LIFE IS SHORT: FOCUS ON GOD AND DREAM WITH HIM

 

   

 LIFE IS SHORT               

    

Karen Girl Friday- Life’s too short to delay living how we were always meant to live.

We were created to live a life focused on God and spiritual things.

And the Lord wants us to dream big with Him.

Because life is short, God calls us to live a life focused on His purpose for us, the true desires of our heart, walking in the Spirit, and the path to righteous living.

So let’s look at 20 of these areas that help us live this kind of life with our God in this present world.

(1.) Beginnings. “The point in time or space at which something starts.”(Google) The world, life, time and space all started with God. So it makes perfect sense to see God as the God of new beginnings. Every new day, job, venture, relationship, season, and so on starts with God, the best beginning to everything.

(2.) Forge new paths. Whether careers, direction, vision, mission, or ministry, remember who makes new paths. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

(3.) Dreams. Dream big ole’ ginormous things only God can pull off. He’s the biggest dreamer of all. Dream with God, you and Him dream best together. 

(4.) Do-overs. Sometimes we get to do something over, other times it’s impossible. Like we cannot undo the past, what’s done is done. But every new day presents opportunities to change our actions, reactions, perspective, words, and outlook.

(5.) Second chances. Everyone hopes for a second chance after forgetting something, messing up, hurting someone, or sinning against God. And we may ask others for a second chance or give them a second chance.  But, without doubt, we serve a God of second chances and countless chances. 

(6.) Wholeness. We were made for wholeness, but we learned brokenness in life, being born into a broken world. Still, Jesus makes us whole in every way. “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 (ESV)

(7.) Abundant life. Do you realize abundant life started the moment you received Christ as Lord? Focusing on God means embracing the spiritually abundant life Jesus promised to us. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b (ESV)

(8.) Joy. Life’s too short to live without the kind of joy that can’t be taken away from us and isn’t based on our circumstances. Jesus told us to abide in His love and keep God’s commandments so that “my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11b (ESV)

(9.) Peace. Who doesn’t need peace in this world? Peace from the Prince of Peace. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)

(10.) Love God and People. What really matters at the end of our life is loving God and people. “There’s no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:31b (ESV) 

(11.) Stay in the Word. Nothing anchors us more in an uncertain world than a God who is trustworthy and true to His Word. 

(12.) Hope in the Hope-giver. One of the best ways to focus on God is to grab ahold of His hope, the only true hope among all the false hope life throws at us.

(13.) Depend on God. Culture says we are weak if we need help and we can’t pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. God says, “Look to the hills, where does your help come from? From Me the God of heaven and earth.” (See Psalm 121:1)

(14.) Stand on holy ground. Do we stand on God’s promises and truth over the wisdom and pleasures of this world? Are we shifting ground from this world’s opinions to holy ground?

(15.) Walk by faith. Our faith is unstoppable when we trust in an unstoppable God who does bigger and better things than anyone or any god.

(16.) Trust a God who’s faithful. Great is His faithfulness! 

(17.) Fruit of the Spirit.  Are we growing year by year in spiritual fruit? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) 

(18.) Prayer. Prayer releases our burdens to God. The Lord has a strong shoulder for the burdens heaped upon us from people, the world and hardships.

(19.)  Invest in the Kingdom. Reach the lost, make disciples, pour into others, and help the needy. 

(20.) Hold on to Jesus. No matter what the future holds, we cling to Christ with all our might as He holds on to us! 

Ask God to help you focus on Him in this life."

Today's Prayer:  Father, it is with hearts of need that we ask You to help us live focused on You and spiritual things, and to dream big with You. Help us live lives focused on Your purpose for us and the desires You've placed in our hearts. Help us walk in Your Spirit and in the path of righteous living. In the name of Jesus we ask this for Your glory and our good. Amen.

Encouragement:  “Oh, how active was the Holy Ghost in the days of the early church! But that was because He was given His rightful place and recognized as the One in charge of the work. Man’s program has gotten in His way. Self has usurped His place. Hence, He can no longer choose and call, equip and send. Oh, may we yield to Him and obey, that God’s program may yet be carried out!”

Church Notes:     The Sabbath Day

  We're to honor the Sabbath Day by taking time to worship and to rest. God rested after working 6 days creating everything from insects to planets, and on the seventh day, He took the day off to rest! He understands that we too need to rest, and has a commandment that makes it clear that it's important to Him that we rest one day out of seven.

