Identity of the Heart..Craig Denison Ministries

 Identity of the Heart

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

So often we view God as an enforcer of religious rules. We see the commands of Scripture as a list of to-dos rather than a path leading to abundant life. But those perceptions aren’t the truth of Scripture. Those beliefs are founded on misguided notions of God’s character. God is after the heart. More than he wants us to do right, he wants us to see him rightly. He wants going to church, reading the Bible, worshipping, serving the poor, and living righteously to come from a heart filled with a true revelation of his loving-kindness. May your heart be wholly God’s this week.

Scripture:

“I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1

Devotional:    

Many of us spend our entire lives just trying to answer one simple question: “Who am I?” We look to our accolades and our strengths and weaknesses to define us. We look to other people to determine who it is we are. We allow circumstances and open or closed doors to tell us who we’re supposed to be. We look everywhere but to the One who actually knows the true answer.

But God says to you and me, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). 1 John 3:1 says, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” And in Ephesians 2:19 Scripture says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

We need a renewing of our identity. We need to look at the word of God and choose to believe that we truly are who he says we are entirely. We need to let our Creator define the identity of his creation. You serve a God who has called you his child. Regardless of anything you’ve done well or poorly, regardless of your successes or failures, you are first and foremost the redeemed child of the Most High God. It’s time to anchor your identity to the unshakable truth of Scripture.

You see, it’s not enough just to know what Scripture says. It’s not enough to be able to recite verses like, “we should be called the children of God; and so we are.” Until in your heart of hearts you believe the truth of Scripture, you will base your entire life on whatever it is you value most. If you value the opinion of man over God’s word, your identity will be founded on the fleeting and fickle opinions of others. If you look to your circumstances to define you, then your identity will change with the passing of seasons. But if the identity you believe in your heart is founded on God’s truth, then your self-worth, perspectives, decisions, insecurities, and beliefs will be unshakable and yield abundant life.

Take time today to assess your own heart. Look honestly at your beliefs. Where are you looking for your identity? Place your trust in the truth of God’s word that the identity of your heart would come from your loving Creator. May your time in guided prayer be marked by a powerful revelation of truth.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on the truth of your identity.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” Isaiah 43:1

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1

2. What are you allowing to define you? What, in your heart of hearts, do you value above the truth of Scripture?

3. Ask the Holy Spirit for a heart-level revelation of who you are in Christ. Open your heart to God that he might reveal to you the truth of his perspective. Align your beliefs with the truth of Scripture.

It’s absolutely critical to take an honest assessment of your heart when it comes to your identity. Don’t let going to church, talking about Scripture, or even spending time reading God’s word be enough. Take a look at what is actually sinking into your heart and changing your life. Don’t rest until your life—your emotions, actions, and beliefs—align with God’s truth. May you be energized and renewed to seek out the fullness of life God has in store for you.

Extended Reading: Psalm 139

Helping Our Kids Know Jesus for Themselves..ERICA RENAUD

 Helping Our Kids Know Jesus for Themselves

ERICA RENAUD, COMPEL Training Member

“Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray.” Matthew 19:13a (ESV)

My mother is a master at interior decorating. She got her “degree” from Better Homes and Gardens. Every corner, counter and shelf in her house looks beautiful.

My children love visiting Grandma’s house at the beginning of a new season. They bust through the front door and run through all the rooms to see how she redecorated.

When my husband and I bought our first home, I was so excited to decorate it. I couldn’t wait to make it our own and have it reflect our style and likes.

But it didn’t take long to realize I knew nothing about design. I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong, but as I looked at the rooms throughout my house, they not only lacked beauty, but also I didn’t even enjoy them.

The problem was that I only did what I saw my mother do — purchase items and put them in my home. I never actually learned the elements of good design or how to make a space look lovely. It wasn’t until months later that my mother explained the “why” and “how” behind her design decisions and a bit of her process in getting there.

When it comes to design, I’m OK if my children don't inherit their grandmother’s genius. But when it comes to prayer and faith, I don’t just want to pass on what it “looks” like.

