SPA for Faith

Making Sure We Believe God is Good

2009-06-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways.” Proverbs 14:8

One of the biggest challenges to anything we attempt in life, including our attempts to follow Christ, are the patterns of our thought regarding that venture. What we think about something or someone determines what kind of response we have.

For example, if a child thinks that learning is enjoyable, he will easily become a self-motivated learner. However, if a child thinks that school is a necessary, but not very worthwhile experience, he will less likely be motivated to learn things that can help him grow to be successful in school and after graduation. In a similar way, If we think that God is good and that his ways are the best possible way to live, then we will be motivated to give attention to God’s Word and to prayer and to listening to his voice. On the flip side, if we think that God’s commands hinder our pursuit of joy, freedom and fulfillment in life, then we will have little motivation to get to know God and obey him.

This week, set aside some time to do some soul searching. Do you honestly consider getting to know God through his word and prayer as something that adds value to your life or do you think that you should read God’s Word and pray because it’s the least you can to repay Jesus for dying for your sin? If you think wisely about God and his ways, you will discover much motivation in your pursuit of knowing God and obeying his will. Change and growth will come.

Letting Go of Burdens

2009-06-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

Peter’s encouraging words remind us that we were not meant to carry our burdens by ourselves. The truth is we are not strong enough to carry them on our own. If we don’t give our burdens to God, they will eventually wear us down and wear us out. That’s why David also wrote these beautiful words in Psalm 68:19.
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

These words teach us that even when we don’t realize it, God is bearing our burdens so they don’t crush us. This week, set aside some time to consider all of your burdens, trials and problems and give them all to your Heavenly Father, one by one. Sit in his presence and give your burdens to him. You CAN let them go. Remind yourself of his faithful love and remember that he is strong enough to take care of you. Remember this: God will never allow you to face more than you and he can handle TOGETHER.

Quest for Quietness

2009-05-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV

One of the best things we can do to strengthen our trust in God and increase our experience of his goodness is to learn to get quiet before him. Too often, we attempt to rush in and out of God’s presence with a prayer list that we feel must be requested or a Scripture passage that we feel must be read. However, rushing and busyness around God rarely amount to anything. They keep us disconnected from God’s presence and unable to hear his voice leading us.

This week, set aside some time in a place where you can get alone and quiet with God. Make sure it is not less than 15 minutes. 30 minutes to an hour would be more helpful. Don’t say much of anything, just tell God you’re ready to honor him with your attention, then sit still and listen. If you sense God prompting you to pray about something, then pray about it. If you feel led to read a certain Scripture passage read it. If you hear nothing or don’t feel led in any way, than just sit still and think about what you do know about God.

Your parents, You and God

2009-05-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

“Honor your father and your mother.” Exodus 20: 12 NIV

Every moment of our lives is lived in the presence of God whether we realize it or not. That means we cannot separate our lives into spiritual and unspiritual parts. All of life is spiritual and God has ordered things so that everyday relationships play a big role in our relationship with him. He has designed life so that how we treat our parents greatly affects our lives.

This week, in keeping with this principle and the command to honor our parents. Pray for your parents every day. Pray for God’s blessing on them every day. Find a way to thank God for them no matter how they treated you when you were growing up or how they treat you now. If they don’t know Christ, pray for their salvation. If something is hindering your relationship with your parents, make it right this week. Don’t wait.

Inviting God

2009-05-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

“In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:6 NIV

Remember that one of the keys to living a life with purpose and meaning is to focus on “how” you live more than on what you actually do. The best way to change your “how” is to stay connected to the God of the biggest purpose of all , restoring his kingdom.
One practical way to do this is to invite God throughout the day to help you experience his Kingdom life and express it to others. In other words, take time to acknowledge God’s presence throughout the day and ask him to guide what you are currently doing. It’s simple: Acknowledge and Ask. On one day of this week, set a goal to acknowledge God’s presence and ask for his guidance at least 5 times throughout the day. Once you have reached your goal one day, set the goal higher for another day. If you continue doing this, it will eventually become a habit that you will do very naturally and you will experience more and more of God’s presence and work in and through your life.

