This past Thursday, many of us celebrated Thanksgiving Day. We may have gathered together with family, or we may have stayed at home, like my wife and I did. I think we would all agree that the most important thing is that we remembered to be thankful. Thankful that even though we may not have expensive cars or live in huge mansions, we are bountifully blessed in too many ways to number. Today we talk about the true history of Thanksgiving, and then open the floor to anyone who would like to share that for which they're thankful.

"God is our place to run to when we need him. Isn't it amazing to you that the Creator comes to us as our refuge, our safe place? I am in awe of this and all I can say is thank you, Jesus!" Today, our women's pastor Jennifer Faust (Mariposa Psaltery) shares a word from the Scriptures, showing us how to find that place of refuge, that quite place of safety and rest.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV) Today we talk about this passage and apply the Word of God to our lives.

The world will tell you that you shouldn't call someone blind, but visually impaired. You shouldn't call someone white or black, but Caucasion or African-American. They will also tell you that if you didn't vote for Obama, you're racist. That's because all the world's attempts at equality and morality outside of Jesus Christ fail. Focusing on our rights will build up division, while focusing on Jesus will bring us together. Today we contrast the world's views of equality with God's views as found in Scripture, and consider how that applies to our own lives.

Those who truly know what our 2008 presidential candidates stand for are very concerned about the direction the U.S.A. could take if the wrong one is elected this Tuesday. As you'll hear in today's message, it is VERY important that you vote wisely and advisedly. But regardless of what happens on the 4th, God's already been in our future, and if we put our trust in him, he'll lead us through. Choose your connection speed above, and join us for this challenging message of hope. ( also visit http://vote.livingsounds.org )

The peace of God not a worldly type of peace, the absense of war, the absense of strife, the absense of arguments and verbal attacks. Rather, the peace that comes from God is a peace that goes much deeper than our outer circumstances, and remains solid regardless of what is going on around us. Today we look at what the Bible says about peace, discover what hinders us from having true peace, and see how we can have absolute peace in the middle of our storms.

Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" Don't you wish you could say that about all those in leadership today? However, there IS someone we can trust. Lying is not in God's nature. Breaking promises is not in God's character. In fact, it is impossible for him to do so. It is completely against who he is. Today we talk about the power of the Word of God. When God speaks, it is so!

Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." And James 3:17 says, "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." Is this how we talk with and about others? Today we take a look at how close we are to the rise of the beast for perspective, and then ponder where our focus should be and how we should interact with one another.

Are there people who are gifted and people who are not? Does everyone have a specific calling on their life, or only a select few? Is there any reason for our dreams and desires, or are they only distractions? How can we know what God really wants us to do with our life? Today we explore the Word of God on the issue of gifts, callings, and dreams, and ponder the intense interest God has in the special things he has placed within you.

Last week we talked about the troubled times in which we live, and read the words of Jesus telling us, "Do not let your heart be troubled." This week we go a little bit further, and ponder the consequences for being only hearers of the Word and not doers, for we must work while it is day; the night is coming in which no one can work. It's not time to feel sorry for ourselves and worry; rather, it's time to get busy!

We live in troubled times. Banks are failing. Home foreclosures are at an all-time high. Gas prices are high and unstable. Situations in the middle east are escalating. Persecution of Christians is on the rise. Natural disasters have never been so fierce and so frequent. There is no stability anywhere in the world today. Is there any relief for our souls? Today we discuss the fear and dread we naturally have in such a world as this, and hear the call of the Master as he says to us, "Do not be afraid."

How can we hear from God? How can we receive guidance for our life, wisdom for our difficult situations, and revelation for the things we just don't understand? Pick up the phone, put it to your ear, dial the number, and wait for an answer. Today we liken talking with God to using the phone, and see, if in an unusual way, how we can talk with God every single day.

Have you ever felt trapped by a sin or addiction? Have you ever wondered if you would ever be able to break free? We all tend to get into a "powerless zone" in which we are controlled by our vices and the way things have always been. King David found himself in such a state while his army was fighting a battle one day, and found himself an adulterer and a murderer with another man's wife and a lifetime of consequences. Today we talk about what finally woke him up, and how we too can arise from our slumber and become who God wants us to be.

Psalm 139:16 says that even as we were being formed in our mother's womb, before our first day, all the days fashioned for us were written in God's book. And Revelation 13 and 17 talk about our names being written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the foundation of the world. Is this talking about predestination? Are all our days and our eternal destiny already determined for us, or do we have a choice in what we do and who we serve? Today we tackle these questions and answer them in light of what the Bible tells us about free will, God's omniscience, and our eternal destiny.

Psalm 85:10 says, "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed." Even though Israel had once again strayed away from God and received judgment, God restored and revived them when they turned back to him and sought him with all their heart. Today we explore Psalm 85, penned by the "Sons of Korah," and explore the seriousness of willful sin and the call to righteousness.

