The UnSafe Bible

Today, Pastor Ken will remind you that God is the Designer and Craftsman of everything in the universe, and He created human beings a step above all the rest. By breathing His own life into that man, He created the man and woman “in His own image”. That means that human beings are more like God than any other created thing. We have an eternal spirit, just as God has. The wise person bows before the Creator and willingly submits himself or herself to the only One who truly knows how we are made. 

As Pastor Ken continues his teaching series through the book of Hosea, he'll encourage you to put on the whole armor of God because the enemy is actively trying to destroy the Church. Thankfully, we are promised that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church! The enemy uses all the same tactics and tricks. He uses your flesh against you and sends temptations your way that could cause you to take your focus off of Jesus. Remember, greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.  

Hosea's wife, Gomer, practiced unfaithfulness as a lifestyle. When she conceived and bore children, God told Hosea to give them prophetic names symbolizing the Lord's judgment on Israel. For example, Jezreel foretold a great massacre that would happen in that valley, and Lo-Ammi means “not my people,” signaling God's rejection of Israel. Hosea warned of painful consequences, invasion, and slavery. Today, Pastor Ken will explain that Hosea's message was clear—sin brings judgment! 

Conflict in Israel has been a reality whenever Israel has existed as a nation. Whether it was the Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, or Romans, the nation of Israel has always been persecuted by its neighbors. Why is this? According to the Bible, it is because God has a special plan for the nation of Israel, and Satan wants to defeat that plan. Today, Pastor Ken will explain that satanically influenced hatred of Israel is the reason Israel's neighbors have always wanted to see Israel destroyed.

God called Hosea to marry a harlot. His wife, Gomer, was a prostitute and was repeatedly unfaithful to their marriage covenant. This resulted in multiple children by unknown fathers. Yet, Hosea remained faithful to her. This relationship offered a real-time analogy for the relationship God had with Israel. As Pastor Ken will explain in today's message, the children of God chose to be unfaithful to Him, choosing idols and lifestyles that served their own desires, but God remained faithful. 

“God helps those who help themselves…” Do you hear that and assume you're hearing Scripture quoted? This concept is often attributed to the Bible, but it's not theologically sound. As Pastor Ken will point out in today's message, this is a man-made concept, and it relies on the strength of man to do something that's impossible. We're incapable of helping ourselves on a spiritual level. We can work hard and experience some earthly success, but spiritual success is only found through Christ. 

As we dive into the book of Hosea, we may find a lot that we can relate to in our modern culture. Sexual promiscuity, materialism, and idolatry in many forms are pervasive in our culture, just like they were for Hosea. These things have been normalized, and most of us feel like the odd ones out when we resist these things. As Pastor Ken continues our study of this minor prophet, we can find some not-so-minor guidance and reassurance for how we need to live our lives as believers in a hostile culture.  

Have you encountered anyone today who claims to be a prophet? Oftentimes, they make claims about the future, attributing their wisdom and knowledge to a Divine source unique to them. But what makes a prophet a prophet? As Pastor Ken will clarify in today's message, this is only a part of the role of a Biblical prophet. Ultimately, their main job is to point people back to God. When the focus is on one person's ability to tell the future, their focus is not on God, and they aren't truly a prophet.

God spoke our world into existence. He took nothing and made something incredible. He breathed life into humanity. As Pastor Ken will point out in today's message, God doesn't need us to accomplish His will. He could destroy all of this in a second and start from scratch. Yet, He chooses to involve His Creation in His work. He gives us purpose and value and He loves us. Yet, instead of embracing that and pouring ourselves into His service, we're quicker to question Him and doubt His motives.

Why are the “Minor Prophets” called “minor”? As Pastor Ken will clarify in today's message, it has nothing to do with their weight or value in the grander scope of Scripture. As we begin our study of these rich, theological, and historical texts, we'll find truths that are just as crucial to our understanding of God and His dealings with Israel as the books of Isaiah, Daniel, or Ezekiel. God inspired these books to be a part of our Bible and as we'll find in our study, they can have a serious impact on our spiritual lives.

