Tag: renewal

liz goss

Sunday is not for Sleeping

by Liz Goss5 Comments on Sunday is not for Sleeping
Sunday is not for Sleeping

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. Genesis 2:1-3

Anxiety and 2020 were like two sides of the same coin. One minute you were coping like a boss and the next you couldn’t concentrate because your kids are tapping on everything with chopsticks. There were so many afternoons when I would have loved a nap… and I actually did take quite a few.

But exhausted and over it, frustrated and bored longing for a nap isn’t how I picture God on the seventh day. After all, Isaiah 40:28 says “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”

So if God wasn’t tired why didn’t he just keep on going? Well… maybe God knew that we needed to rest our hearts fully in HIM once a week. Before the fall we were constantly immersed in God’s presence. We were created for that life. And in the above verses from Genesis God has given us this instruction: yes we must work hard, but we also need to restore our souls in Him.

Mark 2:27-28 says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” This clearly points to the idea that God rested after creation to establish what He wanted US to do.

So was God napping in Genesis 2? No. Not likely. He was finding rest in the expression of Himself as Creator. Likewise, true rest is stopping our busy lives, reflecting on God’s goodness to us and resting in the expression of who we are in God.

If you are struggling, perhaps you need to take time to rest in God. We were made for His presence! Below are a few practical ways to rest in Him. Please comment with more suggestions for us! We would love to know how you choose to rest in God.

  • Talk to a friend about your faith and encourage each other.
  • Read the Bible and find verses that comfort you.
  • Listen to a podcast, sermon or VeggieTales that makes you remember why you love God.
  • Be grateful for God’s gifts in your life.
  • Sing songs that worship God.
  • Go out in nature and enjoy the things He has made.
  • Sniff a kitty that has been laying in the sunshine (best smell God created).
  • Tell stories of God’s faithfulness in your family.
liz goss

Goodness Without Perfection

by Liz Goss1 Comment on Goodness Without Perfection
Goodness Without Perfection

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Genesis 1:3-5

How in the world do you separate light from darkness? Can you even imagine a time where they weren’t separate? Perhaps it was light for a moment and then dark the next, like a strobe light. Or was it foggy all the time in a half light half dark mix. However the two were muddled up, God was able to separate light from darkness.

BUT… God still knew the light was good before he straightened it out. This tells me something important about the character of God. Things doesn’t have to be perfect to be good. Which is a really hard concept for humans (like me) to understand.

  • You can be beautiful and a work in progress.
  • Don’t confuse a bad day for a bad life.
  • One bite of cake doesn’t ruin a healthy lifestyle.
  • Something can be awesome and need to change.

These are all inspirational thoughts we try to remember because human brains don’t like dichotomy. Nope. Not one bit. But you absolutely can have good kids who rip up library books, a good day in which you broke your foot or a loving spouse who can’t remember to bring you flowers on your birthday. It can be good before it’s perfect.

What is God trying to tell is right here in the very first thing he does? YOU don’t have to be perfect for God to love you. You don’t. God is okay with things that are good but mixed up. Thats why Jesus came. Is there work to be done? Sure, but that’s what life is for. So keep working on separating the light from the darkness in your life. Note to self: you are not God so it’ll probably take more than one day. But you don’t have to be perfect for God to love you.

P.S. Why did I include a picture of my littlest pup? No it wasn’t just clickbait. This little guy is amazing. He is good. He is just exactly who he should be… except… he loves to pee in the house. Oh he knows how to go outside. He is put out all the time. But he takes great delight in peeing in sneaky spots. Is this trait annoying? Do I wish he stopped. Of course. But he’s no less of a good dog who we love with all our hearts. I think God feels like this about us too.

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Running My Race

by Susan CollinsLeave a Comment on Running My Race
Running My Race

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:1-2

The current sermon series of “Run Free” and The Grove topic of finding identity in Christ has really impacted me. I am in a season that changes a big part of my identity. My youngest child will be leaving home in August. The identity of “mom” daily is going away. Not that I will stop being a parent to my adult children, but it does change significantly.

I know many people who have faced this change in life and thrived by discovering not being tied to the daily tasks involved in parenting a child living in their home.

As with most significant changes in life, I dread and look forward to experiencing aspects of this change. In no particular order, some of those include:

  • the sound/noise level
  • the messes (or lack of)
  • companionship
  • the total at the grocery store
  • cooking dinner
  • laundry

My situation is not unique, but it is one that we don’t address directly very often. I am a single mom. When my youngest leaves in August, there will not be another human being living in my home. I will be back to living alone with the cat (a scenario I have not experienced for 24 years).

