Our Foundation

3 Weapons To Use In Spiritual Battles

Then they entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. 22 They were surprised at his teaching—so forthright, so confident—not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars. 23 Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and yelling out, 24 “What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to! You’re the Holy One of God, and you’ve come to destroy us!” 25 Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” 26 The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting loudly—and got out. 27 Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!” 28 News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee.
Mark 1:21-28 (MSG)

A few years ago my wife and I were on a date-night in Nashville and got in a traffic-jam. The usual roads were closed and police were directing traffic. We couldn’t turn around or get out of the line. We thought the line was due to a wreck. At one point we rolled down our window and asked someone what was happening. “You’re at a concert.” They said. We didn’t expect that. We were in Nashville though, it shouldn’t have surprised us. Instead of trying to turn around, we bought tickets and had a fun and unexpected date-night to a concert we didn’t know we were in line for.

Many times as believers we get surprised by the fact that we are in line for a spiritual battle.

‘The problem is that most people overestimate or either underestimate spiritual warfare. It’s funny how the devil likes it when we over believe or under believe instead of Bible believe.’
C.S. Lewis-

Right at the onset of the Gospel of Mark we see Jesus be interrupted by someone who was possessed with a demon. I love seeing the response of Jesus to the evil spirit. He used the authority that he had to tell the evil spirit to be quiet and leave the person.

Jesus Has Authority

We see in this passage who is in full control of this battle. The evil spirit had to obey Jesus. There was no great conflict. One word from Jesus was enough to cause the demon to start packing. Jesus has all authority. As you go throughout your day, think about the authority that Jesus has over everything in our world. He is in full control.

You Have Authority

As believers we have authority over anything that would come against us through Jesus. We are not powerless. Many times as believers it is easy for us to live from a defensive posture when it comes to the world. We are trying our best to just hold on and hopefully we will make it. This is not the posture that Jesus had. He understood His authority and pushed back the kingdom of darkness wherever he went. We are called to do the same and bring hope and life wherever we go today! Understand the authority that you have in Christ and use the weapons that God has given you against the enemy.

You have weapons against the enemy that are available to you today!

#1 The Name of Jesus

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
Luke 10:17–19 NIV

The Name of Jesus is the highest name on earth! That name is the highest authority. Like a law enforcement officer that has the authority to say “Stop, In the name of the law.” We are able to tell the enemy to “Stop, in the name of Jesus.” He has to obey the name of Jesus!

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
Philippians 2:10 NIV

#2 The Word of God

When Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness by Satan in Matthew 4 and Luke 4, his weapon was to tell Satan, “It is written.” Jesus used the Word of God to win the battle. The Word of God is more than just something that we should use for devotions. The Word of God is a sword that can be used to defeat the enemy in battle.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17

#3 The Blood of Jesus

Another weapon that we have is to remind the enemy about the victory of Jesus on the cross! My grandmother used to say, “I plead the blood of Jesus.” When things were coming against our family. She was reminding the enemy about the victory that Jesus won on the cross! This is one of the ways that we triumph over the enemy according to the Book of Revelation.

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…
Revelation 12:11 NIV

So today, let’s not be surprised when experience a spiritual attack. Let’s understand that Jesus has all authority and that he has given us authority through, His Name, His Word, and His blood that we can use to fight the enemy. Let us not be passive, but let us be bold and take the fight to the enemy!

Jesus, thank you for the victory that we have in you!  Today we trust you!  Help us to recognize the attack of the enemy today and take the authority that you have given us.  We submit our lives completely to You Lord!  Have you way in our lives today.  Use us to advance Your Kingdom today.  In Jesus Name!

Lock Eyes with Jesus

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him. 19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
Mark 1:16-20 (NLT)

It is graduation season again! A few years ago I attended a local graduation that was hosted at the Thompson-Boling arena downtown. This massive graduating class looked as small as ants while on the floor of this arena with 20,000 seats! Each of the students were doing the same thing when they walked in wearing their cap and gown. They each were looking for the faces of their family and friends that came to see them. Then they would smile and wave once they found them. Yes, there was a huge crowd, but what made it special was the fact that they were seen by those that loved them.

In life it is easy to think that we are just a face in the crowd; that we are not that important. Maybe you have heard negative words spoken over you. Maybe you hate what you see when you look in the mirror. You think that you are not someone that anyone cares about. You feel invisible. I want to share some hope with you; Jesus sees you.

Jesus sees you

Mark’s account of Jesus begins with the note that Jesus saw Simon and Andrew. That didn’t just mean that he physically saw them. It meant that they were so valuable to Jesus that he knew who they were individually. He saw them. Jesus sees you today. You are known by God. Think about that statement. The God of the universe knows you. He knows everything about you. He knows your ups and downs. He knows your fears and your tears. He knows you. The number of hairs on your head are numbered.

