Scott LaPierre Ministries By cover art

Scott LaPierre Ministries

By: Scott LaPierre
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  • Summary

  • Scott LaPierre (https://www.scottlapierre.org/) is a pastor, author, and Christian speaker on marriage. This podcast includes his conference messages, guest preaching, and expository sermons at Woodland Christian Church. Each of Scott’s messages is the result of hours of studying the Bible. Scott and his wife, Katie, grew up together in northern California, and God has blessed them with nine children. View all of Pastor Scott’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ. Receive a FREE copy of Scott’s book, “Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages.” For Scott LaPierre’s conference and speaking information, including testimonies, and endorsements, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/. Feel free to contact Scott at: https://www.scottlapierre.org/contact/.
    © 2020 Scott LaPierre
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Episodes
  • If You Seek Great Things for Yourself (Jeremiah 45:5)

    If You Seek Great Things for Yourself (Jeremiah 45:5)
    Jul 1 2024
    God told Baruch, Jeremiah's scribe, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). As we consider why God didn't want Baruch to seek great things, we can learn why God might not want us to seek great things. https://youtu.be/WmIzUoHD0T4 God told Baruch, "If you seek great things for yourself, seek them not" (Jeremiah 45:5). Learn why God might not want us to seek great things. Table of contentsDiscontent Being Jeremiah’s ScribeWhy Didn’t God Want Baruch to Seek Great Things?God Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because We Seek Them for OurselvesGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Won’t LastGod Might not Want Us to Seek Things Because They Aren’t Part of His Plan“Great Things” Often Aren’t That GreatSeeking Great Things in God’s EyesMoses Sought Great Things in God’s EyesJonathan Sought Greatness in God’s EyesJohn the Baptist Sought Greatness in God’s EyesContent with Despised Roles that Please God Before doctors administer a shot, they say, “Try to relax as much as possible. This will be worse if you resist.” The doctor tells you to accept what will happen because resisting worsens it. Elizabeth Elliot said something similar: “There is joy in acceptance.” We can’t change certain circumstances, and resisting worsens them; therefore, it is best to trust that God wants to use them for our good and His glory. This is what it means to choose contentment, and it can bring great peace. Conversely, refusing to be content, which is to say choosing discontentment, can bring severe turmoil and suck the joy out of life. To some extent, all of us would say our lives are not exactly what we want. Maybe we wish we made more money, lived elsewhere, had a different job, or enjoyed a bigger house. If we are single, maybe we wish we were married. If we are married, maybe we wish our marriage was better. We all have something (or some things) we wish were different. There is a man in scripture, Baruch, who wished his life was different. He was Jeremiah’s faithful scribe, and we can learn much from him. Discontent Being Jeremiah’s Scribe Baruch is one of the unsung heroes of the Old Testament. Jeremiah was the most despised man of his day, and throughout much of his ministry, Baruch was his only friend. Jeremiah faced rejection and persecution from his countrymen. Being the closest person to Jeremiah meant that when Jeremiah suffered, Baruch often did too. At one point, Baruch wanted something different for himself. The Lord learned of his discontentment and had the following words for him: The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go” (Jeremiah 45:1-5). Baruch was discouraged. The words “woe,” “pain,” “groaning,” and “find no rest” reveal that he suffered physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I hate to be critical of Baruch because I’m sure I would have been worse than him if I were in his situation, but he should have been content with his circumstances. The phrase “the Lord has added sorrow” reveals that he attributed his suffering to God. How did God respond? Did He feel sorry for Baruch or apologize to him? No. Instead, He criticized Baruch for “[seeking] great things for [himself]” and told him to “seek them not.” This is the opposite of the Prosperity Gospel,
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    48 mins
  • I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content (Philippians 4:11-13)

