by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach, Keynote Speaker, CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries
Thankful every day
Just how thankful are we? — Really! This is the season of Thanksgiving. But is it all about the food, family, and football? Do you actually give thanks on Thanksgiving? Stop for a moment and think about the last time you felt thankful. When was the last time you felt thankful to God? What does God hear from you the most: a long wish list, complaints, or thankfulness? In Romans 1:21, Paul tells us that one can know God, but not honor him or give thanks to him and as a result they became futile in their thinking and foolish in their hearts.
Why is it that out of 365 days in a year we have one day set aside to give thanks? We should be thankful every day. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to give thanks in all circumstances. God does not just bless on Thanksgiving Day, but he pours out his blessings on us every day – so we should be thankful every day – in all circumstances. Psalm 34:1 says “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
The Psalmist wrote: “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Perhaps we need to follow Philippians 2:5, which says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” It was Christ Who, knowing exactly what lay ahead, gave thanks on the very night in which He was betrayed.
To be truly thankful requires us to recognize that what you have you could not produce yourself – it was a gift. It requires humility and acknowledgment of both the gift and its source.
The Source of our Thankfulness?
The Bible clearly instructs Christians to fix our eyes on the Heavenly Father, the true source of every good thing in our lives. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus is the source and perfecter of our faith. He is the One who graciously gives us “good things” of all kinds, and our natural response should be thank Him specifically and continually. Psalm 86:12 says, “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever.” James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Apart from anything that God does, God is simply great in character and power. Isaiah 6:3 says, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” God is “holy,” that is, in a higher and different class than us; God is so awesome that it is beyond us to even fathom it. Psalm 145:3 says, “Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”
The Cause of our Thankfulness
Psalm 92:1-2 says, “It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And your faithfulness every night.” Here we have cause to give God thank because of his lovingkindness and faithfulness. From 1 Corinthians 1:4, we find we can be thankful for the grace given to us in Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:57 says we have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The greatest reason we have to be thankful should be the price that Jesus paid for us when he died on a cross in our place so that we could have eternal life. John 3:16 says, “For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Without Jesus dying on the cross for us, redeeming us, and forgiving our sins, we would be hopeless, lost, and bound for hell. But because of his faithful love to us, he endured the cross despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).
The Result of our Thankfulness
When we are thankful, our focus moves off selfish desires and off the pain of current circumstances. Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Truly, we have an abundant life (John 10:10), and gratefulness is fitting.
However, a mere attitude of thankfulness is not enough. When we truly acknowledge all that God has done for us, the result should be an outpouring of thankfulness that leads us to praise him, which leads us to worship him. In Deuteronomy 10:12, Moses said, “what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worshipthe Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul? And in 1 Samuel 12:24, it says, “Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart; consider the great things He has done for you.”
The result of our thankfulness is worship.
This year, as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, remember the greatest reason you have to be thankful is Jesus — the who saved you, redeemed you and forgave you….and allow your thanksgiving to become an act of worship.
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Animated videos that dig deep into God’s Word
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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
Conversation Starters.
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
Romance Builders.
Relationship Builders.
Personal reflections.
Date ideas.
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach, Keynote Speaker, CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries
The Nature of God’s Love
Love is the nature of God. 1 John 4:8 says, “God is love.” It is who He is. God loves you and there is nothing you can do to change it. God loves you and there is nothing you can do to make God love you more, and there is nothing you can do to that will cause God to love you less. You can’t earn his love because God is love. It’s His nature and you can’t change that. And because He loves you, He wants to have a relationship with you.
You Can’t Change the Fact that God Loves You
We all go through moments of life wondering if a parent, spouse, child, or friend loves us. Maybe we did something to disappointment them and the relationships with them was broken and now we doubt how they feel about us now. Maybe that someone you disappointed was God and you find yourself wondering, “How could God possibly love someone like me?”
There are also those who go around trying to do every good work in an effort to get God to love them or to love them more. They pay penance, fast, live moral lives, give to the poor, or any number of things they believe will earn them God’s love. However, the simple fact is God loves you and there is nothing you can do that will cause God to love you more or less.
