Author Archive
A Little Mustard Seed Faith
February 3rd, 2023 | 
Author: A Christian Song That I Wrote
Verse 1
There is a darkness everyone must face
It tries to fool our minds into a terrifying place
And that darkness attempts to keep us out of the light
Desperately we try to fight it
With all of our might
Doubt and fear, the scary place
That the human race must daily face
Full of lies, the serpent slithers and crawls
Telling me
I can’t; when I can
That I will do something repulsive, proving I am an immoral man
That God and man will not accept me when they see my flaws
That danger is about to happen, despite no evidence or due cause
The voice of the serpent terrifies me as he slithers and crawls
Trying to destroy our freedoms
He never sleeps
This blinding night will cover everything in sight
Until it meets a single point of light
With all my heart and soul, I beg and plead
God, give us all the faith of a mustard seed
You know that is what we desperately need
Chorus
A little mustard seed faith will make us strong
We need to grow it by studying your Word all day long
Believing in truth is what we desire
Help us have the courage to stand in the fire
A little mustard seed faith is what we definitely need
Please, God, give us some; I beg and plead
Verse 2
When the giants come to tyrannize me today
I have two options concerning doubt and fear they say
Be like David, who courageously believed and was totally reliant
On our omnipotent God who helped David defeat his giant
David had mustard seed faith, also making him fit to be a king
Doubt and fear didn’t deter David from doing everything
Peter’s success wasn’t exactly the same
In playing the doubt and fear game
Peter initially walked on water until he shouted
“Jesus, I am going to sink because I doubted”
Doubt and fear took Peter’s eyes off Jesus and onto the waves
Peter suddenly believed he was heading to early graves
I don’t want to doubt like Peter and be crippled by fear
I want to see myself as an overcomer like David when I look in the mirror.
As we face our life giants every day
Please, God, make us into warriors I pray
Only through You can we make it through this dark night
Make our faith shine like a bright light
To this world, consumed by doubt and fear
I don’t want to witness another person shed another tear
They need to believe that God is near
They also need to believe victory is here
Chorus
A little mustard seed faith will make us strong
We need to grow it by studying your Word all day long
Believing in truth is what we desire
Help us have the courage to stand in the fire
A little mustard seed faith is what we definitely need
Please, God, give us some; I beg and plead
Verse 3
Over the past few years
Concerning doubts and fears
My mustard seed faith is learning to trust the God who really loves me
Today I hope to be an inspiration for the world to see
I urgently want to say
These words to everyone today:
“As you face your life giant, don’t believe in defeat.
Nothing is impossible with God, every giant can be beat
God is always faithful, we can be free
Always be brave and courageous, live fearlessly
Don’t be afraid. Next to God, your giant is smaller than He
No matter the giant
If you are reliant
Through God, you can win tonight
Keep taking another step in the light
Until you finally win the fight”
With mustard seed faith, confidently walk in the light
Chorus
A little mustard seed faith will make us strong
We need to grow it by studying your Word all day long
Believing in truth is what we desire
Help us have the courage to stand in the fire
A little mustard seed faith is what we definitely need
Please, God, give us some; I beg and plead
Verse 4
Uncertain of the future, fear tries to anticipate
We can’t be anxious about the life we are to create
Only God knows absolutely what lies ahead
Trust in His goodness as you go to bed
Sovereign God only allows things for our ultimate good
His mercy protects us more than He should
When you doubt, question the validity of your fears
Surrender to Abba Father your anxieties of the coming years
Pray for strength to live victoriously
Don’t be afraid to become the person you were meant to be
Chorus
A little mustard seed faith will make us strong
We need to grow it by studying your Word all day long
Believing in truth is what we desire
Help us have the courage to stand in the fire
A little mustard seed faith is what we definitely need
Please, God, give us some. I beg and plead
Combat Shame by Knowing Your True Identity – Theresa Boedeker
Here’s a hyperlink to Theresa Boedeker’s website which contains her online teaching series, containing articles on overcoming shame by knowing your true identity, which you can read and learn how to overcome your personal shame that you may struggle with:
Success In God’s Eyes – Defeating Fear And Doubt article
The fears and doubts brought by uncertainty in our lives – can behave like a giant stronghold, undermining our success in God’s estimation as we try to both become the person and accomplish the purpose God gave us. David was a boy of great faith who trusted God to defeat his giant Goliath; he didn’t allow fear and doubt to stop him from being the person and accomplishing the goals God desired of him. Today, as we analyze the life of this successful man, I challenge you to be like David and also become a person of success in God’s estimation by encouraging you in your lifetime not to let fear and doubt prevent you from becoming a person of great faith who achieved their God-given dream.
Charles Stanley once said, “Success is the continuing achievement of becoming the person God wants you to be and accomplishing the goals God has helped you to set.” To experience success in God’s way, we must not let fear and doubt influence our decision-making in a way that impedes us from doing God’s will for our life. Especially when we face trials or tests of faith, we must learn to manage our doubts and fears, or they will become a giant that tyrannizes our lives and possibly the freedoms of others. We must not let the doubts and fears of uncertainty become a stronghold in our lives.
David was a successful man who didn’t allow doubt and fear to impede him from having sufficient faith to rely upon God’s protection, deliverance, and empowerment to defeat Goliath, a test of faith that God gave David. David’s purpose of defeating Goliath was achieved as the Israelites found freedom from the Philistines. God received glory as people saw God’s faithfulness and power revealed, and David later became king of Israel. In Acts 13:22, God viewed David as “a man after God’s own heart, for he would do everything God wanted him to do.” David didn’t allow fear and doubt to stop him from doing God’s will.
Many people today probably marvel at the courage displayed by David in defeating Goliath and think: “David was some sort of super warrior, unlike me.” However, the David and Goliath story emphasizes God’s faithfulness and omnipotence in defeating the giant rather than David’s courage. David was just an ordinary boy with solid faith – a tiny mustard seed faith that grew over time as God used smaller tests of faith (with lions and bears, for example) to evolve his faith, eventually make it strong enough to trust in God sufficiently (and not let fear and doubt of uncertainty control him) to defeat Goliath through the empowerment of God. Everyone, including David, has struggled with doubt and fear. However, David believed that the battle was God’s and not his own, and his faith thought God was bigger than the giant trial he faced (Goliath).
We often believe the lie that if a situation is impossible for us to handle, then it must also be impossible for God. Fear and doubt caused King Saul and his men to believe that, thinking that since they could not defeat Goliath, God must also be unable to do so. However, David’s faith was firmly confident that his God would beat the giant trial (Goliath) in his life. David believed God was bigger than any trial he would face and that God would give David protection and victory over Goliath. In all our problems, we must also believe that God is bigger than the giant we face and that He would give us victory over it if we firmly placed our faith in God’s hands.
David relied upon the power of God and not his abilities to defeat Goliath. Before facing Goliath, David recalled how God helped him win his previous battles against lions and bears (1 Samuel 17:34-36), and this remembrance strengthened David’s faith. David was confident in God’s promises and faithfulness not to break any of them. I strongly believe the fact that David firmly trusted in God’s promises was one of the biggest reasons his mustard seed faith overcame doubt and fear when facing Goliath.
When we face our giants and experience doubt and fear, we always should focus on God’s promises and perfect character, including His goodness, sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, unfailing love, and faithfulness. Confidence in God’s character, His perfect deliverance, and His unbreakable promises strengthen our faith and give us the courage to face trials.
Courage helps us persevere and move onward with life despite doubt and fear. Bad faith in God’s ability to keep His promises weakens our faith and courage. And without courage, we become powerless to face scary situations when our faith is small.
The Word of God contains God’s promises. Thus, when fighting our battles against fear and doubt, we should have the sword (Word of God) and the shield of faith as our weapons. Since “faith comes from hearing, by hearing the Word of God” (Romans 10:17), we should continually study God’s Word, especially His promises, as we fight against doubt and fear. Debbie Macomber once said, “Feed your faith, and your doubts will starve to death.” And when your “doubts starve to death,” so will your fears also starve, as doubt fuels fear.
Doubt your doubts
Don’t listen to doubt. Take captive your thoughts when doubt creeps in by quoting a promise of God. Believe in God’s character and that He will never break a promise. To battle fear, we must first attack doubt by having sufficient faith in God’s promises. And once we overcome fear and doubt, we, like David, can now trust in and rely upon God’s empowerment to overcome our life giants.
Most of our fears about uncertainty either fail to take place or, if they do happen, are exaggerated in the harm it causes. The brain is an “anticipation machine.” Since we aren’t omniscient and cannot know the future with complete certainty before it happens, our brain, as it tries to protect our body from experiencing potential future danger, tries to make “educated guesses of what will happen” to keep us safe. Since it is better to be “safe than sorry” in the brain’s estimations, it tends to make pessimistic assessments of the stimuli that its senses detect, often even after no “concrete evidence” supporting that observation. Once we perceive a future event as being potentially dangerous, the body’s fight or flight response becomes one of fear and anxiety. When the fear becomes more intense, our mind becomes even more assured of danger happening in the future. Sometimes the brain is correct in its estimation of hazards being present in the future but overly exaggerates the potential severity of the problem. This observation also intensifies fear, which again makes also more assured of a catastrophe happening.
Fear is “false evidence appearing real.” Thus, we should constantly critically assess whether or not fear is natural when experiencing a fearful thought.
The greater our fear, the stronger our faith must be to tackle the fear of uncertainty. Either ignorance of God’s promises, or a lack of trust in them, intensifies the anxiety and fear of the person. In addition to God’s promises, our faith should also trust in God’s goodness, sovereignty, omnipotence, faithfulness, unfailing love, and perfect deliverance when afraid of a trial.
“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” (Psalm 112:7)
As our mind ponders the “what ifs” of life and starts to believe bad things would inevitably happen. As we get anxious and fearful, we must realize that even if the “what ifs” do happen, “the Lord is our Shepherd” and that “we will always have everything we need in life” (Psalm 23:1). God, who sent Christ to die on the cross so we can be free, totally loves all His children and desires to “give them all good gifts” (Matthew 7:11).
God again gives us all unavoidable faith tests to strengthen our faith and perseverance. In planning our trials, God will never give us one we cannot handle through His empowerment. He filters every life experience we face and has a divine purpose for good for every situation we experience (see Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11). He truly loves us and will never bring us a trial that we cannot handle through Him, and everything He allows, He already filtered through, and knows our breaking points and will always provide deliverance in His perfect timing as He wants to stretch our faith without breaking us. “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later” (Romans 8:18).
1 Corinthians 15:58 says we are to “be steadfast, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Doing this requires great faith and perseverance. However, Jon Bloom once wrote: “God does not want us to be strong. God wants to be our strength.”
According to Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”
Even though we will experience trials in this world, we can be confident in God’s ability to give us victory because Jesus lives inside us, and He has “overcome the world.” Jesus said in John 16:33: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”.
Read also Deuteronomy 31:6 when uncertainty makes you terrified: “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid, and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” When afraid, listen to Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know I am God.”
Surrender your fears to Abba Father as you place your trust in His perfect goodness, sovereignty, faithfulness, unfailing love, protection, and omnipotence. Ask Him to empower you to have sufficient faith and courage to face your fears and doubts.
Philippians 4:6-7 says: “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”.
“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” (Eph 6:10)
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3)
Conclusion
David’s purpose revealed God’s glory as God used David’s life to give many people freedom as David did the impossible through God’s empowerment. David was also a success in God’s eyes because of his faithfulness to God’s purpose.
God has a giant-sized purpose for you to achieve, which may require overcoming life giants. He will give you tests of faith to mature your faith and perseverance, so you will have sufficient character to achieve your purpose through the power of God. God also can use our trials to reveal His glory to the unsaved and hopeless. Are you going to become a successful Christian by becoming the person and accomplishing the goals God has set for you? Or will you let the fears and doubts associated with uncertainty become a giant that terrifies and immobilizes you? The choice is up to you.
Life is full of unknowns. Just because we have fears and doubts, we should not let them control our destiny and the freedoms of others.
Step out in faith. Believe God can do the impossible. Don’t let fear and doubt prevent you from becoming the person and doing the things God purposed for you. Never underestimate what God can do in your life. He is looking for a surrendering heart that also trusts in Him.
Sources:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/where-real-courage-comes-from
https://www.ohlordhelp.us/devotional/courage/
https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-courage.html
Facing Uncertainty With Faith And A Purpose In Mind article
Freedom requires making proper decisions in response to uncertainty as we are forced to react to unexpected change adequately. Fears, doubts, anxiety, and uncertainty must be battled if we are going to achieve our God-given life purpose. Choosing to not always listening to the brain’s fears, having our faith focus on the unchanging truths and natures of God, constantly praying instead of worrying, and casting all your worries as you surrender them to Christ can all help us live the victorious Christian life, despite uncertain times, as we must constantly strive to be faithful servants of God.
1. “Life to me is defined by uncertainty. Uncertainty is the state in which we live, and there is no way to outfox it.” (Thomas H. Cook)
“Life gives us choices, defines us by the ones we make. Yet we make them all in complete uncertainty.” (Darius ‘D’ Pringle).
Only God is omniscient. This means, unlike us humans, only God knows the future with complete certainty. We don’t know what will happen to us, even a second from now. We may be able to predict what will happen, but we are incapable of understanding the future with absolute certainty. Only God truly knows what will happen to our future lives.
Freedom requires sound decision-making, which involves proper detection and reaction to unexpected change. There is often much stress on the brain to anticipate the potential dangers of the unknown future and make wise choices when maintaining our freedoms. We often experience doubt, fear, stress, anxiety, and worry because we are forced to decide in an uncertain world without first knowing all the facts. Since our senses can only detect a limited portion of the world around us at a given time, the brain, without knowing the future, is forced to become an “anticipation machine,” constantly trying to anticipate and predict future problems and barriers to freedoms to happen, before they happen if they happen, trying to be well-prepared in plenty of time before trouble arises, to devise a plan of action to react to unexpected change adequately. Doubt, fear, stress, anxiety, and worry can become intense in our lives, especially when the brain anticipates and predicts potentially enormous detrimental consequences to happen in the future.
Fear and Doubt in Our Minds
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, fear is “an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” To doubt is “to call into question the truth of to be uncertain.” It is also to demonstrate “a lack of confidence.”
Because we are incapable of knowing the unknown future with complete certainty, we experience at least some doubt in most of our decisions. That doubt brings fear, as we either anticipate or are aware of the danger. In an ongoing cycle, the trepidation of the unknown future also brings anxiety and worry, potentially intensifying doubt and fear. Because the brain is incapable of knowing the unknown future with complete certainty, doubt is present. When the brain perceives a certain likelihood of potential discomfort and danger potentially occurring based upon incomplete information, we begin to experience fear and anxiety because the brain feeds upon doubt and often expects the worst of situations – all because of the brain’s propensity to be overprotective and overcautious to avoid future potential harm being inflicted upon us.
Because it wants to be safe than sorry, our brains often expect and predict the worst of future situations. When it determines that there is a realistic chance of our comfort and safety being threatened, it tells the body to experience the emotion of fear. Our body then tends to either give a “fight or flight” response to situations or experience anxiety or apprehension about future events. However, despite all the fear and anxiety, we feel during unexpected change, we should realize that it all comes because the brain anticipates and predicts future danger. There is at least a realistic chance the brain has made an erroneous mistake when making the prognosis.
The brain predicts and anticipates future danger; it is often wrong, and we experience anxiety and fear needlessly. Also, when the brain accurately diagnoses risk, it usually indicates a direr situation than it is in reality. And when it makes these predictions, it often either doesn’t take into account or underestimates the goodness and sovereignty of God, working on our behalf. To adequately react to uncertainty, the brain must first correctly detect the existence and severity of the future potential trial and the presence and omnipotence of God, who promised never to leave nor forsake us in all our time’s uncertainty.
“If you give too much value to the pain of the past and uncertainty of the future, you will waste the power of today.” (Unknown)
2. “Maturity is the capacity to endure uncertainty.” – John Huston Finley
“Fear is often our immediate response to uncertainty. There’s nothing wrong with experiencing fear. The key is not to get stuck in it.” (Gabrielle Bernstein)
Doubt causes us to fear. We often fear uncertainty because we doubt God will always fully protect and provide for us. However, the truth is, according to Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I have everything I need.”
God has a giant-sized purpose for us to achieve. We often fear uncertainty when we doubt our God-empowered abilities. Fear and doubt often lead us to either not try to do something challenging or fail when trying. However, according to the truth of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.”
We frequently believe we cannot overcome. However, if you are a Christian, Christ resides inside you and empowers you daily to overcome. In John 16:33, Jesus said: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world.”
Our brain loves familiarity and tries to avoid facing unfamiliar, potentially challenging situations. We are a creature of habit that gets anxious when doing new things because it poses a potential threat. God has a giant-sized purpose for you to achieve; we cannot allow fear and doubt to prevent us from doing His will.
Because the brain often mislabels circumstances of uncertainty, we must constantly critically assess the validity of what it tells us, especially when experiencing doubt, fear, anxiety, and worry. Since God is infinitely wise and omniscient, we must constantly seek His wisdom in how to lead our lives as we face uncertain times. Proverbs 3:5-6 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”.
3. “Let your faith roar so loud that you can’t hear what doubt is saying.” (Anonymous)
Fear is “false evidence appearing real.” Doubt is “to be uncertain” or “lack confidence” in something. We must tackle our doubts and fears with faith. According to Hebrews 11:1, “faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”
Our faith must trust in God’s perfect love, wisdom, goodness, sovereignty, and deliverance, guiding our lives through uncertainty, especially when our brain imagines what might or might not happen in the future.
We will experience future life storms in uncertain times. However, in Mark 4:35-41, the disciples witnessed the power of Jesus calming their storms by simply commanding the storm to cease. Despite the disciples’ doubts and fears, Jesus taught them and us a lesson about the sovereignty of God. Our Shepherd has only to command the trial to cease in every life storm we will ever face, and it will always end with us being unscathed.
If Jesus was good, why did He allow the disciples to face that storm that almost ended their lives? Why does God permit life storms to happen in our lives if He is infinitely good? The answer: we live in a sin-infested world, where troubles occur. God gives us trials to teach us that, just like how Jesus did in Mark 4:35-41, He has overabundant power to end a trial at a single command, and that He can be trusted to keep us safe from every life storm we would ever face.
Hopefully, when we get afraid and doubt, in the brain’s process of being an “anticipation machine,” we will consider the past faithfulness of God being demonstrated through our past trials and realize God is perfectly sovereign and faithful, despite the storm, that our brain imagines and fears.
God wants us to follow Him wherever He leads us; we must trust in Him despite uncertainty.
Facing Life Mountains with Mustard Seed Faith
You may face mountain-sized barriers or trials in your life, making it difficult to have sufficient faith and overcome your doubts and fears. Your doubts and fears seem like a size of a mountain, which are in your path, blocking your hopes of freedom and living the victorious Christian life. However, according to Matthew 17:20, there is hope because those mountains can be potentially moved out of your life if you have mustard seed faith. Nothing is impossible if you have mustard seed faith:
Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20)
God uses the trials you experience to grow mustard seed faith in us. Mustard seed faith starts as a very tiny seed and, over time, grows and grows into someday a very gigantic faith. Doubt and fear hinder the growth of mustard seed faith, so to overcome that problem, we must trust in the sovereignty and deliverance of God.
David didn’t allow doubt and fear to deter him from trusting in God when he faced the giant in his life named Goliath. He knew “the battle was the Lord’s and not his own” (1 Samuel 17:47), and David’s mustard seed faith firmly believed in the faithfulness and deliverance of God. And God defeated David’s giant in his life, and David’s purpose of restoring Israel’s freedom against Goliath and the Philistines and becoming king of Israel was achieved. God received glory in the process, as countless people realized there was a God in Israel.
In David’s earlier years, God gave David smaller trials of facing “lions and bears” to protect sheep to evolve David’s mustard seed faith in preparation for the great confidence he would need to defeat Goliath in later years. When David battled lions, bears, and Goliath, to be victorious, his faith had to face the uncertainty and the possible threat of experiencing death, as he encountered and then overcame doubt and fear. If David had been unable to do this, he would never have overcome all of his trials, and his purpose would have been unachieved.
Like David, God has given you and me a life purpose for God’s glory, which will help people experience more freedom and hope in life. Achieving it may involve first defeating a giant in our lives. Whether it may be a “giant” trial to overcome, a mountain to move, a stronghold to defeat, or to achieve a perceived impossible feat, I believe God has a giant-sized purpose for all – something we are incapable of accomplishing solely in our abilities, but not too difficult with God’s help. “Uncertainty is the essence of life, and it fuels opportunity.” (Tina Seelig)
4. “The willingness to consider possibility requires a tolerance of uncertainty.” (Rachel Naomi Remen)
God has a giant-sized purpose for you, requiring you to follow Him wherever He leads, regardless of uncertainty. Doing this requires being “comfortable with uncertainty.” As Eckhart Tolle once said: “When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life.”
‘When uncertainty keeps you up at night, then close your eyes and think of something that is certain – God’s Love” (unknown).
God made the universe and is always in complete control of everything – including the lives and circumstances of every person on this planet. Before we were born, He knew all of our frailties and breaking points. When He predetermined every trial we would ever experience, He also developed a perfect deliverance plan for each, ensuring that every problem in our life would not exceed those breaking points but teach us lessons about God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. He is also good and loving, making sure everything we experience in life will eventually “work together for our good, according to our purpose” (Romans 8:28). He promised to “give His children good gifts” (Matthew 7:9-11) and “to give us a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13). We can be “more than conquerors” if we trust these and other unchanging truths.
In every trial, God encourages us to be “strong and courageous” and “not be terrified” of uncertainty, for “He will never leave nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). In Isaiah 43:2-3, God also said: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; and when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Also, “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1).
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3)
Even if the brain’s “what ifs” of life happen, we don’t have to be afraid if we trust God.
I recently watched an Above Inspiration video on dealing with uncertainty. According to it, when facing uncertainty, focus on these truths:
– God sees where you are going.
– He cares about everything you are going through.
– God has the power to change the outcome.
– God always acts to His goodness.
– God’s plans are always greater than our plans.
– God will never stop loving us.
– Whatever I go through, God will go through it with me
In essence, “When you put your trust in the Lord, you are secure.” (unknown)
Frederick W. Robertson once said: “To believe is to be strong. Doubt cramps energy. Belief is power.” We cannot allow doubt to weaken the power of our faith in God.
Since uncertainty is inescapable, we must accept it accordingly.
Philippians 4:6-9 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Part of prayer in response to uncertainty, in addition to making prayer requests to God, is “cast all our fears upon Christ” (1 Peter 5:7) and let go of them, and then surrender our circumstances to God, trusting He will fulfill the promise of Romans 8:28 in our life. Another is asking God to strengthen our faith and courage, control our doubts and fears, and help us to move forward with life. Asking for God’s wisdom to guide and steer our lives is also crucial. Finally, for God to empower us to control our thinking, meditate upon positive things and not the lies of Satan, and remember God’s faithfulness from previous trials.
“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.” (John Allen Paulos)
Conclusion
“Life is uncertain, but death is certain” (unknown). When we die, we must give an account of our lives and how we dealt with uncertainty. God desperately wants to reward every Christian for being His faithful servant. Don’t let fear and doubt deter you from fulfilling your life purpose.
Quotes:
“Life is full of change and uncertainty. We know this. We experience it daily.” (Carre Otis)
“Life is uncertain. Lord grant us gracious courage to face the uncertainty of life”. (Lailah Gifty Akita)
“The quality of your life is in direct correlation with the amount of uncertainty you’re able to deal with.” (Tony Robbins)
“In moments of uncertainty immerse yourself in the life you would be most proud to live.” (Adam Braun)
“The whole future lies in uncertainty; live immediately.” (Seneca)
“Take a chance. Dare to live at the edge of uncertainty”. (Debasish Mridha)
REFERENCES
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/7-ways-to-deal-with-doubt/
https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/library/weekly/id/1093/overcoming-doubt.htm
https://gracebibleny.org/overcoming_doubt_matthew_11_1_6
https://www.biblesprout.com/articles/christian-life/steps-for-dealing-with-doubt/
https://krisreece.com/2019/06/how-to-overcome-doubt-and-unbelief/
https://www.christiantoday.com/article/how-to-overcome-doubt-and-trust-god-more/77927.htm
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/when-doubt-becomes-unbelief
https://www.uofnbali.org/7-ways-overcome-doubt-christian/
https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/how-to-overcome-doubt/
https://www.crossway.org/articles/doubting-your-doubts/
https://medium.com/personal-growth/doubt-what-it-is-and-how-to-overcome-it-8532431b2f7
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-3-problem-doubt-luke-118-25
https://walkinghope.com/overcoming-doubt-with-faith-through-hope/
https://www.influencive.com/the-powerful-way-to-overcome-fear-doubt-and-anxiety/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4276319/
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/03/how-uncertainty-fuels-anxiety/388066/
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/seven_ways_to_cope_with_uncertainty
http://thequotesmaster.com/2019/11/100-quotes-about-uncertainty-of-life/
How I Battle To Overcome OCD
Everyone has a giant to face, a mountain in their life to be moved. My greatest obstacle has always been fear: false evidence appearing real. I have OCD, and for too long, this “doubting disease” had made me afraid similar to how my former abuser did to me, controlling my mind and life. Thanks to God, things have improved immensely over the last few years. Now, I usually can manage the anxiety and discomfort effectively, even when facing a frightening obsession. In my life, OCD is no longer an unmovable mountain or a giant that cannot be defeated.
Even when I face intense obsessions, I am confident God will empower me to win the war against all my problems. Both my relationship with God and my faith in His deliverance have greatly evolved in the last few years; consequently, my success in dealing with trials like OCD has improved, and my life has been more productive, happier, more peaceful, and more satisfying to me.
This article will talk about the biggest anxiety-producing OCD obsession I have had in my life and how I trust and rely on God to help me overcome it. To those who experience similar issues, I hope this article will give you both inspiration and direction as you face your daily battles with OCD.
My Biggest Obsession Stems from My Past Abuse
When I was a child, I was repeatedly abused for making a mistake. My abuse experiences made me very fearful and paranoid of doing something wrong and then being maltreated and rejected for doing so. I couldn’t handle the shame and the fear of ensuing rejection and punishment that often comes from being imperfect. So, my OCD mind developed obsessions of me “doing something bad, which would cause people to reject and “abuse” me like how my former abuser did to me when I made mistakes in front of him.
When I am around people, my OCD mind would have intrusive thoughts, images, impulses, and urges of doing something horrific and or embarrassing, which, if it came to fruition, would definitely lead people to reject, hate, and or perceive me as no good. I would have obsessions like “blurting out the n-word in church”, raping a woman, sexually touching a child, pulling the fire alarm in public places – if I commit the act, chances are likely to be perceived negatively.
My abuse-driven fear of making a mistake and then being perceived badly also often manifests into other types of obsessions I have. Perfectionism in completing tasks and checking obsessions are both stimulated by the fear of facing a consequence from not doing something correctly, another by-product of my past abuse.
So how do I battle the fear of making a mistake and then experiencing a consequence? Every day, I simply do the best I can in everything I do, with the help of God’s wisdom and empowerment, to do all things, and then surrender the results to Him. Regardless of the outcome, I do my very best to accept myself. I have made significant progress in doing all this, which has helped me in my bouts with OCD. However, to trust in God better and to accept self unconditionally, I first had to overcome a giant, spiritual stronghold in my life: an erroneous belief that if I made a big enough mistake or committed a specific sin, God would behave, similarly to my formerly abusive stepfather, and punish me with wrath by allowing bad things to happen to me in my life.
Trusting in God’s grace and justification
There is no greater freedom than becoming a child of God and being loved, protected, and cared for by Him. Until I truly realized what justification and grace meant, I had a weak link in my faith, and I never really experienced freedom found in Christ.
According to justification principles, Christ’s payment for our sins on the cross completely satisfied the wrath of God on the sinner for every sin he would commit in his lifetime. Consequently, the Christian will never again experience any condemnation from God, regardless of the mistake made or the sin committed. Every sin of mine is absolutely forgiven by God, and thus, since we have peace with God, we are totally accepted and loved, as if we were never have sinned. Because of grace, we are perfect in His eyes, even though, in reality, we sin every day. Because God views me as just, He has no reason to behave like an abusive father when I sin or make a mistake.