Most of us have grown up hearing about revival meetings -- healing revivals, evangelistic revivals, miracle revivals; but what is the true meaning of revival? We've been told to pray for revival, seek for revival, or give for revival. But how does revival really come? Today we examine the Word of God, and take away with us a new appreciation for what true revival really is and what we must do to see it in our own life.

Many have said that we should live with our doubts. After all, Christ could have come back the moment Thomas issued the challenge to Christ's resurrection, but He didn't. And when he did come, he told Thomas, and us, to stop doubting and believe! Today brother Garron turns to the Word of God which shows us how we can turn our doubts into belief, and ties this in to the reason there is pain and suffering in the world.

"Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life." (Romans 5:18) Today we draw a comparison between the first Adam and the second, or last Adam, Jesus Christ, and see how Jesus reversed the eternal destruction brought on by sin, for whoseoever will.

Out of all the people in the Bible with whom we might identify, Judas generally isn't one of them. After all not only was he a thief who stole out of the offering plate, but he denied the Son of God with a kiss. Today we take a look at how, in ways, all of us have been like Judas, and then reflect upon the fact that even though we often fail miserably like Peter, God uses our mistakes to humble us, build character, and transform us into his image.

The Bible tells us there are angels, and it tells us God brings healings and miracles, confirming his Word. Recently, there has been a lot of healing and talk of angels in Florida. This is either a mighty move of God or a dangerous work of demons. Today, we compare some elements of the ministry in Florida with the Word of God, and see clearly from the words of Scripture what the source of this healing power really is.

Near the beginning of time, the people of the earth spoke one language and had one dialect. They were unified as one, and set out to build a great city whose tower reached into the heavens, making a name for themselves so they would not be scattered. But God had another idea, and by confusing their language, he scattered them across the face of the earth. Today we consider ways in which today's nations and today's Church are similar to the people and the time of Babel, and ponder what our response should be.

Friday, July 4th, we in American celebrated our Independence Day, the day we declared our freedom. This type of freedom is precious and is a gift from God. We celebrate and honor those who have given their lives to secure this freedom and to make sure we stay free. And yet, there is a freedom that is far greater still. Today we explore the issue of spiritual freedom, its only source, and arch enemies of freedom which masquerade as agents of liberty.

Jesus is Coming! (Are You Ready?) We have this promise: For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Today we take a look at what the Bible tells us about the promised return of Jesus, and examine what our response to this fact should be.

The Bible tells us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Today we discuss what this means in practical terms, and discover the battle plan, given to us by God himself, which will guarantee we stand through whatever the enemy brings our way.

Is love determined by the heart? Can we accurately define love by what we feel is right and wrong, and what our heart tells us is love? Today we explore this issue, and expose some of the falacies of the human perception of love, showing that what our world thinks is love, in some ways is really hate, and the train on which its passengers sleep is heading for eternity in hell.

Jesus made it clear that children hold a special place in his heart. He said that the kingdom of heaven is of such as these. He also said that whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea. Today we take a look at some facts that might shock you, seeing how far we have fallen and how our children are being exposed to things that, just a few years ago, most adults would never see or even imagine.

When we hear the Scripture in which Jesus says, "If I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all peoples to myself," we generally think that means if we lift Jesus up, he will draw people to himself. Today we explore what this passage is really saying, which is something quite different from what we may have previously thought, and consider how this applies to our lives.

Leprosy has always been seen as a curse, something that alienates and makes one unclean and an outcast. While we don't see many traditional lepers today, our nations are filled with them. Just as with physical leprosy, spiritual leprosy numbs you to vital forms of pain and discomfort, resulting in spiritual infection, rot, and destruction, and it is destroying the peoples of the earth. Join us for our discussion of this deadly epidemic, and we ponder how it affects each of us and how we can find healing.

Is the fear of the Lord simply reverence for God? Or is it something more? And is it really that important, or does it not really make a difference whether we fear God so long as we think we love him? Today we explore the Bible for truth concerning what the fear of the Lord is and how it impacts our life and our nation, pointing out seven results of the fear of the Lord. Then we talk about how we can learn to have this holy fear of God.

Can we dialog with God, or do we only have prayer as a monolog and the Bible as God's only method of speaking to us today? Since our relationship with God is more important than any other relationship or any other thing in our life, our perception of the nature of that relationship will affect everything else in our life. So today we discuss this issue, exploring the nature of God and the role he wishes to play in our lives today.

In today's climate of spiritual deception, it is a valid question to ask what part spiritual experiences should play in the life of the believer. Should we embrace and follow them, or toss them aside altogether? Today we explore this topic, turning to the Bible to see where experiences fit into the Christian walk, discussing whether God wishes to give us spiritual experiences, what those might be, and whether they are important for fulfilling the plans and purposes of God.

