Insecurity is a social disease running at plague proportions. And like every other plague – it has dire consequences. Hmmm. What if you have the disease? Is there a cure?

Probably one of the things that we'd all like to do is to grow as people. Hopefully today, we're a bit more mature and balanced than we were, say 5 years ago. And in 5 years time, we'd hope that we've learned a bit more. That the years have brought some wisdom and some insight compared to who we are and how we behave today.

That's what we'd like to think. But it's not always the case. The reality is that there are some things in us, sometimes, that hold us back. That constrain us from being all that we can be. They stop us from living life to the full.

One of the things that many of us struggle with and I certainly have in my life, is a deep sense of inadequacy and insecurity. So is it possible to deal with this personal and social disability?

Other people around us, well they seem so confident of themselves and their own abilities. Have you noticed? Especially young people these days. Look at them. They're so talented. They're so confident. While everybody else is busy putting their best foot forward, sometimes we're dying a quiet death inside. "Somehow, I don't feel as good. I'm not as articulate. I'm not as talented. I'm not as bright. I'm not as good-looking. I'm not as fit. I'm not as significant as they are. I don't make as much difference in the world as they do."

We can often have that sort of a view of ourselves. And the worst bit about it is you can't easily admit that to someone. You look at a photo of yourself and you think, "I look ugly". Or maybe you see yourself on a video and you think, "surely I don't look like that." Or you hear your voice recorded and you think, "I don't sound like that. That can't be me can it?"

It's a quiet, lonely hell. Is this something you might relate to? Over 50% of all women in western society chronically suffer from low self-esteem. And it happens to men too. But in a sense it's almost worse for men because the whole macho image thing, well you can't admit that to someone.

So what are the symptoms? What does somebody look like who's suffering from insecurity? Well the first thing is they're really, really touchy. When you're around them it's like walking on eggshells. You have to be careful where you tread. Because you don't know when they're going to go off like a cracker. Someone who's insecure worries about what other people think about me. What will they think when they know this? What are they saying behind my back? What are they doing to me? How does this impact on me?

Somebody who's really insecure sees themselves at the centre of the universe. And they're really hard people to be around. But what if that someone is you or me?

As we sit here talking about deep insecurity, I wonder how many people would love to be healed? To be set free. This week on A Different Perspective, I've called this little series of five programs – Time to Get Over It. Because I'd like to look at this subject of insecurity from a different perspective. Dealing with hurts from the past. Getting a right and balanced attitude towards ourselves.

Let me tell you something. I have a crazy notion. I have this crazy notion that Jesus died on the cross for me and for you, to set us free. And Jesus said:

If I set you free, you'll be free indeed. You'll be really free

Well … let me ask you a question. Do you like yourself? I mean, you strip off your clothes and you stand naked in front of the mirror and you look at yourself. And you think, "do I fundamentally like this person?" And there's an emotional equivalent too. You strip off all the pretence and all the faces we put on when we go out in front of other people. And we look at ourselves as a package. Me inc or you inc. This package of physical; his package of emotional

We live in a world that offers a thousand different saviours. Politicians promise to rescue the economy. Technology claims it'll solve every problem. Self-help gurus insist that they can fix your life if only you'll buy into their program. But in the end, each and every one of them falls short.

Back in 2008, the global financial crisis shook the world. Banks collapsed. Markets crumbled. For years, people had trusted that the system would always keep them safe. But in the space of just a few short weeks, trillions of dollars vanished. What everyone thought was secure … wasn't. Now listen to this:

Isaiah 43:11-12 I myself am the LORD, and there is no other Saviour. I am the one who spoke to you, saved you, and told you those things. It was not some stranger who was with you. You are my witnesses, and I am God." (This is what the LORD himself said.)'

Crystal clear, isn't it? There is one God. One Saviour. One Redeemer. Israel's story was full of moments when they chased after false gods, only to be disappointed. And God reminds them: "It was Me. It was always Me."

And then – centuries later – that truth took on flesh and blood in Jesus. He is God's rescue plan. He is salvation. Not wealth. Not power. Not politics. Only Christ.