God is a perfectly loving and wise Father. He does not desire me to do potentially destructive things to myself or others. So when I have an obsession like “saying the n-word”, raping a woman, sexually touching a child, or pulling the fire alarm, I believe God would definitely choose to help me not to commit the act if I ask for His help in faith. And I think He will do the same for you if you call upon His name.
According to Matthew 7:7-11, God desires to “give us good gifts” and not misfortune. This does not mean God will never give us problems for some divine purpose, such as strengthening our faith. When we start fearing life’s “what ifs”, we should still trust God’s goodness at work, and even if He does allow the “what if” to happen, we should still believe in the promise of Romans 8:28: “For God works all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.”
Even if God does allow my obsession of doing something horrific to happen, and the world decides to reject me, even though I do not desire rejection, at least I know God will always love and accept me. God and not people is the source of all true joy and happiness.
Developing Mustard Seed Faith
When you face a scary obsession, daily ask in faith for God’s wisdom and empowerment to overcome as you trust in Him and surrender your fears to God. Remember: OCD is basically fear and doubt, attempting to lose control.
I tackle OCD with mustard seed faith. Mountains like OCD can be moved if you have mustard seed faith (see Matthew 17:19-20). Mustard seed faith starts as a little faith but grows very large when fed and tested. Daily studying God’s Word and prayer as you develop an intimate love relationship with Him are ways to feed your faith. The more you know someone, the better you can trust them, especially during hard times.
The object of your faith should be solely in the power of God. Mustard seed faith is also resilient. Rely upon the empowerment and wisdom of God as you strive to pass God’s various tests of faith (your OCD trials) that He gives you, to strengthen and mature your growing faith.
In the Bible, God used smaller trials of lions and bears to teach David how to trust in Him, evolving David’s growing mustard seed faith, with a divine purpose in mind. God wanted David to eventually defeat the giant Goliath to show the world that even an ordinary boy can defeat his personal giants through the power of God. David’s faith first overcame fear and doubt, then defeated Goliath, and the nation of Israel found freedom from the Philistines, and David later became king of Israel. That is the story of an ordinary boy, trusting and relying upon the power of God to defeat his giant.
David was victorious because He realized that the “battle was the Lord’s, and not his own”. Just like David, I am also winning the battle with my daily giant with OCD, partially because I also realize, I cannot do it in my own strength. Philippians 4:13 says: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.”
How are we going to be remembered by others? Are we going to follow in the footsteps of David, who defeated his giant Goliath? We will have fierce battles with our daily giant called OCD. However, mountains can be moved if we have mustard seed faith. (Matthew 17:20). “With man, this is impossible; but with God all things are possible”. (Matthew 19:26)
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Banishing The Demons Of Worry, Fear, Doubt, and Panic article
God-given dreams can be achieved, and mountains can be moved, if we have mustard seed faith. God has a life purpose for every believer to “move mountains” for the glory of God. Enemies of faith like worry, fear, doubt, and panic get into our paths, trying to sabotage our success of having mustard seed faith and thus, having our dreams come true. Whatever takes residence in our minds, sufficient mustard seed faith or the enemies of faith, influence our progress in achieving our goals. For the sake of freedom, we must habitually exorcise the demons of worry, fear, doubt, and panic from our minds, before it is too late!
Before God created mankind, God envisioned a God-given dream for every believer who would ever live on this planet. He predetermined each person’s spiritual gifts, passions, ability, personality type, and experiences they would have, with a unique life purpose in mind for them to achieve. He knew every life struggle every Christian would endure, and developed a perfect deliverance plan God would use in each person’s life, to help them to escape the trial unscathed. He also planned how he would use each trial to strengthen and mature the faith of each Christian, and how He could use each life experience of man to glorify Himself. In essence, God planned the lives of every Christian, giving them a purpose to help restore the lost freedoms of mankind, disrupted by sin. This includes helping man avoid hell by being a witness.
God had a mission for the twelve disciples to bear spiritual fruit, and gave them the power to achieve that dream. The disciples were empowered by Jesus to do miraculous things, including casting out demons. An example, where the disciples unsuccessfully tried to exorcise a demon, took place in Matthew 17:14-20:
“When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. ‘Lord, have mercy on my son,’ he said. ‘He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.’ ‘You unbelieving and perverse generation,’ Jesus replied, ‘how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” (Matthew 17:14-20)
The disciples were unable to drive out the demon from the boy, because they didn’t rely totally upon Jesus’ power and thus, lacked sufficient faith. Jesus casted out the demon and healed the child, and was critical of the disciples’ lack of faith. After the disciples asked in private while they were unable to cast out the demon, Jesus stated, “Because you have so little faith. Truly, I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” In our lives today, like the disciples, we also have struggles of having sufficient faith, as we daily strive to fulfill our God-given purpose and to live victoriously in spite of life challenges. However, if we only had mustard seed faith, we could “move mountains” as nothing would be impossible.
I Can Do All Things Through Christ Which Strengthened Me (Philippians 4:13)
Can we actually move a rock mountain if we have mustard seed faith? We don’t hear stories of Christians doing this. Is it impossible for this to happen? Was Christ exaggerating the power of God at work?
God is omnipotent. He can do all things. He created the heavens and earth, including mountains. If He can put a mountain in position by a single command, He definitely has the ability to move if He desires. “With man, this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)
Every Christian has the Spirit giving them the potentiality to do all things. Two things that could defeat Christians when trying to use it – to do things like actually moving a rock mountain – is a lack of faith and God’s will. Insufficient faith sabotages our ability to fully utilize God’s power. Secondly, if it isn’t God will, or if God doesn’t want us to do something, He definitely won’t give us the empowerment to do it. We should remember all this when we think of big dreams to do great things for God.
In retrospect to a Christian being capable of moving a mountain, hardly any Christian would have sufficient faith to believe He could move it with God’s power helping, and also, I don’t think it is God’s will for people to move rock mountains out of place. As I once read, “Are we to think that God would really let us redesign the planet by moving mountains, changing the shape of the oceans, creating new islands and modifying the universe?”
Nothing God desires for us to do through His power is impossible for us to do, if we only rely upon, and have sufficient faith, in His empowerment. If it is His will for us to do something, He will definitely empower us. We need to daily trust in His omnipotent power.
Casting Out Demons of Worry, Fear, Doubt, and Panic
God has a dream for you to do great things only for His glory. Ask Him in faith and He will empower you to achieve it. Reaching God-given dreams require trust and reliance in the power of the object of our faith: Christ. With mustard seed faith, we can move mountains; nothing is impossible.
To achieve dreams and live the victorious Christian life, we must constantly be “moving mountains”, or “casting our personal demons”.
The four enemies of faith are worry, fear, doubt, and panic. We all have experienced them as they attempt to destroy our faith and freedoms. They are mountains to move, demons to exorcise, so we can again trust God. Enemies of faith disconnect us from our strength source: God’s power in us to do all things. The disciples failed to cast out the boy’s demons because of a lack of faith; often we become incapable of utilizing God’s power to achieve our purpose because worry, fear, doubt, and panic weakens our faith.
Conquering these personal giants through the power of Christ can happen when our faith is firmly rooted in Christ. Whatever takes residence in our minds, controls our future. Peter walked on water when his eyes were on Jesus, but began to sink when worry, fear, doubt, and panic took over. David defeated Goliath because his faith firmly trusted in God’s empowerment to defeat his giant. If David allowed enemies of faith take residence in his mind, his faith in God would have weakened, and David’s purpose of freeing Israelites from Philistines and being king of Israel would never have taken place.
In Samuel 17:45-47, “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.’” Undoubtedly, David would not have said and believed this in his heart, if he allowed the enemies of faith consume his mind.
Rely upon the power of God to defeat your personal giants, including enemies of faith, so your faith will have the freedom to mature and grow. God uses life struggles to mold us into warriors for Christ, but to become a warrior like David, your faith must realize your battles is the Lord’s and not your own. The disciples were unable to exorcise the boy’s demons because they relied upon their own abilities, and we would also fail in trying to cast out our demons of enemies of faith, if we aren’t first empowered by God to do so.
Mustard Seed Faith: The Kind of Faith That Can Move Mountains
Mustard seed faith is needed to move the mountains of the enemies of faith. “Nothing would be impossible” if you have that kind of faith, according to Matthew 17:19-20.
Mustard seed faith is dependency upon the power of God, not on self. Relying upon personal willpower and abilities and trying to think positively will not work. Only when we are connected to the Vine (John 15), through daily abiding in Christ, can we find the strength from Christ to do all things.
Moving mountains is not accomplished by simply mustering up enough faith. It is done by trusting God, the object of our faith. Do you trust in God’s perfect will, His unfailing love and omnipotence, His unwavering promises?
We are to have faith even as small as a mustard seed. A mustard seed is the “least of all seeds”, “only 1 to 2 millimeters, or about 1/64th of an inch!” Even if we have faith that small, we can move mountains; nothing would be impossible. We don’t need great faith to do great things, only small faith in a great God who does all the work.
Mustard seed faith grows. It’s not content to stay small. This faith “buries itself in the soil of God’s Word, takes root, and grows and grows and grows, until it becomes much, much larger than its original size.”
A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, but can grow into trees that are over 20 feet high and 20 feet wide. What makes mustard seed faith special is that, not because it starts off as very tiny, but because of the believer’s diligence, small mustard seed faith can potentially grow into a very large faith.
The larger our mustard seed faith, the greater the chance our God-given purpose will someday be fully met, assuming we also have a surrendering heart. The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, which grows and grows: as more and more Christians plant the fields, and more and more sinners become believers.
Our goal should be to continually grow deeper in our faith. We do that, by growing in relationship with the Father, by hearing the word of God, trusting in God’s promises, asking God to give us more faith in prayer, and continually striving to pass God’s tests of faiths that He gives us – to strengthen our faith and perseverance.
Mustard seed faith is also resilient. A mustard seed, planted in the ground, is capable of gradually moving rocks or other obstacles out of its ways, by continually expanding its growth causing the seed to constantly exert with outward and upward pressure. As the mustard seed transforms into a plant, it draws nourishment from its sources. Thus, the plant continually grows and strengthen itself and it pushes more obstacles out of its path. Mustard seeds persistently never give up. Only death can derail its growth and fruit production.
We must daily strive to have a resilient mustard seed faith in order to properly react to life challenges. So, God can use us for His glory, our resilient faith must push aside mountains like worry, fear, doubt, and panic out of our paths, as we daily strive to achieve our purpose. For the sake of freedom, our resilient faith must persevere and never give up!
Conclusion
Today countless people are headed to hell; adversity tyrannizes many others. The world desperately needs freedom; many mountains need to be moved.
God has purposed you to move mountains. Cast out your demons of worry, fear, doubt, and panic with mustard seed faith, before it’s too late.
Nothing is impossible if we only have mustard seed faith. So small a seed, but so potentially powerful, because of our omnipotent God. If we habitually surrender, trust, and rely upon Him, all of our God-given dreams could someday come true.
Bibiography
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/true-ways-your-faith-can-move-mountains.html
https://equip.sbts.edu/article/faith-moves-mountains-jesus-didnt-mean/
Can we move mountains if we have the faith of a mustard seed?
https://faithisland.org/faith/mustard-seed-faith-matthew-17-20-explained/
Mustard Seed Faith: Meaning and Life Lessons
https://faithisland.org/faith/mustard-seed-faith-matthew-17-20-explained/
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/true-ways-your-faith-can-move-mountains.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/mustard-seed-faith.html
Faith of a mustard seed meaning
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-it-looks-like-to-have-the-faith-of-a-mustard-seed.html
https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/3-unexpected-lessons-from-the-faith-of-a-mustard-seed.html
Mustard-Seed Faith: What’s so moving about that mountain, anyway?
https://purposeandfreedom.org/a-mustard-seed-kind-of-faith/
Movie Idea For An Interested Screenwriter
For any screenwriters searching for a movie idea for their next screenplay, here is an idea: a faith-based, child abuse, mental illness overcoming story.
I welcome any interested screenwriter in writing a screenplay based upon my life story. Below is a synopsis that would hopefully give that individual ideas in what to write about. Further ideas can be also developed from my mental illness recovery story, found on this website.
SYNOPSIS:
A Miracle In Need Of Grace
A MIRACLE IN NEED OF GRACE is a life story of a man (Joe) struggling to rise above overwhelming life challenges, including manic depression, OCD, rejection, and childhood trauma from abuse. A man who daily dreams of feeling safe, acceptance, love, competence, and contentment, in opposition to his nightmares of being perceived “no good” and “unworthy of love”. A man tyrannized by fear, personal doubts, and past failures daily but in spite of all, often believes God created him with a purpose to change the world.
The story begins when Butch, a 17-year old cocaine addict, is found homeless by a couple with a 16-year old daughter, Samantha . Unaware of his vices, the family lets Butch stay with them until he gets Samantha pregnant. Married and unemployed with a boy named Joe, Samantha and Butch rely upon Butch’s drug money for income. After violent Butch sticks a gun to her head, Joe and Samantha flee south to escape Butch.
As a toddler, Joe would panic when seeing a man in church. His physically abusive stepfather would also belittle Joe, conditioning Joe to heavily focus upon and try to be perfect in his behaviors, praying it would eliminate the abuse. When around people, Joe’s mind would first imagine him doing despicable things which would easily incite others to hate and reject Joe, and then fear and believe that Joe will commit the act, even if the belief and fear is irrational. Joe’s illness tricks Joe to think that everyone – including those who love him the most – will treat Joe like his stepfather if Joe did something wrong. (Worst of all, Joe often fears God will abuse and treat Joe like an abusive dad if Joe makes mistakes.)
Joe’s “Gomer Pyle-like actions” often makes him the butt of many jokes. While marching in the Navy with shipmates, Joe, in the middle of the group, falls down to the ground after his foot stumbles into a hole, causing a chain-reaction of walking soldiers to trip over the fallen person in front of them. One time, when driving a car, Joe slams on the brakes after almost passing a road he wanted to turn on; consequently, the tailgating semi driver behind him swerves to avoid Joe, causing the semi-truck to flip over. After a basketball game, Joe enters the wrong door when trying to take a shower: thus, the crowd who is exiting the game sees his naked body. Finally, Joe wants to ask a female bank teller out on a date so he writes a note saying “Can I buy you a drink at McDonalds after work?” and slips it under the teller’s table. People in the bank suddenly get nervous, hoping they won’t get robbed.
Joe incorrectly believes self-worth is based upon performance, rather on God’s grace. Trying to prove “Joe is good” motivates Joe to achieve self-respect by doing great things; unfortunately, his problems create many roadblocks in his dreams of success. In the Navy, Joe lasts only four weeks in nuclear reactor school and nine months in the machinist mate program due to his disability. Graduating college is a “battle for survival” as his mental illness makes getting good grades difficult and leads many annoyed teachers and students to want him removed from school. Joe tries ten times harder than others to succeed – distress and shame are often the fruits of his labor.
One thing about Joe: he never gives up. He keeps on trying. He does his best to keep on believing. However, two trauma experiences in Joe’s life, in addition to everything else, almost destroyed Joe.
In tenth grade, after Joe impulsively makes a sexual comment to a female teacher, the instructor heads Joe to the principal’s office. Knowing the principal will notify Joe’s stepfather of the crime, Joe fears getting abused at home. Desperately hoping the teacher won’t tell, Joe’s manic mind if full of panic, confusion, and racing thoughts. Meaning no harm, Joe puts his hands on her shoulders to turn her around so he can beg for help. The next thing you know, the principal walks by, and Joe spends a month in a psychiatric hospital for “trying to choke a teacher”, something Joe didn’t try to do.
In the military, after getting chewed out by a company commander, Joe’s memories of getting belittled and abused by his stepfather leads Joe to have an emotional breakdown alone in the bathroom. Manic, Joe cries out: “I’m going to kill him.” Unluckily, a senior chief military officer witnesses the event, and Joe, who doesn’t want to hurt anyone, is discharged for “threatening to kill an officer”.
Five years later after the military incident, severely depressed, driving home from college, Joe seriously considers committing suicide, by running his car off the road, until God plays a song on the radio which gives Joe hope. Joe feels God telling him: “Don’t be afraid. Just trust me!” Joe later believes he hears God telling Joe that “I have purposed you to change the world.”
Nine months later, experiencing much anxiety and depression, Joe experiences OCD obsessions of killing himself. Thankfully, he doesn’t act upon the obsessions. He doesn’t want to die, but irrationally fears he might take his life. Joe prays to God for safety, and later confides in his psychology instructor, who subsequently leads Joe to a psychiatrist who diagnoses Joe’s bipolar disorder and OCD.
Joe graduates from college, expecting to find a dream job. Unfortunately, his terrible previous work record prevents him from finding employment in his field; the only job he can find is making $200 cash per 40 hours doing menial work for a dishonest employer. Joe feels depressed and disbelieves in the future success of his tainted dream of proving self through monetary success and achievement. He again believes “he is no good and a failure”. However, through a future therapist and through life, Joe learns lessons upon grace, surrender, contentment, and faith.
Just like Goodwill Hunting, Joe meets a Christian therapist who strives to rehabilitate Joe’s mental and spiritual issues. Spiritually, Joe learns that our self-worth is not based upon performance, but the fact that we are a special creation of God, which all starts from grace, as it is believing and accepting God’s grace that we become a child of God. And Grace says “we don’t have to strive to do great things or be perfect in order to be loved, considered good, and accepted, by God”. Grace and everything grace gives is a “gift of God” (not by works, do we do, to attain grace.) Once we realize our self-worth is not determined by performance, we then – through the power of God and His direction – strive to fully complete our unique God-given life purpose He has given to each of us, for His glory. In addition, to reach God’s dream for our lives, our faith must be stronger than our doubts or unbelief, and we must also daily surrender our will and fears to Him. Finally, Joe is taught he must forgive those who hurt him, including his abusive stepfather.
What Joe truly believes about what his therapist taught him gets tested. During a camping trip where Joe is repeatedly belittled by his stepfather, Joe finally in his heart truly believes “he is a special creation of God” as he screams out to his abuser “I don’t believe in those lies. You’re wrong. I am good. Grace says ‘I am unconditionally loved and accepted by God.’’ Although wounded by a fist, Joe lastly finds liberation over his trauma. This was the first time Joe stood up to the fears of his abuser.
This event also becomes the beginning roots of reconciliation between Joe and his abusive stepdad. After getting punched by his stepdad, Joe asked his stepdad “why do you hate me so much? Did you enjoy abusing me as a child?” His stepdad replied: “I don’t hate you. Every day I regret all the bad things I have done to you. I ask God to forgive me and for Him to make a way to reverse the past, but God won’t. I have an anger problem that I cannot control.” Joe forgives his abuser and his stepdad subsequently seeks psychological help for his issues.
Joe eventually gets on social security disability income. Joe then feels led by God and decides to become a VISTA volunteer (in ViSTA volunteer program, government pays a volunteer money to help pay for living expenses in exchange for doing community work) for a disability organization. Unconfident and insecure, even though he is doing volunteer work for a company who are disability accommodating to disabled workers, Joe is now a program coordinator for the Jackson Talent Exchange.
The Jackson Talent Exchange was based upon the Time Dollars program, where people exchanged their talents and time to help one another in need. Leading the Jackson Talent Exchange, Joe helped the community get built, as individual needs got met, talents were utilized, relationships were built, and people felt good about themselves for doing decent acts of love toward his fellow brother and sister. Nurtured by co-workers who are also disabled, Joe grows in his abilities and confidence by leading people to help community members, including those with disabilities in the process of utilizing their talents to help one another in need. As a VISTA volunteer, Joe impacted a community of all kinds of people, including those like Joe who also had insecurities and low self-esteem, by teaching himself and others valuable lessons: that everyone has a something, great or small, to offer to society, that there is power and strength in loving relationships, that people have the capacity to love, care for, and be good to one another, and that a person is to be, and can be, loved for being solely a human, regardless of how much the person has something to offer, and is able to contribute, to people and society. God is a god of grace who loves us unconditionally and completely even if we have nothing to offer and are considered “no good” by the world.
Joe becomes a Patch Adams who uses humor, compassion, and encouragement to uplift the heartbroken. Similar to how Norman Vincent Peale overcame his fears and inferiorities to save millions through The Power of Positive Thinking, Joe shares his testimony and experiences of hope and freedom – using his web site, online writings, and you tube videos – across the globe, through the Internet. Over a million people hear his story, in addition to his teachings about God, loving others and not hatred, hope, contentment, self-acceptance, grace, overcoming adversity, perseverance, etc.
Only God truly knows if He gave Joe a special revelation to change the world; if he allowed bipolar symptoms to create grandiosity in Joe’s mind; or if it is plain wishful thinking by Joe, driven by an OCD passion to prove to all that Joe is competent, proven by completing difficult tasks. Does it really matter?
Joe spent the rest of his life seeking what he believed was God’s will, sacrificed himself for the common good of others, and became a living example of a joyous overcomer. Joe learned to embrace the fact that “God is not like his abusive stepdad”, as Joe stopped blaming God for His illness, abuse, and troubles. Next, Joe learned to love and accept himself and find contentment, in spite of his imperfections. The controls of perfectionism and need for approval of others in Joe’s life ceased, and his mental illness also lost its power over Joe. Joe’s therapist, the Jackson Talent Exchange experience, surrender, grace, and contentment lessons learned, God’s grace, and the power of people like his psychology instructor who chose to take an interest in Joe, helped to save Joe’s life. And Joe may have helped the lives of hundred, related to the Jackson Talent Exchange, and countless others, who viewed his web page.
Faith, hope, and love – these things will last forever: but the greatest is Love! Hope is what Joe relied upon during his great trials. When his hope was weak, his faith, although many times, wavering, kept Him strong. However, in the end, it was the love of God and the lessons he learned about God and grace that revitalized Joe’s faith. And that revitalized faith strengthened Joe’s hope, and Joe was able to persevere great odds, and he through God’s power later created great change.
Life is about chasing a dream. The effectiveness of a God-given dream being met is determined by God’s power and our decisions. Difficulties threaten to sabotage that dream, and we often experience what we perceive “delays” and “dead-ends” toward the completing of that dream. Our decisions to follow God’s direction, to have faith, to make sound decisions, and to persevere through the trial, help determine whether or not the dream will come true. To reach dreams, one must have faith that God will always provide deliverance through the storms of life. In every trial or test of faith, God promises deliverance. God delivered Joe through his trials and he will do the same for us if we trust in Him and make sound decisions. And once we trust in God, we let the fate of the dream’s success fall in His will. Romans 8:28, Philippians 4:13, and Jeremiah 29:11-13.
Trusting In God (Especially During Hard Times) Inspiration Page
Trying to trust in God fully, especially when facing hard times, can be real difficult. This post contains hyperlinks to bible verses, inspirational quotes, Christian articles, and inspirational / motivational Above Inspiration videos, that you can view, any time your faith is struggling and you need encouragement.
Bible Verses
21 Bible Verses on Trusting God
Bible Verses About Trusting God
Trusting In God Inspirational Quotes
21 of the Most Inspirational Quotes about Trusting God
Trusting In God Christian Articles
How to Trust God, Even in Difficult Times
10 Ways to Learn How to Trust God Completely
10 Examples of Trusting God in Difficult Times to Inspire You
Trusting God in Every Situation
Trusting God When Your Prayers Aren’t Answered
Trusting in God through Suffering
Trusting God When the Pain Seems Pointless
7 Daily Steps to Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Above Inspiration Trusting In God / Overcoming Adversity You Tube Videos
BE BOLD | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD IN THE DARKNESS | God Is With You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
STRENGTH TO OVERCOME | Be Strong In The Lord – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR GIANT | Focus On How Big Your God Is – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GIVE ALL YOUR WORRIES AND ANXIETIES TO GOD | Overcome Worry With Prayer – Inspirational Video
FAITH OVER FEAR | Focus on God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
HOPE IN THE STORM | Hope Anchored In Jesus – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BREAK FREE FROM WORRY & ANXIETY | Let God Handle It – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FAILURE IS NOT FINAL | Never Give Up – Inspirational & Motivational Video
POWER OF THE MIND | The Battle For Your Mind – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FINDING PEACE AMIDST WORRY & ANXIETY | Put It In God’s Hands – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOME WORRY WITH WORSHIP | Peace Over Anxiety – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DO NOT FEAR | God is in Control – Inspirational & Motivational Video
PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD | Let God Direct Your Path – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BOLD FAITH | Be Fearless & Courageous – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST IN GOD WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND | Hope In Uncertainty – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THE POWER OF PRAYER | Connect With God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES | Let Go & Let God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DEFEATING DISCOURAGEMENT | You Only Fail If You Quit – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD IN THE STORM | Persevering Through Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
POWER of PRAYER – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FEAR NOT | God Is With You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DO NOT WORRY | God Is Bigger Than Fear – Inspirational & Motivational Video
YOUR PAIN HAS A PURPOSE | Trust God’s Plan Not Your Pain – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHEN YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED | The Battle Is The Lord’s – Inspirational & Motivational Video
HOPE IN GOD | All Things Are Possible – Morning Inspiration to Motivate Your Day
TRUST GOD & DON’T WORRY | Cast Your Cares On God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD ALWAYS | Trust Even In Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WAITING ON GOD | Trust God Is Working – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD WILL MAKE A WAY | Believe In Miracles – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Facing Your Giants | God Still Does the Impossible – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR GIANT | Focus On How Big Your God Is – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD WILL PROVIDE | Overcoming Anxiety – Inspirational & Motivational Video
PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD | Let God Direct Your Path – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOMING THE PAST | Letting Go of Hurt – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WALK IN FAITH | The Lord Will Provide – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHEN THINGS GET HARD | Trusting God In Adversity – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GET OUT OF THE BOAT | Fear Not And Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DON’T BE AFRAID TO STEP OUT IN FAITH | Take The Risk – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BE BOLD | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
NEVER GIVE UP | God Never Fails – Inspirational & Motivational Video
LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES | Let Go & Let God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
We Serve a BIG GOD | Nothing is Impossible – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD IN THE STORM | Persevering Through Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THE POWER OF HOPE | Dare To Believe – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Don’t Be Afraid of Failure – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DO NOT FEAR | Trust God’s Plan – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD | 1 Hour Powerful Christian Motivation – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS WITH YOU IN THE VALLEY | You Are Never Alone – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST IN GOD | Peace in the Storm – Morning Inspiration to Motivate Your Day
TRUST GOD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE | God Is With You Always – Inspirational & Motivational Video
LET GO & TRUST GOD | Overcoming Worry – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DO YOU TRUST GOD | Keeping Your Faith During Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES | Let Go & Let God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Trusting God in the Storm of Chaos – Motivational & Inspirational Video
WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE MIND | Change Your Thinking – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD WORKS WHILE WE WAIT | Trust God’s Timing – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHEN GOD IS SILENT | Stay Strong – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS A WAY MAKER | God Will Make A Way – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FAITH NOT FEAR | Do Not Be Afraid – Inspirational & Motivational Video
NEVER GIVE UP | Greatness Is Born From Consistency – Inspirational & Motivational Video
NEVER QUIT | God Will Bring You Through It – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHEN GOD CLOSES A DOOR | Overcoming Disappointment – Inspirational & Motivational Video
JESUS BREAKS EVERY CHAIN | Break Free From What’s Holding You Back – Inspirational & Motivational
DON’T LIMIT GOD | We Serve A Limitless God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THANK GOD IN ADVANCE | God Will Do It – Inspirational & Motivational Video
PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD | Let God Direct Your Path – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD ALWAYS | Trust Even In Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DON’T GIVE UP | God is With You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Inspirational / Motivational You Tube Videos Hyperlinks
Above Inspiration
DON’T STOP DREAMING | Let Go Of The Past & Step Into The Future – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS DOING A NEW THING | Start Fresh With God This New Year – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THE POWER OF VISION | Vision Determines Focus – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BE BOLD | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD IN THE DARKNESS | God Is With You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
LOVE LIKE JESUS | Live a Life of Love – Inspirational & Motivational Video
STRENGTH TO OVERCOME | Be Strong In The Lord – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR GIANT | Focus On How Big Your God Is – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD’S AMAZING GRACE – Inspirational & Motivational Video
RUN YOUR RACE | Stop Comparing Yourself To Others – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GIVE ALL YOUR WORRIES AND ANXIETIES TO GOD | Overcome Worry With Prayer – Inspirational Video
BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS | Nothing Is Impossible – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FAITH OVER FEAR | Focus on God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
HOPE IN THE STORM | Hope Anchored In Jesus – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BREAK FREE FROM WORRY & ANXIETY | Let God Handle It – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FAILURE IS NOT FINAL | Never Give Up – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THE POWER OF KINDNESS | Be Kind & Encourage Others – Inspirational & Motivational Video
POWER OF THE MIND | The Battle For Your Mind – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FINDING PEACE AMIDST WORRY & ANXIETY | Put It In God’s Hands – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOME WORRY WITH WORSHIP | Peace Over Anxiety – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DREAM BIG | We Serve A Limitless God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DO NOT FEAR | God is in Control – Inspirational & Motivational Video
IDENTITY IN CHRIST | You Are Who God Says You Are – Inspirational & Motivational Video
EVERY DAY GOD GIVES US A FRESH START | Get Up & Never Give Up! – Morning Inspiration To Motivate You
PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD | Let God Direct Your Path – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BOLD FAITH | Be Fearless & Courageous – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST IN GOD WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND | Hope In Uncertainty – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THE POWER OF PRAYER | Connect With God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES | Let Go & Let God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHY AM I HERE | God’s Purpose For Your Life – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DEFEATING DISCOURAGEMENT | You Only Fail If You Quit – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD IN THE STORM | Persevering Through Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
POWER of PRAYER – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FEAR NOT | God Is With You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DO NOT WORRY | God Is Bigger Than Fear – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THE POWER OF WORDS | Speak Life | Encourage Others – Inspirational & Motivational Video
PRAY BOLD PRAYERS | We Serve A Big God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FOCUS ON GOD | Inspiration To Start Your Day Right! – Listen Every Morning to Motivate Your Day!
