Blaze Church

When it comes to our finances, most of us believe that the connection between happiness and money is determined by the amount of money we have. If money hasn’t made us happy so far, it’s only because we don’t have enough. But if your goal is to find happiness in money, no amount of money will ever be enough. It’s not about how much money you have; it’s about how you manage it.

The common factor that all happy people have is peace. Peace with God is possible because God has made peace with you! What separates us from God is sin. We make peace with God by placing our faith in Jesus. We live at peace with God by obedience. God has offered you peace and forgiveness!

Happiness is not immediately accessible, but it’s not out of reach. It’s a result. It’s sowing and reaping. Jesus began his ministry with a sermon about happiness. Holiness and happiness do not stand in opposition to each other. God has the greatest plan for your happiness because He is the one who created you! Jesus gives us eight ways we can sow into being happy.

No “thing” can make you happy. Happiness is more about who than what. Solomon attempted to be happy with whats but it didn’t end well. The path to happiness begins with Jesus. He invites us to not worry about whats and instead place our trust in Him.

Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. When He shows up, dead things come alive! Whether you are dead in your doubt, discouragement, or the delay, Jesus is greater. Even though her brother was dead four days, Martha declared, “Even now” to show that Jesus could still perform the miraculous. God will always be glorified by everything you face in life. He is good. Believing in Jesus means that we live in “even now” moments!

We all want to be “a better person”. How we define better may be personal, but there are some shared values like love, joy, and patience. If you’ve ever attempted to “try” to be better, you know how vain the attempt can be. Even if we meet our own definition, maintaining it is hard! In Jesus’ last words before He is crucified, He frees us from trying by inviting us to “abide” in Him. We abide in Jesus by doing what He says and loving like He does. Connected to Him, the values we want in our life are produced naturally. Try less, trust more.

You were created to have a father-relationship. There are father-wounds that our Father in heaven alone is able to heal. How do we come to the Father? Through Jesus! He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Jesus came to save us from our sin, and bring us to the Father.

We all wrestle with self-worth questions. Am I good enough? Does anyone love me? What are the answers when we apply these questions vertically? As the Good Shepherd, Jesus declared that He loves “His sheep”; those who believe in Him. You are wanted, known, invited, and loved. We have freedom to decide what we believe about Jesus. When Jesus is your Good Shepherd, you can proclaim every promise found in Psalm 23!

Have you ever thought, “This is more than just a bad day; something isn’t right.” Spiritual warfare is real. The enemy is out to steal, kill, and destroy. We do not have to be afraid or weird; instead we can be aware and prepare for battle. Jesus said, “I am The Door.” When we are behind Jesus, we fight FROM a place of victory. The weapons we use to fight with are the Word of God and prayer.

Being exposed isn’t something people run to. Everyone goes through life looking for a light to show them which steps to take. Jesus declared, “I AM the light of the world.” He gave his followers a beautiful promise about life. Jesus lights up God, ourselves, and living for God. The LIT life happens by consistently following Jesus.