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Sick of Secrets

March 26, 2013

“Living as a slave to a lie will set you up for an endless cycle of shame and guilt. When you feel worthless and ashamed most of the time, getting close to God—or even wanting to—is hard. Really hard. It’s easier just to go through the motions. Settle for secondhand religion.  Maybe move away from God and church altogether…

Unfortunately, it happens all the time.

But it doesn’t have to. Think  about what amazing things you could  do if you could  break free from those feelings of worthlessness and  shame. Imagine feeling like you could get close to God without fear of condemnation.  Imagine what  it would feel like to break free from the cycle of secrets-of beating yourself up with all that shame and guilt.

Your spirit would come alive. Your life would change. You would walk into [ … ]

He Will Be Enough

March 20, 2013

“Every time we start to feel empty, it reminds us to keep coming back to our primal relationship with Christ.

Emptiness and desperation are the greatest reminders that our faith is not simply an aspect of our lives or a cultural inheritance. They point to a God who wants us to experience Him every moment of every day. They are a constant reminder that we were made for (and promised) a greater world free of pain and emptiness.

Maybe that’s what being filled with new life is all about. We come to realize that we can depend on Him for everything-no matter what we feel or what comes next-and He will be enough.”

Excerpted from Firsthand by Ryan and Josh Shook

Daily Reflection: Pray that today God will fill you up with His grace.

Empty

March 19, 2013

When we forget that Christianity is all about a relationship with Christ and we start to settle for the kind of Christianity where we check off our to-do lists for God, then we inevitably experience the emptiness of religion. Religion is all about humankind trying to work its way into God’s approval, and that always leaves an emptiness and ache in the soul.

Empty religion shows up when someone tries to follow rules and rituals to earn salvation, but it also shows up when a Christ follower starts trying to be a “good Christian” so God will love him or her more.
Most of us can’t keep that up for very long.

Two things are certain when you turn faith into religion and try to do all the right things to get God’s approval. Number one: you feel [ … ]

The War is Over

March 18, 2013

The resurrection is proof of Christ’s victory over sin and our hope of salvation.

The resurrection, however, is not a doctrine to be pondered but an invitation to experience the living Christ in your life. …For the resurrection is not just an event that occurred in the first century. It continues to impact lives to this day. In reality, not only was Christ resurrected— you too are raised to new life when you’re in Him. This is the gift of God to all who put their faith in His Son.

…Listen carefully: the battle is won! Don’t believe Satan’s lie that we have to do battle with him. Simply tell him, “You’ve already been defeated! And the same power that defeated you is the same power that now resides in my life.” Don’t get caught up in the fad [ … ]

Spiritual Maturity

March 14, 2013

The closer your walk with God, the keener will be your receptivity to His Word. If you ignored the last three things God told you to do, why would He give you an exciting, deeper revelation? Instead, He’ll keep bringing you back to the last thing He said until you’re finally ready to respond.

Excerpted from Unlimiting God by Richard Blackaby

Daily Reflection: What is God telling you to do that you have been ignoring?

Financial Woes

March 11, 2013

Money was one of Jesus’s most frequent subjects. He challenged people to focus on God rather than their pocketbook. How can we worry about money when the Creator of all good things has promised to care for us?

Stock markets go up and down. People get hired and fired. Nest eggs sometimes get stolen by swindlers. That’s why Jesus told us to deposit our treasure—and our hearts—in heaven. No matter how iffy the economy, God is a sure thing. We can always count on his promises .

Excerpted from 99 Bible Promises for Tough Times by Randy Petersen

Daily Reflection: How can you remind yourself of God’s stability during financial woes?

SNEAK PEEK: BAD GIRLS OF THE BIBLE by Liz Curtis Higgs

March 8, 2013

Read the first chapter of Bad Girls of the Bible.

Women everywhere marvel at those “good girls” in Scripture–Sarah, Mary, Esther–but on most days, that’s not who they see when they look in the mirror.

Most women (if they’re honest) see the selfishness of Sapphira or the deception of Delilah. They catch of glimpse of Jezebel’s take-charge pride or Eve’s disastrous disobedience. Like Bathsheba, Herodias, and the rest, today’s modern woman is surrounded by temptations, exhausted by the demands of daily living, and burdened by her own desires.

Seeing with His Eyes

March 7, 2013

“Because of one man’s gift of encouragement, two men who might have been left behind, Paul and John Mark, were given the gift of a second chance. We are called to do the same. To believe the best about people rather than the worst. Despite their reputations, despite their questionable past performances. To look at people through the eyes of God and see what He sees.

Assets, not liabilities.

Beloved children in need of grace.”

Excerpted from At the Feet of Jesus by Joanna Weaver

Daily Reflection: Take a moment and reevaluate some recent assumptions. How can you treat other as God would, starting today?