YOUR PAIN HAS A PURPOSE | Trust God’s Plan Not Your Pain – Inspirational & Motivational Video
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS | God Does The Impossible – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHEN YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED | The Battle Is The Lord’s – Inspirational & Motivational Video
HOPE IN GOD | All Things Are Possible – Morning Inspiration to Motivate Your Day
WILL GOD FORGIVE ME – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD & DON’T WORRY | Cast Your Cares On God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD ALWAYS | Trust Even In Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WAITING ON GOD | Trust God Is Working – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD WILL MAKE A WAY | Believe In Miracles – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Facing Your Giants | God Still Does the Impossible – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR GIANT | Focus On How Big Your God Is – Inspirational & Motivational Video
ONE DAY AT A TIME | Make Your Time Count – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD WILL PROVIDE | Overcoming Anxiety – Inspirational & Motivational Video
PUT YOUR TRUST IN GOD | Let God Direct Your Path – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOMING THE PAST | Letting Go of Hurt – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WALK IN FAITH | The Lord Will Provide – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHEN THINGS GET HARD | Trusting God In Adversity – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GET OUT OF THE BOAT | Fear Not And Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DON’T BE AFRAID TO STEP OUT IN FAITH | Take The Risk – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BE BOLD | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
NEVER GIVE UP | God Never Fails – Inspirational & Motivational Video
LET GOD FIGHT YOUR BATTLES | Let Go & Let God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
SAVED BY GRACE | Jesus Is Our Hope – Inspirational & Motivational Video
We Serve a BIG GOD | Nothing is Impossible – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST GOD IN THE STORM | Persevering Through Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
THE POWER OF HOPE | Dare To Believe – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOMING REJECTION | God Will Never Leave You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GO AFTER YOUR DREAMS | Listen to this Every Day – Morning Inspiration to Motivate Your Day
Don’t Be Afraid of Failure – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DO NOT FEAR | Trust God’s Plan – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BE YOU – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE | Believe You Can Do It – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD CAN DO ANYTHING | Trust God Can Do It – Inspirational & Motivational Video
To You, Is God A God of Wrath or Mercy?
Our Creator is both a god of wrath and mercy; however, His wrath is to be feared by only the guilty. Before creation, God’s mercy formulated a justification plan involving Christ dying on the cross for our sins, in order to satisfy the wrath of God toward sinners. Those who believe in and accept God’s grace will be declared not guilty of their sins on judgment day, will escape God’s wrath for forever, and will experience eternal life in heaven. Unfortunately, those who don’t become a Christian will be deemed guilty of sin, and will face God’s wrath in hell. Since God’s wrath is to be feared by the unjustified, there is no greater decision than to be justified
God’s Wrath Is Just
God is infinitely holy and just. When God chooses to be wrathful, it is always in response to sin being committed. If there was no sin in the world, God would have no reason to be wrathful, and would never be angry.
J.I. Packer describes God’s wrath: “God’s wrath in the Bible is never the capricious, self-indulgent, irritable, morally ignoble thing that human anger so often is. It is, instead, a right and necessary reaction to objective moral evil”.
If man never sinned against God, there would be no evil in the world, and God would never display His wrath toward man. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. So, man is faced with a decision between heaven and hell.
God’s wrath is His love in action against sin
God chooses to judge sin because He is holy and just. If God wasn’t justice of the peace, man’s lawless deeds would undermine the freedoms of self and others – imagine what would happen if God didn’t care if His creation broke His law (like murder, stealing, rape, lying) – if everything was permissible and there were no punishments to sin, the sinful natures of men would go hyperactive, and people would constantly sin and plunder and injure another for person gain, and people would get mad, and retribute sin for sin to one another. Injured parties, having their freedoms tarnished and needs unmet, would get mad after someone’s sin injured them and retribute evil for evil. In a world where nuclear weapons, guns, knives, and bombs are being used by people with the capacity to do evil, it’s scary to imagine the mass destruction which take place as hatred and anger fuels the sinful hearts and minds of those being injured by another person, and if, God felt everything was permissible and didn’t judge sin. Survival of the fittest would be the theme. A society cannot remain free when it’s immoral, especially if there are no law or order present. Thankfully, God’s wrath is His love in action against sin.
One may think they only commit minor sins, but God is a holy and just God who make the rules, and we must trust His perfect wisdom in judging sin. Some can complain if they want, but the fact is God makes the rules and we don’t, and He has the power and authority to enforce them. We are incapable of truly knowing the detriment our actions have upon others and ourselves. We must trust in the wisdom and mercy of God’s justice in our lives.
For example, If the behavior of a child is not under the control of his parents, and if the child believed everything was permissible, even if the child started with small misbehaviors, the kid would instinctively be tempted to do worse actions, because the child thinks he or she can get away with it. Then that child could potentially do something destructively bad, possibly harming self or another person, limiting freedom. Thank goodness, God is authoritative to His creation, trying to prevent their sins from creating destruction that undermines freedom, through the governing of societal behaviors, similarly to how a loving parent watches over his or her children.
God’s Wrath Is To Be Feared
God is all-powerful; nothing can prevent God from doing what He wants. The Creator of all things, He has the capacity to create or end human life with a single command. There is no possible way that anyone can usurp God’s prerogative to not send someone to hell if they are not a Christian on judgment day. If you end your life on earth as an unbeliever, there is nothing in eternity that can prevent you from not going to hell, for God’s decision would be final. No second chances. No ifs and ands or buts. No excuses. If God finds a person guilty of sin on judgment day, nothing will stop that individual from going to hell.
God is holy and just; He is wrathful toward sin. The Judge decided that the “wages of sin is death”. Hell is the destination of the guilty. Unfortunately, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”. On their own merit, everyone deserves to go to hell. Torture beyond measure. We are all sinners; we all deserve hell. Thankfully, the God of wrath is also a God of mercy. He formulated a plan called justification that gives a sinner an opportunity to avoid going to hell through God’s grace.
The Mercy of God Desiring To Free Man From His Chains
Because of man’s sinfulness, entire humanity is under the curses and consequences of sin, and subject to the wrath of God. Unless God’s mercy would somehow intervene, the entire world is doomed to hell.
Being saved requires being perfect as God is, which is impossible for mortal human. The only person who lived a perfect life was Jesus Christ, God’s Son who God sent to pay to penalty of our sins, by dying on the cross. Christ sacrifice on the cross satisfied God’s wrath forevermore to those who become a Christian.
Christ is the focal point of God’s justification plan. According to John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me’”.
How God’s Justification Plan leads to eternal freedom
“Justification is a legal declaration from God that you are innocent of sin.” Since “all have sinned”, we actually are sinners, but God’s mercy chose His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins as an atoning sacrifice in our place, so those who put their faith upon that fact and accept God’s gift of mercy while choose to repent from their sins, will be justified, experience eternal life in heaven and not in hell, will become a child of God, and escape God’s wrath forevermore. Christ paid the death sentence in our place, so we don’t have to, and because Christ was sinless, His shedding of blood atoning sacrifice satisfied God’s wrath to our sins. We don’t have to pay, because Christ served the sentence for us, and because God accepted the atoning sacrifice of Christ for our sins, we are declared innocent of our sins, because the punishment that our sins required to be met, was completed, when Jesus died on the cross and resurrected three days later. So, when time is served for a crime, and is accepted by the judge as being sufficient payment for the sin, then that person is no longer guilty, and is free to live as a free person. That person is justified, declared innocent legally by the judge.
When a sinner becomes a Christian, he or she is justified, legally declared innocent of all sins because of God’s grace. Since He is now declared innocent of all crimes because of Christ’s payment on the cross is perceived adequate in the eyes of the God, the Judge. Thus, the new believer will be declared innocent on judgment day and will escape hell. When someone is justified by faith, not only will they experience heaven and not hell in the afterlife, but will never face God’s wrath again, because God pardons every sin committed by that individual in their life. This includes all past, present, and future sins.
A Few Intentions God Had When Dreaming Up Justification
Before the world was created, omniscient God knew His human creations would be incapable of being sinless. God’s holiness had to judge sin, or He would become flawed, and unsuitable to perfectly govern this world. However, God’s infinite mercy had compassion on man, desiring no one to be sentenced to hell. He also saw the sufferings that man would endure due to His sinful nature, and intensely wanted to restore Him, which can potentially happen through an intimate love relationship with God and as man strives not to yield to his sinful nature. Before this could take place, God knew He had to first restore man’s relationship with Him that was previously destroyed when Adam first sinned.
Before God decided to have Christ suffer on the cross, His omniscience knew who before creation every person in the history of this world who would reject Him and He knew every life giant each person would struggle to overcome, and every hurt and pain and tear felt by every man and woman. The mercy of God still had compassion on them, and still chose Christ to pay the penalty of their sins.
When God purposed man to have free will, God believed that man should have the freedom to choose, even though He knew the misuse of that liberty would lead man to rebel against Him; rebellion beginning with Adam and Eve. It would have been much safer for God to restrict free will when man was first created, but humans would never have had experienced freedom if He did. Free will is a liberty to enjoy, but after making unsound decisions, it can easily become a tyrant.
Both sin and unsound decisions in general have separated man from God, and the absence of God in man’s life has led to much tyranny of humankind. I believed this grieved God greatly, forcing God’s hand to judge man; however, God’s mercy for His creation still chose to purpose Christ to save them, knowing that countless humans throughout history would choose not to take advantage of God’s plans for deliverance. Even though Christ would suffer immensely for our sins, and many would still reject and mock God, God still loved man with a relentless, unconditional love.
God Purposed Christ To Suffer For Your Sake
God purposed Christ to die for the sins of all, including you and me. His love for all His creation is indescribably enormous. He knows all of your faults and still chose Christ to suffer for your sake. I strongly believe it grieves God to see you daily suffer; He desperately desires to make your life be of freedom. Christ died so you could become a child of God, escape hell and God’s wrath, and to enjoy rewards in heaven forevermore. Abba Father immensely wants you to abide in Him and experience His overabundant joy and peace. He also would like to rehabilitate you, making you into increasingly better person. He wants to be your Shepherd, to give you everything you need. He wants you to give you daily wisdom to make sound decisions and to empower you to become an overcomer for His glory. Christ suffered immensely on the cross, all because of God’s infinite mercy and love. If you are not a Christian, please become one today!
Becoming a Christian
We are saved only by God’s grace, and not by our good deeds – if we try to earn our way to heaven through good works, we will never do enough good to be perfect; for perfection, on our own merit, is what it takes to be saved. Thankfully, Jesus was perfect, and He chose to pay the penalty for our sins, and God declares those who have faith in Christ: an innocent, beloved child of God who will never experience God’s wrath, who will in the afterlife experience heaven for eternity. Also, because of justification, God will perceive His adopted child as perfect in His eyes, even though we are still in a sinning state.
When Jesus died on the cross, He died for the sins of the whole world. Man was incapable of paying the penalty of his own. No amount of good works on man’s part could ever clear the debt he owed to God. In essence, we are saved by grace, and not by works
So how do I become a Christian? Here are 4 steps on how to get saved:
- Recognize that you are a sinner. (Romans 3:10, 23) “There is no one righteous, not even one… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
- Recognize that Jesus died on the cross for you. (1 Peter 3:18) “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
- Repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19 NIV) “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”
- Receive Jesus as you Savior. (Romans 10:9-10) “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
For more information on how to become a Christian, click on this hyperlink: Plan Of Salvation
Jesus’ satisfactory and substitutionary work on the cross
The doctrine of justification by faith states: “God declares you righteous through the satisfactory and substitutionary work of Jesus on the cross.” Christ’s atoning sacrifice met the essential requirements that God needed in order to be simultaneously just and merciful to us. If God’s mercy just let sinners off scot-free without being proper justice being served, God wouldn’t be a just God; if God just simply punished sinners by sending them to hell, He wouldn’t also be a merciful God. Christ was a sinless sacrifice who also willingly chose to die for our sins. He became the sufficient substitutionary atonement for all our sins, adequately enabling God to be both a just and merciful God who remained infinitely perfect in nature. Justice stated we deserved the death penalty, but the Trinity’s mercy chose Christ to pay it, completely clearing the debt we owe to God.
Since Jesus was an suitable substitute for serving our prison sentence in the Judge’s (God) perceptions, God didn’t violate any of His holy, righteousness, justice and mercy natures. Thus, God was able to save man through the justification plan, as God continued to maintain His infinitely perfect state of being. God will never become a flawed deity for any reason.
Quote:
“God’s holiness, righteousness and justice are immutable parts of His character, so He exercises judgment on sin as One who is sovereign in His moral kingdom”.
“Yet, he himself has fulfilled that righteous penalty in the person of His Son (Jesus) so that, without violating His holy nature, He guarantees forgiveness and justification to all who believe”.
(“The Bible has the Answer” by Morris and Clark, 1976, page 153).
Freedom requires sound decision making
God has given you and I the freedom of free will; to choose one’s path is a liberty every human desires. Unfortunately, when we don’t make wise decisions, it can potentially tyrannize us immensely for eternity.
There is no greater decision than upon your eternal salvation. Hell and the wrath of God are the consequences of making the wrong choice. Heaven and freedom and the absence of God’s wrath all result from being a child of God.
Are you a Christian? Will God declare you justified on judgment day? There is no greater consequence than being unjustified.
Bible Verses
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5).
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26).
The Power Of The Cross song by Casting Crowns
Sources:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/five-truths-about-the-wrath-of-god
https://www.biblestudy.org/beginner/why-did-jesus-have-to-die.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/justification.html
Justification / Striving For A Perfect Heart, Not Perfect Performance
“Justification is the free and gracious gift of God bestowed on those who receive by faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.” If you are a child of God, you know that, even though you are justified, considered innocent of sin, and headed to heaven someday, trying to live a victorious Christian life daily is a very difficult process, especially after sinning. For many of us, we struggle with fears of condemnation and not being forgiven, especially after committing sins we are ashamed of. Or, if we sin too much, God will stop accepting and loving us as His children. In essence, feelings of guilt and much anxiety interfere with our attempts to experience daily intimacy with God, as we fear God will get angry at us.
Justification means we will always be considered perfect in God’s eyes, because of the cross, even though, in reality, we still sin on a daily basis. Because we are justified, we will always be union in Christ, have perfect peace with God, and be totally loved, accepted, forgiven, and considered good in God’s heart, for forevermore. Unfortunately, many Christians perhaps don’t either trust in or fully understand justification, being fearful and worried of angering God or not being forgiven, if not perfect in their actual performance toward righteousness. They may try to “earn God’s grace” through “good works”, when in reality, they will always have God’s infinite mercy and grace every time they sin, thanks to justification. As we daily strive for intimacy with Abba Father, we must daily trust in justification principles, especially after sinning, or when having fears of committing future sins.
Unless we develop a rock-solid understanding of grace and justification, it can be really difficult to experience real peace in our lives, the kind God intended for us to have when Christ died for our sins. I hope this article can help with that.
Grace is “God’s willingness to lovingly forgive us each time we sin.” Believing “God will lovingly forgive us each time we sin” in faith is needed in order to live the victorious Christian life and to fully enjoy God’s intimacy in the meantime. If we don’t trust in God’s grace, especially after sinning repeatedly, our overall faith may suffer when we fail Him. Satan takes advantage of our distrust of God’s grace, due to our possible ignorance of justification, to disable us from becoming the person, and living the life, God intended for us. So, let’s talk about justification, hoping it will help strengthen your faith of God’s grace.
What justification truly means to the Christian?
“Justification is the sovereign act of God whereby He declares righteous the believing sinner while he or she is still in a sinning state”. (Chuck Swindoll)
I. Justification is the pardon of sins.
After we commit a sin, God has to decide how He views our transgression. Justification states: “God declares us righteous while we are still in a sinning state.” “To declare us righteous” means God decides, in spite of all our committed sins (past, present, and future sins) that He still “declares us righteous” in His eyes, every time we sin.
God is a holy God who cannot simply ignore or dismiss sin. He doesn’t just “ignore” our transgression each time we commit it; the Judge does the same thing every time we sin: God remembers that Jesus paid the penalty for that sin, determines that Christ’s payment on the cross is sufficient payment for the transgression, and chooses to pardon (forgive) the sinner. Justification states that God’s grace does this every time that one of His children commits a sin, regardless of the severity of the transgression, and who the Christian sinner is.
Colossians 2:13-14 states: “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
Justification states: God forgives every sin from every believer and also every time the same person sins.
2. Justification is the gift of righteousness.
Not only does God forgive every sin of every believer, God also chooses to impute (put in its place) righteousness (and right standing between God and Christian) into the “moral account ledger” every time one of His children’s sins. Rather than just refusing to impute our sins to our “account’, God’s grace instead places “Christ’s perfect record of obedience” to our “account.” So, when we sin, if God looked in His record books of our good and bad behaviors, He will not find that sin we just committed being recorded. In God’s eyes, when we sin, it’s almost as if we never committed the sin. God chooses to forget our sins, because of justification, grace, and His infinite mercy.
Romans 4:6-8 reinforces these points: “David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one, whose sin the Lord will never count against them.””
3. Justification is God’s Acceptance of Christ Given to the Sinner
Because we are always forgiven, and God chooses to forget our sin and not put them into His record books, there is no reason for God not to accept us, in spite of any or all of our transgressions. God will always accept and love all of His children, regardless of who they are, or what they have done or will do.
In Romans 8:38-39, Paul declares, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principles nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Nothing, not even our sins, “will ever separate us from God’s love.”
Abba Father will always accept us as His beloved. Regardless of our sins, we will always have peace with God. If you do sin, confess it, and God will always mercifully accept you as His endeared children.
“Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (Romans 5:9-10)
“to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)
Every Christian is in Christ, and therefore has gained the same acceptance Jesus Christ had with God the Father, and will experience it fully daily. This will never change, regardless of any sins we would ever commit or already have committed.
“There is no condemnation from God to those who belong in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). We are free from experiencing any wrath of God, which started the moment we became a Christian and will last forever on earth and in eternity in heaven.
When we sin, we should never fear the back hand of God whipping us. He may discipline us in love, in order to make us into better and more mature, sanctified Christians, so we can do good works for His glory, in which God will, in return, show His great love, and reward us in heaven someday, as we do them on earth. Abba Father’s discipline may seem painful for a bit, but He does it out of love – to discourage us from doing something foolish and sinful that would cause harm to ourselves and or others. Like any loving parent, our Heavenly Father, may correct our bad behaviors, but He will never punish us out of anger and wrath.
Sin often causes us to temporarily lose intimacy with God. If we sin repeatedly, we may temporarily lose connection with God until we repent. If God sees our sins causing us constantly lose intimacy with Him, He may discipline us out of love, in order to bring us back to Him, so we can experience His love and intimacy more deeply again.
Everything Abba Father does to us is out of love, for God is Love.
Learning To Trust In The Grace and Mercy of Abba Father
Many of us have had bad earth fathers who may have been abusive and rejecting to us when we made mistakes. Their presence in our lives may have had a negative effect in making us fearful of our Heavenly Father, treating us similarly when we aren’t perfect in front of God.
Our unbelief problem that God will not forgive us or accept us when we constantly sin is a greater problem to us than the actual sins we commit daily. God will always unconditionally forgive and accept us every time we fail, but if we don’t believe it, we won’t receive it. God’s infinite mercy desperately wants us to feel loved, accepted, and forgiven, but His hands are tied in enabling us to experience it, if our unbelief in justification and grace refuses to trust His Love. How can God rehabilitate us and help us overcome our weaknesses when the stronghold of disbelief constantly makes us afraid and fearful of God punishing us if we are not always perfect? How can His Love heal our hurts, how can we fully trust in His deliverance when facing overwhelming trials, when in the back of our minds, we have doubts of God’s continual goodness toward us if we sin too much or commit a particular sin that we fear God hates more than others? Trusting in justification and in God’s perfect mercy and grace is the path toward freedom.
Instead of trusting, many of us resort to continual trying to “earn grace through good deeds” in hopes of appeasing God and avoiding His anger. We don’t need to earn grace, it is already ours, it is a gift from God’s infinite mercy. We don’t need to perform or try to live holy lives, with the objective of winning or maintaining God’s approval and or mercy. Christ satisfactory paid the penalty of all our sins; therefore, God chooses to forget our sins and not put it into His record books. As Joyce Meyer once said, in response to this issue: “We don’t have to pay, for there is nothing to pay.”
“Your Sin Is Not Greater Than God’s Mercy”
Nauman Ali Khan once said: “Your sin is not greater than God’s mercy.” This should be one of the mottos of justification, for it is so completely true, and so relevant to the concept of justification.
We can never do so much wrong that God’s mercy will choose not to forgive us. Charles Spurgeon once said, “God’s mercy is so great that you may sooner drain the see of its water, or deprive the sun of its light, or make space too narrow, than diminish the great mercy of God.” A.W. Tozer states: “Mercy is not something God has, but something God is.” Never fear making God angry with us, because to the Christian, His mercy is always greater than His anger.”
“The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love” (Psalm 145:8). He isn’t an abusive stepfather, condemning and rejecting, looking to punish and find fault with you. Instead, He is Abba Father, perfect in love, mercy, and grace, revealed when Christ paid the penalty for all our sins, even when we were enemies with God. God is omniscient. He knew every sin you and I would ever commit before He chosen Christ to suffer in our place for our sins. The sufferings that Christ went through, to purchase our salvation and to pay the penalty for our sins was enormous. Christ – being a perfect deity who knew no sin but became sin for us, so we can spend life on earth and eternity in heaven in an intimate love relationship with Him and the rest of the Trinity – definitely shows the love and mercy of God every time we sin. And God who knew every sin you and I would commit before He formulated His justification plan, which means every time we sin, He will choose not to impute our sins to our account, but rather Christ’s perfect standing of obedience to our moral records ledger, gives God no reason not to accept us each time we sin. Because we are perfect in God’s eyes due to grace and justification, there is no reason for God to choose to condemn us anytime we sin.
We need to believe in the truth of God’s mercy, grace, and justification by faith plan, in order to be free creatures. We shouldn’t try to be perfect in our performance of not sinning, being motivated by a purposeless need to win His approval and to avoid His wrath and rejection. We need to take captive our thoughts, every time the devil tells us “God is Mad at us”. And remember the truths of justification by faith. We don’t need to pay for our sins by trying to be a better Christin, in hopes of winning God’s approval, but to realize that Christ already paid for our sins, and each time we sin, there is no obligation for us to pay at all. Each time we sin, we must remember there is no record of sins in our account, because Christ already paid the price of our sins, and thus, God chose to pardon us of all wrongdoings and placed Christ’s obedience to our account. As Professor Joe Rigney once said, “We need to know sin is in our hearts, and we need to feel the ugliness of it, but then we must also remember that Jesus covers all of it.”
Here are some verses in relation to God’s forgiveness of our sins:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7)
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more”. (Hebrews 8:12)
God’s forgiveness resulting from justification is complete. Every sin, including every past, present, and future sin, is always forgiven. If future sins aren’t always forgiven, then it would be impossible for us to have no condemnation. According to Romans 8:1, “there is no condemnation to those who belong in Christ Jesus.” If there was condemnation for future sins; in another words, if God didn’t forgive every sin, then we would stand guilty and unjustified if we committed what we perceive as the “unpardonable sin”. The Bible states we experience no condemnation and we are forgiven; if we don’t believe it, we are inferring “God is a liar.” This obviously isn’t true.
In Christ, according to justification, we are completely forgiven and fully pleasing to God (Romans 5:1); free from all condemnation (Romans 8:1); righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24); forgiven of all my sins (Ephesians 1:13-14) – all because of God’s perfect grace and mercy. All glory goes to Abba Father and also to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember: You are justified. God will never stop loving you, regardless of how much you sin. According to this website (5 Things You Should Know About How God Sees You – Grace thru faith), there are five things you should know about how God sees you:
- You Are His Child Forever
- You Still Sin, But He No Longer Counts Your Sins Against You
- You Are Perfect In His Sight, As Righteous As He Is
- You Cannot Be Condemned For Any Reason
- When You Stand Before God You Will Be As Perfect As He Is
Overcoming Desires to Be Perfect In Front of God
“You are His child forever” . . . “you still sin, but He no longer counts your sins against you”. . . “you are perfect in His sight, as righteous as Christ is” . . . “you cannot be condemned for any reason” . . . “when you stand before God, you will be perfect as He is” – all of these true statements should encourage you not to feel the need to be perfect (in order to be loved, accepted, forgiven, and be considered good in God’s eyes). Because of justification, we will always be all that, and more, by God.
Harriet Braiker once said, “Striving for excellence motivates you; striving for perfection is demoralizing.” No matter how hard we try, we can never have a perfect performance toward not sinning – no man except Christ will ever be sinless, so we should not try. Instead, we should daily strive for excellence, to do the best we can, through the empowerment of the Spirit. Don’t fret: because of grace and justification, we are considered perfect in God’s eyes, even though, in reality, we are still in a sinning state.
We shouldn’t try to be perfect with the objective to please God and win His approval. Because of grace and justification, we will always be accepted. Being unconditionally accepted by God isn’t earned, it is His gift of grace. Again: “Mercy is not something God has, but something He is.”
If we tried to earn God’s mercy, we will never be good enough to do so. However, because of grace and justification, we have no reason to even try.
If we daily try to have perfect performance in our walk with God, we will fail. God doesn’t expect perfection, for He knows all things, including our frailties. The very reason God had Christ die for our sins proves God knows we are incapable of being perfect. So, we should not even try, but instead strive for continuous improvements in our sin life, through the power of the Spirit, and our gradual progressions would become eventually excellence. Excellence is not perfection.
We should never again strive for perfection in not sinning. However, we can and should try to have a perfect heart toward God. There is a difference between the two.
Striving to have a perfect heart
David had a perfect heart toward God. In 1 Kings 11:4, it says: “After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’”
David was called by God: “a man after my own heart”. He had a perfect heart toward God in God’s eyes. David loved God wholeheartedly, having the desire in his heart to wholeheartedly obey God the best he could possibly do. David wasn’t a perfect man; for he was an adulterer to Bathsheba, and a murderer to Uriah. However, after sinning, David repented thoroughly, loved God “with all his heart, mind, and soul”, and continued to do the very best he could in serving and obeying God.
Striving to Wholeheartedly Love Abba Father, But Still Making Mistakes
Like David, we should daily strive to love God “with all our heart, mind, and soul.” This involves daily putting God first in our lives, and spending a lot of time in communion with Him, seeking to make Him a priority in our lives. Try to value Abba Father over everything else; make Him your greatest passion. Follow Him with all your heart, and do the very best you can to do to obey Him. Realize you will never be perfect in performance, but still have a burning desire and passion to do right.
God looks at the heart more than He looks at the actions of a person. The Pharisees tried to follow the law perfectly, but their hearts were far from perfect. David’s heart loved God wholeheartedly but his actions made the mistakes of adultery and murder. David sinned, and God disciplined him severely, but David repented thoroughly and continued to love God wholeheartedly and tried to do the very best he could in serving and obeying God. David had a burning passion and desire to please God, but like any other human, David made mistakes.