You Can’t Make God Love You Any Less
Because love is God’s nature, we find that the prophet Jeremiah writes, “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” But God doesn’t just tell us that He loves us. He acted out his love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Even though God knew that each one of us was born in sin, an enemy of God, God still sent His Son to die and pay the debt of our sin for us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God proves His own love fore us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!” When did God prove His love? When did Christ die for us? While we were still sinners. So there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less.
You Can’t Do Anything to Make God Love you More
Ephesians 2:1-10 tells us that we are dead in our trespasses and sin. But in verses 4-5, Paul wrote, “ButGod, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” It is because of God’s love and grace that He offers you the free gift of salvation. Not anything you have done. There is absolutely nothing you can do that will cause God to love you more. He loves you so much that even when you were a filthy, dirty sinner, He sent His only Son to die for you. Jesus told us in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” There is no greater love than the love of Jesus, who died for you.
Christianity is about a Relationship
There are many religions that tell you you have to do this or that in order to be a Christian. But faith is what sets Christianity apart from religion. Faith in Jesus. Faith that believes He is the Son of God who was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on a cross, was buried for three days and then rose again. And because of that faith we have a relationship with Him. 1 John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” As Christians, we have a relationships with God because Ephesians 5:1 tells us we were adopted as sons and daughters into the family of God by Jesus Christ for no other reason than because it was according to the good pleasure of His will.
Religion is about Rules
Religion on the other hand is about rules. Some religions will demand a person to pray a certain number of times per day or to fast for a whole month each year.
Another religion says its followers must use separate sinks for preparing dairy and non-dairy foods.
Another religion requires its followers to get up 3 hours before dawn every day to wash and pray.
There is another religion that requires its followers to make an offering at a household shrine 3 times every day.
One religion requires the men to wear special underclothes and when couples of that religion have children, they begin saving for those children because when they become young adults, they are supposed to spend 2 years serving as missionaries to that religion.
And we are all familiar with the religion that requires its follows to spend a certain amount of time each month going door-to-door, sharing their literature and signing people up for their religious studies.
Religious Rules of Jesus’ Day
Rules. Things were no different in Jesus’ day. The religious leaders of His day had developed a religious system with 613 laws. They chose the number 613 because that was how many separate letters were in the text containing the 10 Commandments. They found 613 commandments in the Pentateuch (Genesis-Deuteronomy). Then they divided the list into affirmative commands (do this) and negative commands (don’t do this).
There were 248 affirmative commands, one for every part of the human body, as they understood it. There were 365 negative commands, one for each day of the year. They further divided the list into binding commands and nonbonding commands. Then they spent their days debating whether the divisions were accurate and ranking the commands within each division. [John MacArther, Matthew 19-23 (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1988), 337-38.]
Religious Rules of Today
We see the same trend happening in Christianity today. There are people who try to add rules to Christianity that are not there. Things like, not eating meat on Fridays, or doing without something for 40 days during Lent. Some folks measure their religious zeal by the length of their skirts, or how long their hair is. Even things like having a quiet time can become a legalistic, religious rule, if you let it.
Jesus isn’t into all of that measuring, one-up-man-ship, and rules. When someone came and tried to get Jesus’ opinion on what the great commandment was, He answered, “Love the Lord God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Jesus says, “Y’all go around measuring and comparing and think you’re doing well. But all of godly living comes out of these two simple commands.” No wonder Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” You see, religion is about rules.
Christianity is about a relationship
Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, “Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and have dinner with him, and he with Me.” What does Jesus say, in this verse, was necessary in order to have a relationship with him? You hear Him, and open the door. You hear His voice, and you invite Him into your life.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.” My friends, Christians – disciples of Christ – are people who have a relationship with Jesus Christ. The disciplines we have in our lives flow out of the relationship we have with, and our love for their Savior. Nothing you do will make God love you any more. Nothing you do will make God love you any less.
