Strongholds are situations or dilemmas that are keeping us bound and we can’t break free. Things we can’t work ourselves through or fix. But nothing is too difficult for God to break us loose. In God’s power there can be even a miraculous rescue. So we rest in God and we pray.

Whatever God plans, He pursues. This makes us patient. Whomever God chooses, He uses. This makes us humble. Wherever God selects, He sends. This makes us content.

God is forever on the cutting edge of change. Never his nature. Never His Word. But He changes his ways and his movements continually. We must remain calm, seek God's glory, embrace change, and continually evaluate.

All of us are seeking for security, approval, acceptance, comfort, meaning, purpose, joy that lasts/ On top of that there’s fear, a lack of peace, even a sense of guilt. There is a deep itch and some unknown scratch. Augustine wrote our hearts are restless until we find our rest in Thee, God.

God’s arm isn’t short. He has never met his match. He is offering you Jesus right now and you can have him right now and be forgiven right now and have eternal life right now so that if you would die right now you would be with God right now. Grace.

Based on external appearance, past experiences, or personal preferences our sin nature assumes the worst, our sinful mind forms bad opinions, so we do, say, or ignore unjust, cruel, and even hateful things. This is sinful, painful, and the only rescue from it is Jesus Christ.

We must be careful and above all biblical when thinking about miracles. The Bible teaches us that when it comes to the miraculous we can be open and expectant while maintaining discernment and honesty. When we do God will get the glory and people will come to Christ.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was a turning point for the 1st century believers in the book of Acts, and Christian’s today still live under that same power and influence. The boldness, courage, and strength the early disciples had didn’t come from sheer force of will power or good intentions. It came from the assurances they had because the resurrection was real. The apostle Paul encourages us with 4 assurances that are rooted in Jesus’ resurrection. Assurances of hope that can reorient, and motivate, and encourage how we live and how we believe today.

If we are going to become a church like the early church, then we must be a church centered upon Christ. To do that, we must look to the Scriptures for our model of a Christ-centered church. Paul’s opening passage of thanksgiving to God for the Philippian church shows us what the realities of a Christ-centered church looks like.