Monday, November 30, 2009

Four Secrets To Answered Prayer

“Then [Nehemiah] said, ‘O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him and obey his commands, listen to my prayer! . . . I confess that we have sinned against you . . . Please remember what you told your servant Moses: If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among the nations. But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored . .. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me’” (Nehemiah 1:5-11 NLT).

Here are four secrets to answered prayer from the life of Nehemiah:

Base your request on God’s character--Pray like you know God will answer you: "I’m expecting You to answer this prayer because of Who You are.You are a faithful God. You are a great God. You are a loving God. You are a wonderful God. You can handle this problem, God!"

Confess the sins of which you’re aware--After Nehemiah based his prayer on who God is, he confessed his sins. He says, "We’ve sinned." He says "I confess . . . myself . . . my father’s house . . . we have acted wickedly . . . we have not obeyed." It wasn’t Nehemiah’s fault that Israel went into captivity. He wasn’t even born when it happened and he was most likely born in captivity. Yet, he’s including himself in the national sins. He says, "I’ve been a part of the problem.”

Claim the promises of God--Nehemiah prays to the Lord, saying, "I want You to remember what You told your servant Moses." Can you imagine saying"remember" to God? Nehemiah reminds God of a promise He made to the nation of Israel. In effect, he prays, “God, you warned through Moses that if we were unfaithful, we would lose the land of Israel. But you also promised that if we repent, You’d give it back to us.

Does God have to be reminded? No. Does He forget what He’s promised? No.Then why do we do this? Because it helps us remember what God has promised.

Be very specific in what you ask for--If you want specific answers to prayer, then make specific requests. If your prayers consist of general requests, how will you know if they’re answered?

Nehemiah is not hesitant to pray for success. He’s very bold in his praying. Have you ever prayed, "Lord, make me successful?” If you haven’t, why haven’t you? What is the alternative?A failure?

Is it OK to ask God to make you successful? It all depends on your definition of success! I believe a good definition of success is--"Fulfilling God’s purpose for my life in faith, love, and the power of the Holy Spirit, and expecting the results from God.” That is a worthy life objective that you should be able to pray for with confidence.

Consider this--If you can’t ask God to make you a success at what you’re doing, you should be doing something else. God doesn’t want you to waste your life.

Rick Warren


Saturday, November 28, 2009

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part, Part III

“God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longerto call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and willsurely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be themother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’” (Genesis17:15–16 NIV).

Just like you or me, Sarah and Abraham may have thought, “God doesn’t understand our circumstances; his commandments are goodguidelines, but they simply don’t work well in the nitty-gritty of life.”

And so Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.

Yetthe promise had been that Sarah would be the one to deliver a son forAbraham; so the wait continued, long after reaching the point ofdesperate frustration--the place where you say, “God, I can’t go on anylonger!”

You’ve been there--like the widow knocking on thejudge’s door, you pray day and night but the shutters stay closed andthe door remains shut (Luke 18). Sarah and Abraham knocked on that doorfor another fourteen years! (Genesis 16:16; Genesis 21:5).

WhileAbraham and Sarah waited, God made a covenant with Abram, changing hisname to Abraham, which means “father of many.” And he changed Sarai’sname to Sarah, saying she would be the mother of nations and among heroff-spring would be kings (Genesis 17 NIV).

Then God sentthree mysterious visitors to tell Abraham that Sarah would provide hima son within the year. Sarah laughed, not believing God was about togive birth to his promise (Genesis 18).

Yet, they were totallyand wholly dependent upon God to fulfill his promise. Not dependentbecause they’d obediently submitted everything to God, but totallydependent because they’d exhausted every other possibility.

And that’s often why God delays. He’s waiting on us to be ready for him.

Finally, God opened Sarah’s womb so she could bear Abraham a son in his old age, at the time appointed by God (Genesis 21:2).

Jon Walker

Friday, November 27, 2009

The Waiting is The Hardest Part; Part II

“Now the serpent . . . said to the woman, Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1 NIV).

And so Sarai took it upon herself to fulfill the promise, no longer trusting God to do his job. The waiting is the hardest part, and Sarai was tired of the wait.

Sitting in a humid tent, she heard the support poles creak; she heard, through the open flaps, a camel snort; and she heard . . . was that a voice, like the hiss of a serpent, saying, “Did God really say your husband would be the father of a family so vast it would surpass the number of stars in the sky?” (Consider Genesis 3).

Perhaps Sarai said, “God can, but he won’t.” Or maybe she said, “God can’t figure this out, but I can.” Looking through the tent’s door, she saw her servant Hagar, and in that moment she saw the solution, though she didn’t see the Pandora’s box she would soon open. Perhaps she even thought, “Of course! This is probably the answer God meant for me to see all along.”

Sarai believed her assumptions more than she believed God’s promise. She wondered why God was no longer on her side--“Why is the LORD keeping this from me?”--instead of confessing she was no longer one with God’s will.

