Most people spend their entire lives in financial bondage. Money doesn’t have to rule your life, it’s time to break out of from its hold and find financial freedom!

Money for most is a very touchy subject. It’s hard not to feel defensive about our funds when it feels like everywhere we turn someone is trying to lighten our wallets.

It’s amazing when we stop to think about how much of our time and attention we give over to money. Either thinking of ways to earn it or ways to spend it.

We quickly fall into a vicious cycle of wasting precious time chasing a dollar, only to spend it on things that we don’t even have time to use! The problem is that in reality, it’s not the money we desire but the false sense of security it brings or the momentary pleasure we gain from the things it buys.

“I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 1:14

This wisdom from Ecclesiastes really speaks to the truth of our reality… all of life’s rewards are uncertain and ultimately unsatisfying.

That is why to find true contentment we need a source of contentment that will ultimately satisfy. Jesus said in John Chapter 4 while speaking to the Samaritan woman,  “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Financial freedom isn’t found in learning how to better balance our checkbooks or with industry-leading secrets that can teach us how to hoard up our wealth. True financial freedom is found when we renew our minds and come to the source of living water that never runs dry.

Overcome The Fear

For some, the mere thought of money strikes fears into their hearts. With the thought of bills piling up and the feeling that you can never get ahead, it is hard not to worry about it.

I myself lived paycheck to paycheck for years. As soon as I got paid the majority of my earnings were spent before that weekend was over.

Besides all the money I wasted on alcohol, cigarettes and partying I was always blowing my money on things that I thought would bring me some sort of happiness. The funny thing is that the days spent in fear of over drafting my account each paycheck greatly outweighed the moments of delight I would find in the things I bought.

Honestly at the time I was making lots of money, had very few bills or financial responsibilities and was single, but I still never had enough to keep up with my spending.

When we live like this we quickly begin to drown in financial worries and burden. It corrupts not only our happiness but also the way we live our lives and our relationships. The fear of financial uncertainty is a heavy burden for anyone to carry.

Fortunately, we don’t have to. We can never escape financial bondage by just trying to not spend money, it just doesn’t work, at least not in the long term. Have some people done this with success? Yes, of course, they have. Anyone can stop spending money but it isn’t a long-term solution.

If we just stop spending money, instead of addressing the true issue, we don’t escape financial bondage, we just give it a new name and dress it in different clothes. Instead of spending all of our time worrying about making ends meet, we just find ourselves spending time wishing we didn’t have to pinch every penny as we dream of all the things we wish we could buy but can’t.

To find true freedom we need to renew our minds and find contentment in the absence of “stuff”.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18

 

If we turn toward Jesus and openly embrace His perfect love, fear has no place. Financial worry will fade away and through His word, we can begin to renew our minds and focus on finding contentment in Him.

Overcome The Hold

Renewing our understanding of the world and the role money has in our lives is a process. As we take time in prayer and in the word, we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Escaping the hold that money has on us is so important. Besides the fear and worrythat tags along with financial troubles, it also begins corrupt us in other ways.

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” 1 Timothy 6:10

Most people have heard this scripture before and maybe some have heard it but didn’t even realize that it was scripture. I have heard this misquoted so many times as “money is the root of all evil”.  That is not what the scripture is saying. The true emphasis here is on the love of money.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

For some, seeing this scripture might be a bit disheartening. Most of us don’t mind turning to God when we are in need… but can’t we live for this world too? The truth is we can’t. We have to choose because the two are in conflict with each other.

 

Paul said in Galatians 5, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

If we want to truly escape the hold that money has on us we need to turn away from it and turn toward Jesus. The good news is that if the two are in conflict with each other, you can be sure that when you truly surrender to the Lord there is no place for financial bondage. If the son sets you free you will be free indeed!

Most of all it’s important to remember that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, not money itself. If we can overcome the fear that tags along with money and the hold it has on our lives, we can do something truly amazing.

We can take the tool the enemy has been using to keep us in bondage and use it against him to build up God’s kingdom!

Overcome The Need

We have talked about overcoming the fear and the hold that money has on our lives, now it’s time to talk about overcoming the need. But as the two previous sections spoke to the process of obtaining financial freedom, this one speaks to the power of we have when we obtain that freedom.

I’m not talking about overcoming our need for money. Unless you decide to start your own homestead, grow your own food, and make your own clothes, there’s going to be some need for it in your life.

What I am talking about is our ability to use what the enemy intends for evil and purpose it for good; to use what God gives us to overcome the need in the world.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:34-40

 

We need to always keep the royal law found in scripture, love your neighbor as yourself on our hearts. God’s kingdom is a kingdom built onselflessness and service to others.

A life lived in the bondage of the world is a selfish life full of wandering and disappointment. We all at one time have lived this way and everyone feels the emptiness this life leads to. It drives us to loneliness, unhappiness, depression, anxiety, addiction and it just gets darker and darker as we seek to find just a little fulfillment and joy among the gloom.

