Then the Lord turned to [Gideon] and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” Judges 6:14 (NLT)  We’ve been on a series discussing ways to go greater with God. Much of it involves preparing ahead of time. But today we’re going to talk about something very active: exhibiting courage.  It’s not about whether you feel courageous. I couldn’t tell you how many times I looked at the challenges ahead and felt my stomach go into a knot. If you’re experiencing the same thing, speak to your emotions and tell them to be still (Psalm 46:10, 131:2). I’m not saying you shouldn’t pay attention to your emotions—just don’t allow them to lead your life. Decide to exhibit courage.  The truth …

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins.” Luke 5:37 (NLT)  One way to go to a greater level in your life is to allow God to make changes in you.  Today’s scripture reminds us that if we want to see something new in our lives, we need to change in order to receive it. Being born again is the first step that makes you a new creation. Then you need to let Holy Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes (Romans 12:2).  Something else He does is heal your broken heart. You may not think you’re broken-hearted, but all of us have an orphan spirit before we accept Jesus. Even if you grew …

So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. Soon every container was full to the brim! 2 Kings 4:5–6 (NLT)  Yesterday we talked about preparing to make a greater impact with your life. Another way to go greater is to position yourself for miracles.  One of the best examples of this is found in 2 Kings 4. A widow was about to lose her sons as slaves to a creditor. All she had left in her possession was one jar of oil. So the prophet Elisha told her to gather as many jars as she could from her neighbours and fill them with the oil she had. Once she started pouring, miraculously every jar …

Enlarge your house. You are going to need a bigger place; don’t underestimate the amount of room that you’ll need. So build, build, build. You will increase in every direction to fill the world. Your offspring will take over the nations; your people will revitalize long-abandoned towns. Isaiah 54:2–3 (VOICE)  Over the next few days, I want to share five principles to help you go greater with God.  First, you need to prepare for a greater impact with your life. Get ready to have a bigger impact on your family, neighbours and city. Picture making a difference in your career and relationship circles.  Isaiah 54 talks about enlarging the place of your tent and preparing for increase. This scripture is prophetic about the church, but it’s also about …

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18 (NLT)  I was a football quarterback in high school. Whenever we got down to the last few seconds of the game and needed points to win, I never chose a player at random to make the final play. I knew exactly who could push through anything and take the ball into the end zone. Most people perform worse when it’s crunch time, but these players thrived under pressure—it drove them to run faster, catch better and score more.  Which kind of player are you? Today I want to begin teaching you how to go greater in life when the pressure is on. If fear …