Without intentionality or explanation, my children will only learn to imitate my actions. But just as my buying and placing items on a shelf didn’t mean I understood design, my children knowing how to bow their heads doesn’t mean they know how to engage God in prayer.

Though I feel like I fail more than I succeed, my husband and I have made it our mission to come alongside our children in prayer so that they might know how to seek God for themselves.

For instance, after recently hearing of a natural disaster, we sat the kids down to share about it and watch a short news segment describing the event. Then we decided to pray. But before we did, we talked about the importance of prayer and how God hears us. We reminded them of the time Elijah prayed for it to stop raining, and the rain stopped. (James 5:17)

And prayer is not just something we do as parents; we invite the children to take the lead. Sometimes they are the only ones who pray out loud.

I’ve discovered that children can have incredibly meaningful times of prayer on their own too. After chatting with my older daughter about a problem she was having, I was at a loss for how to help her. “Well, you should pray about that,” I told her. My suggestion was genuine, but I’m embarrassed to admit that I was also buying time to think of how else I might help. Her response surprised me: “Oh, I have been!” She went on to say she had been praying about it in her journal.

Wow! She didn’t need me to tell her to pray. She knew she could seek God all on her own — that she could meet with Him about this problem, share her burden, and trust Him to handle it.

Friend, let’s not just imitate prayer so our kids become outwardly good at it. Let’s take them along for the ride so they experience the ins and outs of prayer. We can invite them into prayer in good times and really hard seasons. We can walk them through the theology of prayer and the value of prayer, teaching them how to pray.

Matthew 19:13a says, “Then children were brought to [Jesus] that he might lay his hands on them and pray.” Just like the parents, grandparents and caretakers in Matthew, let’s bring our children straight to Jesus so they can experience talking with Him themselves!

Heavenly Father, keep us humble before You. May we never tire of seeking Your face. Give us the grace to come alongside our children in prayer and somehow communicate the beauty and glory of speaking to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thoughtful Living..Dr. Charles Stanley

 Thoughtful Living

Dr. Charles Stanley

Psalms 25:8-15

Are you living thoughtfully and intentionally—or automatically? It’s so easy to get up each morning, do our work, enjoy some relaxation or entertainment, and fall into bed each night without giving any thought to God’s involvement in our lives. But to be ignorant of how He has blessed, guided, protected, and warned us is a foolish way to live. Just consider the benefits of keeping our spiritual eyes and ears open throughout the day.

Those who are aware of the Lord’s presence during their daily activities enjoy the peace of knowing that He is always in control and working to accomplish His good purposes. Every day’s experiences with Him teach them to know and love Him more.

When we learn to see God’s footprints in our days, we will become aware of the scope of His involvement in our lives. Maybe He strengthened you for a task or opened a door of opportunity. Perhaps He guided your decisions or helped you respond in a godly way to a difficult person.

If our ears are open to the Lord’s warnings and instructions, we won’t repeat the same mistakes again and again. But those who are deaf to His voice will continue in unhealthy thought patterns, negative emotions, and foolish responses.

Each night before you go to sleep, take some time to reflect on the day’s activities. The Lord is constantly with you, guarding and guiding your way. He wants you to see Him in everything and understand life from His perspective as you rely on His wisdom and power to face any challenge.

Is it Time to Drop Your Defenses?..Jen Ferguson

 Is it Time to Drop Your Defenses?