Ask God to help you identify the places in your life where you’re saying, “The LORD is keeping this from me!” God’s interest is that you master the lessons of faith. He wants you to succeed, able to walk further in faith each day. So failure is not defeat; he will continue to teach you--and stretch you--until walking by faith and not by sight is as natural as breathing. Tell God, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Jon Walker

Thursday, November 26, 2009

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part, Part 1

“Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children . . . so she said to Abram, ‘The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.’ Abram agreed to what Sarai said” (Genesis 16:1–2 NIV).

And so Sarai took it upon herself to solve God’s problem. After all, God told Sarai’s husband, Abram, that he’d have a huge family, more descendants than there are stars in the sky (Genesis 15).

Sarai waited and waited for God to provide their first descendant, to answer her prayers, to make good on his promise--but the baby didn’t come. Every day, the tension and the frustration mounted. As that great theologian and musician, Tom Petty, sings: “The waiting is the hardest part.”

Like me--perhaps like you--Sarai began to wonder if God would ever answer her prayers or if he had forgotten about her. Perhaps--like you, like me--Sarai questioned whether God really knew what he was doing.

It appears Sarai’s thoughts walked as far as her faith would carry her until she stood looking at the mountains of her fear. Did God understand how important this was to her? How could God deny her the greatest desire of her heart? Was God even on her side?

Even as Sarai acknowledged God’s ability to fulfill the promise--“The LORD has kept me from having any children . . . ”--she denied God’s sovereignty to decide when the promise would be fulfilled.

If we could ask Sarai, “Can God?” she most likely would answer “Yes.” If we then asked Sarai, “Will God?” her honest answer may have been “No.”

When faced with a delayed answer, do you break with God? What does manipulating an answer to our prayers say about our belief in God’s character?


Jon Walker

The Four Laws of God’s Blessing

“I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you . . . and you will be a blessing to others” (Genesis 12:2 NLT).

The Bible teaches that we should use our blessings to bless others –

Our blessings should flow to others
The Bible teaches us that we are blessed not just so that we can feel good, not just so we can be happy and comfortable, but so that we will bless others. God told Abraham, “I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others” (Genesis 12:2 NLT). This is the first law of blessing: it must flow outwardly.

When we bless others, God takes care of our needs
God promises that if we will concentrate on blessing others, he’ll take care of our needs. There’s almost nothing that God won’t do for the person who really wants to help other people. In fact, God guarantees this blessing. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth . . . no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30 NIV).

When you care about helping other people, God assumes responsibility for your problems. And that’s a real blessing, for he’s much better at handling your difficulties than you are.

Our blessings to others will come back on us
The more you bless other people . . . the more you help others, the more God blesses your life. Luke tells us, “Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back--given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity" (Luke 6:38 MSG).

You cannot out give God. The more you try to bless other people in the world around you, the more God says, “I’m going to pour blessings out on you. We’ll play a little game here. Let’s see who will win. Let’s see who can give the most. The more you bless others the more I’m going to bless you in return.”

The more we’re blessed by God the more He expects us to help others.
Jesus said it this way: “Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given” (Luke 12:48 TEV).

Would you agree that based on the blessings of your life you probably have a greater responsibility than other people in the world? If you live in the United States, I’m sure you’d agree, because it’s obvious we’ve been given freedom that many people don’t have. We’ve been given opportunities that many people don’t have. We’ve been given material and physical and spiritual abundance that a lot of people around the world simply do not have.

Think this through with me. If I’ve been blessed more than the rest of the world then it would stand to reason that God would want me to care about the rest of the world. Does that make sense?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Be Thankful Even In Tough times

May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 TEV).

In Philippians 4, Paul says, “May you always be joyful in your life in the Lord.” Can we really be joyful in all circumstances? The Bible suggests the following strategy:

Don’t worry about anything--Worrying doesn’t change anything. It’s stewing without doing. There are no such things as born-worriers. Worry is a learned response. You learned it from your parents. You learned it from your peers. You learned it from experience. That’s good news. The fact that worry is learned means it can also be unlearned.

How do you unlearn it? Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NIV). He’s saying don’t open your umbrella until it starts raining. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Live one day at a time.

Pray about everything--Next, instead of worrying, use your time for praying. If you prayed as much as you worried, you’d have a whole lot less to worry about. Some people think God only cares about religious things, such as how many people I invite to church or my tithing. Is God interested in car payments? Yes. He’s interested in every detail of your life. That means you can take any problem you face to God.

Thank God in all things--Whenever you pray, you should always pray with thanksgiving. The healthiest human emotion is not love but gratitude. It actually increases your immunities. It makes you more resistant to stress and less susceptible to illness. People who are grateful are happy. But people who are ungrateful are miserable because nothing makes them happy. They’re never satisfied. It’s never good enough. So if you cultivate the attitude of gratitude, of being thankful in everything, it reduces stress in your life.

Think about the right things--If you want to reduce the level of stress in your life, you must change the way you think because the way you think determines how you feel. And the way you feel determines how you act, which is why the Bible teaches that, if you want to change your life, you need to change what you’re thinking about.

This involves a deliberate conscious choice where you change the channels. You choose to think about the right things. Because the root cause of stress is the way we choose to think, we need to focus on the positive and on God’s word.

What is the result of not worrying, praying about everything, giving thanks, and focusing on the right things? Paul tells us the result is, “you will experience God’s peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your heart quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.”

