When you’re tired of the old

January 9, 2014 by Lisa Burgess 10 Comments

or, HOW TO FIND FRESH GRACE

22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23

Holiday break is over. You’re back at work. Kids are back in school.

And your old problems are back as well.
Is 2014 looking suspiciously like a repeat of 2013?

Where are those new mercies God promised to bring every morning?

Granted, “new mercies” is old news. “His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning” was written by the prophet Jeremiah around 575 B.C. to a people heavy with sorrow at the destruction of Jerusalem (Lamentations 3:22-23).

In your own lifetime, maybe you’ve read that verse dozens of times. Maybe you’ve heard it so often that you tune it out now.

The old can become stale.
Until the hunger becomes fresh . . .

How can we receive God’s grace in new ways for our old situations?

1. ASK FOR IT
Begin by asking for fresh grace (Matthew 7:7). Search your heart to distinguish your needs, then lay your requests before the Lord. God delights in giving good gifts to His children and will honor your dependence upon Him.

2. PAY ATTENTION
Once you’ve asked, watch to see how God will answer. His response might not come packaged as you’d expect, so keep eyes and ears open to new ways He may be revealing His mercies to you. Anticipate the unexpected (Ephesians 3:20).

3. GIVE MERCY YOURSELF
Could you be jamming up God’s mercy by refusing to pass it along (Matthew 5:7)? If you’ve become too self-consumed, find another who could use your help. Don’t be surprised at how quickly God’s grace can flow through you to them, healing your own hurts in the process.

4. REFRAME YOUR STORY
If you’ve grown deaf to God’s grace in your life, seek out a fellow believer who can remind you of His goodness you may be overlooking (Proverbs 19:20). Listening to another’s perspective on your story can be enlightening.

5. BELIEVE DIFFERENTLY
Could your expectations be out of whack? Take time to realign your expectations with what God actually promises (Isaiah 41:10). Sometimes we need reminders of the deeper gifts. Believe differently and see if new mercies become uncovered.

6. WAIT. WAIT. WAIT.
In the end, remember it’s not up to you to earn your grace; it’s a gift God gives because of who He is, not because of what you do. Trust that He will be faithful; find rest in His steadfast love for you (Deuteronomy 7:9).

Even though you may still feel stuck with the same old problems, you’re never the same old you. Every day you’re being transformed more into the image of Your Creator (2 Corinthians 3:18). Every day is different from the last, and you’ve never experienced God in this day in this exact way before.

Receive His mercies as new in this day, in this moment.
It’s grace at its freshest.

Have you brought old problems into the new year? How have you seen fresh grace for them? Who helps you reframe your story?

Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Good tidings in modern times

December 3, 2013 by Julie 5 Comments

I emerged from the gauntlet of perfume counters and white coated clerks thrusting sample cards under my nose. Pausing in a forest of mitten covered racks, I caught my breath and surveyed the scene, searching for it. A mention of Christmas? Evidence Christ was born? Suggestion of a manger? There was none.

Other than giant-sized posters of happy people dressed in red beneath a single word in large script saying “BELIEVE,” little proof existed to say the day was anything other than a national shopping day. “Believe what?” I wanted to shout. No one would’ve heard me over the din of doorbusters and “Next!” and crying children covered by packages in strollers.

But department store shouldn’t have to tell me what to believe. They exist for shopping days; they know their goal and they stay focused. So who’s the one to declare good tidings in these noisy, modern times?

For Christians, the Christmas season celebrates the incarnation of God’s Son, the earthly birth of the heavenly Savior. Known as “the Word,” even His name promised the giving of a message, news of hope for all mankind. And in the very story of His arrival, words took center stage.

announcements were made
government decrees were sent out
prophecy’s fulfillment was spoken
a baby was inspired by a greeting
good news of great joy was declared
songs were sung by united hosts
threats were sent out by Roman rulers
rejection was delivered by a busy innkeeper
worship was humbly spoken in the night

Along with the gift of “The Word,” God gave us the gift of words of our own. He entrusted us with the power of voice, whether spoken, written, signed, painted or played. He gave us the power to convey a message. His message. We have the potential to declare the Good Tidings.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.“ John 1:14

Modern times are noisy times and times with more modes of delivering tidings than ever before.

