Scriptures says that the inside must be clean before the outside can be clean, but what happens if the outside remains unchanged? The Gospel doesn’t only call for reflection but requires action and obedience. You must understand the Gospel in order for transformation to take place. The Gospel is understanding the grace of a glorious God, the wrath that God has for the depraved, the sufficiency of Christ, the necessity of faith and a longing for eternity. If we know and live the Gospel we will be real and transformed disciples.

Sometimes when God makes a promise to us that seems to be way out in the future we can tend to hold on and settle for something that is right in front of us. We may hold on to relationships, plans, dreams and/or a set of goals. Many times these are the very things that are hindering us from the supernatural plan that God has for our lives. This message provokes us to have a direct confrontation with these things and a mindset that says this thing needs to go! As we begin to let go God will begin to take us into the blessings that were already promised to us. The rest comes when we simply agree with God in every area of our life.

Flashbacks are often used in movies to show how the past is affecting the present. Our pasts can sometimes help us correct the present, but as Christians we're instructed to forget the former things. We are to focus on what is ahead. Past hurts and fears are covered in Christ's blood. Enjoy the present, and trust God with your future. The plans He has for you are for good and not to harm you.

What a mess we make in the Kingdom of God when we try to perfect or complete the work of God in the natural. Jesus Christ brings true victory to those who simply walk in faith. We must cast off the natural and come back to the supernatural power of God. It is a wonderful thing to be led of the Spirit. It is an awful thing to be led by the flesh. God gives us His Word and with His Word comes supernatural strength. Whatever you are struggling with God will make a way of escape. God is faithful and you will not be triumphed over.

In David we see a vivid example of the impact authentic discipleship and Christ-centered living can have. As followers of Christ our job is to pour out the Holy Spirit's blessings into everyone and everything around us — not for our own glory, but for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. As soon as we are able to humble ourselves and believe that our lives are not about us, God will put a deposit into our souls which will spill over into those around us.

The life of David offers examples of the nature of Christ and the many ways His love comes into our lives. God gives us friendships which strengthen and cover us in righteousness, family in which we can experience divine love, and enemies through which He demonstrates His power.

There will be many seasons in our life when our heart becomes heavy and we are tempted to draw back from what the Lord is calling us to do. When you get tempted to quit, fix your eyes on Jesus, our Savior, who was crucified with His arms open wide so He could embrace humanity. Whenever times get rough allow the Cross to lead you to a totally surrendered life. The ability not to quit comes from the power of the Cross. We don't give up because in the deepest part of our suffering Jesus is there and He promises never to leave us. We are called to make an imprint of freedom for next generation.

What does it mean to die? We are given an invitation from Christ to follow Him into His death so that His life can be manifested in us. If we attempt to hold on to a false view of ourselves and our own sense of what we think our life should be, we risk losing the glory of God that could have been revealed to us and through us. Jesus was born to die and born to be given for others. True life comes when we are totally abandoned to the work of God. The power of the Christian life is found in being given for others. Our cry must be “Father, glorify Your name!”

As Christians we must understand the power of praise and how it affects our lives. We all have problems but we also have a God in heaven who wants to solve them. Satan is always reducing God and increasing our problems. But when we are in the atmosphere of praise we begin to see everything in the right perspective. God gets bigger, our problems get smaller and Satan has to flee. We can choose to praise God and thank Him for His mercy and faithfulness. Praise Him because we know He is the answer to all our problems. God is greater than anything we will go through and He is able to accomplish the impossible. Let's make a choice to stop worrying and start praising God — the One who saved us can keep us!

God wants to raise up something new in our lives, but first He has to remove the old and unhealthy attitudes and desires. Once we give up our willingness to compromise when it comes to God's instructions and words to us, we will find ourselves in full alignment with His will — a place where He takes complete control and leads us into intimacy with Christ, giving us victory over our battles and struggles.