Sermons, thoughts, encouragement from Pastor Clayton Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pastor-hicks/support
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Hold onto your headphones as we join former QVC host, theologian, and international speaker Nancy Hicks with candid and timely discussions as to “why it matters” around a host of topics including: faith, communication, marriage, sex, culture, creativity and more! Featuring special guests and Nancy’s signature style of passion, grit and glamour, this podcast will be a weekly “kick in the pants” to guide us toward our passion in life, and help us as we develop our own confident voice and start ...
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Daily episodes are hosted by Pastor Loren Hicks. This podcast will challenge you to go deeper into your Christian faith. The goal is to inspire you to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. Episodes have been downloaded over 500,000 times.
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Gospel Outreach of Tacoma
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Building Kingdom Businesses Together
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Nathan Spearing chose to leave U.S. Army Special Operations after nearly 14 years of meritorious service to spend more time with with wife and kids. Life on Target is a no-holds-barred discussion of failures and successes in military service, family, business, and life to give you practical advice and encouragement for hitting the mark each and every day of your life.
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What brings us comfort is the recognition that we are not alone. Jesus said this comforter would “abide with you forever.” We don’t face the trials of life by ourselves. He is with us. What a blessing to have God in our lives. Every day we can feel his presence. Every day, regardless of our circumstances, we can rely on the strength and comfort He …
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I’m fascinated with the idea that we are to love God with all of our minds. The Bible sees the mind as a place of our thoughts, judgment, and intention. Our minds allow us to be rational, weigh evidence, make decisions about right and wrong, and to develop opinions. Our minds allow us to worship, praise God, love, repent, and trust. Main Points: 1.…
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How is it possible to have all of our sins forgiven, to have the promise of eternal life, to daily live with a relationship with God, and not have joy? How is it possible? If we have experienced such amazing gifts from God, shouldn’t our lives radiate the joy of the Lord? Main Points: 1. Joy in the Biblical context, is not an emotion. Joy is an att…
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#1,060: Jesus Satisfies our Spiritual Thirst
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I discovered that Jesus could offer me something that nothing or no one else could offer. He could quench my spiritual thirst. He offered me a relationship. He offered me purpose for my life. As I began to sincerely follow him, my life was filled with contentment. I realized that Jesus could satisfy the thirst and the longing that I had inside. Mai…
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Use the measure of faith God has given you. Cry out to Him… “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Once again trust our great God to meet you in your time of difficulty and to give you the faith you need. Main Points: 1. We want to believe, but sometimes faith is a struggle. When you have been through so much, when you are weary, and when it…
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Today God will give you an opportunity. I believe it happens every day. God gives you and me opportunities to serve Him through our witness, acts of kindness, words of encouragement, and steps of faith. Main Points: 1. So often we miss these opportunities to serve God because they are small. We don’t recognize them as a chance to be a blessing to s…
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#1,057: There Is No Substitute for Fervent Prayer
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Let us remember that nothing is a substitute for earnest prayer. Nothing can take its place. Today’s church does many important things, but we must make prayer a priority. Main Points: 1. This is a remarkable story of God’s power and deliverance, but what stands out to me the most from this story is the commitment of the church to prayer. This mira…
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If you have placed your faith in Jesus, you are a child of God. This is your God-given identity and purpose. You are to live for God and his glory. You are to fulfill His purpose for your life. There is no higher calling and no greater joy than to live for God. Main Points: 1. For the Christian, identity shouldn’t be an issue. The Bible makes it ve…
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#1,055: Avoiding The Desire to Become Jealous
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Jealousy has been defined as “resenting God’s goodness in others’ lives and ignoring God’s goodness in my own life. Jealousy is an enemy of our hearts because it causes a lack of contentment and gratitude toward God. Main Points: 1. Jealousy can lead us to become angry, bitter, and unforgiving. It can lead us to gossip, lie, or be malicious. Jealou…
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#1,054: What Story Will You Tell The Next Generation?
