Believe & Speak

If you’re going through a hard time right now and you’re wondering if God is punishing you, then I’ve got good news! God is not mad at you. He loves you.

Maybe you’ve made wrong choices, maybe you think you deserve punishment, but God is known for His mercy and grace.

Grace = receiving the favor and blessings we don’t deserve.

Mercy = not getting the punishment we do deserve.

I’ve learned that my struggles aren’t because God is mad at me. God allows hardship as a form of discipline, and God disciplines me for my good.

Today we’re going to look at what Hebrews 12 says about enduring hardship and we’ll learn 3 reasons God’s discipline is NOT about punishment.

I’d love to connect. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod and to my eNewsletter.

This week's scripture: Hebrews 12:7-11

Did you know believers in Jesus can come against evil with a simple prayer? We can actually pray evil away! Do you know how to pray evil out of your life? If you have been under demonic attack and want to know how to stand firm when spiritual warfare rages around you, you’ll learn what you need to know from my 3-part series based on Ephesians 6:11-18. This is part 3 of 3.

For resources to help you in the fight visit: Praying-Scripture.pdf (shawnamariebryant.com)

I’d love to connect. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod and to my eNewsletter.

This week's scripture: Ephesians 6:16-18

Have you been under demonic attack? Do you want to know how to stand firm when spiritual warfare rages around you?

If you’re a Holy Spirit-filled believer in Jesus, then you’ve got what it takes to stand firm.

For resources to help you in the fight visit: Praying Scripture

I’d love to connect. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod and to my eNewsletter.

This week's scripture: Ephesians 6:11, 14-15

The devil is hellbent on your destruction. He hates everything God loves, and God loves you deeply. That’s why He made sure you have exactly what you need to stand against the devil’s schemes.

Do you know what you need in order to stand?

Learning how to take your stand starts with knowing who your real enemy is. To fight strategically, you must understand that the spiritual influences of evil are at the root of every battle.

I’d love to connect. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod and to my eNewsletter.

This week's scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:3

If you’re like me, you don’t like being hit over the head with the Bible. The Word of God isn’t supposed to be used as a weapon against people, but that doesn’t mean the Bible isn’t a weapon. It’s a very sharp weapon. We don’t use it to clobber people, we use it to clobber lies.

I’d love to connect. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod and to my eNewsletter.

This week's scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:3-5a

Ever have one of those prayers you’re glad God didn’t answer?

For years I asked God to give me thick skin and a tender heart. I thought my request made sense because I don’t want to become callus or unfeeling but I also don’t want the unkind things people say to me or about me to hurt.

But a wise counselor recently told me that thick skin is by definition a callous. He pointed out that God created pain to make us aware of and respond to harm. It’s not good to be numb to pain if we need to get away from it.

If thick skin is not the answer, what is? To find out, we’ll look at Colossians 3:12-14 and declare this together:

I can clothe myself with mercy because God has forgiven me.

I’m thankful God didn’t answer my prayers for thick skin for a couple of reasons:

Pain reveals toxic relationships.

Mercy heals broken relationships.

If you know a tender-hearted person who needs to set some boundaries or a thick-skinned person who needs to show a little mercy, I hope you send them a link to this episode.  Your tongue has power. Use it for good.

I’d love to connect. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod and to my eNewsletter.

This week's scripture: Philippians 4:8

ANTs! We’ve all had problems with them at one time or another. And I’m not talking about those pests that march in formation along our baseboards. I’m talking about automatic negative thoughts (ANTs). Psychologists use this term for intrusive thoughts that crawl around our minds unwelcome and unwanted. The Bible equips us to squash those ANTs dead in their tracks. Today we’ll look at an especially helpful Bible verse to kill ANTs and we will declare this truth: I choose to think on purpose.

If you’d like to listen to the children’s song I mentioned in today’s episode, please follow this link to Hide ‘em in Your Heart with Steve Green Vol. 2. You just might find yourself singing along and memorizing Philippians 4:8.

