Pastor Ben Dixon

Practical Steps for Difficult Days | Pastor Ben Dixon

Every season of life carries both burdens and blessings. We need to remember that when we have difficult days, God doesn’t stand on the sidelines of our life and wait for us to figure things out. He already had these days in mind when He inspired the writers of Scripture to give us what we need for the times we will need it. In our passage today, James gives practical steps for several scenarios that we will find ourselves in as life unfolds. None of us have to stay stuck where we are; we can take steps and receive all that God promises as we look to Him for the wisdom we need.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 5:13-18, Psalm 34:1, Acts 16:25, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 32:3-7

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

How to Handle Suffering | Pastor Ben Dixon

Suffering is part of the human experience and all of us will deal with it in one way or another. Yeah, you heard me right, there is no way out of some suffering in our life. But what if I told you that there is a way to walk through your suffering that shows what you believe, who you trust and can serve as an example for those that are watching your life? Would that change how you suffer? I am sure it would. In our passage today, James speaks directly to first-century Christians who have suffered the loss of wages, jobs, righteous rulings in court, and other forms of discrimination for being poor, Jewish, and Christian. As a result of this, James gives some clarity on how to handle suffering when you can’t change your reality.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 5:7-12

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

The Deceitfulness of Riches | Pastor Ben Dixon

When we talk about “the rich” who comes to your mind? Is it Jeff Bezos (Amazon), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Bill Gates (Microsoft), or maybe Elon Musk (Tesla and SpaceX)? While these people are certainly the most rich today, did you know that most Americans have more and live better than 94 percent of the rest of the world? I think it’s fair to say that the Biblical writers would have considered most of us to be rich just because of the world that they came from. This means that every warning and command concerning the rich and wealthy is applicable for all of us today. Something that we will learn from our passage is that being rich in this world is not necessarily the blessing that we often think that it is. In fact, James pronounces a very serious judgment upon those who are rich which serves as a warning for us in just how deceitful riches can be if we are not surrendered to Jesus and intentional with all that we have.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 5:1-6, 1 Timothy 6:9-10

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Living for God's Will | Pastor Ben Dixon

Everyone has dreams, hopes, and aspirations that they want to see fulfilled in their life. These dreams are often the causation for how we plan out what our life will look like. All of this may not be wrong in and of itself, but the question we must answer is, “Where is God in all of my plans?” Does our plan for our life factor in God’s plan for our life? Have we even considered if how we are living or what we are planning is what He wants, or do we persist with what we want for various reasons? In our passage today, James confronts the kind of thinking that causes people to speak and act without considering God’s will first and foremost. This kind of thinking can easily slip in if we are not careful, but we know that God has so much more for us as we pause and consider what He wants instead of just what we want.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 4:13-17

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Pursuing the Voice of God | Pastor Ben Dixon | Hearing God - Session 9

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: Mark 4:10-12, Matthew 4:1-4, Deuteronomy 8:1-3, Matthew 7:7-8

Series: Hearing God

 

Northwest Church - www.nwcfoursquare.org

"On mission with Jesus to see the lost saved and disciples made."

Responding to God's Voice | Pastor Ben Dixon | Hearing God - Session 8

While hearing God’s voice is a privilege, it also comes with great responsibility. What we do with what God says is incredibly important. I want to stress this point because my hope is that we would never become casual with anything that God says to us. Far too many Christians believe that their role in what God is doing doesn’t matter. What a lie. We matter. What we do matters. What we choose not to do matters. There are countless people that will be impacted by how we respond to God’s voice. We need to shake off any false notions that our choices don’t matter much because God is at work, and He wants to work through all of us!

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: Hebrews 3:15, John 10:4-5, Hebrews 11:1-3, Genesis 12:1-4, John 14:15, Hebrews 12:1-2

Series: Hearing God

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Discerning God's Voice | Pastor Ben Dixon | Hearing God - Session 7

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2, Proverbs 4:23, John 10:4-5

Series: Hearing God

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Freedom from a Judgmental Heart | Pastor Ben Dixon

Christians are judgmental—right?! At least that’s the prevailing cultural narrative regarding the Church. In fact, this perspective is so prevalent that we hear this statement come from those who profess to be Christians themselves. As we look at our passage today, we will clearly see that having a judgmental heart is not some new thing that Christians struggle with. This specific sin has been tempting followers of Jesus for as long as the Church has been around which is why we must hear and heed this passage as we find freedom from a judgmental heart.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 4:11-12, Matthew 7:1-6

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

Northwest Church - www.nwcfoursquare.org

"On mission with Jesus to see the lost saved and disciples made."

Hindrances to Hearing God | Pastor Ben Dixon | Hearing God - Session 6

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: Mark 7:16, John 8:47, Hebrews 3:12-15, James 1:5-8, John 10:27, 1 Timothy 4:1, 1 Peter 5:5

Series: Hearing God

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Dealing with Conflict | Pastor Ben Dixon

We all face conflict in our relationships with others. We don’t want it and we may not like it, but the real question is, “How do we handle conflict when it comes?” In our passage today, we will glean from when James taught first-century believers to deal with conflict by understanding its cause and cure.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 4:1-10, 1 John 2:15-16, Ephesians 4:27, Psalm 51:17, Isaiah 66:2

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org