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This generation must believe God to move in power so they too, will have their own stories to tell. We cannot let the story of God’s power die with our generation. Main Points: 1. We must continue telling the next generation the stories of God’s faithfulness. Has God done a miracle in your life? Do you have a God story? Do you have a praise report …
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My heart does not naturally follow after God. It does not naturally seek after Him. With intentionality, I must get back in tune with God. Main Points: 1. We can ask, “Are my words out of tune with the Spirit of God? Have my words been negative, critical, crass, or even vulgar? Have my words been filled with complaint, gossip, criticism, or profani…
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Remember this: our hope in God isn't just a wish or a dream, but sure confidence that what God says will happen. Every other hope will disappoint. Every other hope will come up short. God is the one who never fails, he never leaves us, and he never forsakes us. Main Points: 1. Today, I ask you to let the Word of God penetrate the dark place in your…
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If storms are inevitable, unpredictable, and impartial, then the issue really becomes “what is my response going to be to the storms that are inevitably going to happen in my life?” Where will you turn? Where will you go? What will you do? Main Points: 1. We can turn to Jesus during our storm. He is there. He is available. He cares. Don’t ride out …
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There is a very common type of fear identified in the Bible that is not talked about much. It is the fear of man. It’s a fear of people and it can include intimidation, peer pressure, social anxiety, isolation, and insecurity. The fear of man can lead us to make choices that aren’t right for us or avoid making decisions at all. Main Points: 1. When…
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In my years of serving as a pastor, I’ve discovered that often people have an incomplete understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As we share the message of faith in Jesus, people are often ready to receive Jesus in their life. They certainly want forgiveness, they want God’s blessings, and they want the assurance of Heaven. But is that all the…
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Character is never built in a classroom. Character is built in the circumstances of life. God builds character in our lives by allowing us to experience situations where we are tempted to do the exact opposite of the character quality. Character development always involves a choice. When we make the right choice, our character grows more like Chris…
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For those of us in the West, suffering, and persecution for our faith are minimal. It might be easy to forget that many of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world are suffering greatly as a result of the gospel. May we “remember their chains.” May we not forget them and may we pray for God’s strength, comfort, and help in their time of …
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When we recognize how great God’s love is for us, the only response is to love him in return. No one has done for us what God has done. No one has given to us what God has given. Jesus laid down his life as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could have forgiveness and eternal life. It is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen. …
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Sometimes we find ourselves impatient with God, especially about His return. We wonder, What can He be waiting on? The tragedies around us, the suffering of people we love, and even the stresses of daily life all seem bigger as time goes on. When will Jesus come back? Main Points: 1. As believers, we are to wait. We don’t like waiting, but as we wa…
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In a world of mistrust, God can be trusted. He can be counted upon. He keeps his promises, he fulfills his word, and he does what he says he will do. God is worthy of your trust, your faith, and your confidence. Main Points: 1. The Bible teaches us that God is faithful. This means God is always reliable, all of the time. He does not fail or forget.…
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The children of God are peacemakers. A peacemaker is someone who intentionally works to help people reconcile with God and others. Anyone who does the hard work of peacemaking will be blessed by God. Main Points: 1. The word “peace” in Matthew 5:9 combines two Greek words. Together they mean to bring about wholeness, to bring all the essential part…
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Anyone can rejoice when life is good, but to rejoice when life is hard is a deliberate act of faith. You are deciding that your trust and confidence in God are not circumstantial. Your faith is rooted in the character of God. Main Points: 1. The word "rejoice" means to feel or show great joy or delight. In fact, the word “rejoice” is found in the B…
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#1,041: Everything We Need Follows our Surrender to God
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You and I are going to struggle with our humanity. Surrender doesn’t seem like a good idea to any of us. It feels like we are giving up and losing control, but when we surrender to God we lose things we don’t need to gain the things we really do. Main Points: 1. Everything you need is on the other side of surrendering your life to God. 2. Everythin…
