Category: priority

• Vitality of the Christian Faith

  On July 2, 1789, John Wesley wrote a sermon called, “Causes Of The Inefficacy Of Christianity”. Click here for the full sermon. This is a powerful, convicting, sermon on how Christianity can be more transformative in our world. Here is a summary and application for this important sermon: Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity Jeremiah […]

  Ryan Stratton

  11/20/2020

  belief, bible, born again, Christian Life, Christianity, church, conversion, disciples, Failure, faith, God, God’s grace, good news, gospel, grace, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, leadership, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, new creation, new life, power, Prayer, priority, proclaiming Christ, reconciliation, redeemed, Relationships, renewal, repent, transformation, trust, Truth, uncategoried, Uncategorized, witness, witnessing, worship, writing, youth ministry

  becoming born again, Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity, changing the world, deny yourself, holy spirit led, is Christianity real, Jesus Christ crucified, john Wesley sermon, life change, real Christianity, renewing methodism, take up your cross and follow Jesus, the Christian life, What is a Christian

• 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

• Discovering God through the book of Jonah (Part 2)

  

  The Book of Jonah teaches us A LOT about who God is. Chapter 2 forces us to focus and evaluate what we pray and believing God answers prayers.

  Ryan Stratton

  10/18/2019

  belief, believe, belonging, bible, Bible, bible stories, bible study, calling, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, conflict, devotionals, disciples, eternal life, faith, faithful, family of God, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, gospel, grace, Image of God, John Wesley, journaling, journey, joy, judgement, Life, mercy, methodism, methodist, power, praise, pray, Prayer, prayer life, preaching, priorities, priority, proclaiming Christ, renewal, repent, revival, transformation, trust, Truth, uncategoried, witnessing, worldview, worship, writing, youth ministry

  believing God, bible study on Jonah, God answers prayers, hear our prayer, how to pray, Jonah 2, Lord, power of prayer, power of the Holy Spirit, Who is God, who is Jesus?

• When Love Came Down

  

  Since Christmas Day has come and gone, do you feel any different? Or do you feel the weight of cleaning everything, paying bills, or having to pack the gifts to come back home? The time after Christmas can be really stressful for many people. The logistics of how everything will get done can be very […]

  Ryan Stratton

  12/28/2018

  believe, Bible, Christian Life, conversion, devotionals, example, faithful, gift, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, Gospel of John, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Mark, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus’birth, leadership, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, praise, Prayer, priority, time, uncategoried, worship, Worship, youth ministry

  Gift of time, God is love, God’s greatest gift, Jesus Christ heals, love changes things, loving people, spending time with people

• Betrayed, Denied, Tried, Crucified

  

  In the 1924 book by Richard Connell, The Most Dangerous Game is a story of big game hunter Sanger Rainsford and his friend Whitney ending up on an island owned by General Zaroff. The General talks about how he is bored with “traditional” hunting and has moved into hunting the most dangerous, the most cunning […]

  Ryan Stratton

  10/19/2018

  Apostle Peter, belief, belonging, bible, bible stories, character, Christian Life, Christianity, church, comfort, compassion, confession, controversy, disciples, eternal life, example, facing challenges, faithful, Forgiveness, freedom, freedom in Christ, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, healing, heart, holy living, Holy Spirit, humanity, hypocricy, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, leadership, Life, Lord, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, pastor, priority, purpose, reconciled, reconciliation, sin, Spirit, transformation, trials, trust, Truth, uncategoried, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  betraying Jesus, change your hearts and lives, denying Jesus, depths of humanity, God always has the last word, God offers forgiveness and mercy, Good News of Jesus Christ, gospel of Jesus Christ, Gospel of Luke, Jesus is crucified, Jesus’ mission on earth, Judas betryas Jesus, Luke 23, Luke 23:1-3, Peter betrays Jesus, trials of Jesus

• Why Are You Worrying?

  

  READ SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:25-34 NIV 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away […]

  Ryan Stratton

  08/24/2018

  anxiety, belief, believe, belonging, bible, Christian Life, Christianity, church, community, compassion, control, controversy, eternal life, faith, faithful, gifts, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, holy life, holy living, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, Life, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, miracles, mission, poor, possibilities, power, praise, Prayer, prayer life, priority, proclaiming Christ, purpose, reconciliation, redeemed, relationships, religion, repent, revival, Spirit, Spirit led, trust, Truth, uncategoried, Worry, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  earning God’s favor, gospel of Matthew, Jesus says don’t worry, live free in Christ, Matthew 6:25-34, Stewardship, stewardship sermon series, stress in life, worrying about money

• Trouble Again?

