Prior to this week's message, worship pastor Jae Lesley and his wife, Kaci, shared about God’s call on them to plant a church in New Mexico. Pastor Keith's sermon focuses on the need to be aware and alert, for the devil “roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

This message is closely related to last week’s message about lies and deceptions. If we come to accept the lies and distortions of our enemy or the world, we often take the next enslaving step of making agreements or even vows that align our minds and hearts with the voice of our enemy, thus giving him a stronghold in our lives.

Deception is at the very heart of Satan’s strategy to “steal, kill, and destroy.” So much of our brokenness is rooted in deception, but God wants to free us from these lies – this is an essential part of our growing in wholeness.

Nobody likes suffering (and rightly so), but it is an inescapable part of life. So how do we deal with it? Here Pastor Keith discusses how God can strengthen us to walk through suffering, and how we can bear with it in a way that does not lead to brokenness.

We have examined our own sin, and the need to forgive the sins of others against us. Now we shift to “generational sins” – the brokenness in our family tree that produces patterns of dysfunction and unhealthy behavior.

Forgiveness is one of the essential aspects of wholeness. Last week we explored why we need to forgive. This week we will examine what forgiveness really is and how to forgive.

This week we begin with the changed-life testimony of one of our missionaries, Chance Galloway, then continue our Growing in Wholeness series with a look at the brokenness that results from the sins of others against us.

Growing in wholeness begins with understanding the nature of sin, for all brokenness is rooted in sin. We began last week with an honest look at our own sin; the focus today is on habitual sin in our lives.

We can be quick to blame other people or other circumstances for our condition. While it's true that people or circumstances may have played a role, it is essential to understand that our own sin is our most fundamental problem. We are 100 percent responsible for our sinful choices.

Salvation is much more than a ticket for getting into heaven after we die. The fullness of salvation is captured in the Greek word sozo – “to save, deliver and make whole.” In other words, salvation and wholeness are inextricably connected.