It is also important to remember that most of us reading this article have way more than most of the world. Almost 50% of the world’s population lives on around $2 a day! That means if your household is bringing around $4,000 a month you are making 100 times as much money as 50% of the world’s population.

Though not every household in the U.S. is making this much money, it’s still amazing to think about how people who are making that much are struggling to make ends meet. The only way to truly find financial freedom is through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

We will never find financial freedom through pursuing more money or learning to “want less”. True freedom is found only through life in Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Whoever drinks His water will never thirst! Indeed His water will become in you, a spring of water welling up to eternal life!

Anyone who has struggled with anxiety knows the hopelessness that tags along. No matter what you have been told, anxiety can be cured. There is freedom in the name of Jesus.

Approximately 40 million adults in the U.S. struggle with an anxiety disorder, that’s over 18 percent. Yet one of the biggest lies we believe when struggling with anxiety is that no one can understand what we are going through.

The internet is flooded with tips and tricks to try to ease anxiety and honestly, there are some things out there that can help to ease the anxiety at times or help to control panic attacks. The problem is that these “techniques” only ease the symptoms temporarily.

I myself struggled with extreme anxiety for years. I remember searching all over for a cure and I tried everything. The most disheartening thing I seemed to always stumble across was that anxiety was something I was going to struggle with forever and  I needed to just find ways to ease the symptoms of it.

I am here to tell you that this is simply not true. As I write this I have been anxiety free for almost 3 years now! This didn’t happen by accident or with some special pill or tea, I was cured of my anxiety and set free forever by Jesus Christ.

The Cure For Anxiety

My Struggle With Anxiety

Before surrendering my life over to Jesus a few years ago I was living a very destructive life. I was a cigarette smoking alcoholic who spent most of my days playing music and partying.

Being in a band can be an awesome experience in so many ways, the people you meet the relationships you build, and simply just the enjoyment of playing music. For me, however, living this way came at a cost.

I quickly began to be consumed by the alcohol and drugs, and my life began to slip through my fingers as I struggled to hold on to what was left of it. This is when the depression and anxiety began to consume my life.

It got to a point where I couldn’t go anywhere or do anything without having at least a couple drinks. I couldn’t even go grocery shopping because I would have a panic attack while waiting in line.

The only way I could get through it was to get wasted and even then, I would still be anxious. I felt like there was really no escape. The darkness of it all began to completely consume me.

I remember spending so much time searching the internet for an answer, the most disheartening thing of all was that no one had one. I began to accept the fact that this was how my life would be forever.

The thought of living this way for the rest of my life weighed heavily on my mind. I remember thinking that I could never get married or start a family because I would never be a good husband or father living in fear like this.

Then one night when I was at my lowest point ever, I decided that I no longer was willing to live like this, that I couldn’t live like this anymore. I was laying on my bathroom floor weeping and finished with this horrible tormented life I was living.

I remember saying out loud that I was done, that I was giving up and that I no longer wanted my life. That’s when Jesus stepped in. I felt him calling to me as if He wanted my life and I told him “fine if you want my life you can have it.”

In that moment I felt a warm calm embrace as if someone was there with me holding me. As I continued to cry, I began to laugh as I felt filled with joy and excitement.

In that moment I just found myself thanking Jesus over and over and saying “I don’t know what you want from me or what I need to do but just show me and I’ll do it. I want to live for you!”

At that moment my entire life changed… forever.

Get Up and Walk

The next day, for the first time in forever, I woke up with a huge smile on my face. As I stretched out my arms the excitement for the day flooded my body. Something was different and I knew that my life was completely changed.

I never forgot that promise I made to Jesus that night, that I wanted to live for him. Honestly, at first, I had no idea what that looked like. So I began to pray and for the first time in my life, Jesus felt real, close, and my time in prayer felt intimate.

Since that night I have been completely sober and smoke-free for almost 3 years now. It was truly a miracle. At the time before that, I was smoking over a pack of cigarettes a day for over 5 years and was drinking heavily every single day.

My depression was also completely gone but the anxiety was still lingering. At first, I didn’t get it, I knew first hand the power God had and I truly believed that He could heal my anxiety but it was still there.

The echoes of the internet saying that this was something I was going to struggle with forever again began to flood my mind again. But I didn’t let the doubts consume me, I knew that Jesus could take this thing from me so I began to pray like never before.

At this point I was reading my bible every single day, not to know more about the faith but purely to know Jesus more on a more personal and intimate level. That’s when I stumbled across 2 Corinthians 12.

“…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

When I read this I felt the spirit completely overwhelm me and I knew that this was what was happening in my life. I was praying time and time again and God wasn’t taking away my anxiety but I realized that he was using it to grow me in some way.

Now I began to pray with more focus and more intent asking God to reveal to me what He needed me to learn from this experience. Then one day when I was praying, afterward I realized how thankful I had become for my anxiety because it had allowed me to really rely on God and pray for his strength before every single thing I did and before every decision I made.

