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2018 GMA Dove Awards Winners and Red Carpet Highlights

By
Editorial Staff
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The Reverent Wonder of God

THE 49th Annual GMA Dove Awards was once again a night to remember at the Allen Arena on the campus of Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. The awards will be televised on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network) on Sunday, October 21 at 9 p.m. ET. The big winner was first-time nominee, newcomer Tauren Wells, who took home 4 awards, including Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year and New Artist of The Year. Superstar Zach Williams took home Artist of the Year. The night was filled with many remarkable performances, including first-time collaborations including Kirk Franklin and Tori Kelly, Jason Crabb and Rascal Flatts, as well as Natalie Grant and Koryn Hawthorne.

Catch our red carpet highlights above with some of your favorite Gospel and CCM artists.

 

2018 Dove Awards Winners

From Shame, Alcohol, to Freedom, “Russ Taff: I Still Believe” Docufilm in Theaters Oct 30th

By
Editorial Staff
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Shame is a Prison

“Russ Taff: I Still Believe,” is a compelling documentary chronicling the multi-GRAMMY® and Dove Award-winning star’s unparalleled musical journey and behind-the-scenes battle with alcoholism.

Playing in cinemas nationwide October 30 at 7:00 p.m. local time, this one-night inspirational event is not-to-be-missed. Immediately following the film, theater audiences will have the opportunity to view a special acoustic session with Taff and his friend, multi-GRAMMY® Award-winning singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman.

Acclaimed director Rick Altizer (“Chonda Pierce: Laughing in the Dark”) traces Taff’s iconic four-decade career, and for the very first time, uncovers the secret life Russ was leading at the top of his career as he tried to overcome his traumatic childhood that included addiction and abuse.

Unable to overcome his shame for many years, Taff turned to alcohol, distancing his family, threatening his career and jeopardizing his life. In “Russ Taff: I Still Believe”, the award-winning Gospel singer candidly reveals how a tumultuous past fueled his own addiction and the ultimate healing he embraced in the power of Christ’s love and forgiveness. “I Still Believe” also shines an important spotlight on Taff’s wife of 42 years, Tori. Her tough love, fervent prayers and unfailing devotion helped her husband find freedom from his past and let Jesus heal and inspire Russ to a fuller life and deeper relationship with Him.

The film includes appearances from such legendary artists and entertainers as Amy Grant, Mercy Me’s Bart Millard, Michael W. Smith, Newsboys’ Michael Tait, Bill Gaither, and comedians Mark Lowry and Chonda Pierce.

About Russ Taff

Russ Taff, GMA 2018 Dove Awards

Russ Taff was the fourth of five sons of a fire-breathing Pentecostal preacher father and a gospel music-loving mother. He learned early on that when he sang, people sat up and responded. Some of his earliest memories are of being held in church by his mom while she sang with the congregation.

When Taff moved to Arkansas in his teens, he began listening to popular music for the first time in his life, and found inspiration there, too. Contemporary Christian music was gaining prominence and the traditional lines between ‘secular’ and ‘sacred’ were starting to blur. Russ formed a local band called Sounds of Joy and began writing songs of spiritual truth that sounded like the music of his generation.

Two years after his band served as an opening act for the legendary Imperials, Taff was invited to join them as lead vocalist. With the Imperials, he toured extensively and gained recognition as ‘The Voice’ behind award-winning songs and albums that successfully completed the group’s transition from traditional to contemporary Christian.

Eager to experience and explore all aspects of music, Taff left the Imperials after four and a half years to pursue a solo career. He captured the imagination of the industry by successfully releasing a series of innovative works that delved into his musical heritage while pushing the boundaries of contemporary Christian music. With lyrics often co-written with his wife Tori, Russ’s recordings and live concerts draw from all genres- rock, pop, blues, Southern gospel, Black gospel, country, even big band. “I guess I’m just not a right-down-the-middle kind of guy,” Russ cheerfully admits. “I’ve been influenced musically by so many styles that I try to never place restrictions on myself. If it moves me, I figure it will probably move other people too.

In 1991, Russ was invited by Bill Gaither to be part of one of his Homecoming videos. Soon after that, Russ began making guest appearances at Homecoming concerts. He eventually became a regular artist on the Homecoming Tour and joined the Gaither Vocal Band as a baritone in 2001. He toured as a member for almost three years. Early in 2004, following the deaths of Vestal Goodman and Jake Hess, Russ decided to step down from the Vocal Band and return to his solo artist status on the tour.