Whatever else you may have put your faith in, know this: if it hasn't already failed you, one day it will. So, when everything else around you feels shaky, don't put your trust in temporary saviours. Put it where it belongs – in the only One who never fails: Jesus.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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I wish I could tell you that life is simple. But it ain't. It's complex, it's messy, and the future is far from certain. Not even tomorrow is promised. All we have is today. So, what will you do with it?

A few years ago, a research team tracked hikers in dense forests who had neither a compass nor a GPS. Unsurprisingly, almost every one of them ended up walking in circles. Because without a fixed reference point, we all lose our way – no matter how hard we try to stay straight.

And exactly the same is true in the uncertain, complex, messy lives we each live. Which is why God means to give us that much-needed reference point.

Deuteronomy 13:4 You must follow the LORD your God. Respect him. Obey his commands and do what he tells you. Serve the LORD your God, and never leave him.

That's not complicated. In fact, it's pretty clear. God's people were about to enter a land full of idols and false promises. And His word to them was simple: Don't drift. Don't wander round in circles. Fix your eyes on Me.

Fast-forward, and the same truth echoes in Jesus' call: "Follow Me." Not casually, not part-time – but fully. He doesn't just ask for our Sunday mornings. He asks for our lives.

And here's the good news. We don't have to follow Him in our own strength. The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now leads us, empowers us, and keeps us on track.

So, if you've been drifting … stop. Turn. Fix your eyes back on Jesus. Because only in Him will you walk straight, strong, and sure.

That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.

When loss threatens to define who you are, lasting peace is found by anchoring your identity in the unchanging love of Christ.

Yep, yep. I believe in miracles. I believe that God will do a miracle for me. But – well, what happens when He says no. What happens when I have a heart for this or for that – but He closes the door. Slams it in our face.

This week on the program, we've been talking about miracles. This series is called "I Need a Miracle Please". How many times have you and I been caught in a tight spot and thought to ourselves – nothing short of a miracle is going to save me from this one.

Or, or there's something on our hearts. We have this desire. A good desire. A desire perhaps to serve God and yet things just don't seem to be working out.

We can't talk about miracles without talking about the fact that sometimes, sometimes, we go to God and ask Him for a miracle and that miracle seems to be denied by God. How can that be? Jesus Himself said:

If you love me and my word abides in you and you abide in me, you can ask anything that you wish in my name and it will be done for you. (John 15:7)

How can it be that God would deny me miracle that opens the door to me doing some good work for Him? How can it be that God denies me a miracle of healing – healing a sick child, or healing a loved one. How can it be? I've heard people preach that the only circumstance in which we miss out on something that we ask for, is if we don't have enough faith. Frankly – I'd love to ring their necks. Because that just isn't true. You may think that's pretty strong language but I get really angry with people who twist the truth.

Now a lack of faith, that sometimes is the reason we miss out on things from God. Yes. It is. Listen to what James writes when he talks about going to God and asking for wisdom. James chapter 1 beginning at verse 6. He says:

But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

See, God rewards faith, that's what we've been talking about over these last few days. But He doesn't demand complete faith, or perfect faith. In fact, the last time that I checked, faith the size of a tiny little mustard seed was enough to tell a mountain to go jump into the lake.

It's not the size of our faith that matters. Not the perfection of our faith. See sometimes, my heart is deeply troubled. Sometimes, I'm afraid to stand in a place that God's called me to stand. Sometimes I'm afraid to step forward and do the things that God's called me to do.

How do I know that I have faith? I'll tell you. If I stay in that place, and do the things that God's called me to do, if I'm prepared to fail unless God shows up, no matter how much my emotions are on that roller coaster ride, if I hang on to that tiny little seed of faith somewhere in my heart then I know I have faith. But if I run and hide to protect myself then I don't.

Sure, faith is important but sometimes we get it wrong. Sometimes we don't hear God properly. And sometimes we ask God for something that isn't in His sovereign will. I've written a book recently called 'Unlocking the Power of Prayer' and I've devoted a whole chapter to this question.

You know, when my children were little, I wouldn't give them a sharp knife to play with. It's only when they grew up into young adults that they got to use the carving knife. Sometimes we ask God for things that we're not mature enough to use or to do or to cope with.