  

  Click here to read Acts 16:16-40. “Paul and Silas in prison.” This is the heading for this passage in my Bible. With a heading like that, someone is bound to ask, “Wait, wasn’t Paul thrown in jail a couple chapters ago?” The answer would be yes! In the book of Acts, there is a pattern: […]

  Ryan Stratton

  10/27/2017

  Apostle Paul, apostles, belief, bible study, Christian Life, church, conflict, confrontation, controversy, devotionals, disciples, example, facing challenges, faith, faithful, God, God’s grace, good news, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Life, lifestyle, memory, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, praise, Prayer, priority, proclaiming Christ, travel, trials, trust, Truth, uncategoried, works, world, worship, writing, youth ministry

  Acts 16, book of Acts, Christian life, Holy Spirit convicts, joy of Christ, life of Apostle Paul, overcoming challenges, Paul and Silas in prison, Paul’s mission, Philippians 4:4-7, rejoice in Christ, yoke of Christ

• Hey, Why Not?

  

  Click here to read Acts 8:26-40. I know you have been in this position. Suddenly you feel like you should go to a certain place, or go down a certain trail (road, path, aisle, etc.). You’re not sure why, it’s just a feeling. You go about your business to finish what you came to do […]

  Ryan Stratton

  07/04/2017

  attitudes, awakening, belief, Bible, Christian Life, Christianity, church, conversion, devotionals, disciples, faith, God, God’s grace, good news, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, leadership, Life, Lifes Journey, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, possibilities, Prayer, prayer life, priorities, priority, proclaiming Christ, relationships, revival, service, Spirit, Spirit led, testimony, transformation, trust, Truth, uncategoried, witness, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  book of Acts, day to day to do lists, God invites us to work with him, God is always working, Good News of Jesus Christ, gospel of Jesus Christ, Jesus changes everything, lead by the Holy Spirit, life changing events, listening to the Spirit, little things in life, lives we touch, Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, working for change

• The Rush

  

  Click here to read Acts 2:1-41. Chris LeDoux, a rock/country artist from the early 1990’s, sang a song called “Stampede.” It was about cowboy driving cattle from one place to another place. All was calm at night while they we trying to rest, until… They heard something that sounded like thunder. But when they looked […]

  Ryan Stratton

  05/04/2017

  awakening, belief, believe, Bible, Christian Life, Christianity, church, conversion, devotionals, disciples, eternal life, evangelism, faith, faithful, glory to God, God, God’s grace, God’s promises, good news, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, invitation, Jesus, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, leadership, legacy, Life, living, Lord, Love, mercy, methodism, methodist, ministry, mission, new life, pastor, preaching, priority, proclaiming Christ, reconciliation, Relationships, renewal, repent, revival, sharing our faith, Spirit, Spirit led, trust, Truth, uncategoried, witness, witnessing, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  answered prayers, evangelizing, God’s grace available, Great Commission, hear the good news, Holy Spirit dwelling in you, Jesus’ call for our lives, longing for revival, love of God, love of Jesus Christ, mission into the world, powerful force of God, sharing our faith, witnessing to our faith

• Putting Out Fires

  

  We are all busy people. There is just too much to do, too much to handle, too much to fix. It never fails that we cannot get ahead in our schedules. Why does this happen? A few weeks ago, I wrote about having too many “irons in the fire.” Today, let’s focus on why we […]

  Ryan Stratton

  12/01/2016

  Advent, Apostle Paul, career, Challenges, character, Christian Life, Christianity, Christmas, church, conflict, confrontation, control, faith, fear, God, God’s grace, good news, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus, joy, leadership, mercy, methodism, methodist, mindset, ministry, pastor, priorities, priority, relationships, renewal, repent, revival, Savior, spiritual gifts, Spirituality, Temptation, trust, Truth, uncategoried, words, Work, world, Worship, writing, youth ministry

  body of Christ, each person has gifts, focus on the task at hand, Kingdom of God, place your trust in God, prioritize tasks at hand, putting out fires, reducing stress, the body of Christ, too many irons in the fire, too much stress, we are not lone rangers, we’re in this together, work with the Holy Spirit