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by Julia Bruce

As Christians, we are to imitate Christ. We are to be continually growing and becoming more like Him. However, because we are sinners saved by grace, we still make mistakes and we will continue to make mistakes until we reach heaven. Our old, sinful nature is constantly at war with our new creation because the sinful nature is always pulling us from righteous, Godly living. We struggle with anger, resentment, bitterness, cussing, idols, lust, and every other sin imaginable. We hold grudges against those we think have wronged us even if we were part of the problem. Each and every day we are painfully aware the work involved in becoming more like Christ.

For some Christians, before they are saved have rather big failures – failures like abortion or entanglements with the law, addictions, and violence. Paul understood what is was like to live with such weight and guilt. Before he met Jesus on the Damascus road, Paul was persecuting Christians. Yet Paul said that he would not look back on the past. He had a goal and he would keep his focus on the goal. Every goal has a purpose. It keeps us from being distracted. It keeps us on the path. It keeps us looking forward, not backwards. We cannot move forward in becoming more like Christ when we are caught in the trap of our guilt and shame from the past. (Click to tweet) Paul’s goal is the same goal that each one us should be working towards: “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” In other words, his goal was to reach the finish line where Christ would be waiting for him and to be in heaven with Him where Paul would receive his reward for faithfully fulfilling the assignment he had been given. Being with Christ for eternity is our prize.

Whether the weight of your guilt and shame matches that of Paul before you were saved or if it is guilt from unforgiveness, holding a grudge, anger, bitterness, resentment, lust or any other sin, you can set aside that guilt and shame by confessing the sin, asking God to forgive you, and by keeping your eye on the prize (Click to tweet). Because Christ is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins (1 John 1:9), we can know that “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). In fact, God forgets our sins so completely once we have confessed them and asked for forgiveness that they might as well be buried at the bottom of an ocean (Micah 7:19) and they can no longer have any bearing on our salvation. Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

If we keep our eye on the prize, who is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), then we will not be looking backwards at all the failures along the way. Press towards the goal. Don’t go backwards and pick up what’s already been left behind. Keep your eyes on the prize.

#verseoftheday #forgettingwhatsbeind #WCM

If you would like to be a part of the God-sized dream we call Wellspring Christian Ministries, you can help with your one-time or monthly tax-deductible contribution. Now, with two ways to give, you can help us grow and expand our ministry. To donate to our general ministries, you can now make a contribution through our website. We are also seeking the perfect 200 (or more) acres of land on which we will build and do the various ministries God is leading us in. To make a donation towards Phase 1 of our Land and Building campaign, you can give at buymeacoffe.com. We like to think of ourselves as “Distributors of Living Water” …and for just the cost of a copy of coffee, you can be one too through your contribution that will have an eternal impact as we lead others to Christ, help Christians develop passionate relationships with God, and help couples connect and reignite their marriages. Who knew the cost of a cup of coffee could do so much? Donate today to become a Living Water Distributor

You can also make a contribution to our general ministries as we grow and expand our ministry as God leads through our website. To donate to our ministry expansion, click here.

Every gift will be acknowledged on our “Donor Wall” on our website. Just leave your name the way you wish it to appear in the message box as you make your gift.
Every $50 will receive a free signed copy of Julia’s book, “God, Love & Marshmallow Wars”
Every $500 or more gift will receive the “God, Love & Marshmallow Wars” Couple Event for their church with Julia’s speaker fees waived (host site is still responsible for travel expense and other costs of the event).

Wellspring Christian Ministries is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization.
Thank you for helping us grow!