   We have the freedom to stop working, and to let it reflect our freedom in Christ, to strive to enter into His rest for our souls. We rest because we're in God's family and assembling in Christ's name for fellowship, worship and hearing the Word spoken that helps build us up our faith through this habit.

Hymn #160 - This Is My Father's World

    Baltbie Babcock  was arguably the most remarkable student Syracuse University had ever seen. Hailing from an aristocratic family, he was a brilliant scholar with a winning personality. Tall and steel-muscled, he was an outstanding athlete, expert swimmer, and captain of the baseball team. He also directed the university's orchestra, played several instruments, and composed original compositions.

   He would be successful in any profession, but God called him to the ministry; and after further training at Auburn Theological Seminary, he became pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Lockport, New York. It was during his pastorate at Lockport that he wrote a sixteen-stanza poem, each verse beginning with the words, "This is My Father's World."

   When he was 42, his church presented him with a special gift--Pilgrimage to the "Holy Land." With great excitement, Babcock departed by ship. While enroute at Naples, Italy, he was seized with a deadly bacterial fever and died at the International Hospital on May 18, 1901.

   After his death, his wife compiled his writings into a book entitled Thoughts for Everyday Living, published in 1901. Included was Babcock's "This Is My Father's World."

GENTLE ANSWERS WITH GOD'S HELP

 

GENTLE ANSWERS WITH GOD'S HELP              

   James Banks-"Close it up. I've seen enough." Those were the words of an older, experienced beekeeper to me one afternoon when I was learning how to tend a hive. 

   My movements had been quick and forceful causing vibrations that alarmed the bees and resulted in a growing swarm around my head. Even though I was trying to care for them, I was only making them angry.

   My friend proceeded to show me the importance of moving 'softly.' using gentle motions that were less likely to disturb the bees. Today (years later), when I go into a hive, my motions are so much smoother that my wife tells me it almost looks like I'm dancing.

   Sometimes difficult conversations are like dancing with bees. When others are upset and emotions are tense, reacting angrily only makes matters worse. 

   As King Solomon observed, 'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger' (Proverbs 15:1). Responding kindly and peacefully to those who are irritated or unreasonable may take time to learn. But because gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit at work within us (see Galatians 5:22-23), with God's help we can make progress in it.

   These days I'm learning to pray for wisdom and gentleness whenever I go into a hive or a difficult conversation. When we walk with God into tense moments, our 'help in trouble' is never far away (Psalm 46:1).

Today's prayer: Dear Jesus, please help us to gently share Your love in the ways we respond to others today, and gently react to someone who's angry. In the name of Jesus we pray for this help! Amen

Encouragement- If we try to cut corners with our relationship with Jesus, we won’t be happy with the outcome. We get impatient to grow up spiritually. We don’t like the endless agitation of painful relationships, fear of the unknown and the darkness of grief. These situations force us to rely on Jesus, to lean hard on His grace and compassion, and to trust Him with unanswered questions. There’s simply no rushing maturity in Jesus.

Inspirational thoughts from church notes: God's working!

We're to wait and trust God, as He knows what He's doing. He's never late in planting, harvesting and in the right timing of things. We'll battle doubt, worry and impressions, which come from spiritual warfare against the Kingdom of Christ!

Many trials test our faith, but we're to keep moving and not stop doing what the Lord has asked us to do. He is preparing us by enlarging our capabilities, so we'll be able to do bigger and better things for the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit is working in us to go through whatever comes our way. As God always keeps His promises, we should write down what He speaks to us while we're waiting.

Prideful people want their own way and detest God's way. They get detained with wrong things and act and choose the wrong way. As God is interested in the building of our characters, He wants us to not worry, but act in faith, believing He'll help us be strong in faith, and hold onto the thoughts He gives us.

As we cannot change in and of ourselves, He will lead us by accessing our minds to the thoughts of Christ, who came as His image in flesh like ours, becoming our Worthy Savior!

We have the ability to choose to obey or not; to hold onto our old mindset or to embrace God's Spirit and be controlled by Him, and to have and maintain His peace. Even when afraid, we're to keep moving and believing that we'll always have God's help!

 

  #159 Hymn- My Jesus, I Love Thee

"My Jesus, I Love Thee" was written by William Ralph Featherston at age sixteen.

Featherston was born July 23, 1846, in Montreal. He died in the same city 26 years later. His family attended the Wesleyan Methodist Church, and it seems likely that William wrote this hymn as a poem celebrating his conversion to Christ. Reportedly, he sent it to an aunt living in California, and somehow it was published as an anonymous hymn in a British hymnal in 1864. 

