We need to look at our whole life through the lens of faith in God. Fix your eyes upon God, not on your situations. God doesn’t encourage us to trust in ourselves or find resources within ourselves, but to trust in Him alone as our shield and reward. Rest your faith firmly on God alone because of Who His is. Do not be afraid of your problems. Our trust in God does not end once He gives us a great victory. We must apply faith to every situation whether great or small. Continue to trust in the Lord through the whole process, even if we are tempted to doubt. It was not the works of Abraham that made him righteous, but his faith in God. We must persevere by faith and trust in God in His promises, even when we are challenged. We must work out our own salvation. We can be led astray if we place our own expectations on how God will fulfill His promises. We are commanded to believe in His promises, but not in our own timing. This leads to doubt and to take our lives into our own hands. We don’t need to help God fulfill His promises. Continue to look to God as your shield and exceedingly great reward and don’t take your life back into your own hands. We have a danger of catastrophizing, from having a negative outlook when our specific expectations aren’t being met. When we take our eyes off of God as our shield and reward, we can catastrophize from a lack of faith. What do you have in view when trials come? Do you lose faith and discourage others? Or do you trust in God in every situation? Don’t trust in your own time frames and expectations. Walk by faith in confidence of God. God will keep you from errors when you look to Him as your shield and exceeding great reward.

We need to look at our whole life through the lens of faith in God. Fix your eyes upon God, not on your situations. God doesn’t encourage us to trust in ourselves or find resources within ourselves, but to trust in Him alone as our shield and reward. Rest your faith firmly on God alone because of Who His is. Do not be afraid of your problems. Our trust in God does not end once He gives us a great victory. We must apply faith to every situation whether great or small. Continue to trust in the Lord through the whole process, even if we are tempted to doubt. It was not the works of Abraham that made him righteous, but his faith in God. We must persevere by faith and trust in God in His promises, even when we are challenged. We must work out our own salvation. We can be led astray if we place our own expectations on how God will fulfill His promises. We are commanded to believe in His promises, but not in our own timing. This leads to doubt and to take our lives into our own hands. We don’t need to help God fulfill His promises. Continue to look to God as your shield and exceedingly great reward and don’t take your life back into your own hands. We have a danger of catastrophizing, from having a negative outlook when our specific expectations aren’t being met. When we take our eyes off of God as our shield and reward, we can catastrophize from a lack of faith. What do you have in view when trials come? Do you lose faith and discourage others? Or do you trust in God in every situation? Don’t trust in your own time frames and expectations. Walk by faith in confidence of God. God will keep you from errors when you look to Him as your shield and exceeding great reward.

God wants to shape us through His Word. We must let go of the barriers that hinder us from receiving from God. God’s Wod shows us that there’s more than just the physical life that we go through. Our hope is not just in situations being fulfilled, but in God. You must see your identity, fulfillment and purpose in Christ. Remember who you are in Christ. Learn to deeply identify yourself through the Gospel. Don’t forget your place in God, and at His table. Lay hold of the strength of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Do you see God as generous and able to fulfill your needs? Paul prays for a lifestyle of love in the church. You need to know and receive the love of God for you before you can rightly love others. Do you see how God’s love gives you your value? Have you contemplated His love for you in the cross, and in the resurrection? Do you see how God’s love is the foundation for your whole life, including your marriage, family, community and work? Are you leading others to freedom though this love? Make it your aim to be deeply satisfied in the love of God. We are only fully satisfied when we are satisfied in Him. Is this the aim of your life? We must approach God with expectation, and not on our own terms. Come to God with your need, knowing that He will meet it. God can do beyond even what you can think of. Because Christ dwells in you, there is no limit set on what He can do in you. Do you have anticipation for what God can do? What areas in your life are you not allowing God to bring you His riches and abundance? Trust God to do exceedingly abundantly above what you can think. Let God do what He can in you and in your circumstances.

God wants to shape us through His Word. We must let go of the barriers that hinder us from receiving from God. God’s Wod shows us that there’s more than just the physical life that we go through. Our hope is not just in situations being fulfilled, but in God. You must see your identity, fulfillment and purpose in Christ. Remember who you are in Christ. Learn to deeply identify yourself through the Gospel. Don’t forget your place in God, and at His table. Lay hold of the strength of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Do you see God as generous and able to fulfill your needs? Paul prays for a lifestyle of love in the church. You need to know and receive the love of God for you before you can rightly love others. Do you see how God’s love gives you your value? Have you contemplated His love for you in the cross, and in the resurrection? Do you see how God’s love is the foundation for your whole life, including your marriage, family, community and work? Are you leading others to freedom though this love? Make it your aim to be deeply satisfied in the love of God. We are only fully satisfied when we are satisfied in Him. Is this the aim of your life? We must approach God with expectation, and not on our own terms. Come to God with your need, knowing that He will meet it. God can do beyond even what you can think of. Because Christ dwells in you, there is no limit set on what He can do in you. Do you have anticipation for what God can do? What areas in your life are you not allowing God to bring you His riches and abundance? Trust God to do exceedingly abundantly above what you can think. Let God do what He can in you and in your circumstances.

