Elevate Your Day with Andi and Brian Hale

Power In The Blood

From The Triumph by James Goll on YouVersion
Blood. What is your first reaction when you read that word? Do you get squeamish? Leviticus 17:11 declares there is life in the blood.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. – Leviticus 17:11 ESV
In Christ’s blood, we receive life that death cannot conquer. From Genesis through Revelation, blood takes a central place in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, the blood of animals foreshadowed the sacrifice of Christ in the New Testament. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, with the blood of the sacrifice on the Day of Atonement. This sacrifice was a covering of sin but did not blot out the sin. There was no access into the presence of God without the shedding of sacrificial blood. In Hebrews 9:6–14 (AMP) we see the accomplished work of Christ. I love the phrase, “When Christ appeared.” Yes, when Jesus appeared, He offered His blood, which was without blemish, as an eternal sacrifice for our sins.Jesus’ sacrifice was a complete work: one time, for all time and all people. On the cross He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The work of atonement was now perfectly accomplished through the blood of this one Man, the perfect Lamb of God, Christ Jesus the Lord!The blood of Jesus is not a good luck charm. The blood of Jesus is powerful—especially when you now learn to apply the blood of the Lamb to your mind, heart, life, family, and in every sphere of responsibility that God has delegated to you. Darkness stops and life begins when you testify what the blood of Jesus has accomplished. Let’s look closely at seven benefits of the Blood of Jesus, along with Scripture references to confirm each truth:Forgiveness – Hebrews 9:22Cleansing – 1 John 1:7Redemption – Ephesians 1:7Justification – Romans 5:9Sanctification (set apart) – Hebrews 10:10 AMPPeace – Colossians 1:20Access – Hebrews 10:19 AMP, Ephesians 2:13-14Of the seven benefits of the shed blood of Jesus, which do you feel you know well, and which do you want to access more completely? There is no triumph apart from the blood of Jesus. I pray the Spirit of revelation will rest upon you. Where there has been knowledge, there will be an increase of knowledge, and may God bring you into a place of greater intimacy with Him through studying how Christ’s blood still speaks.
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. – Revelation 12:11 ESVThe blood of Jesus leads us to victory in every spiritual battle we face. In Christ’s blood, we receive life that death cannot conquer. How does reflecting on Jesus’ shed His blood affect how you approach Him through prayer? Take a few moments right now to thank Jesus for His shed blood and all that it accomplished.

Our Weapons For War

From The Triumph by James Goll on YouVersion
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, – Ephesians 6:10-17 ESV
Paul repeated the command to stand firm three times in Ephesians six. Standing firm means to hold position, refuse to surrender ground to the enemy, and preserve what has already been won. Scripture says we resist the enemy by putting on the full armor of God.
The Belt of Truth: The belt of truth is the first piece of armor listed because, without truth, we will not stand against the schemes of the devil. This was not simply a narrow belt to hold up one’s pants, but rather a leather apron that protected the lower part of the body and was used to hold the sheath for the soldier’s sword.
The Breastplate of Righteousness: This piece of armor extended from the base of the neck to the upper part of the thighs, covering the abdomen or trunk of the body. Essential organs, such as the heart and lungs, are protected by the breastplate, making it essential to life!
The Shoes of Peace: Putting on the right shoes for battle gives you stability to face the enemy without fear of slipping and falling. In addition, the shoes of peace allow you to move with agility, taking the Gospel to those in need. What a privilege to be positioned to proclaim the glorious gospel of peace.
The Shield of Faith: The purpose of the shield was to defend against the incendiary missiles of the enemy—arrows dipped in pitch, set aflame, and launched. The enemy’s fiery arrows assault us daily. When Satan whispers, “God doesn’t care about you,” lift your shield of faith and say, “God so loved the world that He gave His Son for me. Nothing in all creation can ever separate me from the love of God.” Keep your focus on Jesus, and He will give you strength to hold up the shield of faith and extinguish the arrows of the enemy.The Helmet of Salvation: According to 1 Thessalonians 5:8, the helmet is the hope of salvation. Hope is the positive expectation of good— vital for spiritual warfare taking place in the mind. When we keep our minds fixed on the God of hope, our helmet stays firmly on our heads as we fight our battles.
The Sword of the Spirit: The sword is distinguished from the other pieces of armor because it is not purely defensive but is also an offensive weapon. If we put on the other armor, we may prevent the devil from wounding us, but we cannot drive him from our presence. Only the sword—the two-edged sword, which is the Word of God—can destroy the devil. We wield the sword by proclaiming the Word with our mouth.
But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. – Psalm 59:16-17 ESVFather in heaven, I often lean on my own strength instead of finding my strength in you. Thank You, Jesus, that You are my greatest weapon in spiritual warfare. I look to You for my strength as I put on the full armor each day. Amen and amen.
 