Little else is known about the origin of the hymn or its author, but that's all right. It's enough just to know that God can change the world through anyone -- regardless of age -- who will say, "My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou are mine. For Thee, all the follies of sin I resign."

NOTHING I FACE IS GREATER THAN MY GOD

 

 NOTHING I FACE IS GREATER THAN MY GOD

Karen Girl Friday-

  Yet, I still struggle at times. Because when facing huge obstacles, hard circumstances, great loss, and even spiritual warfare, I sometimes falter. 

   I remember when my kids were young, and now, my young grandchildren, and how they rely on their parents and adults to help them face anything. Perhaps moving and going to a new school, making friends, or a medical trauma. 

   Likewise, I need reminding how my heavenly Father is so much greater than the difficult things I face. 

  God is greater than people, things, the enemy, my circumstances—and even me!

  Why? Because He is holy. He is the one true God. The Almighty. The Most High. And He alone is our Savior.

   God is not simply greater than the things I face; He is high and lifted up above them all. Isaiah 6:1 gives us a glimpse of His majesty: “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (NIV)

  No one is like God. God Almighty is matchless. He is greater.

  So, look up. When life feels bigger than you, lift your eyes higher. When circumstances seem overwhelming, look beyond what is in front of you and remember who is above it all.  

Nothing catches God by surprise. And nothing is outside His reach. Nothing I face is greater than Him. 

  Isaiah 40:26 says: “Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” (NIV)

  The heavens remind us that we serve a God who created what we cannot even comprehend. He knows every star by name, and nothing is beyond His power or authority.

  Our circumstances are not greater than our God. Whatever you are facing today, God is greater.

  Paul gives us a beautiful reminder of God’s limitless power in Ephesians 3:20–21: “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.” (ESV)

God is stronger. God is able. And nothing I face is greater than my God.

  There is a verse that has been especially meaningful to me since college: "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NASB, 1995)

                     So, what am I trusting in?

Perhaps my own strength? Or my ability to figure everything out?

Or am I trusting in God who is greater?

Nothing I face is greater than my God.

Not my fears. Certainly not my circumstances.

Not the unknown. And not tomorrow. Nothing.

I can face whatever comes knowing that nothing I face is greater than my God.

Encouragement: "By faith in the faithfulness of God live in the present moment alone, and, counting upon the Holy Spirit to communicate to you the life of Jesus, cast yourself upon His strength, and do the 'next thing' that lies in your path of duty--believing that it is God who works in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure." (Quoted from March/April issue of Herald of His Coming paper 2025,pg 6)

CHURCH NOTES:  BY FAITH

Habakkuk 2

Lean into God!
Watch and wait for Him, because He sees what's happening and has a plan.
Be ready to hear God's answer.

Faith waits with expectation. Write down changes He directs.
Wait for the appointed time. God will deal with everything.
We don't choose the timeline.

The righteous shall live by his faith, building on what's happening.
His confidence in God will bring down evil and bring justice.

#155 Hymn- The Love of God

   This hymn was written in a citrus packing house in Pasadena, California, by a German-

born Christian named Frederick M. Lehman. At age four, Frederick and his family immi-

grated to America, settling down in Iowa. Converted to Christ at age eleven while walking through a crabapple orchard.

   Frederick eventually entered the ministry and pastored churches in the Midwest. But his greatest love was gospel music, and he compiled five songbooks and published hundreds of songs.

   In 1917, his finances had gone sour, and he found himself working in a packing factory in Pasadena, moving thirty tons of lemons and oranges a day.

  One morning as he arrived at work, a song was forming in his mind. He had been thinking about the limitlessness of God's love, and during breaks he sat on an empty lemon crate and jotted down words with a stubby pencil.

   Arriving home that evening, he went to the old upright piano and began putting notes to his words. He finally had a melody and two stanzas, but almost all gospel songs of that era had at least three stanzas. At length, he thought of some lines he had recently heard in a sermon:

   Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made,

     Were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade,

       To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry,

   Nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretch from sky to sky.

   That verse perfectly formed the third stanza, but who had written it? Frederick heard 

the story that it was composed on the wall of an insane asylum by an unknown inmate, 

but the words originally came from the pen of an eleventh-century Jewish poet in Germany named Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai. 

   Frederick lived the rest of his life in california, writing a number of hymns before his

death in 1953.  