That’s when I heard Him say to me “Get up and walk!” I remember laying there in bed saying this over and over in my head “Get up and walk, get up and walk, get up and walk. What do you mean, get up and walk?”

Then it hit me. I was flooded with the Holy Spirit and I felt an instant release from the tension of the anxiety and it was gone. As I lay there overwhelmed and crying, I realized that I had already been healed from my anxiety and God had already supplied everything I need through the death of his son on the cross. I had been saved, healed, delivered in Jesus name. I just need to get up and walk in my salvation!

A Life of Freedom

The power of the gospel is not what it can give you or what it can do for you, it is all about what God wants to change you into. He wants to transform you into something completely new. So often as Christians we feel God is obligated in some way to bless us or heal us when the reality is that we are missing the whole point.

It is already finished, God has already done so much more for you than you than you can ever imagine. You just have to believe and realize it.

There is true freedom in the name of Jesus beyond anything this world could ever give us. Through him, you can be completely forgiven of your sins and be made new.

The truth is that most people don’t really want to repent of their sin because they are ignorant of what sin really is. Sin isn’t bad because God forbids us to do it, God forbids us to sin because it is bad. It defiles us, corrupts us, and tears us apart on the inside.

Our sin is the reason that we face so much hurt and pain in this world. It is the root of our struggles, our fears, our doubts, our shame and God wants to set you free from all of that. These things are all connected to our sin so the only way to be free from its bondage is to be free from sin.

God made this possible through Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17.

We treat God as some kind of a killjoy like sin is awesome and God is trying to ruin our good time. Yet here we are in a world filled with pain and sorrow. We all know deep inside that we hurt and that there is something missing from our lives. With depression, anxiety, and suicide at an all-time high the world is desperate.

People are turning to so many things for an answer but few are willing to just try Jesus, the only true answer. There are people who are willing to try experimental drugs with horrible side effects in search of some relief and yet won’t just try Jesus, a complete cure with side effects including… a peace that passes understanding and an inexpressible and glorious joy.

The truth is Jesus is standing at the door of your heart and knocking, it’s up to you to answer the door. But if you answer it I can guarantee you that what you find on the other side is beyond anything you could ever think or imagine.

There is a cure for anxiety and His name is the name above all names, Jesus Christ. He has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to Him.

He is the answer to all of it, there is freedom in His name. I will tell you from first-hand experience that there is nothing like Him and there never will be. I have been completely surrendered to Him for only three years now, but it has been the greatest three years of my life.

I am smoke-free, sober, free of depression and anxiety and am living a completely joyous and abundant life in Him. For some, all of this may be hard to grasp or understand but I’m telling you just call out to him, taste and see that the Lord is good. Your life will be changed.

Not only have I received complete freedom in Jesus name but now I am married and have a baby on the way. Every aspect of my life is a testimony to the grace of Jesus Christ and I am not ashamed to proclaim His name!

At one point I thought I could never be a good husband because of fear, now I am a loving husband because I know what true love really is. At one point I told myself I could never be a good father because of fear, now I know that I am going to be the best father ever as I follow the example of my Heavenly Father.

 

There is power in the name of Jesus, this isn’t about religion or trying to be a good person. This is about a relationship with the author and creator of the universe, made possible through the blood of Jesus Christ.

If you are struggling with anxiety today it doesn’t have to be something you just “deal with” for the rest of your life there is freedom in the name of Jesus!

P.S. If you are reading this today and you want to learn more about my testimony or what Jesus can do for your life, or if you just want prayer please email me at nick@abideandseek.com. I would love to hear from you!

 

“… ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:5-6.

Marriage is a truly beautiful thing. Two becoming one joined together by God. It’s easy to lose sight of this powerful truth. We need to remember that we are no longer individuals, but one flesh and our actions and goals should represent that.

I myself have not been married long, so it’s hard for me to truly speak of what it is like to be married for a long period of time. However, I feel that no matter how long you have been married to your spouse, it’s always important to have goals for your relationship.

Establishing goals in every aspect of your life is important. It helps us set targets and motivates us to press forward. When we have goals, we can gauge our “progress” and adjust accordingly as opposed to walking blindly.

In my own life, I have set goals for physical and spiritual fitness and have seen awesome changes in both areas. Now that I am a married man, there are certain goals I have implemented into my marriage.

One of the most important things to do when setting goals for your life is to have a primary goal. For a truly abundant fruitful life, this main goal needs to be focused on life in Jesus Christ. Through Him, all life, blessing, and love flow.

Here are 7 powerful goals for your marriage and the overarching theme of these goals is “focus”. This world is full of distractions looking to steal your focus, but when we have set goals we can direct our focus. If we can focus first on Christ and second on our marriage, our relationship with our spouse will flourish like never before!