Satan's Defeat

From The Triumph by James Goll on YouVersion
Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. – 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV
In 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, the apostle Paul warns of the devil’s plans to outsmart us. Outwit is the term the New International Version uses, and the New American Standard Bible translates verse 11 like this: “so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan.” Let’s not be ignorant of his tactics to cheat or defraud by deception. Paul also uses the word schemes, meaning “a method” (see Ephesians 6:11). Our enemy is extremely methodical in his approach, wearing us down with cunning strategies.
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. – Matthew 4:1-11 ESVWhen the devil tempted Jesus (see Matthew 4:1–11), he used the Word of God and twisted it. Thankfully, Jesus knew the truth, so He wasn’t fooled. We must know the Word of God because the enemy knows the Bible too. I wonder sometimes if the devil reads the Bible more than we do! If he twisted the Word while tempting Jesus, we must assume he will try the same scheme with us.The Bible is clear: Jesus came to earth to destroy the works of the devil. The key to the believer’s triumph in spiritual warfare is knowing what Jesus Christ has already accomplished through His life, ministry, death, and resurrection. Jesus invites us to pray from a victorious mindset, not work our way toward one.“The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” 1 John 3:8. How did He do this? First, by coming to earth! His presence on earth changed everything, revealing God’s glory through his life and ministry. Jesus also destroyed the works of the devil by living God’s Word: He used the Word and relied on the Word.
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. – Colossians 2:13-15 ESVSatan seeks to keep men and women living in their sin, under its penalty, held in bondage to its power, and suffering mental and emotional defeat from its’ guilty accusations. Christ’s death on the cross secured redemption from sin and its guilt and destroyed the devil’s works.
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, – Hebrews 2:14 ESVAlmighty Father, I exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. He indeed is worthy of my praise, adoration, and worship. I’m amazed at His humility when He emptied Himself, took on the form of a servant, became an ordinary man, and lived a sinless life. He was obedient even unto death, and on the cross died the death of a criminal, which He did not deserve. But death could not hold Him.Jesus is triumphant and has conquered Satan, death, hell, and the kingdom of darkness. I stand in that victory today and declare with the heavenly host, “Glory to God in the highest. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and is to come!” Amen and amen.
 