His music has won him not only a wide audience and critical acclaim but a total of 6 Grammy awards and 18 Gospel Music Association Dove awards. Billboard Magazine has called him “the single most electrifying voice in Christian music.”

Get your tickets today at RussTaffMovie.com and witness this extraordinary life of a child of God who overcame by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.

5 Self-Care Tips for the Overwhelmed Introvert

By
Shaw Bigelow
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introvert

I don’t know about you, but most of the time people irritate me. 

I mean, I love everyone, but most of the time I just want to be left alone.  I dread hearing my phone ring and then having to make the decision of whether or not I should answer.  I am slightly irked when visitors show up unannounced.  I often get annoyed that others seem to require so much of my time. 

See, most of my life I have been called mean, anti-social, stuck up, and a plethora of other words, but the reality is that I’m just an introvert.  I get overwhelmed and exhausted when I spend too much time with other people. I have an extreme case of introvertism (I made that word up). 

To make matters even worse, my job involves talking to people who need my assistance most of the day. I absolutely love my job, but it never fails to drain my energy.  By the end of my work day, I wouldn’t be upset if I didn’t say another word for the rest of the day.  My phone is most likely not going to be answered, and the only people I plan to talk to are my husband and children. 

But, to be transparent, coming home to the family who depends on me is also a struggle for an introvert.

Time Alone is Healthy

I used to feel extremely guilty for needing time away from my children. I would see parents who take their kids everywhere with them, the ones who are always doing arts and crafts, or the parents who seem to be so patient – I started to think that there was something wrong with me. I felt like a horrible mother. 

I would see the couples who can’t seem to get enough of each other, those who wanted to spend every waking moment with their spouse and it would make me question my relationship with my husband.  I knew what was wrong, but I didn’t know how to fix it without being seen as a selfish person. 

But, since I want my life to be a reflection of Jesus, I decided to take a look at His life and how he handled having so many people depend on Him.

Even Jesus Needed Time Alone

The Gospels illustrate how Jesus made quiet time a priority.  In Luke 5:15-16, Jesus’ ministry is growing and “crowds of people came to hear Him and be healed of their sicknesses.  But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (NIV). 

Even though people needed Him, Jesus made sure that He did not only focus on the crowds, but He made time to take care of Himself spiritually and emotionally by getting away from the people who drained Him.  It may sound presumptuous of me to say that the crowds drained Him because He is Jesus, but in Mark 5:30 (ESV) when the woman with the issue of blood touched Him to be healed “Jesus perceiv[ed] in himself that power had gone out from Him”.  So, after spending all day healing and ministering to people, He needed to recharge. 

Another example is found in Luke 6:12-13 (NIV), “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them whom He also designated apostles”.  Jesus knew that He had a big decision to make in choosing the apostles, so He needed time to Himself to pray and listen to God. 

Jesus also made sure His disciples knew the value in resting.  Mark 6:31-32 (NIV) says, “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place”.

So, What’s the Play Call?

If Jesus took time to rejuvenate and reenergize, we need to make self-care a priority as well.  I’d like to share five strategies that I use on a daily basis to reduce my feelings of being overwhelmed, irritated, and frustrated. You, too, may find yourself more cheerful at work and at home and feel much more relaxed.

  1. Wake up at least 15-20 minutes earlier than the rest of your house.  I use this time to read the Bible and pray before I even get out of the bed.  I just use the Bible app on my phone.  But, if you are feeling extra energetic, wake up 30-45 minutes earlier, start some coffee or tea, pull out your Bible and journal, and take that time to read and write out what God is saying to you. 
  2. Listen to a podcast on your commute to and from work.  I love to listen to sermons by Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church and Pastor Michael Todd from Transformation Church.  I also love the Woman Evolve podcast by Sarah Jakes Roberts. I also ride in complete silence sometimes and I listen to worship music.  The main thing is to maximize this time as a moment where you can do something that you enjoy without distractions.
  3. During my day at work, I ensure that I build in short breaks so that I can take a breather.
  4. I always take a lunch and eat in peace.  Even though my lunch break is really short, this is the only meal that I can eat without my children asking me for something or arguing with each other, so my lunch break is of the utmost importance to me.
  5. Once the children and I get home for the day, I make sure they are situated and then give myself up to 30-minutes of time to myself to just unwind from my day before I jump into dinner, homework, and the one million questions from my children that are bound to happen :).