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#1,040: All Scripture is Inspired by the Holy Spirit
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In the biblical sense inspiration is unique. God was the primary author of the Bible; He was the One who inspired the writers to speak truths. He was the initiator. God was the source, the writers were the recipients. Main Points: 1. The Bible is the product of God himself. The ideas are not human thoughts but come from God’s will. We also need to …
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#1,039: The Impact of Your Personal Testimony
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Your story is one of your greatest ministry tools. I meet people who feel they have nothing to offer the Lord. In their minds, they feel incapable of serving in some ministry. Yet, every one of us has a story. It’s a God story. It’s a story of how we met Jesus, the circumstances of your salvation, and how Jesus has changed your life. Main Points: 1…
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Let this truth fill your soul today. You are loved by God. No matter who you are, where you have been, or what you have done, God loves you. And his love is as high as the heavens. Main Points: 1. Have you ever questioned the love of God? Have you ever thought, “How could God love someone like me?” May you wonder if there was a limit to God’s love.…
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What do we do with our regrets? If your faith is in Jesus, you must see that the gospel of Christ grants us freedom from the condemnation that still burdens us daily. Main Points: 1. Everyone listening today to this episode has had the feeling of regret. You feel regret over a word spoken, a mistake made, a poor decision, or a missed opportunity. W…
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#1,036: The Value of Memorizing Bible Verses
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Scripture memorization keeps our hearts and minds set on God. When we are daily memorizing and meditating on scripture, our thoughts are on God. God’s Word transforms our thought process and as a result, we make God-honoring decisions with our lives. Main Points: 1. Scripture memorization gives us the tools we need to fight temptation. In Luke chap…
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#1,035: How to Encourage Yourself in the Lord
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Can I ask you an important question? What do you do when you become discouraged? You need an answer to this question. You need a plan, and you need it now. Discouragement comes to us all. Everyone will face it. Everyone will battle it. Main Points: 1. Discouragement will make you want to quit. Maybe even right now, as you listen to this podcast epi…
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The Bible has a lot to say about time. The most important thing it says is something we know already—that our time is limited. Time can be used or wasted, it can be invested or squandered, but either way, once used, it can never be regained. Time matters because we have such a limited supply. Main Points: 1. We always have plenty of time to do ever…
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Everyone of us will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. No one is immune from grief and loss, but there is one thing that makes all the difference. He is with us! God is with us. We don’t walk this road alone. We don’t mourn alone. God’s presence can fill our soul and give strength when we need it the most. Main Points: 1. God created u…
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When we come to Jesus and make Him our Savior and Lord, he begins to work in our lives and strips away old ways of living that conflict with scripture and dishonor the Lord. Through the Word of God, He teaches us a new way of living. As we break with the old sinful patterns and habits, we form new ones that please God, but also give joy. Main Point…
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Your spiritual gifts determine how God wants to use your life. Are you willing to allow God to use your life, for His glory, to build the kingdom of God? Are you willing to say “yes” to God? Main Points: 1. The Bible has a lot to say about spiritual gifts. There are at least 20 of them listed in the Bible. We don’t have time to define them all toda…
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#1,030: An Increasing Appetite for the Word of God
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We must have a desire for the Scripture. It’s through the pages of the Bible we come to know the author. My prayer is that we would develop a hunger for the Word of God, because we have a hunger to know God personally. Main Points: 1. If it’s true that the majority of Christians are not reading and learning from the Word of God on a regular basis, …
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When you love Jesus it makes you different. You are not the same. There will be a noticeable difference in how you live and what you live for. In Christianity, some of the words we use to describe this new life are changed, transformed, converted, and born again. Main Points: 1. We are still in the world, but we are not of the world. We live by dif…
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Do you need a guide? Are you in need of guidance and direction? God has given you two sources, His Word and His Spirit. Main Points: 1. Where does this guidance come from? How does God become our guide? He guides us in two ways. He guides us by His Word and by the Holy Spirit. 2. Psalm 119 says God’s Word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my pa…
