Overcome – Don’t Come Under
Are You Facing More Than You Can Handle?
Are you dealing with something right now that feels overwhelming—like it’s more than a match for you?
Maybe it’s financial. Maybe it’s relational. Maybe it’s your health, or something you feel unequipped to handle.
If so, you’re not alone. That’s part of living in this world. Everyone walks through seasons like this.
And if you’re not in that place right now, be grateful for the season you’re in… unless the reason is that you’re avoiding a challenge you know you’re meant to step into.
Jesus was very honest about life. In Gospel of John 16:33, He said:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
That’s a strong statement—but consider when He said it.
This was right after Judas had chosen to betray Him. It was the day before the false accusations, the injustice, the beatings, and the cross. Jesus knew exactly what was coming—and yet He walked in deep, unshaken peace.
Even more striking: He declare...
Watch Out for Sinkholes
A few times a year we hear about a house, car or building being swallowed up. All at once, the ground gives way and everything above the surface drops and disappears. These sinkholes can be very destructive and terrifying experiences, as they seem to happen with no warning. Engineers, however, say that (particularly in Florida) there are areas where limestone lies beneath the surface. Acid rain and other underground water can dissolve the limestone. When enough stone is melted away the underground cave collapses under the surface weight. It looks like it happens all at once, but the subterranean deterioration takes place over time.
We must tend to the condition and wholeness of our souls, or we may experience a kind of sinkhole collapse in our lives. It might appear that our present circumstances have caused our bondage or our downfall, but often the cause is subterranean deterioration. When we run too fast, push too hard or allow others to have too much sway in our lives, we can sta...
Are You Sending Down Deep Roots?
Most of us tend to do whatever we can to get out of the path of adversity. We will try to think our way out of a mess, look for help from others, or pray that God will just make it stop.  Additionally, we all experience the constant inundation of advertisers that offers products to relieve and remove our troubles. They promise to give us access to the good life to which we are all “entitled.”  If your difficulty is weight, muscle tone, sickness, finance, loneliness, depression, or erectile dysfunction – “We have a product that will take care of that for you.”
God’s ways are often very different from ours. He uses the hurdles and stubborn obstacles of life to deepen us and produce lasting fruit in our lives. Wisdom and character are grown through adversity, not through escape. There is no product that you can buy that will give you the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) or understanding of the ways of God. These are only forged through a mixture of God’s truth, His Spirit, and the k...
Where Are You Seeking for Comfort?
Do you ever feel out of sorts, like something isn’t right within you and you need some form of comfort?  Where do you look and what do you do for comfort in times like this?
We all have different things that bring us some level of relief. Some are benign and some may be toxic. Some help us draw near to God, and some are false comforts that produce guilt and shame within us. It is important to remember that on the deepest level God is our great comfort in Jesus Christ, and He willingly comforts us in all our troubles. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
What about your family, or your neighborhood, or city – Who/what can console on these larger levels?  You can probably think of some families that participate in particular false comforts from generation to generation; some neighborhoods are known for their false comforts; and even some cities are known this way. But Jesus Christ alone is the real consolation for people!
The angels declared at the birth of Jesus, “Peace on earth to men on whom His...