One aspect of the empty nest that I anticipate is a new layer of grief relating to my divorce. I have wrestled with being divorced over the past ten years. Being an empty nester was suppose to be a new season in our marriage. Instead, it is transitioning to a new season as a single person. Definitely NOT what I had in mind when I became a mom.

So what does this have to do with finding my identity in Christ and Running Free?

EVERYTHING!!

I know this was not God’s plan for my marriage, but I know that I am His beloved child. He gave every person free will, which will sometimes turn people we love and trust away from Him.

My race is choosing to follow God. Dropping the weights of anger, fear, and pain. Picking up the truth that I am a new creation in Christ. Keeping my focus on Him and celebrating this new season in life.

I anticipated change and have initiated some practices to ease this transition. I have been involved in ministries at Church (Journey groups, production team, Mexicali trip). I have taken on some leadership responsibilities professionally (policy advocacy work locally and on the state level, volunteering for committees at work, mentoring young professionals).

I may not be running the race that I envisioned 24 years ago when I married or 21 years ago when my oldest child was born. BUT I am running the race set before me, keeping my eyes on Jesus, and seeking to find my identity in Him.

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Not Yet Across the Finish Line

by Guest BloggerLeave a Comment on Not Yet Across the Finish Line
Not Yet Across the Finish Line

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. [John 14:26 NIV]

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to make it through some kind of boot camp? I have watched in awe and wonder as my niece tackled the challenges of the exercise boot camp she attends early in the morning at her local gym. Over time, my niece began to exit that steamy environment with more smiles and less groans. Her muscles became stronger and her stamina increased, a training-effect even I have felt with my much-more-modest efforts with free weights and consistent time on some exercise machines. Wimp that I am, I have never been successful without the encouragement of fellow sufferers and a gym rat or two to inspire me with those toned biceps and abs. Wait! Do I even have abs? They must be in there somewhere!

Perseverance is the key to reaching those seemingly far-off goals, a perseverance fueled by the energy of God’s Holy Spirit within us. Each of us have a mighty Coach that can energize every aspect of our lives, if we are willing to be guided by His truth, surrendered to His guidance, and empowered with a mind that learns to think and choose like Him. When the disciples were devastated by the news that Jesus was physically leaving them, He comforted them by explaining that He, who once was only with them, would now be in them, as the Holy Spirit (John 14:26), helping them across the finish line. Remember, the Holy Spirit will help you become the trained, mature you!

Why was the Holy Spirit so essential to them and still so essential to us? Life is hard, and often presents circumstances that are far beyond our ability to cope with them. We need help! How do we get to the next level as we tackle the tasks that mature us?

  1. Recognize that with Jesus in your heart, the old life is gone. Radical change is here! Paul wrote: [Galatians 2:20 NIV] I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
  2. Embrace God’s agenda for you. God has a better plan and mind-blowing growth in mind for you. [1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV] However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”–the things God has prepared for those who love him—
  3. Schedule significant amounts of time to be alone with God. When David’s family was taken captive and bitter tears fell, he “found strength in the LORD his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). Take time to invite the Holy Spirit into your current situation right now. Ask Him to fill you and pour out of you.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to remember that You want to coach and guide me and train up my spiritual muscles so You can help me persevere all the way to the finish line. Help me find training time to spend with You. Amen.

For further reading

  • Acts 5:32
  • Acts 11:16
  • Acts 15:8
  • Romans 5:3-5
  • Romans 14:7
  • Romans 15:13
  • 1 Cor. 6:19

BY: Stephanie Murillo

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One Big P.U.S.H.

by Guest Blogger1 Comment on One Big P.U.S.H.
One Big P.U.S.H.

They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. – 2 Kings 19:3 [NIV]

Do you enjoy epic adventure stories that spill across a big screen with badly outnumbered good guys fighting bravely against the bad guys who are threatening their very existence? I sure do! Two chapters, 18 and 19 in 2 Kings are particular favorites of mine because of the way a terrified King Hezekiah responds to the vile threats breathed against him and God by the invading King Sennacherib and his field commander. If you take a moment and read those blood-curdling chapters, you will discover King Hezekiah’s healthy response to a sickening situation.

911!

King Hezekiah first admits that he is in over his head, asking the prophet Isaiah to pray (2 Kings 19:2). When you and I are in trouble, asking prayer warriors to intercede for us is a healthy strategy that connects us to one another and to God.

Read this, God!

When King Sennacherib doubles down by putting his taunts and blasphemy into a letter, the King takes all that evil ridicule into the temple of the LORD, spreads it out before God and takes his battle position by hitting his knees (2 Kings 19:14-19).

