Is God Trustworthy?

In this episode of Focus Flip, we will be reflecting on where/when we started to believe that God would disappoint us.

Healing begins the moment one feels seen and heard, but people don’t let others truly see or hear them until they feel like they can trust them. 

Vulnerability can feel like you are letting people see your weakness. It can feel like you are allowing yourself to be easily hurt, however, I believe vulnerability is a sign of three things - great strength, trust, and safety. 

The question is not, "Do you believe in God?" The question is, "Do you trust Him?" Do you trust him when everything feels like it's falling apart? Do you trust Him when you don't see the finances, your friend abandoned you, or loss appears to be surrounding you?

I will share with you the scriptures God gave me and the journey I have been on over this past year to find how I identifed and began working to build trust again.

The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does. The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. Psalm 145:13-14

Making things tangible...

• Make a list of where you doubt God or grab some notecards like me. 

• As you review this list ask yourself the following questions

  • Can you specifically identify what you think God won’t do?

  • Can you think back to when you started questioning if God would show up for you? Can you identify why?

  • Has it proven consistent that He's not shown up for you since that time? 

  • As you are making yourself aware, have you noticed that God has shown up more than you realized? Maybe not always in the ways you imagined, but in ways you needed?

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“Do you want to get well?”

Growth in any area of your life lands on your choice to learn and expand your horizons. It doesn’t matter your age, until the day we die, we have the opportunity to better ourselves. The question is, are you willing to take action?

Jesus asked the man with the withered leg, the man who had been struggling for 38 years, do you want to be healed?

Jesus was really asking:

Do you want the responsibility that comes with your healing?

Do you recognize that you will be required to take action?

Get Up. Pick Up Your Mat. Walk. 

• GET UP - Learn how to live in your community but with a different position. You can no longer lay on the ground and be a beggar, you now have to GET UP.  

• PICK UP YOUR MAT - You are no longer labeled by your sickness. You can’t hold onto that label anymore. Your mat doesn’t define you anymore. You have to receive your new identity. Yes, forever that will be part of your story, however, it no longer defines you. 

• WALK - Are you willing to work through the trauma, heartache, pain, frustration, self-doubt, and whatever else you may face to step into your healing? You are no longer going to be a victim, but fully restored. You will no longer crawl but walk. Are you ready for the actions that are required? 

This is the beginning of doing things you think you cannot do, but in the process, you are going to gain strength, courage, and confidence. 

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Contiuing the setup for this series... 

Today we will be talking about the following questions:

• What does the Bible actually say, versus how have we adjusted it to fit society? 

• What are you allowing your eyes to be open to?

• Can you identify things you have been believing that don’t align with the word of God?

The Bible says to know the truth and it will set you free. But if we are never reading it, how will we know it? If we don’t know it, how are we going to stand up against lies, especially when lies are partial truths? 

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth do not hide your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. Psalm 119:18-20

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Time for a new series! This series is called “Dissolving Lies, Discovering Healing & Freedom.”

In this series, we will discuss the lies we believe and make agreements with instead of believing the truth of God’s word. Dissolving the lies is a process and a partnership with God, that requires us to invest both faith and action to find the results of healing and freedom. Let’s jump in and I will explain more. 

So what should you expect from this series: 

• Stories to remind you that you are not alone.

• Scriptures to give you hope, encourage you to read your Bible, and remind you of God’s faithfulness.

• Questions to maybe give you a new perspective and reflect on things you are experiencing.

• Practical steps to help you  walk your healing journey. 

What this series is NOT:

• A 1-3 guide plan for healing and freedom. We each have a different story, different personality, etc… steps that work well for me, might not work for you. Questions that make me process one way might not do it for you. What I share are examples, and you have the opportunity to create the steps that help you dissolve lies and discover healing and freedom. 

• What this series is NOT: A promise that healing and freedom are instantaneous. They aren’t. It takes work. You may need support from doctors, therapists, a church, friends, and family. 

  • More clarification: Yes, I believe Jesus died on the cross for our salvation and our healing. Yes, I believe God can do immediate, miraculous healing of mental health. Yes, I believe the Holy Spirit is our counselor and the best there is... AND, I also believe he gave us community to be iron sharpening iron. I believe when the bible says to get wisdom and understanding, sometimes he uses human beings. He uses those humans to help reveal the wounds, broken places, insecurities, misunderstandings, and more to bring healing. He’s given wisdom to people and allowed them to write books, record podcasts, and teach others so they can be His hands and feet to share the healing and freedom that he desires us to have. 

