Better News Podcast

Are you so stuck in your biases or regulations that you have trouble seeing Christ at work? What would you do if a new believer stood up in church and delivered an authentic but explicative laced account of what Christ is doing in their lives, or perhaps invited you out for drinks following a service? Not to condone foul language or alcohol use but as Pastor Ricky asks us in today's message, is your first response offense to someone breaking the rules or do you rejoice over someone who is on a new journey with your Savior?

Why is it that the Church so often reflects the weaknesses and dysfunction of our culture instead of the unity and strength found in our Savior? Our culture is pushing for unity and tolerance but it's going about it the wrong way. We allow the dividing lines of culture to cut through the church and foster hatred in our hearts. As Pastor Ricky challenges us in today's message, we should be known for our love. That love is one that looks through weakness and sees Christ in the least amongst us.

We are all guilty of this. Even the most tolerant people if they dig deep down, they can find prejudices mostly likely towards those people they deem to be intolerant. As Pastor Ricky continues to examine the way that Jesus moved the church forward following His ascension, he challenges us to start moving toward the unifying love and grace that characterizes the kingdom of God. Stop building walls between yourself and “those” people and instead try inviting them to the table with you.

You were marked as unclean the moment you entered this world. Even before you were conscious of it, you were sinning. You were placing self above others and especially above God. In doing so you built up barriers and justified your own sin and selfishness while judging others' worth based on their sins and differences. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today's message, Christ brings an end to all of that. He makes you clean and makes anyone who asks clean. In that abundant grace, you can find unity.

Prejudice isn't always based on color of skin or geographic origin and it can range from a subtle bias to a raging anger. As Pastor Ricky warns in today's message, this area of your heart and life tends to be one of the last ones to be addressed as you seek to walk in holiness with Christ. Instead of getting defensive or distancing yourself from a specific group that makes you uncomfortable, examine your heart and pray for the love and grace of Christ to flow from you to all people.

Paul had encountered many Christians in his life, many of them devoted believers willing to suffer and die for their Savior. You'd think that would have been enough to turn him but it wasn't. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today's message, it's vital that we bring people to Jesus. Paul had to encounter Christ firsthand to change his heart. You don't need to present 7-step plans or gospel cubes, those might be helpful aids at times but ultimately you need to show Jesus to the world around you.

You may not feel like your salvation experience is comparable to Paul's. As a fervent Jew, he was a devout enemy of Christ who experienced a dramatic and abrupt conversion. Maybe your actions and life weren't so overtly anti-Christ but all of us were enemies of Christ at one time. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today's message, no matter where you come from your story is a beautiful one of grace and redemption in Christ and you should celebrate it by sharing that grace with those around you.

Sometimes, even as a believer, you might be more of a hindrance to the gospel than a proponent of it. Maybe it's allowing your old selfish nature to come through and overtake your new nature. Perhaps it's trying to apply your own wisdom in presenting the gospel instead of surrendering to the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to work in and through you. Whatever form it may take, as Pastor Ricky explains in today's message, there is good news. Christ specializes in using imperfect vessels.

Your life should be one of mission. If you're a believer, you've been called to carry the gospel. For most of us that doesn't mean training to be in full-time ministry as a pastor or foreign missionary. As Pastor Ricky explains in today's message, you have a mission right where you are. Your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors need Jesus and you may be one of the only believers that they know who is willing to step out of their comfort zone and share His love with them.

From the moment Jesus took His first breath in the flesh, He faced opposition. He was the reason that Herod committed one of the greatest atrocities recorded in scripture, the massacre of thousands of innocent children, all in an effort to stop Jesus. Throughout all of His earthly ministry and in the thousands of years since, His church has faced heavy opposition. Yet as Pastor Ricky points out, it has just kept going and growing despite all of this because God is at work in it.

Leadership doesn't just happen from a stage. Only a few people are genuinely called to take on that role. But there is so much more to the church than just listening to songs and sermons on Sunday morning. It is a refuge for the lost and a base of operations for spiritual rescue teams that go out to offer hope to the hopeless. As Pastor Ricky challenges us in today's message, embrace your calling to servant leadership. Whether you're in the spotlight or not, you are important and necessary in this body.

Our concept of a successful church is quite a bit different from the early church as we'll encounter in today's passage. When we see a church whose numbers are steadily increasing, requiring a bigger building or new satellite congregations every couple of years, we assume that that is a truly successful church. But as Pastor Ricky points out, attendance alone is not a good measure of health. An easy message coupled with fun music can bring in crowds but you have to ask, are true disciples being made?

There has been a movement amongst some Christians to take a militant stance against the lost world. Whether it's through the ineffective use of memes on social media, picketing, or politicking, this approach doesn't mesh with Jesus' sacrificial love. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today's message, if you're truly living out your faith, you will face opposition but in the midst of that, it's important to remember that your real enemy is not flesh and blood but forces of Satan at work in the hearts of man.