There are times we just run out of words when that terrifying letter, text or social media post is opened. Like King Hezekiah, we can call out, “Read this, God! Only You can tell me what to do! Only You can deliver me out of this mess. I am not making a move until I hear from You.”

Wait for the P.U.S.H.

King Hezekiah waited before God without making any impulsive or rash moves. Maybe not having energy for that last, big push was a blessing, forcing the king to sit tight and trust God. Hezekiah wasn’t disappointed. That night, we are told, that the angel of the Lord puts to death 185,000 men, forcing Sennacherib home where his own sons assassinate him while he is worshiping his god (2 Kings 19:35-37).

Today, with Jesus in our hearts, we have access to the power and personality of His Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit gives us the gifts and fruits we need (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). These powerful gifts create unity if we are willing to cooperate (Ephesians 4:3). God’s Spirit inside of us helps us work with people we ordinarily wouldn’t tolerate. The Holy Spirit also supervises the church, comforting, guiding, praying, freeing, and bearing witness to our salvation. The Holy Spirit also, over time, makes us holy. He cleanses us from sin and “me-sickness,” rubbing us against life’s washboard until our spots and stains are scrubbed away (1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:4-7). You can find this idea and more in Max Lucado’s book: Unshakable Hope.

Are you willing to call out a 911 to God and safe others? Are you willing to pause, pray, and wait for the P.U.S.H of the Holy Spirit? God wants to fill you with all that He is. You have only to ask.

Meditate and Marinate:

  • Psalm 104:27-30
  • Acts 9:31
  • John 16:13
  • Romans 8:26
  • John 3:5-8

BY: Stephanie Murillo

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Name Without Shame

by Guest Blogger3 Comments on Name Without Shame
Name Without Shame

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. [Psalm 42:5 NIV]

Have you ever been ambushed by a tsunami of emotions that threatened to hi-jack the noble, mature, responsible you? Have you ever been a primal scream wrapped in skin? I have to raise both hands here and admit that for years I did not know what to do with the molten lava of feelings I often felt inside.

Happily, Christian teachers are now beginning to acknowledge our need to train, rather than try to manage our emotions honestly and without shame, a development that can bear so much fruit in our hearts and help us connect with our inner lives, with God, and with others.

One of the first skills I began to practice came from our God-given identity as “namers.” God gave Adam and Eve the job of giving names to the flora and fauna around them in the Garden of Eden, and we have been assigning names and labels from that day to this. Naming is a powerful tool, because identifying an emotion, issue, or worry, brings it out of the darkness into the light. What we acknowledge, can now be placed into God’s capable, competent, compassionate hands for healing and change. Naming is often the first step in managing that volcano inside.

In Psalm 42, King David is practicing an emotionally healthy strategy by looking inside himself and trying to name what is troubling him. He is engaging in some fruitful “self-talk” by not only asking this question, but also turning his focus on God as Savior and a giver of grace. Some scholars believe David wrote this when he was fleeing from his own son and could not enter God’s house to worship. In Psalm 42, he honestly names what is defining his life at present: a soul (mind, will, and emotions) drained dry by the tears of betrayal that have poured out day and night.

The pandemic has caused many of us to feel a level of disconnect we have never experienced before, but there is hope! A tidal wave of emotion may sweep over us, but as Charles Spurgeon says, “Grace swims!” So, how do we invite God into our emotional tempest?

  • ASK God for help to put a name to what is driving the storm inside us.
  • POUR out all that is inside to the only One strong enough and safe enough to handle our strong emotions.

Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 129, and 140 are examples of powerful and often not-too-noble feelings being poured out before God in the privacy of personal prayer. Then, we sit quietly before God asking Him to love us back to sanity, and to give us safe people to help us process our emotions. Remember, this is a process defined by God’s loving acceptance. No shame allowed!

BY: Stephanie Murillo

[Bonus verses to look up later: Psalm 27:14 Psalm 37:7 Psalm 91:15 Romans 4:18-19]

liz goss

Praise God on Mother’s Day

by Liz GossLeave a Comment on Praise God on Mother’s Day
Praise God on Mother’s Day

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. Remember the wonders he has performed, his miracles, and the rulings he has given.” – 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 (NLT)

Sunday is Mother’s Day and I want to take the first sentence of this post to say: let this day be whatever you need it to be… but remember to be grateful. See, when I asked some friends about this yearly celebration I got feelings all over the map:

  • Love for my child and so much gratitude for being a mother.
  • Grief over a mother I am missing.
  • Struggling with mental health and have mixed feelings about being a mother.
  • Pain due to the mother daughter relationship I had.
  • Envy over those picture perfect moments that fill my social media feeds.
  • Empty ache over a child I lost even as I am grateful for the children I have.
  • Painful reminder that I’m not a mom yet.