However, the fact David made mistakes didn’t mean he didn’t wholeheartedly love God. David was an imperfect man who had a perfect heart. And God called David “a man after my own heart.”
In Joyce Meyer’s book, “God is Not Mad at You”, I read a story that I believe really portrays the message I can trying to expound about right now. I think Joyce found the story a long time ago on the Sicklerville United Methodist church website. The publication showed how “a flawed gift can be utterly perfect in the eyes of a parent”:
“Picture a sunny, humid and very hot August Saturday afternoon. You are mowing your lawn. You are about three-quarters finished and you are perspiring greatly. Your five-year-old has been playing in the sandbox. As you turn to make another pass with the lawnmower, you see him standing in front of you with a glass filled with ice and water. As your eyes meet, he lifts the glass toward you offering its cold refreshment. You turn off the lawnmower and reach for the glass. As you take it, you notice the sandbox sand is mixed with in with the ice, clippings of grass are floating on top and dirty droplets of water are running down the sides of the glass. That is a picture of Christian perfection and of what Jesus meant when He said, ‘Be perfect even as my Father is perfect.’ Was that ice water absolutely perfect? Not at all; it had grass, sand, and dirt floating in it. What made the glass of ice water perfect? It was a pure, genuine, sincere and loving heart of a little boy wanting to do something kind and loving for his father.”
In this story, the dad is Abba Father and you are the five-year old son, which represents your relationship with Abba Father. Like the five-year-old son, you may have a great desire to please God because you really love Him. You try to serve Him and not sin in your very best effort, but your actions are flawed: the glass of water you give to Abba Father contains grass, sand, and dirt. However, like the dad in the story, I believe Abba Father sees your heart and desires to please Him, even though glass of water is contaminated, even though in your life you makes mistakes and sees your sins, He is pleased with you because He sees the intentions of your heart is pure and good, and the great love you have for Abba Father. He is happy because, although like five-year-old our performance may be flawed, but the intentions of the heart are perfect. God is more pleased with a perfect heart than He is with a perfect performance.
Joyce Meyer said, “All God really wants is for us to love Him and out of that love do the best we can to serve and obey Him.” If you try to do that daily, God will always be pleased with our mistakes. Even our glass of water contains grass, dirt, and sand.
“God already knows that you and I won’t manifest perfection and has already decided to forgive us” (Meyer again). Believe that daily and you are well on your path toward living the victorious Christian life.
Other quotes by Joyce Meyer:
“We cannot have a perfect performance, but we can have a perfect heart toward God. That means we love Him wholeheartedly, and we want to please Him and do what is right.”
“Jesus died not only for the sins we have committed in the past, but for every wrong thing we would ever do as we live. All of our sins are already forgiven, past, present, and future, and all we need to do is to admit them and thankfully receive God’s forgiveness.”
“I don’t have to be perfect, and I am not angry at myself. God is not mad at me”.
Facing False Guilt Each Time You Sin
Every time we sin there are two courts that judge our sins: the court in heaven, and the court in our soul.
The court in heaven has God, being the Judge. The Judge in heaven, as already stated, completely forgives, forgets, records Christ’s perfect standing in our account, and thus, accepts us, every time we sin. Will the court in your soul do the same to yourself?
Guilt can be hard to live with daily. Our conscience is often a worse critic than God, and it is the judge that influences our freedom immensely. God unconditionally forgives and accepts you, and you must do the same.
Many times, we agonize over false guilt. Due to an oversensitive conscience, false guilt is the guilt that lingers on after we confess our sins to God, or the feelings of guilt we feel over things that aren’t wrong except in our own minds. In either case, false guilt is destructive and can curb our ability to experience intimacy with God and or live the victorious Christian life.
The following is an excerpt from Joyce Meyer’s book, “God is Not Mad at You”. These are Meyer’s principles about dealing with false guilt:
- Once we asked for and received forgiveness for any sin we committed, there is no longer any guilt. If we feel guilt after that, it is false guilt.
- When Jesus forgives sin, it is completely removed and He remembers it no more. It is as if it had never happened.
- We are justified through faith in Jesus and that means we stand before God as is if we never sinned.
- This promise is for all who are redeemed in Christ.
- When your conscience makes you feel guilty, remind it that although you have sinned, you have also been forgiven and made right with God.
Final Thoughts of Justification
Joyce Meyer once said, “the password to God’s presence is “I BELIEVE”.
To become a Christian, one must be justified; you must believe in Christ and in grace in order to be justified, a child of God, and going to heaven.
To overcome guilt, and also to feel forgiven, accepted, and loved by God, you must believe in justification principles. Trusting in justification and in grace enables you to enjoy an intimate, love relationship with God and also stabilizes and strengthens you, making it easier to live the victorious Christian life.
Do you believe?
Grace Upon Grace song by Matthew West
Sources:
God Is Not Mad At You, Joyce Meyer
https://www.gotquestions.org/justification.html
https://www.lightsource.com/ministry/biblical-resources/devotionals/todays-insight-from-chuck-swindoll/the-risk-in-grace-todays-insight-november-6-2019-11817025.htmlhttps://www.therandomvibez.com/gods-mercy-quotes/
Home Page Link
Click on this link to take to home page of this website. https://insearchofabettertomorrow.com/
Mental Illness You Tube Hyperlinks
Bipolar Disorder, OCD, Suicide, Scrupulosity
Bipolar Disorder
Rogers In Health: Jackson’s Story of Rising Above Bipolar Disorder
Healthy Minds – 402 – Living with Bipolar Disorder
A tale of mental illness | Elyn Saks
Bipolar disorder (depression & mania) – causes, symptoms, treatment & pathology
Bipolar Disorder — Guy Goodwin / Serious Science
Recovery stories – Lorna and bipolar disorder
My Bipolar Disorder Recovery Story
Finding balance in bipolar | Ellen Forney | TEDxSeattle
Bipolar disorder: Rod’s story | NHS
Bipolar Disorder Help: Simple Steps Towards Better “Self-Care!”
Self-Management to Stay Well With Bipolar Disorder | Professor Greg Murray
11 ways to cope with bipolar disorder
Real Bipolar Self-care Tips | HealthyPlace
How to manage bipolar disorder – 6 Strategies
Bipolar Disorder Help: Worrying & Negative Self Talk!
Living well with bipolar disorder | Aware Webinar
Bipolar Disorder and What I Would Tell #MyYoungerSelf | Stephen Fry
Supporting a person with Depression or Bipolar Disorder – Breda Dooley
Self-Care When You Have Bipolar Disorder
Living with Depression, Bipolar Disorder as a Christian
“Life Is Hard, But God Is Good” – Living With Bipolar Disorder As A Christian I 120 I See Hear Love
10 Ways to HELP Someone With BIPOLAR DISORDER
How God healed me from my Bipolar Disorder!
How to Help Someone with Bipolar Disorder
OCD
My OCD Experience & Recovery – Nick’s Story | headspace
Rising Above OCD: Cody’s Story
Rising Above OCD | Carter’s Story
Breaking through OCD Stigma | Kathryn’s Story
Life AFTER OCD | What does it look like
Overcoming OCD and Anxiety as a Teen | Maya’s Story
Rose Bretécher On How to Cope With Pure OCD
Rogers In Health: Katie’s OCD Story
How I Cope With Depression and OCD: Gemma’s story | Being Gail Porter | BBC Scotland
Rogers In Health: Sumi’s OCD Story
A True Story About Overcoming OCD
Vardaan on OCD, Anxiety, and Intrusive Thoughts
8 OCD Self Help Principles in 5 Minutes
CBT Self Help for OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
25 Tips for Succeeding in Your OCD Treatment
#LetsTalkAboutIt: How to overcome OCD?
8. OCD Treatment: How to stop the thoughts! Part 1
How mindfulness can help with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Treating OCD using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Treating OCD: 4 Therapy Techniques You Can Use
CBT for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
Dr Reid Wilson – 8 OCD Self Help Principles (#231)
How To Do An Exposure For Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
How to manage Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? – Dr. Sulata Shenoy
19.OCD Treatment: How to stop your thoughts: Part 2
Mindfulness Based CBT to Move Past Intrusive Thought OCD
Rumination and OCD | How To Stop!
Uncovering OCD: The Truth About Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
How to identify and overcome OCD intrusive thoughts
Suicide
NIMH Experts Discuss Suicide Prevention Strategies
Preventing Suicide: What Families Need to Know
Suicide, a cry for help | Dr. Anjali Chhabria | TEDxChristUniversity – YouTube
Basic Strategies for Suicide Prevention
Rick Warren’s message for those considering suicide
This Is For All Of You In A Dark Place (Suicide Prevention Speech)
Overcoming Suicidal Thoughts – Life.Church
Suicide Prevention: Choose to Stay
his Is Not The End – Motivational Speech On Depression & Mental Health
What does the Bible say about Suicide? | Scripture for Suicidal Thoughts | Gotquestions.org
A Christian with Suicidal Thoughts
YOU ARE STRONG – Inspiring Speech On Depression & Mental Health
Jordan Peterson: Advice For People With Depression
Why Doesn’t God Cure Mental Illness or Stop Suicide?
What does the Bible say about suicide?
Suicide: The Impact on Believers – Dr. Charles Stanley
Suicidal and Desperate to Hear From God
Suicidal Man Can’t Keep Ignoring Help
Before You Give Up, Watch This | Life Advice Will Change Your Future
A Prayer To Fight Suicidal Thoughts – FEELING SUICIDAL? – PLEASE WATCH THIS
Rich Wilkerson Jr – Are You OK?: The Suicide Deception
Suicide: When The Pain Seems Too Much – 3 Minute Message From Pastor David Walker
We Are All Still Here: A Talk on Suicide
GOD IS IN CONTROL | Overcoming Worry & Anxiety – Inspirational & Motivational Video
“My Son’s Suicide Note Will Change Your Life Today” | Jason Reid Speech | Goalcast
Free from Depression & Deep Loneliness & VOID. Attempted suicide!! AMAZING Testimony, true healing
Preventing Suicide: Three Things Never to Do! | Dr. Clarence E. Davis, Ph.D. | TEDxWilmingtonLive
8 Tips for Dealing with Suicidal Thoughts
If a Christian Commits Suicide, is He or She Still Saved? | Suicide Heaven or Hell
Don’t Lose Hope – Suicide, Depression, and How to Save a Life
Does God Care // Sermon on Suicide, Depression & Mental Health
DON’T COMMIT SUICIDE (You Are LOVED and Valuable in God’s Eyes)
YOU ARE NOT ALONE – Overcome Depression & Anxiety!
God Loves You At Your Lowest l Suicide Prevention
END SUICIDE SUICIDE PREVENTION INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES
Your Life Has Purpose: Christian Blogs // (Effects of Suicide)
Lacey Sturm’s Testimony – God Saved me from Suicide
Scrupulosity
How To Do Treatment For Scrupulosity
Five Keys to Beating Scrupulosity
Scrupulosity: What Is Religious OCD?
Quick tip for Religious Scrupulosity #shorts
Scrupulosity (Religious/Moral) OCD: What is it and what does it look like?
Scrupulosity Compulsions – Common Compulsions of Religious OCD – Treating Scrupulosity
The Healing Journey with Religious OCD and Scrupulosity
Overcoming Scrupulosity & OCD: “HOW SHE FOUND HEALING” feat. Madison!
How to Treat Scrupulosity and Talk to Clergy About It
OCD3: What is Religious OCD (Scrupulosity)?
Overcoming Scrupulosity OCD & Religious Intrusive Thoughts
Examples of Moral Scrupulosity Obsessions in OCD
For Clergy: OCD and Scrupulosity
Scrupulosity | What is religious OCD and how to overcome it
Religious OCD (scrupulosity): How to stop the thoughts
Working Through Religious OCD and Scrupulosity
Scrupulosity: Overcoming Religious Obsessions and Compulsions
Q&A on Religious OCD and Scrupulosity Part 3
Examples of Moral Scrupulosity Obsessions in OCD
Cloudy with a Chance of Scrupulosity
Rogers InHealth: Rachel’s OCD Story
OCD Town Hall: Moral Scrupulosity
My OCD Stories: The Role Of Scrupulosity – Religious OCD in My Life
Religious OCD (Scrupulosity): The Root Cause
Scrupulosity: When Religion and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Collide
OCD Religious Themes and Scrupulosity
HOW TO BEAT RELIGIOUS OCD, WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW!!
Scrupulosity (Religious/Moral) OCD: What is it and what does it look like?
Healing Steps for Religious OCD and Scrupulosity
Religious OCD (scrupulosity): How to stop the thoughts
Overcoming Scrupulosity & OCD: “HOW SHE FOUND HEALING” feat. Madison!
Religious OCD – Scrupulosity – What if I go to hell
Talking about Religious OCD (Scrupulosity)
How To Overcome Scrupulosity – Religious Anxiety/OCD – Common Scrupulosity Fears
Religious OCD – Scrupulosity – What if I offend God
Overcoming Scrupulosity OCD & Religious Intrusive Thoughts
Healthy Religious Faith vs Scrupulosity
Religious OCD and Perfectionism
A Look at OCD & Scrupulosity – Ep. #22 of the Being Human Podcast
Religious OCD (Scrupulosity): The Root Cause
Overcoming Life Stories Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks to inspirational overcoming life stories, found on the world wide web.
Overcoming Life Stories Hyperlinks
https://www.drugrehab.com/stories-of-recovery/brittany-shelton/
https://recoverycentersofamerica.com/blogs/living-recovery-true-stories-of-addiction-recovery/
https://www.verywellmind.com/personal-alcohol-and-drug-recovery-stories-63500
https://startyourrecovery.org/substances/alcohol/6-inspiring-stories-of-overcoming-alcohol-misuse
https://www.addictionhope.com/recovery/inspirational-stories/
http://sheismore.com/kalyn-speaks-a-story-of-faith-overcoming-fear/
https://billygraham.org/story/stars-story-from-fear-to-faith/
https://www.godupdates.com/true-inspirational-stories-overcomers/
https://deepspirituality.com/stories-of-courage-in-the-bible/
https://oneexceptionallife.com/stories-of-overcoming-adversity/
https://www.christian-faith.com/true-stories-testimonies-of-jesus-christ/
http://workwell.unum.com/2016/05/beyond-disability-famous-people-overcame-disabilities/
https://www.sunrisemedical.eu/blog/disability-handicap-overcoming
https://www.inspiringmeme.com/overcoming-disability-an-inspiring-story-of-hope/
https://forinspiredlives.blogspot.com/2010/11/overcoming-disability-3-inspiring.html
https://nobarriersusa.org/overcoming-disabilities-stories/
https://hibeautiful.org/people-with-disabilities/
http://www.accessiblehomesadvisor.com/6-inspirational-people-who-have-overcome-disabilities/
https://www.godupdates.com/inspirational-stories-of-faith-and-hope/
https://www.godupdates.com/true-inspirational-stories-overcomers/
Monthly Spiritual Inspiration
This post contains monthly spiritual inspiration for you to look at. I plan on adding new material to this post on a monthly basis.
August 2021:
GOD’S LOVE – Inspirational & Motivational Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61w0jKCc8No
September 2021:
https://jeannetakenaka.com/6-thoughts-for-how-to-overcome-a-fear-of-failure/
https://godswaytowellness.com/overcome-fear-with-faith/
https://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/facing-covid19-with-faith-not-fear.aspx
https://theovercominglifeorg.wordpress.com/
https://justbetweenus.org/overcoming-adversity/trusting-god/god-can-make-the-broken-beautiful/
https://www.godtube.com/news/5-biblical-truths-to-help-overcome-obstacles-in-life.html
October 2021
https://www.livingbetter50.com/daily-devotional-grace-sufficient/
Bystander, Part 1: Momma Says // Andy Stanley
Priscilla Shirer: Making Prayer a Priority | Praise on TBN
Priscilla Shirer: Hearing the Voice of God (Part 1) | TBN
Priscilla Shirer: Hearing the Voice of God (Part 2) | TBN
Send Me (Lyric Video)Bethel Music – Jenn Johnson feat. Chris Quilala
Matthew West – What If (Official Lyric Video)
Monthly Bible Verse:
Job 28:28
And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
November 2021
20 Inspiring Bible Verses About God’s Amazing Love for You
What Is Spiritual Warfare and How to Fight with Prayer (christianity.com)
resolving conflict – 4 biblical steps to defuse an argument (breakthroughforyou.com)
5 Steps to Overcome Fear (biblicalcounselinginsights.com)
THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER | It Begins With Prayer – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOUR GIANT | Focus On How Big Your God Is – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BE HUMBLE | Resist Pride In Your Life – Inspirational & Motivational Video
ONE DAY AT A TIME | Make Your Time Count – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD WILL PROVIDE | Overcoming Anxiety – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DECEMBER 2021
What does the Bible say about perfectionism?
Tony Evans – Tearing Down Personal Strongholds, Part 1 – The Alternative Radio Online
How can I experience joy in my Christian life?
7 Ways to Overcome Any Challenge
“Making a Plan to Improve Your Life” with Pastor Rick Warren
Learn How To Let God Meet Your Needs with Rick Warren
KNOWING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE | Trust God’s Plan – Inspirational & Motivational Video
NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS | God Does The Impossible – Inspirational & Motivational Video
JANUARY 2022
Does God discipline us? Why, when, and how does the Lord discipline His children?
When, how, and why does the Lord God discipline us when we sin?
THE POWER OF KINDNESS | Be Kind & Encourage Others – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FACE YOUR FEARS WITH FAITH | Quit Living In Fear – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOMING THE PAST | Letting Go of Hurt – Inspirational & Motivational Video
YOUR PAIN HAS A PURPOSE | Trust God’s Plan Not Your Pain – Inspirational & Motivational Video
START THE NEW YEAR WITH GOD | 2022 NEW YEAR’S MOTIVATION – 1 Hour Powerful Motivation
5 WAYS TO START THE NEW YEAR WITH GOD
FEBRUARY 2022
IDENTITY IN CHRIST | You Are Who God Says You Are – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DREAM BIG | We Serve A Limitless God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WINNING THE BATTLE OF THE MIND | Change Your Thinking – Inspirational & Motivational Video
NEVER GIVE UP | Greatness Is Born From Consistency – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Trusting God Even When Things Don’t Make Sense (2021 Guide) (theblazingcenter.com)
WHAT IS GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE (AND HOW TO FIND IT)
MARCH 2022
Bible Verses About Anxiety and OCD: A Comprehensive List
MOVE FORWARD | Your Future Is Bigger Than Your Past – Inspirational & Motivational Video
7 THINGS THAT WILL DESTROY YOUR DREAM – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOMING REJECTION | God Will Never Leave You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
How to Deal with Anxiety as a Christian
DON’T WORRY GOD’S GOT THIS | Trust God Is In Control – Inspirational & Motivational Video
APRIL 2022
7 Steps To Surrender Your Life To God | by Grace Being | Mystic Minds | Medium
Destroying Strongholds in Your Mind – Biblical Counseling Center
STRUGGLING WITH DOUBT | Trust God Even If You Don’t Understand – Inspirational & Motivational Video
PRAY BOLD PRAYERS | We Serve A Big God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
“Habits That Help Me Hold on In Hard Times, Part 1” with Pastor Rick Warren
“Habits That Help Me Hold on in Hard Times, Part 2” with Pastor Rick Warren
MAY 2022
How to Avoid Repetitious Prayer (lifehopeandtruth.com)
BELIEVE GOD FOR THE IMPOSSIBLE | Step Out In Faith – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Five Keys to Beating Scrupulosity
How can I improve my prayer life?
5 Ways to Fight Fear and Uncertainty
How do you pray without ceasing?
YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE | Discover Who God Made You To Be – Inspirational & Motivational Video
JUNE 2022
Daily Hope with Rick Warren – Devotional – Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope
What is justification? What does it mean to be justified? | GotQuestions.org
OVERCOMING THE GIANTS IN YOUR LIFE – Heavenly Treasures Ministry (heavenlytreasuresministries.org)
How can I overcome temptation? | GotQuestions.org
MINDSET IS EVERYTHING | Nothing Changes Until Your Mind Changes – Inspirational & Motivational Video
SEE YOURSELF WITH LOVE | Love Yourself The Way God Loves You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
OVERCOMING REJECTION | God Will Never Leave You – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Changing Always Starts With Choosing | May 8, 2022 | Rick Warren
“Habits That Help Me Hold on In Hard Times, Part 1” with Pastor Rick Warren
JULY 2022
Faith Over Fear – 5 Life Changing Ways to Keep the Faith (crosswalk.com)
How can I learn to trust in God? | GotQuestions.org
How Can I Learn to Trust in God? – Beliefnet
Why Should I Pray Every Day? | Guideposts
7 Reasons Why Prayer Is Important – Prayer & Possibilities (prayerandpossibilities.com)
STRUGGLING WITH DOUBT | Trust God Even If You Don’t Understand – Inspirational & Motivational Video
TRUST IN GOD WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND | Hope In Uncertainty – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DON’T BE AFRAID TO STEP OUT IN FAITH | Take The Risk – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FINDING PEACE AMIDST WORRY & ANXIETY | Put It In God’s Hands – Inspirational & Motivational Video
AUGUST 2022
How to Be a Christian Man (2022) | The Witness
How can I be a good Christian? | GotQuestions.org
Overcoming the Fear of the Uncertain Future – Living on the Edge
5 Ways To Overcome Fear as Believers | PRAYER POINTS (everydayprayerguide.com)
CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETY ON GOD | Pray When Anxiety Overwhelms – Inspirational & Motivational Video
MINDSET IS EVERYTHING | Nothing Changes Until Your Mind Changes – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Good to Great in God’s Eyes Series: Learn to Think Great Thoughts, Part 1 | Chip Ingram
SEPTEMBER 2022
How to Pray More Powerfully for Miracles
How to Defeat Your Doubts and Feed Your Faith
How to Trust God, Even in Difficult Times
How to Resist Temptation and Grow Stronger
FINDING PEACE IN TIMES OF STRESS & WORRY | Give It To God – Inspirational & Motivational Video
WHY AM I HERE? | Finding Purpose In God’s Plan – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Good Christian Books To Read:
The Missing Commandment: Love Yourself, by Jerry and Denise Basel
Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God, by Timothy Keller
OCTOBER 2022
Combat Shame by Knowing Your True Identity – Theresa Boedeker
5 Ways on How to Overcome Temptation – Charles Specht
Discovering your purpose: Shape Test
4 Steps to Overcome Fear and Uncertainty | JimmieBurroughs.com
OVERCOMING NEGATIVE THINKING | Let God Renew Your Mind – Inspirational & Motivational Video
FACING LIFE’S GIANTS | God Is Bigger Than Your Giant – Inspirational & Motivational Video
CONSISTENCY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS | Stay Consistent & The Results Will Follow – Motivational Video
NOVEMBER 2022
It’s Worse Than You Thought | Andy Stanley – YouTube
“Making the Hard Changes in Me” with Pastor Rick Warren
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
Iveth Luna – In You (Official Lyric Video)
GOD’S GOT YOU | Trust God & Don’t Worry – Inspirational & Motivational Video‘
ENJOY THE JOURNEY | Find Happiness In Simple Things – Inspirational & Motivational Video
DECEMBER 2022
Is God’s Love Unconditional? | Desiring God
GOD USES HARD TIMES TO HELP US GROW | Embrace The Hard Times – Inspirational & Motivational Video
SURRENDER YOUR WORRIES TO GOD | Live In Peace – Inspirational & Motivational Video
The Faithfulness of God | Chip Ingram
Pathways To Intimacy With God Series: How to Rekindle Spiritual Passion, Part 1 | Chip Ingram
“Making the Hard Changes in Me” with Pastor Rick Warren
FOR EVERY SETBACK GOD HAS A COMEBACK | Get Back Up – Inspirational & Motivational Video
JANUARY 2023
FACE FEAR WITH COURAGE | Never Let Fear Hold You Back – Inspirational & Motivational Video
SURRENDER YOUR WORRIES TO GOD | Live In Peace – Inspirational & Motivational Video
GOD CAN DO ANYTHING | Trust God Can Do It – Inspirational & Motivational Video
KNOW YOUR ENEMY | Understanding The Devil – Inspirational & Motivational Video
Your Identity in Christ: How God Sees You
The Importance Of Surrendering To God
The Way Magazine – The Goodness of God
FEBRUARY 2023
The ABCs of Christian Forgiveness: An 8-Step Approach – Binmin
Understanding God’s Forgiveness: What it Means for You | Orange County Christian Counseling
Six Key Strategies For Waging Effective Spiritual Warfare
Four Steps to Fighting Spiritual Warfare – Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope
How important is spiritual growth in Christian life?
DON’T QUIT ON YOUR DREAMS | Believe In Your Dreams Again – Inspirational & Motivational Video
There’s Freedom In Glorifying God article
This article is a little lengthy, so I broke up the article in four short segments. Feel free, if you want, to read a section and come back another time to this website and read another section or more, until you finish reading the entire article. Hope you enjoy this article.
There’s Freedom In Glorifying God article, Day 1
There’s Freedom in Glorifying God article, Day 2
There’s Freedom In Glorifying God article, Day 1
According to Westminster Shorter Catechism, “the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
The definition of “to glorify” is “to give the dignity, honor, respect, praise, and worship appropriate to the gift or standing of object or person.” “To glorify God” means to “give Him the dignity, honor, respect, praise, and worship due to God as the gracious gift He is to us.” “Glorify” can also be associated with the following: “to reflect, to show forth, to demonstrate and to express the image of an object or person so that it can be seen by all.”
So, why should we glorify God? First of all, “to glorify God” is one of man’s purposes. John Piper says: “Birds were made to fly. Fish were made to swim. We were made to glorify God.” In Isaiah 43:7, God says: “Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Humanity exists to glorify God.
Secondly, God deserves to be praised. His creation reveals God’s glory and shows His powerfulness. Revelation 4:11 says: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” God commanded in words for creation to exist, and it is was formed. For example, in Genesis 1:3, “And God said, ‘Let there be light’, and there was light.“ Only God can do that.
God is the only being that pre-existed and wasn’t created by a being. He is perfect, without any flaws, in every infinite way. Perfect and complete, lacking or needing nothing, in every possible conceivable way. He is holy, mercy and truth, faithfulness, just, deliverer, sovereign, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable, love, etc. – again He is infinitely flawless in all things.
If God is not insufficient in any way, then that would mean God doesn’t need to be glorified. Then why does God desire so immensely to be being glorified? The answer is because we need Him to be glorified for our own benefit.
First of all, the fact that we people are unable to perceive accurately God as being truly glorious shows we are inadequate, flawed creatures. No human can completely fathom how great God is. We are unable to comprehend the things of God without God first revealing it to us.
Glory has weight attached to it, and unless we see an object’s value, we won’t seek it.
A diamond has greater value than a rock, and thus has more weight or glory attached to it. A diamond can be worth a million dollars while a rock is basically worthless in monetary value. People treasure diamonds more than rocks because they can get rich by possessing a diamond, because a diamond’s value can provide monetary blessings and satisfy financial needs – thus, a diamond is comparably perceived as greater value than a rock because the glory of a diamond can fulfill more needs and provide more benefit to a person that a rock can.
God is more glorified than all of creation. There is no comparison. The gods of wealth, prestige, success, honor, and sex, for example, cannot satisfy man like God can. There is no greater enjoyment than an intimate, abiding, love relationship with God. And humanity lost it, starting in the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned. After the fall of mankind, man became less cognizant of the glory of God, and thus, found idols in hopes of filling the void that man lost because of the consequences of their transgressions. Until man leaves its idols, and comes to God, man will never truly be happy.
God needs to be glorified – His greatness needs to grasped by man so man would realize his need for God and leave its idols and come to God. His glory needs to be reflected by Christians, so all people, including other Christians, would seek God with all their hearts, minds, and souls. Sin created a void, and all of humanity has suffered since. Thank God, God is a god of grace and mercy. He is the Father who longs for the return of every prodigal son.
Man’s biggest need: the glory of God is the salvation of its creatures.
Romans 3:23 correctly states: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Death and eternity in hell is the punishment for our sins; however, there is hope because of God’s mercy: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Thus, God deserves praise and should be glorified because His mercy chose to give sinful man a chance to experience eternal life, in spite of the fact our sins merit punishment.
