I think of the woman who is known as the sinful woman spoken of in the book of Luke (Luke 7:36-50). She had an encounter with Jesus. When she heard He was at Simon’s house, she went there. She walked right in, knowing what those people thought of her. Can you imagine all the negative energy coming from the people in that room?

We have all experienced this to some degree. You walk into a room and there is someone there who doesn’t like you or is judging you. We all know what that feels like. It could be in the workplace or maybe your extended family or even church.

So picture this: this room was filled with that kind of energy. However, she was protected from it. It didn’t touch her because she only had eyes for Jesus.

She was captivated by Jesus’ love and by His compassion. It propelled her toward Him. She fell at His feet in tears of gratitude and love. She was so overwhelmed all she could do was weep.

That’s what happened to me when I had an encounter with Him. I cried for hours as His love captivated my heart.

This is what we are called to do. We are called to captivate others through Jesus’ love flowing through us. We are called to go out into the workplace, our family’s everywhere we go, captivating people with love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. If we are not risking our lives being hurt, we risk nothing. We will never captivate others. We will never captivate people with religion. We will only captivate others when we live a life where we love, where we share grace, where we forgive.

Jesus said in one of His teachings: “If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anyone can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.

A love that says all are lovable—this kind of love is captivating. That is Jesus’s heart. It’s one thing to say to people, ‘Jesus loves you.’ Many people need to know the love of Christ, but they need to see that love in us for them to be guided to Him.

Let’s remember what Jesus said:

Matthew 22:37—Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the greatest commandment. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself.’

As we are captivated by Jesus’ love, that love will permeate our heart, our soul, and our mind. And in return we can show that love to others.”

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But as Christians, we can guard against this affecting us and set the example for others. We must guard our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

How do we do that? We are careful about what we take in. Like I’ve been saying, outrage sells, and the news is designed to provoke just that — especially politically! We need to be careful what we tap into on social media, focus on the positive stories, and look to Scripture to see what it says about how we should handle situations.

Proverbs 15:1 says it so well: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Ephesians 4:31–32: “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind and tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.” As we walk with Jesus, we will experience this in our lives.

Matthew 11:29 — Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

As we stay in step with Jesus, we learn from Him and, too, can give a gentle answer.

A mom I’m close to in church related a story to me about her daughter. Her daughter is 9 and such a beautiful little girl. Well, sometimes — especially when someone is really pretty — they can get bullied. And that is what was happening to her child. This girl, who was raised in church and also has a mom who teaches her the Bible and Scriptures to live by, was affected in her response during this time of being bullied.

She said in a very even tone, “Do you know what Jesus said? He said we should be kind to one another and that we should treat others the way we would like to be treated. Would you like to be treated the way you are treating me?”

I love it! At a young age, she learned to give a gentle answer, and her heart was protected.

I encourage you to make this a priority in your life as you stay in step with Jesus.

Matthew 11:29 — Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

And may your life be a reflection of Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

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All of these resolutions are good; however, let’s look to what the Bible says about what should come first in our lives.

Jesus put it this way: Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The moment of salvation, the very moment you were born again, the Kingdom of God was opened to you, and your spiritual eyes have been opened.

John 3:3: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

When you are born again, your spirit comes alive.

Being born again is not about being a part of a certain denomination. It is not about being a Methodist or Baptist, a Catholic, or a non-denomination church. People from all denominations have experienced this.

What it takes is praying a simple prayer of faith from the heart:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God who died for my sins on the cross. I believe God raised You from the dead. I now turn from my sin and by faith receive You as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart and save me, Lord Jesus.

I will always remember the moment I was born again. As I repented, I knew I was clean; all shame was swept away in an instant. I was filled with gratitude for the One who took it all. I was filled with a passion like I had never known before, a love for Jesus that filled me up, and a hunger to know all about Him, and a desire to live my life in accordance with God’s way.

However, to keep that fire burning, we must make a commitment on a daily basis to be relentless in our pursuit of Him.

With people, if we relentlessly pursue them, a lot of times they will run from us. But not Jesus. The more we pursue Him, the more we will know Him, and the more His love will saturate our soul. The more we will be filled with passion to follow Him all the days of our lives. I want to challenge you that this year you will make a commitment to be relentless in your pursuit of God.

There are many ways we can pursue God. We are pursuing Him every time we pray, every time we read our Bibles, every time we meditate on His Word, every time we worship Him.

My favorite way to pursue God is through worship. Every time I worship, His love saturates my soul. I start my day with this worship song, “In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus,” and I am filled with gratitude, passion, and a love for the One who saved me, “My Jesus.”