7 Powerful Goals For Your Marriage

1. Focus On Companionship

I wanted to start this list off with companionship because this is the root of all relationships. We need to spend quality time together if we want our relationships to flourish.

 

As a couple, we should be setting aside time to just be alone and enjoy each others company. God initially made Eve because he saw that it “was not good” that Adam was alone.

When we don’t focus on companionship, separation begins to occur within any relationship. I have so many friends from my past that I thought I would be friends with forever but now I don’t even speak to. Not because anything negative occurred within the relationship, but merely because we didn’t remain focused on companionship and taking time to keep in touch.

When we focus on companionship and spending quality time with each other, we allow ourselves to stay close and committed to a healthy intimate relationship. This focus can be easily maintained by setting up a date night at least once a month. Even if this is just a private dinner for two in your own home!

2. Focus On Communication

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  James 1:19-20

This scripture can radically change the way you communicate not only with your spouse but with everyone. This is why a strong focus on Jesus Christ can change every aspect of your life.

It can be hard to hold your tongue and to really listen when conversations began to get heated. We always feel like we need to get the last word or that our spouse is just not listening to our point.

The truth of the matter is, that we are often the ones not listening because we are so focused on trying to convey our position as the correct one. Focusing on trying to “win” an argument with our spouse will always ultimately lead to a loss in some form in the end.

However, if our focus is on glorifying God in all situations, this can change the conversation around quickly. Being slow to speak, quick to listen and slow to become angry is only possible if we care about producing the righteousness God desires.

If we can get to this point in our relationship with Jesus, it can completely change the way we communicate with our spouse and lead to less arguing and more growth within our marriage.

3. Focus On Intimacy

True intimacy goes far beyond the bedroom and it truly begins with intimacy with Jesus Christ. If we examine the world we see that all things that are born are a product of intimacy.

It’s important to realize that this truth also applies to our relationship with our Lord and Savior. What many need in their marriage isn’t to fix the things that are broken but to breath new life into the relationship.

There is only one who is able to create something truly new and that is the author and creator of all things, Jesus Christ. Through intimacy, with Jesus Christ, we can see a new spiritual birth in our marriages.

Remember, that when we were joined together in biblical marriage we become one flesh. We need to work together in all things, this includes our spiritual growth. You may have an awesome relationship with Jesus and the same may be true of your spouse. But what does your marital relationship with Jesus look like?

What I’m trying to say is how much intimate time do you spend together with Jesus with your spouse? How often do you read the word together? How often do you pray together? How often do you serve together?

When you focus on intimacy together with Jesus Christ, you will drastically change the level of intimacy with your spouse. Remember, intimacy goes far beyond the physical realm and truly blooms through a spiritual relationship with Jesus.

4. Focus On Forgiveness

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

True forgiveness can often be a hard thing to do. Not to just tell someone that you forgive them, but to put their transgression behind you and out of mind.

It’s important to remember that we are all going to make mistakes from time to time. Though some mistakes may seem worse than others, there is never any mistake that it’s too extreme to forgive.

When we focus on Christ’s example, how he was willing to lay down his life for us and for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, how could we not show the same love to our spouse?

Remember, your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Don’t let that someone be the unity of you and your spouse; forgiveness leads to strength and healing.

5. Focus On Prayer

As a couple, we have an amazing advantage when it comes to praying. We all need to make sure we are setting aside specific times to pray together with our spouses.

Honestly, Leah and I probably don’t spend enough time praying together. Don’t get me wrong, we do pray together from time to time and it is always such an awesome time of intimacy with Jesus.

Every time we do pray together, we see such an amazing response and always seem to get powerful direct answers to those prayers. The effectiveness of these prayers is not just coincidence. Scripture makes this clear in Matthew chapter 18.

“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:19-20

We should make a decision to pray together daily and be taking advantage of the power of two agreeing and asking God for strength, power, and growth within our marriage.

6. Focus On Giving

Giving is such a massive part of our walk with Jesus Christ. This not only means giving of our money but also of our time, attention, and love.

Maybe you have always been a giving person and maybe you still are. The same could be true for your spouse. The question is how much are you giving as a couple?

When you are filling up on Jesus as a couple, you should allow the overflow of what God is doing in you to pour out into the world around you.

This can be accomplished by volunteering together and teaming up together, using the gifts God has provided to each of you to effectively serve. To learn more about using the gifts God has given you to serve the body, check out our article called The Body of The Church: Each Part Matters.

The most important thing to remember when giving is to do so out of love, expecting nothing in return. Remember, that God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son. Out of our love for Him, we need to be willing to give freely.

7. Focus On Ministry

One of the greatest things you can do as a couple is to start a ministry. In the process of creating this ministry, you are able to develop new bonds that you wouldn’t develop through other aspects of your relationship.

To most, the idea of starting a ministry together may seem daunting or overwhelming. But your ministry doesn’t necessarily have to be a massive undertaking. It could be as simple as finding a need in your community and meeting it together.