In this gift of eternal life, God chose His Son to become the atonement to pay the penalty of our sinful deeds in our place, which happened during Christ’s crucifixion. Believers and accepters of this gift of salvation will be pardoned from all their sins and escape hell, enjoy an inheritance in heaven, become a child of God, be protected by the Lord Shepherd, and have a restored love relationship with God that will never end. Once saved, nothing (even sin) can ever separate the love of God from His children.
“Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us” (see 2 Corinthians 5:21), so believers and accepters of this gift could experience righteousness and be spared of having to serve the sentence themselves. The blood of Christ, that was shed on the cross when Jesus was crucified, satisfied a holy God’s wrath to bring justice upon us, by the means of death in hell.
If God’s perfect holiness and justice chose to overlook the penalty of our sins without someone serving time, God would not, of deserved to be glorified; nor would He deserve glory if His perfect mercy decided not to have compassion on the lost sinner, by giving him the opportunity of salvation. So, God in His perfect wisdom, chose His deity Jesus Christ to come on this planet as a man while still being God, and experience the same temptations to sin as man did (but Jesus chose not to sin) in order to become the atonement for our sins – allowing God to simultaneously remain perfectly just, holy, and merciful, while giving man an opportunity to experience eternal freedom and also, an abiding, intimate, love relationship with God. God’s perfect wisdom deserves to be glorified by man.
The transaction process of Christ paying the penalty of our sins and we, thus, being forgiven and declared not guilty, because of grace, only takes place if a sinner accepts the Trinity’s gift of salvation toward mankind. If a person admits they are a sinner; believes Jesus is deity, was sinless, and that He died on cross to pay the penalty for our sins and resurrected three days later; is willing to accept this gift of salvation (of Christ paying the penalty of our sin in our place), and not work to earn salvation by any means; has an attitude of repentance; and wants to be a child of God, will experience eternal life and not go to hell.
God’s love gives every sinner free will to choose whether or not they want to go to heaven and become a child of God. God wouldn’t be perfect Love and thus not deserve to be glorified if God didn’t give man a choice, even when there are negative consequences for choosing unwisely. Eternal damnation is the irreversible consequence for not accepting Christ as your Savior; once a person dies in this world, their fate is sealed. For every human will be judged for ever action, thought, or decision made in their lifetime, good and bad. Accepters of God’s gift will be declared “not guilty”; those who refuse to become a Christian will be declared “guilty” – there is no escape from God’s judgment day which takes place after a person dies. No one except God knows the totality of a person’s life – so choose to ask Jesus in your heart before it is too late!
The freedoms of man are determined by whether or not man sees the glory of God. The two biggest reasons why God deserves glory because He is infinitely flawless and His value provides freedom to man’s two greatest needs: eternal freedom and intimacy with God.
Click here to find out further about how to become a Christian.
How the Christian can glorify God and experience freedom in the meantime
Freedom requires sound decision making, because there is a consequence to every decision made or not made. The greatest decision is in relation to your eternal salvation. Hell and total separation from God is the after life consequence to those who don’t Christ as their Savior. The second greatest decision is how to live your life on this planet:
“For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
According to these verses, “we are to glorify God in everything we do, in body and in spirit, because we were bought at a price” (the price for our salvation, which happened when Christ atoned for our sins on the cross). We have free will to glorify God, but we should daily choose to glorify God: out of gratitude, for Christ’s sufferings, and for God’s mercy and grace. Other reasons for doing so are that, one, God wants to reward us in heaven for our good deeds on this planet, and secondly, we experience overabundant joy when we abide in Christ, which requires when we obey God’s commands to love one another (see John 15:10-12). When we glorify God, we are loving others because, if we don’t reflect properly reflect God’s image so it can be evident to this world, we are not loving the unsaved believers by our actions, because they could possibly be saved from hell, if we choose to reflect God’s glory by being a living example of Christ. So, there is an urgent need for the sake of freedom of the unbeliever and for future rewards in heaven and overabundant joy and peace in this world, So, again, according to 1 Corinthians 10:31, “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Again, Christian: the lost desperately needs to see the glory of God. Again, by definition, part of glorifying is ““to reflect, to show forth, to demonstrate and to express the image of an object or person so that it can be seen by all.” We are to “reflect God’s glory” in this world by striving to live holy lives, guided by the Word of God and by walking by the spirit, as we pursue our unique life purpose, guided by the Holy Spirit and empowered by abiding in the spirit (the Vine). We do it individually on our own (empowered by the Vine) and also in conjunction with the church body, united in God’s love. Whether or not the totality of our lives glorify God, is determined by our beliefs, desires, and decisions.
How To Glorify God and Experience Freedom in the Meantime
There’s Freedom in Glorifying God article, Day 2
We glorify God by what we believe
We glorify God first by what we believe about God. God desires we know Him. The more we know God, the more intimate the relationship with Him, and the more we choose to obey and serve Him. The more our knowledge of God, we have of Him, the more we can trust and believe in Him, during all life events, including trials. Knowing God, though, means more than having intellectual knowledge about Him. “You may know of the President, but you don’t actually know the person intimately.” God doesn’t want us to know about God, He wants us to know Him intimately. Abba Father desires a close relationship with each of us, to give us everything we need in life, in every dimension, as we serve and obey Him in love. He desperately wants us to have deep, intimate conversations (prayer) to Him, as He also wants to talk to us – through His Word and into our hearts. He, though, demands faithfulness to Him and His purposes for our life, and to obey Him. What we believe about God, influences heavily our desires to know Him more and to please Him in all our decisions. It also impacts how much we trust in God and our willingness to be faithful to our life purpose, especially when we suffer and face adversity, for His name sake. What we believe affects how much we desire God in our relationship with Him and to do His will, and affects our decisions we make – in essence, what we believe about God influences how much glory we give to God.
The first step in knowing God is to have a relationship with God. We talked about that previously. Without having a relationship with God, and thus, having eternal life in heaven, you cannot know God and thus, you are unable to glorify God at all. Most fundamental and important way to glorify God is to believe in, and put your trust in, the gospel of Christ.
Next, it is important to understand some of the things God does and wants to provide for His children. Those being a child of God will be perfectly loved and cared for by God, will experience eternal life in heaven, inherit an inheritance in heaven, plus have the opportunity to serve God and be compensated for every good deed done for God’s glory, can live a successful and prosperous life to extent it obeys God’s commands, experience protection, provision, and direction for right living by the Shepherd, and experience true joy in an intimate love relationship with Abba Father whose perfect love never changes, receive discipline from wrongdoings for spiritual growth, to grow in perseverance and character through trials, all for our own good, and for God’s glory.
In essence, God wants to give you and me freedom and benefits in countless ways, but we must make wise decisions to take advantage of His goodness – for we have been given free will.
2 Corinthians 3:17 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” To experience it fully, we must follow the Lord Shepherd’s directions always, guiding us in our decisions: in Psalm 32:8, “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’” To further this point, Joshua 1:8 adds: “Study the Book of Instruction (the Bible) continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” As you do this, and become one of His sheep that follows the direction of the Lord Shepherd regularly, God will take care of your needs sufficiently: “The Lord is my shepherd: I have everything I need” (Psalm 23:1).
God gives every day man another chance to better themselves. Each day we have a decision to either follow our sinful natures and live like how we used to live, or start anew and following leadings of the Bible and God’s wisdom, which leads us toward a successful and prosperous life, in the way God intended. Galatians 5:1 says: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
The more you know about God by studying His Word daily, the more accurate your understanding of Him, and the more you know Him (intellectually and intimately), the more you trust Him (especially during trials) and recognize the voice of the Lord Shepherd whose there to protect, provide provision, guide you to your purpose, and lead you in paths of righteousness. Learning God’s commands by daily studying of the Bible helps us to learn how to successfully and prosperously live in the way God intended for us to live. When we don’t follow God’s leading, and obey His commands, we make unsound decisions, creating unnecessary trials and hardships that we must overcome, and depending upon the decision, possibly undermining personal freedoms for self and possibly, those around us, making us feel miserable and possible regretful for bad mistakes made. God wants us to be free creatures, for that happen, we must make sound decisions, and God gave us His love laws found in the Bible, to “lead us into paths of righteousness for His name sake”.
We were created to be free creatures for God’s glory. That is the purpose of every man and woman. When we live free lives by making sound decisions – this is the third step toward reflecting God’s glory (#1: become a Christian; #2: desire to know God more by studying His Word; #3: obey God’s law and make sound decisions).
How do we reflect God’s glory, when His creation doesn’t behave like Him and fail to live a life of freedom, the way God intended? We cannot. It doesn’t glorify God when His creation behaves contrary to His will, when it is disobedient, and constantly creates unstable conditions that threaten to tyrannize self and others. Our world today is lawless, violent, and unloving – because of man’s free will, our actions fail to glorify God often. Our decisions is influenced by what we desire and believe.
We glorify God by what we believe. Believe that God’s law is perfect, and should be followed the best we can each day. And the more we believe in that, and abide in Him by following His love laws: the more overabundant joy we experience in an intimate, abiding, loving relationship with God in the meantime (note John 15:10-12).
The more we obey Him, the more we know Him and experience His perfect love, joy, and peace in our lives. And the more we know Him, by studying His Word, and learning to recognize His voice talking to us, the more accurate our knowledge of Him, and the more we trust Him. This all begins with a belief that it is crucial to obey God commands, which starts with a belief (that grows into a desire and leads to a decision) that God’s Word should be studied habitually.
To follow God and fulfill our life purpose, especially during trials, we desperately need to learn to trust Him. And how can you trust God without daily spending time studying His Word (hearing His words talk to us) and in prayer (we talk back to God). Relationships and trust are formed by taking time to get to know someone. Believe that it is crucial to study God’s Word, not just to learn God commands, but also so you can study God’s Word, to know God more intimately.
We glorify God by what we desire
The more habitual daily we are in studying His Word, the more knowledge of God, we gain of Him. To gain knowledge of God requires more than just reading His Word. When we study the Bible, we just meditate upon His Word, to ponder and think intensely what it means. We should listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit talking to our souls, giving us inspiration to what it means. As we learn something new about God and about ourselves, in relation in how we should act and live, we should make decisions about making possible changes in our life. More than just striving to intellectually gaining new information about life, yourself, and God, we must also trust or believe in what you learned, and then surrender to God and strive to obey and put into practice, God’s Word in our lives.
“Prayer is a personal, communicative, response to the knowledge of God.” After we make a decision upon what you learn of God in your Bible study, we communicate that response (of the new knowledge of God that we learned from God’s Word) in words called prayer. Our hearts of prayer should be of helplessness, and dependency upon God, and of surrendering your will and thus, choosing God to be the Lord of our lives. When we let the Trinity control our lives, not only does it speed up the process of knowing God more intimately, but we also experience joy in the process. Jesus said in John 15: 9-12: “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you”.
The two greatest commandments, in which every law of God, is the basis of the following: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:36-40).
When we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, we glorify God to the fullest. Loving God supremely involves delighting in God completely and surrendering will to God totally. When we love God completely, we desire to glorify Him totally. And part of loving God totally is loving people in this world completely. Doing this involves surrendering to our life purpose to be the person God desires of us, and doing the work He purposed of us, for His glory – which involves many things, one being, to model our lives to how Christ lived through the power of the Holy Ghost, to the best we can, and reflect the light of Christ, working in our lives in us, toward those in darkness, so this lost world can see the value or worth of God’s glory, creating a change and better our lives. If our testimony of Christ is pure, if the world can see the light of Christ and the glory of God creating success and freedom in our lives, they can hopefully bear witness to the fact that they may need Christ too, and desire to experience the glory of God working in their lives also. In addition, those who have the light of Christ already in them (Christians) also need to see our light of Christ in us, too. Christians should live the way God intended for them to live, so they can be models of how to live the Christian life, not only to other Christians, but also to the unsaved person.
“Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.” ― C.S. Lewis,
Glorifying God requires daily choosing to walk by the spirit
When Adam sinned, every human ever since was born with a sinful nature or flesh, that craves to do evil. When people surrender to the temptations of the flesh, they sin. Fruit of the flesh behaviors include according to Galatians 5, “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”
Once a Christian, the Holy Spirit creates a new heart and spirit in us. Ezekiel 36:26-27 says, “A new heart I will give you and a new spirit I will put within you . . . I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes.” This new heart and spirit, when in control of the Christian, produces fruit of the spirit, which never sins. “Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”: these are the fruit of the spirit. (If a believer wants to obey love thy neighbor as thyself” command, it is essential that he or she allows fruit of the spirit love be evident in that individual’s life.) Exhibiting fruit of the spirit fruits is essential to obeying the laws of the Bible and a part of making sound decisions, which is needed to be prosperous and successful the way God intended for us to live. Unfortunately, there is a battle in the life of the Christian of what spirit and heart is going to be in control: sinful nature (flesh), which desires to produce fruit of the flesh fruits, which is sinful and leads to destruction, or our new Holy Spirit-created one that produces fruit of the spirit fruits, which is critical toward sound decision making, freedom, and obeying God’s commands.
We are to walk by the spirit, which is “what we do when the desires produced by the Spirit are stronger than the desires produced by the flesh.” “Walking by the spirit” is essential to obeying God’s love laws, and not sinning, and living a life of freedom which benefits us and glorifies God in the process. Here are five steps toward “walking by the spirit”:
Five Steps Toward Walking by the Spirit
1. Acknowledge in our heart we are helpless, apart from enablement of the Holy Spirit, not to sin. (Romans 7:18, John 15:5)
2. Pray: Ask Spirit to take control of our lives, to be Lord of my life, and to empower me not to sin.
3. Trust: Must believe Spirit will prevent me from sinning. (faith)
4. Act in the way that thou should act. (Must do steps 1-3 first, all your actions would be works of the flesh, not fruit of the spirit)
5. Thank God for any virtue attained or any good deed performed.
When we are walking by the spirit, we don’t gratify the desires of the flesh and thus, don’t sin. For the sake of freedom, it is critical we take these steps to yield to the desires of the fruit of the spirit. Daily we are faced with choices of what spirit (sinful nature or our Holy Spirit new heart and spirit) of what is going to be in control. If one doesn’t control the desires of the flesh through the Spirit’s empowerment habitually, there will be presumably be much more instability in the life of the Christian, obviously depending upon the nature of the sin and the consequences that the fruit of the flesh fruits produce. To glorify God, and to be used by God for His purposes, we must habitually choose to let the Spirit control us, and not our sinful nature.
There’s Freedom In Glorifying God article, Day 3
We glorify God by how we make decisions.
God is glorified when a Christian lives the life He is meant to live.
Charles Stanley once wrote, “Success is the continuing achievement of becoming the person God wants you to be and accomplishing the goals God has helped you to set.”
Success is choosing to habitually walk in the spirit and follow the leading of the Shepherd to guide us into righteousness. It is also being the object God created us to be. When we be the creation that God created us to be, we glorify God:
“How does a star “speak of the glory of God”? It’s an inanimate object. It makes no sound, much less language — how does it speak?
By being a star.
How does a tree speak of the glory of God?
By being a tree.
How does a lion speak?
By roaring loud.
How does a flower speak?
By unfolding its color every spring.
When we see the world in the shape that God intended, the way it’s supposed to be, God gets glory, without a word.”
A created object is deemed successful by its creator, when it effectively performs the functions and meets the needs intended by its creator, determined before the creation of the creation. Even if the creation, after its creation, excels at performing functions and meeting needs contrary to what it was purposed to do by its creator, a consequence occurs (because the needs that the creation supposed to meet failed to get met), and probably, at least in the eyes of the creator, the creation failed to be a success, therefore.
For example, a tire wheel has been designed and created by a manufacture with the purpose of assisting a motor vehicle in transportation, by helping a vehicle to roll, with the help of the other parts of the car – the engine, the steering wheel, the gear shifts, the seat, the accelerator, etc. As a team, each component of the vehicle represents the totality of the composition of a car, working together to help people meet their personal needs of transportation. A car benefits a person very well in transportation – it completes the purpose of transporting of a person or a group of people very quickly in time and of traveling lengthy distances, helping them to meet needs of going to work to earn money to live, going to store to buy food and other necessities, going to the doctor to check health and wellness, to see friends and family, so they won’t be alone, etc. If it was decided that the tire wheel was to be used for a different purpose and not to help a car move, or it was defective in doing the purpose of making a car roll (not to perform its specific function), a car as a whole would be unable to transport a person and thus, consequences occur as needs fail to get met. Success of a created object is measured by its effectiveness of performing the functions and meeting the needs, purposed by its creator, to meet and satisfy.
A tire is made with specific specifications and designs by its designer to perform the function of aiding a car to transport people from one location to another. A tire has to be designed properly, it has to be of the right shape, for example. If a tire was shaped like a square, triangle, hexagon, and not a circle, it wouldn’t be conducing to rolling well, because of a round shape rolls the best.
God, our Heavenly Creator, created each of us with a certain SHAPE before we born, in order for us to be conducive to meeting the needs and performing the functions that our God-designed unique life purpose has purposed for us to meet and do. Before we were born, He desired that each of us would bear spiritual fruit, in which each of us are commanded to do, uniquely based upon our SHAPE and unique life purpose He has for each of us. Our success is determined by how effective our life purpose meets the needs and performing the functions, defined by our Creator when He determined the life purposes of every man and woman before the creation of the world. Our free wills must surrender daily to our unique life purpose and we must allow the Lord Shepherd guide our paths and the power of the Vine to empower us to complete it, or we won’t be considered successful in the Creator’s eyes, as our life fails to fully complete the purpose, meet the needs, and perform the unique functions, that our life was meant to do and satisfy. Obviously, if we fail to walk by the spirit in controlling the flesh, we won’t make sound decisions and live as free people, and the completion of our life purposes will suffer in the process. Thus, if we fail to fulfill our purpose, we won’t be glorifying God in the manner He intended for us. And the consequence is the unmet freedoms of people in this world in our purpose sphere.
Let’s talk further about the SHAPE God has for you and me. Before we were born, our Heavenly Creator desired every human to bear spiritual fruit, and designed for each of His Christian creations a unique way of doing it, planning the shape (spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, experiences) based upon its unique life purpose or way of bearing fruit, and planning every action and decision He intended for us to make, in order to complete His goal of glorifying God. For example, God purposed some Christians to be a writer, a preacher, a mechanic, a computer programmer, a Sunday school teacher, a stay home mom, a mental illness overcomer, a factory worker, etc, each with its own spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences, to serve God for God’s glory.
Rick Warren has a SHAPE ministry for God’s glory – one of the purposes of his ministry is to help Christians find out how God shaped them to do ministry work, in each of their unique way. Online there is a SHAPE test to help interested peoples figure out their unique purpose. Below is a description of the SHAPE acronym, which you may find helpful. Feel free to do a web search for RICK WARREN SHAPE MINISTRY and study Warren’s material further.
ABOUT S.H.A.P.E. – Five Ways God Has Shaped You: S – Spiritual Gifts – What has God supernaturally gifted me to do? H – Heart – What do I have passion for and love to do? A – Abilities – What natural talents and skills do I have? P – Personality – Where does my personality best suit me to serve? E – Experiences – What spiritual experiences have I had? What painful experiences have I had? What educational experiences have I had? What ministry experiences have I had?
Ponder these questions, with the leading of the Holy Spirit, to help guide you to figure out what your SHAPE is, which partially helps to define your unique life purpose. Spend time considering what is the unique spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences God gave you, and use that as a beginning to figure how you are purposed to bear spiritual fruit.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).
“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).
Vine Empowers the branch to be a little Christ
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
In John 15:5, the Vine is Jesus (Lord Shepherd) and we Christians are the branches. Just like how a branch draws its strength by staying connected to a vine, we must walk by the spirit constantly in order to stay connected to Jesus, our power source to live the Christian life the right way. When we are “apart from Jesus”, that is, we choose to gratify the fruit of the flesh, we can do nothing fruitful. Since Jesus can do all things, and we draw power from Him to be fruitful, we have the potential to do all things through His power, strengthening us, if Christ chooses for that to happen. Living in the Spirit is critical to human potential, and we often thwart His work in us when we fail to surrender and live the Christian life. Success and freedom both require sound decision making, which entails many things, including choosing to habitually walk by the spirit. If we don’t walk by the spirit, we fail to glorify God, in retrospect to living the life we are meant to live, for His glory.
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. No do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). Following this advice daily is essential toward glorifying God.
We are to be a “little Christ”. We do that be staying connected to the Vine. When we gratify the desires of the flesh, we do the opposite of abiding in the spirit (staying connected to the Vine). We are the “light of the world’ – it’s not our light that shines, but Jesus’s, through the power of the Vine. Again, when we abide, we draw power from Christ’s power to do all things. We have to abide daily – if we don’t, it would be the same as “lighting a lamp and putting it under a basket, where it is hidden”. The world desperately needs see the light of Jesus in us. How can people see the light of God’s glory if we keep it hidden because of sin? Be a “little Christ”: model after the life of Christ, choose to let Him control your life, and let the Lord Shepherd guide you and the Vine empower you to be like Christ. That is how we show God’s glory: daily surrender, daily abiding, to become a “little Christ”. It isn’t our own light that makes us a “little Christ”, it’s His light taking control of us.
The Church body working together as a team
Just like how a car is comprised up of many parts (tire, steering wheel, motor, seat) with its own particular purpose and shape, God has designed you with a particular shape and purpose to work together with other Christians, with the overall mission to produce spiritual fruit. Just like how every part of a car has an important role for the overall mission of transporting a person, every member of the church is beneficial to God’s glory and has a role to play in the church’s mission of making disciples. There is no such thing as an insignificant church member.
Shine God’s light so the lost can become saved by them seeing the glory of God. Shine it so other Christians can also see God’s glory and model after that. The church body is a team, like a car, with a purpose designed by its Creator. Don’t extinguish the light by choosing to gratify the flesh. Don’t choose another purpose other than what God designed you for, for the sake of God’s glory. Love thy neighbor, including the church body, as thyself. Love God with all thine heart, mind, and soul. For the sake of God’s glory and for the freedom of mankind, let the Holy Spirit control you daily. Like how a car cannot work best when some of its parts malfunctions, the church body cannot function properly when its members are not walking by the spirit consistently. As Craig Groeschel wrote: “A divided world needs to see a united church”.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Galatians 5:13-14).
God commanded us to love. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” In our own strength, we lack the ability to do so the way God intended; but by walking by the spirit, we can. It is a choice we have to make daily and we as flawed creatures, will fail often. However, we must strive to develop habits of righteous living, for the sake of God’s glory.
Timothy Keller once said, “Glorifying God does not mean obeying Him only because you have to. It means to obey Him because you want to – because you are attracted to Him, because you delight in Him.” One of the greatest things that I delight in God is His perfect love and mercy.
The prodigal son story portrays God’s perfect mercy and grace to us prodigal sons, every time we sin. In the Prodigal Son story, the prodigal son deserted the father, wanting to have no further part in the relationship. He left town and squandered his inheritance money on wild living – he certainly was a dirty sinner. However, feeling brokenness from the consequences of his sins, he felt remorseful. He wanted to come back to the father for forgiveness and mercy, but was afraid his father would reject and have no longer part of him. Thinking he would work as a hired servant, the prodigal son returned home to the father. Meanwhile, the father, waiting and desperately wanting his son to return, was full of compassion when the son returned: overjoyed, excited, and accepting the son with open arms. The father then immediately asks his servants to prepare an enormous feast to celebrate His son coming back to father.
When I fail Him each time, He continues to love me the same as before. Perfect love. Every time I sin, He declares me “not guilty” because of what Jesus did on the cross. He will never stop loving me – no matter the totality of all my sins in my lifetime. Because His love is unconditional, and that He has always been faithful to my needs being met, I am motivated to please and obey Him, because I delight in Him. He is perfect Father even when I’m a dirty sinner. Praise the Lord, for God’s unconditional love and never-bending faithfulness is the same for all of His children!
God is glorified every time a sinner sincerely comes back to Him because God is perfect grace!
There’s Freedom In Glorifying God article, Day 4
God is glorified by our responses to trials.
In this sinful world, we will face many life struggles. Trials tests what we believe about God and the Shepherd’s ability to protect, provide, and lead His sheep. When we trust in God, tests of faith build our perseverance, faith, and character. They reveal to the world the glory of God. When we overcome against great odds, it spreads a message to this dying world, that “all things are possible with God.” They can hopefully see in our actions that “God can be trusted” and “The Lord is my Shepherd; I have everything I need”. (In his mind and heart, someone needing God might think “There must be a God out there. If He can meet that individual’s needs, then maybe his God could satisfy my needs too!”, which begins the process of him experiencing God in his heart.) Our job is not to live lives of ease and comfort, but to overcome, and be a light that reveals the glory of God.
“All things are possible with God” is true because God is a perfect, omnipotent God who can do all things. Also true is that the Lord Shepherd is always there to protect and provide for His sheep, because of His intense unconditional love. The Shepherd sacrificed His life on the cross for the sake of every sinner, so He surely would be willing to lay down His life for His children. If the Shepherd was willing to die for our eternal freedoms, then He would also strongly desire to take of us when we face life struggles. Not only does the Love of the Father overflowing, so is also perfect His ability to protect, provide, and lead. God is perfect in all ways, remember.
The more you study of the Word, the more you know and trust the Shepherd. The more you know of God’s promises and have successful experiences of resting upon them during trials, the greater your faith becomes. One of God’s promises is Psalm 121:7-8, “The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Psalm 23:1-7 says: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Focusing upon the protection and provision of the Lord Shepherd can provide great comfort in times of duress.
Our Shepherd: Lord of every storm we face in life
Again, there is nothing the Trinity cannot do. In Mark 4:35-41, Jesus protected His disciples from a fierce storm by simply commanding the storm to “Quiet down!”:
“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”(Mark 4:35-41).
The disciples saw Jesus asleep and presumably thought the Shepherd was going to delay too long in protecting them. We are in the midst of the storm and haven’t experienced yet God’s deliverance and might also believe He will fail us. We may say to ourselves: “Lord, I’m going to drown! Where are you? Are you asleep?” However, Jesus tested the faith of the disciples and came at the perfect moment; He will also always do the same for us too. He simply commands the storm, either the external storm or the one inside us, to cease, and it is gone. So why doesn’t the Shepherd save us sooner, but instead seem to be asleep to us, like He initially was with the disciples in Mark 4:35-41?
Jesus could have saved the disciples but He waited because He had a perfect reason. By waiting for the storm to get really bad, it first tested the faith of the disciples, and it secondly allowed the disciples to witness a miracle of Jesus – the storm ceased after Jesus commanded it to do so. The disciples grew in its faith as they learned the miraculous power of the Almighty God Jesus in action. They witnessed a miracle: a storm stopped after a man told it to stop. They then realized the glory of God; how great and powerful He is. If Christ spared them of that trial, the disciples’ faith would not have expanded, because they would not have seen the glory of God in action. But because Jesus waited, since that event, people like me and you who read that passage of Mark 4:35-41, have been given the opportunity to hear of the Shepherd in action, taking care of His sheep. Think of the countless lives the “peace be still story” has transformed, as spiritual fruit has been produced from the writings of Mark 4:35-41, all because Jesus chose to wait until the perfect moment. God wants His glory to be revealed to the world, so He waits for the perfect moment, either to strengthen your faith, so you can face bigger giants in the future, and or because, He wants people to witness a miracle done by Him.
In your life, you will face storms of life. In some of them, you may be crying out: “Teacher, don’t you care if I drown?” And in the midst of anxiety and fear, the Shepherd will wait in His perfect timing, to deliver you through the trial. But He may arrive later than when our anxiety desires, so we can learn to trust Him and the rest of the world can be able to witness the glory of God at work in your life. But like He did for the disciples, and to every other sheep, the Shepherd will never fail to be on time, or fail to be effective in providing you perfect provision and protection from life struggles.
Rejoicing in the midst of trials
The apostle Paul tells us: “Rejoice always, pray continually, in all things give thanks” (1 Thess 5:16-18).
Paul believed this in spite of great struggles: “Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.
Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:24-28).
Paul was a great saint and witness for God. His rejoicing and giving of thanks, especially during trials, revealed great character in Him, but more importantly, became a living example and model of how to live for God. His life certainly bore witness to the world of the glory of God.
In the future, dear Christian, you may have opportunities, in your troubles, to be a model that bears witness to Christ to this dying, lost world. Your life purpose can be used by God to reflect God’s glory to others. Will your life glorify God when people around you hear your beliefs, watch your decisions, and observe your responses to trials?