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Joy is the birthright of every child of God!! Trials will come in our life, but one of the blessings of being a Christian is that we can have joy and peace no matter what the circumstances are. 

The world looks to outward events for happiness that are uncertain. But the Joy of the Lord comes from your spirit. It is always there. You are never without it.

At the same time, however, you have to choose to be joyful. Experiencing the fruit of the Spirit manifesting in your life doesn’t happen by accident. Joy comes from  getting God’s word down deep in your spirit till it comes to life in your soul, in your mind, and in your emotions. It’s a life surrendered to God’s will.

Joy is a choice it is a way of thinking Joy is a focus before it’s a feeling.

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable –if anything is excellent or praiseworthy –think about such things”

When you set your focus on the goodness of God and His Word it is impossible to be depressed because depression is self-focused Joy is God-focused God never changes.

His joy never changes it is always there within you, and it is always the same—even when you are going through trials. Joy is a spiritual force that is born into you. Its springs out of your love and attention toward God. The more loving fellowship you have with God, the more joy will manifest in your life. 

The Apostle Paul was such an example of living a life filled with joy no matter the circumstances. You can see this because he wrote many letters to the churches  from prison. Again Joy is a choice it is a way of thinking.

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It says in Proverbs 23:7 For as a man think in his heart, so he is. That is where your imagination comes in. If you see yourself as not gifted, it will stop you from reaching your full potential. We need to look at what does God say about it. Romans 12:6 “In his grace God has given us certain things to do well.” So before you step out in that gift imagine yourself doing it well and your confidence will grow.

If we fill our mind with doubt and unbelief you will not be fully open to receive God’s promises. You must fill your mind with what God says. Romans 12:2 if you renew your mind to the truth of God’s word using your imagination will help you receive from God.

What does the bible say about faith? Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen it’s the evidence of things not seen. Faith gets built up as you see it happen in your imagination. You have to use your imagination to see God’s word working in your life. Say you’re praying for healing. You have to guard your imagination that you aren’t still seeing yourself sick.

Don’t wait for a physical manifestation of your healing. See yourself walking without pain. Imagine yourself healed. Grab a hold of God’s promises and see it in your imagination happening in your life. 1Peter 2:24 I am healed by the wounds of Jesus.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

I get insomnia sometimes and I’m starting to use my imagination to see myself sleeping through the night. Also it was just so sweet that one of the children who heard I wasn’t sleeping well gave me a stuffy (a stuffed Minnie Mouse) to help me sleep. How precious is that. I am sleeping better.

Your imagination can work for you or against you. If you keep picturing in your mind the hurtful thing that someone did to you it will be hard for you to let it go. Replaying something in your mind can cause you to be trapped in unforgiveness and bitterness. Our imagination can work against us keeping us trapped in the past. If you see yourself as a victim you will never reach your full potential. You will stay trapped in your past blaming everyone else for your circumstances.

Worry is an example of your imagination being harmful in the way that you are imagining the worst. You have to stop your imagination then and look to what God says. Philippians 4-6 Don’t worry about anything instead pray about everything with thanksgiving give your requests to God. So you need to stop entertaining those thoughts and instead give it to God and imagine He is there taking care of these things.

We also have to be careful that our self-confidence doesn’t come from the world around us where your identity is found in what you do. It could be your job or the way you look, how much money you make, your level of education, the color of your skin. These things are all superficial.

True confidence comes in what does God say about you. Jeremiah 31:3 I am loved with an everlasting love. Imagine yourself surrounded by that love. Colossians 2:10 I am complete in Christ. Imagine yourself complete in him. Ephesians 1:6 I am accepted in Christ. See yourself accepted just the way you are. Revelation 21:7 I am victorious. No longer see yourself as a victim but imagine yourself victorious in all situations.

Your imagination is powerful. It can work for you or against you. So fill your mind with what does God say and let your imagination paint that picture in your mind of living your life in all the fullness of what God has for you and be careful your imagination doesn’t bring you down the wrong road.

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During our week of prayer and fasting, what better scripture to focus on than this one? How awesome is it that the God of the universe delights in us and is always there to hear our every prayer? Prayer is how we communicate our needs and desires to God. Of course, God, being omniscient, knows our needs whether or not we ask, but prayer is the way God has chosen to bring about those answers.