HOLD ONTO GOD - HE'S HOLDING ONTO YOU

 Hold Onto God — He’s Holding Onto You

                                

   Karen Girl Friday- Recently, I was walking in a large parking lot with our grandkids. To guide them safely to the vehicle, I asked our granddaughter to hold my hand and our grandson to hold my other hand or stay close (in case he thinks 10 is too old).

  We all experience seasons when we feel alone and uncertain about what God is doing. And we may wonder if our prayers are being heard or if we have the strength to keep going.

   But remember this: God has not let go of you. 

Even when our faith wavers, His faithfulness never changes. And when we cannot see the way forward, God already knows the way.

So when we feel like we’re barely holding on, His hand is still holding us.

The Bible reminds us God never leaves us (Hebrews 13:5).

Let’s look at a few ways we H-O-L-D onto God no matter what life throws at us. 

H — Hope in His Promises

When life gets difficult, hold onto the promises of God. His Word gives us hope when circumstances give us reasons to fear.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”  Psalm 42:11 (ESV)

Don’t let what you see make you forget what God has said. 

O — Obey His Word: Hold Onto God

Holding onto God means continuing to follow Him, even when you don’t understand everything He is doing. Obedience is an expression of trust.

“Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river.” Isaiah 48:18 (ESV)

You may not understand the instruction, but you can trust the One giving it. Keep walking in obedience, even when the path isn’t clear.

L — Lean on His Strength

Our own strength often runs out. Why? Because it’s an opportunity to lean more deeply on God.

We don’t have to carry everything by ourselves. Instead, we give God our burdens, our fears, and our weaknesses. We cast our burdens on the Lord (Psalm 55:22).

Hold onto God and His strength.

D — Don’t Give Up: Hold Onto God

The enemy would love for us to believe that our situation is hopeless and that God has forgotten us. But God’s timing is never a sign of His absence.

So we’re to never give up. 

Keep praying. Keep trusting. And keep holding on.

Don’t give up because of what you see today. Don’t let a difficult season make you question a faithful God.

Because the beautiful truth is this:

Maybe you are holding onto God, but God is holding onto you even tighter.

 “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” Isaiah 41:13 (ESV) 

God’s Never Letting You Go!

You may feel like you’re barely hanging on, but you’re not hanging on alone.

God has you. God is with you. And God is not letting you go. You may feel like you're barely hanging on, but you're not hanging on alone. God has you. God is with you. And God is not letting you go. 

And when you feel like you can’t hold on anymore, remember—you were never holding yourself together by your own strength.

He is holding onto you.

Whatever you’re facing today, God’s hand is still on your life. So let’s remember to H-O-L-D: 

H — Hope in His Promises

O — Obey His Word

L —  Lean on His Strength

D — Don’t Give Up   

 Encouragement: “When we invite Jesus into our lives, we become more like Him. He is the embodiment of the fruit of the Spirit. When we are full of His presence, we become more attractive to those around us. The more like Jesus on the inside, the more the people on the outside get a taste of Who He is.”

CHURCH NOTES:   The Ten Commandments

   Before “thou shalt” commands, God made it clear that He was the “I AM’!

   He’d seen the affliction of the Israelites and brought them out of slavery. They were free and now His people. 

   God built a ladder for freedom for us too: Jesus Christ. We are free to obey what was provided for us through the cross. As we’re designed to worship something, we try to make God in our own image, not realizing that He is worthy of all praise and honor. 

   God loves us and wants a relationship with us. He wants us to worship Him as the I AM, the One with full authority over everything. He wants our hearts to be right, our minds and souls. We’re to live freely, as He has redeemed us by the precious blood of His Son, Jesus. We’re to be His image bearers. We’ll hear messages over the next few weeks about the various commandments that God gave to help us honor Him and how we’re to treat others.

   The author of the following hymn, Wonderful Grace of Jesus, Haldor Lillenas, was born in the fjord district of Norway in 1885, and, as a child, immigrated to the United States with his family. From his youth, Haldor had a musical bent, a talent that served him well when he entered the ministry in 1910 in the newly established Church of the Nazarene.

   “Wonderful Grace of Jesus” is the best known of the 4,000 hymns Haldor himself wrote. In 1917, Mrs. Lillenas and he built their first little home in the town of Olivet, Illinois. Upon its completion, they had scarcely any money left to furnish the little home. Having no piano at the time, and needing an instrument of some kind, he managed to find, at one of the neighbor’s homes, a little wheezy organ which he purchased for $5.00. With the aid of this instrument, a number of his songs were written which are now popular, including “Wonderful Grace of Jesus.”