The greatest thing about deciding to start a ministry is that it allows you to have a more direct focus on serving the Lord.

Before starting Abide and Seek, Leah and I started out by serving in other ways, such as volunteering and serving the local food pantry. These are still things that we do but with Abide and Seek we are spending every day together in the word and focusing on using this ministry to spread the light of Jesus throughout the world and help others grow in their relationship with Jesus.

A ministry is not only a great way to serve together, but it also helps strengthen your relationship and Love for each other as you get to constantly see the gifts of your spouse on display glorifying God.

With the new year here, many of us have probably set different goals for this year. If we want to see real growth and development within our marriage, we should make sure our marriage takes priority on our list of goals.

Above all, remember that setting a goal is all about focus. We talked about focusing on companionship, communications, intimacy, forgiveness, prayer, giving, and ministry. These most definitely do not need to be the same for every marriage. You should use this article as a blueprint or merely as inspiration to come up with your own goals for you and your spouse.

Either way, no matter how things are currently going in your marriage, there are always ways to improve and grow together. When we allow our first focus to be on Jesus and second on our spouse, we allow God to do great things with our marriage!

 

Every year millions of people watch the ball drop in times square with excitement and anticipation. The new year can be an opportunity for new beginnings or maybe even renewal.

We often hear everyone we know talking about their resolutions for the new year. Though many start the new year with exciting goals in mind, very few are still on track by the end of the first month.

So what does it take to really do something new? Something unexpected? Some spectacular and awesome?

If we want to really see true newness and change in our lives this year, it takes starting with the only one who can make something out of absolutely nothing. The one who is making all things new. And that is Jesus Christ.

These 7 verses will help you enter into 2018 with a new focus and commitment to a powerful abundant life in Jesus Christ!

7 Awesome Bible Verses for the New Year

1. Live in Christ – 2 Corinthians 5: 17

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

I absolutely love this piece scripture. Every time I see it I am just filled with an overwhelming excitement and joy. So often life weighs us down and we forget that we are no longer enslaved to the world. The old is gone the new is here!

I chose this scripture to be first because this is where newness begins, with being in Christ. It is through him that we can begin a new fruitful and abundant life.

It’s important that we remember this coming into the new year, no matter what resolutions we have to change our habits or physical activity, all goodness, joy, contentment, and completeness flows from one source, the true spring of living water, Jesus Christ.

2. Praise God – 1 Peter 1:3

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

This new year as we embark on true life change, we should get ourselves into a truly humble position and start off the year with a spirit of praise.    

Too often we are so quick to try to throw out the past and move onto the new year with the hope that this year will be better. The problem with this mindset is we often focus too much on the failures and not enough on the victories.

It is important that we start the new year by praising God for all the amazing victories he has delivered us in 2017. If you’re having a hard time coming up with said victories, a good place to start is by praising him for the ultimate victory that you have received in Christ.

One of the greatest things you can do in faith is praise God not only for the victories we have received in Jesus name but also for all the victories we are about to receive and will receive in the future.

With this mindset, we can really dive into 2018 excited and ready to glorify God to the fullest in this new year.

3. Be New – Ephesians 4:22-24

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

The first scripture we looked at encouraged us to realize that we truly are a new creation. This one encourages us to not only realize that we are new but to keep ourselves from slipping back into the old.

We all live in a fallen world, until the end when Jesus comes and makes all things new. For now, we have to live in Him and not conform to our old lives. This can be difficult to do when we are told to live in a way that contradicts the way everyone around us is living.

This scripture tells us that it’s not enough to just say we are done with our old lives but we need to put them off and put on the new life. Life is about action, not words. It’s not enough to tell yourself you’re done with the old but you have to take action and be done with it.

For some of us, this means removing ourselves, even if its only for a short time, from situations that encourage us to put on our old selves. It may be hard to remove ourselves from these situations altogether. But if we are determined to see real life change it sometimes takes drastic measures… if your right-hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away.

The new is here it’s time to step into this newness and be transformed into the beautiful creation you were intended to be.

4. Give Control To God – Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Above all coming into the new year, we need to let go and give it all up to God. He is the only one who knows all things and what is best for us.

It can be hard in some situations to really let go of control. But this is one of the most crucial aspects of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Not only does he know the plans he has for us and not only are those plans good, but scripture says the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

The least God can do is greater than the most we can do! We need to keep this in mind this year because it’s easy for us to start gaining momentum when we are living in Christ and just as quickly start to think that we deserve any of the credit.

This takes us back to remember to give God the glory. Above all this reminds us who is really sitting on the throne and who deserves all of the credit.

God knows all things and he is for you, this year show him you believe that by letting go and laying all you have at his feet.

5. Live For The Moment – James 4:13-15

“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

With a new year on the rise, it’s easy to start looking ahead and planning for the future. We need to remember that no time is guaranteed to us. Every breath we take is a gift from our heavenly father and should be treated in such a way.

