Pastor Ben Dixon

Why Christians Should Care About Politics | Pastor Ben Dixon

According to Pew Research, 65% of Americans say they ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel exhausted when thinking about politics. I think that statistic is fair and probably how most of us feel when the subject is brought up. In fact, I am sure that some of us have given up when it comes to politics which has probably only made things worse. Today, as we open our series on Jesus & Politics, I want to help answer the question of what politics are and why it should matter, especially for Christians.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: Psalm 24:1-2, Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 22:37-40, Jeremiah 29:4-7, Romans 13:1-7

Series: Jesus & Politics

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Reaching and Rescuing the Prodigals | Pastor Ben Dixon

Everyone has friends and family members who either walked away from Jesus or never fully surrendered their heart to Him even though they had opportunities to do so. This reality is heart wrenching and difficult for all of us, and I am sure that we would do anything we could to see our loved ones come back to Jesus. None of us are alone in this; in fact, James closes his letter with a few words about the importance of seeking to restore the prodigals in our life. As we study these verses and close the book of James, may God breathe fresh love and vision to reach and rescue those who have lost their way.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 5:19-20

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

Why Prayer Doesn't Work | Pastor Ben Dixon

Have you ever prayed and wondered why your prayers weren’t being answered? There are many things that come into our minds when prayers go unanswered. Maybe God didn’t hear me? Maybe I don’t have enough faith? Maybe I am doing something wrong, and I just don’t know what that is? The Bible doesn’t answer every question that may come into our minds, but it does give us some answers as to why prayer doesn’t always work. In our passage today, James tells us what prayer can do when it’s done the right way for the right reason.

 

Speaker: Pastor Ben Dixon

Scripture: James 5:16-18, 1 Peter 3:7, 1 John 5:14-15, Matthew 7:7-11

Series: The Book of James: Authentic Faith

 

For more information visit www.BenDixon.org

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

 

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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