The Bible is clear about two things.
We have an enemy.
He wants to destroy us.
(to be fair, the Bible is clear about a lot of other things as well…I’m just focusing on those two)

In fact, 1 Peter 5:8 lays it right out there.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

Satan is prowling around like a lion looking to devour someone.
A good question to ask would be:  How does he know if he’s found someone to devour?
I think the answer to that question is found near the beginning of the verse.
He’s gonna devour anyone who isn’t “alert” and doesn’t have a “sober mind.”

I heard a preacher make the analogy that Satan spends a lot of time watching our game film.
Of course, it’s a football analogy.
For a team to even have a chance at beating their opponent, they have to study their opponents’ game film.
What does the team do well?
Where are the weak spots on the team?
What routes do they always run?
They look for the weak areas of the team so they can attack those areas come game time.

That’s exactly what Satan does.
He watches you carefully.
He studies your weak areas.
He knows where he can attack.

No wonder Peter urges us to be alert.
We need to know where our weak areas are.
We need to know where Satan attacks.
Each of us has our own desires (see James 1:13-15)
So we shouldn’t be surprised at our weak areas.
Instead, we should be ready for it!

Seeing how Satan watches all of our game film,
I think it’s only appropriate we watch some of his game film.
After all, what better way to be alert and of sober mind than by KNOWING how Satan is gonna play the game.

Be alert.
Have a sober mind.
Watch some game film.

Romans 8 is clear.
If you are in Christ, you are no longer obligated to sin.
You are Free.

Yet so many Christians don’t live in this freedom.
They live as if they are still slaves to their old nature…their sinful nature.
I’ve done it before.
So have you.

But the truth is this:
whatever is holding on to you is not as strong as the freedom you have in Jesus.

Jesus is stronger than the addiction.
Jesus is stronger than the worry.
Jesus is stronger than the pain.
Jesus is stronger than the guilt and shame.

It’s time to let go and let Jesus be strong in your life. 

“If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”

Ever heard that before?
Pretty sure someone smart like John Maxwell or Zig Ziglar said it.
However cliche that is…I cannot escape the magnitude of truth that’s in that statement.
And what’s worse…it applies to EVERY area of life!
Fitness.
Eating right.
Goals in business.
Even spirituality.

As Christians, we can get caught up in a very dangerous trap –
We can talk a lot about the Bible without ever actually reading the Bible
It’s an easy trap to fall into.
It’s a dangerous trap to fall into.
We can actually trick ourselves into thinking we’re doing just fine when in reality we’re falling further and further away from God’s best for our lives.

The Bible is the key to staying:
Focused.
Encouraged.
Convicted.
Passionate.
Wise.

So how do we stay away from the trap?
Plan. To. Read. The. Bible.
Simple.
Not easy.

The one reading plan I love and challenge every Christian to do is this one.
YouVersion has a great resource where all their reading plans are in one place.
Check it out.

Bottom line:
If you’re a Christian, read the Bible.
If you’re not a Christian, become one.  Then read your Bible.

My small group is going through Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick.
I have been a fan of what God is doing through Steven, the church and the book.
So I was pretty excited to be going through it with my friends.

This past week we went over the chapter/video about faith confessions.
It was so helpful…and convicting.
The main theme is that in order to stay focused on the life God has for you, it is important to SPEAK the right things.
Speaking truth over your life has tremendous power.
It allows your mind to be focused on Christ instead of the challenges facing your life.
It allows you to approach each situation throughout your day through the lens of faith.

Here are the 12 faith confessions that are in the book.
I encourage you to make them a part of your life…
or write your own!
Read More »

I am a big proponent of reminders.
Which is one of the reasons I love the “reminders” app on the new iOS5 software on the iPhone.
(Which has nothing to do with this post)
Anyway.
Joshua 1:8 says this “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it.”

I know this is a very practical interpretation of this verse,
but one of the ways I remind myself of the goodness of God is to make phone wallpapers.
Why?
Because I see it EVERY time I look at my phone!

This particular wallpaper has the theme of our past Fall Retreats at NRSM.
God is Greater Than.
So every time I open my phone I remember that no matter what I go through today, God is greater.
If my day goes awesome, God is greater and has a purpose.
If my day sucks, God is greater and has a purpose.

In all things, God is greater.
I hope this was a good reminder for you.

I was having breakfast with a friend/mentor the other day, and this phrase came up.
healthy insecurity.
got me thinking.  is there such a thing?

on one hand we are called to own who we are in Christ.
we are heirs to the throne through Jesus.
nothing insecure about that.

on the other hand, it is a healthy practice to think through what God has saved you from.
what you could have been.
what you have the capability to be/do.
who you would be if not for Jesus.

So, in essence, we have an “insecurity” in the fact that without Jesus we would be absolutely nothing.

I would love to know others thoughts on this.
am I way off on this?
am I stretching a phrase just to create a blog entry?
comment below!