Category Archives: Relationship

Bidding Farewell to 2025

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Warning this is a long post.

Today is the last day of 2025. Where do we go from here? Typically, we rehash the year, with little thought to what aspects of ourselves we should leave behind and what we should carry forward. We get caught up in New Year resolutions, which do not focus on how we intend to become a more mature Christian, one who surrenders and intentionally becomes more obedient, leaving the old person behind and redefining who we are in Christ. The main focus is not just to review the past year, but to intentionally decide which aspects of ourselves to leave behind and which to strengthen, especially in our spiritual walk as Christians. The emphasis is on becoming more mature in faith, surrendering old habits, and redefining ourselves in Christ.

Relinquishing Self: The Word or the World

The world feels like the Stranger Things series – we are lodged in the upside-down place, which is in opposition to the Word of God. Our upside-down world is a world that opposes the Word of God. Chaos reigns, and our leaders are deciphering the Word to support their world of greed and influence. It feels as if we cannot stop the onslaught of destruction; that is exactly what Satan wants us to believe. He not only wants to dim the light, but He wants us to think that darkness is our preferred choice. This is one of the most deceptive lies that darkness cannot be extinguished. We are to live according to biblical principles rather than worldly values. John 1:5 NLT unveils the truth: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. 

As active Christians, we can stop the dimming. We can stand up to the evil around us. It requires that we commit ourselves to the Word differently than we have in the past. Our New Year’s resolution is not about losing weight, exercising more regularly, or sleeping undisturbed for eight hours. It is about reading the Bible, staying in the Word, and checking daily to ensure we are following the Word, not the world. It means we must put on all the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) every day. We must be aligned with the sword of the Spirit and be ready to wield it as needed. Francis Frangipane (The Power of Covenant Prayer) reminds us that “His Word is the eternal sword we raise against wickedness.” We must become a house of prayer and act according to the Word. It means we must pray throughout the day and night. It does not require lengthy prayer but simple, continuous communication with our Lord. We must also seek to help others in greater ways than donating money. It means we must care for the elderly, poor, sick, widows, and children.

Becoming Warriors through Renewed Strength

Life as a Christian is a responsibility. We are responsible for what goes on in the world. God has given us the titles of ambassadors, disciples, and teachers. These are active roles; no one possessing these titles sits and pontificates about the challenges that lie ahead. The positions require action.

What should we do as Christians? There are so many things going on in the world, do we succumb to the chaos of the day and by doing so contribute to the darkness it is producing, or do we spread the light through the world through the Word of God, expressed through our actions, intentions, and deeds?

Looking forward to the intentions of an actively committed Christian requires some thought. I’m certain there are parts of you that you would like to leave behind and parts that you would like to continue to develop.

An easy way to keep track of your transition is to make a chart and list the parts of your character that you wish to eliminate, leave behind, and those elements you wish to strengthen to deepen your faith. This will become a daily reference point to ensure that you are leaving the old you behind and actively developing the new.

Chart This

Things I want to leave behind …

Things I want to strengthen…

…a haughty heart.

Learn to maintain a humble heart before the Lord.

…focusing on self and the things of this world.

Focus on the Word and how it applies to daily living.

Action Items for Closing Out 2025

1. Reflect and Chart Your Growth

  • Make a chart with two columns: “Things I want to leave behind” and “Things I want to strengthen.” Use this as a daily reference to track your spiritual growth and personal development.

2. Prioritize Spiritual Commitment

  • Focus your New Year’s resolutions on deepening your faith, not just on typical goals like fitness or sleep. Commit to becoming a more mature Christian by intentionally leaving behind old habits and embracing new ones.

3. Stay Rooted in the Word

  • Read the Bible regularly and ensure your actions align with its teachings. Make daily checks to confirm you are following the Word, not the world.

4. Equip Yourself Spiritually

  • Put on the “armor of God” every day. Be ready to use the “sword of the Spirit”—the Word of God—to stand against negativity and evil.

5. Maintain Continuous Prayer

  • Pray throughout the day and night. Focus on simple, ongoing communication with God rather than lengthy prayers.