The disciplines we practice, we do so because we want to become more like our Savior. Ephesians 5:1 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Relationship. We have a relationship with our Savior which makes us children of God and therefore we have a relationship with our Heavenly Father who loves us with an everlasting love. Not because we earned or deserve it, but because of his lovingkindness, mercy, and grace. As His children, we practice the disciplines of our faith as a joy, not an obligation or to earn His favor.
Has religion become a burden?
If your religion is burden, I invite you to tell Jesus right now that you want a relationship with him.
Admit to Him that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Tell Him that you believe He is God’s Son and that He died on the cross for you, and rose again. John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Confess Jesus as the Lord of your life and commit yourself to a life of following Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 says, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
Are you following a religion, or do you have a relationship with God you loves you with an everlasting love?
Click here to listen to our daily devotions on Spotify – and be sure to follow us on Spotify
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All thing new
Amazing Grace Sunset
Armor of God
Amazing Grace
As the Deer
Be still and know
Come thou Fount
Jeremiah 29:11
Look to the Lord
Lord is my Rock
New Mercies
Pray
Redeemed
Seek and Find
Wings like Eagles
Stand Firm
Teach the way of Wisdom
New Song
I make all things new
Do you have an event on the calendar and need a speaker?
We’re grateful for the opportunity to be a part of your ministry so we are offering a 30% discount off our speaker fees for any 2022 event if booked by December 31, 2021. Call today and use the discount code:THANKFUL2021.
We’re excited to be a part of your ministry and can’t wait to see you – no matter what size of event.
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7 FREE Downloadable Resources
Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template
Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.
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What Satan Does Not Want You To know
This trifold document includes Scripture verses that Satan does not want you to know about. As you hide these verses in your heart, you’ll be able to defeat the lies of Satan when he tries his wiles and schemes on you.
[Download not found]
Stress Journal
We all face stress. How we handle stress, however, has many variables. Learning how to recognize stress, coping with stress, and creating a self-care plan during times of stress can begin by journaling. Taken from our series on Biblical self-care for people in ministry, we’ve created this free download to help you through the things that cause you stress.
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2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan
We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.
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The Path to Sin
Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.
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One Year Bible Reading Plan
With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!
The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.
Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position (paid staff or volunteer) and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.
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Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube
Click here for the Contemporary Christian Playlist
Click here for the Southern Gospel Playlist
Or Click here for the Hymns Playlist
You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
Conversation Starters.
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
Romance Builders.
Relationship Builders.
Personal reflections.
Date ideas.
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.
Looking for a Bible Study, Bible, book or Christian gift? We are an affiliate with Christianbook Distributors and receive an 8% commission on any item purchased through one of our links. However, the commission never increases your cost of any item. View some of our favorite items by clicking on the logo and thank you for supporting our ministry.
Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
by Julia M. Bruce, MSPC, Mental Health Coach, CEO, Wellspring Christian Ministries
Satan is not God’s opposite. God is sovereign in every way and is in complete control over everything, including Satan and any trial that we go through in life. Anything Satan does, God allows. God is eternal; Satan is a created being and will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity at the appointed time (Revelations 20:10). God and Satan are not in a cosmic battle for power. God is already the winner. However, God in his sovereignty has ordained that Satan have some control over the earth to tempt people. As 1 John 5:19 states, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
As we learned in Chapter 1, Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches. It is from the Vine that the branches receive life, but at the same time the branches need pruning in order to be more fruitful and sometimes the method of pruning that God uses is through a trial. However, during the trial, we feel the effects just as much as if Satan is attacking us. So how do we know if the battlefield we are on is a test or an attack?
To answer this question, we must understand the character of God and the character of Satan. John 10:10 will help shed some light. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” God will use a trial in our life to test our faith and bring about spiritual growth and life. Satan is the thief that comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan uses a trial in an attempt to remove God from our lives.
Let’s look at 4 questions we can ask ourselves when faced with a trial so we can determine if we are being tested by God or attacked by Satan.
Question 1: Is this trial a test or temptation?
