Tag: christ

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Many people think that living a Christian life means not doing anything wrong, but it means so much more than that. Living a victorious Christian life is about turning towards what’s right and good!

When John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness as a forerunner to the coming of Jesus he proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The first thing out of John the Baptist’s mouth as written in scripture was him “preaching and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Repentance was such an important message that Jesus himself, not too long after, started echoing those very words:

“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
[Matthew 4:17]

How important that we take note of the first words declared by John, and the words repeated by Jesus Christ himself.

So what is Repentance?
Repentance isn’t a one-time action; it’s something we do continually.

Repentance also happens in two steps:

First, we turn away from evil. Then, we turn to God and pursue what’s good!

Repentance, in simple terms, is letting go of evil and reaching for Jesus (grabbing onto what’s good).

So I have two questions for you:

What, in your life do you need to let go of today?

What do you need to grab onto instead?

When you can answer these two questions, you can begin living a repentant Christian life.
Repentance isn’t a word we should be scared of. It’s an open invitation into a new level of freedom, a level of the freedom Christ died to give us.

Matthew 4:17
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

Regardless of what’s happening around you, you can prosper.

Today we’ll look at 5 daily habits that will help us to thrive, even when the rest of the world is turned away from God.
The Bible says, “Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.”
1. Prioritize God first. Let your identity solely be defined by Him.
[Matthew 6:33]

2. Be actively employed in doing good. This keeps you from fretting.
[Psalm 37:3]

3. Present and lay out your cares, concerns, and worries before Him – every day.
[Proverbs 3:5]

4. Seek truth; allow your delight in God to fill you satisfy you and sanctify you.
[Psalm 1:1-3]

5. Be thankful and content with what you have. “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”
[Psalm 23:1]

My challenge to you is to write these 5 daily habits down on an index card or sticky note that you can post where you’ll see it every day.

These daily reminders will help you flourish.

Psalms 73:25
“Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.

By Pastor Andrew Farland

King Saul was a hard-headed guy who wanted to do things his way. Even when he pretended to obey God’s wishes, he did so grudgingly. His heart wasn’t in serving God.

King David had his share of mess-ups, too. Had he been in charge of any modern nation, David would have been called out on social media for his morals, and he would be facing serious questioning about his antics.

And which ruler did God forgive and lift up? David, of course.

The difference between the outcomes for David and Saul was a bad day versus a bad heart.

Like David, you’re going to make mistakes, but you can overcome them. You can get back up and go on.

Don’t condemn yourself for making a mistake!

Say you’re sorry – and mean it. Then ask for forgiveness and move on.

Mistakes aren’t tombstones. They’re stepping stones; keep going.

According to Jesus, you aren’t a mess-up that occasionally gets it right. You’re a saint that occasionally gets it wrong.

Proverbs 24:16
“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.”

By Pastor Andrew Farland

To keep her balance, a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point. It’s how she maintains her center of gravity. Her weight and movement are so evenly displaced that she can twirl almost indefinitely.

In the same way, we need to maintain our own center of gravity – spiritually.

As we ‘spin” through our days, we must repeatedly return our focus to God throughout the day! By maintaining, this continual balance, we are able to move confidently and indefinitely throughout our days.

Do you feel off-balance today? Confused? Frustrated? Is life spinning out of control?
If so, where is your focus?

Take a moment right now to shift your focus to Jesus, the one who’s always in control! Make Him your center of gravity.

He will keep you moving forward and will help you regain your balance so you won’t fall.

Psalm 16:8
“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.”

Be encouraged today because God is with you.