There is a battle going on at all times for the souls of people. Satan is the enemy that we're at war with. He is trying to lead people into darkness, and they are following Him blindly. Today, Pastor Ken will encourage you to be engaged in the battle. There are people being led astray. You have the truth that can lead them back to the light. Think of yourself like a soldier on a mission from God, because that's what you are. You're on a rescue mission. Get engaged in the battle for people's souls.

Do you have peace? Not just a surface-level absence of hecticness in your life, but do you have peace in the biblical sense? Do you have shalom? In today's message, Pastor Ken will explain how shalom encompasses so much. When you accept Jesus in your life, He has made peace with you. When you were broken and lost in your sin, He made a way to be reconciled to Him. Even when life seems to be unsettled and difficult, you have eternal peace because of the hope you have in Jesus.

We often want to fit God inside a box, don't we? Maybe it's that we think we can understand or even control Him that way, but God doesn't fit in our boxes. We try to keep God in the box of a Sunday morning in our church building. In his message today, Pastor Ken will challenge you to accept that God is so much bigger than Sunday morning. God doesn't just exist when you go to church, and your worship of Him shouldn't exist only on Sunday mornings. Worship God everywhere and every day.

Can you imagine a life without pain and sorrow? If you find yourself in a city and stop to listen, you'll hear the buzzing of activity and the persistent wailing of sirens. There'll be car alarms, fire alarms, ambulance sirens, fire sirens, or police sirens. At times, all those sounds will be combined into a dissonant declaration of brokenness. As Pastor Ken will encourage us in today's message, God is preparing a perfect city for us in the New Jerusalem, where all that pain and suffering will be gone.

Our world has tried to paint religion, and especially Christianity, as antiquated and primitive. If you're enlightened and educated, you're expected to write off the mystical, supernatural elements of religion. But, as Pastor Ken will point out in today's message, a worldview without the supernatural disregards centuries of human thought, experience, and historical evidence. This world, with all of its complexities and inexplicable circumstances and events, needs a Creator and Deity to make any sense.

Have you ever imagined what it would've been like to have been born into royalty? We tend to look at the children of royalty as spoiled and rotten, which is often accurate, but it comes out of a sense of unfairness and jealousy. Well, as Pastor Ken will point out in today's message, when you're born again through Jesus, you become the son or daughter of spiritual royalty. With this status, we don't need to see ourselves as entitled, but we can have confidence that our Father will support and provide for us. 

Anyone who has not received Jesus as Lord and Savior of their life will face His judgment. Pastor Ken warns in today's message that today is the day for salvation. Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone. There is eternal separation from God on the line. Pastor Ken urges you to surrender your life to Jesus today. All you must do to receive salvation is confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe it in your heart. By doing this, you receive eternal life with the Heavenly Father and salvation for your soul!

Pray God's promises and His Word back to Him! As you learn today from Pastor Ken's message, God is always receptive to you reminding Him of what He has said in His Word. Maybe there are specific promises in your life that you have been believing and hoping for. Pastor Ken encourages you to bring them to the Lord in prayer. Remind God of the promises that He has made to you. Remind Him of His faithfulness through reciting His Word to Him. Be bold in coming to the throne room of God. He cares for you!

Do you have a person or a group of people that you would like to see God's judgment come upon? In today's message from Pastor Ken, he can relate to the feeling, especially when you feel like the people deserve it. However, what if instead of praying for God's judgment, you would pray for their salvation, for a softened heart, and a changed mind? Pastor Ken encourages you that as a follower of Jesus, mercy always triumphs over judgment. God wants to see all of those who are lost come to Him in faith.

It's important to recount how the Lord has shown Himself faithful to you! Today, you learn from Pastor Ken's message that the more you express your gratitude to Jesus through prayer, the more you realize all that He has done for you! Pastor Ken emphasizes the point that Jesus loves you so much that He was willing to die a criminal's death on the cross for you. When you take the time to reflect upon that, you see just how much Jesus has sacrificed for you. Express to Him your gratitude through prayer.

