Friends, I want to reframe the way many of us think about repentance, because I think we've reduced it to a moment — a prayer, a single decision. But repentance is not a one-time event. Repentance is a lifestyle.  The word repentance literally means to change direction. God is not calling us to feel sorry once and move on. He is calling us — every single time we come before Him — to have hearts that are willing to change direction.

 Every morning when we wake up, we can say, Lord, where am I going that I shouldn't? What have I been holding onto? Show me where I need to turn back to You. That's the prayer I want to put in your heart today:

God, show me the places in my life where I need to repent.

 Not just once. Not just today. But every time we come before Him.

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins. Five were foolish,five were wise. And here’s what strikes me every time I read this story all ten of them had lamps. All ten of them had oil. They were all showing up. They were all at the door, waiting for the bridegroom. But the wise ones? They brought extra oil. That one small detail made all the difference. And I want to ask you today, friend are you carrying extra oil? Because here’s the truth I feel the Lord pressing on my heart to share with you: doing Christianity the way you used to is not going to cut it anymore. Not in this season. We are living in days that require more. Days that call for the extra mile. What does that extra mile look like? Maybe it looks like moving from not fasting to actually fasting. Maybe it looks like moving from praying ten minutes a day to committing to a full hour in God’s presence. Maybe it looks like inviting God into the mundane the grocery store run, the school pickup, the quiet moments in between and saying,Lord, I want You here too. Maybe it looks like moving from just reading the Word to actually studying it. Sitting with it. Digging into it. Letting it get into you. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking That sounds exhausting. And I get it. Life is already full. You’re already stretched thin,But beloved, the extra is not about earning God’s love. It’s  not about performing for Him. The extra is really about one thing: no longer being lukewarm. In Revelation 3, God says He would rather we be hot or cold but lukewarm? He says it makes Him sick. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be in that place. I want to be on fire. I want to be so filled with the Spirit that there’s no question whose I am and where I stand.

The extra oil is what keeps your fire burning. And this is where it gets personal  because going deeper is not just about spiritual disciplines. It’s about listening and obeying when God speaks. How many times has the Holy Spirit nudged you? Prompted you to reach out to someone, to stop and pray, to say yes to something that scared you  and you talked yourself out of it? God is calling you deeper. And some of the victories you’ve been crying out for, some of the breakthroughs you’ve been waiting on  are on the other side of surrender.

Friends, Joseph's life is not just a historical account. It is a mirror.

  It asks us: Can you love when you've been betrayed? Can you maintain joy when the road is dark? Can you wait with patience when you can't see the plan? Can you choose goodness and self-control when no one's watching? These aren't things we manufacture on our own. They are fruits — the natural outflow of a life rooted in the Spirit of God. As we abide in Christ, as we remain connected to the Vine, these qualities grow in us. Slowly. Painfully sometimes. But beautifully.  So today, I want to leave you with a question to carry into your week. It's the same question the Holy Spirit may already be whispering to you:

fruit of the Spirit is God inviting you to grow in right now — and what might that growth require of you?

Many of us might say, “I’m waiting on God,” but then impulsively chase after things or people who don’t align with His will. Maybe it's dating someone we know isn’t right for us or taking a job that doesn’t fulfill us. In Isaiah 40:31, we find encouragement: “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”waiting can be a time of growth—a season where we deepen our faith. It’s where we learn to trust that God’s timing is perfect, even when it feels like nothing is happening. 

In our latest podcast we talked about two key principles that will help us abide in Jesus this year:

1 - Choose your company wisely: Our alignment matters

2 - know what the word of God says about you

Scripture references: ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬, ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬, ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

#abideinjesus