I remember my first prayer time as a child. I was about five years old. I grew up in a neighborhood where most of the children went to church, and I can still remember, as a little child, them asking me if I confessed my sins. When I replied, “No,” they told me very sincerely that “I was going to hell.” I didn’t know where hell was; it didn’t sound like a very nice place. So, I would be in my bed at night, under the covers, confessing whatever sins a little five-year-old could have and asking for forgiveness. Through that time, it opened the door to start talking to God.

Many years later, I publicly asked Jesus into my heart and received Him as my Lord and my Savior and recognized He shed His blood for the forgiveness of my sins. I was born again, never to be the same, and my prayer life has grown every day as I grow in my intimate relationship with Jesus.

Again, Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and he who knocks, it will be opened.”

Jesus starts by saying, “Ask.” That is not to say that believers always get what they ask for. However, the more time a Christian spends in communion with God, he will know what to ask for in accordance with God’s will. Prayer shows a dependence on God for needs that can be met no other way, and God is pleased with such displays of faith.

He went on to say, “Seek and you will find.” What is it we should be seeking? What we should be seeking is God Himself. (Psalm 105:4) “Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His presence continually.”

In this week of consecrating our lives to our Lord, we will experience His presence, and no one can be in the presence of God and remain the same. Our perspective will start lining up with His, and we will experience His supernatural power to live the life we are called to live in Him.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Seeking God’s kingdom means putting God’s plan before your own, and seeking God’s righteousness means setting a priority of personal holiness and desiring to be sanctified.

A powerful prayer is, “Not my will but Yours, God!” It took me a long time to pray that prayer sincerely because self-will can be very strong. The closer I walked with God, the easier it became to pray that prayer.

Seeking God’s face is praying to God to get to know Him and communicate with Him to have an intimate relationship with Him. Seeking His hand is asking to receive blessings from Him. Both are good, but it’s important we seek His face more than His hand.

And “Knock and the door will be opened.” If a person needs something from someone behind a door, the natural thing to do is knock and keep on knocking until the door is opened. This is referring to persistent prayer.

Jesus said, “Ask, Seek, and Knock.” Notice the three different senses being considered. Asking is verbal; Christians are to use our mouths and petition God for our needs and desires. Next, we are to seek with our minds and our hearts, and then knock involves physical movement, one in which we take action. Asking and seeking are of great importance, but they would be incomplete without knocking.

The commands are followed by, “Everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” God delights in the prayer of faith, and He promises to give us what we need to live a life that is set apart for His purposes. Praise and glory to our God!!

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He uses parables to probe inside of us to see if we really understand the Gospel and whether the Gospel is beginning to transform our lives. Jesus’s parables focus on the Kingdom of God, God’s rule on this earth in the person of Christ. Jesus demonstrates Kingdom authority over disease, nature, demons, and over sin and death. In His teaching and parables, He taught the standards and the values of the Kingdom of God. These standards are much different than what we see in the world around us.

When I first opened my heart and received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, one of the changes that came over me was a desire to read and study God’s word. I joined a connect group, went to church each Sunday, and spent time studying God’s word on my own. This has remained the pattern of my life to this day.

Shortly after I was born again, the Holy Spirit led me to the Parable of the Sower. It had a profound effect on me. This parable speaks of the word of God being a seed that is planted in soil, with the soil being the condition of our heart. This parable warns us of the circumstances and attitudes that can keep anyone who has received the seed of the Gospel from it flourishing in our lives.

The first lesson in this parable speaks of soil that is hard, and because of that, the word does not penetrate, and there is no understanding. In contrast, it spoke of the good soil where the word went in deep and grew.

I prayed fervently for the soil of my heart to be that good soil and that I would receive an understanding of the Gospel. And God gave me that understanding and peace of feeling secure in my salvation.

It taught me the importance of guarding your heart at all costs.

Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

I’m looking forward to my connect group next month as we will begin a study on the Parables. The first one we will be studying will be on the seed and the sower. I’m looking forward to others’ input into this powerful parable.

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When I awaken in the morning, I come expecting good things.
Psalm 5:3: In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.

I start my day with prayer. I thank Him for all the blessings in my life, bring my requests before Him, and pray on my morning prayer call. Every day, as we open our eyes to a new day, we need to come expecting good things and know all things are possible with God.

