Blog

By Pastor ANDREW FARLAND

CHANGE THE INSIDE TO CHANGE THE OUTSIDE

Some people find that they feel better and have more energy when they eat the right balance of healthy foods. After all, “You are what you eat.” Your health and well-being, however, goes far beyond the fuel you put in your body.

You’re also what you think. The Bible reminds us , “As a man thinketh, so is he.”

Your internal thoughts influence what you think, do and say. They drive your actions. The reality is that whatever is happening on the outside of us is happening on the inside too. And of course, whatever happens on the inside shows up on the outside. When it does, you may decide you need to change something.

The easiest way to make a change isn’t through action. Instead, it comes from changing our perspective on the inside. To effect change on the outside, we must change the way we see God and how we relate to him.

If it’s been a while since you connected with God, then reconnect with Him and abide with Him. The flower and the fruit are possible only because the branch takes its nourishment from the vine.

God is the vine and you are the branch. As long as you’re connected, you’ll bear good fruit in your life.

Don’t start a plan for doing great things without changing the inside and focusing on what really matters.

Change your inside, fix your perspective. Increase your gratitude. Connect with God. In just a couple of moments of silence Listen and receive God’s word to be moved and changed. Start on the inside and your actions will produce positive results because you worked first on your perspective.

If you change only what’s on your outside, you’ll be like the Pharisees in the Bible.

They were “whitewashed tombs:” clean on the outside but full of dead matter on the inside. Similarly, many modern Christians think changing their actions will make them right with God.

Your actions are not enough. You must have the Holy Spirit inside you.

The Old Testament says that a true Jew is a Jew on the inside. Today we could say that a true Christian is a Christian on the inside — pure and right. If you are a Christian on the inside, you will manifest Christian thoughts and actions on the outside.

Pure motives produce pure actions. Change the thoughts inside you to change your actions the outside.

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Matthew 12:34

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor ANDREW FARLAND

YOUR LIFE IS A TESTIMONY

Have you ever felt like you needed an amazing story, full of overwhelming heartbreak or enormous obstacles, to talk to someone about Jesus?
Sometimes, if you’re like me, you can feel like the only people who have a story worth sharing are the ones whose stories bring people to tears. Honestly, I thoroughly enjoy listening to someone talk about their extreme life-change because it brings me encouragement.

But, what I want you to hear today is that you don’t need an earth-shattering story to testify to the grace of God in your life. Your life is a walking, living, breathing testimony that God is working in your life and it’s one that He continues to write every single day.

Think about the seemingly mundane parts of your life. Maybe it’s school, marriage, parenting, or your job. Then, think about those moments at school when you sat by a loner during lunch, the time when you taught your child about forgiveness, or when you were the first to say “I’m sorry” after arguing with your spouse. Those are the moments in which you choose to live differently than the rest of the world. And it’s when you make the decision to live like Jesus that your life shines as a testimony to everyone around you.

Your life is a testimony. Today, as you go through daily routines that seem to be without impact, remember that the way you live your life is a testimony to the work that God has done. People are watching. Use each moment as an opportunity to tell your story.

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1 John 5:11

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor ANDREW FARLAND

TAKE A BREAK WITH GOD

How do you feel today? Are you tired, anxious, stressed, worried, or overwhelmed? Do you wish you had more vacation time or that you could just take a break from your everyday life?
If so, you’re like most people. The grind of your daily responsibilities takes its toll and you wish there was a way to find peace, relief, and to be free from what feels like the weight of the world on your shoulders.

The amazing thing about a relationship with God is that, in the middle of our craziness, you and I can find peace in Him. I’m not saying that we escape the realities of life or that we focus on heaven and forget what happens on earth. What I am saying is that we can connect with God, through worship, at any point along the way. And I promise it will feel like you’re taking a vacation, a break from the daily grind.

The writer of the book of Hebrews said, “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” The truth is that God showers grace, comfort, and peace on you when you need it most. This is especially true when you take time out of your busy day to worship.

You’re probably asking, “How do I stop and worship God during the day?” Don’t freak out. The important thing to remember is that you are wired to connect with God in your own way. For some of you, you might want to sneak away and sing a couple of worship songs. If that’s not your flavor, find time during your daily commute, or any other white space, in which you pause and have an honest conversation with God.

Today, think about ways you can worship God in the midst of your routine. I promise it will feel like a mini vacation from the daily grind.

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10

Be encouraged today because God is with you.