Light of the Word Radio

The number one tool the Devil will use is discouragement. He will use any means necessary to keep you distracted from your relationship with the Lord every day. He will try and keep you from the truth that God is our Lord and Savior. In today's message, Pastor Ray will remind you to stay strong and unwavering in those times of discouragement and disappointment. It can be easy to stray from God in those moments, but remember that the devil is NO match for God's love!

Occasionally we can get so blinded by our shame and troubles that we can forget who Jesus is and what His heart is like toward us. He will never turn you away! Jesus will meet you right where you are in your shame, in your anxieties, in your overwhelming days. He can take those heavy burdens, and carry them for you. In today's message, Pastor Ray will remind you of Jesus' accepting love. He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. Jesus is constantly pursuing a relationship with YOU!

Many of us often go to church just because that's what we do on Sundays, or we go because our families go, or our friends pulled us along. We just get into the habit of going and lose that excitement of getting to go to church every Sunday and worship the Lord freely. In today's message, Pastor Ray will prompt you to find that passion again, and to have expectations that you will meet the Living God! God does speak and He will speak to you, all you must do is draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

As followers of Christ, we oftentimes can get attacked for just loving Him or pursuing His ways in our lives. That can get exhausting very quickly. God knew that we would be persecuted or afflicted for just chasing after Him, so He made it possible to go to the Father any time of the day in prayer. In today's message, Pastor Ray will encourage you to trust the Lord your God completely in what He's doing in your life. You can go to God anytime you feel overwhelmed and He will give you rest. 

As people, we often think we need to be sinless and pure if we want to go to God, but the truth is we would never be able to come to the Father if it was based on our sinful nature. That's the beauty of God sending His Son, Jesus! It's through Him that we can approach God in prayer. Without Jesus, we would never be able to make ourselves righteous enough to converse with God. In today's message, Pastor Ray simply states that the God we love and serve is gentle. He will not turn you away if you seek after Him.

We fellowship so we can remind each other that the King is coming—and He's worth the wait! When is the last time you joined in with a family of believers to worship God together, to be reminded that He's coming soon, and to remind someone else that everything they're going through now is worth it for the day when Jesus returns!? In today's message, Pastor Ray is going to draw on principles from the book of James to invite you to be faithful in gathering together, so that you can be encouraged, too!

Today Pastor Ray is going to show you that Real faith shows up in real life! And this is what it looks like when you're making the plans, you first listen to God. The first thing you do is ask God what He wants for your day, for your week, for your year. It's a daily thing, and God is in the details! But He's also in the big picture. And the great thing is, when you follow His plan, you can't go wrong! Things around you can go wrong—and they will!--but when you follow in faith He will guard every step.

Nineteen degrees doesn't feel like too much of a difference when you're talking about sailing in the entirety of the ocean. But when it's time to come into the harbor, nineteen degrees is the difference between a safe landing and running aground! Right now, you're sailing the ocean of your life. Whether the water is clear and blue or murky, you're ok out in the open seas. In today's message, Pastor Ray is going to remind you to check your heading, because one day you'll be heading into port.

James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” But how do we do that? If you look at the other verses surrounding this one, it's already pretty clear! Want to have God draw near to you? First, be a person of peace. Let peace characterize your relationships. Submit to Him and be humble. In other words, you draw near to God by emulating Him and how He loves people. There's so much more surrounding this verse and Pastor Ray is going to dive into it all in today's message!

Do you know the will of God for your life? Pastor Ray does! It's to live in peace with each other. We know that it's not always possible, but are you doing everything you can do to be at peace with the people around you? It might mean swallowing your pride and apologizing for things you've done wrong. It might mean forgiving what's been done to you. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be in relationships that are covered in the peace of God? Pastor Ray has more to share about that peace today!

