Tag: Life Coaching

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DON’T PUT DEPENDENCE IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR

Read: Mark 7:24-37

“Sharon” is a new mother. At the end of our conversation, I asked how I could pray for her. Thus began her list: “I try to pray and don’t pray enough. I try to read my Bible and can’t concentrate enough. When it comes to service, I don’t serve God enough. I try to attend every church service, but don’t try hard enough.” And the inventory went on and on. I asked, “Sharon, do you realize how many times you have used the word ‘try’ and mentioned your set of rules? The Pharisees were experts regarding bad behaviors and rule-breaking. What about God’s forgiveness and grace (especially with a new baby in the house)?” All Sharon could see was that she broke the rules and didn’t have the strength to obey. In her rearview mirror was God’s grace and forgiveness. In her desire to obey, she forgot that dependence on God is essential.

HOW FAR DO GOD’S GRACE AND FORGIVENESS EXTEND?

How far do God’s grace and forgiveness extend? Jesus made travel plans to the geographical area chock-full of Gentiles considered beyond the grace of God. Jewish tradition taught that a faithful Jew would have nothing to do with Gentiles and would never enter a Gentile’s house. In Mark 7, Jesus walks to the Gentile region of Tyre. A multitude chock-full of Gentiles tracks Him down. Among the crowd is a lone woman desperately concerned for her demon-possessed daughter, and willing to lay everything down at Jesus’ feet. How far will God’s grace and forgiveness extend?

PRIDE ABANDONED

The woman abandons her pride. She lives in a culture steeped in idolatry, but somehow she has heard about Jesus. There is no reason why He should ever hear her plea. She has nothing to offer Him. However, she does not relent in begging Jesus for help. To our Western ears, you wonder where this story is going. Jesus reminds the woman that the children (the Jewish people) get priority over the dogs (Gentiles like her). At that time, His duty was to the people of Israel, not to the Gentiles (Matthew 15:24). Taking His attention from Israel, in violation of His mission, would be like a father taking food from his children to throw it to their dogs (Matthew 15:26). But in the original language, Jesus did not use the word for mongrels. Jesus softened it into “little dogs” (house pets, rather than wild street dogs). This foretells the expansion to the Gentiles being grafted into the Kingdom of God.

FAITH COUPLED WITH HUMILITY

The woman responds with great faith. She accepts her low place before Jesus and doesn’t argue about the reference to dogs. She asks Jesus to deal with her on her own low level: “Lord, yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Her humble, faith-filled submission to Jesus brings the victory: healing for her daughter. Nothing appealed to Christ more than faith coupled with humility. Remember, in the previous chapter, Jesus dealt with the religious leaders blinded by pride. They didn’t think they needed God’s grace. Their faith and strength were in themselves, their rules, and their family connections, rather than submission and dependence on God.

FAITH IS NOTHING MORE THAN DEPENDENCE

“Jesus answered her, ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed instantly” (Matthew 15:28). Megan Fate Marshman writes, “When you boil it down to its essence, faith is nothing more than dependence. It is acknowledging that God is God and we are not, and that we need Him for absolutely everything. It is relying on God for what we are tempted to rely on ourselves for.”

DEPENDENCE FOR MORE THAN JUST SALVATION

To all of us Sharons, God is more than enough to depend on minute by minute, regardless of what stage of life we are in. Depend on the Holy Spirit for every breath, not just salvation.   

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TRUSTING IN THE LITTLE THINGS

I have glaucoma, which puts pressure on my optic nerve. As a result, seeing in unlit places is a trial, even on my best days. Small things can be challenging. When I look into my dark closet, I often must find my garments by touch rather than sight. Looking for small items is even more of a trial. Often, I talk with God about the things I cannot see because I feel blind as a bat. I choose to trust His eyes.

I wear a toe separator daily, a small piece of plastic that is vital to me. It keeps my big toe from smashing my other toes. Without the separator, walking is highly uncomfortable. This morning I lost my toe separator. Alas, Bill, my other set of eyes, wasn’t home. He is good at finding the small things I lose in dark places. After searching futilely, I prayed and left my problem in God’s hands. God saw what was lost.