   Not yet having started his own publishing house, he sold his soon-to-be-famous hymn for $5.00--just enough to pay for the organ on which it was composed.

#157 Hymn- Wonderful Grace of Jesus

    

OUR GREAT WEALTH

                                         

Merlin Carothers-  Regardless of how little money we have, we feel wealthy when we realize how valuable our faith is:

'Your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold; so if your faith remains strong after being tried in the test tube of fire trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day of His return." (1Peter 1:7)

   We should measure our wealth on God's scales. He knows how valuable faith is. Remember that Jesus had no home and no possessions, yet He could feed thousands of people, turn water into wine, cause fish to swim into fishermen's nets, and raise the dead. Surely we would prefer to have the wealth He had.

   Peter gave up everything to follow Jesus. What an honor it would be to know that God had chosen you to be a disciple. We too are highly honored! We are chosen to be God's children! We can walk down the street with the assurance that no matter what people may think, we are special. Both now and in eternity we have access to God whenever we want to talk with Him. What higher honor can anyone ever have? We are told:

"O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph." (Ps. 47:1)

   When I read that verse I feel triumphant because of what Jesus did for everyone who has faith in Him!

Our Prayer- 

   Father, we come to You for Your help in increasing our faith in and through Jesus, our Savior. Help us manage our lives with Christ's help, to increase our faith through trials and hard times. Help us remember that we are Your children, and that we are privileged to call upon You for help and guidance. No matter what others think, remind us that we have the high honor of speaking with You at anytime or day. We look forward to welcoming Him on His return to catch the believers away! We pray this in the name of Jesus, to honor Him, and to remind us of the saving faith He has graciously given to us. Amen

An Encouragement: "A continuous looking off to Jesus Christ crucified, and a steadfast dependence upon the Spirit of God to work in us the separating power of His death and to minister to us the quickening of His life, is the 'way of faith' in which Christ can be 'fully formed within' and the believer grow up unto the 'measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Taken from the Herald of His Coming paper- Mar/April 2025 pg. 6)

Church notes:  When We Don't Understand God

We ask- How long?

We're not to give up or be unbelieving, but trust His judgment and timing. He's righteous and already at work!  Silence of God is not His absence. He's doing something behind the scenes. Faith leans into God, trusting Him to understand our questions and needs. We're to trust God's character. We can't judge things by what we see, but have to wait and trust Him!

Hymn- #150 Great Is Thy Faithfulness

   The author of this hymn, Thomas Obediah Chisholm, was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. At age 16, he began teaching school, despite the paucity of his own education. He came to Christ at age 27 under the ministry of evangelist H. C. Morrison. But Chisholm's health was unstable, and he alternated between bouts of illness and gainful employment in which he did everything from journalism to insurance to evangelistic work. Through all the ups and downs, he discovered new blessings from God every morning. The third chapter of Lamentations became precious to him: "His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness" (Lam. 3:22-23). 

   Thomas later admitted there was no dramatic story behind the writing of "Great is Thy Faithfulness." While serving the Lord in Vineland, New Jersey, Thomas sent several poems to his friend, musician William Runyan, who was so moved by this one, that he prayed earnestly for special guidance in composing the music. Runyan was in Baldwin, Kansas, at the time, and hymn was published 1923 in Runyan's private song pamphlets.

   "It went rather slowly for several years," Thomas recalled. Then Dr. Will Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago discovered it, and would say in chapel, "Well, I think we shall have to sing 'Great is Thy Faithfulness." It became an unofficial theme song for the Institute; and when Houghton died, it was sung at his funeral. Still, it remained relatively unknown until popularized around the world by George Beverly Shea and the choirs at the Billy Graham Crusades.

ENCOURAGEMENT: "If we could see how much pleasure Jesus receives from watching us enjoy the gifts He sends our way, we would gain a clearer image of how much He loves us."

CHURCH NOTES:      FAITH

Faith worships and trusts God.
 We need to allow God to work in our lives.
  May we respond and not question Him, as He knows the past, present and future.
   Faith rests in Him and positions us to trust Him.
    We need to concentrate on Him, not the problem!

     Worship God, though things are not going well. Rejoice in the Lord!

      We are blessed! God is enough. He's on the throne!

 

THERE ARE NO CHAINS ON ME: Not Anymore!