Hiding Pain from God: He Still Knows and He Cares For You

By
Jeannette Tyson
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He Cares For You

What’s the Matter?

Have you ever tried to hide behind Scriptures and suppress your feelings of hurt and pain under the guise of holiness? Sometimes while striving to walk in the Spirit, we get so deep that we find ways to rationalize pain in an attempt to cope. There were times when I was going through something, and I felt guilty about how sad or upset I was about the issue. I chalked it up to “I need to get out of my flesh.”

Many of us assume that when we receive salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we aren’t going to feel normal human feelings anymore. But, God created us with emotions and the ability to express them. When we fight them, we prevent the God of all comfort from consoling us in a way that only He can.

When things happen that you don’t understand, do you struggle to allow yourself to feel?

Allowing yourself to feel will protect you from bitterness. God wants us to be free to express ourselves to Him. We don’t have to be pretentious – He is our Father and that makes Him family. He cares for you.

I used to look at God as some huge far-away, unattached Lord and our “little” feelings were our problem. I felt like He was too important to be bothered with my issues. I thought I just had to keep it moving, God is God and that’s that. Then, we soothe ourselves with the misery sayings of others, “Well it could be worse, there are people out there sick, lost, hungry, etc”.

Jesus is Touched by Our Pain

isolationWe have to understand that God wants us to trust Him with our honesty and transparency. If we give Him our hearts and let Him know we’re hurting, He is faithful to comfort us. Psalm 116:1-2 says, “I love the Lord because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live.”

God wants to be a Father to us, but we need to open up to Him. Psalm 142:1-2 says, “I cry out to the Lord with my voice… I pour out my complaint before Him. I declare before Him my trouble”. This lets us know that it’s okay to let Him know how we’re feeling. And, since God knows all, you can’t hide your hurt from Him anyhow – so why try?

I think it breaks God’s heart when we withhold even small discomforts from Him. We’re quick to pray about everything else, but when our soul needs His love the most, we allow fear and guilt to creep in. It makes us feel like “it’s not right to complain to God”.

Team, it is not a sin to be hurt or upset!

God is There When We Need Him

Ecclesiastes 3:4 tells us that there is a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. As much as we’d like to think that life with God is smooth sailing with all the dancing and laughing we can stand, we are reminded often enough that that’s not the case.

Walking with God ensures that we overcome our troubles – not that we won’t experience them (John 16:33). It’s difficult to comprehend that God’s goodness is not contingent on our life’s “goodness”. In that, we struggle to find the balance between being hurt with loving and submitting to Him when we just don’t get it. Sometimes, instead of resting in the arms of God, we just suppress our pain and get mad at ourselves for being human.

The Spirit taught me that there is a way to allow yourself to grieve without having to question the love of God. He wants us all to get to that place and it starts with transparent communication with the Lord.

God is Bigger Than our Problems

he cares for youIt was revealed to me that my love will never be as deep or as strong as God’s love. Likewise, neither will my pain be stronger than God’s love. He loves us more than we’re able to fathom. So, when we’re hurting, He feels it too! Whether it’s a death or sickness, God’s compassion far exceeds our grief.

Psalms 34 17-18 says that if we cry out to God, He will hear and deliver us; He is close to the brokenhearted and saves those with a crushed spirit. We have to yield ourselves to Him for His comfort to take effect.

My first lady said recently that sometimes we don’t pour out our hearts to God because we don’t want to be disappointed. We don’t want to lose hope if we don’t hear anything right away, or He doesn’t send us a prophetic word. We’d rather hold back from God than to trust that He loves us enough to do what He said –  deliver us from ALL our afflictions.

Team, never lose sight that God will stick closer than a brother – He will never leave or forsake us.

I believe God would rather we took Him at His Word and tested it than to try in our own strength to overcome. Though we’ll face pain and hardships in this life, pain pushes us toward a loving and wonderful Father who wants to be everything to us. Every battle gives us an opportunity to get to know God at a higher, personal level through our need for His consolation.

So, What’s The Play Call?

Don’t be so hard on yourself when you are going through. It’s okay to be sad, to grieve and allow yourself the freedom to express your emotions. Just remember that God is always with you and waiting for you to turn to Him with the issues of your heart.