The Great Battle

From The Triumph by James Goll on YouVersion
You were born into a war—no matter where or when you were born—and you were meant to claim victory in that war. This doesn’t sound like great news at first, but as you learn about this war, the news gets better. You have the privilege of choosing which side to fight for; and when you choose to follow Jesus, you make the decision to be on the winning side!
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV
How can I be so sure of that outcome? Because of Jesus’ marvelous victory at Calvary. When our lovely Messiah hung on the cross, cursed for the sins of world, He uttered the words, “It is finished!” (John 19:30) The work of Christ on the cross was perfectly complete.Just as the kingdom of God exists, there is also the kingdom of Satan. These two kingdoms are in direct conflict with one another. Satan, the devil, is clearly described as the enemy of God throughout the entire Bible. Pride was found in the heart of this created one as he compared himself with God and aspired to be equal with, or even transcend above, the Creator Himself. The name Satan literally means “the adversary,” the one who opposes. The Bible also calls him tempter (Matthew 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 3:5), accuser (Revelation 12:10) and deceiver (Revelation 20:3). These names are synonymous with evil and are the very essence of what Satan’s kingdom stands for. He is the mortal enemy of God’s children.But Christ Jesus has authority over the enemy. God sends us forth as empowered believers, along with His Holy Spirit, to go into the darkness and shine the light of the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12 ESV
Remember, light always overcomes darkness! We can take comfort from 1 John 4:4 (NKJV): “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”Spiritual enemies require spiritual weapons and divine power. God gives us weapons to fight our battles. Even though “we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” 2 Corinthians 10:3–5.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. - Ephesians 6:12 ESVFather God, in the mighty name of Jesus, I come before You, knowing You have empowered me for victory. I was born to participate in spiritual warfare, which is required to advance Your will and Kingdom on earth. The devil is a liar and a thief, and all he has ever done is steal, kill, and destroy. But You, Jesus, reveal yourself in your Word as the King and the Captain of the Lord’s army, ruling over principalities and powers of darkness. You, Lord, are my Commander, and I will follow Your lead and obey Your commandments. You are victorious, and I am grateful to be on the winning side with You. Amen and amen.
 

Trust

 
From THRIVE with God on YouVersion
As we seek, know, abide in, and submit to God there is a beautiful trust that develops and matures. When we spend more time with Him, we begin to know Him better. As a result, we genuinely learn what His voice sounds like.
Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Think about when we have spent ample amounts of time with someone. We can point out their unique laughs from across the room or we can recognize their voice even when our eyes are closed. We have spent enough time with them to be able to do so, and this is exactly what happens as we commune with God.In times of uncertainty, unexpected circumstances, and tough decision-making, we have ideally spent so much time with God that we know His voice and what He is saying. Not only do we know His voice, but we follow His voice, continually submitting to Him.
Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.Seeking, abiding, and submitting build up our faith because our God is faithful. We see how time and time again we can put our trust in Him, and He comes through! We can see how He never fails and never leaves us alone to figure out our problems. We can see how He forgives, loves, gives mercy, provides, and does so much more because He is that good.
Psalms 28:6-7 Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.We can trust that He will never lead us astray and we will certainly never perish when we are in His will. Does this mean that bad things will never happen to us? Unfortunately, it doesn’t my friend – we live in a fallen world.What it does mean is that during storms, attacks from the enemy, or consequences of our own actions, we can know that God is making all things work together for good. He will protect us. He will guide us through it. He will remain faithful. All we must do is keep our minds stayed on Him and put our trust in Him. We will truly thrive with God, and He will keep us in perfect peace.Pray it Out: Today my heart trusts in You, God and Your praises will continually be in my mouth. I choose to trust in Your Word, in Holy Spirit who lives inside of me, and in the power of the blood of Jesus. I choose to believe that there is nothing that can separate me from Your love. I will rest in Your love and in Your faithfulness today, and I release all places of doubt in the name of Jesus! AmenWrite It Out: List the time(s) you were afraid or slow to trust God, yet He came through for you. Use this list to affirm that if He did it before, He can do it again!

