Changing Your World Podcast with Creflo Dollar

God does not operate the way we do. His thoughts and actions are completely different from ours, and on a much higher level. Unlike religion, which tells us we must earn God’s blessings, God blesses us not because of what we do, but because of who He is. Religion says God will punish us with curses if we do not behave properly; however, Jesus took all of the curses meant for us when He went to the cross. Unlike under the law, under grace, God shows us mercy and favor without us having to deserve it. No one is good enough to deserve God’s goodness, but He has chosen to be good to us no matter what we have done. Realizing that He is no longer our harsh judge but now our loving Father increases our faith in Him. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

God’s way of thinking and His method of operating are very different from ours. On life’s journey, He expects us to encounter detours and stray from the path from time to time. However, unlike people who shame and condemn us for making mistakes, God takes it all in stride. Under grace, He will never judge or punish us for not living godly; He instead reminds us of what He has already done for us, and then appeals to us to live right with that in mind. Instead of threatening us for falling short, He emphasizes His love and mercy. God operates on the supernatural level; unlike natural man, He does not expect us to contribute anything to earn His favor. God shows us grace, not wrath; our belief in and acceptance of this undeserved favor—not our self-effort—is what enables us to live godly lives. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

There is a huge difference in the way God operates and the way mankind operates. Unlike us, He thinks and works on a much higher level than we are capable of. God blesses us not because we are good, but because He is good; the grace He shows us is not based on what we do, but because of what He has done through Jesus Christ. By contrast, man’s ways focus on the mindset that says whatever happens, good or bad, is the result of his own conduct; natural man therefore thinks that he must contribute something to earn God’s favor. Our faith is critical here; if we doubt that Jesus forgave us of our sins when He went to the cross, then we will not believe that His plans for our future are good. God punished Jesus for our sins, and therefore does not punish us. Believing this gives us a peaceful conscience. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

As Christians, our goal should be to continue along the path of becoming more emotionally mature. One of the signs of emotional maturity is admitting that we do not know everything and that there is always something new to learn. An attitude like this demonstrates flexibility and a willingness to keep an open mind, and positions us for the kind of continual learning that leads to greater wisdom. Conversely, thinking that we know it all is a sign of arrogance; an inflexible mindset that says that our way of thinking is the only correct way leads to strife and arguments. Honestly admitting we have gaps in what we know frees us from having to have an opinion on every topic under the sun; it also pushes us toward greater dependence on God, who does know everything. It is actually a blessing in disguise. Depending on God to teach us what we need to know keeps us humble and enables Him to use us mightily. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

Whether we fail or succeed in life often depends on where we get our information. Religion will tell us that to be righteous before God, we must obey the Law of Moses through our own self-effort. However, this is impossible to do without God’s help; we simply sin more. By comparison, faith in Jesus Christ puts us in right-standing with God, independent of our own efforts. Jesus was the only man who could perfectly keep all the law, and therefore, the only one who was righteous; accepting Him makes us the same way. He is the only reason we could ever be called righteous at all. Establishing ourselves in Christ gives us the knowledge that we are truly the righteousness of God, no matter what the devil says to contradict this.

To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast", a space, and your amount to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

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Pain and adversity are a shared experience for us all, and at times like these we sometimes wonder if God even cares what we are going through. Thoughts like this are a lie from the enemy; the truth is that God cares deeply for us. The God who created the universe and everything in it loves us so much that He wants to live in us and lead us through life. When bad things happen we tend to blame Him; however, God is good all the time. We must remember the other factors in the equation: Satan and the choices we make. Trouble hits everyone; the difference between believers and the world is that when we go through it, we can have confidence in three things: God’s assurance of His peace in the midst of the storm, His permanent presence, and eventual restoration of everything the devil stole or destroyed. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

We have all gone through painful times of adversity and trouble, and wondered if God really cared about us. Feeling this way is part of being human; however, God actually loves us very much and cares deeply about our suffering. When we entertain these thoughts, there are some practical ways to deal with them. First, we must realize that God never promised us carefree lives with no trials or difficulties; what He has promised us is His presence and His peace in the midst of the situation. We also need to remember that God uses trouble and adversity to mature us, and that He will always make things right in the end. When the enemy attacks our minds with lies that God does not care, remembering the times He has already delivered us brings us back to the truth. Understanding that God will never abandon us in bad times allows us to see His plan at work so that we can be effective Christians. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

People who are emotionally mature believe in themselves. Although as believers we have learned to have faith in God, our belief in ourselves is based on what God says about us. Someone with emotional maturity is not deluded, and does not have a false sense of self; however, they do have optimism in their God-given abilities. This distinction is important because this mindset equips us to deal with whatever life throws at us. We can only succeed by relying on God; the difference between success or failure is therefore determined by whether we trust in Jesus or in our own self-effort. Our Christian lives can be compared to a journey; although we will encounter obstacles and detours from the path, our destination remains unchanged. We can be confident that we have been equipped with everything we need to successfully finish the journey. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

There is much to be said for a grateful heart. When bad things happen, thanking God may be the last thing on our minds; however, learning how to thank and praise Him unleashes tremendous power in the spiritual realm. What many people may fail to understand is that we do not thank God for the situation, but in the midst of it; there is a difference. Giving Him our thanks and praise for the good things He has already done in our lives should not be a one-time event or an occasional afterthought, but a deliberate, continual lifestyle choice. God is waiting for us to be thankful so that He can perfect His plan and His purpose for our lives. Our thankfulness gets heaven’s attention. Praising and glorifying Him during our darkest times causes supernatural things to happen that we cannot take the credit for. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

There is a difference between trying to live life by our own idea of morality and letting grace discipline and train us in how to live moral lives. Some things we simply cannot achieve without depending on God. It is ironic that all of creation—except for mankind—depends on Him. God’s grace enables us to do things we cannot do on our own; it changes us from the inside, gives us the right attitude, and teaches us to do everything motivated by love. Dependence on God, no matter how we may feel at the moment, elevates us to the divine level where He can lead us. Refusing to let our emotions control us gives us victory over the enemy when he throws adversity at us. We are truly pleasing to God when we turn over all of ourselves to Him, yield to Him, and allow Him work through us to reach others. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.