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NKJV).
Glorifying God happens when people see faith, hope, and love in our lives. We cannot let fear and selfish desires prevent us from fully reaching our life purpose, one that reveals God’s glory and light to those blinded by darkness. Love God and people and do what is right. Have sufficient hope and faith to overcome the stormy waves of life. Rely upon the Shepherd whose purpose is to provide, protect, and lead. And enjoy God in the process as we obey and surrender to Him. “To God, be the glory.”
God’s Evaluation Of Man In The Afterlife
Every human will be judged in the afterlife for every decision made during his or her lifetime. The unbeliever will be judged for every sin committed and experience eternal punishment in hell. The believer will also be judged to see what heavenly rewards he or she will inherit. Here are some verses about God’s evaluating man on judgement day.
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).
“Each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
“For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” (Matthew 16:27)
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. (Matthew 6:19-21)
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” (Matthew 25:21)
“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it”. (1 Cor 9:24)
God is glorified when His creation desires to praise Him
God is glorified when His creation desires to praise Him. As you have probably learned, God completely deserves to be praised and thanked. In this article, when I refer to praise, you can perhaps attribute to also giving thanks.
None of us praises God as we should. God is such a perfect God and we don’t praise Him enough. But He still loves us the same when we don’t, in comparison when we do. He is remarkably full of love, grace, goodness, and mercy.
God deserves our praise. His Son paid the penalty for our sins, and we escape hell, therefore. He chose to adopt us as His children. We sin repeatedly and He continues to declare us nonguilty. He chose to give us an inheritance in heaven. He gives us daily the opportunity to serve God in order to earn heavenly rewards. He listens and answers our prayers in wisdom and in love. He is faithfulness in provision, protection, and guidance. Only He can do the impossible. Only He can completely satisfy our longings. We always have everything we need. He strengthens our courage when we afraid. When we leave Him, He patiently waits for our return. Only He pre-existed, only He can create the heavens and earths with such precision and perfection. He is always sovereign and in control, even when chaos and instability is at its worse. No one can completely comprehend the thoughts and intentions of God. When we abide, He gives us overabundant joy and happiness. Every time we fall and fail, He lovingly and patiently picks us up back on our feet and says “try again.” His law is perfect, providing justice and guiding us toward further holiness. He is perfectly holy, truth, mercy, grace, sovereignty, immutability, always keeps His promises, faithful, goodness, patience, joy, peace, longsuffering, self-control, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, wise, caring, loving, to name a few. I can go forever in listing reasons to praise God, and I still would come nowhere even remotely close of listing one percent of all His good attributes.
Not only should we praise God because He infinitely deserves it, but by us doing so, it gives us enjoyment. C.S. Lewis once wrote: “But the most obvious fact about praise — whether of God or any thing — strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought in to check it. The world rings with praise — lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game — praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. I had not noticed how the humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious, minds, praised most, while the cranks, misfits and malcontents praised least . . .
I had not noticed either that just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?” The Psalmists in telling everyone to praise God are doing what all men do when they speak of what they care about. My whole, more general, difficulty about the praise of God depended on my absurdly denying to us, as regards the supremely Valuable, what we delight to do, what indeed we can’t help doing, about everything else we value.
I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not out of compliment that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are; the delight is incomplete till it is expressed. (Reflections on the Psalms)
Since God is the greatest object to admire, more elegant and beautiful than all of creation, then to admire and praise Abba Father would be “’simply to be awake’, to have entered the real world, while not doing so would be to become far more profoundly crippled than those who are blind, deaf, and bedridden”. ”When we find something admirable or fascinating, we have the instinctive desire to tell someone about it”. Praising something we enjoy “completes the enjoyment”. If we delight in God, then we should praise Him, not just to reaffirm His glory, but so we can fully enjoy Him in the process.
We will never praise God as we should. Part of the reason is we will never comprehend how great He is. Another reason is that we are flawed creatures because of our sinful natures, and because of that, we don’t love God supremely. Because of our cravings to satisfy the flesh, we will never love God as much as we should until we go to heaven. We still have idols to cling to, we have selfish desires, we still have some pride in us. However, God still loves us the same as if we loved Him completely with all our hearts, minds, and souls. He still and always will treat us like the father did in the prodigal son story. That is because He is perfectly holy, love, longsuffering, grace, faithfulness, and mercy. That is why He is God, flawless, indescribable, and incomparable. He definitely deserves our praise, so let’s try to do the best we can to praise Him, again not just to be reverent by appreciating His glory, but also do it for our own enjoyment.
“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” (Psalm 34:3)
Sources:
God’s Will: Finding Guidance For Everyday Decisions, J.I Packer.
Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God, Timothy Keller.
Chapter 26: My Former Abuser Today – A Changed Man
In the last approximate seven years, the behaviors, temperaments, and character of my formerly abusive stepfather has remarkably changed for the better. I believe God, anger control medicine, past regrets, and a strong desire for rehabilitation has evolved Randy into a person totally different from the once before selfish, volatile, judgmental, abusive man I knew as a kid. He seemingly has made a 180 degree transformation since about 2014.
Since 2014, very seldom Randy has acted noticeably judgmental or lost his temper toward me. Many times, I would be vigilant during visits with my stepdad of him possibly being abusive, and leaving impressed and at times surprised of his excellent behavior. In time, I became less impressed and surprised as it soon became the norm of his actions. I can only recall two negative experiences I had with him since 2014, which were both only minorly egregious. I remember one instance telling me: “I am not trying to be mean when I say this. . .” I could tell right away he was making a concerted effort not to be verbally abusive or judgmental to me.
Randy is a lot less selfish and a lot more caring and loving, than he used to be. I had also seen a noticeable improvement in him not complaining or being critical when talking about other people. He helps people a lot in need, especially my ninety-year-old grandmother. He once told the son of my cousin, the following: “If now, since you are going to be on your own, living away from your parents, and you ever decide to do something real bad, and you become scared, and are afraid to tell your parents, you can call me anytime, even in the middle of the night, and talk to me, and I will give you advice, since I have done as a child almost everything you could think about doing, and I will give you advice, and I will help you through your problem.” I was surprised when Randy said that because “he never before seemed like the person who was willing to do that for a kid.” That showed me evidence of his transformation.
Randy attends church on a weekly basis, much more than before. He is more interested in God – I noticed one day he was wearing a Christian bracelet around his wrist, inscribed with armor of God writing on it. I have been praying Randy would be closer to God for a while, and his life would be transformed, it seems like it had finally happened.
Randy’s anger control medicine seems to be working great. He also stopped doing pot completely years ago. Other possible factors for the change.
About ten years ago, during our camping trip, he said things on that day that makes me today believe he had major regrets in how he treated me as a child and that he had a strong desire to make things right. I believe that has led him to work hard for rehabilitation.
My stepdad’s transformation is an inspiration to those who have made past mistakes and want to change their lives for the better. He is especially an example for those who have abused another to work hard to become better, and also gives hope to the abused that their abuser can also change. Anything is possible if a person believes and surrenders their life to God.
A transformed life through the power of God reveals the greatness of God at work. In my life, God allowed Randy to abuse for a divine purpose – it wasn’t good what my abuser did to me, but God used it for good. People reading my story can hopefully find hope and inspiration – if there was no abuse, I wouldn’t have an overcoming story to tell.
Personally, my experiences with my stepfather have taught me how to persevere, work hard, love and forgive, overlook faults, how to see the good in bad things, how to trust and have faith, what success truly means, the necessity to give another a second chance, and the grace of God, to name a few. Even though I didn’t originally see it, but I believe now I am a better man because of my stepdad.
Projects I Do In My Spare Time
The projects and or volunteer activities that I do on a regular basis have changed over the last several years. Right now, in addition to managing this website, in my spare time, I do things like:
- Bag and distribute food at the church pantry (3-4 days a month)
- Lead Bible study every three weeks to a group of four, including myself. This includes preparing lessons and teaching the Bible.
- Be a greeter at the church before and after church services, every other week. I stand outside and hold a welcome sign and wave and talk to people as they enter and later exit the church.
- Help people in need
Christian Quotes
Grace
“Grace is something not which I improve, but which improves, employs me, works on me”.
Charles Spurgeon
“Divine Sovereignty” sermon (1856)
“Let people talk as they will about universal grace, it is all nonsense, there is no such thing, nor can there be. They may talk correctly of universal blessings, because we see that the natural gifts of God are scattered everywhere, more or less, and men may receive or reject them. It is no so, however with grace.”
Charles Spurgeon
“Divine Sovereignty” sermon (1856)
“The new covenant, is not founded on works at all, it is a covenant of pure unmingled grace”.
Charles Spurgeon
“God in the Covenant” sermon (1856)
“Unless you’re deeply aware of your sin, and of what an affront it is to God’s holiness, and of how impossible it is for Him to respond to sin with anything other than furious wrath – you’ll never appreciate grace, and it will never be amazing to you.”
C.J. Mahaney
Christ Our Mediator (2004)
“For me, grace is never more amazing than when I’m looking intensely at the cross, and I believe the same will be true for every child of God”.
C.J. Mahaney
Christ our Mediator (2004)
“Only those who see themselves as utterly destitute can fully appreciate the grace of God.”
Erwin Lutzer
Failure: The Back Door to Success (1975)
“To accept grace is to admit failure, a step we are hesitant to take. We opt to impress God with how good we are rather than confessing how great He is”.
Max Lucado
In the Eye of the Storm (1991)
“Human efforts that seek to impress God or persuade Him to overlook sin are insults to a God of grace.”
Franklin Graham
All for Jesus (2003)
“Nowhere in Scripture do we find that loving Christ is the reason for forgiveness. True expression of love for Him flow as a spontaneous and unstoppable response to forgiveness. Acts of authentic love are a response to Christ’s amazing work of grace.”
Joseph Stowell
Why It’s Hard to Love Jesus (2003)
“Preaching grace alone has left the sinner thinking lightly of sin.”
Ray Comfort
Hell’s Best Kept Secret (1989)
“For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.”
Augustine
Of the Spirit and the Letter (5th century)
“God singles out the humble soul to fill him to the brim with grace, when the proud is sent away empty.”
Thomas Brooks
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)
“By his holiness and grace, God extends a complete pardon for our sins – past, present, and future.”
Jonathan Campbell and Jennifer Campbell
The Way of Jesus (2005)
“When a believer has been steeped in grace, all the umbers of his or her immediate society detect a refreshing fragrance.”
Christine Wood
Character Witness (2003)
“Just as a team provides its athletes all they need to perform on the field, even so grace gives us all the provision to enable us to maximize our spiritual potential.”
Tony Evans and Jonathan Evans
Get In The Game (2006)
“Grace is absolute, inflexible, all-encompassing”.
Philip Yancey
The Jesus I Never Knew (1995)
“Why do we expect the best from a world steeped in pain? Continually we find ourselves blindsided by reality. Every new morning offers another chance to admit our inadequacy – once again for this new day, a chance to accept the bewildering ecstasy of God’s grace. Why is it so difficult to accept such a love when His Grace is the one gift that can penetrate the messy corners of our worlds?”
Bonnie Keen
God Loves Messy People (2002)
“In their pride, the builders of Babel assumed they could work their way into God’s Presence and He would accept them on the basis of what they had done. They were wrong then, and they are still wrong today.”
Anne Graham Lotz
God’s Story (1997)
“Grace is a supernatural mixture of patience, help, forgiveness, and sympathy, and it is the internal expression of what our God is like”.
Ed Young
From Bad Beginnings to Happy Endings (1994)
“Blind as we are, we hinder God, and stop the current of His grace. But when He finds a soul penetrated with a lively faith, He pours into it His graces and favours plentifully.”
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century)
“We know also that we can do all things with the grace of God, which He never refuses to them who ask it earnestly.”
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century)
“Ah, how impious and ungrateful is the world, thus to condemn and persecute God’s ineffable grace!”
Martin Luther
Table Talk (16th century)
“God’s grace is just that – grace, unmerited favor. Nothing I will do can ever cause Him to love me more or less.”
David Hawkins
Prescription for Living Beyond (2006)
“Moments of awe are moments when we are the most vulnerable to grace. Without those moments, we are vulnerable to everything else.”
Ken Gire
Reflections on Your Life (1998)
“Grace is undeserved mercy”.
James Scudder
Your Secret to Spiritual Success (2002)
“Living the Christian life in your own power nullifies the grace of God.”
Tony Evans
Theology You Can Count On (2008)
“Free grace will fix those whom free will shook down into a gulf of misery.”
Thomas Boston
Human Nature in Its Fourfold State (1830)
“Grace bestowed upon another is always grace imparted to you”.
Martin Bell
Street Singing and Preaching (1991)
“You cannot receive grace if you think it’s a reward for something you have done.”
Paul and Nicole Johnson
Random Acts of Grace (1995)
“But graciousness is withholding certain facts you know to be true, so as to leave your enemy’s reputation unscathed. Graciousness is shown by what you don’t say, even if what you could say would be true.”
R.T. Kendall
Total Forgiveness (2002)
“I don’t think anything concerns me more than using grace as a tool to justify sin.”
Charles Swindoll
“Trouble at Home” sermon (2009)
“Oh friend, the great grace of God surpasses my conception and your conception, and I would have you think worthily of it!”
Charles Spurgeon
All of Grace (19tth century)
“Sound forth those words as with the archangel’s trumpet: “BY grace are ye saved.” What glad tidings for the undeserving!”
Charles Spurgeon
All of Grace (19th century)
“Grace finds us in our poverty and presents us with the gift of an inheritance we didn’t deserve … the gift of grace.”
Patsy Clairmont and Traci Mullins
Extravagant Grace (2000)
Greed
“Today some people think they’re “doing without” if they can’t afford to buy dessert.”
Martha Bolton
Growing Your Own Turtleneck (2005)
“No matter how mature we become as Christ-followers, we are only a step away from yielding to the gravitational pull of greed.”
Gordon MacDonald
Secrets of the Generous Life (2002)
Grief
“Grieving is the natural way we go about adjusting to loss. It’s the way we gradually come to know deep within ourselves – whether we like it or not – that the loss is real.”
Joan Guntzelman
God Knows You’re Grieving (2001)
“We move toward healing when we choose to inch our foot out the door of our own grief and back into the day to day happenings of life.”
Joan Guntzelman
God Knows You’re Grieving (2001)
“Christians sometimes think that we are not supposed to grieve, because our faith and theology provide us with confidence about heaven and eternal life. But while 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says we are not to grieve as those without hope, we grieve nevertheless. Those without hope grieves in one way; those with hope grieve in another. Either way, grief is universal and not to be avoided. It is a legitimate response to loss.”
Albert Hsu
Grieving a Suicide (2002)
“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.”
C.S. Lewis
A Grief Observed (1961)
“Grief is the emotional tool God placed in our hearts to enable us to release things we value”.
Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller
Parenting Is Heart Work (2006)
“We are a world in grief, and it is at once intolerable and a great opportunity. I’m pretty sure that it is only by experiencing that ocean of sadness in a naked and immediate way that we come to be healed.”
Anne Lamott
Traveling Mercies (1999)
“Grief is woven throughout the tapestry of life.”
Zig Ziglar
Confessions of a Grieving Christian (1998)
“The intensity of grief is directly related to the intensity of love.”
Zig Ziglar
Confessions of a Grieving Christian (1998)
“Tears are liquid love”.
Faye Landrum
Acquainted with Grief (2006)
Growth, Spiritual
“Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”
Corrie Ten Boom
The Hiding Place (1971)
“Every disappointment is a trial of our faith . . a test that proves the genuineness of your relationship with your God and His Word.”
Kay Arthur
As Silver Refined (1998)
“No matter what happens, beloved, no matter how disappointing it is, you must, in an act of the will, rejoice and pray and give thanks.”
Kay Arthur
As Silver Refined (1998)
“Perils as well as privileges attend the higher Christian life. The nearer we come to God, the thicker the hosts of darkness in heavenly places.”
A.B. Simpson
Days of Heaven Upon Earth (1897)
“Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi used to say, “Potential means you ain’t done nothing yet.” All of us have potential. God’s not done with any of us yet”.
Bill Glass
Champions For Life (2005)
“Having accepted the Father’s will over our own, we are then ready to face our own Calvary.”
Charles Swindoll
The Darkness and the Dawn (2001)
“If you are not growing in grace, becoming more and more holy, yielding yourselves up to the influence of the gospel, you are deceiving yourselves”.
Charles Finney
Lectures to Professing Christians (1837)
“There is no standing at a stay, He that goes not forward in godliness, goes backward, and he that is not better, is worse; but even in temporal things too there is a liberty given us, nay there is a law, an obligation laid upon us, to endeavour by industry in a lawful calling, to mend and improve, to enlarge ourselves, and spread, even in worldly things.”
John Donne
“Sermon Preached at the Hague” (1619)
“As we grow in our relationship with God, we should experience a revolutionary change in our attitudes toward people”.
Bill Hybels
Laws of the Heart (1985)
“In intellectual honesty, we should be willing to study and explore the spiritual life with all the rigor and determination we would give to any field of research”.
Richard Foster
Celebration of Discipline (1978)
“We are sometimes guilty of confining becoming a Christian to accepting by faith what was accomplished for us in the remote past. In all of this we prove to minimize what the resurrected Jesus wants to do to us and with us now through the ministry of the Holy Spirit”.
Tony Campolo
How to be Pentecostal Without Speaking in Tongues (1991)
“God expects us to grow spiritually. The end result is His responsibility. Our job is to cooperate with the process”.
Rory Noland
The Heart Of the Artist (1999)
“Nothing will change in your life without knowledge of God’s Word”.
Joyce Meyer
When, God, When? (1994)
“At different seasons of life, we will be growing in different areas. I try to see where God is at work in my life, and where he is at work in the lives of my friends, and then I pray for and encourage growth in those particular areas.”
Alice Fryling
Disciplemakers’ Handbook (1989)
“Literal instruction is when we learn the truths contained in the word by rote, and talk one after another of Divine things. But spiritual illumination is when these things are revealed to us by the Spirit of God.”
Thomas Manton
One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm (17th century)
“Let go of as many expectations as possible. . . instead, ask God to make any necessary changes.”
Stormie Omartian
The Power Of a Praying Wife (1997)
“At a certain point in the spiritual journey, God will draw a person from the beginning stage to a more advanced stage . . . Such souls will likely experience what is called “the dark night of the soul.” The “dark night” is when those persons lose all the pleasure that they once experienced in their devotional life. This happens because God wants to purify them and move them on to greater heights.”
John of the Cross (16th century) quoted in Selected Writings
“God perceives the imperfections within us, and because of his love for us, urges us to grow up. His love is not content to leave us in our weakness, and for this reason he takes us into a dark night. He weans us from all of the pleasures by giving us dry times and inward darkness.”
John of the Cross (16th century) quoted in Selected Writings
“Through the dark night pride become humility, greed becomes simplicity, wrath becomes contentment, luxury becomes peace, gluttony becomes moderation, envy becomes joy, and sloth become strength”.
John of the Cross (16th century) quoted in Selected Writings
“How dangerous it is for our salvation, how unworthy of God and of ourselves, how pernicious even for the peace of our hearts, to want always to stay where we are! Our whole life was only given us to advance us by great strides toward our heavenly country.”
Francois Fenelon
Christian Perfection (17th century)
“Do not be content with a static Christian life. Determine rather to grow in faith and love, in knowledge and holiness.”
John Stott
Christian Basics (1991)
“We are born spiritually just as we were born physically, with everything complete and intact. We do not add arms or legs or organs as we mature physically. These grow and develop, but they are not added. Likewise when we are born spiritually, we are underdeveloped but complete. We need spiritual food and exercise in order to grow, but we do not need and we will not be given additional spiritual parts.”
John MacArthur
1 Corinthians (1984)
“Far too often when we examine our heart, through either neglect or poor decisions, we find that it isn’t in a growing mode.”
Jim and Cathy Burns
Closer (2009)
“It’s not too late to become who God created you to be.”
Kerry and Chris Shook
One Month to Live (2008)
“Telling others about Christ is never a condition of salvation; it should be a result of salvation as we grow in His grace.”
R. Larry Moyer
21 Things God Never Said (2004)
“There is little appeal in becoming “spiritual vampires,” sucking on the blood of Christ for forgiveness while being barely alive spiritually.”
Keith Meyer
Whole Life Transformation (2010)
“If our lives were gardens – and gardens in Scripture are often euphemisms for the soul – here we would look for brambles and briars, pests and parasites. Here we would deadhead, plucking off faded blooms to preserve energy for new blossoms”.
Jane Rubietta
Between Two Gardens (2001)
“Our being must precede our doing and consuming if we are to grow up into all the fullness of Christ”.
Jane Rubietta
Resting Place (2005)
“Spiritual anorexia (not taking in the food we need) and spiritual bulimia (not letting ourselves digest it after we have received it, however large the quantities) will keep us from real spiritual health and progress.”
J.I. Packer
J.I. Packer Answers Questions for Today (2001)
“Nothing in the spiritual life originates from us. It all originates with God.”
Ruth Haley Barton
Sacred Rhythms (2006)
“We cannot use shortcuts when it comes to understanding spiritual truth, building Christian character, or building the local church”.
Warren Wiersbe
God Isn’t In a Hurry (1994)
Guidance
“I have often heard, that it is safer to hear and to take counsel, than to give it”.
Thomas a Kempis
The Imitation of Christ (15th century)
“The true and living God, the One who lives from eternity to eternity, desires more than anything that we humble ourselves and make Him our personal, one-and-only God. When we do that, He comes to us and lives within us, gives us direction, and teaches us His ultimate truth.”
Tony Evans
God Cannot Be Trusted (And Five Other Lies of Satan) (2005)
“Because of the Holy Spirit’s witness and illumination, you never have to be alone in your decisions – but this is true only as long as you’re seeking the mind of God and wanting to do His will.”
Tony Evans
The Fire That Ignites (2003)
“It takes a lot of wisdom, a lot of mistakes, and a lot of prayer to figure out when to listen and when to offer advice.”
Susan Alexander Yates
And Then I Had Teenagers (2001)
“A friend gives you good and timely advice. They know what to say at the right time, and it can save you embarrassment and heartache. The advice can be trusted because you know they are looking out for your best interest.”
Paul Jehle
Dating vs Courtship (1993)
“When you know a great deal, the temptation to share it by force is strong. Resist! Except when invited to lecture, and in actual emergencies”.
Suzette Haden Elgin
The Grandmother Principles (1998)
“If I have done anything in my life, it has been easy because the Master has gone before”.
Mary Slessor
Mary Slessor of Calabar (1917)
“Be guided, only by the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the friend of all who were afflicted and forlorn, the patient Master who shed tears of compassion for our infirmities. We cannot but be right when we put all the rest away, and do everything in remembrance of Him . . . There can be no confusion in following Him, and seeking for no other footsteps, I am certain!”
Charles Dickens
Little Dorrit (1857)
“Those that make their own bosoms their ornacle, God is disengaged from being their guide they need him not; but the snares they run into will soon show them how much they need him.”
Thomas Manton
One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm (17 century)
“Self-help is an oxymoron.”
Henry Cloud
Concede Central (2006)
Guilt
“The Bible tells us that we have been washed clean from a guilty conscience to serve the living God. God does not want you to be engaged in morbid introspection all your life long. He wants you to enter joyously into His service as a full-fledged member of His holy family”.
Pat Robertson
Six Steps to Spiritual Revival (2002)
“The only real way to lose the guilt is by asking Christ for forgiveness. He’s the only One who can let you off the hook. The good news is He can and will erase your wrong every time. You can start fresh, just as if it never happened. So if you feel guilty about some of the things you’ve done, bring them to Him. He’ll always forgive you”.
Claire and Curt Cloninger
E-mail from God for Teens (1999)
“The ultimate remedy for living beyond guilt and shame is abiding in the protective love of Christ. All of our earthly maladies find respite in Him”.
David Hawkins
Prescription for Living Beyond (2006)
“Confession is a first step toward change”.
Andy Stanley
It Came From Within! (2001)
“As long as you are carrying a secret, as long as you are trying to ease your conscience by telling God how sorry you are, you are setting yourself up to repeat the past.”
Andy Stanley
It Came From Within! (2001)
“God will wipe off the guilt of your defects by the virtue of that precious blood which has been shed for your reparation.”
Stephen Charnock
Discourse on the Cleaning Virtue of Christ’s Blood (17th century)
“When true Christians are in an ill frame, guilt lies on the conscience; which will bring fear, and so prevent the peace and joy of an assured hope.”
Jonathan Edwards
A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (18th century)
“In spite of our “enlightened society” our “new morality”, and our “psychological maturity”, our era continues to be plagued by guilt”.
Bruce Narramore
Guilt and Freedom (1974)
Habits
“Motivation can fade. Habits prevail”.
Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz
God Is in the Small Stuff (1998)
“Generally, there is one desire or one habit that keeps us from enjoying and tasting the fullness of God.”
Ravi Zacharias
“Is There Not a Cost?” sermon (2008)
“There must be no dallying with an attachment which is incompatible with the Love of God”.
Francis de Sales
Introduction to the Devout Life (17th century)
“How do you break a habit? The same way you developed it. One incident at a time, five minutes at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time.”
Lisa Bevere
Be Angry But Don’t Blow It! (2000)
“Nagging abut the bad habit may drive the habit underground, but it doesn’t fix anything.”
Dave Meurer
God Spousekeeping (2004)
“Don’t just eliminate a particular habit and fail to replace it with something of value.”
James Scudder
Your Secret to Spiritual Success (2002)
“If you keep doing what you’ve always done, you’re going to get what you’ve always gotten.”
David Hawkins
Breaking Everyday Addictions (2008)
“When you say no to one habit, you also have to say yes to a healthier new habit.”
David Hazard
Reducing Stress (2002)
“The only way to kill a habit is to starve it to death. Starving a bad habit can be painful, but not as painful as letting it rule over you.”
Shannon Ethridge
Every Woman’s Battle (2003)
“No man can make a habit in a moment or break it in a moment. It is a matter of development, of growth. But at any moment man may begin to make or begin to break any habit”.
William George Jordan
The Kingship of Self-Control (1898)
Happiness
“It is true that He desire our happiness, but that is neither the chief end of his work, not an end to be compared with that of his glory.”
Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon
Spiritual Progress (17th century)
“Thou should also know that the more a man sets himself to be receptive of divine influence, the happier he is; who most sets himself so, is the happiest.”
Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart’s Sermons (14th century)
“There is no danger of developing eyestrain from looking on the bright side of things, so why not try it?”
Joyce Meyer
Approval Addiction (2005)
“When the dream planted in our heart is one that God has planted there, a strange happiness flows into us. At that moment all of the spiritual resources of the universe are released to help us.”
Catherine Marshall
Beyond Ourselves (1961)
“Happiness consists in finding out precisely what the “one thing necessary” may be, in our lives, and in gladly relinquishing all the rest. For then, by a divine paradox, we find the everything else is given us together with the one thing we needed”.
Thomas Merton
No Man Is An Island (1955)
“One reason so many people are unhappy is that, though they are busy pursuing happiness, they aren’t all that sure what happiness is.”
Stuart Briscoe
What Works When Life Doesn’t (2004)
“Happiness doesn’t come to those who sit around waiting until life gets better. Happiness comes to those who grab hold of its proffered hand in order to rise up and conquer their struggles.”
Mike Mason
Champagne for the Soul (2003)
“It takes wiliness to be happy. When cornered, we have to look at all the options and find a way out. We have to know how to outwit the heebie-jeebies, how to think faster than our blackest thought… often to be joyful we must go down – down through the noise of racing thoughts, down through the swirling chaos of circumstances, down through the deceptive appearances of life, down into the still waters and green pastures at the heart’s core.”
Mike Mason
Champagne for the Soul (2003)
Hardships
“God is more concerned with our condition than our comfort, and He will allow things to become uncomfortable in our lives to expose our true condition. He would rather have us temporarily uncomfortable than eternally tormented”.
Lisa Bevere
Be Angry But Don’t Blow It! (2000)
“A crisis can blindside you, sabotaging your life, or it can provide a magical opportunity to pursue adventures and dreams never imagined.”
Mary Ann Froehlich
When You’re Facing The Empty Nest (2005)
“If we had our way, probably none of us would ever choose hard times. Yet the hard experiences usually mold us into people of strength and character.”
Thomas Jones
Single Again Handbook (1993)
“No one can pilgrim to heaven without bearing the toils and hardships of the pilgrimage.”