One of the greatest resolutions we can make coming into the new year is to be conscious of every moment and to use each moment to glorify God. For most of us when we think of glorifying God we think of religious things. But we can glorify God through everything we do when we intentionally do it with Him in mind.

If we honestly give every moment up to God and focus on glorifying him it will keep us from stumbling and lead us to produce good fruit. Let’s make this year the year where we all truly decided to be living sacrifices, surrendering our every thought, move and care to our faithful creator.

6. Allow Growth – Hebrews 12:10-11

“They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

This new year should not only be a year of glorifying God with all we do, but also a year of growth in Him.

Discipline is a necessary aspect of the growth process. The scripture above speaks of how our heavenly Father disciplines us as spiritual children, just as how earthly fathers disciplined us when we were physically children.

This year, every time we face trials of many kinds, we need to rejoice and stay focused on the outcome not the pain of the process. We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. So as we face moments of God’s discipline this year, focus on the strength you will have when you persevere.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test that person will receive the crown of life the Lord has promised to those who love him.

This brings me to the seventh scripture for the new year. Above all this year we need to stay focused on that crown and the promise of eternal life!

7. Be Heaven Minded – Revelation 21:5

“He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty, I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.”

This new year as we focus on newness in Christ Jesus, we should always have our eyes fixed on the ultimate newness. When we fix our eyes on heaven and the glories to be revealed, it helps keep us strong as we endure trials and allows us to make each moment impactful for the kingdom.

Jesus said, “ I am making everything new!” This statement is not only exciting, as we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, but also encourages us to not hold on to any earthly thing.

We need to remember that nothing here lasts forever, everything is going away. Though this thought may bring sadness to some, it should most of all encourage us to not be pulled into the desires of the world.

The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. Victory is ours through Jesus Christ. Through his blood on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we are set free from the corruption of the world and are children of God.

This year let us focus on being His children and fix our eyes on the inheritance he has prepared for us. 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!

With 2017 in the rearview it’s time for us to lay it to rest, not forgetting the pain but growing from it and praising God for every moment. As we move into 2018 it’s time to allow God to breathe new life into dead places and give us a renewed steadfast spirit.

This year will be the year where we see real life change, not only in ourselves but in the people around us because this will be the year we decide to give it all up to the only one who is making all things new, Jesus Christ!

According to the World Health Organization 350 million people, worldwide, suffer from depression. That is 5% of the entire population!

More than ever depression has taken control of the lives of so many. But there is hope and that hope is only found in Jesus Christ.

I myself struggled with depression for years. There came so many dark points in my life where I felt like I had no hope. So many times I laid awake at night asking myself whether or not this life was worth living.

After surrendering my life to Jesus Christ, and being transformed by the sanctifying work of the spirit, I’m here to tell you it is!

Even if we converse with people on a secular level, everyone will agree about the darkness of depression. Due to its dark nature, it seems that the solution would be quite obvious… light.

Jesus said in John chapter 8:46, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” The very reason the son of man came was to deliver us from sin and set us free from the darkness!

The moment I surrendered my life to Jesus, I was set free from the bondage of depression. I know this isn’t the same story for everyone. Sometimes God allows things to remain in our lives for our benefit to make us strong, firm and steadfast. But through prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, in due time you will see deliverance.

In order for the light to breakthrough and dissipate the darkness in our lives we have to first bring the light in.

Depression: Overcoming Darkness With Light

Let The Light In

In John chapter 8 Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The true light that is already shining is the only thing that can overcome the darkness of depression. All we need to do to have this Light is follow Jesus.

In Romans 10 it says If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  The first part of this scripture is easy for most of us. It’s when we get to the word “believe”  that most of us fall short.

Now I am in no way saying that if you are a Christian who is struggling with depression that you aren’t saved and its because you don’t believe. I do not know your heart, and there is only one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and destroy.

I just point this out to stimulate you toward thinking about your salvation. What does believing in Jesus mean to you? How has this belief changed the way you live your life? How has it changed the way other people perceive you?

The word used for “saved” in Romans 10 is the Greek word sozo. This word means to save, to rescue from danger, or to make well or heal. Life in Christ means so much more than just a golden ticket into heaven, it brings restoration and healing to all areas of our life. This includes the healing of depression.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full ”. The very reason He came was to pull us out of a life suppressed by the darkness and into his wonderful light.

Grow Up In Your Salvation

2 Peter chapter 2 says, Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Maybe you have truly accepted Jesus into your life, repented and you believe with all your heart. Now that you have tasted and seen the Lord’s goodness it’s time to grow up in your salvation.

Depression can become extremely severe and equally as dark. Just remember it is never too dark for the light of Jesus. We need to not only be willing to taste the Lord’s goodness to overcome that darkness, we need to be willing to grow in it.

Every new being we see in the world begins young and immature. If you have accepted Jesus into your life you have truly been born again.