What a guarantee!

Rick Warren

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A Biblical Response to an Uncertain Future

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34 MSG).

No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen in the next year, let alone the next few days or weeks. Our best forecasts are just educated guesses.

Change is not only increasing in speed and intensity, but also in unpredictability. How can anyone succeed when the future is so uncertain?

The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future:

Set goals according to God’s direction--It’s foolish to make plans without first consulting God. He's the only one who DOES know the future - and he's eager to guide you through it: “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for . . . You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11,13 TEV).

The Bible also says, “We may make our plans, but God has the last word” (Proverbs 16:1 TEV). In other words, planning without praying is presumption. Start by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do over the next year?"

Live one day at a time--While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today!

John Lennon once wrote, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Decide to make the most of each moment this year. Jesus said, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34 MSG).

Don’t procrastinate - DO IT NOW!--“Never boast about tomorrow. You don't know what will happen between now and then” (Proverbs 27:1 TEV).

Procrastinating is a subtle trap. It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow. You promise yourself that you'll do it ‘one of these days.’ But ‘one of these days’ usually turns into ‘none of these days.’

What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do? When do you intend to start working on it?

Rick Warren

Monday, November 23, 2009

Snatching from God’s Hands of God

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty--he is the King of glory” (Psalm 24:8, 10 NIV).


In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to man.

We, too, steal things from the One True God:

- We steal when we take matters into our own hands, thinking God is too slow or not coming at all;
- We steal when we insist on our own answer instead of being content with God’s;
- We steal when we grab for something we want, because we think God won’t give it to us;
- We steal when we say we did it when the truth is it only happened because God worked through us.

The problem with this promethean pattern is it destroys our ability to be grateful. If we took it, then we got it no thanks to God or anyone else.

When we snatch things out of the hands of God, it says more about our ability to trust God than it does about whether or not God is trustworthy.

When we grab for what we want, it quite possibly reveals a root of bitterness growing within us, defiling us to think God will not be there for us when we need him (Hebrews 12:15).

When we steal from God’s infinite bounty, we’re submitting to the lie that we’re unworthy to be blessed by God and so we have to take because he’s unlikely to give.

Gratitude is one gauge that measures our dependence on God. The more dependent we are, the more grateful we become.

The psalmist sings of gratitude that overflows your soul, compelling you to praise the Almighty, King of Glory: “I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the LORD. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God” (Psalm 84:2 NLT).

Jon Walker

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Three Steps Toward Spiritual Growth

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24 NIV).

When you think about your walk with Jesus, some days you may wonder, “Why is this so hard? I’m still struggling with so many problems. When will I finally get it right?”

In my journey as a pastor, I’ve learned spiritual growth is often like the growth we see in nature--the best fruit ripens slowly. In John 12:24, Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24 NIV).

The problem is we tend to get impatient, so we dig up the seed to check the progress of its growth, and that slows down our growth! If you’re not seeing as much fruit as you’d like, don’t despair. Growth takes time.

In the meantime, try these steps toward spiritual growth:

• Nurture growth with God’s Word--I know you’re already doing this, but when you read the promises of God, again and again, it helps you remember that he is at work, even when you can’t see him at work: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV).

• Cooperate with God as he prunes--Praise God for the work he’s doing in your life, remembering “he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (John 15:2 NLT)

• Pray through the ‘fruit list’--Pray through the ‘fruit list’ from Galatians 5:22-23. The NIV Bible lists the fruit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Ask God to help you grow this fruit in your life.

Rick Warren

Saturday, November 21, 2009

God Is Stronger Than We Think

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

We’re not as strong as we think we are, but God is stronger than we think.

You become strong through God’s strength. His strength enters your life, delivered by the Holy Spirit--Jesus within--and the more dependent you are on God, the stronger in him you become. In our weakness, he is strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).

“I can do everything . . . ” doesn’t mean, ‘Now that I’m a believer, I’m strong enough to do everything and anything for God.’ Your own testimony can attest to the fears and failures related to such thinking.

The strength of “I can do everything . . . ” comes through God, who gives you the strength you need for each day. Your ability to “do everything” is wholly dependent upon him because your strength is dependent upon him. It’s not a strength you work up to by pumping iron with emotional or mental barbells.

Strength comes from submission. The thing you do that may require the greatest strength is to submit yourself completely to God! But God is “working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).

Strength is linked to faith. You believe in faith that God is giving you his strength; and so, in faith you can act in confidence, knowing the strength is there: “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength” (2 Timothy 4:17 NIV).

Jon Walker

Friday, November 20, 2009

When Tempted, Seek Support

“You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone . . . If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 CEV).

When you’re tempted, reveal your struggle to a godly friend or support group. You don’t have to broadcast it to the whole world, but you need at least one person you can honestly share your struggles with.

The Bible says, “You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone . . . If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble” (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 CEV).

Let me be clear: If you’re losing the battle against a persistent bad habit, an addiction, or a temptation, and you’re stuck in a repeating cycle of good intention–failure–guilt, you will not get better on your own! You need the help of other people.