Hope is something we all need if we are to have the will to live in the abundance Jesus came to give us (John 10:10). But hope, in and of itself, is not necessarily a good thing. In fact, hope can destroy us. You see, hope in something or someone which cannot or will not deliver, according to Proverbs 13:12, makes the heart sick. It can take away your feeling of purpose, and even your will to live. So today we talk about the kind of hope that brings life, a hope which will not disappoint.

Today we take a brief look at the lives of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, and ponder their emptiness and desperation. They had everything, and yet they were empty and without hope. They had something we all have, only much more of it, and that one thing is "glory." More specifically, they had "misdirected" glory. Today we take a look at how we all should handle the glory we're given if it is to produce life instead of death.

We hear the cry for peace all around us, from anti-war protests to meetings of the leaders of different world religions to talk about peace and unity. Our first reaction might be to remember the words of Jesus, "Blessed are the peace makers, for they will be called children of God." But let's take a closer look. The Bible warns of a time of false "peace and safety," and today we explore the Word of God on this issue of peace, putting present-day efforts for peace into their proper perspective. This is a message which I pray will help you to steer clear of a very powerful deception which is sweeping the globe today.

Some would say that the gifts of the Spirit passed away with the first apostles. Some would say that the gifts of the Spirit are active today, but not in the way they were in the early church. Some would say that the gifts of the Spirit are active today as in the early church, but there are certain clear and orderly restrictions on his activity. To determine where we stand and to stand with truth, we must go to the final authority on truth -- the Word of God as found in the Holy Scriptures.

It's easy to swallow the idea of Jesus as an ascended master, a guru, an always-peaceful figure with light radiating from his head. We tend to forget about the times he turned over the tables and chased merchants out of the temple, or the many other times he demonstrated great passion and emotion. Today we take a look at some of the all-too-often overlooked characteristics of God and ponder how these Scriptural truths can affect our appreciation of God's amazing grace.

There's one thing that separates Christianity from all the religions of the world, and it is that, while the founders of all other religions are still in their graves, the tomb of Jesus is empty. No disciples would desecrate their master's tomb, but Jesus robbed his own grave, defeating death for all those who call upon his name. Jesus didn't rise from the dead just so we would have another holiday to celebrate. Rather, Jesus rose from the dead so that, just as our sins were nailed to the cross, and just as our old lives are burried with him, so we too are raised together with Christ into new and glorious life that will never end.

In Luke 16:1-13, Jesus tells a parable about a steward who is about to lose his job because he had been wasting his master's goods. When the steward learns that he is going to be fired, he marks down the bills of people who owe his master. He is commended for acting shrewdly, and Jesus says the children of light should learn something from this story about interacting with others in the world. Today we take a look at the issue of true discipleship from the point of view of business wisdom, and explore what the Bible says a true Christian is, seeing that the world does for their profit what the church has largely failed to do for the Kingdom of Heaven. Finally, we are issued a challenge that, if accepted, will change our lives and the eternal destiny of more souls than we can imagine.

Today we see many church movements, some good and some not so good. How do we judge what is right? Do we go by what appeals to our personality? Do we go by what sounds right? Do we go by what makes us feel the most at home? Scripture describes the heart of mankind as being deceitful. If we follow our hearts, we will eventually go the wrong way. But God did not leave us in this state without hope. In the Psalms we read, "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." We have been given a solid, unchanging roadmap and a yardstick by which we should measure any spiritual teaching or practice before accepting them. And by doing so, we will walk in the light.

The Psalmist writes, "You have searched me and known me." He goes on to list some of the ways in which God knows him, everything about him, all his ways, and even the meditations of his heart. There is never a time or a place where God is far away. He is always there, and is always thinking about us. And his thoughts are thoughts of good, to give us a future and a hope.

There are many examples in the Bible of times during which a nation turned against God and surrendered to sin. And there are different ways in which God handled the situation. Today we look at four such scenarios. Three of them took place in the Old Testament times. In one of those, the people repented and were spared. In two of those, they did not and were destroyed. The fourth example is the focus of today's message, and it involves you.

We've all heard the quotes from Scripture, "The first shall be last and the last shall be first," and, "Many are called, but few are chosen." But what do these statements mean? Today we take a look at these important Bible truths in a new light that will challenge and encourage your lucid walk with the Master.

Today California Condor presents us with Hope in the midst of sorrow, giving us a fresh message blown accross the pages of Scripture by the wind of the Holy Spirit. We can take comfort in the message of life, knowing that no matter what it is through which we're going, there is Hope in the midst of our sorrow.

When we think about class, we generally think in terms of a person's financial position. The upper class has always been the wealthy and the lower class has always been the poor. But this is in terms of the worldly system, and we live under a heavenly King. So before you allow yourself to be defined by the world, consult the King's Book and see where you stand not in this temporal, earthly system, but in the eternal Kingdom of God.