In 2 Peter 2, we see how we can grow up in our salvation. He says like newborn babies to crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it we may grow up in our salvation. Well, what is this “pure spiritual milk?”

If we look at the exact translation of the Greek in 2 Peter 2:2 it translates as “like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word.” We need to be feeding on the word of God which not only means the Bible but Jesus himself.

In John chapter one Jesus is referred to as “The Word” and in chapter 6 Jesus said, “Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.”

We spend our whole lives feeding on the things of the world. The very things that have lead to the darkness that brewed into the depression you now face. When we are born again in Jesus Christ we need to learn to feed ourselves a new kind of food. The food of truth. Some of it may be hard to swallow at first but as we grow in Christ so does our understanding and wisdom.

Add To Your Faith

As we grow up in our salvation not only do we become more mature and wise but our faith strengthens as well. Although faith is a staple of our relationship with Jesus we need to remain in Him so that we can bear even more fruit.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. 2 Peter 1:5-9

Now that we have been born again into an abundant life and have escaped the corruption and darkness of the world we need to constantly be producing good fruit. We can only produce this fruit while remaining in the true vine, Jesus Christ.

The scripture above says if we possess this fruit in an increasing measure it will keep us from being ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But it also says whoever does not have this fruit is nearsighted and blind forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sin.

In John, he mentions that the prophet Isaiah said, “He blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts so that they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn and I would heal them.” Even after accepting salvation in Jesus Christ we can become as blind as we were before if we don’t remain in Him.

Fortunately for us just because we sometimes forget about our salvation and temporarily blind ourselves, we cannot lose our salvation. But I mention this because of some of us, through getting entangled once more in the world, forget that we have been sozo! Saved, Rescued, healed! This is when we allow darkness to seep back into our lives.

We have to be conscious of this and alert because our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

This brings me to my last point, as we see in the rest of the scripture from 1 Peter that I alluded to in the previous sentence, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Remember you are not alone. As I said at the beginning of this article 350 million people around the world suffer from depression. This includes other brothers and sisters in Christ. But also remember that this darkness can and will be overcome by the true light of Jesus Christ.

All you need to do is be willing to let the light into your life, grow up in the salvation you received, and add to your salvation by remaining in the Jesus Christ. When we focus on doing these things, the light within us will grow to the point where darkness no longer has any place.

 

As we have come together, our individual journeys have united our passions. We have felt many things on both of our hearts and this is literally just the beginning of what God has in store for us!

We wanted to give our readers a welcome article so you can have a deeper understanding of our mission, calling, vision, and why we chose to create Abide and Seek.

So here we GO!

Who Are We?

We are Nick and Leah Lincoln, former elementary classmates, college friends, now husband and wife! We dated for a short while, got engaged and married this past fall. Our journey on how we ended up together alone is a testimony and an act of God. Something we will share with you all through various articles.

Why Did We Create Abide And Seek? 

We have created Abide and Seek for the purpose to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus.

The foundation for our passion and the name of our ministry can be found in John 8: 31-32,  “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” We want to be able to share this truth that will liberate your lives like it has for ours!

Before we thought of creating a ministry or were even started dating, God put me in a place where I would pull all of my talents and passions together. I had a wonderful opportunity to have volunteered for a year at a well established, private, all-boys school called Bethesda Academy.Bethesda Academy provides boarding and day school for young men in grades six through twelve. This school strives on ” inspiring young men to discover their academic, social, and spiritual potential.”

Bethesda in the bible was actually a pool of healing waters. What I loved about being at Bethesda is that it too was a place of healing for me. I was not only surrounded by great mentors, but I was able to help out with one of the boy’s classes called Farm and Garden. Here is where I was able to use my organizational skills, gardening experience, veterinary knowledge and my love for others. Never before Bethesda was I able to do all of these things that I love to do, all in one place, to glorify God. This was someplace I absolutely loved going to each week. I would volunteer in the hot, southern weather and still find God’s beauty in what task we were taking on that day.

While I was taking in what Bethesda had to offer, Nick was experiencing his calling as well. A couple summers ago while leading worship with our pastors at a family camp, Nick felt God calling him into ministry and he began to zealously pursue the Lord like never before. Now he preaches at our local church and as God continues to lead his every step he faithfully follows the Lord into every opportunity. Through this faithfulness, our passions have melded into the seed that is now Abide and seek.We are so excited to see this see sprout and grow into the beautiful ministry God wants it to be.

Abide and Seek was created from the calling that God has put on our hearts to begin a ministry and to share our experiences and desire to spread the word of God. We hope to develop a small farm where children can come, feel safe and get into God’s creation. We as Christians should be not only be abiding by God’s word but also seeking out more of him each day. The closer I got to the people around me at Bethesda and the earth, the more I felt God calling out to me. Now we want to create a place that calls out to others, that submerges you in God’s creation where everyone can feel welcomed!