Some temptations are only overcome with the help of a partner who prays for you, encourages you, and holds you accountable.

God’s plan for your growth and freedom includes other Christians. Authentic, honest fellowship is the antidote to your lonely struggle against those sins that won’t budge. God says it is the only way you’re going to break free: “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16, NIV).

Do you really want to be healed of that persistent temptation that keeps defeating you over and over? God’s solution is plain: Don’t repress it; confess it! Don’t conceal it; reveal it. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing.

Hiding your hurt only intensifies it. Problems grow in the dark and become bigger and bigger, but when exposed to the light of truth, they shrink. You’re only as sick as your secrets. So take off your mask, stop pretending you’re perfect, and walk into freedom.

Rick Warren

Thursday, November 19, 2009

When Tempted, Resist the Devil

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 NIV).

After we’ve humbled ourselves and submitted to God, the Bible teaches us to defy the Devil. We don’t passively resign ourselves to his attacks. We’re to fight back.

The New Testament often describes the Christian life as a spiritual battle against evil forces, using war terms such as fight, conquer, strive, and overcome. Christians are often compared to soldiers serving in enemy territory.

How can we resist the Devil? Paul tells us, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 NLT).

The first step is to accept God’s salvation. You won’t be able to say no to the Devil unless you’ve said yes to Christ. Without Christ we’re defenseless against the Devil, but with “the helmet of salvation” our minds are protected by God. Remember this: If you are a believer, Satan cannot force you to do anything. He can only suggest.

Second, you must use the Word of God as your weapon against Satan. Jesus modeled this when he was tempted in the wilderness. Every time Satan suggested a temptation, Jesus countered by quoting Scripture.

He didn’t argue with Satan. He didn’t say, “I’m not hungry,” when tempted to use his power to meet a personal need. He simply quoted Scripture from memory. We must do the same. There is power in God’s Word, and Satan fears it.

Don’t ever try to argue with the Devil. He’s better at arguing than you are, having had thousands of years to practice. You can’t bluff Satan with logic or your opinion, but you can use the weapon that makes him tremble--the truth of God.

This is why memorizing Scripture is absolutely essential to defeating temptation. You have quick access to it whenever you’re tempted. Like Jesus, you have the truth stored in your heart, ready to be remembered.

If you don’t have any Bible verses memorized, you’ve got no bullets in your gun! I challenge you to memorize one verse a week for the rest of your life. Imagine how much stronger you’ll be.

Rick Warren

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

When Tempted, Humble Yourself Before God.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7 NIV).

There is always a way out.

You may sometimes feel that a temptation is too overpowering for you to bear, but that’s a lie from Satan. God has promised never to allow more on you than he puts within you to handle it. He will not permit any temptation that you could not overcome. However, you must do your part too by practicing biblical methods for defeating temptation.

First and foremost, you want to refocus your attention on something besides the temptation. It may surprise you that nowhere in the Bible are we told to “resist temptation.” We’re told to “resist the devil,” and that is very different (James 4:7).

The Bible says we’re to refocus our attention because trying to resist a thought simply doesn’t work. It only intensifies our focus on the wrong thing and strengthens its allure. Let me explain:

Every time you try to block a thought out of your mind, you drive it deeper into your memory. By resisting it, you actually reinforce it.

Whatever you resist, persists.

This is especially true with temptation. You don’t defeat temptation by fighting the feeling of it. The more you fight a feeling, the more it consumes and controls you. You strengthen it every time you think it.

Since temptation always begins with a thought, the quickest way to neutralize its allure is to turn your attention to something else. Don’t fight the thought, just change the channel of your mind and get interested in another idea. This is the first step in defeating temptation.

The battle for sin is won or lost in your mind. Whatever gets your attention will get you. That’s why Job said, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman” (Job 31:1 NLT).

And David prayed, “Keep me from paying attention to what is worthless” (Psalm 119:3a TEV).

There is always a way out.

You may sometimes feel that a temptation is too overpowering for you to bear, but that’s a lie from Satan. God has promised never to allow more on you than he puts within you to handle it. He will not permit any temptation that you could not overcome. However, you must do your part too by practicing biblical methods for defeating temptation.

First and foremost, you want to refocus your attention on something besides the temptation. It may surprise you that nowhere in the Bible are we told to “resist temptation.” We’re told to “resist the devil,” and that is very different (James 4:7).

The Bible says we’re to refocus our attention because trying to resist a thought simply doesn’t work. It only intensifies our focus on the wrong thing and strengthens its allure. Let me explain:

Every time you try to block a thought out of your mind, you drive it deeper into your memory. By resisting it, you actually reinforce it.

Whatever you resist, persists.

This is especially true with temptation. You don’t defeat temptation by fighting the feeling of it. The more you fight a feeling, the more it consumes and controls you. You strengthen it every time you think it.

Since temptation always begins with a thought, the quickest way to neutralize its allure is to turn your attention to something else. Don’t fight the thought, just change the channel of your mind and get interested in another idea. This is the first step in defeating temptation.

The battle for sin is won or lost in your mind. Whatever gets your attention will get you. That’s why Job said, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman” (Job 31:1 NLT).