It's by GRACE you have been saved through FAITH. In today's message from Pastor Ken, he assures you that no good effort and deeds can earn you the right to stand before a just and righteous God. Only receiving Jesus by grace and by believing in Him as Lord and Savior will grant you access to the Heavenly Father. Pastor Ken expresses the hope that you have when you place your trust in Jesus. You have eternal life with Him to look forward to. But for those who have not received Christ, where is their hope?

You have an eternal advocate, and His name is Jesus! As you listen to today's message from Pastor Ken, he shares with you that when you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, He is forever standing as your advocate. Pastor Ken explains that the enemy comes to steal, kill, destroy, and condemn. But Jesus is at the Father's right hand and is constantly interceding for you. You are clothed in His righteousness. When the Father looks at you, He sees His Son.

When someone is servant-hearted, the question they always ask is “How can I help?” In today's message, Pastor Ken says we must ask that when thinking of the Lord. How can you serve the Lord better? It's not a question that's often asked or even often thought of, but if you're a believer of Christ, you must ask yourself, How do I serve the Lord better? He deserves all your praise and all your offerings. When you trust Him and serve Him, He's able to do far more with your life than you could ever imagine. Follow Him, and trust that He's got your back.

Wherever God is, we can feel safe. In today's message, Pastor Ken says, wherever God is, His staff is. His staff is a reference to divine beings. God's always watching us and protecting us. Even when we fall, we can have hope in the gospel. He sent His Son to die for our sins so we can have eternal life through Him. Trust in God today. He wants to have a relationship with you and wants you to know that He's always by your side. You don't have to worry about anything because in all things, God's got your back.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. What an incredible promise that is! Today, Pastor Ken says we're so precious that He gave His Son for us! How awesome is that! You have value. In fact, you have so much value in God's eyes that He sent His Son for you! God's love covers all. Even when you choose the things of this world, you'll have hope in His Son. Jesus paid the debt you deserved. Trust in Him today!

There's nothing more powerful than God's power in our lives. With just one word, He can change everything. Today, Pastor Ken says God can make salvation happen when we ask. The Bible says ask, and you'll receive. This doesn't mean you'll get everything you ever wanted with the Lord, but what this does mean is that if it's in God's will, it'll be done. God loves you so much that He sent His Son as the ultimate sacrifice for your sins. How awesome is it that His love is so vast that it covers a multitude of sins?

The world around us is corrupt. Every day, there's something new in the news reports that makes us understand that we're broken, sinful people in need of a savior. Today, Pastor Ken says God is just. We can trust Him because He's just. Trusting in the Lord allows you to have hope in Him. He's the hope this world needs. No politics or greater authorities will give you the hope that's found in Christ. The crazy thing is that being a Christian feels unjust. How could God send down His Son for a sinner like you when you did nothing to deserve it? The answer is because He loves you.

When you root for a sports team, you want to see them win, you want to see them thrive. In today's message, Pastor Ken says when you're a believer, you must root for God's side. Your heart posture should be to live for Christ because you want to see Him win. When you live for Christ, others have the opportunity to follow because they have an example of who Christ is, through you! Following Jesus means being on His side, which means you'll hate the things He hates, but love the things He loves.

It's easy to get stuck in a rut of feeling sorry for ourselves, isn't it? The best way to get out of that rut is to stop focusing on ourselves and turn our eyes to Jesus. Worshipping Him is the answer. In today's message, Pastor Ken will encourage you to join with the church in worshiping God. Worship isn't about what you get out of it. Worship is all about surrendering and blessing God. However, you'll be blessed as a byproduct. Stop throwing yourself a pity party. Turn your eyes to Jesus and give Him praise.

Jesus really does emphasize humility a lot, doesn't he? Humility isn't putting on a show of seeing ourselves as less than we think we are. It's seeing ourselves accurately. We can't do life alone. We need Jesus. In his message today, Pastor Ken will challenge you to realize your poverty. You are poor in spirit. If you've come to a place where you see that you have nothing to give on your own, that your strength isn't going to be enough, then you're in the right place. You can come to Jesus in humility, and He will lift you up.