Doubt and Gratitude

2009-04-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

It’s hard to doubt and be thankful at the same time. Gratitude is not the only solution to overcoming doubt, but it is helpful. This is because gratitude helps you see God’s faithfulness and seeing God’s faithfulness strengthens your trust in him.

This week, take some time to make an extensive list of people and things you enjoy in life and thank God for them. For an even deeper sense of gratitude, pick one of the people on your list and send them a short note telling them why you thank God for them. Feel free to use one of the postage paid postcards from our info center.

Practicing Peace

2009-04-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18 NIV

Some people think that following Jesus is a mystical adventure and are drawn to that, while others think it is mystical and it turns them off from following Jesus. The reality is that following Jesus is more practical than mystical.

When we receive forgiveness from God, we gain peace with God. If you experience this, you will also want to be at peace with those around you. This week, take some time to evaluate your life and consider if there is anyone you are holding a grudge against or if they may be someone who is angry with you. Ask the Lord for help to bring peace to these relationships and do what needs to be done to restore peace with other people in your life. We cannot live in peace with God if we are the cause of conflict with others.

Trusting Jesus as Your Teacher

2009-04-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Mark 1:22 NIV

People were amazed at Jesus’ teaching because his teaching had authority. In other words, his teaching was filled with wisdom and power that could not be denied or refuted. Do you view Jesus as your teacher? Do you see Jesus as the One who can teach you how to live a full and purposeful life?

This week, read Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount, at least twice. Read it from the view that Jesus is teaching you the best way possible to live life and read it with confidence that Jesus is brilliant, that he truly understands the best way we can live life. Before, after and while you read the chapters, ask Jesus to teach you how to live life the way he, the Father and the Spirit designed it to be lived.

Standing Firm

2009-04-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6: 13 NIV

We will face evil and trouble in this life. It is not a matter of “if”, but of “when”. God wants to prepare us so that when we do face evil or some of type of trouble, we will be able to stand our ground, trusting him.

This week, spend some prayer time talking with God about evil or trouble or challenges you are facing. Honestly ask God to strengthen your faith through your battles and struggles. Seek His kingdom and goodness in the middle of your trouble.

Strengthening Your Trust with Scripture

2009-03-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
- Jesus in John 17:17 NIV

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 NIV

For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 NIV

To be sanctified is to be “set apart” for God. It’s the idea of our whole life being fully given to God. When we try to segregate our lives and only give God parts of us, we hinder God’s good work in us and we frustrate ourselves. God wants us to be sanctified so He can make his Spirit life flow through us. This pleases God, it brings joy to us and it attracts people to God’s goodness. In short, it’s a win-win-win.

An important part of growing in trust is renewing our mind with God’s truth. This week, write out the three verses above and carry them with you throughout the week. Review them several times a day. Let their truth fill your mind and heart so they can powerfully change you.

Praying Scripture

2009-03-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

One of the best ways to pray is to use Scripture to guide you. When you use Scripture to pray you can be confident you are seeking God’s will. Of course, praying through the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) with sincere and full attention is a great place to start. Paul’s prayers for believers in various cities are also good examples. You can find some of these in Colossians 1:9-14; Ephesians 1:15-21 and 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11 and 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12.

You can pray these for yourself and for others. Just simply read and pray through the prayer, adjusting it to include yourself or the names of others you want to pray for. You will also find these passages even more helpful to your prayer if you memorize them. This will help you pray more personally from your heart and they will help you get to know God better in the process.

This week, choose one of these passages and use it to pray every day. You can extend the impact of your prayer by praying Scripture for missionaries, such as Steve and Amy Nehlsen in Burkina Faso.

Big Blocks with Jesus

2009-02-26T07:30:00.000-08:00

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - Jesus in John 15:5 NIV

The heart of Jesus’ words in John 15 is about a deepening friendship with him that produces fruit in our lives. This fruit is enjoyable to us and a blessing to others, but it will not grow outside of our relationship with Jesus. In fact, Jesus teaches that the amount of fruit produced in our lives is proportionate to the depth of our relationship with him.