6. Serve Others Actively

  • Go beyond financial donations. Actively care for the elderly, poor, sick, widows, and children in your community.

7. Accept Responsibility

  • Recognize your role as an ambassador, disciple, and teacher. Take active steps to address challenges and spread light through your actions, intentions, and deeds.

8. Relinquish Self

  • Identify parts of yourself to leave behind and areas to develop further. Use your chart as a daily tool for self-assessment and growth.

Shema: Hear and Obey Devotional, Day Four Devotional, YouVersion App

I awoke this morning, and when I opened my YouVersion App, this is what appeared. Shema: Hear and Obey, day four devotional.

Luke 12:32 may be one of the most breathtaking verses in all of scripture. Jesus looks at His followers—fragile, fearful, unsure—and says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” God doesn’t just allow us into His Kingdom—He delights to entrust it to us. The phrase “good pleasure” carries the weight of resolve. This isn’t a reluctant gesture. It’s a determined one.

So why do so few of us live like heirs? We’ve confused our kingdoms with His. We chase influence, clarity, and comfort—mistaking them for Kingdom. But Romans 14:17 tells us the Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. These aren’t casual, manufactured virtues—they are costly, Spirit-wrought realities shaped in surrendered lives.

Trust roots us in Kingdom life, though it rarely grows in certainty. Many know the promises but miss the Person behind them. We crave plans and answers, but obedience rarely provides that kind of certainty. It often feels like walking blindfolded. That tension isn’t a flaw—it’s part of the formation process. God isn’t making us comfortable. He’s making us new. Ephesians 4 says the life He leads us into means a new mind and new self.

This is the battleground of real faith. John Kavanaugh, a Catholic priest and ethicist, once traveled to Calcutta to work with Mother Teresa, hoping to gain perspective on where his life with God was headed. When he asked her to pray for him, she replied, “What do you want me to pray for?” “Clarity,” he said. “No,” she answered. “Clarity is the last thing you’re clinging to—and you must let go of it.” When he asked why, she smiled and said, “I’ve never had clarity. What I’ve always had is trust. So, I will pray that you trust God.”

Mother Theresa’s message is that trust is more important than certainty, and that God is forming us through faith, not comfort. Christians are encouraged to let go of the need for charity and instead trust God’s guidance.

Scripture tells us, “The eyes of the Lord run throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is fully His”(2 Chronicles 16:9). He’s not scanning for perfection. He is looking for a Shema *heart. One that is soft enough to listen, brave enough to obey. When He finds it, something happens…

He moves. And the Kingdom moves with Him.

In closing, I wish you well, knowing that the Kingdom belongs to all of us. Strengthening our Christian resolve to become more like Christ, to hold back the darkness and spread God’s love, is not just our resolution for 2026, but our resolution that grows stronger until we reach life eternal.

Romans 14:17 NLT ensures us that living a life of goodness and peace and joy is a gift of the Holy Spirit: For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness, and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Shema is a Hebrew word meaning here and listen, and it refers to Judaism’s most central prayer, ‘O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One’ (Deuteronomy 6: 2). More than just hearing, the Shema implies deep understanding, heeding, and active obedience to God. Hearing and listening in the literal sense are deeper than just hearing and listening. It means hearkening and internalizing. Fundamentally, it is truly hearing God’s voice in His commands, encompassing love, teaching, and remembrance. The Shema is a powerful call to holistic devotion. Uniting, hearing, understanding, and acting in loving and serving our God. (AI Overview)

This is the season to internalize the church that is in you because the Holy Spirit resides in you. Daily prayer and communication with God, the direction of the Holy Spirit, whose voice becomes more recognizable as you study, pray, and listen will lead to the gift of the Kingdom in you will be a prevailer of light that cannot be quenched by darkness, rather you serve to break up the darkness and usher in the light of God that replaces wickedness.