THE MIRACLE OF THE TOE SEPARATOR

God cares even about the little things. Within the hour, I pulled a load of wash out of the dryer. Reaching in the back of the dryer, I pulled on something that was definitely not clothing. I opened my hand, and there was the toe separator. Last place on earth I would have ever looked, but God knew where it was. When I am blind, God sees.

GOD CARES ABOUT THE DETAILS

God cares about the little things and the big things of life. Even a toe separator matters to Him. I leave my eye condition to God as it ebbs and flows. He cares about every detail of life.

ACTIVELY TRUSTING IN EVERYTHING

Do you actively trust God with both the great and small things of your life? Choosing to know God better and discovering He is trustworthy is a choice worth pursuing. He cares about all of you, even if it is just a lost toe separator.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 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 121)

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WHAT KIND OF GOD DO YOU BELIEVE?

Read: Mark 7:1-23 (NLT) (ESV)

Mama sat through church (she never missed a service). On the way home, she complained about the preacher’s sermon, the family with the noisy kids, and the choir director’s lack of skill. Over Sunday dinner, Mama bowed and prayed. Daughter Sally had watched Mama that entire morning. As they passed the food, little Sally piped up, asking, “Mama, did God hear you when we left church, and you were angry about the sermon, the family, and the choir?” Mama’s face turned a little red as she said, “Yes, Sally, God heard me.” “Well, Mama, did God hear you when you prayed for the food right now?” Mama said, “Well, yes, Sally, He…He…He heard me.” Sally asked, “Mama, what does God think?” What kind of God did Mama believe?

What kind of God did the Pharisees believe? The Pharisees strictly followed the Talmud (also called the Oral Torah). They thought it offended God more to teach anything contrary to their oral traditions than to contradict Scripture itself. In horror, they saw Jesus’ disciples eating with hands not first ceremonially cleaned. The Pharisees proudly had a hand-washing prayer: “Blessed be Thou, O Lord, King of the universe, who sanctified us by the laws and commanded us to wash the hands.”

DID GOD REALLY CARE HOW THEY WASHED THEIR HANDS?

Did God sanctify them because they followed the Talmud? Was God more concerned with washing hands while Israel died spiritually? The Pharisees believed in a transactional God. The premise being: I follow our rules, and God will bless me.” Sadly, the Pharisees couldn’t personally obey the 600+ laws they lay on the people. Jesus commented on the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. They “tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger” (Matthew 23:4). The Pharisees didn’t know the holy God they were to love more than life itself.

WORSHIP THAT’S A FARCE

Their attitude highly offended Jesus. It’s ironic that Pilate ceremonially washed his hands before he handed Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus quoted Isaiah, “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

NICE OUTSIDE BUT ROTTEN INSIDE

Outward appearance was everything to the Pharisees. Jesus summed up their inner heart condition: “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Tragically, the Pharisees thought their sins were hidden from God.

Is your heart like Mama’s? Like the Pharisees? Are you a religious person, one who looks nice and healthy on the outside, but your inner world is quite different? How about a test? How did your heart respond this past week, if and when you saw the thousands who lost their lives in the flooding in Nepal and Tibet? Did you get on your knees and pray for a nation where believers are few and far between? Did you care? Mama wouldn’t. The Pharisees wouldn’t.  Neither of them believed in the God Who can change one from the inside out. What kind of God do you trust in?

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power of the king

I remember being at summer camp. I decided to go swimming, not realizing you were supposed to know HOW to swim before you got into the water. To this day, it is still a struggle for me to even float on water. How in the world did Jesus walk on water? That shocked a lot of people. People who heard about it and the disciples who saw it firsthand! Everyone was impressed. But why did Jesus decide to go walking on water, especially during a storm? To show them the power of the King.

THEY FORGOT HIS POWER

Jesus wanted to give them relief from the wind: “He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them” (Mark 6:45-52). Jesus decided to walk out and tell the wind to “knock it off”. And of course, the wind listened to Him. The Disciples were amazed, but should they have been? Just a few pages back in Mark 4:41, Jesus calmed the wind. Guess the reaction of the disciples: “Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey Him?” How quickly they forgot the power of the King!

