They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. Matthew 23:4 (NLT) Have you ever noticed how Jesus responded to the religious people of His time? By the way He addressed them in Matthew 23, it’s clear that He wasn’t a fan of religion. In fact, He taught that religion crushes people and makes them carry a burden too heavy to endure. The word religion is rarely used in a positive sense. Religion uses guilt and fear to try to keep you in line. Its rules are designed to force your steps, and it relies on systems and rituals to earn God’s approval. When you’re taught that you have to do certain things to earn God’s blessings or …

God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! Romans 8:15–17 (MSG) Things have been spoken into your life that have helped you to become who you are today. In elementary school, a well-meaning teacher may put their arm around a child to say, “Sweetheart, just because you find the answers a little slower than everyone else, it doesn’t mean that you are dumb. You’re special too.” Sounds like a great thing to say, but this comment can bring a child’s attention to the fact that they find answers more slowly. If their brain hooks …

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. 1 John 3:1 (ESV) After I taught a message about self-esteem one Sunday, a man shared with me that when he was young, his dad always told him he couldn’t expect to do well. His dad believed that people of their family line couldn’t expect success in their city because of discrimination. This man knew that his dad was only trying to prevent him from suffering disappointment, but this limiting belief shaped the way he saw himself and viewed his potential. He ended up becoming a doctor, but only after he overcame this limiting belief. You may have heard something similar when …

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9–10 (NKJV) Romans 10:9–10 are beautiful verses. When you believe Jesus is Lord and you declare this belief, you are put in right standing with God and are saved. Being a Christian is not about following a bunch of rules perfectly. It’s a way of life that starts with a belief. You come as you are, with all the baggage, hurt, guilt and shame, and powerful Jesus washes you clean making you a new creation. It’s a wonderful new start that …