Jesus thrives in the face of opposition. If you look at cultures through the centuries that have outlawed Christianity, you don't see a pattern of people abandoning their faith and dying out in that place. It's in those places where the enemy is hardest at work that Jesus comes to life in the hearts of His followers and spreads like fire. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today's message, while the battles of life will continue, Jesus has won the victory and His kingdom is actively growing in this world.

The gift of public speaking is a powerful one. People can be persuaded to good just as they can to evil. Emotions can be stirred to anger, sorrow, or joy. But the gospel doesn't require this gift to be effective, its power is in Christ. As Pastor Ricky continues our study of how Jesus has been at work since His ascension, he reminds us that the apostles, Peter included, were not generally well-educated or trained in the art of public speaking. Yet through them, God has had an impact on millions of people.

Most religions of the world dictate what you have to do in order to attain God-like status or favor with God. This puts you in a place to boast of your own self-discipline and commitment. That's not how Christianity is supposed to work. As Pastor Ricky reminds us in today's message, your only boast should be in Jesus. Your salvation isn't based off of anything that you did. It only required that you trust in Jesus and He did everything else to bring you into right relationship with His father.

God can, and sometimes does, work supernaturally to meet a need or provide healing. But as Pastor Ricky challenges us to ask in today's message, how often do you pray for someone in need knowing full well that you have the resources to help them? Keep on praying, that's good, but ask yourself if God might want to use you to facilitate that miracle in someone's life. As a member of His church, a physical extension of Christ in this world, you need to be open to act when God gives you the opportunity.

Like the Israelites as they wandered freely in the desert or Peter as his gaze shifted from Jesus to the waves he was walking on, how quickly you forget what God has done for you. He has cleansed your soul and given you freedom from the power of sin. He has healed physical and emotional wounds for countless people throughout history and He's still doing it. Yet as Pastor Ricky points out in today's message, so often our focus is only on the problem instead of the one who will rescue us from it.

We like to make things as efficient as possible. The number of people we can reach with the least effort is a common fixation for many churches. That's not wrong, we are called to spread the gospel to the ends of the world after all. But as Pastor Ricky points out in today's message, Jesus didn't seem to be concerned with efficiency. Instead of prioritizing big crowds or the rich and powerful, He would take the time to stop and interact with individuals, especially those that society had overlooked.

Most of us move through life feeling stretched, rushed, or distracted, trying to fit spiritual growth into the margins. Yet Jesus invites His people into something far richer, a life deeply connected to God, rooted in His people, and purposeful in the world. Today's message brings those truths down to earth, showing how ordinary rhythms like daily scripture, weekly community, and prayerful mission can shape a life that reflects the heart of Christ. It's about learning to walk with Him in the everyday.

At some point, every follower of Jesus has to ask, what kind of life am I actually building? We make plans, set routines, and chase goals but rarely slow down enough to consider whether our daily patterns reflect the heart of Christ. In today's passage, we listen in on Jesus praying just before the cross, a moment that reveals what mattered most to Him and as we hear His desires, we are invited to align our own hearts, rhythms, and priorities with His.

If you've ever wondered whether God could truly welcome someone like you, you're not alone. Many believers wrestle with the fear that their failures, their past. or their lack of spiritual strength, puts them beyond the reach of grace. The Gospel offers a stunning reality. Christ receives all who come, not reluctantly, but gladly. Today, we look at the heart of God towards sinners, how the Father draws us, how the Son welcomes us, and why believers can return to Him again and again with confidence. .

There are moments when life forces us to ask what really satisfies us. We chase accomplishments, relationships, comfort, or control, yet still feel a quiet ache underneath it all. Jesus speaks directly to that deeper hunger, calling us to recognize that the longing beneath every longing is ultimately a longing for Him. In today's message, we are invited to consider why we come to Christ, where true life is found, and what it means that He receives all who turn to Him.

Life can feel like a swirl of pleasures, fears, and shifting plans, leaving us unsure of what's solid and what's slipping away. But Psalm 33 invites us to steady our hearts by placing God, not our circumstances, at the center. In this final message of our series, Pastor Ricky shows how God's unchanging character, faithful promises, and rescuing love create a foundation strong enough for every season. Even when life feels unstable, God remains steady, present, and entirely trustworthy.

When the world feels unstable, chaotic, or unpredictable, we instinctively search for something, anything to hold us steady. In today's message, Pastor Ricky reminds us that God alone provides the kind of center strong enough to anchor our lives. Drawing from the richness of Psalm 33, he shows how God's character, sovereignty, and steadfast love give us a foundation that cannot be shaken. This message offers clarity for anyone feeling lost in the swirl of uncertainty.

