church, confession, confrontation, controversy, conversion, Creation, Creativity, disciples, Easter, eternal life, evangelism, example, faith, faithful, forgiven, Forgiveness, freedom, freedom in Christ, glory, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, Gospel of Luke, grace, holy, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus’birth, leadership, learn, Life, Lord, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, mindset, ministry, miracles, mission, new creation, new life, power, Prayer, preaching, proclaiming Christ, relationships, renewal, repent, repentance, resurrection, sin, Spiritual transformation, trials, Truth, uncategoried, worldview, worship, writing, youth ministry

  following Christ, following Jesus, Gospel of Luke, Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus is with us, Jesus is with you, Jesus makes all things new, kindle book, life of Jesus, life of Jesus Christ, power of God, power of the Holy Spirit, resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is Jesus Christ

• Victory Over Goliath

  

  We all have “giants” in our life that attempt to hold us back from the life God has designed for us. Some of our giants include fear, anger, rejection, comfort, addiction. Join us for this 7-week sermon series as we understand some of the “giants” in our lives and how they can be overcome because […]

  Ryan Stratton

  03/05/2019

  anxiety, arrogance, attitudes, belief, believe, belonging, bible, bible stories, bible study, Challenges, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, conflict, confrontation, control, disciples, faith, faithful, faithfulness, family of God, Forgiveness, freedom, freedom in Christ, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, humanity, judgement, leadership, Life, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, power, praise, pray, preach, preaching, proclaiming Christ, redeemed, relationships, sin, Sinners, struggles, success, suffering, Truth, uncategoried, worship, writing, youth ministry

  all powerful God, apple podcast sermons, Christus Victor, David & Goliath, David & Goliath sermons, David and Goliath, facing giants, facing opposition, Jesus has won, living in freedom, preaching freedom, preaching grace, preaching the gospel, United Methodist Church, victory over Goliath, victory over sin

• Healing and Restoring

  

  Luke 8:26-39 26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes,which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried […]

  Ryan Stratton

  10/05/2018

  awakening, belief, believe, belonging, bible, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, confessing, confession, confrontation, disciples, evangelism, faith, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, Gospel of Luke, grace, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, Life, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, proclaiming Christ, sin, Spiritual transformation, Spirituality, transformation, trust, Truth, uncategoried, witnessing, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  Confronting evil, demon possession, God loves you, healing ministry, healing words, Jesus brings healing, Jesus forgives you, Luke 8, Luke 8:26-39, new life in Christ, physical healing, sermon series on Jesus, spiritual warfare