#growingintoourfuture #fundraiser #buymeacoffee #WCM

BOOKING NOW to be a host site for the NEW God, Love & Marshmallow Wars Book Tour & Couples Conference:

This event helps couples understand why the daily activities found in the book will equip them to build a stronger marriage and the book provides them with 365 intentional activities to take what they learn at the event and apply it on a daily basis. Through the event, couples will discover the Biblical “why” behind the categories of activities found in the book and the “how” these activities are important to building a stronger marriage. Focus points of the event includes :

How memorizing scripture together and studying God’s Word together as they study, meditate and apply scriptures related to marriage and life issues will help them develop marriages that honor God.
Why utilizing fun conversation starters that spark meaningful conversations will keep interest alive as they continually learn new things about each other.
Why keeping romance alive is essential to intimacy and connectivity.
How making memories and working together builds relationship investment bonds and how these investment bonds can become the knots that keeps them together through the tough times.
How they can understand what they are or are not contributing to the marriage as well as how they might be contributing to problems or potential problems within the relationship through the use of targeted, intentional personal reflections
Why it is important that couples never stop dating and how group dates with Christian friends can be both an encouragement and accountability to their own relationship.

During the event, couples will be given an activity from each focus point to do together, making this event an interactive, fun, and engaging event with practical, hands-on learning. Unlike other couple events that are over when the event ends, couples who attend the GLMW event will be able to apply what they learn when utilizing the book on a daily basis for a year. Since the book is not dated, couples are able to reuse the activities year after year to continue being intentional in strengthening their relationship with each other and with God as they strive to live out God’s design for marriage every day.

Learn more about hosting this event at your church or conference site by clicking here.

About the book: The GLMW book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

#GLMWcouplesevent #GLMWbook #intentionalmarriage #Godlymarriage

T-shirt Fundraiser: We have a new product line of Christian apparel and accessories available in our Teespring Store and our new Spreadshop Store. You’ll find tee shirts, hoodies, tanks, socks, leggings, tote bags, mugs, iphone cases and more.

All proceeds go to the advancement of Wellspring Christian Ministries.
Thank you for helping us grow!

Click here to view the Teespring store.

Click here to view the Spreadshop Store

#fundraiser #tshirt #teespring #spreadshop

Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.

Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.

Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.

With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities, regardless of size.

To request more information or a booking,
fill out the online form here.

Or call us at 904.524.8073

#JuliaBruce #speaker #keynote #author

Image result for Happy New year We all have those moments in life where we wish we could be granted a “re-do.” Re-dos are a positive method of discipline that is beneficial for children who have had traumatic backgrounds. It allows a caregiver/parent to demonstrate a desired behavior and then invite the child to re-do the incorrect behavior. When the child gets it correct the good behavior is praised. Sometimes a child might need several re-dos to practice the behavior with the caregiver/parent modeling, encouraging and helping the child reach the desired behavior. As you look back on 2018, do you see more wishful redos in your life or do you see positive spiritual growth and development? Can you say that you have a deeper, more intimate walk with Jesus now than you did a year ago? Maybe you see regression in your walk with Christ. Maybe 2018 held a job loss, set backs, a medical diagnosis, financial trouble, or loss.

Instead of focusing on the past and what we cannot change, let’s look forward to 2019 and all the possibilities it holds. In Philippians 3:14, Paul writes, “Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead.” God has plans for each of us in 2019. Some will be blessings beyond what we could think or imagine. Others might be trials that He will use to help learn to depend on Him as they cause us to fully rely on Him. But when we realize that God will work all things out for His good (Romans 8:28), we can know that He is faithful and just to complete what He has started in each one of us (Philippians 1:6).