And David prayed, “Keep me from paying attention to what is worthless” (Psalm 119:3a TEV).

Rick Warren

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

When Tempted, Understand Your Vulnerability

“Don’t carelessly place yourself in tempting situations. Avoid them
(Proverbs 14:16 TEV).

When you’re tempted, keep your vulnerability in mind and work out ways to protect yourself. God warns us to never to get cocky and overconfident about our ability to handle temptation; that’s the recipe for disaster.

In fact, the prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV).

That means we’re good at fooling ourselves. Given the right circumstances, any of us are capable of any sin. We must never let down our guard and think we’re beyond temptation: “Don’t carelessly place yourself in tempting situations. Avoid them” (Proverbs 14:16 TEV).

Remember it’s easier to stay out of temptation than to get out of it. The Bible says, “Don’t be so naive and self-confident. You’re not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it’s useless. Cultivate God-confidence” (1 Corinthians 10:12 MSG).

One final note from Scripture: “But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).

Rick Warren

Monday, November 16, 2009

Healing Choices: Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus

"My Christian friends, who also have been called by God! Think of Jesus, whom God sent to be the High Priest of the faith we profess” (Hebrews 3:1 TEV).

When you are tempted, do whatever is necessary to turn your attention to something else.

Spiritually, your mind is your most vulnerable organ. To reduce temptation, keep your mind occupied with God’s Word and other good thoughts. You defeat bad thoughts by thinking of something better. This is the principle of replacement; we’re to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

Satan can’t get your attention when your mind is preoccupied with something else. That’s why the Bible teaches us to fix our thoughts on Jesus (Hebrews 3:1) and to fill our minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable” (Philippians 4:8 TEV).

When we’re serious about defeating temptation, we will manage our thoughts and monitor our media intake. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived warned: “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (Proverbs 4:23 TEV).

Don’t allow thoughts to run indiscriminately in your mind. Be selective. Choose carefully what you think about. Follow Paul’s model: “We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NCV).

This takes a lifetime of practice, but with the help of the Holy Spirit you can discipline the way you think.

Rick Warren

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Healing Choices: Don’t Give Temptation Power

“Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT).

Have you ever watched a food advertisement on television and suddenly felt you were hungry? Have you ever heard someone cough and immediately felt the need to clear your throat? Ever watched someone release a big yawn and felt the urge to yawn yourself?

This is the power of suggestion working within your mind. We naturally move toward whatever our attention is focused on. The more you think about something, the stronger it takes hold of you, which is why the Bible teaches that we should, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT).

That is why repeating, “I must stop eating too much . . . or stop smoking . . . or stop lusting” is a self-defeating strategy. It keeps you focused on what you don’t want. It’s like announcing, “I’m never going to do what my mom did.” You are setting yourself up to repeat it.

Temptation begins by capturing your attention. What gets your attention arouses your emotions. Then your emotions activate your behavior, and you act on what you feel. The more you focus on “I don’t want to do this,” the stronger temptation draws you into its web.

Ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting it. Once your mind is on something else, the temptation loses its power. So when temptation calls you on the phone, don’t argue with it, just hang up!

Sometimes this means physically leaving a tempting situation. This is one time it is okay to run away. Get up and turn off the television set. Walk away from a group that is gossiping. Leave the theater in the middle of the movie.

To avoid being stung, stay away from the bees!

Rick Warren

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Don’t Be Reluctant to Show Mercy

“When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair” (2 Corinthians 2:7 CEV).

In Biblical fellowship, people will experience mercy. Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice.

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other.

It’s impossible to have biblical fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.

The Bible says, “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT).

The mercy God shows to us is the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution?

You can’t do both.

Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior.

Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability.

Rick Warren

Friday, November 13, 2009

Healing Choices: A Healthy Dependence

“I mean that I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12 NCV).
In authentic Christian fellowship we learn the art of giving and receiving. We learn healthy ways to depend upon each other.

The Bible says, “The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part” (1 Corinthians 12:25 MSG).

Mutuality is the heart of fellowship: building reciprocal relationships, sharing responsibilities, and helping each other. Paul said, “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you” (Romans 1:12 NCV).

All of us are more consistent in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us. The Bible commands mutual accountability, mutual encouragement, mutual serving, and mutual honoring.

Over fifty times in the New Testament we’re commanded to do different tasks for “one another” and “each other.” The Bible says, “Make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19 NIV).

You are not responsible for everyone in the body of Christ, but you are responsible to them. God expects you do whatever you can to help them.

Rick Warren

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Healing Choices: Authentic Friendships

“But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:7-8 NCV).

In Biblical fellowship, we should experience authenticity.

Authentic friendships are more than superficial, surface-level chit-chat. They involve genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level, sharing.

These friendships develop when we get honest about who we are and what is happening in our lives. They develop when we share our hurts, reveal our feelings, confess our failures, disclose our doubts, admit our fears, acknowledge our weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer.

Unfortunately, this level of authenticity and intimacy is the exact opposite of what we find in many churches. Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, we often become involved in pretending, role-playing, politicking, superficial politeness, and shallow conversation. We begin to wear masks, keep our guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in our lives. These attitudes are the death of real friendship.