By Jen Ferguson

“Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” - 1 Peter 5:5, ESV

Can I just confess? I hate to be wrong. I hate criticism and constructive feedback. I don’t like being called out when I do the wrong thing. It all makes my skin crawl. Because of my strong dislike for this, I have come up with quite a few workarounds that I think shield me from the blame that I should (in most cases) accept. For example, if my husband, Craig, calls me out on something, my brain races through past events to quickly come up with a potential justification for my actions. I can recall and catalog excuses where I can firmly point to external circumstances or people that affirm the case I am pleading. I can tell him why he shouldn’t take something personally or how he should perceive my actions. It sounds something like:

If you would have, then I wouldn’t have…
You know this bothers me, so I am completely justified in…
Don’t you know why I’m so short-tempered? I’ve had no breaks, so much work, and the kids!! Oh, the kids…

But the very plain truth is this is not healthy behavior. And since God doesn’t like to leave me in my unhealthy state, He’s invested in helping me own what I need to own without it destroying my joy, confidence, and self-image. How? It’s a process, but here’s what I’m learning:

1. I am not what I do. I seem to be particularly sensitive to criticism about my work — whether I’ve done a perceived good or bad job. I have a hard time separating my worth from my works and so I can place an inordinate amount of value on how people view my performance. In addition, I have little grace for myself over the mistakes I make. When people bring me their feedback, my first instinct is to defend what I’ve done in an effort to retain my value. But the truth is, someone’s feedback should never have that kind of power. My value is independent of anything I say or do. The more I work on separating my work from my worth, the more receptive I can be to the iron sharpening iron and the more I can allow people around me to help me look more like Jesus. And if my goal is to become more like Him, I can welcome feedback instead of trying to deflect it.

2. I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I hate disappointing people, hurting people, or letting people down. I try hard a lot, but there’s no way I’m ever going to be perfect. When I remember that I’m designed to need Jesus, it helps me to give myself grace for when I fall short. The truth is, if I was always strong or capable enough for others, they would be deceived in thinking they don’t need Jesus, just other people! Instead of trying to justify my incorrect action, I can seize the opportunity to show myself and others that I need a lot of grace from God and others, too.

3. I can assume good intent. Sometimes I infer that people are criticizing or judging me and they actually are not. Even if I think they may be acting catty or passive-aggressive, I can still choose to believe the best. This keeps me from harboring bitterness and resentment. And if there seems to be a repetitive pattern, I can ask clarifying questions instead of possibly sitting with an assumption that isn’t true. Chances are, they aren’t trying to tear me down, but instead, they’re simply advocating for their own needs. Taking everything personally means I’m often left tired and spent and that is not a recipe for a healthy relationship.

Jesus didn’t hesitate to let people know how they can grow and become healthier. He told the truth with kindness, love, and a heaping measure of grace. How would this impact our relationship with our spouse if we spoke and listened with this same manner? The truth is, defensiveness builds walls. Walls bring separation. Working through mistakes, misunderstandings, and shortcomings with truth, grace, and love, however, breeds intimacy and connection. And that’s what makes marriages thrive.

When Influential Trouble Comes in Waves..Meg Bucher

 When Influential Trouble Comes in Waves

By Meg Bucher

“Troublemakers have arisen among you and have led the people of their town astray.” -  Deuteronomy 13:13 NIV

Much like hard times come in seasons, trouble comes in waves. The tricky part about determining a bad influence is weeding out our assumptions. We may tend to honor older people as wiser, louder people deserving of our ear, younger people as having nothing to add to our experience, and so on and so on. We all kind of jockey around for position in this life, don’t we? And when it gets turned on its head, it makes us feel uncomfortable and confused. It often blindsides us, and sometimes traps us.

Before we allow our lives to be swayed, it’s wise to determine the direction of the waves. Captains navigate following seas, a shallow-water chop and oncoming rollers differently. So should we, expect to handle, recognize, or navigate trouble.

troublemaker - a person who causes difficulties, distress, worry, etc., for others, especially one who does so habitually as a matter of malice. -dictionary.com

Trouble doesn’t always announce itself. Quite the opposite, it often looks appealing and sounds very convincing. Today’s verse takes us back to a time in the Old Testament when God’s people were being warned of ‘troublemakers.’ Those that attempted to pry people away, maliciously or not, from God.

“Troublemaker,” translated to “worthless” in the New American Standard Bible, is taken from the Hebrew word beliyya`al, which means, worthlessness …worthless, good for nothing, unprofitable, base fellow …wicked …ruin, destruction.

