Experiencing depression goes much deeper that experiencing sadness or doubt. Depression seeps into every part of who you are making it nearly impossible to see hope or relief or any amount of change towards a life that is different. It feels lonely. It feels hopeless. It feels dark and meaningless. So what does our God say about these very real and consuming parts as a result of living in a dark and broken world?
Anxious thoughts are constantly taking up space in our minds. They can easily take over our day to day lives causing us to live on edge and as far away as possible from any sense of peace. But we aren't alone...we all struggle with these thoughts & God is our only and truest source of peace that has truth to speak to our anxiety.
We all have situations or relationships that left us in hurt or broken places. Whether we were done wrong by or did the wrong doing....life is full of grudges. The enemy wants us to give into hold pain against those who have done us wrong which keeps us trapped in a cycle of hurt and unforgiveness.
It's often hard to come to grips with finding peace in a restless world. How do we find and embrace peace when situations in life seem less than ideal? We start at the character of who God is...
He doesn't shy away from our pain or questions and embraces the messiness of us looking for peace while holding our questions and pain in the other hand. God can handle our mess. He embraces it, and us...no matter what. And comes to give us rest and peace.
God gives us a number of titles of what Jesus will be and how he will relate to us. And it says that this child will be called Wonderful Counselor.
The Christmas season is like a magnifying glass. If you are in a season where things are going well — relationships are solid, business is good, you’re healthy then Christmas is going to magnify those warm feelings. But for others who are battling anxiety, depression, past traumas, conflict in relationships, things in their professional life are struggling — well then Christmas is going to magnify those things as well. So when we hear Jesus being described as a Wonderful Counselor that’s something we all need in very tangible ways.
When Jesus came to earth He came to be many things. To be a Savior, friend, guide, brother, servant, and our Father.
What kind of relationship does God really want? Your relationship to God has many aspects. God is your Father. He is your Creator. He is your maker, he's your judge, he's your master, he's your Lord, he's your Redeemer, he's your Savior, and he's many, many other things. But most shocking of all is this — God wants you for a friend.
What would be different in your life if you were 100% confident that God’s presence was with you?
God's presence is always around us because He is the God who is always with us. And when we truly recognize that God is with us, we can start to believe more that God is truly for us in all things.
Our homes are our safe havens. It's the place where we feel the most like ourselves. Just like our physical homes, when we choose to follow Jesus invite Him into our hearts to create a home that will always remain. So if He is going to dwell in us then how do prepare a home where we can rest with Him, dwell with Him, remain with Him?
When we choose to follow Jesus, we choose a beautiful life-long journey that He invites us on. Along the way we find important and catalytic moments that shape our faith in Jesus. And today we focus on three of these major milestone moments.
Who is someone who is close to you but far from God?
Another way we say it around Discovery is “Who is your 1?” Jesus told the story of the good shepherd who had 100 sheep. He brought them back from a day of grazing and there were 99. Jesus left the 99 and went after the one. If you are a disciple of Jesus you are part of the 99 which means God has put people in your life who are close to you but far from Him for you to help introduce to Jesus and to help disciple them.
God wants each of us to go on a life-long journey with Him and with others.
That word “with” is a powerful word. If we were to ask you “Who are you with?” What list would you begin to formulate? When we surround ourselves with great partnerships we get to take part in a relationship going in the same direction making a last impact in the arenas we live in.
We underestimate the power we’ve been given as individuals, as a collective group, as a a local community. It’s a convincing lie from Satan that we’re helpless and it keeps us complaining, blaming, and waiting. But the truth is from every angle, that the people have the power. The people have always had the power. We don’t need a king, because we already have one. The king down here needs us, we don’t need them. We just need to put on our prescription glasses and do what can see to do right now.
Samson was a broken hero, just as you and I are broken people. But Samson points to a better hero. His life as a fallen and imperfect judge points to the perfect Judge who was to come in Jesus.
Jesus finishes what Samson started. Jesus is the Leader we do NOT deserve. Both were announced and miraculous births but Jesus was never led by his impulses but by the Father's will.
We all have that one 'junk drawer' in our house that is a catch all. We also have another junk drawer that we are probably unaware of when it comes to beliefs in spiritual things. Where people pick and choose their virtues from here and spiritual ideas from over here and sprinkle in this one thing that I heard about on social media and they mix it together to form their religion which looks nothing like the way of Jesus.
Traps can cause problems for a few generations. But grace, love, compassion, mercy—with God’s help—can have an impact for a millennia. These values learned from God can break cycles, stopping them dead in their tracks.
Gideon is not your typical hero. When we first met him last week he was hiding out on his farm threshing wheat in a wine press. But God calls him “my mighty warrior” because he doesn’t see him for what he currently is but what He can do through him with His power. He does the same with us.
What would life be like, in any situation, if you knew God was with you?
God is in control and on our side. When we were at our worst and hopeless because of our sin God turned it for his plan and our side. So we know he can do the same in the dark times in our lives too.
Men and women are created equally by God and called to partnership with Him and each other. As we look further into the book of Judges we see the story of Deborah which shows us a leader of Israel that brought wise counsel and judgement.