Know that as you walk throughout this day you are known by God. If he had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If he had a cell phone, your photo would be his background. He sees you!

Fishing was not a prestigious job in this time. It was an average blue-collar occupation. They probably did not fell very important or noticed, but here they are being noticed by Jesus.

Jesus invites you

Not only does Jesus see you, He calls you. Like Simon and Andrew, Jesus invites you to be part of his team. He believes you have what it takes to be someone who makes a difference. You have what it takes to change the world. You were created on purpose for a purpose!

Jesus invites you to follow him and as you follow him he will show you how to step into your purpose and become fishers of men. Why did God allow you to wake up today? What is your purpose?

Leave Your Nets

All of this would not be possible if they did not say yes to the invitation. The scripture says simply: “They left their nets.” This was huge because it represented how they made a living and so much more. It represented their time, training, andtheir reputation with friends, family, and coworkers. They knew that they had to leave the nets if they were going to take this next step with Jesus.

We all have nets. We all have a comfort zone that keeps us from following Jesus with everything we have. Maybe your net is your popularity or financial security. It is something different for everyone. Jesus was going to fully supply all of their needs, but they had to trust him and leave their nets.

You are seen by God. You are invited by God to a life beyond imagination. Let’s let go of our nets and follow Jesus with all of our hearts today!

Lord, thank you for seeing us.  Thank you for your great love for us.  Help us to look up from the struggles and anxieties of life and see your invitation today.  Help us to put down our nets and be followers today.  Help us to fish for men today.  Help us to make a difference in the lives of others.  In Jesus Name!

Take a moment to answer the following questions:

Am I following Jesus today?
Are there things that I need to let go of that are holding me back?
What is the next step God is calling me to take today?
What is something I can practically do today to reach out to someone who needs the hope?

A Key To Overcoming Temptation

One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” 12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, 13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. 14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. 15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
Mark 1:9-15 (NLT)

Yesterday, while standing in our kitchen, one of my sons walked up to me, pulled up his sleeve and said, “Feel my muscles Dad! I’m strong.” After affirming his new-found-strength, I had him feel my bicep then proceeded to have a moment like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite about how much weight I could lift during my glory days. It must be a guy-thing. 🤣

I think when it comes to temptation we think of it being a test of brute strength and willpower. Like trying to reach a new max in weightlifting, if we can just psych ourselves up enough we can push the weight of temptation. Sadly, that’s just not how it works.

Jesus shows us how to conquer temptation.

I find it encouraging that even Jesus experienced the terror of temptation. He can identify with you in your moments of temptation. I thought being strong meant you never would experience temptation. This what my perception of Christians, mostly because I never heard any Christian leaders talk about their struggles. The only time it would be talked about was when an influential pastor had a moral failure, and the conversation would be centered around the shock of the fall. I was very young when I started serving in the ministry, working at a church at 18-years old. I would go to church and see God move in mighty ways and then come home to experience temptation alone. I thought something was wrong with me. I thought that if I really loved God, I will not experience temptation. Simply not true.

So how did Jesus deal with temptation? In Mark’s account we don’t see the details of his temptation like we see in the other Gospel accounts. What I saw in Mark’s account was the emphasis of what happened right before Jesus was tempted.

Jesus experienced temptation in the wilderness immediately after the moment the Father affirmed his relationship. Temptation is always about if we are going to believe who God says we are, or if we are going to believe what everything and everyone around us is saying. Are we going to believe what we feel, or are we going to believe God.

Temptation is not a test of willpower, it is test of relationship.

I oftentimes see temptation as a test of willpower alone. I think it is all about how strong I am and try to conquer it in my own power, most times to no avail. However, when I look at this account of the life of Jesus I see him walking into the wilderness with affirmation of his identity from the Father.

“You are my dearly loved son. You bring me great joy.” Do you know this is how God feels about you. He speaks this over your life as well. Notice, this pronouncement was before Jesus did many of his recorded miracles. He was simply affirming his identity. You are valuable to God not because of what you do, but simply because of who you are. You were created in the image of God. You were created on purpose for a purpose.

So what is one thing can we take away from Jesus’ victory over temptation:

Key: When you are tempted, strengthen your relationship.

When you are tempted alone in the wilderness of life, remember who you are and what God says about you. When you are tempted, strengthen your relationship with God. How do you strengthen your relationship? There are many ways to strengthen your relationship with God: Prayer, worship, listening to a sermon, attending a small group, worshiping with other believers, just to name a few. Put your focus on who God is and what he says about you.