What happens when trouble is permitted to seep through a leaky crack? As the definition above states: destruction. Just because we didn’t realize trouble when we followed it doesn’t mean we’re not liable for what we do under its influence.

Walking with Christ allows us to double-check for trouble, including a scan of our own thoughts and intentions. Jesus died to open the flood gates of forgiveness, in an extension of God’s grace. When we know Him, the Spirit stirs us. To warn us, nudge us, and protect us. But we have to be listening to head the warning. We have to be in the Word and in prayerful conversation with Him. When we let go of His hand we leave space for trouble to cause trouble.

Later, this word (beliyya’al in Hebrew) was used as a name for Satan (2Co 6:15; Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial), who is the personification of wickedness and lawlessness. -NIV Study Bible Notes.

Wickedness and lawlessness. That’s not what I want creeping in the back door of my awareness. But it does. And he will …take every advantage of our thrown-down guard, our relationships, and every weakness he can get his hands on in order to trample and ruin as much as he can. As followers of Christ, it’s wise to be very wary of who we entertain and encourage.“Pray about everything,” and that’s how we’ll know what to do.

Father, Praise You for altering us to danger… to trouble. Thank You for Jesus, that we may receive Your guidance in conversation through the gift of Your Holy Spirit. We confess letting trouble sneak up on us, on account of our lack of listening skills. Please bless us to make time for You and Your Word, so that we can hear You.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

A Prayer for the Parents of Littles..By Ashley Moore

 A Prayer for the Parents of Littles

By Ashley Moore

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.” - Psalm 127:3-5, ESV 

It took longer than we expected to grow our family. In our desperation, we reached out to godly friends and asked if they would pray for us. I still remember the night a family friend prayed Psalm 127:3-5 over me and my husband. And the Lord answered by giving us three kids in the three years that followed. Suddenly, I was both amazed at God’s provision and overwhelmed by these three little rewards from God! 

If you have little children, do you find it easy to relate to the following?

• You can’t break your gaze from their beautiful little faces but also highly anticipate their next long stretch of sleep. 
• You protect them with vigilance while also longing for a date night away with your spouse.
• You are so thankful the Lord has entrusted you to be their parent, but you also miss freedom-filled days when personal space was ample, and free time was plenty.

If you are anything like me, you probably feel guilty over all your conflicting emotions when it comes to your children. On one hand, you realize the blessing of a family and this season with littles, and on the other hand, the struggle of caregiving and providing for your children non-stop is real!

To this, I offer two truths in hopes of comforting you in this season of stewarding tiny image-bearers. The first speaks to parents in the infant stage. Remember, this is only a season, and it will eventually change. I am not suggesting it will get easier, but each stage will present unique challenges and benefits. Change offers a reprieve and a second wind in your parenting. 

Secondly, your children will never satisfy you as God does–children are poor substitutes for God’s love. I don’t offer this nugget to condemn you, but to give you permission and space to feel less than super joyful in all the hard moments of fussiness, sleepless nights, or constant diaper duty. True joy is found in Christ alone, so it makes sense that every moment with your children isn’t pure bliss. 

We can be kind to ourselves when we feel restless in the little years. Our struggles don’t negate God’s Word. Our conflicting emotions in parenting our littles only serve to illuminate the truth. This is one way our children are a blessing because they push us to depend on God more and more. Our children will both make us rejoice in the highest of highs, and worship through tears in the hard moments. Because of this, we can thank God for the heritage He has given us in our children. 

Let’s pray:
God, 
We thank you for the gift of children. They are a miracle from you, and we acknowledge and praise you for that! Lord, we thank you for entrusting us with the great honor of raising a new generation of people who will love and serve you. But Lord, you know how hard these little years are. You see us drowning in the to-do list and you know when we feel guilty for not being more thankful for all our many blessings. But you still love us, and you love our children.

