Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are (p. 201). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Some people love to speak boldly to others but sometimes we need to do it to ourselves.    Craig says, “When we tell ourselves the truth, both from God’s Word and from events in our lives when God’s intervention was undeniable, we use the power of bold words to boost our faith. I’ve got a friend who battled with lustful thoughts for decades and couldn’t overcome the problem. Then he started preaching to himself every day. Telling himself the truth about who he was, who God is, and who women are, helped him to break a stronghold. God’s Word renewed his mind, and suddenly he woke up and said, ‘I’m no longer battling with lust.’ What did he do? He preached his way boldly to victory in his life.” Craig goes on, “You can do the same thing. If you’ve never preached a sermon to yourself, it’s...

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Altar Ego: Becoming Who God Says You Are (p. 178). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Ok, that thought caught my attention and it looks like it did you too. Craig says, “What you pray for, or what you don’t pray for, reflects what you believe about who God is, what his character is like, and his disposition toward us, his children. It’s as if the words we use in our prayers are like pieces of mirrored glass, each one reflecting our beliefs about the one we’re addressing.” He goes on, “For example, if you don’t pray at all, then you likely don’t believe in God or don’t believe he answers prayer. If you pray very small prayers all of the time, you probably don’t really believe in a God who answers big prayers. If almost all of your prayers are for yourself and your own well-being — ‘bless me, help me, comfort me, be with me’ — then this reflects your belief that God is there to se...

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Altar Ego: Becoming Who God SaysYou Are (p. 150). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Here is the problem.   Craig says, “We think we earned it, deserved it, or are worthy of it. That’s pride. And pride breaks God’s heart. Among other things, pride is a God-repellent. He opposes the proud. The good news is that God gives grace to the humble. Just as pride disgusts God, praise delights him.” Earlier Craig said, “How do you overcome the seeds of ungratefulness that culture has planted in your soul? How do you learn to be grateful in a world that excels at its opposite? “I’d like to borrow a line from a Matt Redman song called ‘Blessed Be Your Name.’ In it, he sings to God, ‘Every blessing you pour out, I’ll turn back to praise.’ To cultivate an attitude of gratitude, we should turn everything good in our lives into an opportunity to worship. When we do, we’re acknowledging the ...