Free Excerpt
THE FIRST THOUGHT
Sobbing, I choked out a prayer, "Take me now. I mean it." The situation looked hopeless and depression moved in. Thankfully, that prayer wasn't answered.
My parents prayed that the Lord would send someone to come alongside me. There were no resources to get professional help.
Shortly thereafter, I met two women who greatly impacted my life. They became the answer to my parents' prayers. With their encouragement, I began digging into the Word. I learned that God wasn't mad at me, that He loved me. However, I still didn't know how to stop the constant attacks on my mind and emotions.
Through their wise counsel, I learned two major keys: 1) Every thought that came into my head didn't originate with me or God. 2) To prevent a total meltdown, I had to catch the first negative thought and toss it out of my mind by speaking the Word of God.
The enemy tries to get us to accept his lies. It's the same tactic he used on Eve in the garden. Hiding the Word in our hearts is a prime weapon the Lord has given us to dismantle the lies.
Scripture: II Corinthians 10:5 (KJV) - "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
Application: The next time a thought threatens to send you into a downward spiral, look up the above Scripture and do what it says.
Prayer: Father, alert me to the first thought designed to cause turmoil in my soul. Anything connected with fear, pressure or condemnatio is not of You. I commit to answering any bad thought with the Word of God. In Jesus' name, amen.
amen.
Sobbing, I choked out a prayer, "Take me now. I mean it." The situation looked hopeless and depression moved in. Thankfully, that prayer wasn't answered.
My parents prayed that the Lord would send someone to come alongside me. There were no resources to get professional help.
Shortly thereafter, I met two women who greatly impacted my life. They became the answer to my parents' prayers. With their encouragement, I began digging into the Word. I learned that God wasn't mad at me, that He loved me. However, I still didn't know how to stop the constant attacks on my mind and emotions.
Through their wise counsel, I learned two major keys: 1) Every thought that came into my head didn't originate with me or God. 2) To prevent a total meltdown, I had to catch the first negative thought and toss it out of my mind by speaking the Word of God.
The enemy tries to get us to accept his lies. It's the same tactic he used on Eve in the garden. Hiding the Word in our hearts is a prime weapon the Lord has given us to dismantle the lies.
Scripture: II Corinthians 10:5 (KJV) - "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."
Application: The next time a thought threatens to send you into a downward spiral, look up the above Scripture and do what it says.
Prayer: Father, alert me to the first thought designed to cause turmoil in my soul. Anything connected with fear, pressure or condemnatio is not of You. I commit to answering any bad thought with the Word of God. In Jesus' name, amen.
amen.
Are You Salty?
Watching cooking competitions are one of my favorite ways to unwind after a hectic day. Most of the chefs critiquing a contestant's food will comment on the seasoning.
Too much salt?
Not enough salt?
When they mention the word “seasoning,” I know they're talking about salt.
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us that we're the salt of the earth, but if we lose our saltiness, how can it be recovered? What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? If we show forth the life of Christ in our daily walk, we add a pleasing flavor wherever we go. Salt also preserves and prevents corruption. Yet, if we allow the Word to be mixed with the ways of this world, we become ineffective and no longer have a positive effect on the culture.
How do we remain “salty?” By making God's Word the final authority in all aspects of our lives, we stand out from the crowd. We show forth what is right and acceptable in God's eyes. This requires more than a quick reading of the Bible—skimming its surface. Prayer in combination with hearing the uncompromised Word preached and taught, as well as personal study, will renew our minds to truth.
Scripture: Psalm 119:11 (KJV) says: “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”
Application: What are some of the things we can do to maintain our Godly influence in the culture (our saltiness)?
Prayer: Father, I ask You to give me a nudge when I need to add more “salt” to my life. May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to you and a witness to those around us. In Jesus’ name,
Watching cooking competitions are one of my favorite ways to unwind after a hectic day. Most of the chefs critiquing a contestant's food will comment on the seasoning.
Too much salt?
Not enough salt?
When they mention the word “seasoning,” I know they're talking about salt.
In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells us that we're the salt of the earth, but if we lose our saltiness, how can it be recovered? What does it mean to be the salt of the earth? If we show forth the life of Christ in our daily walk, we add a pleasing flavor wherever we go. Salt also preserves and prevents corruption. Yet, if we allow the Word to be mixed with the ways of this world, we become ineffective and no longer have a positive effect on the culture.
How do we remain “salty?” By making God's Word the final authority in all aspects of our lives, we stand out from the crowd. We show forth what is right and acceptable in God's eyes. This requires more than a quick reading of the Bible—skimming its surface. Prayer in combination with hearing the uncompromised Word preached and taught, as well as personal study, will renew our minds to truth.
Scripture: Psalm 119:11 (KJV) says: “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.”
Application: What are some of the things we can do to maintain our Godly influence in the culture (our saltiness)?
Prayer: Father, I ask You to give me a nudge when I need to add more “salt” to my life. May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing to you and a witness to those around us. In Jesus’ name,