Whether tested or tempted, in both situations, we will experience feelings and thoughts that are similar. So, we must go back to the truth of God’s Word. If we have hidden it in our hearts, it will be there to guide us and help us discern if God is testing us or Satan is attacking us.
While God does not tempt us, He does actively cause or allow tests to occur in the believer’s life. When God is working to strengthen our faith, His end goal is to allow questions, feelings, and thoughts that will lead to our ultimate trust in Him. In Genesis 22:1-24 God tested Abraham. In John 6:5-7 Jesus tested Philip. And in 1 Peter 1 we are told that God has called us to be born again to a living hope, but during our time on earth we will experience trials, “so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7).
On the other hand, Satan certainly does tempt people, including Jesus. Luke 4:1-2 says, “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wildernessfor forty days, being tempted by the devil.” A temptation will lead a believer to a place of loneliness, despair, and ultimately leave all responsibility in your own hands.
Counting the trial as joy
James 1:2-5 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Then in verse 13, James writes, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
You can determine if a trial is a test from God or a temptation from Satan by the pull it is having on you. If you are being tempted to indulge in sinful, unbiblical behavior, this is Satan trying to attack you. But if you are being encouraged to remain faithful to God through a test in your life that is resulting in more praise, glory, and honor given to Jesus Christ, this is a test from the Lord. Remember testing equals: waiting, watching, and surrendering all to Him. Attacks equal: leaving Him and relying on your methods to remedy the situation.
Questions 2: Does the trial make me feel conviction or condemnation?
The feelings evoked when we sin can also be a clue as to whether the trial, we are going through is a test form God or an attack of Satan. When Satan is successful in getting us to fall to temptation and sin, he then works to make us feel condemned. He not only wants you to sin, but he also wants you to feel that God now hates you because of your sin. He wants you to feel like you have failed God, the ministry in which you serve, and the people that you serve. But remember that this is one of his “identity crisis wiles” and recognize it for what it is. Such thoughts are lies straight from the mouth of Satan. The only person condemned, is the one who remains lost in his sins.
As a child or God, He loves you no matter what you do. He 1 John 4:8 states, “God is love.” His love is unconditional because his love is based who He is. Love is His nature and character. Therefore, it is impossible for His love to be based on our choices and actions. However, we must not mistake God’s unconditional love for us with a freedom to unconditionally sin. God will not ignore our sins because he loves us. Rather, he will convict us of our sin because he loves us and wants us to receive the grace offered through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Christians are no longer condemned
If you are a Christian, you will never be condemned for your sin ever again. Romans 8:1 explains, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Condemnation is when you are sentenced to death for your wrongs. But, in love, God does convict his people, which is when the Holy Spirit points out a sin in your life so that you will be motivated to turn back to God in repentance. As 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 says, “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
Question 3: Is this trial bringing order into my life or creating chaos?
Let’s face it: Sometimes we need something to motivate us so we can move from where we are now to where God wants us to be. No one likes to experiences pressures and troubles, but when we go through a trial, it often serves as a means to overcome barriers that prevent us from growing. As we wrestle through doubts, searching for answers in God’s Word, we grow in faith and we learn new facets about who God is. When a problem becomes urgent enough that we can no longer ignore it, God will use it to illuminate the disorganized areas of our lives and then bring them into order.
The Corinthian church is a good example of God using a trial to bring order. Paul tells us the church was experiencing problems because they did not know how to properly use their spiritual gifts of prophecy and tongues. Paul then provides explanations of the gifts in 1 Corinthians 14. And in verse 33, Paul writes, “For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” Since that time, God has used the confusion of the Corinthian church for clarity throughout the body of Christ.
However, when a trial is being used for Satan’s purposes, order falls by the wayside and chaos develops. James 3:14-16 says, “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.”
Questions 4: Is your trial drawing you to God or pulling you away from God?