Thank you for how our love for these kids gives us a tiny, though an imperfect, glimpse of your love toward us. And thank you that our disappointment, discontentment, and lack of fulfillment in parenting drive us back to you–our true source of joy! Lord, thank you that you use our brokenness and imperfections in parenting for our good and your glory! You use it all, and we praise you for that. Thank you for both the seen and unseen ways our children are a blessing and heritage from you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Tomb Was Empty..Mary Southerland

 The Tomb Was Empty

Mary Southerland

Today's Truth

He is not here; He has risen! (Luke 24:6, NIV).

Friend to Friend

The boys and girls in Mrs. Stephens’ fourth grade Sunday school class entered the room and quickly found their seats. The girls were dressed in frills and lace and chatting excitedly about the candy-filled baskets they had received that morning. The boys pulled at the unfamiliar ties around their necks and quickly discarded the sports coats they had obviously been forced to wear. The room was filled with excitement – for good reason. It was Easter Sunday.

Mrs. Stephens wanted to help her students understand that there is so much more to the Easter holiday than new clothes, chocolate bunnies, and egg hunts. Easter is more than family gatherings and tables filled with luscious food. Easter is about life. Easter celebrates the certainty of Jesus’ death on the cross, the fact that He was buried, and that He came out of a burial tomb to conquer death so that we can live now and eternally.

Mrs. Stephens came up with a plan. After sharing the Bible story of Jesus’ resurrection, she gave each one of her students an empty plastic egg and said, “We are going to take a walk outside, and I want each one of you to find one sign of life and put it in your plastic egg.”

As the children filed out of the room, Mrs. Stephens noticed Danny, a little boy with Down syndrome who had been coming to her class for some time. His bright smile and sunny disposition had immediately won her heart. In fact, when it came to Danny, she often thought he had taught her so much more about the unconditional love of God and the joy of simply being a child of God than she could ever teach him. When she heard the other children make fun of him, it broke her heart. She always corrected the children and tried to help them see just how special Danny was, but Danny seemed oblivious to their hurtful words, and thought of each child as his “buddy.”

The children soon returned from their walk, depositing their eggs on the teacher’s desk as they made their way to their seats. Inside one student's egg was a lady bug. In another was an ant. Others had collected flowers, twigs, blades of grass and leaves to fill their eggs. But one egg had nothing in it. Everyone knew whose egg it was. Mrs. Stephens silenced the giggles with a look of warning. When she asked Danny why he had not put anything inside his egg to show signs of life, his face broke into a huge grin as he responded, "Because the tomb was empty."

Danny got it. He truly understood the profound truth of Easter. The empty tomb is the ultimate sign of life and a miracle like none other.

Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. The women knew Jesus was dead. Some of them had seen Him die. And they were sure His body was in the tomb; it had been there since Friday. But when they went to anoint the body on that Sunday morning, the tomb was empty! The body could not have been stolen. Nobody was playing tricks on them. They were not merely fooling themselves. The miracle was real. They could see the empty tomb with their own eyes. Jesus Christ really had risen from the dead!

I would love to have been there that morning when the women went to the tomb – expecting to deal with death and instead found life, wouldn’t you? You may be dealing with death in your own life – the loss of a loved one – the death of a dream – the pain of a broken body. Just as Jesus Christ rose from the dead, He can breathe new life into your heart and mind. Right now, quietly turn to Jesus. He is waiting for you – healing and restoration and new life are in His hands.

Let’s Pray

Father, Thank You for the miracle of life – abundant life here, and eternal life with You in Heaven. Help me celebrate that life every day as I seek You and follow Your plan for my life. Today, I say with the Apostle Paul, “Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?”
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

Consider this truth: Satan has no answer for the empty tomb. What does the resurrection of Jesus Christ really mean to you?

Set aside time today to remember what Christ has done for you through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Read Luke 24 and celebrate the life only He can give.

Set aside time today to remember what Christ has done for you through His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. Read Luke 24 and celebrate the life only He can give. You can make Mary’s MP3, Celebrate Life, part of your Easter celebration as she delivers this powerful message that not only offers hope, but explains how you can learn to truly live and celebrate life.