I’d love to connect. Please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod and to my eNewsletter.

This week's scripture: Philippians 4:8

If we wait until we feel like doing something good and right, we may never start doing it. But if we decide to do something good and right, we may actually start feeling it.

I believe the reason God commands us to give thanks, regardless of our circumstances, is because He knows gratitude is good for the soul. Today, we’ll look at the command to give thanks and declare this truth: I can give thanks when my heart isn’t in it.

God never commands us to do something that He doesn’t also empower us to obey. If the Bible tells us to rejoice, pray and give thanks in spite of the myriad of circumstances we’re going through, then these actions are possible.

I don’t have to convince you that people act on their feelings. But I submit that people can also feel based on their actions. Feelings can be positive or negative, but they’re not morally good or bad. You can’t pass a moral judgment on feelings—only on the actions taken as a result of those feelings. So, it makes sense that God would command an action that has the power to affect our emotions.

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod

This week's scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

With increasing food and gas prices making the basics take a bigger bite out of our budgets, it’s hard not to worry, but that’s exactly what God commands. So how do we lower our stress and increase our faith?

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus gives his disciples 2 wrongs and 1 right thing to do when stressing over the cost of living. In Luke 12:22-32 we find Jesus talking to his disciples about how God feeds the birds even though they don’t sow or reap and clothes the wild-flowers even though they don’t labor or spin.

Worrying about life is the first wrong we want to avoid. If you’re like me, your go-to when fear and doubt creep in is worry. What if our auto-response was prayer instead?

The second wrong reaction is Running after stuff. The message of Luke 12:29-30 is twofold: don’t be disheartened by your limited supply AND don’t set your heart on the fine and fancy.

God doesn’t want us to focus on earthly things, He wants us to focus on Him, which brings me to the right response to stress: Seeking God’s kingdom.

Romans 14:17 says, “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit...”

Righteousness, peace and joy are the ingredients for less stress and less striving. Let’s not hunger for the things of this world, when God can truly satisfy us.

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod

This week's scripture: Luke 12:22-32

Wavering when we should hold steady isn’t a good look. But clinging to nonsensical views looks bad too. So, how do we make wise decisions and then stand firm?

The book of James opens with 2 do’s and 2 don’ts for anyone who needs wisdom.

Today’s scripture has a 4-step formula that can even make fools wise. It’s in James 1:5-6.

Verse 5 gives an if/then: If you need wisdom, then ask God. That’s our first “do”: Ask God. James actually says later in this same letter, “You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.” (James 4:2 NLT)

Ask God for wisdom. I’m not embarrassed to admit I do it all the time. Whether in my relationships or my work, I’ll say “Lord, I don’t know what to do but you do.”

The world has gotten so crazy that sometimes I don’t even know what to think.  There’s nothing to be ashamed of when you have nowhere else to turn but to God.

Maybe you’ve guessed what our first “don’t” is. Don’t: Be Ashamed. God doesn’t want you to be ashamed of calling on Him. He will never rebuke you for crying out to Him.

James 1:6 has the next set of do’s and don’ts. The “do” may seem obvious. Believe God.

The Bible says, “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

It’s one thing to believe in God and another to believe God. If we want to receive wisdom or anything else, we must believe He exists AND trust Him to do what He says He’ll do.

God will make you wise if you ask Him to make you wise. So ask! And when you do, don’t doubt God. I’m not going to point the finger at you and suggest I never doubt God. I struggle to believe He will meet all my needs, even though the Bible promises He will. I tend to doubt my decisions, too. If you want to make wise decisions and then stand firm, then remember to ask God unashamedly and believe God undoubtedly.

Here's the news I’ve been teasing for a couple of weeks now... I launched a YouTube channel @BeginAgainGod

Please subscribe today! Thank you for all your support and thank you for listening and declaring truth with me. Your tongue has power. Use it for good.

 

This week's scripture: James 1:5-6