It’s only as we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. The Bible says, “If we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other . . . If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves” (1 John 1:7–8 NCV).

The world thinks intimacy occurs in the dark, but God says it happens in the light. We tend to use darkness to hide our hurts, faults, fears, failures, and flaws. But in God’s light, we can bring them all out into the open and admit who we really are.

Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.

Why would anyone take such a risk?

Because it’s the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed” (James 5:16 MSG).

Rick Warren

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Healing Choices: A Shared life

“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20 NLT).

God intends for us to experience life together. The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship.

Today, however, the word has lost most of its biblical meaning. Fellowship now usually refers to casual conversation, socializing, food, and fun.

The question, “Where do you fellowship?” means “Where do you attend church?” “Stay after for fellowship” usually means “Wait for refreshments.”

Biblical fellowship is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other “one another” commands found in the New Testament.

When it comes to fellowship, size matters: smaller is better. You can worship with a crowd, but it’s hard to fellowship in a crowd. The body of Christ, like your own body, is really a collection of many small cells. The life of the body of Christ, like your body, is contained in the cells.

For this reason, every Christian needs to be involved in a small group within their church, whether is it a home fellowship group, a Sunday school class, or a Bible study. This is where real community takes place, not in the big gatherings.

God made an incredible promise about small groups of believers: “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20 NLT).

Rick Warren

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Faith is Something We Do

“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16 NIV).

Faith is more than something you just feel. Many people confuse emotions and feelings with faith. They come to church and they’re moved emotionally, they're inspired, and they're stimulated. But that doesn’t mean they’re walking in faith.

The Bible says faith is something we do, not just what we feel: “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15-16 NIV).

In other words, faith is not mere sentimentality. Let’s say I go out on the street and I see someone who is homeless and destitute. I see that person is hungry, cold, in need of clothing and shelter. Would I be showing great faith if I walked up and said, “Cheer up! Don't worry, be happy! Feel good! Put on a happy face?”

It doesn’t take much faith to do that. Faith carries compassion. Faith says, “I’ll do anything I can to stop your hurt.” Throughout the New Testament, the witnesses say Jesus was moved with compassion for people. Jesus showed us that faith is practical.

When we see a need, we do something about it. We don't just toss out a quick --“Well, I'll pray for you.” The Bible says, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.” If we see a Christian in need, we respond because that brother or sister is part of our family.

When you become a believer, you became part of God’s family. And as a result, you have some family responsibilities: You care when other Christians are hurt, or in pain, or in grief, or in sorrow, or in need. You show your faith by what you do.

It’s easy to think, ‘But I can't meet everybody's needs!’ That’s right. None of us can. But we can meet some. What we can do may not make a difference to everybody, but it will make a difference to those we help.

Think of it like this: When the tide went out, hundreds of starfish were stranded on the beach. A little boy began to pick them up and throw the starfish back into the ocean.

A man came along and asked, “What are you doing?” The boy said, “I’m putting the starfish back in the ocean.”

The man said, “But there's too many! You can’t make a difference for all of them!”

The boy tossed another starfish into the water, and said, “I bet it makes a difference for that one.”

One-by-one. Great opportunities to serve God often come as small opportunities to serve those around us who are in need.

Rick Warren

Monday, November 9, 2009

Growing by Knowing

“We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69 NIV).

Because the well runs dry, we know Jesus is the river of living water (John 4).

Because the storm rages, we know Jesus is the Lord of the storms (Matthew 14).

Because the floods overwhelm, we know Jesus is the rock on which to build (Matthew 7).

Because the foundation shivers, we know Jesus is the cornerstone that will not move (Matthew 21).

Because sickness comes, we know Jesus is the healer (Matthew 4).

Because we’re bankrupt through the debt of sin, we know Jesus is our redeemer (Galatians 3).

Because we grieve, we know Jesus is the voice calling from the shore, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” (John 21).

Because we’re full of doubt, we know Jesus is the nail-scarred palm inviting our touch (John 20).

Jesus taught in the nasty-now-and-now because he knew disciples with focused faith are never made in the classroom; we’re made in the uncertainty of life as we come face-to-face with “I can’t; but God can.” Our lives change more through the crisis we experience than through the creed we confess.

In other words, what we know first-hand of God is what takes root and changes the way we live. We change because we have believed and come to know the Holy One of God (based in John 6:69).

Jon Walker

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Your Weakness, God's Glory

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NIV).

In the same way God spoke light into the darkness at creation, today he speaks light into the darkness of our hearts. He fills us with the light of the Holy Spirit, so we’re able to see God’s face, Jesus, with greater clarity even as he transforms us into the likeness of Christ.

Our brother, Paul, explains we are jars of clay--fragile, chipped, imperfect--exactly as God designed us to be so others will see the “all-surpassing power” of God through our fractured and shattered lives. We stand as monuments of God’s grace, and we bear an inscription written in God’s own hand: “Within this earthen container, the One True God is at work.”

Your weaknesses are a gift. You are God’s jar of clay, designed exactly the way he intended. In the places you are weak, God is strong. Your weaknesses are an opportunity for God’s light to shine even brighter from within you.