The Word tells us to be angry, but do not sin (Ephesians 4:26).  Don’t allow the pain to give a foothold to the devil – because sin crouches at the door!

Encourage yourself in the Word. Psalms 34, 37, and 40 are a great place to start.

God Bless.

 

Can You Be Used by God, But Not Endorsed by God?

By
Kim Brightness
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used by god

Lord, I’m Available to You.

The sound of “being used by God” is music to most of our ears. It’s a sweet melody of how God would take something so small and insignificant, compared to Himself, and give it meaning and purpose on a divinely grand scale.

Who wouldn’t feel special, given that there are billions of other options – and God chooses you for His plans? You’re the vessel chosen to bring God glory…what an honor, right?

Do you want to be used by God?

I do.

But, along with being used by God, I also want to be endorsed by God. I want God’s approval!

“Well, if God USES you, hasn’t He already endorsed you?”

It depends.

The million dollar question we often overlook is – “Used for what?“

God Always Has Purpose in Mind

Pawn or Servant?

There are some plans, outcomes, and destinies ordained by God that we really don’t want to be used for. Don’t believe me?

Just ask Judas Iscariot.

In John 6:70, Jesus tells His disciples: “Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?”

Judas was part of Jesus’ team – his inner circle who walked, ate, fellowshipped with Him on a regular basis.

But, God used Judas’ decision to betray Jesus (Matthew 27:4) to kick-off the series of events that would lead to the crucifixion. Jesus was purposed to die. This brought God glory, and ultimately – Judas played a role.

What Does This Tell Us, Teammates?

It shows that God can use an un-willing vessel – one who decides not to follow the principles of Jesus Christ – just as much as He uses a willing, obedient vessel. This is the subtle difference between players who are used by God, but God does not “approve” of their tactics or lifestyle. They are pawns, rather than servants.

There are pawns all around us who are being used by God to birth glorious testimonies in our lives. As a self-check, ask yourself these “used for what” questions:

  • Are you being used to build the faith of your brother or sister?
  • Are you playing the Gossip who God uses to strengthen the character of His daughter?
  • Is your disobedience driving someone to build a disciplined prayer life?
  • Is God using your rebellion to show Himself stronger than your popularity or position over another?

As a member of the body of Christ, one of our key goals is to work for the good of God’s glory. Never allow the following verse to personally apply to you:

But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. — Genesis 50:20

God Always Has the Heart in Mind

Greater Works?

Perhaps you answered “No” to the questions above. Your life is filled with “greater works” for the Lord, e.g. healing the sick, casting out devils, etc.

Remember the article about using good works to disguise our resistance or disobedience to God’s will? Well, one of the most jarring verses in the Bible regarding being “used by God” is Matthew 7:22-23:

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Not some. Not a few. But many, Lord?

Again, what does this tell us from a Team standpoint – a team with a verifiable enemy, the devil (1 Peter 5:8)? Actually, several things:

  1. We cannot allow ourselves to be manipulated by the enemy into lofty, public good deeds – with secret sin or hearts that are far from God. Don’t deceive yourself.
  2. Signs, wonders, and miracles CAN be performed by those who profess Christ with their mouths, with hearts filled with bad fruit. Jesus never had fellowship with these workers of iniquity.
  3. We can very well receive the “wonderful works” of deliverance, healing, and miracles by those who are not endorsed by God.
  4. The enemy is defeated with greater works performed by obedient vessels who God knows, endorses, and approves. In contrast, the enemy is not phased by greater works alone – when he knows he’ll win in the end due to our disobedience.
  5. We must be careful who WE co-sign as men and women of God, those “chosen” by God, “true prophets” of God, and the like. Does Jesus “know” them? Does God approve and endorse them? If not, then from such turn away (2 Timothy 3:5).

So, What’s the Play Call?

Seek to be used and approved by God in the spirit of obedience and holiness.

Always align your service to God vertically from a submitted heart first, and then horizontally with others.

Remain in a searchable posture before the Lord; in your time with God, ask Him to search your heart and see if anything needs to be healed, removed, forgiven, or fine-tuned.

Remember, it is God’s desire to know us and to be known by us; we are purposed by God to be stewards of everything He made (Hebrews 2:6-7). He’s counting on us.

Can God both use and endorse YOU?