There are two ways to try to stay faithful in my marriage. I can live everyday psyching myself up to “Stay strong.” Or I can just fall in love with my wife and no other options will be appealing to me. Satan’s one goal to destroy a marriage is to put gaps in the relationship so that couples will give in to temptation. When a marriage is full of healthy communication, romance, and honor each day, temptation has no power.

God is with you win the wilderness! He has already spoken over you who you are and what he thinks about you!

You Are Accepted:

I am God’s child. (John 1:12)
I am Christ’s friend. (John 15:15)
I have been justified. (Romans 5:1)
I have been bought with a price. I belong to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
I am a member of Christ’s body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
I have been adopted as God’s child. (Ephesians 1:5)
I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 2:18)
I have been forgiven of all my sins. (Colossians 1:14)
I am complete in Christ. (Colossians 2:10)

You Are Safe:

I am free forever from condemnation. (Romans 8:1-2)
I am assured that all things work together for good. (Romans 8:28)
I am free from any condemning charges against me. (Romans 8:31-34)
I cannot be separated from the love of God. (Romans 8:35-39)
I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be completed. (Philippians 1:6)
I am a citizen of Heaven. (Philippians 3:20)
I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and of self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)
I can find grace and mercy to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me. (1 John 5:18)

You Are Important:

I am the salt and light of the earth. (Matthew 5:13-14)
I am a branch of the true Vine, a channel of His life. (John 15:1,5)
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit. (John 15:16)
I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)
I am God’s temple. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I am God’s workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)
I may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Ephesians 3:12)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

Lord, when we walk through the wilderness and are tempted, help us to remember what You have said about us.  May we see You and all of Your glory when we face temptation.  Father, help us remember how loved we are by you!  Today we choose to pursue more of You in our lives.  Holy Spirit, fill us to overflowing with your presence today!  In Jesus Name!

The Voice Of One

This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
and he will prepare your way.
3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the LORD’s coming!
Clear the road for him!’”
4 This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 6 His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
Mark 1:1-8 (NLT)

Have you ever seen the TV show “The Voice?” That show where the famous singers have chairs that turn around. They face the crowd as they listen to the voice of a singer trying out. If they like the singer’s voice they turn around. If they don’t like the voice they stay facing the opposite direction. It is the voice that makes them turn around.

The Gospel of Mark begins by describing “The voice” of one crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord.” This voice of John the Baptist turned people around.

Your Voice Matters Today

It would have been easy for John to think, “What difference can I make?” and simply quit! He could have focused on the crowd instead of God who gave him a message that Jesus was coming! Maybe you are surrounded by people at your school or at work that do not follow God and you feel like your voice does not matter. John used his voice to change his generation. Your voice matters! You have a unique voice that will reach people. Use your voice today!

Your Message Matters Today

The question is what are you using your voice for? We all raise our voice for something. We all feel pressure to join in with someone raising their voice for some cause. Over the last few years there has been so many issues to raise our voice about. There were undoubtably many causes in John’s day as well, but he choose to make his message simple. His message was all about Jesus!

Let’s make our message all about Jesus today! If you are going to post something, post about Jesus. Before you share that news story, share something about Jesus.

If I asked the people in your life what you talk about the most what would they say?

Let us speak to the people in our lives about Jesus. Let’s make Him the topic of our conversations today! Let’s use our voice to let our world know the Jesus is greater than everything. #JesusOverEverything

-Brandon

"Lord, I pray that you would use us today to share who You are with our world!  Show us opportunities to use our voice to turn our world around.  Help us to speak about you to the people in our lives.  Use use to be a voice in the wilderness today. In Jesus Name. Amen"

5 Ways To Fill Up The Love Tank

Over the next few days I want to share 8 reasons why we run out of gas and what we can do to keep our relationships healthy and moving forward:

2. Being Too Busy to Pause and Refuel

I have never woke up in the morning thinking, “I sure hope I can get gas today!” It is not something that I look forward to. It costs money and also it costs me time to stop. It seems that I always need gas when I am busy and on my way to somewhere important!

It is never convenient or exciting for me to fill up the tank.

Sometimes it is raining or cold. Other times you get the dreaded slow gas pump! I hate the slow gas pump!

It’s the same in relationships!

Maybe you are out of love and wonder if you married the wrong person! You think to yourself, “They know I love them! I did something really nice for them a few months ago. They know I have been busy lately! The reason I am so busy is because I am providing for them. It is all for them. I don’t know why our relationship is out of gas.”

It would be the same as being confused at why your car was sitting on the side of the road empty after you haven’t put gas in it for a month. You think to yourself, “My car should understand. I have been really busy lately. I must have the wrong car!”

Take time today to fill up the tank! Don’t wait on someone else to fill it up for you. Stop the blame game and get a gas can!