With all of the words out there, people still want to know, “Believe what?”

And that’s where those entrusted with the power of words join with the shepherds and the angel host and the wise men to declare good tidings. Our modern times count on US to sound out the good news that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

Will you join Do Not Depart this month as we explore the gift of words and rediscover the power and the joy of good tidings in modern times?

It’s our pleasure to serve & follow Jesus

April 16, 2013 by Julie 4 Comments

Where I live, the temperature crept up into the flip flop zone today, and the sky was the color blue that makes you want to stand on top of a hill and spin around. You know what I mean, don’t you? Apparently, this clear, sunny, warm day also made everyone crave Chick-fil-a. Our double drive-thru lines stretched out to the street as cars full of people dangled their hands out of their windows. The employees were not rattled by the masses or the lunchtime challenge. No, if you’re going to work at Chick-fil-a, you have to be ready to answer every customer with a genuine “My pleasure.” Becoming an employee comes with certain expectations.

If anyone serves Jesus, you have to follow him. Becoming a disciple comes with certain expectations.

The Ultimate Servant

Just after announcing that the time had finally come for the Son of Man to be glorified, Jesus explained that when “a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies,” it is able to bear a harvest. Knowing that he was about to sacrifice his life on the cross in order to offer the gift of eternal life, Jesus directed his words to those who would serve him and follow him. Instead of recruiting disciples with promises of an easy journey with guaranteed low pain and high prosperity, Jesus told the truth. He was going to be the ultimate servant by surrendering his life for others, and those who want to serve him will be called to do the same.

The Following Servant

To serve Christ the Lord is to be ready to answer every lost person with a genuine desire to sacrifice self as a follower of Christ. It may mean you forego a pleasure in order to make room for someone else. It may mean you give up your own recognition to defer to another person. It may mean you risk your reputation by claiming to know Christ Jesus. It may mean you surrender your life to a government that demands you renounce your faith. It may mean you run into a smoke filled Boston sidewalk just moments after a bombing to carry a victim to safety, because that’s what Jesus did for us in the conflict of eternity.

The Servant’s Truth

It’s unthinkable that we would serve Jesus and not follow him in a daily life of surrender. To be his servant is to be his follower. Modern church culture often sells a watered down version to entice would-be recruits to an easy grace, but Jesus tells it like it really is. Grace came with a high price, and to follow in the steps of the One who paid it, we must also live a life of surrender. For the genuine servant of Christ, it is possible to do the hard work, even the sacrificial work, of following because, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

The Servant’s Promise

The Chick-fil-a job application promises a positive work environment, competitive pay, training, flexible hours, and even fun employee outings. They’re looking for “friendly, enthusiastic people who enjoy serving customers.” That’s awesome if you’re Chick-fil-a, but Jesus asks for more and promises more.

If you serve him, you have to follow him daily, everywhere, even to the hard places.
You have to surrender everything, but you gain everything.
He promised, “If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him,” (John 12:26b).

Jesus glorified his Father by surrendering his life, and he invites us to do the same. “Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

To serve Jesus is to surrender your own agenda and follow him, and as you do, it will be his divine pleasure to welcome you to a present peace with him now and a perfect future with him for eternity.

Has God ever asked you to make a sacrifice as His servant/follower?
What scripture gives you confidence that God will enable you to do the hard things?

I Obey Because He Instructs Righteousness (Run to Him – Psalm 119)

March 31, 2012 by Katie Orr 2 Comments

Obedience.

It’s hard for my four year old. (It’s also hard for that four-year-old’s momma.)

Though I long to live a life of obedience to His commands, I struggle daily to keep my feet on the narrow path.

Obedience is not simply a choice of the will, as our efforts will only bring us so far. Our beliefs come in to play as well.

When I disobey I am ultimately saying that I know better—just like my four year old. Now, I might never say so with my mouth—that I know better than God—but I say it daily when I choose my own way.