Worship Leader Brad Alden Debuts New CCM Single “Lord of All” Oct 26th

By
Editorial Staff
-

L.A.-based worship artist Brad Alden and his wife, singer Danielle Mowry, will release his latest worship single, “Lord of All,” available nationwide on October 26, 2018. This marks the second single from Alden, whose song “Would You Believe” landed in the Top 20 on the iTunes Christian & Gospel Songs chart last year upon its release.

“‘Lord of All’ speaks to God meeting us right where we are,” shares Alden. “Maybe you feel you don’t qualify as a ‘good enough’ person, or that you don’t know the Bible well enough. Maybe you believe you’ve gone too far down the road of sin and wonder why God would think of you. But our God is an all-qualifying, all-welcoming God who will meet us anywhere, anytime, any way we are.”

 

Mowry adds, “No matter what we do or fail to do, we are never abandoned or shamed by God; He meets us in our mess. We don’t have to attempt to clean ourselves up first. On the contrary, let Him search our hearts and find all that needs cleaning. It’s exhausting trying to put all these filters on our lives to make the picture look more pleasing when God’s begging us for the unfiltered. The raw. The real.”

“Lord of All” releases just ahead of Alden’s upcoming “The Unfiltered Gospel Tour.” The tour will be an immersive experience that features “Lord of All” along with other original worship songs in addition to more traditional worship music. Many of the stops along the route include church partners of the LA Dream Center, a faith-based charitable organization that finds and fills the needs of struggling people from all over the United States. Their mission is to connect broken people to a community of support by offering free resources and services that address immediate and long-term needs in the areas of poverty, addiction, and abuse. Alden’s passion for the Dream Center comes very personally: after his own life was radically transformed there, he then, in turn, served for nearly a decade on their worship team in Los Angeles.

“Lord of All” will be available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Vevo, Tidal and Google Play.

Upcoming Tour Schedule

  • October 7, 2018 | Dream Center NYC | New York, NY
  • October 10, 2018 | Dream Center LA “Night of Dreams” | Los Angeles, CA
  • October 16, 2018 | GMA Dove Awards | Nashville, TN
  • October 28, 2018 | i5 City Church | Glen Burnie, MD
  • November 3, 2018 | LifeVine Church | Long Beach, CA
  • November 11, 2018 | Rust City Church | Niles, OH (Dream Center)
  • November 14, 2018 | Eagle Rock Church | Columbus, Ohio
  • November 25, 2018 | East Coast Christian Center | Merritt Island, FL
  • November 30, 2018 | Coastline Community Church | Indian Harbour Beach, FL
  • December 2, 2018 | Coastline Community Church | Indian Harbour Beach, FL
  • January 13, 2018 | HomeChurch | Red Deer, Canada

________

Brad Alden is a seasoned singer-songwriter, worship leader and business owner based in Los Angeles. Having served on the worship team at the Angelus Temple under Pastor Matthew Barnett for more than 5 years, Alden and his wife, Mowry, now lead worship with church partners both nationwide and internationally. He is also the founder of TheJeansProject®, a cause-driven, premium-jeans brand that supplements church ministries across the country. Follow Brad Alden’s story on BradAlden.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Danielle Mowry is a pastor’s daughter who has been singing on worship teams since the age of 9. After living all over the United States, she sold her private personal training business to become a co-owner of a global denim-supply business, Artisan Cloth Inc. Danielle continues to fulfill her love of music alongside her husband, Brad, singing with him on various projects and tours. Learn more about Danielle and Artisan Cloth Inc. on Instagram.

Bridge Music, LLC is an all-encompassing Christian music company, bringing a fresh outlook to the Christian music industry through its innovative approaches to music publishing. Founded in January 2016, Bridge Music provides its artists with services in publishing, licensing, music production, label services, management, marketing, event booking, radio promotion, and public relations. For more information, visit BridgeMusic.co.

The #1 Reason Why All Power is Safe in God’s Hands Alone

By
Ryan Churchill
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all power

Today’s Scripture Lesson: Psalms 96 – 100

I encourage each of you to read these Psalms and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you through His holy Word.

I hope you will forgive the large number of chapters being covered in one week. As you can imagine, with five chapters being covered, this Bible Study To GO! will be in no way a comprehensive breakdown. With that said, I find with large-chunk consumption of Scripture some patterns, which may be hidden in small-chunk study, are revealed and the Holy Spirit opens our eyes in new ways. Such was the case in preparing this week’s Bible Study To GO!