How about you? Are there dead things in your life that are dragging you down? What Pastor Ray is going to share with you today is more than just words from an old book. What he has to share with you today is the power of God that takes the dead things and makes them alive again. Sound good? Stick around and watch God do miracles in your life today! God is ready and waiting for you with arms WIDE open. And those dead things? Don't worry about taking care of them first—He's got you covered!

Have you ever found yourself compromising in a situation for the sake of peace? While it can certainly be understandable in certain circumstances, we as believers are to never compromise when it comes to The Word of God, no matter the situation. In today's message, Pastor Ray discusses how we as believers are to speak the truth no matter what, but in meekness and humility. In his study, you'll learn that while the world often demands compromise or tolerance, we should practice neither when it comes to truth.

Have you ever been so determined to win an argument or prove a point that you found yourself compromising on your source of wisdom? Whether we recognize it or not, it can be easy for us to rely on worldly wisdom and strife, rather than the peaceful wisdom of God. In today's message, Pastor Ray discusses the importance of being able to distinguish between worldly wisdom and Godly wisdom. In his study, you'll learn that if there's any form of malice, strife, or bitterness, it's certainly not from God.

Each and every one of us go through life having to make decisions. While many of them are simply day-to-day decisions, every now and then we come across life-altering decisions. It's none other than these types of decisions that we should heavily rely on the wisdom of God. In today's message, Pastor Ray will remind you that God eagerly awaits to give us His wisdom. In his study, you'll learn the importance of seeking the wisdom of God when it comes to the big decisions of life so that you might live out His will.

“No man can tame the tongue.” That's certainly a strong statement that can be rather discouraging if we're, to be honest. However, the key word in that verse we read in James is “man.” As you're probably well aware, we as believers rely on The Spirit, not the flesh. In today's message, Pastor Ray reflects on how we can either choose to speak from the flesh or The Spirit. In his study, you'll learn the importance of committing to building others up with wholesome speech and encouraging words.

Many of us have experienced our fair share of moments where we immediately felt regret after saying something we wish we didn't. Unfortunately, sometimes we're absolutely oblivious to the damage caused by words we thought were completely harmless. As Pastor Ray will teach you in his message today, this is why it's extremely crucial that we mind our tongues as believers. In his study, you'll learn the importance of filtering your words through the power of The Spirit and God's Word.

It's rather unfortunate how so many of us have a complete lack of awareness when it comes to our choice of words as we interact with others. This can be especially true when it comes to confrontations, arguments, or even simple disagreements. In today's message, Pastor Ray reflects on the power of the tongue and its ability to either build others up or tear them down. In his study, you'll learn the importance of guarding your tongue by being quick to listen, slow to speak, and mindful of your heart.

As believers and followers of Christ, it can be easy for us to get so caught up with an interpretation that we fail to let Scripture speak to us. When it comes to James discussing faith without works being dead, we all too often get hung up on the legalism debate. In today's message, Pastor Ray will speak clearly about what it is that James is addressing in his letter to The Church. In his study, you'll learn how coming before the throne of grace with belief in God's promise is a work of faith in and of itself.

Whenever we hear the word “works” many of us are quick to throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak. However, it's important that we understand the definition and context of the word works when it comes to our faith as believers. As Pastor Ray will teach you in his message today, the works in the life of a believer speak to the transformation that should be taking place. In his study, you'll be reminded that while grace comes by faith alone, faith should show the working fruits of The Spirit. 

What type of faith would you say you have? Is it a dead faith that was once thriving and needs revival? Is it a faith no better than that which demons have, who believe and shudder as James says? Or is it a dynamic faith that's regularly growing and learning? In today's message, Pastor Ray discusses the importance of reflecting on the state of your faith. In his study, you'll gain a better understanding of how faith and works speak to the state of your faith as a believer in Christ. 

I'm sure that you can think back on a time when you did something as a child that you got away with. You can probably also think back on something you did that you should've been more severely punished for. This is an example of mercy and grace. Today, Pastor Ray is going to be talking about the difference between the two. He tells us that mercy is not getting what we do deserve, but grace is getting what don't deserve. God offers both of these. He is the ultimate source of both mercy and grace.