You do too.

Disobedience, even in the smallest of choices, is at its core rebellion against the God of those commands.

When I choose selfishness instead of sacrifice, I sin. When I “vent” my frustrations about a difficult person instead of holding my tongue, I disobey. When my thoughts drift to discontentment and dwell in an attitude of ungratefulness, I rebel.

In each of these situations, I say “Katie knows best.”

Obedience is saying “God knows best.”

Holiness is not a series of do’s and don’ts, but conformity to the character of God and obedience to the will of God. – Jerry Bridges, The Pursuit of Holiness

The Beliefs of the Psalmist

Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. (Psalm 119:129)

The psalmist was not some super-Christian, who had more ability to obey than you or me. We have all been given everything we need for godliness (2 Peter 1). We just need to figure out what hinders us. Oftentimes it is because we don’t believe that God and His commands are good. The psalmist saw God’s commands as wonderful, and I fully believe that had all to do with his commitment to obedience.

Here is more of what the psalmist believed:

God’s words gives light and understanding. (Psalm 119:130)
His rules are forever right and faithful. (Psalm 119:138, 144)
God righteousness is everlasting. (Psalm 119:137,142)
His Word is very pure. (Psalm 119:140)
His law is truth and well tried. (Psalm 119:142)

Because of these beliefs, the writer of this Psalm had a resolved commitment to the Word of God, and the God of those words. This commitment flows naturally into obedience.

The Actions of the Psalmist

Here are just a few actions I saw of the psalmist:

He longed for God’s commandments. (Psalm 119:131)
He prayed for God to teach him His statues, and direct his steps by the Word (Psalm 119:133, 135)
He loved the Word. (Psalm 119:140)
He delighted in God’s commands. DELIGHTED. (Psalm 119:35, 143)
He was determined to walk in obedience to God’s Word. (Psalm 119:33,34,57)

The psalmist understood the relationship between God and His commandments. They could not be separated. If He wanted to be near to God, He must walk in His commands. He saw God and His commandments as good, right, and trustworthy. That made all the difference in his obedience.

When we walk with the Lord

in the light of his word,

what a glory he sheds on our way!

While we do his good will,

he abides with us still,

and with all who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,

or we’ll walk by his side in the way;

what he says we will do,

where he sends we will go;

never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

–John H. Sammis

What did you see in the verses you studied this week? Come and share with us what you learned!

Photo Credit

Living Fully Convinced {Believing Better}

December 31, 2011 by Katie Orr 8 Comments

I look back on 2011 and have many regrets. There are words I wish I could take back; choices I would like to change, but I can’t. There are habits I hoped to establish; goals I had planned to achieve, but I didn’t.

It would be a mistake to look at my failures and, through guilt-motivation, set out to try harder this new year.

Trying harder may work for a while but, come February, most of us will find ourselves “two steps back,” discouraged and defeated.

By Grace Through Faith

Though I cannot change the past, I do have hope for change for the future. It is through the same great truths we experienced in our first moment of life with Christ.

It is by God’s grace, through my faith, that I can experience life change.

The focus in the Bible, over and over again, is not on our works, but on God’s grace and our faith. Yes, our deeds are important, and as we grow in Christ, our actions should and will look differently a year from now; but the change we want to see in our lives—true life-change—comes only through a grace-filled work of the Holy Spirit in us, as we abide in Christ.

We see this beautiful picture of faith in the grace of God bringing forth righteousness in Abraham:

That is why [righteousness] depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:16-22 ESV)

Living Fully Convinced

Friends, will you join me in a new pursuit? To not to let my plans for more quiet times, a better prayer life, or more self-control trump my pursuit of growing strong in my faith. To make my new-year’s goals less oriented toward becoming a better person, and more toward knowing God in bigger ways.

To focus on becoming fully convinced that God is able, instead of trying to prove that I am the one who is able.

Let’s enter into this new year with a new resolution. Not one of trying harder, but one of believing better.