You don’t have to look good. So, stop trying! Just be who you are, a frail human designed by God to reveal his glory. Truthfully, we could use a whole lot more authenticity in the church. If you’re hurt, say it; if you’re angry, admit it; if you’re in love, show it; if you’re wrong, confess it; if you’re in need, reveal it.


Jon Walker

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Your Own Genesis Week

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalms 51:10 NIV).

God spoke the world into existence, and he spoke you into your mother’s womb. Even now, he can speak into the chaos of your life to bring it shape and form (Psalm 51:10 MSG).

This is a Genesis event, where God speaks into the void and the darkness of your life, creating for you a new beginning.

God can create something from nothing; he can take a heart that is broken, impure, or failed and create a heart that is whole, pure, and purposeful. God wants to see you pure, so he takes an active role in creating your new heart and bringing order to the chaos of your life.

Your job is to submit to his sovereignty, humble yourself before him, and ask for his help.

Lord, speak a Genesis moment into our hearts and into the circumstances of our lives. We acknowledge “everything that we have--right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start--comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30 MSG).

Renew in us a steadfast spirit (Psalm 51:10), no longer chaotic or moved by events, circumstances, or feelings. Give us lives shaped by you and by your Spirit flowing through us.

Give God your chaos. Let God speak into your life, creating a new beginning, a new hope, and a new energy. Pray, “God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life” (Psalm 51:10 MSG).

Jon Walker

Friday, November 6, 2009

A Conversion Leads to a New You

“Your name will no longer be Jacob . . . From now on you will be called Israel” (Genesis 32:28 NLT).

You don’t have to stay the same! In a conversion, we’re given a new identity. Once Jacob confesses his need to be in control, God’s loving and gracious response is to give him a new identity.

Now the transformation begins! Notice three things happen:

• God gives Jacob a brand new identity. God says, “Jacob--manipulator. That’s the old you. We’re not going to call you that anymore. We’re going to change your name to Israel, which means Prince with God.” Essentially, God says, “I know you’ve blown it; I know you’re conniving, but I see in you a prince. Beneath all your emotional hang-ups, all your insecurities, all the stuff you don’t want anybody else to know, I see a prince.” God is saying that today to many of us, “Beneath all of your hang-ups, I see a princess/prince. Beneath all the sins, all the things you’ve done wrong in life, I really see the potential in you. You can be something great. You can be what I made you to be. Not what you are now, but what I made you to be.”

• God blesses Jacob/Israel. “Then he blessed Jacob there” (Genesis 32:29 NLT). If we want God’s blessing, we’ve got to take the steps God requires of us.

• God gave Jacob/Israel a limp. Remember when they wrestled, God dislocated Jacob’s. The Bible says for the rest of his life, Jacob walked with a limp (Genesis 32:31 NLT). It served as a daily reminder to depend upon God. From that point on, Jacob was going to have to stand in God’s power, not his own. Jacob leaves the encounter both stronger and weaker--stronger in that he’s not the same person any more, but weaker because now he must depend on God for his daily walk.

God does His deepest work in your life when He deals with your identity: who you are, the way you see yourself, your self-perception. You will always tend to act according to the way you think about yourself. So God does His deepest changes in your life by changing the way you see yourself.

He says, “Let me show you how I see you.” When you see yourself the way God sees you, it’s going to change your life. And you can start acting in a whole new way. You don’t have to stay the same: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV).

Rick Warren

Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Confession Helps You Move Toward Transformation

“‘What is your name?’ the man asked. He replied, ‘Jacob’” (Genesis 32:27 NLT).

God allows a crisis to get our attention, and then he uses the crisis to develop our character. One thing that signals we’re changing is when we confess that we’re the problem. We stop blaming other people and we admit, “I am the problem with my life.” Until you understand this, there can be no major change in your life. This is the breakthrough God knows we need.

God asks Jacob, “What is your name?” This is a very strange request because God obviously already knew Jacob’s name. We need to understand that in ancient cultures you were always named for your character, what you really were. Your name might be Tall or Short; or your name might be Brave or Lazy. You were given a name which was your label. It wasn’t just something that sounded nice. It represented your character.

That’s a problem because Jacob means “deceiver, manipulator, liar.” And Jacob lived up to his name! When Jacob says, “My name is Jacob,” it is an act of confession. He’s admitting, “I am a manipulator.”

Whenever I read this verse I wonder what it would be like to be named for your greatest character fault: “Hi, I'm Greedy . . . ” What would be your name? Bitter? Angry? Uncontrollable Temper? Lustful? Afraid? “Hi, I'm Gossip.”

Here’s the insight into this: We will never be able to change until we openly and honestly and authentically admit our sin, our weakness, our fault, our frailty, our character defects, confessing this to ourselves, to God, and to other people.

One of the most humbling things in the world to do is to go, “This is who I am. I am a __________.” You fill in the blank. “I am a worrier . . . I am a domineering person . . . I am a person who runs from conflict . . . I am an addict.” Just admit it. Stop making excuses; stop rationalizing; stop justifying; stop blaming other people. You’ve got to come clean about what everybody else sees but you won’t admit.

