Ignite Global Ministries

The gospel of Jesus is the extreme game changer. It brings deliverance from our past, transformation for our present, and hope for our future. And throw in God power and you’ve got the most amazing, compelling message anyone could possibly hear. Do you believe it? Do you really know it? That’s what Pastor Ben will be talking about today, the importance of knowing and understanding the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Are we willing to do what it takes so people can come to know Jesus? Today Pastor Ben Dixon looks at how a group of friends were willing to do WHATEVER it took to bring their friend to Jesus and shows us how we too, can have that same heart for people in our lives.

We live in a world that has seemingly normalized and legitimized being offended. The Bible is clear that we will offend each other because of sin, but it also clearly outlines how we are to deal with this both among Christians and those who are outside of the faith. However, what about our perceptions, expectations, and even interpretations of the conversations and situations that we are a part of? Should we be offended by everything going on around us, or should we adhere to a higher standard as we follow Jesus?

One of the great lessons of Jonah’s failure and forgiveness is that God can continue to use those who return to Him. Thankfully, we know that God gives second chances to each one of us. Just like Jonah, throughout history, many spiritual leaders received a second chance to do what God had called them to do. Adam sinned in the garden, and God covered him. Moses murdered a man, and God called him. Elijah quit and complained then God re-commissioned him. Peter denied the Lord, and then at Pentecost God still used him. John Mark deserted the mission team at Pamphylia, yet God moved upon him to write the second Gospel.

God’s goal for each one of us is to walk with Him closely and to be a part of His plan in this world. However, like Jonah we can often run from, resist, and rebel against what God wants to do. That doesn’t always look the same, and many of us have even learned how to hide the reality of our running. However, God is committed to pursuing us, and even disciplining our lives if need be, in order to turn us around and get us back on track.

Part of the "Evangelism is for Everyone" series.

Part of the "Evangelism is for Everyone" series.

We can all relate to aspects of what we have seen in Jonah’s life. Here is the best part of all of this—God is not finished with Jonah, and He is not finished with us. It’s not too late! As the story of Jonah continues to unfold we see the mercy of our God in the midst of it all. This is the hope that we have—not that we are perfect or that we have done everything right but that God can give us another chance to turn things around. Aren’t you grateful for the mercy of God in your life?

Pastor Ben explains the importance of being ready and able to lead people to Christ.

Today we are able to see what happens when a person runs from God in their disobedience. The fact is, our choices affect not only our own lives but that of everyone around us. However, the longer we remain in a posture of disobedience, the more we forfeit our ability to love, help, and serve others. There will always be consequences to our sin, and before our hearts become hard we must surrender our lives to God and turn around before the damage becomes too much for us and everyone else.

What is the essential Gospel message? Listen as Pastor Ben explains.

Jesus didn’t think that Jonah was a mythical person. In fact, Jesus used the account of Jonah as a comparison when He predicted the three-day unfolding of His death, burial, and resurrection.

Pastor Ben shares from the daily reading today.

Pastor Ben talks through the daily reading for April 28, 2020 - Deuteronomy 21-22

Ignite Gathering

As we look at this passage today, in light of the Resurrection of Jesus, we know these four things: HIS WORDS CAN BE TRUSTED HIS TRANSFORMATION CAN BE PERMANENT HIS RETURN CAN BE EXPECTED HIS CHURCH SHOULD BE BOLD

Ignite Gathering at Northwest Church - April 1, 2020

We pursue so many things in life based on what others say to us, but as followers of Jesus we should be marked by a pursuit of His voice above all others’. To pursue God’s voice means that we consistently ask God for His counsel, direction, and plan concerning our lives.

While hearing God is truly a privilege, it also brings with it great responsibility. The fact is, if we don’t want to respond to what God says, then we shouldn’t want to hear what He says either! 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. Much of what we will hear from God requires a response, so we need to be prepared to respond.

The most common question I hear that relates to the issue of hearing from God is, “How do I know if what I am hearing, thinking, or seeing is from God and not just myself?” This is a great question. The truth is that we live in a world filled with noise that is blaring in our faces all of the time. This noise represents many “voices” that are constantly lobbying for our attention in order to influence or persuade us to think a certain way or to make a specific choice. Therefore, it is so crucial that we are able to discern from the voice of God and the many other voices all around us.