Here is a wrap-up of the Believing Better Series:

Establishing a Rhythm with God {Believing Better}

December 28, 2011 by Heather 7 Comments

At the beginning of the month, Katie introduced our series with a post on “believing better” instead of trying harder; focusing on our faith and letting go of the guilt to do more. The Do Not Depart Team wrote about believing God to forgive, believing God to heal, believing in a big God, believing God in the times of waiting and believing God in difficult circumstances.

These posts prompted me to consider: I know I believe IN God, but do I truly believe God?

Do my actions and choices reflect that I believe God to forgive, heal, & provide? Do I go about my day moved by the moments & influenced by my environment resulting in reactive chaos?

Everything changes when I am intentional. When I set up patterns or establish a rhythm with God in my day, week, month, even year, then I can stay in tune with His Spirit and my faith is secure. My actions reflect a stronger belief…not because of my efforts but because of staying in step with His Spirit through intentionality.

As we begin the new year let us not have a list of activities that we will fail to fulfill after a couple of months. Instead let us think about how we can set up a rhythm with God. What can we put in place in our lives that keep us connected to Him?

“A rule for life is a simple statement of the regular rhythms we chose in order to present our bodies to God as our ‘spiritual act of worship’ (Romans 12:1). Each rule or rhythm, is a way we partner with God for transformation only he can bring…Life-giving rules are brief and realistic scaffold of disciplines that support your heart’s desire to grow in loving God and others.” Adele Calhoun from Spiritual Disciplines Handbook

God desires us to have life and to have it abundantly (John 10:10). He wants us to be in tune with Him so that we are free to rest in Him and not our efforts.

photo credit

How do you realistically establish a rhythm (or rule for life) with God?

Here are some questions to ask yourself (from Adele Calhoun):

When & where do you feel closest to God? Pay attention to the experiences, practices, & relationships that draw you toward God.

What practices best suit your daily, monthly, and yearly rhythms and cycles?

Where do you want to change? Where do you feel powerless to change? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you do through grace what you cannot do through effort alone.

Choose several disciplines that arise from your desire for God’s transforming work and that suit the limits and realities of your life. Begin your practice.

You may feel most “in sync” with God while listening to a worship song. Or perhaps journaling your prayers. Or memorizing scripture. Or taking a walk in nature. Or meeting with a kindred spirit to discuss His truth. Or reading commentaries on His Word.

Here are some sample rules or rhythms:

Dedicate every day (in the morning) for the glory of God
Confess my sins before I go to bed
Pray for others
Direct all my wandering thoughts to my Savior
Set aside one day a week to “rest in Him” (Sabbath)
Meet monthly with a spiritual director or mentor

In your life. With your schedule. Your unique personality. What rules or rhythm will you establish in 2012 to rely on Him?

“The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

If you are intentional to make space for God in the busyness of life, He will be faithful to partner with you for personal transformation. Believing Better. Not only believing IN God but believing God.

The Real Temptation

December 28, 2011 by Katie Orr 3 Comments

Every temptation to sin is, in the moment, a temptation to disbelieve the gospel-the temptation to secure for ourselves in that moment something we think we need in order to be happy, something we don’t yet have: meaning, freedom, validation, and so on. Bad behavior happens when we fail to believe that everything we need, in Christ we already have; it happens when we fail to believe in the rich provisional resources that are already ours in the gospel. Conversely, good behavior happens when we daily rest in and receive the finished work of Christ in deeper and deeper ways, smashing any sense of need to secure for ourselves anything beyond what Christ has already secured for us.

-Tullian Tchividjian, Jesus + Nothing = Everything

______________________________________________

For the month of December we are sharing posts and quotes to help us escape the Cycle of Try Harder, through Believing Better.

Read more Believing Better posts here.

Bologna or steak?

December 27, 2011 by Lisa Burgess 2 Comments

The Word of God cuts through the fog of Satan’s lies and shows me where true and lasting happiness is to be found. And so the Word helps me stop trusting in the potential of sin to make me happy.

Instead the Word entices me to trust in God’s promises.