The Lutheran Witness (1885)
“Crisis crushes. And in crushing, it often refines and purifies.”
Charles Swindoll
Encourage Me (1982)
Harmony
“Is there any way to restore harmony to the world? It can be done only by someone coming in from eternity and stopping the false note in its wild flight”.
Fulton Sheen
Life Of Christ (1958)
“My heart and mind were created to work in harmony together. Never has an individual been called upon to commit intellectual suicide in trusting Christ as Savior and Lord”.
Josh McDowell
More Than a Carpenter (1977)
Hatred
“A bond of hatred is just as strong as a bond of love. It just hurts more.”
John Splinter
The Complete Divorce Recovery Handbook (1992)
“In hatred, everybody loses”.
David Augsburger
70 x 7: The Freedom of Forgiveness (1970)
“Hidden hatred can sour a likable lady into a suspicious carper, a warm, understanding man into a caustic cynic”.
David Augsburger
70 x 7: The Freedom of Forgiveness (1970)
Healing
“You don’t know how the Lord will redeem your life from the pit, but you must trust that He will. Like the little boy who offered the loaves and fish to the disciples without knowing how Jesus would use them, offer your circumstances to the Lord. He knows how to transform the worst of circumstances into miraculous healing”.
Brendan O’Rourke and DeEtte Sauer
Hope of a Homecoming (2003)
“I am not a faith healer because I’ve never healed anyone. It’s just the mercy of God”.
Kathryn Kuhlman
Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)
“No, I do not know why all are not healed physically, but all can be healed spiritually, and that’s the greatest miracle any human being can know”.
Kathryn Kuhlman
Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)
“Our Heavenly Healer often has to hurt us in order to heal us. We sometimes fail to recognize His mighty love in this, yet we are firmly held always in the Everlasting Arms.”
Elisabeth Elliot
Secure in the Everlasting Arms (2002)
“There are no short cuts to grief work. Healing takes time”.
John Splinter
The Complete Divorce Recovery Handbook (1992)
“Reorient yourself to new circumstances. Let it hurt for a while. It will get better. Take your time. Heal slowly, from the inside out. Learn (or relearn) how to tap the amazing love and healing of Jesus Christ”.
John Splinter
The Complete Divorce Recovery Handbook (1992)
“Truth with love brings healing”.
David Augsburger
Caring Enough to Confront (2009)
“Bridges can be built across the most troubled waters when Christ is the motivator.”
Howard Hendricks
Heaven Help the Home (1973)
“Because of covenant, wounds need not leave scars. They can become imprints for the expression of His grace if only you will take God at His word – a word that cannot be broken and that will never be changed.”
Kay Arthur
Our Covenant God (1999)
“Appropriating faith is not believing that God can but that He will. Those who claim to believe in healing but say one word in favor of it and ten words against it, cannot produce faith for healing.”
F.F. Bosworth
Christ the Healer (1924)
“Jehovah Rapha, the God Who Heals places His hand on the gaping wounds of our hearts and transforms the wounds into beautiful scars. Healing . . . it’s what He does. Telling others about His healing power in our lives . . . it’s what He longs for us to do. That’s how others will recognize His Son.”
Sharon Jaynes
Your Scars are Beautiful to God (2006)
“There is a difference between being forgiven of a sin and being healed of a sin. Forgiveness is what takes place in God’s heart. Healing is what happens in yours.”
Joe Beam
Getting Past Guilt (2003)
Health
“As we practice the work of forgiveness, we discover more and more that forgiveness and healing are one”.
Agnes Sanford
The Healing Light (1947)
“Man frequently applies a remedy to the outward body, whilst the disease lies at the heart”.
Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon
Spiritual Progress (17th century)
“It’s the Lord who heals and He can use any method He chooses.”
Jon Courson
Application Commentary (2005)
“Cultivating a healthy spirit requires devoting time each day to the spiritual disciplines of Scripture memory, Bible reading, and praying.”
Donna Partow
Becoming The Woman God Wants Me To Be (2008)
“I wish you could convince yourself that God is often (in some sense) nearer to us and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health.”
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century)
“Next to the office of him who ministers to men’s souls, there is none really more useful and honorable than that of him who ministers to the soul’s frail tabernacle – the body. “
J.C. Ryle
The Upper Room (19th century)
Heaven
“Absent from flesh! Then rise, my soul,
Where feet nor wings could never climb,
Beyond the heav’ns where planets roll,
Measuring the cares and joys of time.”
Isaac Watts
“Absent from Flesh! O Blissful Thought!” hymn (18th century)
“What is heaven, but to be with God, to dwell with him, to realize that God is mine, and I am his?”
Charles Spurgeon
“God in the Covenant” sermon (1856)
“Talk of princes, and kings, and potentates: Their inheritance is but a pitiful foot of land, across which the bird’s wing can soon direct its flight; but the broad acres of the Christian cannot be measured by eternity. He is rich, without a limit to his wealth. He is blessed, without a boundary to his bliss.”
Charles Spurgeon
“The Fatherhood of God” sermon (1858)
“Jesus is what makes heaven heaven.”
Jon Courson
Application Commentary (2003)
“Cemeteries interrupt the finest families. Retirement finds the best employees. Age withers the strongest bodies. With life comes change. But with change comes the reassuring appreciation of heaven’s permanence.”
Max Lucado
It’s Not About Me (2004)
“Our way to heaven lies through the wilderness of this world.”
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
“Each is embittered to us, that heaven may be endeared.”
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
“I do not know how near it may be to us; it may be that some of us will be ushered very soon into the presence of the King. One gaze at Him will be enough to reward us for all we have had to bear. Yes, there is peace for the past, grace for the present, and glory for the future.”
D.L. Moody
Twelve Select Sermons (1846)
“Had Christ remained on earth, sight would have taken the place of faith. In Heaven, there will be no faith, because His followers will see; there will be no hope, because they will possess; but there will be love, for love endureth forever!”
Fulton Sheen
Life of Christ (1958)
“If one Indian ruler could prepare something as breathstakingly beautiful as the Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife of just fourteen years, what must God be preparing as a home where He will live forever and ever with His people whom He loves?”
Anne Graham Lotz
Heaven: My Father’s House (2002)
“Make no mistake about it! Heaven is a home populated by the Lord and his loved ones who have made the deliberate choice to be there.”
Anne Graham Lotz
Heaven: My Father’s House (2002)
“Based on your choices you have made, if you were to die today, would you be inside or outside of Heaven’s gates?”
Anne Graham Lotz
Heaven: My Father’s House (2002)
“Like a child who suddenly stops sobbing when he is clasped in the arms of his mother, such will be the grip of heaven upon our souls.”
Ravi Zacharias
Recapture the Wonder (2003)
“Heaven is as near tour souls, as this world is to our bodies; and we are created, we are redeemed, to have our conversation in it.”
William Law
The Spirit of Prayer (1750)
“If this world is all we have and there’s no hope for a world to come, we’re doomed to lives of misery.”
Tullian Tchividjian
Do I Know God? (2007)
“So that if in this life we would enjoy the peace of paradise, we must accustom ourselves to a familiar, humble, affectionate conversation with Him”.
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century)
“From the glimpses of heaven given us by Jesus, we know that whatever else heaven is, it’s full of Joy.”
Ken Gire
Reflections on Your Life (1998)
“Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself.”
C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce (1946)
“None will walk the celestial pavement of heaven but those washed in the blood.”
D.L. Moody
Wondrous Love (1876)
“If you don’t enter the kingdom of heaven by God’s way, you cannot enter at all.”
D.L. Moody
Weighed and Wanting (19th century)
“I want to know one thing – the way to heaven; how to land safe on that happy shore”.
John Wesley
Sermons on Several Occasions (18th century)
“When he came to expel Adam out of his forfeited paradise, he assures him of one that should open the gates of the heavenly paradise to him.”
Stephen Charnock
Discourse of God’s being the Author of Reconciliation (17th century)
“He told us – and it is only because we are so accustomed to it that we do not wonder more at the magnificence of the conception – that when our place in this world should know us no more there would be another place ready for us.”
Henry Drummond
“Why Christ Must Depart” sermon (19th century)
“He that has long been on the road to Heaven finds that there was good reason why it was promised that his shoes should be iron and brass, for the road is rough.”
Charles Spurgeon
All of Grace (19th century)
“It will amaze the universe to see us enter the pearly gate, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Charles Spurgeon
All of Grace (19th century)
“Again I charge you, MEET ME IN HEAVEN.”
Charles Spurgeon
All of Grace (19th century)
“We have a glorious future awaiting us beyond death’s door.”
Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort
Life’s Emergency Handbook (2002)
“The society of heaven will be select. No one who studies Scripture can doubt that.”
D.L. Moody
Heaven (1881)
“There are a good many kinds of aristocracy in this world, but the aristocracy of heaven will be holiness.”
D.L. Moody
Heaven (1881)
Hell
“O brethren, above all things shun hypocrisy. If ye mean to be damned, make up your minds to it, and be damned like honest men; but do not, I beseech you, pretend to go to heaven while all the time you are going to hell”.
Charles Spurgeon
“God, the All-Seeing One” sermon (1858)
“The urgency of the gospel is utterly lost when the preacher denies the reality or severity of everlasting punishment.”
John MacArthur
Ashamed of the Gospel (1993)
“Some people seem to be under the delusion that hell has evaporated, or at least that all intelligent people have stopped believing in it.”
D. James Kennedy
Why I Believe (1980)
“The main reason we believe in hell is because Jesus Christ declares that it is so.”
D. James Kennedy
Why I Believe (1980)
“A lot of people talk about hell, use it to tell others where to go, but do not want to be confronted with the thought that it might be their destination”.
Billy Graham
Facing Death and the Life After (1987)
“Men are not sent to hell because of being murderers or liars, they are sent to hell because they are unrighteous”.
David Jeremiah
Escape the Coming Night (1990)
“While the Lord is well-pleased in saving sinners through the righteousness of Christ, he will also glorify his justice, by punishing all proud despisers.”
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
“Sinners don’t flee from the wrath to come because they don’t believer there is a wrath to come.”
Ray Comfort
Hell’s Best Kept Secret (1989)
“Hell is out of fashion today, but it is not out of business! Just because we don’t like the idea of hell doesn’t mean that it does not exist. Many people say they don’t believe in hell, so hell can’t exist. But remember: it doesn’t matter what we believe; it matters what is true.”
Mark Cahill
One Heartbeat Away (2005)
“The unconverted walk over the pit of hell on a rotten bridge.”
Johnathan Edwards
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)
“Natural men are held in the hand of God over the pit of hell.”
Johnathan Edwards
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)
“There is nothing that keeps wicked men, at any one moment, out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God.”
Johnathan Edwards
“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon (1741)
“One phrase summarizes the horror of hell. “God isn’t there.””
Max Lucado
Just Like Jesus (1998)
“When one asked, where God was before heaven was created? St. Augustine answered: He was in himself. When another asked me the same question, I said: He was building hell for such idle, presumptuous, fluttering and inquisitive spirits as you.”
Martin Luther
Table Talk (16th century)
“The same conscience there is in men of a future judgment, bears witness also of the truth of future punishments.”
Thomas Boston
Human Nature in Its Fourfold State (1830)
“As the saints in heaven are advanced to the highest pitch of happiness, so the damned in hell arrive at the height of misery.”
Thomas Boston
Human Nature in Its Fourfold State (1830)
“Men are punished by God for their sins often visibly, always secretly, either in this life or after death”.
Augustine
The City of God (5th century)
“It is He who gave to this intellectual nature free-will of such a kind, that if he wished to forsake God his blessedness, misery should forthwith result”.
Augustine
The City of God (5th century)
“The Hell of the Bible is horrible beyond description, and the hypotheses of this hour cannot exceed it.”
William Elbert Munsey
Eternal Retribution (1951)
“Without him, we are combustible matter before a consuming fire, and cannot approach to the throne of God with any success.”
Stephen Charnock
Discourse on the Cleaning Virtue of Christ’s Blood (17th century)
“Hell is as real to those who die without Christ as heaven is to the child of God.”
Charles Swindoll
“Visiting the Real Twilight Zone” sermon (1985)
“What if God withdraw his patience and sustenation, and let you drop into hell while you are quarrelling with his word? Will you then believe that there is no hell?”
Richard Baxter
A Call to the Unconverted, to Turn and Live (17th century)
“There is something so shocking in the consideration of eternal torments, and seemingly such as infinite disproportion between an endless duration of pain, and short life spent in pleasure, that men (some at least of them) can scarcely be brought to confess it as an article of their faith, that an eternity of misery awaits the wicked in a future state.”
George Whitefield (18th century) quoted in Selected Sermons of George Whitefield
“That the torments reserved for the wicked hereafter, are eternal”.
George Whitefield (18th century) quoted in Selected Sermons of George Whitefield
“There cannot be one argument urged, why God should reward his saints with everlasting happiness, which will not equally prove that he ought to punish sinners with eternal misery.”
George Whitefield (18th century) quoted in Selected Sermons of George Whitefield
“Hell is God’s tribute to the freedom he gave each of us to choose whom we would serve, it is a recognition that our decisions have a significance that extends far down the reaches of foreverness.”
James Sire
The Universe Next Door (1976)
“Philosophically there must be a hell. That is the name for the place where God is not; for the place where they will gather together who insist on leaving God out. God out! There can be no worse hell than that! God away! Man held back by no restraints!”
Samuel Gordon
Quiet Talks on Prayer (1904)
“Every man plots how he may escape damnation.”
Jonathan Edwards
“Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God” sermon (1741)
Heresy
“There is as much danger from false brethren, as from open enemies”.
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
“When false teaching goes unchallenged, it breads more confusion and draws still more shallow and insincere people into the fold.”
John MacArthur
The Truth War (2007)
“It is better to be divided by Truth than be united by error.”
Adrian Rogers
Unmasking False Prophets (2007)
“It is wrong to tell a lie. Even worse, to teach a lie. But my friend, it is monstrous to teach a lie about God. There is no greater crime than to be a false prophet or to be a false teacher. God does not take it lightly.”
Adrian Rogers
Unmasking False Prophets (2007)
“Some people tell us it does not many any difference what a man believes if he is only sincere. One church is just as good as another if your are only sincere. I do not believe any greater delusion ever came out of the pit of hell than that”.
D.L. Moody
Wondrous Love (1876)
Holidays
“Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be in working or in waiting, another year with Thee.”
Frances Ridley Havergal
“Another Year is Dawning” hymn (1874)
“You set the course for the entire year by what you do with those first few days of each New Year.”
Jentezen Franklin
Fasting (2008)
“I am not a step before me as I tread on another year;
But I’ve left the Past in God’s keeping – the Future
His mercy shall clear;
And what looks dark in the distance may brighten as I draw near.”
Mary Gardiner Brainard
“Not Knowing” poem (19th century)
Holiness
“We must wear our piety, not as some holiday garment, but as our everyday dress.”
Charles Spurgeon
“Faith Versus Sight” sermon (1866)
“Holiness and usefulness go hand in hand”.
Elizabeth Prentiss
More Love to Thee: The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss (1882)
“We are called to live lives that more fully reflect God’s character. Holiness is our responsibility and our destiny. It is God’s work in us, work to which we are called as co-laborers. What a blessing that is!”
Mark Dever
Twelve Challenges Churches Face (2008)
“You can’t get holy in a hurry.”
Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz
God Is in the Small Stuff (1998)
“For who does not know, that it is better to be pure and holy, than to talk about purity and holiness?”
William Law
A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1729)
“Nothing is pressed more earnestly in the Scriptures, than to walk as becomes those called to Christ’s kingdom and glory.”
Matthew Henry
Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
“Holiness is not some nebulous thing. It’s a series of right choices.”
Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stocker, and Mike Yorkey
Every Man’s Battle (2000)
“We cannot make ourselves holy. We can become holy only through the power of Christ and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through a pure and clean life, we reveal to our world the reality of holy God in our lives.”
Henry and Tom Blackaby
The Man God uses (1999)
“Although God will grant Christlikeness to us when Jesus returns, until then He intends for us to grow toward Christlikeness. We aren’t merely to wait for holiness, we’re to pursue it. “
Donald Whitney
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (1991)
“It’s dangerous to assume that because a man is drawn to holiness in his study that he is thereby a holy man. I am sure that the reason that I have a deep hunger to learn of the holiness of God is precisely because I am not holy.”
R.C. Sproul
The Holiness of God (20th century)
“Because God is holy, He cannot look on sin with indifference.”
Josh and Sean McDowell
Evidence for the Resurrection (2009)
“If you seek holiness of life, I encourage you to make a good friend of the Sermon on the Mount.”
Richard Foster
Streams of Living Water (1998)
“A true saint greatly delights in holiness; it is a most beautiful thing in his eyes; and God’s work, in savingly renewing and making holy and happy, a poor, and before perishing soul, appears to him a most glorious work.”
Jonathan Edwards
A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (18th century)
“He that would truly work for God must follow after holiness.”
Andrew Murray
Working for God (1901)
“God promises that if we pursue holiness, happiness will come.”
J.I. Packer
J.I. Packer Answers Questions for Today (2001)
Holy Spirit
General (Holy Spirit)
“God has given His people what we need to fill up when we run low. It’s the incredible gift of Himself, dwelling inside us. It’s the person of God we call the Holy Spirit.”
Jill Briscoe
A Little Pot of Oil (2003)
“You may have no family, no food, no clothes, no future, no spouse, no health, or no children, yet be rich beyond your wildest dreams because you have the Holy Spirit in your life.”
Jill Briscoe
A Little Pot of Oil (2003)
“We must wear our piety, not as some holiday garment, but as our everyday dress.
Jesus knows we need power to live and make courageous choices. He sent the Holy Spirit to inhabit the lives of true believers for the purpose of empowering us, guiding us, and teaching how to live for God.”
Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Pressure Proof Your Marriage (2003)
“Being filled and led by the Spirit may take you places you never planned; but the will of God will never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you.”
Neil Anderson
Victory Over the Darkness (1990)
“Walking by the Spirit in relationship, not regimentation.”
Neil Anderson
Victory Over the Darkness (1990)
“You cannot convince the Holy Spirit to do what He doesn’t want to do, and He always wants to do the Father’s will.”
Henry and Mel Blackaby
What’s So Spiritual About Your Gifts? (2004)
“The Holy Spirit is the One who is poured out upon you like a healing balm – to sooth, to calm, and to comfort. He is the One who renews your strength, revives your spirit, refills your cup, restores your strength, and refreshes your spirit.”
Roy Lessin
Today Is Your Best Day (2006)
“The Holy Spirit of the living God is engaging all God’s people with a renewing, reviving call to open to the glory of His grace in Holy Spirit fullness. The objective of this experience is not to introduce us to a glib, giddy kind of “charismania” but to equip, prepare, and fortify us against the spirits of darkness, deception, and destruction.”
Jack Hayford
Glory On Your House (1991)
“The Holy Spirit’s power cannot be harnessed. His power cannot be used to accomplish anything other than the Father’s will. He is not a candy dispenser. He is not a vending machine. He is not a genie waiting for someone to rub His lamp the right way. He is holy God.”
Charles Stanley
The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life (1992)
“I have learned to be obedient to the Holy Spirit. I cannot use the Holy Spirit; He only uses me.”
Kathryn Kuhlman
Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)
“When God knocks, open the door and open your heart to the Holy Spirit.”
Susan McCarthy Peabody
Alphabet Soup for Christian Living (2007)
“Our blessed Saviour Christ himself preaches that the Holy Ghost is everlasting and Almighty God.”
Martin Luther
Table Talk (16th century)
“The Holy Spirit always upsets the status quo.”
Tony Campolo
How to Be Pentecostal without Speaking in Tongues (1991)
“The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods but through men.”
E.M. Bounds
Power Through Prayer (1906)
“We need words to make ourselves intelligible to other people but not to the Spirit.”
Jean-Nicholas Grou
How to Pray (18th century)
Gifts of Holy Spirit
“If we seek the gifts of the Spirit and not the Holy Spirit Himself, we’ll always focus on self. We must learn to understand that there are no gifts apart from an intimate relationship with the Spirit”.
Henry and Mel Blackaby
What’s So Spiritual About Your Gifts? (2004)
“The Holy Spirit gives boldness. We don’t even have to ask Him for it. It just comes with the Holy Spirit.”
Kathryn Kuhlman
Kathryn Kuhlman (1976)
“You can never be “good enough” on your own to please God. Only the Holy Spirit has what it takes to give us what it takes to please God: His essential goodness reproduced in us.”
Lloyd John Ogilvie
The Magnificent Vision (1980)
“When the believer does not know that Christ is living in him, does not know the Spirit and power of God working in him, there may be much earnestness and diligence, with little that lasts for eternity.”
Andrew Murray
Working for God (1901)
Living in the Holy Spirit
“To live according to the Spirit means first of all to think in alignment with what the Spirit is thinking. It’s to think in terms of what God says about everything, not what you’re saying or thinking yourself or what anybody else says about you.”
Tony Evans
The Fire That Ignites (2003)
“How do you know when you’re walking in the Spirit? You know it when you’re living a life of prayer, because prayer is the proof of dependence on the Spirit.”
Tony Evans
The Fire That Ignites (2003)
“Those who have the gale of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep.”
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century)
“For we must hear the Word, and then afterwards the Holy Ghost works in our hearts; he works in the hearts of whom he will, and how he will, but never without the Word.”
Martin Luther
Table Talk (16th century)
“Allow yourself to be led by the Spirit of God. That Spirit will unerringly conduct you to the end purpose for which your soul was created . . . the enjoyment of God.”
Jeanne Guyon
Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ (1685)
“No relationship, marriage, or family will ever be all that God intended unless its members are experiencing God at work in their lives through the enabling work of the Holy Spirit”.
Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Moments Together (2004)
“Without a complete dependence upon the Holy Spirit we can only fail.”
A.W. Tozer
Whatever Happened to Worship? (20th century)
“The Holy Spirit never enters a man and lets him live like the world. You can be sure of that.”
A.W. Tozer
“Who Is the Holy Spirit?” sermon (20th century)
“God permits troubles to beset His children, but He also refreshes them. He grants them respite when the heart is still and the soul joyous, and you will agree with me that such moments of the secret joy of the Spirit are far more precious than the highest pleasures this world can offer.”
The Lutheran Witness (1885)
Role of Holy Spirit
“The Holy Spirit’s job is to make God’s presence evident and perceptible in this world, and He does that most noticeably through the church.”
Tony Evans
The Fire That Ignites (2003)
“If the Christian life is simply a matter of doing our best, there was no need for God to send the Holy Spirit to help us.”
Charles Stanley
The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life (1992)
“The Holy Spirit guides the believer in the way of wisdom. To refuse to live wisely is to ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit.”
Charles Stanley
The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life (1992)
“The Holy Spirit is heaven’s matchmaker. He brings us to Christ.”
Colin Smith
Unlocking the Bible Story (2002)
“Fire converts wood into its own likeness, and the stronger the wind blows, the greater grows the fire. Now by the fire understand love, and by the wind the Holy Spirit.”
Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart’s Sermons (14th century)
“It is a ministry of the Holy Spirit to drive the deadness of our souls away and to banish the apathy that infects most other people.”
Tony Campolo
How To Be Pentecostal Without Speaking In Tongues (1991)
“We must understand that the Holy Spirit lives in us to empower us to succeed at whatever God calls us to do.”
T.D. Jakes
Intimacy with God (2000)
“The Spirit of God is a holy spirit and His work is to make free from the power of sin and death”.
Andrew Murray
Master’s Indwelling (1895)
“The Holy Spirit can cast out the evil spirit of the fear of man. He can make the coward brave”.
Charles Spurgeon
All of Grace (19th century)
“A man may easier seer without eyes, speak without tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.”
John Owen
Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers (1656)
“Most of us don’t really know the deep thoughts and intentions of our own hearts; therefore we must rely upon the Spirit of God to try, to prove and to reveal that which is within us”.
Jane Hamon
Dreams and Visions (2000)
“The stirring of spiritual desire indicates that God’s Spirit is already at work within us, drawing us to Himself”.
Ruth Haley Barton
Sacred Rhythms (2006)
Home
“Righteousness must not only be found in our pulpits, but in our homes. The home is the church in miniature.”
Steve Farrar
Point Man (1990)
“Seeing home as sacred space motivates us to invest our time and energy here.”
Kathy Coffey
God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride (2002)
“Home is the arena for our most influential work”.
Kathy Coffey
God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride (2002)
“It is essential to see that home is the place where we most often participate in God’s holiness, and bring God’s compassion and creativity to our most intimate world.”
Kathy Coffey
God Knows Parenting Is a Wild Ride (2002)
“When we build a house, we add paint and paper to the walls. When we build a home, we use family photos.”
Al Hartley
It Takes a Family (1996)
“There is no place like home when the people who live there make “building one another’ their highest priority.”
Gordon MacDonald
There’s No Place Like Home (1990)
“There’s no place like home if those in charge care passionately for the moral and spiritual “messages” that are allowed in the door.”
Gordon MacDonald
There’s No Place Like Home (1990)
“The Christian home must blossom in a field of weeds.”
Howard Hendricks
Heaven Help the Home (1973)
“The primary purpose of a home is to reflect and to distribute the love of Christ. Anything that usurps that is idolatrous.”
Ravi Zacharias
Jesus Among Other Gods (2000)
“A truly Christian home is a place where sinners live; but it is also a place where the members of that home admit that fact and understand the problem, know what to do about it, and as a result grow by grace”.
Jay Adams
Christian Living in the Home (1972)
“Home is the most important place for a man to be affirmed. If a man knows that his wife believes in him, he is empowered to do better in every area of his life. A mand tends to think of life as a competition and a battle, and he can energetically duke it out if he can come home to someone who supports him unconditionally, who will wipe his brow and tell him he can do it.”
Shaunti Feldhahn
For Women Only (2004)
Honesty
“Scrupulous truthfulness should always characterize everyone who stands up to proclaim the truth of God.”
Charles Spurgeon
Autobiography (1897)
“Honesty, or dishonesty, is shown in every little act of life.”
Mabel Hale
Beautiful Girlhood (1922)
“Sometimes, we withhold the truth because we’re afraid our honesty will hurt someone’s feelings. But we pay a high price when we hold things in, particularly when we know we’ve been dishonest on some level. We don’t need ulcers and all kinds of other problems that result from a disturbed conscience. We certainly don’t need to “tell all”, especially if it would be unkind to do so, but dishonesty is never right.”
Dan Seaborn
26 Words That Will Improve The Way You Do Family (2002)
“Many of us mistakenly believe that God doesn’t want us to be honest about our lives. We think that He will be upset with us if we tell Him how we really feel. But the Scriptures tell us that God does not want us to be superficial in our relationship with Him, with others, or in our own lives.”
Robert McGee
The Search for Significance (1998)
“Honesty is like a flu shot. It may give you a short, sharp pai but it keeps you healthier in the long run.”
Willard Harley Jr.
His Needs, Her Needs for Parents (2003)
“Truthfulness is much more than the absence of lies. It is genuine communication of minds and hearts. Real truthfulness reflects the character of God, who is always exactly what He says he is, and who speaks painful but joyful truth, never any small talk to our hearts. Think of Jesus: ever kind, but relentlessly truthful.”
Tim Stafford
Never Mind the Joneses (2004)
“To be really truthful, we have to do more than stop lying. Really, most of the work is positively learning how to speak the whole truth in love. However, truthfulness has to begin with a process of purification. Insincerity, lies, and deception create such a hall of mirrors that truth, when someone speaks it, hardly registers.”
Tim Stafford
Never Mind the Joneses (2004)
“Always meet with God as a God who desires truth in the inward parts. In al your confession of sin, in all your religion, in your whole existence let truth in the inward parts be your desire, as it is the desire of God.”
Andrew Murray
Have Mercy Upon Me (1896)
Honor
““Honor all”. The application of this command could significantly shatter hell’s viselike grip on individuals and cultures and drastically affect how future generations view Christ and His claims.”
Fawn Parish
Honor: What Love Looks Like (1999)
“When honor is unleashed, it can reveal the heart of God to hardened individuals and to whole cultures, opening them up to their intended destiny of eternal intimacy with God.”
Fawn Parish
Honor: What Love Looks Like (1999)
“If the primary reason that we honor God is our profit, then we will discover there are many occasions where honoring him offers no apparent benefit. In those moments, we will turn from his ways unless what motivates us is a desire to honor God for his grace rather than a seeking after our own benefit.”