BLIND TO HIS POWER

This wasn’t the only reason for Jesus’ surprise performance. Recently, He demonstrated His power: He calmed the wind and the waves, fed at least 5000 people on a hillside without a Wawa in sight, and walked on water with such ease as if He were the Great Wallenda.  Did the Disciples get the message? Apparently not, as we read in Mark 6:52: “They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened”. The power of God is revealed through Jesus Christ and in ways unheard of! But what about our day? Do we still see the power of the King alive, active and working?

MEANING OF POWER OF THE KING

So, what do we mean by “the power of the King”? Do we mean authority? How much authority does King Jesus have over our lives? Does the King’s power cover everyone within the Kingdom? Does His power mean He can feed thousands with a few fish and some bread, or He can strut across the lake without a boat in sight? It does. Even though these activities are within His power, there is so much more! Acts 1:8 promises: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in all Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus told the disciples that they would do even greater things than what He did! (Imagine that!)

MIRACLE OF A PRODIGAL

I watched an Elder-Led prayer meeting at a Florida church the other night. At the end of the evening, an Elder by the name of Dan Buckles shared his personal story. Dan discovered he had a son he was unaware of for 20-some years. After some time, he had the opportunity to meet Kristian, his son. Dan tried to build a relationship with him. However, Kristian’s health gravely deteriorated. Dan flew to the hospital to share the Gospel with his son. That night, Kristian rejected the message of salvation. Dan would not be deterred, so he went back the next day and presented the gospel to him one more time. Father Dan told his son he didn’t have much time to spend with him in this life and wanted to spend eternity with him. Kristian responded and gave his life to Christ! During the last hour of his life on this earth, Dan had the privilege of baptizing Kristian in the hospital room, and Kristian lived as a new creation in Christ. That is the power of the King!

WE CAN LIVE WITH HIS POWER

You and I can do great things through Christ if we solely allow God the Holy Spirit to be our strength. We can live with the power of the King!

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MY ANXIOUS LIFE

Ever since Bill’s illness made landfall in November 2026, I’ve battled a lot of anxiety. Right now, he has stayed out of the hospital since the end of May; however, nothing is guaranteed. Every day, my dear husband has a ritual. He records his weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood oxygen. All are indicators of whether his meds are still assisting his kidneys and heart to work together. It’s an extremely delicate balance. There is a lot to get anxious about.

TRIGGERS FOR ANXIETY

Every morning I get up and look at the numbers Bill has already recorded. Bad numbers usually trigger my anxiety. A wall of fear rises when his numbers go up. Instantly, I go through a checklist of everything he has eaten in the past day. Too much salt? Too little exercise? Forgot to take his meds? Am I panicking, or should I take him back to the ER?

BEST THINGS TO DO

Not a healthy initial response. I say I believe God, but I mentally go everywhere else first. Not good! Very slowly I am learning that when the tides of fear and anxiety flood my mind, the best thing I can do is:

  • Slow down
  • Examine the influx of emotions
  • Figure out what exactly I’m afraid of
  • Seriously think through what my response says about Who God is in my life.

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Do I trust that I can be broken and honest before Him?

Is He really my Father, the one who has patience with my waywardness?

Does He totally care regarding all our messy details?

BRINGING MY WILL TO HIS

What do my prayers say about my honest beliefs about God and His character? I love the Puritan prayer: “Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring my will to Yours, and that without this it is folly to pray” (Valley of Vision). I’ve prayed many prayers full of folly. This is not what God wants.

CANNOT ACCOMPLISH IT ON MY OWN

My new approach may seem counterintuitive, but I am slowly learning it is healthier. I cannot accomplish a trusting relationship by trying to be better, do better, or live better. Christ’s work on the cross solely saved me, and only Christ can keep me. My job is to keep bringing everything to Him and letting Him work on my stubborn, anxious heart.

ABBA FATHER!

For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading again to fear [of God’s judgment], but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [the Spirit producing sonship] by which we [joyfully] cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God. And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory” (Romans 8:14-17)

WHAT TO DO FIRST

He has it covered, even when I don’t know how to pray. My job is to bring it to Him FIRST! Let God carry it all, even my anxiety.

Great reading: “Relaxed: Walking with the One Who Is Not Worried about a Thing” by Megan Fate Marshman

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ROAD TRIP

The summer our son turned 16, we took a road trip to South Carolina for just one day.  Yes, I realize that sounds a little crazy.  The draw was a special driving school taught by race car drivers, where professional drivers taught new drivers how to avoid crashes and handle tricky situations on the road.  Four of us piled in the truck and took off down the road.  Somewhere deep in the hills of Virginia, the real adventure of our road trip began.