When faith has the upper hand in my heart I am satisfied with Christ and his promises. This is what Jesus meant when he said, “He who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

When my thirst for joy and meaning and passion are satisfied by the presence and promises of Christ, the power of sin is broken.

We do not yield to the offer of sandwich meat when we can smell the steak sizzling on the grill.

~ John Piper, Future Grace

_________________________________________

For the month of December we are sharing posts and quotes to help us escape the Cycle of Try Harder, through Believing Better.

Read more Believing Better posts here.

How to Receive Forgiveness {Believing Better}

December 22, 2011 by Patti Brown 7 Comments

It happened again.

I woke up, put water on for tea, thought just while the water boils, sat down at the computer, and got lost.

When I found myself, the water had cooled down again and the children were awake. No quiet time for me. No bible reading, no scripture study, no singing or praying.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15

The small sins, they pile up. The selfishness, the letting things slide, the I’ll-just-have-one-more greed. But the Spirit convicts… I recognize my guilt. And then confession must come.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Miraculously, there is no condemnation…

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Because although I am convicted, I am not condemned. Freed because Jesus took the sentence for me. He paid the fine, served the time. Gave me the gift of forgiveness.

But… do I live it? Do I live free? He does forgive, when I confess.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12

But do I accept His forgiveness? If I grieve over my sin and focus relentlessly on my own brokenness, what energy do I have left to look at Him?

Choosing to live burdened by guilt is wrong-headed. It is believing badly.

Of course I am guilty. But to wallow in the guilt? Who am I to reject that forgiveness? Who am I to put myself above God, to wear the mantle of accusation, to act as one condemned?

“I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.” C. S. Lewis

If a girl is paying attention to His Spirit she is convicted of her sin. But a girl who has asked for forgiveness has received it, and she is not condemned, thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice on her behalf.

But what of the girl who hangs her head and whispers, “What I have done is too bad for God to forgive.”

Believing better means understanding that it’s not about what you have done. It’s about Him. About His faithfulness, His righteousness. Not. Yours.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

He is faithful. He is righteous.

We confess… we are forgiven. No caveats or disclaimers or as-long-as-it-wasn’t-too-serious.

Forgiveness, grace… a gift from the Lord Jesus Christ to us each…

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

In humility, with thanksgiving, I receive the gift of forgiveness. I do not deserve it, which is why I must receive it as a gift. It is the gift that frees me to walk in love, joyfully living my days even seeing my own brokenness.

photo by asenat29

Little Faith, Big God {Believing Better}

December 21, 2011 by Kathy Howard 9 Comments

If you had to rate your faith on a scale of 1 to 10, how would your faith score? A “1” means your faith is hard to find. A “10” means your faith impacts everyone you encounter. If I am totally honest I would have to say it depends on the day.

If you had to describe your faith using adjectives, which ones would you use? I would love to say “strong, unwavering, passionate, and big.” And some days I could use those words to describe my faith. But there are other days. Days when I would have to say, “weak, shaky, dry, and small.”

Recently, God reminded me of something during my time with Him: The reality of my faith does not depend on feelings. My feelings fluctuate depending on my circumstances. Sometimes my faith feels weak because I’m battered by the world or I’ve yielded to temptation. But other times – like when I’ve witnessed God do something awesome – I feel like my faith can move mountains.

The truth is, the true quality of my faith depends on the Object of my faith. My faith may be small, but my God is infinitely big. My faith may be weak, but my God is stronger than I can comprehend. He is the Mountain-mover. Not me.

Photo Credit

Daily, I must remind myself that my faith does not depend on my feelings or my circumstances. Those things change constantly. My faith must be grounded in the Person of God. Who He is and what He does.

A big faith will not make me believe better. But faith in our Big God will. I cannot live a Christ-like life by depending on a big faith. But I can faithfully follow Christ and please the Father when my faith rests in my Big God.

Just how big is our God? He has all power. Scripture tells us He hung the moon and stars in the sky (Psalm 8:3). He marked off the heavens with the breadth of His hand and weighed the earth’s mountains on a scale (Isaiah 40:12). Nothing is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:17)!