As I worked with these chapters, I kept taking notice of the word, righteousness. Allow me to extract these verses:

Psalm 96:

Before the LORD, for He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness. (v. 13)

Psalm 97:

Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne. (v. 2)

The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples have seen His glory. (v. 6)

Light is sown like seed for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones, and give thanks to His holy name. (vs. 11-12)

Psalm 98:

O sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him. The LORD has made known His salvation; He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. (vs. 1-3)

Before the LORD, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity. (v. 9)

Psalm 99:

The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. (v. 4)

Also in verses 3, 5 and 9 of the 99th Psalm we read “Holy is He” and “for holy is the Lord our God.”

Take notice of vs 11-12 in Psalm 97. These verses don’t directly view the righteousness of God, but instead, they point toward the ones whom God calls, righteous. There is actually an important distinction here and it is ultimately the revealed truth in today’s study.

The Righteous Creator

treeI’d like to take you back to the opening days of creation in the first chapter of Genesis and lead you through the encounter in the garden where Adam and Eve ate of the fruit in chapter 3.

In Genesis 1:26 we read, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . .”  In 1:27, we read “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Now, let’s apply this word “righteousness” to the opening chapter of Genesis. As righteousness is a facet of God’s image, we can reasonably state that God created humanity in His righteousness. When God looked upon His human creation He saw something. He saw His righteousness. Did He see the righteousness of His creation? No, He viewed His own righteousness.

The Bible never makes mention of Adam’s or Eve’s personal righteousness. As a result of this, we can understand that Adam and Eve were not righteous apart from God. Their righteousness could only be found in their Creator and, while in perfect relationship with Him, they reflected His righteousness perfectly.

If you’ll so indulge me, I’d like to spend time connecting more dots regarding His righteousness.

The Inadequacy of Self-Righteousness

voice of godIn the third chapter of Genesis, we view the fall of humanity. Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was the singular express commandment God forbade of His creation. In their disobedience, they entered into the knowledge of good and evil, bringing forth sin, guilt, shame, and desire for things which would draw them away from their Creator. They no longer reflected the righteousness of God. Instead, they projected their sinful desires.

Do you see how Adam’s and Eve’s righteousness was wholly contingent upon God? When they stepped into sin, they rejected His righteousness and they became sinful. Had they been righteous apart from God, they would have been righteous without Him after eating the fruit. Humanity abandoned and rejected God’s righteousness, and apart from Him there is no righteousness.

Isaiah 45:24 tells us, “Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength . . .”

You cannot find righteousness outside of God. You can try all you want to be good and righteous, but in looking toward your own efforts, you’ll always come up short.

Our Righteous Hope

There is a beautiful hope in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, though.

2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Philippians 3:9 tells us, “. . . not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

I especially love the words of Psalm 98:1-3, which I have written above. They reveal that God’s righteousness has been revealed and His salvation has been seen. Here’s how I understand the relationship of these two words: God’s righteousness is the method of His salvation.

Psalm 99 tells us that God’s righteousness has been executed in Jacob (Israel). In other words, God’s method of salvation was executed in the Old Testament for His chosen people. God wasn’t viewing perfect adherence to the Law to establish righteousness. No, God was viewing His righteousness imparted on Israel through the Law.

As Jesus fulfilled the Law, He (God) imparted His (God’s) righteousness (Jesus) on all who receive the free gift of grace through faith in Jesus.

So, What’s the Play Call?

Well, the Psalms reveal that too:

  • Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth. (Ps 96:1)
  • Let the earth rejoice. (Ps 97:1)
  • Be glad in the Lord . . . give thanks to His holy name. (Ps. 97:12)
  • Shout joyful . . . Sing praises to the Lord. (Ps. 98:4-5)
  • Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill. (Ps. 99:9)
  • Serve the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with joyful singing. (Ps. 100:2)

 

Kingdom Psychology 101: Factors That Shape Our Thoughts and Behaviors in Christ

By
Jeannette Tyson
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Psychology 101

As Christians, we should see everything through our spiritual lenses. Our thoughts and behaviors, the things we see and hear should be interpreted from the mind of Christ – accepting what is fruitful and rejecting everything else.

Our Playbook in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 tells us, “Test everything said, hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil.”