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As we serve the Lord in our various ministries, patience is required. Like a farmer, we till the soil, we plant the seed, and we water the seed. We get excited when we see a little shoot begin to appear. Yet, we must wait for the harvest. Main Points: 1. Let me remind you of an important principle about the work of God: The harvest belongs to God. …
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We have a temptation to think that if we are living in God’s will that we won’t suffer, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, God, in His sovereignty, allows us to go through hardship as a part of his greater purpose. Main Points: 1. Sometimes hardship is part of the growth and development of our faith and spiritual growth. Other times hardshi…
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Unfortunately, one of the characteristics of humanity, even followers of Christ, is that our strength is exhaustible. We are not superhuman creatures. Our strength runs out and we face the common problem of weariness. Main Points: 1. We’ve sometimes bought into a misunderstanding that for you and me to be strong we must have good conditions. Howeve…
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The love of money is a heart issue. It’s called greed. Greed is one of the enemies of our hearts. Very quietly it slips in and begins to guide and direct our decisions. The Bible calls greed sin because it can lead us to push God out of our lives. Greed is dangerous because it blinds us to what is truly important. Main Points: 1. The problem with t…
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We have an adversary, and enemy, the devil who wants to attack our faith, bring confusion and discouragement and cause us to falter in our relationship with God. He doesn’t want us to be strong spiritually. He wants to do everything he can to hinder the spiritual growth of our families. He wants us to be ineffective in our work for the Lord. Main P…
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We keep in step with the Spirit by a continual surrendering of our lives to the will of God. His will is revealed to us in His Word. As we follow and obey the Word of God, we are walking by the Spirit. As we abide with Jesus through prayer and worship, our hearts stay in tune with the Holy Spirit. Main Points: 1. In the New Testament book of Galati…
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The Bible teaches us that repentance brings the refreshing of the Lord into our lives. Do you need to be refreshed and revitalized? Is it because you are carrying the weight of sin and need to come to the Lord with repentance? Main Points: 1. Sin is a burden to carry. It’s a heavy weight to bear. We’ve all felt the load of grief and weariness that …
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Our words have the power to build up and the power to tear down. You and I have likely been on the receiving and giving end of both. You can remember words spoken years ago that encouraged and inspired you. You can probably also remember words that brought deep pain and suffering. Main Points: 1. Throughout the day, I’ll have the opportunity to spe…
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The identifying mark of Christ's followers is not in how we vote, what we wear, or the causes we embrace. Scripture may inform God’s desires in all of those things, but according to Jesus, the identifying mark of His followers is to love them with the same love we have received from God. Main Points: 1. In the New Testament, as Jesus was preparing …
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The God we serve is a gift-giver. He loves to give gifts to His children, but not just any gifts. He always gives good gifts. He will never give you a gift you don’t need and can’t use. He knows what we need better than we do. Main Points: 1. In Several places in the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is called a gift. To be filled with the presence an…
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Stand on this truth: There is nothing you are facing today that God is unaware of. There is nothing you are struggling with that God can’t handle. He can help you with anything you are dealing with. Main Points: 1. Remember that the same hands that created the universe and keep it perfectly orbiting around the sun keep you saved, safe and secure in…
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Stop and think about it for a moment. What an incredible blessing we have received. The God of eternity, our creator, hears our every prayer. He is listening. If you prayed today, God heard every word. I believe our loving Heavenly Father hears and is moved by our faith. He will respond according to His will. Main Points: 1. Sometimes prayer is dif…
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Do you know someone who has abandoned their faith in Jesus? So do I. My heart breaks for those who once believed in Jesus and trusted His Word. They worshipped right alongside us as we gathered on Sunday mornings. We served together in the work of the Lord. But along the way, something happened. Main Points: 1. Sometimes the departure from the fait…
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#1,014: Peace is Found in the Presence of God
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The presence of God is an amazing thing. To think that God is with us is incredible. God is omnipresent. He is always with us. He promised to never leave us or forsake us. But if that is true, why don’t we experience more peace? The answer is that we are not always aware of God’s presence. Main Points: 1. J. Oswald Sanders - “Peace is not the absen…
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