The devil has always been a thief. As believers, we must be on the alert for his attacks; one of the first things he tries to steal that God gave us is who we are in Christ. He did this with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and unsuccessfully tried again with Jesus in the wilderness; he tries it with us through guilt, shame, and condemnation. Because of what Adam did, we are born into this world already spiritually dead; being born again gives us new life and makes us new creations just like Christ in our spirits. Regardless of what the enemy says to us, we have been united with Jesus Christ and are now one with Him. We have been redeemed and made righteous and holy, not because of anything we do, but because of what Jesus already did. Confidence in our true identity keeps it from being stolen from us. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

One of the major differences between the old and new covenants is the shift away from doing and toward believing. In the Old Testament, the focus was on performing; in the New Testament, the focus is on faith. However, we need precision in this area; what is necessary is not faith in our own performance, but in Jesus' perfect performance and what He has already done. This is what positions us to receive the blessings promised in the Bible. The Gospel of Grace emphasizes the link between belief and obedience; as Christians, we must not stumble and fall back into thinking that our works are more important than our faith in Christ. With this in mind, we must abandon our self-efforts that religion demands from us and simply trust in Jesus. When we believe we are righteous because of Him, our behavior will eventually reflect that. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

We are at war with Satan, and the stakes are high. He and his army of demons are after our souls, our minds, and our emotions. His plan involves trapping us in the world's way of thinking; however, we render him powerless by renewing our minds to conform to God's way of thinking instead. In this fight we can use precision as a weapon; specifically, we are to renew our minds according to the teachings of grace, not according to the Law of Moses. What was true under the law is not necessarily true anymore under grace; we need a solid understanding of this if we are to escape the devil's lies. Therefore, it is essential to focus on the proper covenant if we want successful lives. We win by giving our attention to the finished works of Jesus instead of our own performance. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

The state of our hearts matters greatly to God. It is certainly important to do the morally right things that please Him; however, He wants even more for us to have thankful hearts. Outward obedience just for appearance does not matter if we are not grateful. Genuinely giving thanks with the proper attitude has a way of working itself outward for others to see. Giving thanks in our circumstances is the best thing for us because it keeps us in the right frame of mind and is a powerful weapon to protect us emotionally and spiritually from situations. Thankfulness is how we keep the world's adversity and bad things around us from getting inside us. Turning our attention to good things aligns our perspective with God's instead of the enemy's and forces out negative emotions trying to enter our souls. Maintaining our gratitude brings an anointing from God that removes burdens, destroys yokes, and changes our way of thinking for the better. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

Knowing how to handle our feelings is part of being emotionally mature. It is necessary not just during the holiday season, but on a daily basis as well. We all experience struggles, disappointments, and anxieties, but we do not have to let them dominate us. The ability to give thanks is a powerful tool in exerting our authority over our emotions. Doing this gives us strength, peace, and joy even in the midst of life's challenges. We can learn much from the grateful attitudes that Job, David, Paul, and Silas displayed despite adversity. Learning how to be thankful no matter what the circumstances are gives us great power. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

Regardless of whatever situation we are going through or any challenges facing us, pausing in the midst of it to give thanks helps us to keep our perspective. God gives us good things we do not deserve; there is no need for us to look very far to find something to be thankful for. Having a grateful heart is important and reminds us of everything we have been blessed with. Our attitude is a powerful choice we make; an attitude of gratitude benefits us physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and brings us into blessings. Giving thanks enriches our lives and is God's will for us. It empowers us to accomplish what we need to do. Thankfulness has the power to change our entire outlook on life. 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.

We are in the midst of a spiritual battle against the devil, and we gain the upper hand when we learn to control our emotions. Satan tries to use negative emotions against us, but he is rendered powerless when we take authority in the emotional realm. Life is by no means perfect and bad things happen, but God has given us His Word on what to do when we are attacked by negative feelings. Rejoicing and giving God thanks and praise in the midst of a situation may seem strange at first to our intellectual understanding, but He has a good reason for this type of response. Using the Word as a weapon against depression when it tries to sweep us away gives us victory. Using the power of thanksgiving and gratitude is a major way we deal with all negative emotions. Thanking and praising God gives us victory over whatever ungodly feelings we may be experiencing at the moment. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

Being addicted to others' opinions of us is extremely destructive. An excessive need for people to approve and validate us can cause guilt, shame, and insecurity in us. This kind of addiction leads us to seek others' approval before we can value ourselves, and causes us to greatly fear rejection and disapproval from people who do not even care about us. It can lead to anxiety, depression, and mental health issues. Craving others' acceptance and forgetting that God has already accepted us is tragic; realizing that He approves of us helps us break this addiction. Our mental outlook and self-respect immediately begin to improve when we decide that we like ourselves, regardless of what others think. We will not need the world's validation when we know that we are already God's beloved, and the apple of His eye. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.

Addictions to anything are very dangerous and destructive. This includes being addicted to others' approval. It is a huge mistake to determine our value and sense of self-worth by what other people think of us. The craving for others' validation and the fear of rejection can destroy our mental health, cause us to focus on the wrong things, and actually derail God's call on our lives. This kind of fear puts us in bondage to people. Living to please others, instead of God, steals our peace and our relationship with Him. By contrast, living for an audience of one—God—pleases Him, gives us eternal peace, and allows us to carry out His plan for us. To support the ministry financially, text "CDMPodcast" to 74483 or visit www.worldchangers.org.