In closing, consider leaving behind your haughty heart, focusing on self and worldly things. And, strengthening and maintaining a humble heart before the Lord, focusing on the Word and its daily application.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” ~2 Peter 3:18, ESV

The Dichotomy of Obedience and Rebellion: Insights on Heart Matters

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By Lisa Blair

Heart. My recent post, Obedience vs. Rebellion: Learning from Abraham and Saul – Bible Reflection, examines the difference between obedience and rebellion. Our heart is at the center of this dichotomy.

Our heart determines whether we are going to stand fast and be obedient to the Lord or rebel by being swayed by things that entice our flesh. Both affect our walk and impact God’s design or purpose for our lives. Our spiritual development rests on how we respond to our actions, desires, and behaviors. While obedience and rebellion are at the center of this dichotomy, they are controlled by free will which our Lord instilled in us. Free Will shrouds the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 NIV, the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

God gifted us with free-will which is the ability to know the difference between good and evil, right and wrong and make choices between the two. Further, He gave us free-will because He seeks our companionship and wants us to voluntarily enter into a relationship with Him. If He designed us to be robots, not humans, He would have had to program our responses which is the antithesis of His intent. A loving relationship is not possible if God had complete control over our lives and demanded that we love Him. God created us and instilled free-will to give us the option and desire to choose Him because we love Him. His greatest desire has always been to have a loving relationship with us. Adam and Eve were created for this purpose. He longs for us to choose Him over our flesh.

In Psalm 51:10-12 (NRSV), Paul wrote about the challenges we confront each moment of our lives – the choice between God or our flesh. This internal thought process begins in our mind, but is directed by our heart.

Psalm 51:10-12 NIV, Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

When we give in to our own willful desires over God, we lose our joy, we begin to feel the suffocation that it brings. Our spirit weakens to the demands of self, and we falter. Our spirit is no longer willing to fight the good fight. Our heart begins to hurt. When we fail to stay alert, we do not recognize the numerous (threat alerts) warnings that our flesh is taking over. We begin to vacillate between the loving care of God and our earthly desires of the flesh. The vacillation often begins to outweigh our relationship with God as we justify seeking the desires of our flesh. Another way to look at this is, we live in a world of conflict between good and evil. In Galatians 5 we are told that we should use our freedom to walk in the Spirit and should not gratify the flesh.

Paul spelled out the desires of the flesh and explained they are obvious and yet still inviting. Sexual immortality, impurity, excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, anger, blind- ambition, envy, drunkenness, and arrogance are some of the desires.

On the other side of the dichotomy, we find the Fruit of the Spirit, those things of God that reflect the characteristics of Christ. The Fruit of the Spirit are joy, peace, temperance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:25 implores us to live by the Spirit that lives in us and to keep in step with the Spirit. We should not take on conceit, provoke others, envy our neighbors, or gravitate towards any fleshly behavior that separates us from God.

Hebrews 10:22 NIV, Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Our heart is filled with good and evil traits that appear as behaviors. When we live by the Fruit of the Spirit we experience a state of obedience demonstrated through our actions towards others. When we focus on self and personal gain we experience rebellion which separates us from God. We are shackled when we are driven by blind ambition and rebellion. We project God’s love when we are driven by a giving, caring heart.

These things also determine our faith. Abraham lived in a constant state of faith. Whatever God commanded he followed. Saul on the other hand, lived a life of self-indulgence and did not obey God’s commands, choosing instead to comply to a portion of what God asked, never fully complying. Partial obedience is disobedience or rebellion. Most of us are more comfortable when we try to appease God and simultaneously satisfy ourselves. Satan is the author of justification, deceit, disobedience and rebellion.

Proverbs 4:23 NIV implores us to stay alert and Guard (y)our heart above all else, for it determines the course of (y)our life.

Guarding our heart is difficult, it is not pure. Free-will provides the soil to make choices to either serve God or self. Consequently, it is important to focus on our heart. What state is your heart in? When reflecting on your life experiences, do you find that you more heavily weigh in on the spirit side or gravitate towards the flesh? When are you the happiest or experience freedom? When do you experience God’s love? Through self-examination, you can measure the depth of your faith. Do you experience joy and live to serve and support others or do you seek personal gain contrived by Satan?