God also has all authority. God not only has the power to do anything, He also has the right. He establishes kings and deposes them (Acts 17:25-27). He controls life, death, and eternity (Ephesians 1:20-22).

What matters most is not the size of our faith but the size of our God. It is not my faith that resists temptation, obeys God’s will, or moves mountains. It is the Object of my faith working in me.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Eph 3:20-21, ESV

How would you describe your faith today? Now, how would you describe your God?

_________________________________

For the month of December we are sharing posts and quotes to help us escape the Cycle of Try Harder, through Believing Better.

Read more Believing Better posts here.

Facing Your Fears {Believing Better}

December 20, 2011 by Do Not Depart 6 Comments

My physical therapist asked me to list any injuries I’ve suffered requiring medical treatment. When I finished and looked up, her mouth hung open in disbelief. “It’s amazing you’re still alive; you must’ve lived in constant fear!” I hate it when people see through me like that.

Photo Credit

Legitimately labeled “accident prone” as a child, my mishaps left behind scars on my body and fears in my mind. I wondered if the PT also saw evidence of my deeper scars and fears, left behind by things not treated with splints or stitches. Unseen injuries heal reluctantly, often leaving us believing the worst, leaving us limping through life in fear.

Believing lies of fear leaves us with one hand on a life preserver or patching holes in our protective walls. Fear-lies are like that, robbing us of opportunity and joy. Unlike the pain of broken bones or cuts, some of life’s most painful scars can be passed on, unless we believe better. Until we put to death lies that give birth to fear and believe what’s true, we need rehab of the heart and mind.

To believe something better than fear is to believe God’s promises. His truth has power over fear.

He holds my hand, so I’m not thrown down (Psalm 37:24).
He keeps me, without even sleeping, and won’t let my foot be moved (Psalm 121).
His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

The power of my God is better than my hazardous history on playgrounds and bikes and gyms and trails … and relationships and attempts and dreams. The truth is that He will not stop gripping my hand or let me be thrown down; He will hold me and steady me and keep watching over me. Believing that truth is better than believing the suggestions of the fear loving, reckless Enemy!

Truth sets me free from fear and gives me confidence. A man once believed better than the fears whispered to him as he approached the masses of India, believing he should “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” (William Carey)

For a gal with a long history of ER visits, it takes a lot to convince me that I’m secure. And when our hearts bear deep scars from life’s impact, it takes a lot to convince us that we’re secure. Do your scars keep you living in fear? In your church? In your friendships? With your family? In your marriage? In your career?

Our Keeper offers us healing to cover over each scar and give us confidence to carry into each new opportunity. Do you believe it? That’s so much better than fear.

_________________________________

A guest post by:

Photobucket

Julie Sanders is a Women’s Ministry leader who loves to share God’s word with women in her hometown and around the world in a way that shows truth applies to life. She keeps busy with her adventure loving Pastor-husband and two teenagers, and she tries not to be a helicopter mom, since she knows first-hand that accidents DO happen. Julie feels safe knowing God holds her hand and offers peace in every mishap of life. You can find her blogging at Come Have a Peace and on Twitter, and she’ll secretly like you more if you drink coffee.

_________________________________

For the month of December we are sharing posts and quotes to help us escape the Cycle of Try Harder, through Believing Better.

Read more Believing Better posts here.

Faith that changes

December 17, 2011 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

The majority defines faith as belief in the existence of God.

In earlier times, that was taken for granted. Rather, faith had to do with one’s relationship to God—whether one trusted in God.

The difference between faith as “belief in something that may or may not exist” and faith as “trusting in God” is enormous. The first a matter of the head, the second a matter of the heart.

The first can leave us unchanged, the second intrinsically brings change.

~ Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

______________________________________________

For the month of December we are sharing posts and quotes to help us escape the Cycle of Try Harder, through Believing Better.

Read more Believing Better posts here.