And so the reason I get so upset by people that somehow seem to preach that we can expect God to deliver on any outrageous request that we make and that if He doesn't it's because we lack enough faith. That's not only a lie, but it condemns those who listen. It blames them for something that's not their fault.

And I just feel today that we need to deal with this decisively beca

Have you ever noticed how stubborn we can be? We sketch out our five-year plan, knowing exactly how life should unfold… and even though, deep down, we know that our plans don't always play out the way we think they should, we still find it maddening when things just don't go our way.

Take Steve Jobs. At thirty he was fired from Apple, the very company he'd founded. By all accounts, it was a humiliating experience. But years later, he admitted that being fired freed him to think more creatively. That setback led to Pixar, and eventually his return to Apple – where he reshaped the world of technology.

What appeared to be the end of a promising career turned out to be an essential stepping stone to success.

Proverbs 19:20-21 Listen to advice and accept discipline; then you, too, will become wise. People might make many plans, but what the LORD says is what will happen.

That cuts straight to the heart, doesn't it? Wisdom means admitting we don't know it all. It means being humble enough to listen – to God's Word, to godly counsel, even to the discipline that stings.

Because in the end, our clever strategies and carefully laid plans aren't what determine the outcome. God's purposes stand. Always.

And in Christ, we see that truth in the flesh. Men planned His downfall. Judas betrayed Him. The leaders schemed against Him. And yet through the cross and resurrection, God's greater plan – our salvation – triumphed.

So yes, plan wisely. But hold your plans loosely. Because in the end, the only plan that matters is God's … and that plan is Jesus.

That's His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

The people the world overlooks are never overlooked by God.

Sometimes, we expect God to show up with a miracle in our lives, kind of like the pizza delivery man at the front door. But God – well, sometimes He has a different plan. Sometimes He wants us to grow the sort of faith that's going to blow a hole in the roof.

It never ceases to amaze me how different God's ways are from our own. See when I want something from God – when I go to him and pray and ask Him for something, I kind of expect Him not just to say yes each and every time, but I expect Him to deliver me the answer on a platter.

I kind of imagine that it's like when I ring up to order a Pizza home delivery, and the little man shows up on his motorbike and delivers it to my front door. I mean – isn't that how it should be? Isn't that how we expect that God should operate? Come, putting up on His little motor bike and knock on our doors and say – here it is, just sign here?

Now, I know that sounds a little crazy, but the truth be known, that's how we expect God to operate. I mean why wouldn't He. He's our Dad. He loves us. Surely He wants to bless us.

But then again, I'm a dad too. And there's one thing for certain – I have never delivered breakfast in bed to any of my children. Because (a) I wanted them to learn how to be responsible and to get up out of bed for themselves and get breakfast for themselves and (b) in any case, I'm their father and they should be delivering breakfast for me in bed.

I'll do the things they can't do for themselves, I'll help them and I'll encourage them and I'll discipline them, but they need to learn to do the things that they have to do. And on top of that, I as a dad, will sometimes put them under pressure, or set them tasks that are difficult – because unless I do that, where are they going to learn that stuff from?

So why is it that we would somehow imagine that God would be any different? Why do we imagine that He'd be in the business of delivering breakfast in bed, or pizza to the front door? I'll tell you why. Because we have a consumer mentality. We live in a "me" centred world. God is supposed to dance to my tune. And that's an attitude that we can take into our expectations about miracles.

This week we're doing a series called "I Need a Miracle". But I want us to get realistic about this whole miracle thing. On the one hand sometimes we imagine that God wouldn't ever do a miracle for me, hopefully we've dealt with that earlier in the week. 'Cause that's a load of rubbish. God is a miracle working God. He was 2000 years ago. He still is today and nothing's changed.

But on the other hand, we can get this spiritual couch potato view of the world and expect miracles to be easy. But I have to tell you, my experience is, sure some miracles from God are easy. But some are a long time in coming and take a lot of perseverance and trust through difficult times, before they actually happen. And that bit kind of jars with our sugar daddy view of what God should be and how He should deliver miracles.

So today I want to share with you a story that could well be familiar to you. It's the story of a miracle. And yet it wasn't an easy one. It took quite some effort. Let's take a look. It comes from Mark's Gospel, chapter 2.

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them.

Then some people came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

Now some of t