I played football during my high school days. I loved playing on Friday nights, but hated the daily practices. I especially disliked one drill, “burpees.” In doing a burpee, you’d fall the ground face down and then push yourself back up onto your feet as fast as possible.
The purpose of this drill was to prepare you to play on Friday nights. You could find yourself on the ground during the course of a game. At that point, you had a choice. You could either stay on the ground and let the game pass you by or get up and back into the action. If you wanted to stay playing on Friday night and enjoy all that goes with it, you really had only one option.
It’s the same with being a healthy believer in Jesus. You will get knocked down by life’s situations. At that point, you can either stay down and keep taking your drug of choice or get up and walk with Jesus, where real life is found. My friend calls this, “Quick down. Quick up.” This is made possible by Jesus through His grace and mercy. We don’t take advantage of this grace and mercy, but we’re certainly going to rely upon them as we continue to retrain our brains.
Set Free “N”owww

This piece would be really funny if not for the subject’s seriousness. Like the woman in the video, do you like where your thinking takes you? Makes you feel? Then stop it. The applicable biblical worldview principle is to Freeze frame it. We all know that change is not as easy as stopping it. We need the rest of the Freedom process as well – the REE.
Yet the Freedom process starts by stopping the movies from playing in our head over and over and over again as this woman was doing…since her childhood! By doing so, she experienced fear, bondage and anxiety attacks.
Freedom starts by stopping those joy robbing thoughts from playing in your head and then running them through the Freedom process. As you do, your peace, freedom and joy will be a wonderful movie to watch.
Set “Free” Nowww

I want you to meet Miguel and Maria Restrepo and their dog Blackie. For the past twenty years they’ve made their home in…the sewer!
Their home is an underground 10’x7′ space. They’ve built concrete walls to separate themselves from rest of the sewer system. Miguel says, “We live in an apartment. For me it is an apartment.” Their “apartment” has a kitchen, closet, radio, TV, fan, and a tile floor.
He never complains when asked about his living condition and consistently rejects offers from social workers to move into a shelter. Why? Miguel says, “I live better than the president. He has lots of problems and I don’t have any.”
Kind of puts Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:25,33, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. But seek His first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you,” into perspective, doesn’t it? Your problems are never too big for your God to handle. Why not head to Him today rather than your drug of choice?
“S”et Free Nowww

In the age of texting where we shorten our words, how do you read the following? UCR Dad
I have sweatshirt that has UCR Dad stitched on it. As my son goes to the University of California Riverside, it’s a nice way of saying I’m the proud parent of child who attends this school; thus, the lettering UCR Dad.
One day when I wore my UCR Dad sweatshirt a buddy looked at me with the most quizzical look on his face. I noticed it and asked, “What?” He said, “Why are you wearing a sweatshirt that says ‘You see our dad?’ Did your kids give it to you for Father’s Day or something?” I had to laugh because I never “saw” it that way. I told him what it meant and we both laughed.
We both were looking at the same lettering, but saw something very different where both could be true. This is why we need an outside source to show us what the truth is, especially in our relationships. Our mates, our friends, our kids can see life one way while we see it very differently. This difference of opinion can cause a lot of friction that could result in heated arguments and hurt feelings.
This is why living with a biblical worldview is so important to every day life. Are we willing to filter every thought, every conversation, and every word through the Word of God? We’re looking at life through our perspective, which may or may not be right. We need an outside source to show us what the truth is. Filtering life’s situations through another perspective – God’s – can save us from a lot of hurt feelings.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I’ve had a great time in my BIG reading lately. As you know, I read through the Bible each year. This year the Lord would tell me what book to read next. Then I would read that entire book according to my read the Bible through in a year schedule.
This past week I “just happened” to be in James and Psalms. While reading James the Spirit was telling me a test was coming, not a temptation, but a test. In Psalms I was reading about how idols, another name for our drugs of choice, can’t speak, see, hear, walk, touch or do anything. They can’t help me, but they can certainly take me out of Jesus’ presence.
In the Spirit’s power I was able to ace the test because I was ready for it. The Spirit took another step in replacing me with Jesus.
This entire story is what living with a biblical worldview is all about. Our God wants to speak to us (aka listen to Jesus and do what He says). He wants to “be a light unto our feet” so we can experience victory. As any good father would do, our Heavenly Father will show us the right path to walk on when tests come. If we’ll only listen to Him like Jesus did (Jn. 5:19).
Storms come into all our lives. It’s my prayer that you’ve been in the Word today. Who knows, maybe the Spirit will prepare you ahead of time.
“S”et Free Nowww