Our hearts play a key role in who we are. It determines how we will respond to God’s Word. A calm heart gives life to our bodies. As Christians, we should always look through the lens of Christ to refocus our decisions. Do you desire to live as a servant, like Christ, and help others to draw near to Him, or do you prefer to be governed by the flesh and focus more on your advancement regardless of cost? We should not allow our hearts to reside in a state of rebellion, but rather in a state of love and obedience, with love being the more important of the two. If we did not love God we would not desire to please Him through our obedience. If we do not love God we live in a state of chaos, disobedience and rebellion. Our love for God activates our obedience while denying the self destruction of rebellion.

James 4:7-8 NLT, So, humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world (flesh).

Hebrews 10:22 GWT, So let us come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let us keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water.

Additional Scriptures that highlight the importance of the heart:

Ezekiel 36:26 NIV, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Heart of flesh is not referencing the evil behaviors identified in Galatians.)

 Psalm 119:11 NIV, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Matthew 5:8 AMP, Blessed [anticipating God’s presence, spiritually mature] are the pure in heart [those with integrity, moral courage, and godly character], for they will see God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Psalm 73:26 NIV, My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

John 14:27 NLT, I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart.

1 Samuel 16:7 NIV, But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Matthew 22:37 NIV, Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Images: Google free images, LABphotos, Pixabay.com

Scriptures: Bible.com, Biblicia.com, Biblegateway.com, Biblestudytools.com

Out of Your Hands

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There are times in our lives when life is just out of our hands, and we cannot anticipate, control, or direct the path away from the madness or malaise of life. Our path is out of our hands. We find ourselves lost, focusing on self, independent of God. But it is also the time we realize our dependence upon God is more than a thought or perspective. We are in a synaptic gap, and it is time to jump. How? We knowledge our dependence on our Lord and Savior and begin to focus more on Him than the problems. The jump requires complete faith in God’s outcome, whatever it is. Our dependence causes us to cry out to our Lord, and hand Him our situation, praying for Him to take over and lead us out into the light.

Christ pulling Peter out of the water

It is during these times we can be confident in knowing that God hears our prayers. He knew what we would go through long before He blew breath in our lives. He knew of our challenges, the directions we would take in life, straying off the path, the influences of others, poor choices, being in the wrong place at the wrong times, and thinking we are more than who we are.

“In this, you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:6-7‬ ‭ESV‬. https://bible.com/bible/59/1pe.1.6-7.ESV

Given His knowledge of our existence, which He created, we should look to Him for love, peace through the storm, direction, and support. His love is greater than the things of this world, and when we begin to see the bigger picture through His lens, we can see hope even when we can barely see a glimmer of light in the distance.

Our Lord always provides directions to bring us and our family members through. These challenges may not evaporate the moment we begin praying, but they are heard, and everything occurs within God’s timing. Sometimes that feels very harsh, but in looking back through the stories in the Bible, we see desperate people in desperate situations come through storms that many cannot imagine. The distortion is so great we cannot see beyond the chaos and confusion.

Biblemessages.com

The truth is, not all of our experiences are bright and cheery. There are seasons of gray, canceling out all of the colors on the color wheel of life. The reality is, that we are in a battle between good and evil, and not all things are bright and cheery. There is loss, devastation, annihilation, and setbacks, and yet we can hold fast because His people always bounce back according to His will and His ways. We survive the odds. He is the master of making ways out of no way. He brings light to darkness and quells the waves that well up in the storm.

“ The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”

‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:19-26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Function of Prayer

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The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.
~Soren Kierkegaard (goodreads.com)

Praying hands. Freeimages.com

Prayer is the conduit of relationship. It connects us to our Lord and Savior and to other believers. It changes us and gives us fertile ground to graze on. It feeds us, nourishes us, empowers us, and sustains us. When we pray we become one with the Lord. Throughout the years I have experienced how prayer has changed me from the inside out. When we are new believers, our prayers connect us, then as time moves forward, one day we pray and find ourselves at a new, deeper level of relationship with the Lord. As we mature and our relationship deepens, He is able to convey His wishes for us on a much deeper level.

