For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. James 1:23-24 (NLT) God’s Word contains all kinds of information about the real you. By meditating on it, you discover who you really are and what you can do as a follower of Christ. Imagine if you went into a witness protection program and had surgery to completely change the way you looked. Whenever you would see yourself in the mirror at first, you’d be shocked. That’s because you have an image in your mind of what you look like. Even if surgery changed you completely, you would retain that self-image—until you were confronted …

asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. Ephesians 1:17 (NLT) You don’t need more information. You need epiphanies, or in other words, revelations. They change your life. The fact is that every one of us will always need more revelation about who we truly are in Christ. In the Greek language, the word “revelation” is apokalupsis. According to one definition in the Strong’s Concordance, it means an unveiling, uncovering or revealing. In other words, when you have a revelation, something is uncovered. The veil is lifted and the truth is revealed. In Ephesians 1:17, Paul prayed for this wisdom and revelation that we all need. …

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. Colossians 3:9–10 (NLT) Are you living like the child of God you are?  Somewhere along the way, you may have picked up the belief that you need to beg God for everything. You may have been taught to see yourself as a weak, lowly sinner who needs to fast, pray and plead with God to try to make Him feel sorry for you. It’s not true. You are to live like the child of a King that you are! It’s not that fasting is useless, but often …

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14 (NKJV) When you gave your life to Jesus, an incredible event took place, an event that is often downplayed. Most people understand that this decision means they are saved from hell and are going to go to heaven one day. This is wonderful, but there’s even more. You see, this Christian life isn’t about living a painful life here on earth until one day when you get to Heaven. You don’t have to live with debilitating low self-worth, anger issues or addictions. You don’t have to settle for shallow, distant relationships or feel like you don’t belong. These are all part of the old nature—the one that …

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. John 16:13 (NLT) Being Spirit Contemporary requires us to be ever-changing. God is leading you on a journey of getting to know Him better, and will always cause you to grow and become more effective. Change is crucial on that journey. Churches need to change. People need to change. Families need to change to keep up with their changing and growing kids. Change may be uncomfortable at times, but if we don’t change, we risk losing it all. This is an area of real struggle for the church because we …