Do NOT miss out on your healing because God uses a person instead of a scripture or He uses a coffee shop instead of a church. 

This is the year that I’m declaring NEW. No more feeling like our lives are in a horrible loop, no more watching others step forward, while we feel like we are stuck. We are moving forward. Together, we are stepping into the full identity and potential God always meant for us to walk through. 

The preparation that precedes your new growth… 

God doesn’t make mistakes with the places, seasons, and people he calls us to. He doesn’t waste a moment, an opportunity, or a meeting. Everything has meaning, everything has a purpose, and nothing slides by him. 

If they were given seeds to plant on ground that hadn’t seen rain or dew in three years, do you think that seed would have grown or died? 

God knew what was needed for life. 

He knew that the only way to give us salvation was to allow his son to die. He knows that sometimes we need a storm to come through and wash away the lies, the doubt, or whatever it might be that we’ve made agreements with instead of His Words. 

Sometimes He sees what will destroy and He loves us too much to watch that happen. So maybe the storm was necessary to remove something that would have destroyed you.

Don’t lose Heart. Keep Going! God is at work. 

Launching is on its way!

Episode 8 of The Cloud in the Clear Blue Sky series, listen now!

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What if your storm is the answer to your prayer?!?

Most of us in the christian faith don’t want storms. We try to avoid storms, pray our way out of storms, and hope we never have to face a storm, yet Elijah prayed for a storm. 

Think about the last time hard things started happening in your life…. Did you immediately blame it on the devil? Did you ever consider that it's the answer to your prayer? 

Maybe God is using this difficulty to sharpen or strengthen. Maybe he is saying, consider my servant ________, they will be faithful to me no matter what.  

What if the growth you long for requires a storm?

Episode 7 of The Cloud in the Clear Blue Sky series, listen now!

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In this week's episode...

What are we overlooking because they appear insignificant?

Sometimes when we deem something insignificant, we attempt to jump ahead in the process. We get distracted by greener grass instead of staying content in our field.

Maybe a situation in your life feels like it’s on repeat. stale. Disatisfying? 

Sometimes God gives one word. Asking for one act of obedience. Sometimes that act of obedience requires repetition.

Have you started to find ways to skip ahead? Taking the situation into your own hands instead of trusting the last word God has you and walking in obedience? 

Or have you determined that God is silent in the waiting and you want to throw in the towel? 

What if you keep going?

Episode 6 of The Cloud in the Clear Blue Sky series, listen now!

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The word God gave Elijah wasn’t just impacting him, it impacted the entire country. Much like if God is giving you a word, it’s not just going to impact you but it’s going to impact those around you. 

The importance of Elijah not giving up on the prayer for rain after three 1/2 years of nothing… the crops, the animals, and the people are all in desperate need of this rain. Yet, Elijah had to faithfully take action and pray for the cloud to show up. His steadfast determination to not quit praying until his servant saw a cloud.

How many times have you gone out to see if the cloud was in the sky? (1 Kings 18:43)

How many times around the Wall of Jericho have you marched? (Joshua 6:1–27)

How many times have you dipped in the Jordan River? (2 Kings 5:14 - Nahamman) 

In each of these stories, the miracle didn’t come after the first action was made. It came after multiple actions and multiple days or years. 

What we do in the waiting is crucial! 

Will doubts come into our minds, yes, we are all human. However, the question is do your actions follow your doubts or follow your faith?

Episode 5 of The Cloud in the Clear Blue Sky series, listen now!

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How do you remain steadfast in the waiting?

Does your situation appear hopeless?

Does you situation appear like it's failing?

Does everything around you look like death?

How do you remain when there is nothing?

How do you not allow past disappointments and experiences to influence your current circumstances? 

In this episode of Focus Flip,  we will be focusing on 1 Kings 18:43. We will talk the emotions we might be experiencing in the waiting, along with learning to remain steadfast. 

Episode 4 of The Cloud in the Clear Blue Sky series

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What if your greatest strength comes through bending your knees?

Yes, kneeling may be considered a weak position. One of humility and surrender, but what if it's where you are knighted and elevated?

In this episode of Focus Flip,  we will be focusing on 1 Kings 18:42, "So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees."

Why is your positioning so important?

Why is it important to create good habits when life is good?

What power will you receive through doing these things?

You'll find the answers to these questions and so much more in this episode. 

Episode 3 of The Cloud in the Clear Blue Sky series

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