Sin is something that is completely inevitable. Why? Because we were born into sin. We are all naturally sinners. There is no one perfect except for God. Today, Pastor Ray is going to be talking about the penalty of sin. God tells us that the penalty for sin is death; however, if we will cling to Him and turn from our sin we will have ETERNAL life. This is the greatest gift anyone on this earth could ever receive. We can never completely stop sinning, but we can always turn to the one who saves us from our sins. 

If you have cracked open a Bible even once in your life, there is no secret that our world today is living completely contrary to how God designed it. Things that were once forbidden are becoming a cultural norm. Today, Pastor Ray is going to be talking about the standards that God has set for us. These things that God put into place for us have never changed, and they never will. Though the world may change, the Word of God never will, and it ensures us the best life imaginable. 

Let's face it, now more than ever we are seeing division in our communities. Yet, what is so incredible about our Jesus is that He doesn't focus on the political view, the favorite sports team, or even look at the ethical background we come from - He looks for the one in need. Today, Pastor Ray is going to be sharing a message about Partiality. Through this, you will see how regardless of who you were or who you still are, Jesus not only sees you, but He is standing on your side. 

Partiality is defined as an unfair, biased opinion about someone or something. I'm sure you could come up with an example of how you have shown that before. It's a part of our human nature and it isn't always a bad thing; however, today Pastor Ray is going to be talking about how we as Christians should not show partiality to the people around us. Why? Because Jesus did not show it to us. He chose to love us despite what He knew we would do and how many times we would fail Him. We are called to love as Jesus does. 

In life, we will face difficult circumstances, and odds are, we won't always deal with them the right way. We will fall, we will hurt people, and we will do things that we are not proud of. This is why when Jesus was hanging on the cross He shouted, “Forgive them; for they know not what they do!” Jesus knew we would fall short, BUT the beautiful thing is that He still loves us the same. In today's message, Pastor Ray will be talking about how we are ALL called and sealed with God's saving grace, regardless of our past.

There are so many “all-in-one” cleansing packs out there. Whether it's your skin, your house, or your dog, one company is likely claiming to have the secret ingredient to do it all! But what about our souls? What about our hearts? Is there a secret ingredient for that? Turns out there is! In his message today, Pastor Ray is going to be sharing a message with you about how the Word of God restores our souls. It cleanses us in such a way that we can be completely transformed by it! 

Don't you wish there was a fancy remote that would allow us to rewind time for all of those silly things we said or mistakes we made!? I'm sure we could all think back on a time when that would've been useful! Well today, Pastor Ray is going to be sharing a message with us about being slow to speak and quick to listen. As we all know, this is quite possibly one of the most difficult things to master as a human; however, God tells us that when we are slow to speak that we have great understanding. 

Have you ever heard the saying “Garbage in, garbage out?” I can remember my 3rd-grade teacher always reminding us of that in her classroom. It simply means that what you allow into your ears is what will eventually come out of your mouth. Today, Pastor Ray will discuss the same exact concept. The Word of God is alive, and when we read it, it breathes life into who we are as a person. If we will surround ourselves with the things of God and the Word of God, we'll find ourselves becoming more like Him.  

What is the hardest part about going on a diet? It's resisting the food that we want to eat but can't! Resisting anything you want is hard, but what's even harder is resisting the devil's schemes. In today's message, Pastor Ray is going to be talking about how Satan is out to steal, kill, and destroy us in every direction; therefore, we must be on our guard and ready to resist his tactics when he attempts to strike. In the end, our victory and our strength don't come by avoiding the easy things, it comes when we are desperate for something that Satan tempts us with, and yet still choose Jesus.

It's no secret that we live in a fallen and corrupt world. Every single day there are more and more saddening news stories simply because our world is made up of imperfect people. However, this is why He gave us the very same power that rose Christ from the grave. In today's message, Pastor Ray is going to be talking about temptation, but more specifically, he's going to be talking about how even on the earth God created that we are not sheltered from corruption. We must choose to overcome our flesh by choosing Jesus over everything.