Hiding in Him

December 16, 2011 by Heather 2 Comments

When I don’t set my mind on truth, my mind automatically sinks into shame. And shame opens wide the door to fear. It is so crafty, this fear, that I take it on as my very identity: I am afraid, I hear myself say. And in the saying, I practice the presence of fear, rather than rest in the safety of God. I practice my identity as one who is afraid, rather than set my mind on the truth of my salvation, as one who has been given a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. …

It takes work to set our minds on truth. It does not come naturally; it comes supernaturally as we depend on Christ to remind us of truth that is already true, to call to our minds the reality of the victory he has won…”For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). The mind set on fear, worry, anger, hurt, revenge, lust, jealousy, and shame is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

What you believe about God and yourself and the world becomes your hiding place. If what you believe is true, then where you live and breathe is a safe place. But what if the things you believe about God and yourself and the world are untrue? Then the place where you hide is decidedly unsafe.

Just because we feel safe where we hide does not mean we are safe. I feel safe behind my mask, not because it’s always comfortable, but more because the alternative is unknown. To step out from behind that mask is to risk exposure and rejection. That is why I stay here.

It is only when the haven I thought my mask provided begins to crumble that I will be willing to consider the possibility that perhaps it isn’t as safe as I once believed. Our hiding places can be either our havens or our prisons. Setting our minds on the truth of God’s Word will ensure that we don’t stay captive behind those tattered, tired-out masks. And we will then say with confidence, “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance” (Ps 32:7).

Emily P. Freeman, “Grace for the Good Girl”

______________________________________________

For the month of December we are sharing posts and quotes to help us escape the Cycle of Try Harder, through Believing Better.

Read more Believing Better posts here.

The Better Choice: Believing

December 13, 2011 by Do Not Depart 6 Comments

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:23-25, emphasis added

I believe …

We say it all the time. I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe we’re called to share our faith. I believe God wants us to know Him intimately through time spent in prayer and in His Word. I believe the Word is true and changes people’s lives.

I believe.

But do we? Really?

James says there is a difference between a hearer of the Word and a doer of the Word. I’ve thought about this a great deal. Not in the context of a works-based salvation, but even deeper. That difference between knowing and believing.

Knowing the straps on a roller coaster are designed to hold me safely in the ride is one thing. Believing they will do that job is totally different. Knowing might get me in line … but believing straps me in the seat.

Photo Credit

Maybe, just maybe, we get caught up in the knowing … standing the lines of Bible study homework completed and church attendance lists … and we miss the real grace of believing … of strapping in the ride.

Believing might call some of us to sell everything and live in a poor community sharing the love of Jesus with those who have lost all hope. Believing might ask some of us to give up the frantic pace of modern life and move slowly, intentionally, to be different in the scariest ways we can imagine. Believing might require early mornings spent in prayer and study or late nights of intercession for the lost. Believing asks that we lay down our dreams, our plans, our understanding.

Believing is strapping for the ride of our lives … with promised suffering but also eternal hope.

I don’t know about you, but I’m no longer satisfied with standing in the line of knowing. I’m choosing to strap myself into the ride of believing. Believing bigger, believing better.

Will you join me?

______________________________________________________

A guest post by

Teri Lynne Underwood

Married to her talented Worship Pastor husband and momma to her silly {and slightly hormonal}tween girl, Teri Lynne is living out her own happily ever after. Finding glimpses of holy in the most mundane places, Teri Lynne’s one desire is to invite others into this journey toward a life where the sacred and secular collide. She writes at a little white desk and studies in a big not-so-white-anymore chair in between loading the dishwasher, putting the dog out, and sitting in the car line. Grace grabbed hold of her life and since it did, she’s never been the same. You can join her on her blog and on Twitter.

______________________________________________

For the month of December we are sharing posts and quotes to help us escape the Cycle of Try Harder, through Believing Better.

Read more Believing Better posts here.

Abiding Fruit: Self-Control

December 12, 2011 by Do Not Depart 9 Comments

I quickly get discouraged when I feel certain areas of my life become unruly. I feel it lately, as I am surrounded by sweet treats that are so hard to say no to. I experience it every morning as I try to get up early to meet with the Lord, and more often than I would like, I choose to snooze.