What Do We Plan To Accomplish?

Abide and Seek will provide weekly articles and small group courses to get others immersed in the Word of God. These materials can be used to exercise one’s individual faith, or they can be used in small group sessions within your local church. We hope to bring together a community of followers from all over the world!

Who Are We Trying To Reach?

We want to reach out to anyone who is interested in living a joyous and fulfilling life! Everyone is able to a have an everlasting relationship with Jesus Christ. We want to be the disciples that God has requested us to be and deliver this great news to you each week!

So throughout the week, we want to deliver quality writing to you that focuses on our past and current experiences. We hope to bring you one step closer to Him by reading about other’s testimonies and how far we have come!

So come join us each week as we create three God inspiring articles and see how your relationship with Jesus can transform your life like it has for us! 

 

So what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus and how can scripture give us a better understanding of this?

Scripture has allowed us to read about Jesus, God’s only son who was sent to us so we could be forgiven for our sins. To lay down His life so we would someday be able to walk alongside God once again. While Jesus was alive, he stood as a living example of what God has always intended us to be, loving, caring, abiding, devoted and faithful children of God. 

Once we understand and give our life over to Jesus, we are not only considered followers of Jesus Christ but are expected to spread the gospel and disciple to others. We can do this by sharing our testimonies, inspiring scripture, past experiences, helping others, and most importantly loving others unconditionally as Jesus did.

I have selected 7 bible verses that I feel call us to be disciples of Jesus.

7 Bible Verses That Call Us To Be Disciples Of Jesus

1. John 15:18-19

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.”

These two verses cannot be truer and something Christians experience every day. Jesus was the most wonderful man that could have walk this earth, yet he was greatly hated and persecuted. Yet he knew many would not accept what he had to say or what he had to offer to God’s people. We too as Christians should not expect anything less than the same reactions from some individuals we share the gospel with, but that is okay. We still push on and persevere with what we know is true in our hearts and continue to share the Word with others.

2. Matthew 28:19-20

“ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Bible contains some scripture that has layers that need to be deciphered and then there are verses like Matthew 28:19-20. These two verses make it clear what we should do as disciples. That we should go out and spread the Gospel, baptize, and teach. And the most important part of these verses is that Jesus tells his disciples that he is always with them. We as Christians need to remember this when we are teaching or sharing our relationship with Jesus. This can be one of the hardest expectations Jesus has for us but the most impactful way to share the word.

3. John 21:17 

“The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”

John 21:17 is such a great verse! Jesus refers to himself as our shepherd and we are his sheep. He is the one that is guiding us as a shepherd does with his flock. In this verse, Jesus asked Peter, one of his disciples to “feed ” his sheep after repeatedly asking Peter if he loves him. Jesus asks this because he knows if Peter truly loves him, even once Jesus is no longer physically here with his disciples, that he will continue to feed the knowledge of God through the spreading of the gospel. If we truly love Jesus and abide by his teachings then we too should feed his sheep.

4. Matthew 4:19

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

This is where Jesus first meets Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew who were both fishermen. At this point, they didn’t know Jesus but He tells them if they follow him they will fish for people. I am sure at first they were confused as to what this meant, but they followed him. We may have a feeling overcome us to look into what following Jesus means and that feeling maybe confusing as well. But that curiosity should be pursued, just as Peter and Andrew did. Jesus said,”Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” You may never know what lies beyond the door if you are not willing to at least knock.

5. John 8:12

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

I love analogies and so did Jesus! When Jesus was sent down to us, the world was corrupt, dark and wicked once again. He was sent here to be that light he is referring to, to break the pattern of darkness that God’s people became accustomed to. If we understand and follow Jesus’s teachings as God wanted us to do, we won’t be overcome by the darkness in this world. That light will also attract those who are lost in the dark and seek freedom from their sin. So by becoming disciples of Jesus, we can shine the light to all those who are in the dark!

6. 2 Timothy 2:2-3

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

When we become disciples of Jesus we are expected to not only grow in our faith but to extend that knowledge to others. Here we read 2 Timothy 2:2-3 where Paul writes to Timothy to continue his exact teachings to others so they too can spread the Gospel.Paul knows the suffering that has come along with his following in Jesus Christ and he compares himself to a good soldier, one who obeys all Jesus has taught him. Paul also knows that this journey for Timothy will be pleasing but suffering also lied up ahead of him.

7. John 12:26

“ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

This is such a powerful verse and a great verse to end with on the topic of discipleship! Those of us who will follow Jesus and minister to him by following his teachings will then be considered worthy in the eyes of God. In turn, He will honor us.

Discipleship is something we are called to do when we decide to follow Jesus. It will be a challenging journey but the fact that we have the opportunity to share the most important and hope-filled news with those all around us is exhilarating! We truly have the ability to change someone’s life!

So if you believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ was sent and died for us, you too have the ability to spread the word and disciple to others!!