Renew Your Mind Podcast

God is a Tester. There are no exemptions with Him. Everyone who has received abundantly from God first passed the test of handling little. So whenever you desire more and cry out for increase, know this: You must pass the test of the little things first.

Parents naturally want to shield their kids from the struggles they faced — and that’s understandable. But by doing that, we miss teaching them what those struggles taught us, so they can reach what we’ve reached. God does the opposite. He cares more about who we become than what we gain. Even Christ wasn’t exempted

Ironically, the one person capable of solving their biggest problems is the same person they asked to leave. It’s a sad reality for many of us today. Pride, fear, bitterness, and arrogance keep us from receiving help that’s already available.

Unless you’re God — self-sufficient and self-sustaining — you will need help. When God walked the earth, He needed help from both men and angels. There would be no David without Jonathan, and no Prime Minister Joseph without the butler’s recommendation. We all need help

When dealing with God, He is very particular about ensuring that all glory goes to Him alone. This can be a painful process for the child of God. God will take us through experiences to keep our eyes on Him alone, so we know without a shadow of a doubt that all we are and all we have is the work of the Lord.

Phenological synchrony in biology shows that species evolve to match each other’s timing. Even a small disruption can put them at risk. If God keeps all of nature in sync, how much more will He coordinate the lives of His children toward the good end He planned for us.

We have the Bible because people obeyed God and documented their journey and dealings with Him. As believers, journaling our walk with God is essential. It creates a system that helps us remember what He has done in our lives, the words He has spoken, and the roadmaps He has revealed to us. Write, so you can run.

Remembrance is an important virtue. Academic excellence is tied directly to your ability to remember what was taught during lessons. Those who do not remember become victims of ingratitude, pride, and bad choices. We must be intentional about creating systems in our lives to help us remember.

Desperation causes us to be insensitive to people and to seek help in strange places. For some reason, we think we are just a statistic to God, so we will do anything and everything to engineer our way out, forgetting that we are known and located by God. The Lord knows those who are His!

The deeper Jesus loves you, the longer the delay can feel. Job was dear to God, and still endured suffering no one should face in one lifetime. We keep pressing on to fulfill God’s will, because the ones who persevere are the ones called blessed.

All that Vashti had came from her access to the king. The gift of access is one we often fail to recognize, because many of us think something only has value if it’s money.

Vashti’s decision produced permanent consequences from a temporary circumstance. Abraham’s choice to lie with Sarah’s maidservant did the same. We continue to repeat this error because we lack foresight regarding the lasting impact of our decisions.

There have been mighty men and women, kingdoms, and warriors that ruled the world - people who made the whole world tremble at their presence. Today, we just read about them as history, unable to relate. We may wield great control, might, and fame in a particular sphere, but remember, you'll be gone tomorrow, and it will be as though you never existed. Vashti thought her crown was everlasting

We all need constant encouragement and edification, but we often trivialize it, which is why we are full fear, resentment, bitterness, and offense. We get cleansed from these whenever we're exposed to the Word of God. That's why we can't take regular exposure to God's Word and fellowship with other believers for granted. By this we get plugged into grace.

We're saved for a purpose. This is why we're saved and translated to heaven. There's an assignment for everyone in Christ - one that goes beyond bread, butter, and self. An assignment that places restraints on us, one the pressures of life will try to rob us of. This is a call to saved and satisfied people: take heed of the ministry you've received from God.

Christianity isn't about us; it's about what God did for us through Christ Jesus. It's not about our actions or abilities, but about expressing God's life through us. Jesus sets the standard – He's the focus, not us. And with Him, we can do all things because He strengthens us.

To be born again is to respond to the message of Jesus Christ. It is to accept the gift of God, which is in Jesus, and is done by believing with your heart and confessing the lordship of Jesus. It is called a gift because we contribute nothing to it; it is freely given

From the examples of Nicodemus and Cornelius, being a religious person, a giver, knowledgeable in scripture, morally upright, and even having angelic encounters doesn't mean one is born again. Every person born of a man and a woman inherits a sinful nature. Just as physical birth qualifies us for this nature, being born again qualifies us for the gift of eternal life.

The ant is able to gather food for winter because it exercises self-control. The ability to delay gratification is non-negotiable if one wants to gather. The ant doesn't labor only to eat all it has worked for instantly. This may be trivialized by many, but looking around, you'll notice several lives that are unpleasing because they overlooked the wisdom of self-control.

The wisdom of the ant is that it doesn't just know the seasons of life; it knows what to do in each season. The ant knows the summer season is meant for hard work. The ant isn't confused about what to do; it knows that as long as it's summer, it's time to work hard

The wisdom of the ant is that life is in seasons. As simple as this truth may sound on the surface, this is why the ant is never poor or in lack, yet we, with our sophisticated lives, are always in need. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, but the people failed to recognize their season. Do you know which season of life you're in?

Regardless of its limitations, the ant shows responsibility. It knows it is responsible for the final outcome of its life and hence responds to life with the ability God has given it. As weak as the ant is, it is never a victim of poverty because of its self-leadership. Nehemiah had no degree or experience in building walls, yet because of his great leadership, he achieved remarkable results in a...

Everyone has a limitation or something that puts them at a disadvantage. The ant isn't the strongest, biggest, or quickest, nor does it have a leader, but none of these have given it enough reason to ever go hungry. Every limitation is a platform for demonstrating God's perfect power in us. With this understanding, Paul glories in his weakness so that Christ's power may rest on him.

Wisdom is gained from taking lessons from all that happens around you. The Psalmist reveals that "Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge". Having an ear to take lessons even from a supposedly insignificant creature like an ant makes you wise.

Why did God go through all of this? Purely because He loves us. He loved us without any performance from us. God doesn't love us more or less based on our actions, but on Jesus. This makes the gospel a stumbling block to some and an offense to others. He died so He could spend eternity with us!