Photo Credit

I don’t need to teach a lesson today on what self-control is. We all know what it is, and most of us would say we lack it. Whether it be in regards to the way we eat, what we say and do, or our maybe our thought-life; there are probably at least a few areas in each our lives in which we lack self-control.

Although, I did find something very interesting in my study of self-control this week:

Enkrateia.

That’s the greek word for self-control.

It’s used four times in the New Testament. (Acts 24:25, Galatians 5:23, and repeated twice in 2 Peter 1:6)

That’s it. Four times.

So as I came to this week of study, a bit discouraged and defeated, I was comforted that I didn’t find a bigger list of things for me to control in my life.

Isn’t Self-Control Just Trying Harder?

I find it incredibly fitting that self-control comes right in the middle of our Believing Better series. This series was a bit of a last-minute leading from the Lord, and here we are studying self-control, something which can easily be mistaken with the Cycle of Try Harder.

So, is self-control just another way of saying “try harder”?

Remember what our series is all about? It is about the FRUIT of the SPIRIT. Self-control is a FRUIT. It is a PRODUCT of being a Spirit-led, healthy Christian.

And, when we get down to the nitty-gritty of 2 Peter 1:3-8, we see a similar message we’ve been learning all along.

An All-Powerful God Has Granted

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue… (2 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

Did you catch the amazing truths of what God has given us?

All things that pertain to life and godliness.
Precious and very great promises.

And do you see why?

So that you may become partakers of the divine nature—to escape sinful desire .
To fuel our efforts towards maturing our faith.

Remember the Central Command

Most of the commands in Scripture are surrounded by the truths of what Christ has done for us. Here in 2 Peter, amidst the list of qualities that should be increasing in our lives, the commands are preceded by the reality that even our best efforts are worthless with out the power of God in our lives.

Earlier in our Abiding Fruit studies we looked at the central command of Galatians 5—the secret to experiencing fruit-filled living. The central command: walk by the Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit brings forth the fruit of self-control.

We aren’t to mainly pursue self-control, but to pursue Jesus. As we do, self-control will come.

Do you struggle with self-control? How do you think pursuing Jesus and yielding to the Spirit will help you live a more self-controlled life?

There is so much more to learn from this passage! What did you see this week in your studies?

The Dragon is Slain

December 9, 2011 by Katie Orr 1 Comment

Picture your flesh—that old ego with the mentality of merit and craving for power and reputation and self-reliance—picture it as a dragon living in some cave of your soul. Then you hear the gospel, and in it Jesus Christ comes to you and says, “I will make you mine and take possession of the cave and slay the dragon. Will you yield to my possession? It will mean a whole new way of thinking and feeling and acting.” You say: “But that dragon is me. I will die.” He says, “And you will rise to newness of life, for I will take its plan; I will make my mind and my will and my heart your own.” You say, “What must I do?” He answers, “Trust me and do as I say. As long as you trust me, we cannot lose.” Overcome by the beauty and power of Christ you bow and swear eternal loyalty and trust.

And as you rise, he puts a great sword in your hand and says, “Follow me.” He leads you to the mouth of the cave and says, “Go in, slay the dragon.” But you look at him bewildered, “I cannot. Not without you.” He smiles. “Well said. You learn quickly. Never forget: my commands for you to do something are never commands to do it alone.” Then you enter the cave together. A horrible battle follows and you feel Christ’s hand on yours. At last the dragon lies limp. You ask, “Is it dead?” His answer is this: “I have come to give you new life. This you received when you yielded to my possession and swore faith and loyalty to me. And now with my sword and my hand you have felled the dragon of the flesh. It is a mortal wound. It will die. That is certain. But it has not yet bled to death, and it may yet revive with violent convulsions and do much harm. So you must treat it as dead and seal the cave as a tomb. The Lord of darkness may cause earthquakes in your soul to shake the stones loose, but you build them up again. And have this confidence: with my sword and my hand on yours this dragon’s doom is sure, he is finished, and your new life is secure.”

—John Piper, Walk by the Spirit! (Sermon)