There are moments when the weight of unconfessed sin feels crushing, draining our joy, clarity, and strength. In today's message, Pastor Ricky shows how Psalm 32 leads us out of that suffocating place and into the relief only God can give. He explains how honest confession restores our fellowship with God and steadies our lives with renewed peace and direction. This is a message for anyone longing to breathe again and experience joy on the other side of repentance.

We all know how deeply we try to avoid being exposed, blamed, or held accountable, but in today's message, Pastor Ricky shows how confession is not the step towards shame; it's a step toward freedom. Drawing from the honesty of Psalm 32, he helps us see how God meets real brokenness with real forgiveness—trading the heaviness of hiding for the joy of being made clean. This message invites us to drop the excuses and step into the life God is offering.

Everyone one of us carries wounds, disappointments, or seasons where God feels distant. Yet Psalm 22 reveals a God who is closer than we fear and more faithful than we. In today's message, Pastor Ricky helps us recognize the shift from anguish to confidence that happens when we anchor ourselves in God's character rather than our circumstances. It is a reminder that the pain we feel is not the end of the story; God is still writing one of rescue.

Pain has a way of narrowing our world, of making us feel unseen, unheard, and alone. In this message, Pastor Ricky walks us into the raw honesty of Psalm 22, showing how God meets His people not in polished strength but in the depths of suffering. He helps us see that our cries do not push God away; they draw us into the very places where He brings comfort, clarity, and hope. For anyone in the pain club, this message is a lifeline.

When life feels thin, restless, or unsatisfying, our instinct is often to chase something new. Pastor Ricky shows how the Psalms call us back to the goodness God has woven into everyday moments we've grown numb to. He explores how contentment is formed, not by changing our circumstances but by reawakening our hearts to the gift God is already giving. This message invites us to slow down, notice, and receive the blessings we've been missing.

We often search far and wide for the life we think we are missing, hoping the next achievement, relationship, or milestone will finally satisfy. But in today's message, Pastor Ricky reminds us that God has already placed deep blessing within reach, inviting us to rediscover what we've overlooked. He helps us see how God meets us in the ordinary, grounding us in joy and gratitude right where we are. Sometimes the blessings we long for have been at home all along.

Many of us live with an inner tension between who we want to be and who we feel we've become. In today's message, Pastor Ricky helps us see how God reshapes us from the inside out, not by demanding perfection but by forming new desires, new rhythms and a new center of gravity for our lives. He highlights the quiet but powerful ways God restores our humanity and teaches us to walk with renewed strength.

Most of us long to feel like ourselves again, to be restored to a life marked by clarity, purpose, and spiritual strength. In today's message, Ricky shows how the Psalms guide us toward a renewed humanity, shaped by God's presence and truth. He highlights the practices that reorient our inner life and help us live with a grounded identity, rather than being driven by emotion, pressure, or distraction. Renewal begins with learning how to return to who God designed us to be.

Sometimes God's work in our lives feels slow and hidden, other times it feels urgent, unmistakable, and impossible to ignore. In today's message, Pastor Ricky explores how God lovingly disrupts our comfort in order to draw us back to Himself. He helps us see the deeper mercy behind His pursuit and the hope that comes when we finally stop running. It's an invitation to recognize God's hand, even in the moments that feel overwhelming.

There are seasons when life feels less like a steady walk with God and more like being pushed, prodded, or pursued. In this message, Pastor Ricky helps us understand the surprising ways that God uses pressure, discomfort, and even fear to move us toward places of growth we would never choose on our own. He shows how God's guidance isn't always gentle, but it's always good and often the very thing that rescues us from settling for less.

Every believer eventually reaches places where God exposes what we trust, reveals what we chase, and calls us toward a better path. In today's message, Pastor Ricky unpacks how genuine transformation happens, not through quick fixes but through surrender, renewal, and a willingness to let God reshape what guides us. He invites us to consider how the Word of God redirects our desires and leads us toward a life that is steady, rooted, and intentionally formed by Christ.

So much of life is lived in the tension between who we hope to be and what actually forms us day by day. In today's message, Pastor Ricky helps us see how our inner world is shaped. Slowly, quietly through patterns we either intentionally cultivate, or carelessly drift into. He invites us to take a thoughtful look at the voices we follow, the habits we lean on, and the spiritual direction they create. Real growth begins with honest attention.

Life often feels like a series of branching paths, each one promising a different outcome. In today's message, Pastor Ricky helps us slow down enough to recognize that spiritual direction isn't shaped by dramatic moments but by the quiet daily choices that form our character. He invites us to consider the influences we welcome, the habits we practice, and the kind of person we are becoming, often without noticing. It's a needed reminder that every step shapes a destination.