Here are 5 ways to pause fill up the tank today:

1. Love with words

☐ Send a kind text message.
☐ Write a letter.
☐ Make a phone call.
☐ Have a conversation without your cell phone in your hand.

2. Love with acts of service

☐ Do something kind that your spouse has been asking you to do.
☐ Stop what you are doing and serve them in a practical way.
☐ Let them know that they are most important to you by the way you serve them.

3. Love with time

☐ Spend some uninterrupted time together.
☐ Go for a walk.
☐ Eat a meal together.
☐ Take a trip together alone.
☐ Plan something creative and fun to do together.

4. Love with touch

☐ Hold hands.
☐ Give a spontaneous back rub.
☐ Regularly be intimate with your spouse.

5. Love with gifts

☐ Buy a flower and a card.
☐ Give a handmade gift.
☐ Bring home their favorite drink or dessert.
☐ Give them a small gift each week.

There is hope for your marriage if it is running out of gas! Take time today to fill up the tank and watch what the Lord will do to strengthen your relationship!

(Ephesians 5:25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

How To Heal A Toxic Relationship

An excerpt from the message “How to Heal Toxic Relationships.” Watch the full message today at www.cityhills.com

There is hope for your family!

Maybe you had a family tree that you are not proud of and wonder if things can change.

YES THEY CAN! In Christ everything can be made new!

When we go all in with God the impact of that decision will not only change our life, but the lives of future generations!

This is my story. My family tree was changed when my Grandfather got in over his head and got water baptized!

Let’s go ALL IN today and see what God will do in and through our lives!

If you would like more info about getting baptized visit www.cityhills.com/baptism

“Road Trip” – Fill Up The Tank

Over the next few days I want to share 8 reasons why we run out of gas and what we can do to keep our relationships healthy and moving forward:

1. Not Starting Out With A Full Tank

Before I take a road trip I always stop by a gas station. I do not like getting gas but when leaving town I know I am doing to need it for the journey.

Relationships are a journey.

Each day is a journey.

What is the first thing you do everyday? I got in a bad habit of picking up my phone and scrolling through social media. I realized that I was starting my day off on empty instead of being filled with hope from the Lord each morning.

A few weeks ago we started our Spring semester of Small Groups at City Hills. My wife and I are leading a Freedom Small Group. Each morning I have been walking through a page of the Freedom book and looking up every scripture that it mentions and engaging with God through His word. It is changing my day! I am leaving the house each morning filled instead of empty!

Each day is a new start in our relationships. Even if your marriage started off on the wrong foot, you can begin again today. Even if you have been making mistakes as a single adult take the opportunity to begin again. Just like God has new mercies for us individually each morning, there are new mercies for our relationships each morning if we will receive them.

“Lord, I give this day to you. I have never been this way before. I surrender all of my expectations of what this day will hold and trust that you are holding it all. I give you the relationships in my life and ask for your help. I surrender everyone and everything to you. Help me to love the people in my life like you love me. You are my God and I choose today to worship you.”

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33)

Questions:
– What is the first thing you do each day? Does it leave you empty or filled?
– What relationship in your life needs a fresh start?
– Are you taking advantage of the fresh start that God has given you today?

Fill Up The Tank

Have you ever ran out of gas? It’s so embarrassing and humbling. The first time I ran out of gas was driving to church a couple years ago! It was cold, raining, and there was no gas station in sight. I had neglected to put gas in the tank for days thinking that I was too busy and that I would get it later.

Cars run out of gas.

There is not such a thing as a car that does not require fuel. (Even if the fuel is electricity 🙂

You can have your dream car, but it will still require fuel.

There is a misconception in the world today that if you marry your “Soulmate” then your relationship will not require any work. There is not such thing as a relationship that does not require fuel to stay healthy.

That day when I ran out of gas I did not get rid of my car sitting empty on the side of the road. I went a bought a gas can! Don’t be so quick to get rid of the relationships that God has brought into your life just because they run out of gas from time to time. Get a gas can and get to work!

Your relationship can come alive again! God is not through with you. However, you have to make a conscious decision to put fuel into it. Stop blaming the other person and get to work yourself. There is hope!

God’s Word says:

“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” (Proverbs 14:23)

Let’s commit to do more than just talk about it. Do some practical things today to fill up the tank of others in our relationships. It could be a simple text message of encouragement, a phone call asking for forgiveness, or scheduling an upcoming date night with your spouse. There is hope when you run out of gas! Don’t give up. It’s just time to fill up the tank!

Over the next few days I want to share 8 reasons why we run out of gas and what we can do to keep our relationships healthy and moving forward:

Questions for Reflection:
What relationship in your life is running on empty?
What is one practical thing you can do today to “Fill up the Tank?”