This week, stretch yourself by setting aside a 1 hour block of time to spend with Jesus. I suggest focusing on a small section of his words in chapters 13-17 of John. Choose 10-15 verses and read them over and over. And don’t just read the words, listen to them; let them soak into your heart. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. When you pray, don’t just recite your requests to the Father. Get quiet with Jesus and ask him to lead you to pray as he wants you to pray. End your time by writing in your journal, if you have one, or by writing a letter to Jesus.

Love that produces obedience

2009-02-23T12:22:00.000-08:00

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” - Jesus in John 14:15 NIV

Just like last week with John 14:12, it’s easy to get the meaning of this verse mixed up. This statement of Jesus is NOT meant to be a challenge to his followers. In other words, Jesus is not saying, “Ante up! If you say you love me, start showing it by obeying me.” This perspective misses the heart of Jesus and misses the essence of true trust and love.

Jesus IS saying that if you do love him as he is, you will be filled with a strong desire to obey him because you will see his ultimate goodness and glory and wisdom. This strong desire will actually motivate and enable you to obey him. Your heart will be shouting. “He’s the one! I will obey him because this is the most fulfilling thing I can do in life.”

This week, write a letter of praise to Jesus. DON’T write it from a religious perspective. Write it like you’re a person in love telling the one you love how great they are and why you love them so much. Think about the words you are writing and let them sink into your heart.

The Flow of Trust

2009-02-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.” - Jesus in John 14:12 NIV

Jesus makes it clear that if your faith, your confidence, is in him, you will do what he did. Wait a second. Didn’t I write just last week that WWJD is not the right question? God is not just trying to get us to do his will. His goal is transform us into the kind of people who WANT to do his will.

Trust is the key link in this. We don’t say, “Oh, if I say I believe in Jesus, I better do what Jesus did.” Matthew 7:21-23 makes it clear that there are some people who do “Jesus” types of things who don’t really trust Jesus. We don’t try to do what Jesus did to prove we believe in him. God’s desire is to grow authentic faith in Christ in us that causes his actions to flow from inside us.

This week, use the prayer of Psalm 139:23-24 to help you understand God’s work in you in this area. Pray this prayer, asking God to lead you in His everlasting way of trust that results in Jesus’ passions and actions flowing from inside you.

WWJD Is Not The Right Question

2009-02-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

WWJD, “What would Jesus do?”, is NOT the right question. God’s goal is not just to get you to do what Jesus did. His primary goal is to transform you into the kind of person Jesus is. God wants to help you become the kind of person that truly WANTS to do what Jesus does and then you will not have to ask “WWJD?”. His goodness will FLOW naturally and supernaturally from inside you.
This week, ask WIJL? -- What is Jesus like? Make a list of character attributes, not actions, that you see in Jesus in the gospels. After you make your list, spend some time with the Father, asking Him to make you into a Jesus kind of person. As you cooperate with the Father in this process, Jesus’ actions will flow from your transformed character.

Serving Makes Us Stronger

2009-01-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. Mark 10:43 NIV

Serving makes us stronger. Unfortunately for us, we don’t always believe that deep down in our heart and soul. We often think that we lose when we serve. We worry about what we give up or that someone might not appreciate us or, worse yet, might take advantage of us.
This week, build your confidence in Jesus’ words that being a servant makes you great. Find something to do for someone that helps them, but brings no benefit to you except the joy of serving and the joy of knowing that your serving is making you greater.

See the Goodness

2009-01-26T12:30:00.000-08:00

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8 NIV

You will not make progress in becoming like Jesus or in experiencing his life in you unless you have a clear vision of the goodness of becoming like him and experiencing his life in you. If you “see” the beautiful goodness of Jesus and the life he offers you, you will be motivated and focused to trust Him to help you live that kind of life. Each day this week, spend a few minutes thinking about the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. Imagine yourself living with this fruit growing and flowing in your life. Would that be enjoyable and fulfilling? Of course! As you think about this fruit, ask the Father to change you from the inside out so that this fruit does grow and flow from inside you. Ask him to show you what steps you can take to move in this direction.