Whatever Mother’s Day is or isn’t for you, it’s all okay. There’s room and space for the joy and the grief. It’s okay to talk about and feel all the sides of Mother’s Day. But because Mother’s Day is a day of celebration I challenge you all to spend some time preparing your heart to glorify God because of the gift of motherhood. We can all bring praise to God because of someone who personified a mother in our lives. There are three great ways (that popped into my brain) to carry out this exercise. So choose one or choose them all, but don’t forget to thank God for some aspect of moms this weekend.

WRITE – Put your thankfulness down in words. Thank your mother. Thank someone else’s mother. Be grateful for the ways you have been able to mother. Praise God for the ways he has mothered you. Pen to paper. Text. Write an email. Comment on this blog post. However you want to write out your thank you… do it.

ADVICE – We learn things from mothers and one amazing way to exalt motherhood is to share the advice we have received. Mom advice is priceless so glorify God by sharing some of it with others.

LAUGH – Being a mom can be… ridiculous. We do dumb things. Our kids do crazy stuff. We witness other mothers being off the wall geniuses. Let’s share some of this treasure trove and praise our good God for the laughs he’s brought along the way.

Sunday is Mother’s Day. If you need to cry today, cry. If you need to celebrate, celebrate. If you want to do both, do both. If you need to hide on Sunday and pretend it’s not Mother’s Day, that’s totally okay. From one woman to another, I give you permission to love yourself enough to ask for what you need from your loved ones for this day. But in the midst of all the things this world throws at us, let’s not forget to praise our God for the blessing of motherhood. Because through it all he is always good.

“Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.” – 1 Chronicles 16:36

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An Underrated Blessing

by Guest Blogger1 Comment on An Underrated Blessing
An Underrated Blessing

As things continue to return to normal, I have been reminded that normal…is….busy! Run, run, run! Go, go, go. Some days there is barely a moment to catch your breath!

Because normal = busy, time seems to fly by. I blinked and I was graduating high school. I blinked and I was saying good-bye to my 20s. I blinked again and all 4 kids were in school. And I made the mistake of blinking again and my oldest is now almost 17 years old and when he stands up straight, he is looking me right in the eyes!

As I approach the halfway point in my life, I want to take the wisdom I have acquired, some of it which came at great cost (life’s tough lessons often don’t come cheap) and I want to apply that wisdom to the days that I have left. One of my goals for my second half is to fight twice as hard to give my time to my family. If I trade in my family time in order to be successful at work? That’s actually failure. Family must be first.

But there is an overlooked aspect of life, a blessing that God intended us to have, and with all of the things going on, it is often easily neglected. That neglected blessings is friendship. I have had this thought running through my head for a while now: “Friendship is a gift you give yourself.” Making time for friends, pursuing a quality person in friendship seems like a selfish thing to do. I feel like I almost have to give myself permission. With so much competition for time, you could feel guilty for creating some space to enjoy your friends.

Another reason we might neglect friendship is because relationships are messy. We can step on each other’s toes. We can get offended. Sometimes friendships end badly. I have had seasons where I have had walls up, because I didn’t want to get burned again. I look back on those seasons now and I wish I had taken the walls down sooner. I was missing the blessing that comes from friendship.

David in the Bible had a wonderful friend in Jonathan. David’s life was stressful! One minute King Saul wanted to hear David play his music, and the next minute, with no warning, he tried to kill David. Since he was in the service of King Saul there wasn’t much David could do about it. In this rough season of life, David found support from Jonathan, who was like a brother to him. Jonathan was a true friend.

Here are some characteristics of a true friend:

  • They always tells you what you need to hear, not what you necessarily want to hear!
  • They will be genuinely happy for you when blessings come your way. They won’t grumble about ‘how nothing good happens to them,’ they will celebrate their friends happiness!
  • They will hang in there with you, when you need them the most, even if it is unpopular. King Saul was not pleased with his son’s loyalty to David!

In this marathon called life, it isn’t good to run alone. Prioritize godly friends, and you will enjoy the journey!