  

  

Karen Girl Friday

"There was a time when I allowed things that happened to me to become chains. And even what I believed about myself formed chains in my life. Perhaps you are familiar with these invisible but weighty forms of chains—fear, shame, rejection, disappointment, guilt, and the past. 

We might carry chains for so long, we forget God meant for us to live in freedom.

But along the way, I encountered Jesus in a way that changed everything.

Yes, salvation gave me forgiveness of my sins. But Jesus also came to set captives free, heal broken hearts, give me a new identity, and teach me how to walk in the freedom He purchased for me. The things that once defined me no longer have the authority to determine who I am or where I’m going.

I’m not saying I never struggle. I’m saying my struggles don’t own me. My past doesn’t own me. My failures don’t own me. Fear doesn’t own me. Shame doesn’t own me. Sin doesn’t have the final say over my life.

Jesus does.

So let’s look at how Jesus breaks our C.H.A.I.N.S.

There are no chains on me because I've encountered the One who breaks chains. The Chain-breaker. Jesus Christ. 

C — Captivity Is Cancelled

What once held me captive no longer has ownership over me.

• Luke 4:18 — Jesus came to proclaim liberty to the captives.
• Romans 6:14 — “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (ESV)

I may have a history of bondage, but I have a present-day freedom through Christ.

H — Healed from Hurt 

Some chains form through wounds, rejection, disappointment, and painful experiences. Jesus doesn’t just forgive our sin; He cares about our broken places.

• Psalm 147:3 — The Lord heals the brokenhearted.
• Psalm 34:18 — “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted.” (ESV)

What hurt me doesn’t have to hold me.

A — Authority Has Changed

Before Christ, sin was our master. But Christ transfers us into a new kingdom with Him as Lord.

• Colossians 1:13 — “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.” (ESV)
• Romans 6:12–13 — Don’t let sin reign in your mortal body.

The enemy may still fight me, but he doesn’t have to win the battle. Jesus fights for me.

I — Identity Is New 

Freedom begins when we stop allowing our past to define us.

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 — A new creation in Christ.
• Galatians 2:20 — I am crucified with Christ.

 

I don’t have to answer to the name my past gave me. God has given me a new identity. I take my cue about who I am from the Great I AM.

N — No Condemnation

Guilt and shame can become invisible chains, but Christ has removed condemnation from those who belong to Him.

• Romans 8:1 — “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)
• 1 John 1:9 — God forgives and cleanses us from unrighteousness.

Conviction draws me back to God; condemnation tells me to run away. I don’t have to live under condemnation.

S — Stand in Freedom 

Freedom is something we must intentionally walk in. We shouldn’t keep picking up the chains Christ has already broken.

• Galatians 5:1 — Christ set us free for freedom.
• 2 Corinthians 3:17 — “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (ESV)

Don’t go back to what Jesus brought you out of.

Jesus Sets Us Free

C — Captivity Is Cancelled
I was bound, but Jesus set me free.

H — Healed from Hurt
What happened to me doesn’t have to control me.

A — Authority Has Changed
Sin and Satan don’t own me anymore.

I — Identity Is New
I’m not who I used to be.

N — No Condemnation
My failures don’t have the final word.

S — Stand in Freedom
I’m going to walk in what Christ purchased for me.

Fear has no claim on me.
Shame has no claim on me.
Sin has no claim on me.
My past has no claim on me.
Condemnation has no claim on me.

#149 Hymn- All the Way My Savior Leads Me

When Fanny Crosby wrote, "All the Way My Savior Leads Me, What have I to ask beside?" She was expressing her own testimony of God's guidance. Even her blindness, she realized was part of His plan. Fanny was not totally blind. Even in old age she could discern day from Nights. But her vision was gone. Years later, Fanny viewed her blindness as a special gift from God, believing He had given her a particular "soul-vision" which equipped her for a special work. "It was the best thing that could have happened to me," she declared. "How in the world could I have lived such a helpful life had I not been blind?"

ENCOURAGEMENT: "Jesus has provided for us through His Word. Every day, we can open the pages of our Bibles and find His greeting of love, expressed in various ways: letters, songs, poetry, historical accounts parables and more."

CHURCH NOTES: The Best is to Come!

Come and receive by faith- God will fill your mouths!

We need Him to help us, that's for sure!

God has plans in a winter season to break up fresh ground

He's writing history through our testimonies.

Don't harden your hearts. God knows us and wants to build a relationship.

We're to celebrate what He's called us to do.

Look for what He's done, and be ready to come into His future plans!