Grace Warriors

Identity is something that shapes everything we believe and everything we believe then impacts how we act. When we believe the things we’ve been talking about in this identity series, we are changed, we are able to surrender and let go because Jesus changes everything. This week, Sara and Kathy talk about forgiveness. There are two sides of forgiveness, forgiving yourself and forgiving others. This all begins with believing you are forgiven for all of your sins because of the blood of Jesus! If we don’t receive His forgiveness first, we won’t be able to fully move forward in forgiving ourselves or others. Sometimes we grow up thinking if we don’t confess every little sin we are going to hell, but the good news of Jesus is that He forgives ALL of our sin, past present and future, that is the gift of salvation! We just have to choose to believe in Him. Do you ever feel like you are letting someone off the hook when you forgive them? You’re not alone and our God is a person God who sees the hurt done to you, Jesus wants to meet you in your hurt and He is the only one who can heal you! Are you harboring resentment towards someone or withholding forgiveness? Remember friends, we are all condemned without Jesus, and He has offered His forgiveness to us, while we were enemies to him! We get to choose freedom from the bondage of unforgiveness and that is good news! How can we not so freely forgive our neighbor when we are reminded of this truth? Tune in to Episode 12 now!

Kathy and Sara have covered how loved we are, that we are chosen and accepted and today they discuss redemption! The entire bible is about redemption. From before time began, we were chosen. God knew he would have to rescue us because we couldn’t rescue ourselves and He always had a plan. His plan is to redeem us. From the garden to now, we have tried to rescue ourselves but if you have been living in moralism long enough you have realized that you just can’t do it! Sara and Kathy discuss the exhaustion they reached and the realization that they couldn’t do it on their own. Many of us are in the same boat, fully aware of our need for a rescue but unsure of where to go. You are already redeemed, you just have to choose to believe it! God is calling you to surrender and allow Him to carry out the good works in you! You’ll never be able to do it and that is good news because there is a God who knows all things and created all things that loves you that began a good work in you and He will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ(Phil. 1:6)! He is ready to give you the grace to believe and mercy to step into an unknown that takes you deeper and deeper with your Father. Tune in this week to hear some good news!

Did you know you were chosen before the beginning of time? You’re not a mistake or an accident. As women, we are born with a need to be chosen, loved and accepted. This week, Kathy and Sara dive into the specificities of the doubt and the lies we believe. When we begin to believe a lie from the enemy, it effects our identity. Do you feel like you were a mistake or you were unplanned? You were not an afterthought, and not only did God choose you and create you, He supplies you with a divine purpose for a divine outcome. The Father is intentional with each of His children and since He created you, He knows every part of you and still delights in you. You are His first choice! Sometimes these truths are hard to believe, we hear them and want them but struggle to allow it to sink to our hearts, so this week, let’s run to scripture to learn about God’s feelings about us and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the lies we are believing. Cast off the lie and choose truth from the creator and sustainer of all things! You are so loved and accepted.

This week, Kathy and Sara continue talking about identity. We can't discuss identity without first diving deep into the Father's love for us! Do you view God more as a judge or a tender Father? Many things contribute to how we view God but the truth is God prefers you! He proved it by giving His only son so He can know you and be known by you! He cares for your interest. To understand the Father loves you, you have to know the gospel. He became your sin so you become His righteousness. It is a love that doesn't make sense without His grace. Does he like someone more than the other? No, he prefers all of us. There is nothing you can do to change that because it doesn't have anything to do with your actions. He loves you because you are His! When we move from obligation to delight, we are able to delight in Him and receive His delight! Lay it all down today and surrender, it will never come up empty.

Most of us struggle to believe who God says we are. We may know what God says about us from church sermons or reading God’s word but what does it mean to really believe? This week Kathy and Sara talk about breaking off the lies Satan has us believing, allowing Jesus to free us from the bondage and chains. Everything flows out of our identity. The bible has a lot to say about who we are, and it is good news! When we look to God to name us, we suddenly are freed from the opinions of others. We are then able to take someone’s opinion about us and line it up with the word of God and choose who to believe. Believing what others say, good or bad, will fall short. Believing what God says will lead to fulfillment and peace. True identity can only be found in the creator and God’s dedication to loving us is unmatched. He chose you, He made you, He loves you, He sent His son to die for you, and when you choose to believe that, God sees His perfect son instead of your sin, from now on. Now that is a victory none of us could ever earn!

This week Sara and Kathy talk about how God gives us the word of God to be offensive and defensive in our battle against the enemy. They cover the importance of putting on the helmet of salvation. Our salvation gives us a long-term hope, so we are free from focusing just on the here and now. We have eternity with the creator and sustainer of all! Talk about peace! They then go on to talk about the sword of the Spirit and how many of us women are struggling because we aren’t utilizing this amazing tool that we have, the Word of God. The Holy Spirit guides us into the truth of the Word so we can trust Him to reveal himself to us using his word. Storing up the word of God in our hearts is so important because it allows us to have reminders of his promises and follow the light God has given us. We don’t have to live in darkness anymore! Remember, God has equipped you and is with you every step of the way. This isn’t a battle to fear because Jesus has already won!

This week Sara and Kathy continue their series on the armor of God with the gospel of peace and shield of faith. Today they talk about how we have to be prepared and ready with God’s good news or the enemy will deceive and trick us. We can’t create our own peace. We have to rest in what Jesus has done and who he is. That is the only thing that brings true peace. His presence in our life is all we need and when we know this and embrace our true identity in Christ we can let go of what other people think! The shield of faith is protection God gives us. He is a full & big God. Take up faith and use it in your life and just like peace, you can’t muster it up on your own. It only comes from believing then experiencing Christ. Faith is always a gift! Tune in next week for our final episode on the armor of God.

The scripture covered in today’s verses is from Ephesians six. Sara and Kathy talk about putting on the full armor of God and specifically the importance of Christians wearing the belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness. Putting on the armor of God is a choice we have as Christian women and it is our way to stand firm in the truth of God. We have an enemy that is invisible but not fictional and his goal is to bring death and destruction to your life but there is good news! God sent Jesus to pay the ultimate price giving us freedom, life and His righteousness. Our God is greater and stronger than the enemy and once you are in Christ, His righteousness is yours! You aren’t fighting this battle alone! Tune in next week as we cover how to “fit your feet with readiness” .

There have been a lot of events and circumstances that have caused anxiety and worry for so many. When the world seems to be falling apart, it is easy to look to news sources and other people for truth. The bad part about doing that is that it leads to more worry and more anxiety. The reality is that none of us are in control, which is actually a good thing. The only place we will find peace is by going to the source of actual truth, which is Jesus. In today’s episode, we talk about the call God has given us to turn our anxious thoughts over to him because He has something to give us in return...Peace. Jesus is the only one who can provide true peace because He is the only one that knows what today and tomorrow look like. Choose grace in the everyday because you have a Father who loves you and is waiting for you to cast your cares on him!

Last week we covered what Grace was and this week we are looking at what it means to “Warrior Up”. There is a battle for your life going on every day! The enemy is seeking to steal, kill and destroy your life. God gives us a recognition of the enemy and enables us to look to Truth and allow God to equip us, arm us and protect us. He enables us to “warrior up” with His scripture as we walk out this life of faith. The power we have from the Holy Spirit is stronger than the enemy. Learn how to battle up against the lies of the enemy and fight the good fight, through finding your identity in the authority and power of Jesus Christ!