    I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content (Philippians 4:11-13)
    Jun 24 2024
    In Philippians 4:11, Paul wrote, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Sometimes, we look at people and think, “It must be nice to be them. They are so content. I wish I were like that. Sadly, God made me a miserable, discontent person.” However, contentment is not something fortunate people are born with, while others are not. Instead, content must be learned. https://youtu.be/0IIL_tpWI4U Philippians 4:11 reads, “I have learned in all things to be content.” Contentment is not something people are born with. It must be learned. Table of contentsPhilippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted VerseThe Background to Paul Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Paul's Credibility to Write "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"First, Contentment Is LearnedSecond, Contentment Is a Choice Versus a FeelingThird, Contentment Is not the Absence of TrialsFourth, Contentment Is not the Same as Happiness"I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content" Even When ProsperingDon’t Give Me… Riches ?Christ Strengthens Us to Do “All Things” He Wants Us to DoA Tale of Two InterviewsA Better Time to Quote Philippians 4:13The “Secret” to Being Able to Say, "Writing, "I Have Learned in All Things to Be Content"Roots that Go Down Deep into ChristHow Good is Christ?Footnotes On January 12, 2013, the number 4-seeded Baltimore Ravens (10-6) played on the road against the number 1-seeded Denver Broncos (13-3) during the NFL Divisional Playoffs. The Broncos, who had defeated the Ravens earlier in the season, were heavily favored to win this meeting. However, the game went into double overtime before the Ravens upset the Broncos in what came to be known as “The Mile-High Miracle.” After the game, a very emotional Ray Lewis, the Ravens' Hall-of-Fame linebacker, attributed their victory to his faith, saying, “No weapon formed against us shall prosper. No weapon. No weapon. No weapon. God is amazing. And when you believe in Him...Man believes in the possible, but God believes in the impossible.” Ray loosely quoted Isaiah 54:17: “No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” This is one of the best-sounding verses in the Bible. Who doesn’t want to believe every weapon and accusation against them will fail? The context of the verse is God's promise to destroy the nation of Israel’s enemies in the future. Ray Lewis, in a metaphorical sense, made his team into Israel and the Denver Broncos into Israel’s enemies. Perhaps “every weapon” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive weapons, such as Pro Bowl selections quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive tackle Ryan Clady, cornerback Champ Bailey, and linebacker Von Miller. Maybe “every tongue” referred to the Broncos’ offensive and defensive coordinators’ coaching during the game. Although Ray meant well, instead of God vindicating Israel against their enemies so that His promises to His covenant people are maintained, Ray told the nationally televised audience that God wanted to give the Ravens victory over the Broncos. Philippians 4:13 Is a Wildly Popular and Wildly Misinterpreted Verse Ray Lewis quoted Isaiah 54:17, but the most popular verse among athletes is Philippians 4:13, which reads, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Well-meaning athletes are interviewed after winning a big game. They are excited and want to give God credit, so they quote Philippians 4:13. When all-star running back Adrian Peterson tore his ACL, he said, "This is a blessing in disguise. I’ll come back stronger and better than I was before…I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” You can find Philippians 4:13 on posters and other inspirational art, keychains, rings, buttons, t-shirts, stickers, postcards, bracelets, and handbags. Like Isaiah 54:17,
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    Less than 1 minute
  • How to Experience Biblical Contentment (Ecclesiastes 5:12-6:2)

    How to Experience Biblical Contentment (Ecclesiastes 5:12-6:2)
    Jun 17 2024
    We experience biblical contentment primarily through our relationships with Christ. Secondarily, it comes from simple things like eating, drinking, and finding joy in our labor. But biblical contentment does not come from riches and possessions. https://youtu.be/qh8iveH2m1o Table of contentsHoarding Is a Threat to ContentmentThe Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With UsLearning from Malcolm Forbes and No FearGodliness with ContentmentHow Can We Experience Biblical Contentment?Biblical Contentment Does not Come from Wealth and PossessionsBiblical Contentment Does Come from Simple ThingsFootnotes I covered Ecclesiastes 5:11-12 in Being Content from a Missionary Trip to Malawi, Africa. I'm picking up at verse 13. Hoarding Is a Threat to Contentment Ecclesiastes 5:13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners. If I had to write down a list of grievous evils, I’d probably say murder, adultery, hurting children, stealing from the less fortunate. But hoarding probably wouldn’t even make the list. But that’s the grievous evil Solomon had in mind. Hoarding is so devastating that a reality show fittingly called Hoarders depicts people suffering from a “compulsive hoarding disorder.” The show is a record of people whose lives are ruined by their possessions. Even if we aren’t hoarders, our possessions can still cause problems because of the time they consume and the choices they create. We have to figure out what to buy, where to get it, how to make the trip to get it, where to store it, where to put the old stuff that the new stuff replaces, and how to use it when we buy it. We bought it; we will make sure we use it to feel like we got our money’s worth. These choices can consume us, so our possessions start possessing us. We become consumers consumed by our consumption. They don’t have these problems in Malawi. Most people’s homes don’t have furniture. The floors are dirt. There’s no electricity; say nothing about televisions or the Internet. In Third World countries, the problem is not having enough. But in First World countries like ours, the problem is having too much. Mark Twain once defined civilization as “a limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities.” 10 Self-storage is one of our biggest industries. An article titled “The Hottest Industry Right Now Is Storing All Your Stuff” reads: “A day hardly passes without the U.S. retail industry sustaining fresh wounds as malls and outlets shut their doors. Americans are still shopping, though online, in their pajamas and physics dictates that their new stuff, and old stuff, go somewhere. Welcome to the renaissance of self-storage.” Another article, “Self-storage: How Warehouses for Personal Junk Became a $38 Billion Industry,” reads: “Despite recessions and demographic shifts, few building types have boomed like self-storage lockers. The self-storage industry made $32.7 billion in 2016, nearly three times Hollywood’s box office gross. Self-storage has seen 7.7 percent annual growth since 2012, and now employs 144,000 nationwide. One in eleven Americans pays an average of $91.14 monthly to use self-storage. The United States has over fifty thousand facilities and roughly 2.31 billion square feet of rentable space. To give that perspective, the volume of self-storage units in the country could “fill the Hoover Dam twenty-six times with old clothing, skis, and keepsakes.” Our lives are filled to overflowing with possessions. When I drive down the road and pass storage facilities, I wonder, “What’s in the units people don’t need and can’t easily access but still pay money to keep? How many owners are still paying off the credit cards that bought the stuff in the first place?” The Importance of Remembering We Take Nothing With Us Ecclesiastes 5:14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.
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    54 mins
Children's Audiobooks Parenting & Families Relationships Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality
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