Faith Matters Podcast

Opportunity for a Fresh Start

Refresh – To give new strength or energy to; reinvigorate.When was the last time that you started fresh, or felt the need to refresh yourself?We hear this concept a lot.“It’s time to wipe the slate clean.”“It’s time to start fresh.”“Time to start over.”Time for new beginnings, which sometimes means the closing of doors and opening of others.Having to refresh can be viewed as a positive or a negative, depending on the circumstances that lead to the fresh start. A fresh start can be indicative of a new home, a failed business, going back to school, dropping out of college, going broke, or becoming wealthy. It’s all a fresh start, but as people, we don’t always view fresh starts as inherently good.Why?Because starting fresh often means starting with nothing. It means changing and transforming into something new, and new can be scary sometimes.But just because we’re starting fresh doesn’t mean that we have to give up everything. In fact, it is better to build a new home upon a solid foundation than it is to build on shaky grounds. The truth is that you and I can gain a fresh start without throwing everything away. In fact, often God utilizes our greatest strengths while we work on overcoming our weaknesses.He did it with David.He did it with Moses.He did it with Paul.He gave them the opportunity for a fresh start, but He did not strip them entirely of who they were. Their lives changed drastically, but they were still true to themselves. He knew the plans that He had for them would change their lives forever, and although I’m sure they were nervous, they chose the fresh start that God had laid before them. They chose to refresh, and they did great things as a result.Sometimes God gives us opportunities to restart. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of it.It could be the restart that leads to a happier, better you.Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19

Ignited Day 5

Going Deeper In PrayerTo be successful at anything, there must be a burning desire. Whether your goal is to practice medicine or to dominate a certain sport, without love for what you want to do, the flame will go out and it will be just too challenging… and overall, draining.You must also keep in mind that desire does not appear out of nowhere. You are initially intrigued by something. A mild curiosity, if you will. But it is strong enough that you want to know more. Let’s say, for example, you are somewhat interested in marketing like I was. You admire all the digital marketing strategies out there. But gradually your interest goes beyond just watching YouTube tutorials and browsing through books about marketing. Eventually, you want to be involved personally. So you move from a PC to a Mac and apply for a bunch of different courses. As you grow, your passion and curiosity continue to grow as well. After years of dedication to your craft, you learn the ropes and end up launching your own agency or becoming an executive at a high-profile company.Frankly, developing a passion for God goes through the same steps. For many people, faith in God is more of an unexplored curiosity, a type of emotional safety net to help you get through difficult times, rather than a passion that consumes you.But it’s time we change that. We were never meant to plateau with God. We are meant to go from glory to glory to glory to Heaven. We must begin diving deeper. Not only when we are at a conference or a retreat, on a mission trip, or in the middle of a hype sermon.And the way to go have an intimate relationship with Him requires a whole lot of prayer.Prayer is more than just a task to cross off your list. It's more than just a requirement. One of the greatest blessings and privileges we have as Christians is the ability to pray. God gives us the gift of his availability for communication at all hours of the day or night. His ability to hear what's on your heart and respond in ways you can't fathom.The purpose of prayer is not to be a last-ditch effort when all else has failed. It's supposed to be your compass and the most significant talk you have all day.God wants to be in your life every day, all day, not just on Sunday.Do you know what happens if you incorporate prayer into your daily life rather than only on Sundays?Fire. Fire always comes after steadfast, diligent prayer! The apostles had been in prayer for several days before Pentecost when the fire was cast onto them. Every significant revival started with a core group of Christians praying.To remain alive, your physical body needs to breathe. Your spiritual body is no different. It has to pray to stay alive. How long could you survive if you decided to stop breathing?Jesus is looking for followers who pray.You cannot stay on fire for God without prayer. At every level of the spiritual fire, prayer is crucial. Never forget that the door to your prayer room also serves as the entrance to God's throne. One of the main ways to maintain the fire is prayer.Pray to Him. Fellowship with Him. And watch your soul get ignited once more.PrayerGod, Purify me of all impurities and cleanse my heart from the inside out. May seeking first the Kingdom of God and all your righteousness be my top focus and greatest passion in life.My deepest and most fervent wish is to spend my entire life in the Lord's house, where I can gaze upon your splendor and be in your company. Grant me a true, everlasting fire for you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Ignited Day 4