Have you ever been so hungry that even the worst foods sound good to you? Finally, a plate is put in front of you, and within minutes that feeling is completely gone. Why? Because we literally fed our desire. In today's message, Pastor Ray is going to be talking about temptations and how they can be so difficult to cope with in our Christian walks. The enemy waits until the perfect timing to try to knock us down, and those moments are usually when we are spiritually so hungry that we would take even the worst things to fill our desires. The problem is – they are never satisfied.

In action movies, there's always a villain who is scheming to take down the good guys. The same can be said about your life. Satan is always scheming and plotting to take you out. And He does it in ways that seem appealing. But as Pastor Ray shares, you must hang on to Christ. While Satan will attack you for your entire time here on earth, you must constantly remember that He who is in you is greater and Christ is a constant help in times of trouble. So, rest in His provision.

Every building must be built on a firm foundation. Because without it, it will not be able to stand when storms rage against it. The same can be said about your life. As Pastor Ray shares, the storms of life can be hard to weather when you are not resting on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. He redeemed you. His death has brought you life once and for all. So, no matter what life throws at you, you can always rest on His promise, His sacrifice, His peace, and His gift of salvation.

If you were trapped in a burning building, how would you feel about someone who gave their lives to rescue you? You surely would be extremely grateful and love that person for their sacrifice. Well as Pastor Ray shares, Jesus not only gave His life to save you from the “burning building” of your sin but He rose from the grave to give you hope and a future in Heaven. He even gave His life knowing that you could reject Him in spite of His sacrifice for your salvation…He loves you that much!

It's hard to believe that someone would literally die for you, isn't it? Well, Jesus did! And as Pastor Ray shares His death changed everything…not only for James but for you! When you put your faith in Christ and believe He died and rose from the grave you are changed! The Bible says you are a new creation at that moment! The old you is gone and your new life in Christ begins…for all eternity! So, if you haven't accepted Christ as your lord and savior, today is the day to ask Him into your heart.

The Devil is as real as Jesus is. Do you feel attacked? Maybe your car broke down, your marriage is falling apart, or you were just diagnosed with a medical issue. The enemy wants to steal, kill, and destroy as much as he can. We already know that in the end Satan is defeated and God will win, but for now, we must live with evil on the earth. Today, Pastor Ray will remind you that the enemy is here to rob you of joy, but Jesus is here to protect you.

Sin is sin. Culture leads you to believe that certain moral issues are worse than others. While it is true that murder is probably more serious than telling a lie, it is still a sin no matter the circumstance. Everybody sins, so don't compare yourself to others. Today, Pastor Ray is going to remind you that God doesn't grade on a curve. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and that He was raised from the dead your sin is forgiven, no matter how serious. Rejoice in the fact that God heals all sin.

Today, Pastor Ray will remind you that God sees the heart behind your acts of service. Maybe you serve on the worship team, but your heart is to serve yourself. Or maybe you greet people with a smile, but on the inside, you could care less about what you're doing. God wants you to serve with joy. He wants you to first pursue Him so that you can show others the joy that He brings. Serve confidently, but most importantly remember that Jesus is the real reason why you can use the gifts He's given you.

Do you feel like you're chasing something or someone that will fulfill you? Maybe you are single and you think that once you find a husband or a wife, you'll finally feel content. Or maybe you're just waiting for the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect car. Many of those things might bring you happiness, but it's only temporary. Today, Pastor Ray will remind you that the true source of contentment only comes from Jesus. Everything in the world is temporary, but Jesus' love for you is eternal.

God forgives even the most horrible sins you commit. Maybe you feel like you're too far gone to be forgiven. Well, you're not! God's grace extends far beyond our understanding. He's gifted you with mercy and forgiveness, and the best thing that you can do is extend that grace to those around you. Today, Pastor Ray will encourage you to reach out with grace. Tell someone that they aren't alone. Remind them that God is for them, and they can experience amazing healing with Jesus.