Have you ever tried to put together a puzzle without a picture of what it's supposed to look like? It might be possible with a simple puzzle but not with a really complex one. That's what it was like for the disciples to try to understand everything from the Old Testament and how it pointed to Jesus. In today's message, Pastor Ken will point out that it's easy for you to think the disciples were silly for not understanding things. You see the whole picture, and they needed Jesus to explain it to them.

Isn't how God works so great? He loves turning things upside down or turning things right side up. God calls us to battle our enemies with love. In the same way, His vengeance on the past enemies of Israel will be to turn them into friends. In his message today, Pastor Ken will remind you that the ways of God are not our ways. His ways are greater. Have you ever tried to make an enemy your friend? It's not easy to answer insults and hate with love, but God calls you to bring His right side up Kingdom here to earth.

Doesn't the Kingdom of Jesus sound wonderful? When Jesus returns and reigns over earth, it's pretty amazing to imagine. What kind of King will Jesus be? A perfect one. We know that. In today's message, Pastor Ken will teach about what will happen when Jesus comes again. There will be peace over all the earth. Things like cancer and terminal illnesses will be no more. The whole world will be a Kingdom of abundant joy and serenity. Jesus will indeed be the greatest, perfect King of all time.

Isn't it amazing what God has done for us? We belong to Him. We don't have to be slaves to the world and sin. Our whole identity changed when we accepted Jesus. It's not like we just sprinkled some Jesus on top of the sundae. In his message today, Pastor Ken will remind you that you went from being a slave to being a child of God. You are a chosen heir in His kingdom. That is a change that runs deep into who you are. Let the truth of being God's child impact how you live today.

How can you make up for your sins? What would it take? On a surface level, you may think it's possible… Have you really done anything that bad? But God is wholly perfect and glorious beyond any measurement. He designed us to reflect that perfect image and to serve Him in every thought and deed. The instant you even think a selfish thought, the separation between you and what He designed you for becomes impassable. As Pastor Ken will explain today, only Jesus can bridge that gap.

Our culture, through the influence of the theory of evolution, has embraced the idea that humans are animals. When sin is allowed to rule our hearts and our greed, lust, and anger are given the reigns, it does crowd out and shut down the sense of right and wrong and the desire for the truth of God. In essence, we allow an animalistic nature to take hold. As Pastor Ken will point out today, this isn't how God designed us – we were made to reflect His selfless love and honor Him with our lives.

Going to church occasionally or on a weekly basis doesn't make you a Christ follower. In our culture, this is normal. While Christianity has declined in popularity, there is still a large portion of our society that attends church on a regular basis and subscribes to similar values as the Church. But, as Pastor Ken will remind us in today's message, that isn't enough. While Christ will change your behavior as He transforms you, your behavior is not what saves you – trusting in the grace of Jesus does. 

There's nothing new under the sun… the sins our culture subscribes to on a massive scale, as well as the intimate, private transgressions of each individual heart, are just copies of the behaviors that have plagued us since the fall in the Garden. As Pastor Ken continues our examination of Isaiah, we'll be reminded that there's nothing clever or unique about the form our rebellion takes today. There are those who pridefully like to think so, but it's the same old sin, and it's just as destructive.  

Our world is full of lost people. Many have heard renditions of the Gospel, but their hearts remain in the grasp of sin and deception. They're on a road to destruction, but in this life, we shouldn't expect them to live a life that honors God when they've chosen to reject Him. As Pastor Ken will point out in today's message, sadly, there are many who have claimed Christianity, accepting that Jesus is God and died for our sins, yet they're trying to brush off sin and cling to a life that dishonors Him.

There are people in our world today who argue that Jesus was a wise, kind teacher who clearly made a big impact in our world – but that He never claimed to be God. As Pastor Ken continues our study in the book of Isaiah, he'll draw our attention to an important reference Jesus made connecting right back to today's passage. In our culture, the connection is easy to miss, but the people of that time, Pharisees included, knew exactly what Jesus meant; He was claiming to be God.