Our teens sat in the back of our truck intently watching videos.  Jay and I listened to music as the miles and hours slipped by.  Providentially, our daughter glanced up for a moment and noticed the passenger in the car beside us. With a deeply furrowed brow, they were looking at the front of our truck. But the gauges on our dash were all good, and the engine sounded fine. Still, I asked Jay to pull over to take a quick look, just in case.  He respectfully indulged me.

“UH OH”! A COOLANT HOSE HAD BROKEN

We pulled in the parking lot of a trashy little no-name mini-mart. The heat was sweltering, and there was no shade.  I prayed for God’s wisdom. Jay climbed onto cinder blocks we found in the parking lot to examine the engine compartment.  A minute later I heard, “Uh oh!”  A coolant hose was broken.  The radiator and reservoir were empty; not a drop of fluid! Thank God we stopped when we did, or there could have been significant engine damage. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your watchful care on this road trip. 

MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND HOURS FROM HOME

But now what? There were no repair facilities nearby; we were hours from home and the driving class, which had taken months to get into, was scheduled to begin soon.

THE EXACT TYPE AND AMOUNT OF COOLANT

Jay is a master at thinking outside of the box and does not give up easily. He decided plugging the end of the broken hose would be the first goal we needed to meet to get back on the road.  I scoured the piles of trash in the parking lot, and God led me to a large bolt that fit perfectly! Next, we needed coolant; gallons of it! We dragged our hot, tired bodies into the mini-mart, making a loud sigh as the cool air surrounded us. Our objective changed to searching the shelves of Twinkies, gum, and soda. We discovered our second target on a dusty shelf. There sat the exact type and amount of coolant we needed to fill our radiator.  Praise God! Our family made it to South Carolina in time for the driving class. We marveled during the whole road trip at God’s provisions. This was a faith-building breakdown for us.

GOD’S CARE IS RELENTLESS

We still had repairs to make when we got home, and there have been many repairs since then.   Life in a broken world is full of difficulties. Even in difficulty, there are many, MANY times God daily provides for us.  His care for us is relentless.  Do we take the time to recognize and thank Him for his provision, or do we take it for granted?  On some of my roughest days, I draw close to God by taking time to praise and thank Him for little things.   As I draw closer to Him, the darkness starts to dissipate. His joy begins to fill me. Psalm 16 says there is fullness of joy in God’s presence. I agree wholeheartedly!

YET I WILL REJOICE!

The joy God give us is not dependent on circumstances, as the prophet Habakkuk expresses: “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

Looking for things to thank God for in the middle of hard times is not easy. But it is effective spiritual warfare and what our Creator and Sustainer deserves.  How can you draw close to God through praise and thanks today, whatever your circumstances?

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EVIL IS NOT THE WINNER

In our culture, we don’t like the word “sin”. Instead, we politely use the words “mistakes” or “shortcomings”. How about the infamous excuse, “I misspoke”? But Jeremiah 17:9 declares: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” The concept that our hearts are filthy with sin does not bring comfort. CS Lewis summed it well: “We want, in fact, not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in heaven—a senile benevolence who, as they say, ‘likes to see young people enjoying themselves’” But God is holy, eternal, and definitely not senile. Evil does not win. God wins!

HEROD’S TRAIN WRECK OF A MARRIAGE

In Mark 1:14, the first mention of John the Baptist is “Now after John was arrested.” Sounds like evil is winning. Mark 6:14-29 continues John’s story. We learn about Herod Antipas, the puppet ruler from Rome. Herod Antipas’ personal life is both confusing and obscene.  He had an affair with his niece, Herodias, who was formerly married to Antipas’ brother. Herod’s newest wife, Herodias, is both his niece and his former sister-in-law. Both incest and adultery blacken Antipas’ marriage to Herodias. What an evil mess.

