No Failure; No Defeat

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

What is freedom in Christ? Freedom in Christ is not being bound by a set of rules and regulations. It is no condemnation and no guilt. It is light in darkness. It is not having to try so hard. There is no failure; no defeat when you live in Christ. Freedom in Christ is complete and utter bliss, even on your worst day. The most important word in the phrase is not freedom, however. Many people think this is the case, but this leads to a misunderstanding of grace and its role in our lives. Paul even speaks to it, "Shall we go on sinning so that grace may abound? Buy no means!"-Romans 6:1-2 The key word of the phrase is in. We must remember that our freedom only comes through Christ living in us and through us. Only when we surrender completely to Jesus in our lives will we be able to experience true freedom in Christ. What is even more beautiful about freedom in Christ is that we are continually changed and molded by our creator. We are not in charge of any of the changes that need to be done in our lives. God is. Freedom in Christ requires surrendering to the one who overcame sin and death. Just think, this person, this truth, wants to live in you. The very power that saved us from our sin and lives in resurrection's body will live through us at our request. Oh the blessing of Jesus in us!

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His Strength

Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. I was prompted to read this verse and it was perfect for today, of course. All of Psalm 100 is praise to God. For me today, I am praising God because He was faithful in something He had revealed to me a while ago. Let me explain. Have you ever asked God for His strength? Not just strength, but His strength. This is something that I was prompted to do about a year ago, not to just ask for strength in general, but to specifically request His strength to be given to me. I know it sounds a little like a bit of rhetoric, but keep reading. In requesting God's own strength, I have noticed something tremendous has happened each time. When God bestows His strength within me, it is so much more than just endurance. His strength comes with clarity of mind, lightening of the spirit, and a depth of inner joy that cannot help but make me smile. I feel energized in a way

For Mom

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. This is a post for Mom. She is the embodiment of these words written by Paul. When I think of Mom and who God created her to be, this is it. Each of these phrases describes her perfectly. Mom learned very early on in her walk with Jesus to let Him have His way in her life. Who she is and has been to people is the testament to that. Her patience with a super naughty 2-year old, namely me, rivaled that of Job. I don't ever remember her getting angry. Quite frankly, Mom and the word angry in the same sentence is laughable. She never bragged or boasted about us (even though we know she's proud of us) because that wouldn't be showing love to her listener. Mom was never rude, she was always serving others, and she was never judgmental of anyone, no matter their past or

The Heart of Jesus

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. I have had a difficult time finding a single verse today. I have been all over my Bible, reading and thinking. I'm settling on this verse, mostly because it is closely related to one of my favorite verses. I sometimes get caught up in thinking I need to do certain things to grow in my faith. These things are not inherently bad, nor are they necessarily good. Two big stumbling blocks for me are fasting and tithing. I find myself getting hooked into the religious value of them rather than the relational value. I find that spending time with God gives me a clearer picture of my own motives for wanting to do these things. I find that I usually feel the need to fast when I'm feeling poorly about my body image. I find that wanting to tithe usually comes after reading verses in the Old Testament about God blessing Israel for its offerings. Both of these are motivated by my selfishness. I am always am

Abbie Coffey

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