There's a long history of humanity trying to earn God's favor. Pharisees believed salvation came from keeping every command. Catholicism believed you could purchase pardons for sins to make Him happy. Some religions even promote doing specific deeds to achieve enlightenment. Maybe you've been taught that God won't love you unless you do X, Y, or Z. Today, Pastor Ken teaches that this couldn't be further from the truth. Jesus loves you so much that He died on a cross for you to prove it.

Have you ever been scammed? Ever been emailed by a Nigerian prince trying to offer you a large sum of money for a bit of private information? Do you get those pesky texts or calls trying to deceive you into paying money for a service you'll never receive? Today, Pastor Ken teaches that humans are naturally deceptive. We take the beautiful gift of intellect and creativity, and twist it into something used to hurt others for our personal gain. Are there areas in your life where you've been deceitful? 

Life is pretty tough, isn't it? Sometimes, we can get caught up in the coming and going, that we forget to breathe. We work ourselves to death, and our mental capacity is so low when hardships hit, that we don't know how to handle them. Today, Pastor Ken teaches that you may be wondering why God isn't answering any prayers. The question should really be, “How's your prayer life?” Are you walking with God daily? Have you considered the answer may be outside of your understanding?

So… if Jesus didn't come to improve us, enhance us, or make us bigger, better, or more successful… then why did He come? Many people approach Christianity and the church as a method of self-validation. However, in today's message, Pastor Ken teaches that Jesus didn't come just to make you feel good about yourself. He came so that you could be forgiven of all of those regrets and mistakes in your past. He came so you could be reconciled with God. He came so that you can have eternal life.

One of the hardest things employers have to face during a hire is deciding between two candidates, especially when one is favorable in soft skills, and one is favorable in technical skills. Oftentimes, certain positions just need the right technical know-how, and personality comes second. In many cases, the right candidate for the job is the one who fits within the team's culture. Today, Pastor Ken teaches that you may not have the perfect record, but God still wants you on His team.

Have you ever had to drag your kids out to an event that you went through the trouble of setting up and paying for… something designed for them that you have little to no interest in… and they don't even want to be there? That can be extremely frustrating, especially when you know how much fun they could have. Today, Pastor Ken teaches that God has prepared a place for you, and wants you to want to be there. He doesn't just want your physical presence but wants your heart, mind, and soul.

What a big promise God gives us! What a wonderful, gracious God who would allow someone like me, and someone like you to live with Him forever. Paul teaches in Romans that no one is good. We've all messed up, and we fall short of God's glory daily… but Pastor Ken teaches in today's message that the biggest mistake you can make is hearing about the grace of God, and saying you don't want it. You have the opportunity to live forever with the King of kings… don't just throw that away.

Everyone has regrets in their life. You may have regrets about things you never did, like getting that degree. Or maybe you have regrets about things you did do, like sending that text. Today, Pastor Ken has some good news for you. Despite this, God still loves you. No matter how much you've messed up, God still wants to spend eternity with you. Your life isn't defined by the mistakes you've made, but by whether or not you're a child of God. So, turn to Him today, and let Him make you whole.

Did you have any coaches in school who really knew how to strike fear into the players? Maybe it was that yelling football coach whose neck veins nearly stuck out further than his ears. Maybe it was the composed basketball coach who called for one more lap than the players could muster. Perhaps it wasn't a coach at all, but rather a parent or drill sergeant. In today's message, Pastor Ken will challenge you to consider who you fear. Who do you fear more than the creator of the universe?

In today's message, you will learn that the ancient peoples of Israel and Judah made offerings to nature. In fact, you'll learn that even some Jews chose to worship the creation over the creator. Modern scientists will try to convince you that you are just a collection of atoms that just happened to stick together, and nothing more. However, Pastor Ken will remind you that you were made in the image of God. You were perfectly sculpted by the magnificent creator who loves and cherishes His creation. 

There is power in specific word choice. There's a reason that many political agendas are adamant about the language they choose to use. For instance, one side may call it abortion while the other may call it reproductive rights. The use of language in politics is designed to rally people behind an idea. In today's message, Pastor Ken teaches that for many people today, this specific language is often an attempt to justify their actions. Language has power, but your actions have far more power.