Springwell Sundays

Most of life’s battles are won, or lost, in the mind. There is a war raging inside us and our minds are the battlefield. The battle is between what God’s truth says about us and Satan’s lies. We have to keep a constant check running on what is occupying our thoughts. What comes into our mind comes out in our lives.

One hit wonders will make it big with one song, but often become paralyzed by the fear of having to measure up or have a bigger hit. We often face the same fears and find ourselves asking, “How can God use me? He used me once… but now what?”

One-hit wonders have no shortage of potential. They don't go into things saying, "I want to be a one-hit wonder." The book of Ezekiel talks about a valley full of dry bones that God called back to life. The potential was always there, but action was required.

In the Bible, God would speak to Moses in the same way someone speaks to a friend. They even had a tent that they would spend time together in as they talked. There is a benefit to having a special place to pray and be alone with God. Today, we all need a place to be still and be with God.

If we want to hear the voice of God, being in His Word is key.  Sometimes it convicts us of sin.  His Word clearly says, “Don’t do that.” or “Do this.”  Other times, His word leads and directs but you have to read His Word to hear His gentle whisper.

When our lives get loud we lose our sense of balance.  We get uneasy and start to stumble. We lose our ability to hear the whisper of God’s voice telling us that He loves us.  If you want to hear the heart of God, silence is key. Being still in the presence of God is the difference between sight and insight.  It’s the difference between happiness and joy.

As believers, we have a call to share the message of Christ. We have a call to plant the seed, but God is the one who makes the seed grow. Are you trying to do God's part in it all? You are the planter, let God grow it.

Where do you run when life begins to be trouble? Where do you turn when something dies in your life. We can see the pain pay off or we can waste it. Where we go during these difficult times means everything.

Marriage is not easy and there are many factors that make it difficult. The culture we live in soaks into everything around us. Adversity and crisis occur in every relationship. If your life is not on a solid foundation, how can your marriage be?

Actions become traditions after a period of repeating them time and time again. How do you build the right traditions? You do it by having the right motives and the right attitudes. No matter what type of family you're a part of, it's important that you guard the attitudes because they will lead to traditions... good or bad.

Marriage is a dance. Is yours more like The Hokey Pokey than The Tango ? It can’t be left up to chance. There are a set of Biblical dance steps for husbands and wives that will help bring the sizzle back into your relationship. The key to a great relationship with your spouse is really a great relationship with your Creator.

Have you ever had a prayer go unanswered? Have you ever been hurt by a Christ-follower not acting very Christ-like? Do you have more questions about faith than answers? The good news is that Christian faith doesn’t rest on these things. Our hope in Jesus is based on just one thing - the resurrection.

Why do we do what we do? Often times, the reasons we give for doing certain things or acting a certain way aren't the true reasons. Jesus said that it's not about all the other stuff. The root of what God wants from us doesn't revolve around what we do, but how we love. The essence of all God wants from us comes down to this one thing.

Salvation is free. It costs us nothing. Jesus paid the price for us. By following Him in this life, there is going to be some cost. At some point, we have to make a decision. Are you a Jesus consumer or a Jesus follower?

We’re supposed to love each other. We’re not supposed to judge others. It can be really easy for people inside the church to judge those outside it. It’s easy to judge them for not acting like people with faith, instead of working to draw them towards Jesus.

The moment you wrap your heart around the fact that God knows what you need and promises to meet those needs, your life will radically change. The question that needs asking is, “Who - or what - is your master?” God loves and takes care of us. The idols we put in His place demand that we spend our lives taking care of them.

God wants us to keep pushing forward. He calls us to push past our fears, insecurity, and our convenience. When we live in the desert of the unexpected, there will be giants in the land of freedom. We have to keep pushing forward, to make room for God to show us real life, after the unexpected happens.

Here’s the truth:  we’re all infected with sin sickness. Without Jesus, our sin keeps us far from God. He can do for us what we can’t do for ourselves. He knows how easily we settle for what is easy and how we tend to live a smaller life that what He’s called us to.

Unexpected events can condition you to live a life of fear. When we live in anticipation of the worst, we no longer live the way we were designed. God made us to trust Him every minute of every day. When we start to trust Him, we begin to live in anticipation of the best that He has for us. 

The facts can change but the truth never does. Truth can move us from hopelessness to hoping for what can be. When we choose to be prisoners of hope, we exchange the prison of our own hopeless thoughts for the strong fortress of God’s truth and anchor ourselves to His perspective.

Every parent has asked these questions, and every parent has gone in search of the answers. We feel like we have the daunting task of figuring it all out by ourselves, but we don't. The church is here to help you answer those questions as you rethink your family.

When someone criticizes us, our first response is often to fight back or run away. It’s important to gauge whether or not the source of the criticism can be trusted. If God isn’t in someone’s words, then let them go. The only true safe place is right in the presence of God.

Is there someone in your life that constantly makes mountains out of mole hills? It’s hard to know how to give the right amount of help to needy people. Sometimes it’s difficult to discern what is a real need and what is not. It’s sometimes difficult to love needy people, even as they face their consequences. 

Is there someone you can’t say no to? Is there someone who always makes you feel guilty? If you’ve ever been manipulated, you know what it feels like to have your rest stolen.  Controlling people often manipulate out of fear. They are the source of their own strength - not God.

Unbelief forfeits rest. Losing faith will begin to steal your rest, until it finally wears on your faith in God, if you don’t learn how to stay strong in your relationship with Jesus. St. Augustine said it best, “God, You have made us Yourself, O Lord, and our soul is restless until it finds rest in You.”