Submit

From THRIVE with God on YouVersion
Have you ever seen the picture floating around of Jesus, the little girl, and the teddy bears? Jesus and a young girl are facing one another while she tightly holds a small teddy bear in both arms. Jesus has one hand out for her to give Him her teddy bear, and the words “Just trust me” are above His head. Above the little girl’s head are the words, “But I love it, God.”Unfortunately, there is something the little girl cannot see. Jesus has His other hand behind His back and in it, He holds a teddy bear at least 3 times as big as the one she holds!Imagine that we are the little child in this scenario. The teddy bears we hold are our plans, desires, attitudes, and control. Our teddy bears may not be the best for us, are failing us, are leading us down the wrong path, or look good in theory but simply are not of God. As we discuss the idea of submitting to God, think of it as releasing our own teddy bears to Him and accepting the ones He has for us.
James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.Submission requires a childlike nature that chronological age, the woes of life, and our upbringing can make difficult to do. For some of us, the idea of submission can be cringey because we fought so hard to gain control over our lives. Releasing to God can feel like defeat.
1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.For others, the idea of submission can feel suffocating because we are used to doing whatever we want without restraint. Submitting to God can feel like a prison. Wherever you may fall on this spectrum, know that the enemy wants us to feel these negative feelings because if they are strong enough, we may never submit to God and release our “teddy bears” to Him.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.Over these past two days, we have sought God’s face and learned how to abide in His presence. As we truly and wholeheartedly abide in Him, we will naturally release what isn’t under submission. Our desires, plans, and ways will begin to shift simply because that is what His presence does. We will want to do what He desires and live how He commands because we love Him that much. Releasing and submitting won’t feel like defeat or a prison, they will feel like victory and freedom!Pray It Out: Lord, thank You for Your all-knowing nature. While I may not understand all that You do or desire for me to do, I thank You that Your ways and Your thoughts are far higher than mine. I’m asking for help, strength, and courage to release to You. Thank You for being patient with me, having grace, and pouring out mercy. In Jesus’ Name, AmenWrite It Out: What area(s) of your life do you need to fully submit to God?
 

Abide

 
From THRIVE with God on YouVersion
One of the best times of the year (in my humble opinion) is when it’s not too hot, certainly not cold, and the sun is shining bright. The sun rays warm our bodies, we can relax outside without melting, and we may even find ourselves saying, “This weather is so perfect.” It is pure bliss!When we think of abiding in God, it is a similar experience. Every moment feels like that perfect, blissful day. He fills our souls, He gives us rest, and He provides a gentle, soothing comfort that words cannot do justice to describe. But what exactly does abiding in God actually mean?Abiding in God means that we are living, remaining, or continually dwelling in His presence. It means that after we have eagerly sought His face, our heart posture stays towards Him. It means that each and every day we make an intentional effort to acknowledge our God. Lastly, it means being filled to the brim with comfort, joy, peace, love, and so much more because we are connected to the true vine.
John 15:1-8 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.The one thing about abiding is that it requires something our society typically does not like to do – slow down. It may sound contradictory to us; we seek God with eagerness and urgency just to immediately slow down.
Psalms 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.However, we seek God with so much urgency because we are getting back in right standing with Him. The urgency is needed because when we are apart from Him our lives are frankly not quite the same. Once we are back in His presence, we can slow down because when we are with Him we have everything that we need. Abiding is not something we strive to do every once in a while, but it is a lifestyle that we aim to live every day of our lives.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.Pray it Out: Lord, I admit there were times that I allowed life to get the best of me, and I strayed from dwelling with You. As a result, I bore fruit that did not look like You – the fruit of jealousy, sexual immorality, doubt, anger, fear, and so much more. I turn back to abiding in You, remembering that Your yoke is easy and burden is light. Thank You for the ability to abide in You! In Jesus’ Name, AmenWrite it Out: What does your life schedule look like these days? Are you able to spend time abiding in God? If not, how can you make room for Him in your life?