EVIL NEVER HAS THE LAST WORD

John the Baptist never soft-pedaled the Word of God. He publicly called out the religious elite, the Pharisees and Sadducees, as a “brood of vipers” and told them they needed to repent. (Matt. 3:7-9). John also does not shy from publicly exposing Antipas for his immorality. God is holy (not a senile grandfather). He will not be mocked. Herodias thought she could successfully silence John with a blow of an axe. Herod ordered John’s execution. Evil exists, but evil never has the last word.

GOD KEEPS SPRINGING UP

Truth tellers often are persecuted. John the Baptist followed in the footsteps of the fearless ones described in Hebrews 11:37-38. Yet, evil does not win. After John’s martyrdom, Antipas began to hear rumors about the latest Bible teacher on the scene: Jesus. “Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” …But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” Antipas may have thought, “You no sooner kill one preacher of repentance than another pops up to stir up the masses.”  But God keeps springing up, and He has judgment on evil. Hell is real.

THE ONLY TRUE LIBERATION FROM EVIL

Jonathan Edwards wrote: “Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do.” But without Jesus Christ, there is no escape. Jesus provides the only liberation from the evil of sin.

EVIL DOES NOT WIN!

Evil does not have the last word. Dr. David E. Leininger declares: “Herod does not win. Herodias does not win. EVIL DOES NOT WIN! With joy we can shout out that God’s world does not end with either the whimper of a starving child or the blast of a nuclear bomb; it ends with Jesus Christ, the Lamb upon the throne. The kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. And He shall reign forever and ever.” Evil is not the winner! Have you bowed your knee to the only Victor, Jesus Christ?

Click to read a great article on the problem of evil.

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TRAVELING LIGHT

Allistair Begg’s said, “There is no place to serve God except where he sets you down.” What terrible places Corrie Ten Boom found herself ‘set down’! During WWII, she and her family concealed Jews in their home. The Gestapo raided the Ten Boom household, and within a short time both Corrie’s father and beloved sister Betsie died. Miraculously, Corrie survived Ravensbrück Death Camp. Upon her release, instead of growing weary and embittered, her experiences produced a harvest of healing and freedom from hatred. Corrie “traveled light” for the next thirty years.

traveling without resentment, possessions, or worry

She told her audience, “This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person he puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for a future only he can see.” Her life, so unremarkable for the first five decades, overflowed in her later years in an abundant wealth of service to her Lord. Corrie made a practice of traveling lightly wherever God set her down, without resentment, possessions, and worry.

traveling with complete trust

In your daily walk with Jesus, do you “travel light”? In Mark 6:1-13, Jesus sent His inexperienced disciples on their first mission trip without Him. He instructed them: “Take nothing for your journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in your belts.” James Lawrence comments: “Traveling light means that we are trusting in Jesus. We only need to follow instructions and trust our boss. Traveling light also reminds us that we already have everything we need to serve our Lord. We don’t need to make more money or have more time. Jesus already offers everything we need right now to do what He is asking of us.” Traveling light means traveling with complete trust in Him.

traveling with complete dependence

“No bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts.” R.C. Sproul wrote: “When He said ‘no bag,’ that did not mean ‘no suitcase.’ It meant no beggar’s bag. Jesus, when He sent out the Twelve on this occasion, said: ‘No stash of money. You can’t ask for money on this trip. You depend on My Father at every point of this mission. No bag. No extra bread.’” Traveling light means dependence on Jesus every day.

being present

Jesus also told the Twelve, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.” Have you ever been in a situation where you just wanted to pack up and scram? Because it is presently uncomfortable, your mental energies already search for a better situation? What if the apostles disobeyed Jesus and didn’t stay until it was the right time to leave?James Lawrencepaints the scenario: “They get to a town, and even as they start telling people about Jesus, they are looking ahead to the next town. They are not really listening to people’s questions. They have already left, in a way.

“This happens nowadays too. You probably know people who are constantly looking for a better job, a bigger house, and on and on. Jesus was wise enough to know that this restlessness is human nature. So, he instructed them to stay where they were until they were called to leave.” Traveling light means completely being present wherever God has you now.

serving where he sets you down

God used Corrie to minister while a prisoner in Ravensbrück. Upon her release, He called her to a larger ministry that carried her across the globe. In Ravensbrück, she had endured unspeakable horrors, but didn’t lose sight of God’s love for her and the thousands she ministered to, both in and out of prison. Her memoir “Tramp for the Lord” is a classic. Regardless of your life’s current situation, do you choose to travel light with Jesus? “There is no place to serve God except where he sets you down.” Travel light.