FellowshipSome Christians today view fellowship as optional. Many don't consider belonging to a Christian community as essential to living a Christian life. So many people in the church view fellowship with other believers through a “take it or leave it” mentality. Even Sunday morning worship services are all too often looked at as a “nice to have” or something we “should do if time allows”.This approach to fellowship and community is completely out of step with biblical Christian living. Across the New Testament, it is crystal clear how critical Christian community is to every aspect of our lives as Christians! We as Christians must work to surround ourselves with a community of believers which in turn helps us foster a genuine passion for God during our daily lives.The idea of "power in numbers" has a certain reality to it. When we spend time with other believers, we feel more confident in our faith and more aware of God's presence in our lives. The act of believers coming together, holding one another responsible, and serving as a form of living testimony to one another has a special power.Nothing is more lovely than how the gospel is portrayed in the positive relationships we have as a body of believers. We will undoubtedly experience hurt in this body, but we will also have the chance to forgive. We can experience what it was like for Jesus to be hurt by the people he loved yet continue to love them despite it. The hardest aspect of community is also the aspect that most resembles His life and ministry.It’s time to recognize your God-ordained need for people, and then seek to build relationships with the people God has placed in your life. If you want a sustaining fire for Jesus, you need a network of believers that push you to the cross daily.Who can you reach out to today? Who can you grab a cup of coffee with to fellowship? Who can you simply send a text over to?PrayerThank You, Father, for not referring to me as Your servant but rather as Your friend.Lord, please help me to strengthen my friendships. I need an upgrade in terms of community because my life's season has shifted. I am grateful for the relationships I have had throughout the years, but I yearn to walk with a godly friend toward the life that Jesus has called us to.Keep me away from disparaging remarks about others, dishonest statements, arrogance, and depravity. Please pardon me for these vices and help me to become more like You by daily practicing integrity. So that I can expand my circle of friends and become a draw for godly individuals and bring You glory and much joy, please grant me favor and make me a magnet for them.In Jesus’ NameAmen

Ignited Day 3

RepentanceTo return to God, we must turn away from competing lovers.Just being real here - some days I have no time for prayer but amazingly find hours to scroll on a social app.If you feel something has crowded into your private space with God, show it to the door this week. Turn it off. Once and for all.One thing many Christians miss when trying to get their fire for God back is their need to repent. Get alone with God. Get quiet and wait for Him. Worship Him. Talk to Him. Bare your soul to Him.Even though we might not have killed someone or held up a bank, what about those "small things" that are so simple to excuse?Have we ever been in line at the grocery store and counted the calories in the basket of the overweight woman in front of us? Have we unintentionally indulged in gossip at work? Have we "innocently flirted" with someone that is not our spouse?Repentance is so freeing. Being transformed into God’s image and sustaining a fire for Him involves turning away from the ties of this world and the sins that so readily corrupt us.Many Christians in our generation don’t take sin nearly seriously enough. And that's a major factor in why the church resembles the outside world so much. True repentance is not something we value. The amount of sin you decide to allow into your life directly relates to how passionately you love God and follow Him.If you are habitually sinning, you will not, and cannot, have a genuine passion for Jesus Christ because that sin is an area of darkness that will prevent you from basking in the full light of Christ.A heart that is passionate for God is a heart that is open to the Holy Spirit’s prompting toward repentance because only a pure heart can cultivate a genuine passion for God.PrayerThank you, Lord, for making me one of your friends and for revealing to me the facets of your kingdom. I want to get to know you better, so please rid me of any sin in my life.To avoid giving in to my flesh's desires, please help me concentrate on the things of your Spirit.So that I can produce fruit for your kingdom, please help me to remain in your love.I'll continue to worship you in spirit and in truth while keeping my heart near to you.In Jesus’ name, I pray.Amen.