I can’t help but think of my mom, who lived to be in her nineties. She was legally blind the last few years of her life and could only walk with the help of a walker. Yet she woke up each day with a heart overflowing with gratitude, expecting good things. She was so grateful for my sister Alison and Jeff, who she lived with, and her grandson David, who thought nothing of giving up his room for her to stay in, and her grandson Jeffery, who always brought joy to her life. My brother Eddie would come down to visit, play his guitar, and sing songs she never tired of listening to. She looked forward to Ethel, one of her caretakers, who would come and pray with her. And Patty was also one of her caregivers. Patty would have lengthy conversations with her as she shared stories from her life. She loved the time I spent with her. I would wrap her in her favorite robe after her shower. I now wrap myself in that robe, and it brings back sweet memories of my mom. On my days off, we would go for an outing or lunch; she still loved to shop.

She always woke up expecting something good to happen. It would have been easy to reflect on the quality of life she no longer had, but instead, she focused on all she had to be grateful for and came expecting good things. As a devout Christian woman, she knew God is good, and He wants to do something wonderful in your life every day, but you have to be ready and come expecting it.

What a wonderful example my mom set for me in my life with her unwavering faith and her humble attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving. She lived her life to the fullest during the many seasons of her life. So every day, as we open our eyes, we need to come expecting good things, knowing God is right there with us. As you awaken each day, declare, “God is good, and something good is going to happen to me today.”

God is looking and longing for someone who is waiting for Him to be good to them. God wants to be good to you, but you have to come expecting Him to move in your life. Remember what is written in Isaiah 30:18: The Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For God is a God of justice, and blessed are all who wait on Him.

So each day, when you open your eyes, remember to look up to the heavens and remember all things are possible with God. His love, His guidance, His favor, and miracles are all there, but you have to come expecting.

Psalm 5:3: In the morning, Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait expectantly.

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It’s important you know you are not going to be complete in Christ someday—you are already complete in Christ! And what remains for you to do is to walk daily in that completeness by believing that it is true and confessing that what you need right now, Jesus is to you. He is your complete forgiveness, complete righteousness, complete favor, and complete protection.

So don’t focus on the lack you see in your life. Focus instead on how, in Christ, you are complete in everything at this moment. And instead of weaknesses, lack, and defects, you will see His strength, wholeness, soundness, and completeness manifesting in you!

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Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” The reason is that He will place those desires in your heart, and as we seek Him and our love and devotion grow, our desires will begin to line up with His desires.

This is the launching pad where your passion will propel you into your purpose, where you will chase that dream until God’s purpose has been fulfilled in your life. God has awesome plans for our lives. He created us to be inspired, to have goals, and to dream, continuously reaching for more in our life in Christ.

I think about my own life. Around nine, I received my first Bible. I would be under the covers reading this Bible with a flashlight—I couldn’t get enough of it! I don’t know how much I understood as I was reading, but that was the beginning. It sparked that hunger for God’s Word, and someday, I would be teaching His Word to others.

When God gives you a dream, it’s like a seed. A dream is conceived in your imagination. However, it needs to go through a season of growth and preparation for that dream to become a reality. That is where the challenge lies.

God is the one who plants this dream in you, but you need to step out for it to be fulfilled, and fear can sometimes stand in the way—fear of failure, fear rising up, questioning, “Is it really God?” But if you put your expectation in God, those fears will evaporate. We have to press forward with determination, keeping our focus, faithfully talking to God about it, and learning to wait on Him and His timing.

Waiting on God is not a stagnant, passive place where you are doing nothing. It’s a time where you are learning not to take things into your own hands. You are actively seeking Him, gaining confidence from Him, and learning to trust in Him. That waiting is all part of the preparation.

You need to be assured that God has gifted you with what you need for your dream.

“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men” (Proverbs 18:16).

Dare to dream. God put that dream in your heart, and He will first prepare you through a time of waiting on Him, a time of growth and preparation. Then one day, you will see that dream fulfilled in your life as doors open for you to step into.

That is God’s promise to us:

Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

So good! God created us for a significant purpose. By finding and walking in the good works God has prepared for us, we will be fulfilling our calling.

God is calling us to step out of our comfort zone. It reminds me of when Jesus walked on water, and Peter stepped out of the boat to meet Him.

In Matthew 14:26-31, the disciples were in a boat when they saw Him walking toward them, and they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said, “Take courage, it is I; don’t be afraid.” Peter replied, “Lord, if it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” Then Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Him. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink, and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out His hand and caught him and said, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Peter had the courage to step out, but he lost his focus. You see, during the preparation time, God is not only preparing you to step out of your comfort zone but also to keep your eyes fixed on Him. You must depend on Him and not let the storms and circumstances around you shake your confidence. Your confidence won’t be shaken as long as your eyes are fixed on the One who is saying, “Come.”

And always remember:

Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

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