As our nature changes internally, so too does our outer nature. We no longer view the world as we had previously. Since we see the world differently, we respond to situations, circumstances, trials and tribulations differently. We also look at the joyous moments in our lives differently. We begin to see the world through God’s eyes expressed through His Word.

I also believe our prayers become less myopic, and no longer singularly focused on self. We begin to focus on more than our needs and look at God’s world and it’s needs.

Young Woman praying. Freeimages.com

God directs our path through the Holy Spirit who resides in us, as well as through His Word. The Holy Spirit teaches us to focus on our prayers. It nudges our perspective and removes old bias, stereotypes and, hatred towards others.

Prayer provides spiritual empowerment. There is an article in Bible.org entitled, 7. Prayer #2: A Prayer for Spiritual Empowerment (Ephesians 3:14-21), in which the author shared that the “theme of this prayer is: “When you pray, pray boldly.”” As you do so, you are asking God to give you deeper understanding. As we mature, and our prayers become more selfless, they also become more bold. Bold prayers are a form of radical faith, a faith that does not falter or doubt.

This radical faith empowers us to be the soldiers and ambassadors He called us to be. When we pray, as Soren Kierkegaard expressed, our nature changes.

We cannot influence God, but we can, through prayer, influence the world around us through our actions, thoughts and deeds. We are empowered through the Holy Spirit to conform to the image of Jesus Christ, to be like Christ in all that we do. To reflect His Will in our actions, thoughts and deeds. Ultimately we change our nature through prayer and that change flows out into the world affecting others.

Guest Post: Fear of the Lord

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Good Morning, Good Day, Good Evening🌞

I just have to share this daily devotional. The verse is so exacting, clear and concise. Take a minute to listen to the pastor explain it.

“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. ” (Proverbs‬ ‭9‬‬:‭10‬ NLT)

Pastor Flowers, YouVersion guest speaker

The YouVersion Bible app invites a guest speaker to share a verse everyday. I recommend downloading the app if you haven’t already done so. The guest speakers are selected from an international pool of pastors and ministers.

Have a great day!

Seek God. He is your hope.

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When life feels intolerable, unbearable, and overwhelming, this is the time to get on your knees and pray to the Lord. Psalms 121 expresses that He is our hope to those who seek him. One of the commentaries I read said, …when life turns rugged, where do you turn for help? What is your source for the confidence you need to face the headwinds of life? (Psalm 121 Commentary: Where Does Our Help Come From? ZondervanAcademic .com)

Psalm 121 informs us that we must focus on God and not the circumstances. We must rest on His Word and His promises. If we keep our eyes on Him, we acquire the confidence to stand strong in the face of the circumstance with inner peace and certainty that regardless of the outcome God is with us and has a plan to prosper us and not harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future. A future we could never imagine. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Adornedaccents.com

When we focus on God we do not focus on the circumstances, we do not look to man for resolve. Only God’s power, mercy and grace can bring us through. No matter what, we are under God’s providence and protection. Yes – difficulties are part of life, and there are times when our expectations for our lives are altered by unavoidable circumstances. We may fail, the blessing is that we do not have to face our trials on our own. When we call on The Lord, He stands beside us, whispering directions to our soul. The Holy Spirit leads us beside still waters as our way of escape is strategized.

2 Corinthians 13:7 expresses that the Lord will protect us from the evil of sin and trouble. His protection provides safety and in due time resolve. Lift up your eyes, your help comes from the Lord.

Is this easier said than done? Yes. The evil one will elevate his attack. He will cause you to doubt and loose hope. However, like Jesus, you must rebuke him and hold fast to God’s Word. From where does your help come? Your help comes from the Lord. It is through Him that your confidence grows. It is through Him that you are led to a way out of no foreseeable way.

Looking to the Lord is an exercise of our faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that we live by faith, and not by sight (NIV); for we walk by faith, not by sight (NKJV); we live by believing and not by seeing (NLT). With faith we can look to the hills knowing God is our help.