Seek God

From THRIVE with God on YouVersion
As we begin on our journey of thriving with God, take a twirl with me down memory lane. Imagine you are outside on a playground. Yes, a playground! Imagine you’re standing on pine needles as a soft breeze blows gently across your face. The air is filled with a symphony of laughter, screams, and the “clink, clink” of beads in little girls’ hair. You can smell the freshly cut grass that has so effortlessly made its light green stains on your jeans. You can taste your own salty sweat, slowly dripping from your forehead over your lips.
You cover your eyes with your hands and laugh as you begin to count to 10. Your heart beats faster, your ears perk up, and you can barely contain your eagerness to uncover your eyes and start running. You finally finish counting, shout “Ready or not, here I come!” and excitedly seek all who are hiding.
Whew, what a time! Hide-and-seek as a child was filled with lots of excitement, awareness, passion, and joy. When the Word says to seek God with all our hearts, that is the kind of seeking we want to do.
We want to seek Him with zeal, with longing, and with all of our attention. Can you guess what the best part about seeking God is?
He isn’t even hiding from us!
Jeremiah 29:12-13 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. [13] You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
We don’t have to jump through hoops, sweat, bleed, trip, or run like crazy to find Him. He is always there – He is just waiting for us to turn our hearts and minds towards Him.
Let’s go back to our playground example. Imagine that after counting to 10 you opened your eyes and the person you were seeking was directly in front of you! All you had to do was take one step.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
My friend, that one step is all God is asking for. Whether it be praying, opening our Word, watching a sermon, attending an event, or cracking open a devotional like this one – trust that when we take that step He is right there, waiting for us with open arms.
Psalms 63:1 You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
Pray it Out: Father God, I’m so grateful You do not hide from me and that as I draw near to You, You draw near to me. I admit there were times my flesh got the best of me and I strayed away from You. I confess there were times I engaged with You out of routine instead of out of love.
Today, I ask that You will create in me a clean heart oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Reveal to me anything that is keeping me from being diligent in my time with You, and Holy Spirit help me to navigate in the wisest way possible. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Write it Out: What would it look like for you to seek God with all of your heart? Get specific and personal!

Thrive With God

From THRIVE with God on YouVersion
Have you ever tried to utilize an item while missing the key elements needed to do so? Imagine grabbing a pen with no ink, opening a milk carton to find it empty, or attempting to turn on a lamp and realizing the bulb was gone. In each of these situations, the missing components make it almost impossible to interact with the tool as desired.
In a similar way, our relationship with God can be void of elements that deeply impact how we interact with Him. These missing elements may make us feel like our relationship with Him is stagnant, superficial, or even non-existent. We may crave more intimacy with Him, but struggle to identify what exactly it is that is missing.
As we embark on our journey of thriving in our relationship with God, we will explore what I believe to be four fundamental components to do so: Seeking, Abiding, Submitting, and Trusting.
Remember the following:
As we seek God, He draws near to us (James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.)
As we abide in Him, we shall find rest (Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.)
We can submit to God because He knows all (Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.)
We can trust in Him to work things out for our good (Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.)
Let’s thrive with God!
Pray it Out: Lord, prepare my heart and my mind to receive all that You will do over these next few days. I’m choosing to seek Your face and dwell in Your presence, and I know that I will encounter You. I love You! In Jesus’ Name, Amen
 

Rescue Not Religion

Rescue, Not Religion
Why did Jesus come to the world? Was it to create a religion? Or something else?
The answer lies in Luke 4. Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, and when he went to the synagogue service, he was given the scroll of Isaiah to read aloud to the congregation. He read:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,because he has anointed meto proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisonersand recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free,to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:17-19) 
Luke seems to have given a summary of everything that Isaiah said in the first three verses of chapter 61. Isaiah also included healing of broken hearts; comfort for those who mourn and grieve; and turning ashes into beauty, mourning into joy, and despair into praise. These are not categories of people in need of forgiveness but places of need in every one of our lives and stories.
What came after the reading was the most dramatic moment of all. Jesus gave the scroll back to the attendant. When everyone’s eyes were fixed on him, he started his sermon: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (verse 21).
It’s the ultimate “mic-drop moment,” isn’t it? Jesus said, “Make no mistake about it. This is talking about me. This is what I came to do.” Yeah, it starts with forgiveness, but it is so much bigger than that.
Jesus did not come to create a religion. He came to heal, redeem, restore, repair our brokenness, set our captive hearts free, and lead us to the life to the fullest that he came to bring us. So, ask yourself, “Is that the Jesus that I have experienced in my life?”
Remember, there is a difference between living forgiven and living free. Are you living free? Most Christians I know are not.
Something has to change.
Living free. Spend some time picturing what that could mean for you.