We all know the definition of insanity; and yet we continue in our insanity every time we take our drug of choice. One reason I believe we keep doing this is that we forget what it felt like the last time we took them.
And until we remember what our drug of choice brought us last time – regret, guilt, shame, embarrassment, extra pounds, people walking away, insecurity, etc. – we will continue to buy our adversary’ lies. He’s good at getting us to remember how good our drug made us feel, which leads us to taking our drugs of choice.
Until we remember what we’re freed from, we will never be free. Until we start remembering the truth, “Yes my drug made me feel good … for a short time. But soon afterwards, I felt like … (insert your bad feeling).” Until we remember the second part of this statement, we are not ready to be free to be changed into Christ’s image.
Let’s learn from our mistakes so we don’t repeat them. Remember what Jesus freed you from – all the negative side effects of sin – so you can continue to enjoy the good stuff Jesus promises those who walk with Him.
Se“T” Free Nowww

I usually take a certain path for my prayer walk. I know it’s distance and how long it will take to cover that distance. Knowing this, I can plan my daily schedule, which is a good thing.
It also keeps me in control, which is a not so good thing. Routines keep me in control, which means I don’t need God, the source of the good stuff.
So here’s the problem with routines when it comes to our walks with Jesus. We’re never going to change or become more like Jesus until something changes – like our thinking. The same thinking will result in the same behaviors. Just like taking the same path will give the same results as the previous walks – same time and distance.
A friend told me, “Nothing changes until something changes.” It starts with our thinking and our wills when it comes to being more like Jesus. Will we choose to think differently? If not, we’ll only experience the same results. How’s that working for you? If you want to experience the “abundant life” Jesus came to give you it’s time to let the Spirit of God use the Word of God to exchange your old thinking with something new.
Se“T” Free Nowww

I recently received the following saying in an email. Filter it using your biblical tools. I did. See if we come up with the same result. Ready? Here goes.
“Let your dreams be bigger than your Fears, Your actions louder than your Words, and Your faith stronger than your Feelings.”
This is exactly as it was written except for the nice colorful background going from light red on the left to orange and then yellow on the right of the screen.
Here is what came out my filter. The focus is not right as it focuses on the problems rather than the solutions. It should have enlarged and bolded Dreams, Actions and Faith, which are the solutions to our challenges, which are fears, words and feelings. We become what we focus on and what we focus on only gets bigger.
Are you focusing on the problems, your challenges, which only get bigger over time, or the solutions, your Savior – the One who tells you who you are and what you can become (Dream), the One who gives you the strength to head that direction (Actions), and finally, the One who is the foundation and perfecter of your faith to keep you going even when the winds of life blow hard against you.
Filter life everyday everywhere so you can keep listening to and following Jesus, the One who brings victory!
S“E”t Free Nowww

What’s your frame of mind when you take your drug of choice? Physically and emotionally drained? Feel all by yourself? How about hungry? Maybe a little ticked? If we’re to fail forward, we must learn from our past mistakes. We would probably find if we examined those mistakes that we were feeling one of those four emotions when we chose our drug of choice over Jesus.
A friend of mine gave me a very valuable tool to help us keep listening to and following Jesus everyday everywhere. It’s called HALT. When we feel hungry, angry, lonely, and/or tired we should put extra emphasis on slowing down the decision making process. It’s usually at these times when we turn our backs, even momentarily, on Jesus.
Jesus said to “watch and pray so that you don’t fall into temptation.” (Matthew 26:41) We know the enemy will attack when we’re most vulnerable, like when we’re hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Thus, as we recognize or watch for these situations to come our way we can use our biblical tools through the Spirit’s power to stay close to Jesus.
If you HALT before you drop, you’ll be able to stand and say, “You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.” (Psalm 56:13)
“Set Free Nowww”

While on a hike on the Lundy Canyon Trail my wife literally stumbled upon what we think is gold. We were on a part of the trail where miners used to work the hills. Recent landslides could have exposed hidden deposits of the shiny stuff. So we brought some samples home to find out whether it was really gold or pyrite “fool’s gold.” The only way to found out, though, is to test it by crushing or chemical methods.
It’s the same with our faith – is it the real deal or “fool’s gold”? The only way to know is to test it. “For a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine.” (1 Peter 1:6-7)
In the Freedom process it takes the power of God to exercise the truth once you have processed out the lie. We must be in circumstances, however, which we can’t handle on our own – the life’s crushers – in order to experience this kind of power. Thus, we can look as trials as something bad, which only makes us want our drugs of choice; or, we can see them as opportunities to discover if our faith works in the real world in which we live. You’ll be much happier in choosing the later.
Set Fre“E” Nowww