By: Matt Larson (senior pastor at journey church)

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Easter Resolutions

by Liz Goss2 Comments on Easter Resolutions
Easter Resolutions

When 2021 came around it was universally accepted that we were out with the old and in with the new. Of course we hoped to be “out” with masks, social distancing & eating outside and “in” with hugs, parties & traveling. We made personal resolutions to stop eating so much and spend more time at the gym. And whether any of the outs really out-ed or ins really in-ed was never exactly the point, it’s the ferver with which we HOPE things will change when the calendar does that wins our hearts every year.

Easter is the Christian new year. Lent begins the holiday season and by Easter we are always primed to make our spiritual resolutions. This year I will stop taking Jesus for granted and have a relationship with God. This year I will trust God with my finances and start to tithe. This year I will put down the idol that I’m so drawn towards (drinking, food, shopping, relationships, money, etc.) and focus on letting God fill my emptiness. In the final Easter sermons we are primed for repentance.

But as Paul says to the Galatians, who cut in on you? I’m guessing that already (April 14th) you’ve messed up your resolution. I know I have! Galatians 5:7-8 says, “You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom.” See, like pastor Matt on Easter, Paul made it clear to the Galatians that in Christ they were truly free. Free from the power of sin and free to live under God’s grace. Just like us.

So why would we ever want to give up the freedom we found in Christ that refreshed our hearts on Easter? Bondage is subtle. Our New Years resolutions and our Easter resolutions often fall to a slow dependence on behaviors, substances and attitudes that give us security. But… as we turn our lives over to God, he will graciously give us the power we need to overcome.

Last Sunday Pastor Kyle at Journey Church, reminded us that we don’t need a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night to guide us. While it seems super helpful, we actually have something better as Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:16-17: “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

Resolutions aren’t bad. They are usually the prompting of the Holy Spirit, showing us where we could be living better for God and his kingdom. But in our own power we are usually unable to keep them. So let me encourage you in this… God desires a relationship with you. He didn’t die to make you better behaved. He didn’t die so that you’d finally follow the rules. He died because he loves you. He wants to know you, do life with you and spend forever enjoying you. Because he made you.

If you felt God stirring your heart this Easter I hope you resolve to be HIS this next year. Spend time with the one who knows you best and loves you most. Everything else you could possibly resolve to do will come in his timing, if you let the Holy Spirit guide you into doing life with God.

liz goss

Satan is a One Trick Pony

by Liz Goss2 Comments on Satan is a One Trick Pony
St. Michael expelling Lucifer and the Rebel Angels
Artist: Peter Paul Rubens (ca. 1622)
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

In Isaiah 14:12-15 we read why Satan was thrown out of Heaven. Oh yes, he was an angel once but… “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.” Satan wanted to be like God.

But enough ancient history, let’s look at how humanity fell from the perfect relationship with God we once shared in the garden. We all know it was Satan who tricked her but what exactly did he say? Do you know? I mean most people brought up with the Bible know the story but I bet you can’t quite put your finger on what he tempted her with. It wasn’t just a delicious apple. Genesis 3:5 tells us that Satan told Eve, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” It was a calculated, diabolical move that Satan knew would get us separated from God like he had been once before. Satan convinced Eve she could be like God.

And Satan is a master at gaslighting humans. He manipulates the world in such a way that leads us to question our thoughts, memories, and the events occurring around us. His greatest weapon is… forgetfulness. Because if he can get us to lose track of EXACTLY what happened in the past we just might fall for it again. Oh and he loves to try his one trick on us all, whispering:

Do you really need to tithe when you could use that money to buy new clothes? You don’t need to follow what God says, you can decide what’s right just as well as God can. ☠️

Gluttony is not a sin in 2021. It’s been a hard year. It’s called self care. Okay so it’s in Proverbs 23 but those are “proverbs” not laws. You do you. ☠️

Sexual immorality? That whole phrase is super vague. I mean… in Matthew 5 it says that if you LOOK lustfully at a woman you have committed adultery in your heart. Don’t you think that’s an impossibly high standard? ☠️

Every time Satan suggests that “it doesn’t really matter this time” he is asking us to believe we are just as good at judging right and wrong as God is. Friends… this the the ultimately audacity of blasphemy straight from Satan. We are not like God. We were created to be in close relationship with Him but that does not mean we are on His level.

Satan is a one trick pony. He has one trick. Just one. And that is to convince you and me and all of humanity that we are just as good as God. It’s what caused him to fall from heaven and he’s good at spreading his fall by causing us to forget. But we won’t! Remember that you will do what is right because God is God and we are not. He is our loving Heavenly Father who would never withhold any good thing (Luke12:32). We can trust his heart. He is for us (Romans 8:32). So next time you wonder if choosing the right really matters… it does. For the love of Christ compelled us (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).