Jesus was homeless. That's right, Jesus had no place to call His home. He was always on the move, always preaching the gospel, but He was always content while doing it. Does this speak to you? How are you supposed to be content when you feel like you have nothing in life? Today, Pastor Ray is going to remind you that your happiness isn't rooted in anything on this earth. Only Jesus can give you true peace. He was an example of being content even when He had no possessions during his life.

What a statement from Pastor Ray! We are not perfect, and we frequently do things we are not supposed to do. As a result, we become victims of sin. After committing a sin, the enemy always makes us feel better, and as a result, we are not guilty of what we do. As a consequence, our flesh dies day by day! In today's message, Pastor Ray tells you how you can be free from the grip of sin and overcome all the flaws that are holding you back. God desires to forgive you. Are you ready to repent for your sins?

Every day, we meet new people, whether at work or at church. We meet them and form friendships with them. But how often do we know what's going on inside their heads? People frequently do not express how they truly feel on the inside. They may be in pain on the inside, but they are as happy as they have ever been on the outside. How can you assist them? In today's message, Pastor Ray explains how you can help those you care about by releasing them from their prison. Don't let your love become icy!

We all have someone in our lives whom we love and want to be with at all times, and we also expect that person to love us in return. Love, be it from us or from the people we love is always limited, no matter how hard we try. But does it always work out? Is it true that love is always conditional? In today's message, Pastor Ray tells you what Agape love is. The love you share with others will eventually die, but God's love for you is unconditional and will never die. Do you long to be loved and cherished by God?

Have you ever built a Lego set as big as a tower while hoping, that it never ever breaks or falls apart? We all have expectations in various things in our lives that we hope that it doesn't fall apart, it can be your career or your relationships. But not everything falls in our favor. In today's message, Pastor Ray tells you how God is on your side when you face difficulties in your life. The enemy may plan against you and put you under trials, but God is your refuge and your strength at all times.

Forgiveness is something that we all struggle to deal with. People in our lives can be mean to us to a degree that it becomes near impossible to forgive that person. It also results in us being broken from the inside and not recovering from it. In today's message, Pastor Ray tells you how You can forgive the person that hurts you. You may be broken today but God wants to fully restore you. Are you willing to listen to what God wants to say?

In our daily lives, we have all felt resentment toward someone or something. Whatever the reason, bitterness has an impact on our lives. It exhibits negativity in us, resulting in a shift in our personalities. What can you do to change this? In today's message, Pastor Ray tells you what are the consequences of having a bitter heart and how it affects you. God desires to free you from all bitterness in your heart. Are you willing to hand over control of your life to God? Are you ready to let go of all your negativity?

Starting out on a long road trip to the beach can be exciting! It's something you've been looking forward to and you just can't wait to get there. And then as Pastor Ray describes you hit the mid-point. With no beach in sight yet all you can see is a long stretch of highway. Your Christian faith can be much like this…you're looking forward to that exciting ministry destination or spiritual breakthrough and it seems like a long, long way off. So, how do you keep going? Through Him who lives inside of you.

Imagine running a marathon with a heavy weighted vest and ankle weights. Do you think you will finish? Well, Pastor Ray shares the weight of the world can be much like those weights as you try to run the marathon of life. And then you realize that somehow the longer you run, the lighter your load seems to be. As if someone is helping you carry your burden and get you across the finish line. Well, someone is…and He lives inside of you to help you, guide you, and protect you.

Do you wonder why God has you in certain battles? Especially battles that you can see no way of winning? Well, Pastor Ray shares that often that's exactly where God wants you. In that place of total dependence on Him. That circumstance where there is no explanation for how you survived other than the saving grace of God. So, when you need a miracle turn to the miracle worker. When you need provision, turn to THE Provider of everything you could ask or hope for.