In this text, Jesus addresses Jews who believed Him, but the truth of the Gospel had not yet transformed and freed them. Jesus puts before them whether they would abide in His words or not. It is not enough to just receive the words of Christ--we must abide in them. This does not happen by self-effort or our works, but by faith. Those who abide in Christ shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free. The power of the Gospel is the only power to set us free. Our sentence of death was nailed to the cross so we no longer need to carry the burden of guilt over sin. Christ saves us from past sin and future punishment. We can now have peace with God through Jesus. The truth actually sets us free when we experience deliverance from sin. Freedom is not just theoretical, but a reality. In Christ, we are set free from the body of sin and death. Freedom does not come through the law. We must see the power of Christ and the possibilities of grace. Christ wants to set you free! Let Him! Resistance may come against accepting the Gospel because of a pretend freedom or a denial of bondage. We must know that we can do nothing of ourselves, but also that through Christ, we can do all things. Stir up the spark of grace in you and see the power of Christ to free you. Don’t rely on your own power, but on the power of Christ. You can never free yourself from sin--only Christ can actually set you free! Believe that God is able to keep you from stumbling. Your whole self must be transformed to wholly trusting in God. This will reshape your thinking to what God can do, and not what you can’t do. Take your eyes off of yourself and look to Christ by faith!

In this text, Jesus addresses Jews who believed Him, but the truth of the Gospel had not yet transformed and freed them. Jesus puts before them whether they would abide in His words or not. It is not enough to just receive the words of Christ--we must abide in them. This does not happen by self-effort or our works, but by faith. Those who abide in Christ shall know the truth and the truth shall set them free. The power of the Gospel is the only power to set us free. Our sentence of death was nailed to the cross so we no longer need to carry the burden of guilt over sin. Christ saves us from past sin and future punishment. We can now have peace with God through Jesus. The truth actually sets us free when we experience deliverance from sin. Freedom is not just theoretical, but a reality. In Christ, we are set free from the body of sin and death. Freedom does not come through the law. We must see the power of Christ and the possibilities of grace. Christ wants to set you free! Let Him! Resistance may come against accepting the Gospel because of a pretend freedom or a denial of bondage. We must know that we can do nothing of ourselves, but also that through Christ, we can do all things. Stir up the spark of grace in you and see the power of Christ to free you. Don’t rely on your own power, but on the power of Christ. You can never free yourself from sin--only Christ can actually set you free! Believe that God is able to keep you from stumbling. Your whole self must be transformed to wholly trusting in God. This will reshape your thinking to what God can do, and not what you can’t do. Take your eyes off of yourself and look to Christ by faith!

The culture of church needs to be shaped by a desire for God. We must let God challenge our thoughts, and suffering is one way God does this. The purpose of our suffering is to force us to see our need for God. It may hurt and be hard, but God shows compassion on us, so we can have compassion on others too. Since Christ suffered, we have power to live the life He calls us to. Give up your personal comforts so that you may be a source of life to others. Suffering creates humility and breaks down our self-dependence so that we can engage with others’ suffering. Embrace what God is doing in you, and then turn to others around you. Be diligent and pray for this because God knows it will be hard. We need to make room for God to work in others’ lives without rushing to conclusions. We can do this by having fervent love for one another. We have hope for what God can do in their lives. God forgave and forgot your sins, so you can be encouraged to do the same for others. Encourage what God is doing in another’s life. Make room in your life to make time for others. Minister to others with the gifts God has supplied you with. Offer who you are, unafraid of feeling like you don’t have enough to give. Your role in the church has purpose and value. Work to create every person in your life perfect in Christ. Do not think it strange when you face trials. Remember to patiently endure. Jesus went before us and endured suffering knowing His purpose and the joy before Him. See what God can do in your situations and in the trials of those around you. God is not done in you or others. Lift up your heart in expectation of what God can do. Hope in the promises of God!

The culture of church needs to be shaped by a desire for God. We must let God challenge our thoughts, and suffering is one way God does this. The purpose of our suffering is to force us to see our need for God. It may hurt and be hard, but God shows compassion on us, so we can have compassion on others too. Since Christ suffered, we have power to live the life He calls us to. Give up your personal comforts so that you may be a source of life to others. Suffering creates humility and breaks down our self-dependence so that we can engage with others’ suffering. Embrace what God is doing in you, and then turn to others around you. Be diligent and pray for this because God knows it will be hard. We need to make room for God to work in others’ lives without rushing to conclusions. We can do this by having fervent love for one another. We have hope for what God can do in their lives. God forgave and forgot your sins, so you can be encouraged to do the same for others. Encourage what God is doing in another’s life. Make room in your life to make time for others. Minister to others with the gifts God has supplied you with. Offer who you are, unafraid of feeling like you don’t have enough to give. Your role in the church has purpose and value. Work to create every person in your life perfect in Christ. Do not think it strange when you face trials. Remember to patiently endure. Jesus went before us and endured suffering knowing His purpose and the joy before Him. See what God can do in your situations and in the trials of those around you. God is not done in you or others. Lift up your heart in expectation of what God can do. Hope in the promises of God!