Click to read a short bio of Corrie.

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HOME COURT ADVANTAGE

When the 76ers play in Philadelphia, they have the home court advantage: familiar surroundings, no travel fatigue, and loud fan support. In this passage, Jesus arrives home to Nazareth, the small, obscure village where He grew up. Nazareth had a low reputation: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Sadly, the King of Heaven’s “home court” of Nazareth gave Him no advantage.

NO HOME COURT FANS

In Mark 6:1-13, Jesus was asked to speak at Nazareth’s synagogue. He had performed miracles galore on His most recent trip. Jesus begins to speak, and the audience grows increasingly vocal and antagonistic. “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?”

SCANDALIZED BY JESUS

Nazareth knew Jesus never studied under the great rabbis of the day. They considered Jesus a lowly laborer of disgraceful origin. R.C. Sproul comments that the reference to His mother “wasn’t some thinly veiled testimony to the virgin birth or an attempt to exalt the status of the mother. The Jews would name men according to their relationship to their father, not to their mother. They still believed that Jesus was an illegitimate son and that Mary had this baby out of wedlock. Scandalized by Jesus, the audience was profoundly offended. They did not want any identification with Him because He embarrassed them and He shamed them.” No home court advantage in Nazareth.

NO HOME COURT FAITH

The people were astonished at His words, and Jesus was astonished at their lack of faith. “He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.”  R.C. Sproul continues: “It’s not as though Jesus suddenly became incapable of manifesting the miraculous power that was so characteristic of His ministry. Rather, the circumstances by which God the Holy Spirit would unleash that power were not available because there was a judgment of God on this town of Nazareth. For the most part, God withheld His power from this stiff-necked people who held Jesus in contempt.”

ARE YOU CHRISTIAN-ISH?

Do you welcome Jesus daily into your life and give Him the home court advantage? Is your heart familiar surroundings for the King of Kings? Does He energize your soul? Are you ardently His biggest fan? Or do you only live as a moral person who has not made Jesus Lord of your life? Have you sold out to Jesus, or are you just “Christian-ish?”

THE CHRISTIAN ATHEIST

Craig Groeschel wrote a great book entitled “The Christian Atheist”. This refers to someone who intellectually believes in God but lives their day-to-day life as if He does not exist. It describes a person who claims the Christian faith yet relies on self-sufficiency, worry, or worldly control rather than active trust in God. Do you have a half-hearted faith that wears the label of Christianity without truly following Jesus? Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see whether He holds the home court advantage in your life.

Click to listen to Groeschel’s message “Christian-Ish”

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deadly fear

Every morning my husband Bill must record his weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure. The numbers indicate whether his medications are still working and if his kidneys, heart, and lungs are functioning at capacity. If the numbers go awry, he will head to the hospital again. Bill’s ongoing illness overflowed the levees that previously held back the normal anxieties I deal with. The past eight months have left me ragged. Joy is often in short supply because fear kills joy.

i hold tight to fear

Recently, I skimmed over Romans 8:14-17 without letting it ground me. The poisonous tendrils of fear choke the joy that God wants to take root in my heart. Instead, I look at Bill’s daily numbers and my heart returns to the darkness of Bill’s five hospital stays.  I hold tight to fear.

But do I have to remain paralyzed? Untethered from Abba Father? Do I have a choice whether to remain a resident of the land of fear?

abba father!!

We are never assured of what the next day will bring or what the numbers will be. But God says, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom” we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” The Spirit himself bears witness with my spirit that I am a child of God, and if His child, then an heir—heir of God and a fellow heir with Christ. Regardless of the numbers, I can choose to relocate to the truth of God’s Word.

what can break the chains of fear?

What can break me free of the chains of fear? I seriously take up the double-edged sword of God’s Word and accept its power. Its strength alone cuts away at the thicket of fear that so easily encompasses me.

the battle

This is a huge battle for me. I take the words of the Apostle Paul. He knew a thing or two about fear. “Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for me, who can be against me?” (Romans 8:31)

Fear, get in my rear-view mirror! I’m breaking out of the land of fear.

Click to listen to Hannah Overton’s story.