Your life is not your own for you were bought with a price. When we hear these statements we can slip into a performance mindset. Yes, we do need to lay our lives down for the sake of the Gospel, but it's a natural process as we lead with love. Love is the greatest attraction to Jesus, it's our strategy. Love will win the world.
In our discipleship group, someone asked this question.
I tried fasting for a week and after 72 hours , I broke it . I feel super guilty about it . How do I deal with this guilt and not think God is mad at me?
This was my answer…
You let yourself down, but you didn't let God down. When we don't reach our goals and disappoint ourselves, we have to process that and make choices to trust ourselves going forward. But God's not upset with you.
As far as fasting, it's a good exercise when we've become dull of hearing or hard-hearted toward God. It quiets our carnal bodies and desires and allows our spiritual senses to take a front seat, so you can remember who you already are in Christ.
God has not chosen a toxic spouse as his eternal bride. He assures this by providing a deep cleansing and renewal for us in Christ. Before he joins himself to us, he is meticulous in washing us pure with the lifeblood of Christ. He intricately sanctifies us to the state of holiness with Christ’s blood and his very own life essence, his spirit. In this process, he removes our broken and rebellious heart and gives us a new heart after his own heart, as David prayed. He then unites his spirit with ours to the point that you can’t distinguish between our spirit and his. He makes us partakers of his divine nature.
Your life is not your own, for you were bought with a price. If you don’t know your freedom in Christ, this statement can be a source of shame for you. Christians have been made to feel like they owe God, and the way you repay him is to be as good as possible. The good news is, God loves you no matter what. Once you are secure in your freedom in Christ, you become free to live in a way that honors him in everything you do. Not out of obligation but out of gratitude. Our new series will discuss the value God places on our lives and how we can respond to his love for us by glorifying him in everything we do. Today we will discuss what it means to give God glory. We pray today’s message is a blessing to you and inspires you to follow God more deeply.
Isaiah prophesied of a coming servant that would restore God’s people and bring healing to the nations. Jesus claimed that identity when He stepped into His public ministry when He said, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.” He was reading from Isaiah chapter 61 when He made this announcement about Himself. This year, our Christmas messages will focus on the mission of the Servant of God.
You have two sets of eyes; the physical eyes in your head and the eyes of your heart. The eyes in your head see the physical realm, while the eyes of your heart can “see” the spiritual realm. The eyes of your head are analytical, taking in data and detail while the eyes of your heart are designed to see kingdom concepts.
Trusting God is a choice. You know He is trustworthy, and you know you’re supposed to trust Him, but do you? Do you believe at your core that God will protect you? Do you deeply and confidently believe that every time you go to God He will be there for you? You know the answer should be “yes.” But life’s circumstances can cause us to doubt at times.
There’s a way to persuade your heart of God’s character, so your confidence in Him remains strong. The simplest way to say it is, believe the Word of God. But there is a process to believing the Word of God. Not just agreeing with it, but allowing it to be your core truth, no matter what.
Believers HAVE BEEN DELIVERED from the power of darkness, but what do you do when the enemy attacks? You magnify the supremacy of Christ, acknowledge your identity in Him, stand firm in your authority in Christ and don’t allow your thoughts to run away. God’s spirit of love, power and sound mind will strengthen you until the enemy leaves you alone. Join us today for the final message in this series.