Bryan Chapell
Holiness by Grace (2001)
“True honor is not the honor that one claims for oneself, but rather it is the honor that is conferred on one by others.”
J. Dwight Pentecost
The Parables of Jesus (1982)
Hope
“All My Hope on God is Founded.”
Joachim Neander hymn title (17th century)
“What is there, what can there be, to make life worthwhile, apart from the Christian Hope?”
Henry H. Hailey
Pocket Bible Handbook (1948)
“Hope sees a crown in reserve, mansions in readiness, and Jesus himself preparing a place for us, and by the rapturous sight she sustains the soul under the sorrows of the hour.”
Charles Spurgeon
“The Holy Spirit’s Intercession” sermon (1880)
“Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do.”
C.S. Lewis
Mere Christianity (1952)
“Given the choice of viewing life through the rose-colored glasses of hope rather than the dark blinders of sadness, anger, and worry, wouldn’t it be fare better to assume you’ll find a foothold amid the chaos? After all, even if you go under, won’t you have enjoyed the swim all the more if you sustain hope until the end rather than sinking into despair?”
Susan Vaughn
Half Empty, Half Full (2000)
“To lose hope has the same effect on our heart as it would be to stop breathing.”
Brent Curtis
The Sacred Romance (1997)
“Keep dreaming the dream that God has put into your heart”.
Jentezen Franklin
Believe That You Can (2008)
“At the bottom of the pit is not apathy, not hopelessness, not despair. At the bottom of the pit is the rule of God!”
Martin Bell
Street Singing and Preaching (1991)
“It is not most hopeful for men that a Man is now on the throne of the universe?”
Charles Spurgeon
All of Grace (19th century)
“If the Christian hope be not founded upon reason and truth, but must be given up as fabulous and mere delusion, we are left without hope, and we must sink into the most gloomy darkness and despair.”
Samuel Hopkins
“The Reason of the Hope of a Christian” sermon (1803)
“In Jesus Christ, God experienced the greatest depths of pain. Therefore, though Christianity does not provide the reason for each experience of pain, it provides deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair.”
Timothy Keller
The Reason For God (2008)
“Hope is like a magnet that draws you toward your goal.”
H. Norman Wright
Freedom From the Grip Of Fear (1989)
“Hope lives even when the body is dying.”
Bill Kemp and Diane Kemp Arnett
Going Home (2005)
Hospitality
“When we are willing to open our homes, our kitchens, our living rooms, and most of all our hearts to others, God can make exciting things happen.”
Rachael Crabb and Raeann Hart
The Personal Touch (1990)
“The emphasis in our practice of hospitality should be on how we give of ourselves to minister to others – not on how we perform to entertain others.”
Rachael Crabb and Raeann Hart
The Personal Touch (1990)
“Hospitality is the social staff of life, a starting point for discourse and interaction.”
Thea Jarvis
Everyday Hospitality (2007)
“Ideally, hospitality is the outward expression of an inner attitude, a virtue that erupts from the heart, spilling out toward others.”
Thea Jarvis
Everyday Hospitality (2007)
“Hospitality is contagious.”
Thea Jarvis
Everyday Hospitality (2007)
Humanity
“Man, but a particle of Thy creation . . .”
Augustine
Confessions (4th century)
“The world is a sort of macrocosm of which man is a microcosm, and what is true of the nations of the world is true of individuals.”
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The Cross (1986)
“I have no sympathy with the doctrine of universal brotherhood and universal fatherhood; I don’t believe one word of it. If a man lives in the flesh and serves the flesh, he is a child of the devil. That is pretty strong language, but it is what Christ said.”
D.L. Moody
“The Eighth Chapter of Romans” sermon (19th century)
“If the human race in its present state moved into the New Jerusalem today, it would be hell by tomorrow.”
Vance Havner
Jesus Only (1946)
“Humanism places mankind at the center of all things and makes him the measure of all things.”
Bill Bright and John Damoose
Red Sky in the Morning (1998)
“And thus ever, by day and night, under the sun and under the stars, climbing the dusty hills and toiling along the weary plains, journeying by land and journeying by sea, coming and going so strangely, to meet and to act and react on one another, move all we restless travelers through the pilgrimage of life.”
Charles Dickens
Little Dorrit (1857)
“Each and every person has the same measure of value to God.”
Scott Hinkle
Recapturing the Primary Purpose (2005)
“He was made of the dust of the ground, a very unlikely thing to make man of; but the same infinite power that made the world of nothing made made man, its masterpiece, of next to nothing. He was not made of gold-dust, powder of pearl, or diamond dust, but common dust, dust of the ground. Our fabric is earthly, and the fashioning of it like that of an earthen vessel. What have we then to be proud of?”
Matthew Henry
Commentary of the Whole Bible (1706)
“God raised Jesus from the dead to the end that we should be clear – once and for all – that there is nothing more important than being human. Our lives have eternal significance. And no one – absolutely no one – is expendable.”
Martin Bell
The Way of the Wolf (1968)
“We are not only undeserving, but ill-deserving.”
Thomas Manton
One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm (17th century)
“The highest angel has nothing of its own that it can offer unto God, no more light, love, purity, perfection, and glorious hallelujahs, that spring from itself, or its own powers, than the poorest creature upon earth.”
William Law
An Humble, Affectionate, and Earnest Address (1761)
“If man is made for God, why is he not happy except in God? If man is made for God, why is he so opposed to God?”
Blaise Pascal
Pensees (17th century)
“You are more evil than you have ever feared, and more loved than you have ever hoped”.
Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears
Death By Love (2008)
“Minor shades of moral difference fade away before the one radical division of mankind into children of light and children of darkness.”
Alexander Balmain Bruce
Apologetics, or Christianity Defensively Stated (1892)
“All men are either sons of God or sons of the devil.”
Alexander Balmain Bruce
Apologetics, or Christianity Defensively Stated (1892)
“If you have a narrow view of people, go places you have never gone, meet the kind of people you do not know, and do things you have not done before”.
John Maxwell
Winning With People (2004)
Human Nature
“The problem with a living sacrifice, is that it can crawl off the altar, and we often do that.”
Rick Warrren
The Purpose-Driven Life (2002)
“Our inner “self” doesn’t want to dump God entirely, just keep Him at a comfortable distance.”
Charles Swindoll
Improving Your Serve (1981)
“When it comes to accepting the truth about ourselves, things have not changed much since Adam first blamed Eve.”
Henry Cloud and John Townsend
Boundaries Face to Face (2003)
“Between the frailty of our bodies and the limitations of our minds, we humans have ample proof that we are not gods.”
Jeff Walling
Until I Return (2000)
“It seems to be a law of man’s intelligent nature that when accused of wrong, either by his conscience or by any other agent, he must either confess or justify.”
Charles Finney
“The Sinner’s Excuses Answered” sermon (19th century)
“There are no other principles, which human nature is under the influence of, that will ever make men conscientious, but one of these two, fear or love.”
Jonathan Edwards
A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections (18th century)
“It is not the design of Christ to take away our humanity, but to sanctify it.”
Kim Thomas
Living In the Sacred Now (2001)
“When a man fails in life he usually says, “I am as God made me.” When he succeeds he proudly proclaims himself a “self-made man.””
William George Jordan
The Kingship of Self-Control (1898)
Humility
“Jesus comes to little ones.”
Charles Spurgeon
“The Incarnation and Birth of Christ” sermon (1855)
“Be content to walk your weary way, through the fields of poverty, or up the hills of affliction; by-and-bye ye shall reign with Christ, for he has ‘made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever.””
Charles Spurgeon
Christ Exalted” sermon (1856)
“Catch [a man] at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, “By Jove! I’m being humble,” and almost immediately pride – pride at his own humility – will appear.”
C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters (1941)
“As sinfully and culturally defined, pursuing greatness looks like this: Individuals motivated by self-interest, self-indulgence, and a false sense of self-sufficiency pursue selfish ambition for the purpose of self-glorification. Contrast that with the pursuit of true greatness as biblically defined: Serving others for the glory of God. This is the genuine expression of humility; this is true greatness as the Savior defined it.”
C.J. Mahaney
Humility: True Greatness (2005)
“It takes a lot of humility to cry aloud to God in our distress. And humility before the living God is precisely what we need.”
Bill Gothard
The Power of Crying Out (2002)
“A humble person is not one who thinks little of himself, hangs his head, and says, “I’m nothing.” Rather, he is one who depends wholly on the Lord for everything, in every circumstance.”
David Wilkerson
Revival on Broadway! (1996)
“Humility retires itself from the public gaze.”
E.M. Bounds
The Essentials of Prayer (19th century)
“The preoccupation with self is the enemy of humility.”
Franklin Graham
All For Jesus (2003)
“Cost what it may, and in spite of my fears and speculations, I desire to become lowly and a fool, still more despicable in my own eyes than in those of the wise in their own conceit.”
Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon
Spiritual Progress (17th century)
“True humility consists in a deep view of our utter unworthiness, and in an absolute abandonment to God, without the slightest doubt that He will do the greatest things in us.”
Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon
Spiritual Progress (17th century)
“The truly humble soul is not surprised at its defects or failings, and the more miserable it beholds itself, the more it abandons itself to God, and presses for a more intimate alliance with Him, seeing the need it has or his aid”.
Francois Fenelon and Jeanne Guyon
Spiritual Progress (17th century)
“Humility gladly submits to God’s rightful place as Lord. It produces a right spirit toward others and a grateful sense of submission to God’s providing work on our behalf.”
Joseph Stowell
Tongue in Check (1983)
“Oh, how few be these who are low in their own eyes! The number of souls that are high in the esteem of God, and low in their own esteem, are very few.”
Thomas Brooks
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)
“Humility is both a grace, and a vessel to receive grace. There is none who sees so much need of grace as humble souls.”
Thomas Brooks
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)
“An humble soul that lies low, oh what sights of God hath he! What glory doth he behold, when the proud soul sees nothing!”
Thomas Brooks
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)
“Here is a wonder! God is on high; and yet the higher a man lifts up himself, the farther he is from God; and the lower a man humbles himself, the nearer he is to God”.
Thomas Brooks
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)
“An humble soul is like a violet, that by its fragrant smell draws the eye and the hearts of others to him.”
Thomas Brooks
The Unsearchable Riches of Christ (1655)
“Pride closes the door to spiritual growth, but humility opens the door of your life to more of God’s grace. Pause for a moment to ponder this promise and let it sink in. God gives grace to the humble.”
Colin Smith
Ten Keys to Unlock the Christian Life (2005)
“When we’ve had a disagreement, we can show true character by walking into the room and apologizing honestly and humbly. Pride is not a virtue. Humility is. Pride can cost us valuable relationships, but humility costs us only pride. Men of character know how to apologize and how to forgive.”
Bill McCartney
4th and Goal (2002)
“The truly godly person never forgets that he was at one time an object of God’s holy and just wrath. He never forgets that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – and he feel along with Paul that he is himself the worst of sinners.”
Jerry Bridges
The Practice of Godliness (1996)
“If we are humble enough to accept someone’s input, we can avoid stumbling along while we don’t know what we don’t know.”
Bill McCartney
Blind Spots (2003)
“Humility does demand that we carefully weigh the opinions of thoughtful men; we should refrain from depending solely on our own intellect.”
Jeff Baldwin
Thinking Biblically (2005)
“Let us then also pray for those who have fallen into any sin, that meekness and humility may be given to them, so that they may submit, not unto us, but to the will of God. For in this way they shall secure a fruitful and perfect remembrance from us.”
Clement
The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (1st century)
“The humiliation leads to a greater glory. “
C.S. Lewis
The Weight of Glory (1949)
“When man humbles himself, God cannot restrain His mercy; He must come down and pour His grace into the humble man, and He gives Himself most of all, and all at once, to the least of all.”
Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart’s Sermons (14th century)
“When unadorned, adorned the most.”
Brother Lawrence
The Practice of the Presence of God (17th century)
“Work on your humility. Come to terms with the fact that your skills are God given You can only do what He equips you to do.”
Stan Toler
Minute Motivators for Men (2004)
“Don’t put yourself on a pedestal. Appreciate the worth of others. Let others know that you have confidence in them.”
Stan Toler
Minute Motivators for Men (2004)
“Have we the humility to thank our Father for the gift of pain?”
Elisabeth Elliot
Secure in the Everlasting Arms (2002)
“He that can humble himself earnestly before God in Christ, has already won”.
Martin Luther
Table Talk (16th century)
“There are many willing to preach to thousands, but are not willing to take their beside one soul, and lead that soul to the blessed Jesus.”
D.L. Moody
The Faithful Saying (1877)
“It is a genuine act of humility to realize that we can learn from others who have gone before us.”
Richard Foster
Streams of Living Water (1998)
“Be humble, talk little, think and pray much.”
George Whitefield
Memoirs of Rev. George Whitefield (1741)
“Humility – to put a seal upon your lips and forget what you have done.”
Henry Drummond
The Greatest Thing in the World (1874)
“Let us remember, how great have been our advantages, and how little we have profited by them: and on the other hand, how many disadvantages others have had, and how little they are behind us after all.”
George Edward Jelf
The Secret Trials of the Christian Life (19th century)
“What we call our strong points will become the source of our most alarming weakness, if they are not tempered and sanctified by the increasing humility and ever-active faith, which are among the chief characteristics of a Christian.”
George Edward Jelf
The Secret Trials of the Christian Life (19th century)
“The most eminent saints have been of low stature in their own eyes; like the sun at the zenith, they showed least when they were at the highest.”
Thomas Watson and Samuel Lee
The Bible and the Closet (1842)
“You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees.”
Max Lucado
The Applause of Heaven (1990)
“A posture of humility will serve you better than an in-your-face swagger”.
Alan Dowd
“Speaking Creatively” article (2009)
“One can so easily become too great to be used by God. One can never be too small for His service.”
Corrie ten Boom
Not Good IF Detached (1957)
“Humility is one of the great marks of a crucified man”.
Andrew Murray
Master’s Indwelling (1895)
“Man is to be humbled to the dust by the thought of the glory of God as seen in the visible creation.”
F.C. Cook
Bible Commentary (19th century)
“Christ’s people have frequently to humble themselves.”
John Dawson
The Saviour in the Workshop (1868)
“Humility is taught by hardship in the face of obedience. Humility is tested by the choices we make”.
Tim Burns
Forged in the Fire (2003)
“We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners.”
Thomas Merton
Contemplative Prayer (1969)
“No one that is not of a contrite and humble spirit will dwell with God in His high and holy place.”
D.L. Moody
Heaven (1881)
“When we are humble enough to allow God to fill us with His love, a miracle happens.”
Kim Moore and Pam Mellskog
A Patchwork Heart (2002)
“Faith, whether in God or in people, can only happen in utter humility.”
Mike Mason
Practicing the Presence of People (1999)
“There are three great motivations to humility: it becomes us as creatures; it becomes us as sinners; and it becomes us as saints.”
Andrew Murray
Humility (1896)
“Humility is not so much a grace or virtue along with; it is the root of all, because it alone assumes the right attitude before God and allows Him as God to do all”.
Andrew Murray
Humility (1896)
“The way of ascending is humility; the way of descending is pride”.
Benedict of Nursia
The Rule of St. Benedict (6th century)
“No matter where we are – whether doing the work of God, or in the garden, or on a journey – we should adopt the posture of reverence, ever mindful of who we are. Our attitude should be that of the publican in the Gospel who said, with his eyes fixed on the ground, “Lord, I am a sinner and I am not worthy to lift my eyes up to heaven.””
Benedict of Nursia
The Rule of St. Benedict (6th century)
Humor
“That I have written in a semi-humorous vein needs no apology, since thereby sound moral teaching has gained a hearing from at least three hundred thousand persons. There is no particular virtue in being seriously unreadable”.
Charles Spurgeon
John Ploughman’s Talk (19th century)
“People who live above their circumstances usually possess a well-developed sense of humor, because in the final analysis that’s what gets them through.”
Charles Swindoll
Laugh Again (1995)
“Humor gives us power. We often cannot control situations or events, but we can control our response. Instead of discouragement or despair, we can claim power.”
Anne Bryan Smollin
Tickle Your Soul (1999)
“When it comes to last words, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it. As a writer, I know I’m going to keeping wanting to do a rewrite.”
Martha Bolton
Didn’t My Skin Used To Fit? (2000)
“A sense of humor helps us through many sticky problems.”
Dennis Gibson
The Sandwich Years (1991)
Hunger, Spiritual
“Today, as you hunger after His bread, remember that God is seeking the hungry, as you long for living waters, remember that He invites the thirsty to drink; as you seek His presence, remember that He bids you to draw near; as you commit to walk in His ways, remember that He is always on the alert, looking for those who are totally committed to Him.”
Roy Lessin
Today Is Your Best Day (2006)
“Spiritually is not a formula; it is not a test. It is a relationship. Spirituality is not about competency; it is about intimacy. Spirituality is not about perfection; it is about connection.”
Michael Yaconelli
Messy Spirituality (2002)
“The way of the spiritual life begins when we are now in the mess of our lives. Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives. Spirituality is not about being fixed; it is about God’s being present in the mess of our unfixedness.”
Michael Yaconelli
Messy Spirituality (2002)
“Collectively and individually, we are crying for the solace of reconnection with God.”
Sue Patton Thoele
Heart Centered Marriage (1996)
“Whether we feast through silence, through stillness, through meditation or contemplation, God longs to feed us.”
Jane Rubietta
Resting Place (2005)
Online YouTube Videos: Hyperlinks To Sermons By Various Preachers
Bruce Wilkinson
You Were Born For This – Bruce Wilkinson – Special Message
Enlarging Your Coast – Bruce Wilkinson
Dr. Bruce Wilkinson: The Power of Forgiveness with Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk | 7/24/2020
70X7 Session 6: How God Can Forgive Anyone for Anything? | Bruce Wilkinson
70X7 Session 7: What Happens When You Don’t Forgive Yourself | Bruce Wilkinson
70X7 Session 8: Steps to Forgive Yourself | Bruce Wilkinson
Barre SDA Sermons “Stating The Obvious” Pastor Bruce Wilkinson 11-21-20
Jesus Wants To Reward You – Bruce Wilkinson – Truth Matters Snippets
The 7 Laws of the Learner 1 The Learner 1
The 7 Laws of the Learner 1 The Learner 2
Nicole Unice
God With Us | Part 1 – In The Valley with Nicole Unice
Five Minute Devotional – Ephesians 6
Five Minute Sermon on Ephesians 3
Five Minute Sermon – Ephesians 5
The Way | Giving Back | Nicole Unice
Why Do You Hear God? — Hearing God Pt. 1
Uniting Our Physical and Spiritual Lives | Sermon by Nicole Unice
How to Build Healthy Relationships | Sermon by Pastor Nicole Unice
Elizabeth George
A Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George
Gracious Habits – Elizabeth George
Imitators of God – Elizabeth George
Elizabeth George | The Punishment She Deserves: A Lynley Novel
A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George
A Wife After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George
Vince Miller
Vince Miller – Defeating Repetitive Sin
Tests of Men with Real Conviction | James 1 — A Bible Study & Teaching for Men
Vince Miller – The Mentoring Mandate
Accountability | The 20 Minute Bible Study
Purpose | The 20-Minute Bible Study
Fatherless | Vince Miller | 6.16.19
Developing A Vision For Men’s Ministry In The Church
When to Stand Up and When to Stand Down | Ephesians 6
Two Imperatives For Men Who Lead | 1 Peter 5 | Bible Study for Men
Max Lucado
Anxious for Nothing Session 1 Rejoice in the Lord Always
Margaret Feinberg
Pursuing God’s Love Group Bible Study by Margaret Feinberg
Fight Back with Joy with Margaret Feinberg Part 1
Margaret Feinberg on “Defiant Joy”
Fight Back with Joy with Margaret Feinberg, Part 2
Margaret Feinberg: Rejoice When It Makes No Sense (James Robison / LIFE Today)
Tony Evans
Time to Grow Up – Divine Reset | Tony Evans Sermon
Victory Because of the Cross | Sermon by Tony Evans
Trusting God | A Sermon by Tony Evans
Trusting God in a Storm – Tony Evans Sermon
Unapologetic – Divine Reset | Tony Evans Sermon
The Protection of Prayer | Tony Evans Sermon
The Purpose of Prayer | Tony Evans Sermon
Encountering the Power of God | Tony Evans Sermon
Reversing Anxiety Consequences | Tony Evans Sermon
Reversing Irreversible Consequences | Tony Evans Sermon
Anita Keagy
The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 4 | Setting Your Heart | Anita Keagy
The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 1 | Seeking God First | Anita Keagy
The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 5 | Natural Rewards | Anita Keagy
The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 3 | Key Principles: Part 2 | Anita Keagy
The Joy of Seeking God First | Episode 2 | Key Principles: Part 1 | Anita Keagy
Tabor College Chapel 2020.3.11 – Anita Keagy
Sean McDowell
Sean McDowell: Apologetics and the Next Generation
Did John the Apostle Actually Die As A Martyr?
Special Message – Passing on Your Faith to the next Generation – Sean McDowell
Learn Where You Came From with Sean McDowell
Sean McDowell talks on Morality Based on Truth, Momentum Youth Conference 2019
Sean McDowell On Defending the Bible, Momentum Youth Conference 2019
The 3 Myths of Pornography – Sean McDowell Speaking at Momentum Youth Conference
The Apostle Paul Died A Martyr. Here’s The Evidence.
Sean McDowell: The Case for Marriage
J.D. Greear
J.D. Greear – You Will Do Well to Pay Attention – 2 Peter 1:12-21
JD Greear – Fearing Jesus Leads to Trusting Jesus – Mark 4:35-41
How Ordinary People Change the World | Pastor J.D. Greear
Easter with J.D. Greear | Official Trailer | RightNow Media 2021
J.D. Greear – Not God Enough – Job 38-42
J.D. Greear – When the Strong Become Weak – Judges 14
J.D. Greear – Worth It – Colossians 1:24–29
Dr. J.D. Greear – OBU Chapel Message – Oct. 21, 2020
J.D. Greear – God as Trinity – GO Conference 2019
J.D. Greear: Work and the Great Commission
Eric Mason
Decisions, Planning & The Will of God | Dr. Eric Mason
UNDEFEATED | Fighting Discouragement | Dr. Eric Mason
God & Politics | Dr. Eric Mason
Breaking Free from Strongholds | Dr. Eric Mason | James River Church
Lord, I Need Some Peace | Dr.Eric Mason
Overcoming Sexual Strongholds – February 28th, 2021
CANCEL CULTURE | A Biblical Case for Reparations | Dr.Eric Mason
ORDER IN THE CHURCH | How to Remain Healthy in a Dysfunctional Environment | Dr. Eric Mason
The Soul Checkup | Dr. Eric Mason
Eric Mason – Seeing Through the Lens of the End – Revelation 7:9-14
Kyle Idleman
Complacent to Committed | UNLEASHED | Kyle Idleman
Faith or Fear | THIS IS WHERE IT’S AT–A STUDY OF ROMANS | Kyle Idleman
Overthinking to Overcoming | NO MATTER WHAT COMES THROUGH THOSE DOORS | Kyle Idleman
Picked Up and Never Put Down | BE THE BRANCH | Kyle Idleman
Your Self | OVERCOME: WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK? | Kyle Idleman
12 Stones | STRENGTH AND COURAGE | Kyle Idleman | 03.21.21
Broken to Be Whole | THE INSIDE-OUT WAY OF JESUS | Kyle Idleman
Two Against Ten | STRENGTH AND COURAGE | Kyle Idleman | 03.07.21
One Day At A Time | One At A Time | Kyle Idleman
Matt Chandler
A Good Death – Easter Service – Sermons – Matt Chandler
Revelation: Introduction – Week 1 – Sermons – Matt Chandler
Revelation: Victory in Doubt – Week 2 – Sermons – Matt Chandler
A Foundation of Prayer – Sermons – Matt Chandler
Sermons – Matt Chandler – Love and Knowledge of Self
Sermons – Matt Chandler – A Home in Jesus
Sermons – Matt Chandler – Biblically Serious
Revelation: Cosmic Battle – Week 6 – Sermons – Matt Chandler
Revelation: Earthly Battle – Week 7 – Sermons – Matt Chandler
My Favorite Inspirational Christian and Country Songs
Hyperlinks to YouTube Videos of My Favorite Inspirational Christian and Country Songs.
Songs
Addison Road – “This little Light of Mine” with lyrics
The Afters – Well Done (Lyric Video)
The River, by Garth Brooks – 7/26/20
Garth Brooks: The Change (Lyrics) HD
GARTH BROOKS | STANDING OUTSIDE THE FIRE
Brandon Heath – The One, with Lyrics
Britt Nicole Be The Change (Lyric Video)
Casting Crowns – All You’ve Ever Wanted (Official Lyric Video)
Casting Crowns – East to West (Official Lyric Video)
Casting Crowns – Voice of Truth (Official Lyric Video)
Who Am I – Casting Crowns (w/ lyrics)
Casting Crowns – The Well (w/ Lyrics)
Casting Crowns – Lifesong (Lyrics)
Praise You in this Storm – Casting Crowns – Lyrics
Casting Crowns-Does Anybody Hear Her? (With Lyrics)
Casting Crowns – Only Jesus (Official Lyric Video)
Casting Crowns – Just Be Held (Official Lyric Video)
Casting Crowns – This Is Now (Official Lyric Video)
Casting Crowns – Dream for You (Official Lyric Video)
Casting Crowns – The Very Next Thing (Official Lyric Video)
“One Step Away”- Casting Crowns (Lyrics)
Casting Crowns – Oh My Soul (Official Lyric Video)
What If I Gave Everything – Casting Crowns – with Lyrics
Chris Tomlin – Whom Shall I Fear [God Of Angel Armies] (Lyric Video)
Reckless Love (Official Lyric Video)
Masterpiece – [Lyric Video] Danny Gokey
See A Victory (Lyrics) – Elevation Worship
God of the Impossible by Everfound (Lyric Video)
Fireflight – Rise Above(Lyrics)
Fireflight- Unbreakable [Lyrics]
Brand New Day by Fireflight w/ Lyrics
For King & Country // God Only Knows Lyric Video
for KING & COUNTRY – Burn the Ships (lyrics)
Fight On, Fighter (Lyric Video) | for KING & COUNTRY
for KING & COUNTRY – Control Lyric Video
Proof of Your love (Lyrics) ~ For King & Country [Monologue]
Shoulders – For King & Country (Lyrics)
for KING & COUNTRY – TOGETHER (Official Lyric Video)
He Knows My Name (Lyrics) Francesca Battistelli
Hannah Kerr “Warrior” Official Lyric Video
God is Still God-Heather Williams (Lyrics)
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) – Hillsong United lyrics
Hope Darst – Peace Be Still (Official Lyric Video)
Faithful God – I AM THEY (Lyrics)
Scars – I Am They (lyric video)
Jaci Velasquez – Give Them Jesus Official Lyric Video
Remind Me Who I Am (Lyrics) – Jason Gray
Jason Gray – With Every Act Of Love (Lyric Video)
Jeremy Camp – Same Power (Lyric Video)
Blessings – Laura Story (with lyrics)
How Can It Be by Lauren Daigle with lyrics
Rescue (Lyric Video) – Lauren Daigle
Lauren Daigle – You Say (Lyrics)
Lauren Daigle ~ Remember (Lyrics)
Michael W. Smith – Waymaker ft. Vanessa Campagna & Madelyn Berry
Mandisa – Overcomer (Official Lyric Video)
Matthew West – Broken Things (Lyric Video)
Matthew West – Dream Again (Lyric Video)
Matthew West You Are Known (Lyric Video
Matthew West – Hello, My Name Is (Lyrics)
Matthew West – The God Who Stays (Lyric Video)
Matthew West – Forgiveness (Lyrics)
Unchangeable by Matthew West (lyric video)
Wonderfully Made (Lyrics) – Matthew West
Matthew West – Restored (Lyrics)
Matthew West – Grace Wins (Lyric Video)
Matthew West – Mended (Official Lyric Video)
MercyMe-Almost Home (lyric video)
MercyMe – Flawless (with Lyrics)
Passion – There’s Nothing That Our God Can’t Do (Lyric Video/Live) ft. Kristian Stanfill
Phil Wickham – Battle Belongs (Official Lyric Video)
Third Day Cry out to Jesus w Lyrics
Thomas Rhett (feat.Reba, Keith Urban, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin) – Be a Light (with lyrics)(2020)