Psychology 101 from a Kingdom Perspective

While taking Psychology 101, the Holy Spirit showed me how the class material could be used from a Kingdom perspective. Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior; it helps us understand ourselves and others. Deliverance requires a lot of self-work and ministry requires patience and compassion for people. Psych is a broad subject, but there are three areas that I believe are particularly useful to the Kingdom: lifespan development (specifically early childhood), motivation, and learning.

Lifespan Development

bloom where you're plantedLifespan Development highlights the average age in which we reach certain milestones. I want to highlight early childhood and adolescence because we form our identity during these stages.

We all know that salvation does not prevent temptation and that we have to stay sober-minded to resist evil (1 Peter 5:8). But, why are there some people who struggle with pride and others who struggle with lust? Chances are that some of these struggles go back to childhood, and something you experienced as a child influenced those behaviors.

In church, we call this a generational curse (Exodus 34:7). As we grow in God and learn His ways, we feel guilty for sinful desires and we have to be very careful not to internalize these mindsets that try to attach themselves to our identity. Studying the Word on how to live, think, and act will expose the wrong we were taught, whether directly or indirectly.

For instance, almost every female in my family had children out of wedlock, and even though they never told me to do it, their example informed me that it was “ok”. Many of us get saved and then glean from elders in the body. Thank God for exposing us to what we need once we enter the Kingdom.

Train up a Child

gender identityLifespan development also teaches us how important it is to raise our children up in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). Children start to distinguish words and sounds at about 6 months old! Knowing this, we can be sure to read the Bible aloud, play appropriate music, and avoid unwholesome talk (which we should be doing anyway). Our example to them is most important because they need to see us walk the walk.

In one study of families who were in temporary shelters after a hurricane, researchers noted that the kids would look at their parents to see if they were distressed; the children of distressed parents were more fearful than those whose parents were calm.

So, we have to remember to exercise our faith in front of our kids and teach them how to depend on God. If you are raising your kids this way from birth, adolescence shouldn’t be a problem. But, for those who already have older kids, adolescence is when they are heavily influenced by peers rather than parents. Watching who your children hang out with and having open discussions about everything is a great way to keep the lines of communication open and lead them in truth.

Motivation

successMotivation is essential to growth! Internal motivation is what drives you to what God has for you. My Intro to Psychology textbook defines motivation as wants or needs that direct our behavior toward a goal. For example, if you’re tired, you’ll be motivated to go home, shower, and get in bed. This seems so simple and obvious, but in reading this I realized that whether you are productive or not – motivation is present!

This means that if you procrastinate, it could be said that you are motivated to fail. Why would anyone be motivated to fail? Most of us, if asked, would readily claim to want a lot in life. But, how many of us, if examined, would be found productive in moving toward our goals?

Motivation is not always positive, although we typically use it that way. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. If we are spending most of those hours doing nothing, we have to take a look at what is motivating us. Fear and depression can motivate you the same way faith and joy can!

The study of motivation can also help us in our relationships with others, whether in ministry or parenting. When we see people are stagnant in life, we can discern there is a lack of positive motivation. We can edify them and build them up in the spirit to reinforce productivity. Consistently speaking life to people around us goes a long way. People pay a lot of money for inspiration at conferences and seminars. You never know how you might spark something in someone that could propel them to their destiny.

Learning

study God's wordIn the body of Christ, we’re always learning. Proverbs 18:15 says “Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge.” It’s important to know your preferred method of learning – seeing, doing, hearing – so that you can figure out how to make the best out of your quiet time with God.

My mother loves to listen to the Bible read aloud from her phone – she’s an auditory learner. I learn by doing, so even though I study, I learn more through life experiences and things in life that confirm God’s Word to me. You will also discover the ways you learn without even trying, such as watching violent movies. There was a study done with children where they allowed them to watch violent cartoons, then observed their behavior on the playground. The kids who watched the violent programming were more aggressive during play time. We have to guard our hearts and minds against negative influences around us and stay in the spirit if we’re going to live holy lives.

So, What’s the Play Call?

  • Surrender your mental health to God (Philippians 2:5). No matter what your human psyche has been exposed to, allow the blood of Jesus to transform you and the mind of Christ to restore and renew your way of thinking.
  • Whatever you do, do as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23). No matter how menial or seemingly irrelevant the endeavor, try to find God in everything you do. Ask Him what can be learned from every experience and encounter.
  • Remember that everything we do is for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). Make sure that all your pursuits are God-centered. Whatever you learn, filter it through your Christian perspective and ask God how He would have you to use it to glorify Him.