Ignited Day 2

His WordWhen you initially trusted Jesus with your life, do you remember the fervor you felt for the Lord? Do you still recall the thrill and passion you experienced? But then reality crept in. School. Work. Relationships. Our devotion to God can become ordinary and less fervent simply because life happens. But more than anything, Satan adores apathy in Christians. It's time to change your faith if it's become mundane. God’s will is not for you to be on fire for Him sometimes. But always.Side note: Being on fire doesn’t always mean we will feel on fire. A fire for God is not an emotional high. A fire for God is choosing to obey Him and follow Him, even when our feelings may not be in sync in the current moment.As we focus on getting our fire back for God permanently, we need to commit to spending daily time with God.The first step in developing a genuine fire for Him is making the choice to devote some of our day to learning more about God. And we learn about Him by spending time in the Bible.So turn off all distractions. Use the Bible app to listen to scripture and follow awesome reading plans, journal and jot down your favorite scriptures, highlight verses in your paper bible… however you do it, whatever it looks like, in order to sustain your fire for God, you have to spend time with God in His word.The Bible is not just an oversized book. It is a letter of love. It is addressed to the bride from the bridegroom! We don't have this business-like, transactional relationship with Christ! We have a close, loving relationship that is personal. So review His letter to you once more. 1 John is a good place to start. It serves as a reminder of the extent to which the Father personally loves you.But let’s be real. You can’t hit a target if you don’t know where you’re aiming. Make a plan for what your quiet time with God will look like every day.And remember, some days we will fall short, and that’s where the Gospel will come into play. We are able to mess up and get right back on track because of what Jesus did on the cross for us.A fire for God is found in consistently learning about Him and reflecting on how much He loves us.PrayerI thank you, Lord since you are my God and my Savior. You are my everlasting joy, and whenever I am in your presence, I am filled with happiness.I desire to constantly be in your presence so that I may benefit from the renewal that comes through your Spirit. Being in your presence brings about a life-changing shift.Show me the way of life, and I'll walk it for the rest of my days. May I always follow your guidance as I spend time with you and never lose my way in life.While I'm in your presence, feed my spirit and give me access to all of your knowledge and wisdom.Give me the courage to seek you out every day and fill my heart with your loving words.In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Ignited Day 1

The GospelMany of us wish we could constantly be fired up for God. We want a stronger desire to follow Him, we long to submit to Him, and we really do want to share Him with others. But life’s roadblocks can get in the way.The question is... Despite all of those roadblocks, how can your devotion to God be stronger? How do you ensure that it endures regardless of external circumstances?Perhaps you can recall when you first became a Christian and how eager you were to attend church and read your Bible. But somewhere along the way, it became all too easy to fall into a "groove" with schedules filled with Christian activities, leading us to just hit "cruise control" throughout our journey.And as heartbreaking as it is to admit - that is exactly what a lukewarm believer is described as.A lukewarm Christian is typically one who has retreated so gradually that they are unaware of their own complacency. Or a person who is still attempting to figure out how to have it all - the things of this world, and a relationship with Christ. We introduce a destructive level of misunderstanding in both situations. We start living for ourselves when we allow ourselves to become lukewarm. We also spread a false understanding of God's grace.If you’re reading this, you’re probably pleading like David did, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation”. But despite your pleading, it feels impossible to see a clear path from where you are to those times of passion in God's presence.Because friends… It really is possible to maintain a flame for God. Our devotion to God doesn't have to be limited to fleeting moments after attending a powerful sermon, gathering, or performance. When we start relying on external things to fuel us up rather than God himself… that’s where we find ourselves in trouble.The first step is to take a fresh look at the Gospel.Paul tells us in Romans that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… Meaning that the Gospel is just as much for believers as it is for unbelievers. The present tense describes the continual process of believing. The gospel saves us not just at the time of conversion, but it continues to save us throughout our entire lives.If you've lost your enthusiasm for Jesus, you need to be in awe of the Gospel again.To recap the Gospel in just a few words…God created us to be with Him. (Genesis 1-2)Our sins separate us from God. (Genesis 3)Sins cannot be removed by good deeds. (Genesis 4 – Malachi 4)Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life. (John)Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever. (Acts – Revelation)Sit with that message for a second.No run of good days will get us nearer to God, and no run of terrible days will condemn us. Because of the love that Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit have for us, he willingly offered his life for us.Make every effort to embed this profoundly transformative Gospel message in your heart and thoughts.PrayerGod, Today, I ask for passion. I ask for a greater desire to follow You and carry out Your will in my life. Please make the Gospel the forefront of my thoughts. I cherish you. Help me to love you more and more each day. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.