There is no better reminder of God’s faithfulness to work through the tough times for our good and His glory than in the life of Joseph. You’ll find his story beginning in Genesis, chapter 37. At 17 years old, Joseph laid in the bottom of a pit — thrown there by his jealous brothers. Despite his cries for help, the brothers had no guilt or care. They just sat down to eat a meal. Out of 10 brothers only one had any sort of compassion and stopped the others from murdering him. It was his idea to put Joseph in the pit, but he had planned to come back for him later. Only when he was away the other 9 sold him as a slave. From abandonment by his brothers, Joseph’s life only got worse. He went from enslavement to entrapment, to imprisonment. He was sold out and mistreated. People made him promises only to break them. They offered him gifts only to take them away. Despite all that, we never see Joseph giving up or becoming bitter. Instead in whatever situation he was in, he thrived. An Egyptian official promoted him to chief servant. In prison, the prison warden placed Joseph in charge over all the other prisoners. And Pharaoh made Joseph the highest in command just under him. In all of that, God used every single circumstance to work out His divine plan to save many people, including Joseph’s jealous brothers from a wide-spread famine. Joseph’s favored coat of many colors that was torn by his brothers was traded in for a royal robe. The pit they tossed him in would one day become a palace. God, in His omnipotence, worked through every evil that was intended against Joseph to redeem Joseph’s story and He can do the same for you! So despite what 2018 might have held for you, let’s look ahead in eager anticipation for how God is working through our lives to bring about His master plan.

As we journey into 2019 with you, we are adding two new posts to help encourage you and grow in your passionate relationship with God. You cannot know the God Joseph knew if you do not spend time with Him. You cannot know His plans for you or see Him at work in your life if you do not get to know Him. We get to know God through the pages of His Word, the Bible. We want to encourage you read the entire Bible through in 2019, even if you’ve done this before. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.” Because His Word is alive, every time we read it, we learn something new. As we mature in our walk with God, we learn something deeper. As we apply the truths of the Bible to our lives and live in obedience, we grow spiritually and our relationship with God is strengthened. Each day we will post the passages you need to read for that day to read the Bible through in one year. Each passage will contain a link to BibleGateway’s website with the scripture for that day where you can read it online. However, we encourage you to take the time to read it in your Bible where you can highlight passages where God speaks to you and make notes in the margins of what you learn. If you get behind, you can easily catch up. Just click on the link directly on our home page or go to the menu and click on the One Year Bible Challenge tab to see the daily posts. These posts will appear at 6 am each day and this page of the site will be live on January 1, 2019 with the first 6 am post.

The second post we are adding will be a weekly post. In Psalm 119:11, David wrote, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” We hide God’s word in our heart by memorizing, meditating and applying it to our lives. Every Monday morning we will post a verse that we want to encourage you to memorize and meditate on and ask God how He wants you to apply it to your life. Some may be verses you have already memorized, but take time to refresh them in your heart and mind by meditating on it and see what new way you can apply it to your life right now. We have added a button on our home page to get you to the weekly post easily.

If you have not signed up to receive emails for each new post, do so now so you do not miss the daily Bible reading assignment and the weekly verse to memorize. We’d love to hear how God is speaking to you through these two activities. Be sure to leave us a comment here on our website or on Facebook. You can also connect with Julia on LinkedIn.

Cover_m As we move into 2019, we hope that you have purchased your copy of Julia’s new book, God, Love, and Marshmallow Wars. This book contains 365 daily activities for couples to do together to help strengthen their marriage and grow their relationship with God. It contains, scripture to memorize together, conversation starters, relationship builders, Biblical concepts about marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. We set up a Facebook page for the book and hope that couples who are using the book will become a community that will help and encourage couples all around the world to develop Godly marriages that honor and glorify Him. On that page, participants can post photos as they do the different activities. We will also make posts that we hope will generate conversations that will encourage and challenge the community. If you don’t have this book yet, you can purchase it directly from Westbow Press here. It is also available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Lastly, if your church has events planned in 2019 for women or marriage events and you are looking for a speaker, Julia is booking for 2019. Book online here to get your event on the calendar while dates are still open. Simply complete the online form and our team will contact you to discuss your event. We are open to small or large events.

We look forward to growing spiritually with you in 2019. May God bless you and may you always remember that God is constantly and faithfully working through every event (good and bad) in your life to bring about His divine and perfect plan for you.

Happy New Year from Wellspring Christian Ministries.

Julia script