The story that plays out in the book of Esther is one that begins with impending doom for an entire people, it ends instead with their victory over their intended destroyers. It's remarkable to watch the intrigue and behind-the-scenes dealings of a real-life drama playing out before our very eyes. Pastor Ricky will be teaching about the providence of God and how His hand works in our lives even when we can't perceive Him. It's beneficial for us to pay attention to history because we can learn from it.

We all like celebrations, right? So did the Israelites. It's interesting that God mandated not just solemn assemblies like the Day of Atonement but also joyous ones like the Feast of Tabernacles where people camped out and ate for a whole week. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from the book of Esther focusing on the creation of the feast called Purim. He'll be showing the importance of remembering events through celebration and how these lessons from the past apply to us today.

It can definitely be vexing to observe injustices being done around us and it's hard not to get frustrated with God in those regards. We want justice and we want it done now. At those times, it's best to listen to Pastor Ricky. He'll be teaching about the importance of our submitting such frustrations over to God and understanding that His timing will always be perfect. He also is the only just judge because He knows all of the circumstances as well as the heart of those involved.

As Christians, we believe that what the Bible tells us is true. It indicates that in the last days, there will be a final judgment. Although that's sometimes not a comfort at this present time, it is comforting to know that God has not turned a blind eye to what's occurring. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from Esther, emphasizing that God is indeed watching over all and is keeping track of what men are doing. He alone will be the final judge and His verdict will be final.

So often we see people get away with doing bad things, and that's frustrating to us. We see people getting away with crimes without any consequences. It seemed like the same thing was going to happen in the story of Esther. Haman was planning to kill all of the Jews and no one realized it. But as Pastor Ricky will be teaching, God knew all about Haman's plans and He had already put His own plans into motion. And as we'll learn, God's plans included appropriate justice for Haman and preservation for the Jews.

We all have different stories about how we came to saving faith. The undercurrent in all of them though is God's grace in showing us our need for Him and then providing the faith necessary to receive His son's salvation. The story of Esther is in many ways a foreshadowing of our own redemption. Pastor Ricky will be teaching about how Esther and the exiled Jews' deliverance by God is a precursor to our own rescuing by God. He'll also teach us about God being the final arbiter of justice.

So often it's hard to see God working in our lives. Maybe we're looking for something obvious, like being able to see angels stopping out-of-control vehicles. The truth is, God works most often than not behind the scenes. We only see His hand after the fact. Pastor Ricky continues teaching from the fascinating story of Esther where we're allowed to peak behind the curtain as it were. In this story, we can observe all the players involved and watch God orchestrating circumstances for maximum effect.

All around us, we see bad men and women prospering seemingly without a check on their actions or behaviors. It's really frustrating and we wish for justice to be done to them and for them to be stopped. Pastor Ricky will be continuing to teach from the story of Esther where we find a similar situation. Pastor Ricky will be reminding us of God's sovereign will and how He has the final say in all matters. This should be encouraging to us despite the aggravation we often have to endure.

The timing of Jesus' birth is amazing. The prophecies in the Old Testament regarding the Messiah's heritage and location of birth required meeting formidable odds, and yet, Jesus' mother was who she needed to be, and they and Joseph were where they needed to be at the time of His birth. Pastor Ricky will be teaching on how the orchestration of the confluence of these events shows the sovereignty of God. This is also a reminder that God knows where we are and has us on this earth for His reasons as well.

The story of Jesus' birth is one of the triune God deciding to intervene on man's behalf to fix the problem that man had caused. We messed up in the Garden of Eden with eternal damnation as the consequence. Fortunately, the Trinity loved us enough to make a way to restore the original relationship we had with them. Pastor Ricky will be teaching about how the names of the Messiah in the book of Isaiah relate to the character of God the Father and to Jesus, and how those are applicable to us today.

It's funny how family resemblances work, isn't it? Facial characteristics, even vocal qualities, passed on from generation to generation. In the same way Jesus embodied the characteristics and nature of His father. Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” Pastor Ricky will be teaching from Isaiah, using the prophecies about the Messiah to show how the qualities of God the Father will be present in He who is to be the Savior of the world, showing His love for us as well.

Sometimes, as we go through life, we get into situations where we have no solutions to fix our circumstances. It's in those times when we find out what our foundation is, what we really are relying on. God, through the prophet Isaiah, was trying to get the people of Israel to turn back and rely on Him. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from the book of Isaiah, sharing what God was trying to communicate to the Israelites. He'll also teach how the promises given those centuries ago apply to us now.

We read in the Gospels that those who were closest to Jesus struggled at times with believing the one who performed miracles right in front of them. So it's no surprise that we would have the same struggles. Pastor Ricky will be teaching from the book of Isaiah, sharing one of the stories that Isaiah wrote down. The Israelites were threatened and looking for help everywhere except to God. This is a good lesson for us and a reminder that God's help is closer than we think.