 

All Things Work Together for Good, not Bad

By
Drea Frost
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All Things Work Together for Good

All Things = Everything

When life and circumstances bombard you, can you still believe that all the issues you may be facing are working together for your good?

It can be difficult to trust that God is making it all come out good when it’s so bad!

God guarantees us that even sickness, disappointment, money woes, relationship issues, and loss are all working together for our good.

Isn’t that remarkable? You could be experiencing the most difficult time in your life, but because you love God and are called according to His purpose – He’s making it all good (Romans 8:28).

The beautiful thing about serving God is that you will experience some tough situations, but He’s always right in the fire with you! He promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

So, What’s the Play Call?

Team, here are a few things to remember when experiencing tough moments in life:

Faith is essential. Belief and trust in God must be at the forefront. “And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

Try not to be so blinded by the obstacles to the point that you can’t see the blessing of the season you’re in. God wants to draw closer to you – continually invite Him in and watch your perspective change.

Ask for wisdom! God wants to give us wisdom. He invites us to ask for it, and He will give it to us freely. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5 KJV)

Last, but certainly not least, allow the circumstance to mature and grow you! Don’t just go through stuff – always seek God for the lesson. Be intentional in your prayers and in your daily walk with Christ. There is always something to learn and some area of life we need to mature in. Read, meditate, and believe God’s Word – it’s our manual for life!

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 KJV)

Much Love!

When Believers Truly Believe

By
Kimberly D. Graham
-
believe

I Believe…

I am going to be, do, and have all that I imagine and say that I can be, do, and have – just because I can. 

I listened to a song by Donnie McClurkin this morning that said something like, “I am walking in authority, living life the way it’s meant to be, it’s not wrong dear, I belong here, so you might as well get used to me.”  While listening and singing along, I kept saying yep, that’s right, that’s exactly right; this is the attitude God wants us to have and the way He wants us to walk.

When we as believers really believe and begin to walk in our authority, we will begin to experience all types of great things – just because we can!  God’s plan for our life makes Him smile. If we would but believe in it, in Him, and in ourselves, we too would smile.

Get optimistic about your life.

What happened has happened; deal with it, learn from it, and then grow.  Grow into your best You, which can only emerge when you release what has happened.  Your past only has the power you give it, so, don’t take the power you need for your present and give it to your past.

Aren’t you ready to shine bright like a diamond?  Only you can give yourself permission to do so.  Leave your past in the past and begin to enjoy your present, for when you do, you set yourself up for an unbelievable future!  When Believers believe, there are no limits!

There are no limits to what we can do because there are no limits to God our Father!  In scripture, more specifically John 14:12-14, Jesus said, “If you believe, greater works shall you do because He is with the Father.”

The question is, what do you believe?

Do you believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ?  Do you believe God made you a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5-9)?

We have power!  We don’t have to lay around in a fetal position with our thumbs in our mouths, nor do we have to sit around complaining – we have the power to change things.  The moment we choose to, we can give our problems an expiration date, just like Jesus did to the fig tree that wasn’t producing fruit (Mark 11:12-14). The power of life and death is in our tongue too (Proverbs 18:21)!

Abundance is a birthright.

We can live abundant lives if we choose to do so. Jesus came and gave us that option in John 10:10.  Life doesn’t have to be as bad as it is at times.  We have been given power and authority, however, we tend not to use it for the purpose it was given.

God is not mad at us, Jesus loves us, and Holy Spirit comforts and reminds us of things we need to know.  It’s us, who at times don’t believe and get ourselves in situations that aren’t good.

We can’t play the blame game anymore!  We have work to do that starts with getting acquainted or reacquainted with the Holy Bible.  We must love it and read it more than we love and watch our favorite shows.  We must be intentional about our lives from this moment on and stop letting things happen to us when they should be happening for us.

So, What’s the Play Call?

Only believe, it’s not too late!  When Believers believe, all things are possible!  When Believers believe, we watch the words that come out of our mouth and speak life concerning our lives.  When Believers believe, prayer, praise, and worship are heard more than anything else – because prayer, praise, and worship change things.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, it is time to truly believe.  If at this moment you can’t say that you are, I invite you to read Romans 10:9-10.  After giving your life to Christ, pray and ask God to surround you with those who believe, for when Believers believe, great things happen!

 

What are you believing God for? Let’s join our faith together!

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