When you come to God and say, “God, I want to own up to the weaknesses and the filth, the wrong in my life.” And you tell God, “This is who I really am,” God is not going to be surprised. God already knows, but he needs you to confess so the work of change can begin.

What do you need to admit about yourself?

Rick Warren

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A Commitment to Seek Only God Leads to Blessing

“Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’” (Genesis 32:26 NLT).

Obviously, God could have overpowered Jacob and ended the wrestling match instantly. Why did God let the struggle go on?

Here’s the lesson: When God allows a crisis into your life, He doesn’t solve it immediately. He lets it go on for a while because he wants to see if you’re really serious about seeking him. If God answered your prayers immediately, you’d begin to think God was a big vending machine: put in a prayer, pull out whatever you need.

I can’t tell you how many people say, “Rick, I am praying for a financial miracle in my life. I am so in debt and I'm praying for a financial miracle.” I want to say, “Did you get in debt supernaturally?” The truth is no. You worked hard at it. You made foolish decisions. You spent more money than you could make. You didn’t save for the lean times that inevitably come in life. You didn’t use your money wisely.

Why should God just bail you out? If God just instantly bailed you out of your financial crisis, then tomorrow you’d go out and overspend again. You wouldn’t learn discipline, or money management, or wisdom, or persistence. God is not just going to bail you out of the debt you got yourself into; he will help you get out of debt but he wants to build your character.

If you’re in a crisis right now, hang in there! Don’t give up. Don’t run from it. Don’t try to escape. The problems you have in your life didn’t get those overnight. You may have worked years getting yourself into this mess. You have a lot of ingrained patterns, bad responses, wrong habits, and wrong ways of responding that have built up over the years. So God isn’t going to remove those all at once. It’s kind of like peeling an onion; he takes it off one layer at a time.

Rick Warren

Monday, November 2, 2009

A Crisis Can Lead to Healing Choices

“This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket” (Genesis 32:24-25 NLT).

Are you in a crisis today? Congratulations! You’re about to be changed. You don’t have to stay the same. God is getting ready to make a change in your life.

The Bible teaches that our biggest struggle in life is with God because we want to be in control. We want to be God.

That was the problem that Jacob had, insisted he be able to control his life to such an extent that he even wanted to change the order of his birth. Jacob was a twin and the Bible says when he came out of his mother’s womb, he was clinging to his older brother’s ankle, grappling to be the first one out. He spent a lifetime in conflict with his brother, Esau, but his biggest battle was with God.

One night he even tried to go one-on-one with God. Some people want to debate who Jacob actually wrestled but the Bible tells us in Hosea: “Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God” (Hosea 12:3 NLT).

I want you to think of the biggest problem you’ve got right now. It probably will come to mind quickly; yet, regardless of what that problem is, I suspect it all boils down to these two issues.

1. ‘Will I obey God in this situation and do what He says is the right thing to do, whether I like it or not?’ Or,

2. ‘Will I trust God in this situation, letting him handle it?’

No matter what your problem is--financial, physical, relational, social, and vocational--your biggest problem is not your problem. The real problem is not obeying and trusting God. And that makes the problem bigger.

Have you ever been in a no win situation? Perhaps you’re in a ‘no win situation’ right now. Who do you think is behind that? God is! God backs you into a corner. Why? Because God often allows crisis in our lives in order to get our attention. All of a sudden we’re laid flat on our backs and we’re forced to look up.

God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you far too much to let you just stay stuck in your habits, hang-ups and hurts. He wants to change you. He wants to help you grow, to be better, to be different, and to be all that you were meant to be. And so He allows a crisis.

Why? Because we rarely change until the pain we feel exceeds our fear of change. We don’t change when we see the light; we change when we feel the heat.

God uses four phases in a situation to move you to where you need to be. Phase one is a crisis that gets your attention and forces you to look toward God. Pray about this: In what areas are you struggling with God?

Rick Warren

Sunday, November 1, 2009

The Healing Choices Jesus Made for You

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (Matthew 26:41 NIV).

Read this as a prayer:

On the night before you died, you prayed for me, that I would be as close as a heartbeat to the Father (John 17:22).

On the night before you died, you called me friend, no longer a servant, because you’d taught me everything the Father taught you (John 15:15).
On the night before you died, you came to me with bloody sweat dripping down your face and arms because you’d stared straight into the future with eyes wide open at the truth, while I hid behind the covers of my deep, denial sleep.

On the night before you died, you shook me and seemed to ask, “Can’t you watch with me? Come beside me, friend, and wait the time with me” (Matthew 26:40, author paraphrase).

On the night before you died, I saw a man intimate with sorrow, but also the Word become man, “the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NIV).

On the night before you died, you understood my struggle, but never demanded that I understand yours. You whispered, “I know how it is, brother, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak” (based on Matthew 26:41 NIV).

On the night before you died, I saw you, friend, so full of sorrow, yet, on that night you proved to be the better friend, still the teacher, still the brother, still thinking of me above all your own needs, the Lamb of God on mission to redeem faulty friends, like me.

Jon Walker