God will always use the trails we face as instruments in drawing us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him. But Satan wants nothing more than to steal your joy and destroy your relationship with God. Because God is always in control, He can use the trials that Satan brings in our lives to cause use to seek to know God more and how God will use the trial for our good and His glory.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 how God used Satan’s attack on Paul to draw Paul closer to God. Paul writes, “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Is this trial a test or an attack?
So, if the pressure and trouble you are facing tests your faith, convicts of sin, brings order into your life, or draws you to God, then God is testing you. But if your circumstances look more like a temptation to sin, makes you feel condemned, stirs up chaos, or pulls you away from God, then it is Satan who at work in your life.
Click here to listen to our daily devotions on Spotify – and be sure to follow us on Spotify
Here in Florida, it does not feel like fall yet, but September is here and that means we are growing our fall line of t-shirt designs. Check out these two new designs:
Here in Florida, it does not feel like fall yet, but September is here and that means we are growing our fall line of t-shirt designs. Check out these two new designs:
We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.
When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.
We’ve added a new canvas print to the Teespring Store. These prints make great gifts or for decor in your home.
When we ask Jesus to forgive us and save us from our sin, He takes our old, sinful self and makes us new in Him. This beautiful canvas is a great reminder of what Jesus has done for us.
Now you can enhance your Bible Reading with the Verse Mapping Template
Our Verse Mapping download is FREE and includes 6 pages: 3 pages of instructions for using the template and the 2 page template, plus the cover page. If you’re looking to go deeper into God’s Word, learn more about God and develop a stronger spiritual life, Verse Mapping will help you dig into the scriptures. As you apply God’s Word to your life, you will develop a more intimate knowledge and relationship with God.
[Download not found]
What Satan Does Not Want You To know
This trifold document includes Scripture verses that Satan does not want you to know about. As you hide these verses in your heart, you’ll be able to defeat the lies of Satan when he tries his wiles and schemes on you.
[Download not found]
Stress Journal
We all face stress. How we handle stress, however, has many variables. Learning how to recognize stress, coping with stress, and creating a self-care plan during times of stress can begin by journaling. Taken from our series on Biblical self-care for people in ministry, we’ve created this free download to help you through the things that cause you stress.
[Download not found]
2021 Bible Memory Verse Plan
We’ve put together 52 memory verses for you to hide God’s Word in your heart! You can download the full document for free and then print a new verse each week and as many copies as you’d like. Each verse prints four times on a page so that you can then cut them into index size cards and place them in prominent places where you will see them frequently throughout the day to help you remember to memorize them. Just because you visited our site, they’re yours for free! Download today.
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The Path to Sin
Satan is constantly trying to trip us up and he doesn’t even play fair because he uses our own desires as bait to get us to sin. James tells us the five steps that lead us down the path to sin in James 1:14-15, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This download helps you identify your desires so that you can better recognize when Satan is baiting you and you can avoid falling into sin. When used along with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to identify the desires that Satan baits you with, you can then ask the Holy Spirit to help you not become a victim to the bait of your desires. Download the worksheet today.
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One Year Bible Reading Plan
With just 30-40 minutes per day, you can read the entire Bible in one year. The One-Year Bible Reading Plan consists of both Old Testament and New Testament readings for each day of the year. The Bible is God’s personal Word to you. What is He saying to you today? Open your Bible and find out!
The Self-Care Wheel provides ideas for practicing self-care in six dimensions of yourself: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Sensory, and Social. NOTE: You will need 11X14 paper to print the wheel.
Want to know more about self-care? Our Self-Care blog series targets people who serve in any ministry position (paid staff or volunteer) and takes a Biblical approach to self-care.
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Need some music to get you through the day? Check out one of our Playlists on YouTube
Click here for the Contemporary Christian Playlist
Click here for the Southern Gospel Playlist
Or Click here for the Hymns Playlist
You can also watch our animated devotionals on the YouTube Channel
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:
Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
Conversation Starters.
Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
Romance Builders.
Relationship Builders.
Personal reflections.
Date ideas.
Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.
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Wellspring Christian Ministries receives an 8% commission on any purchased made from Christian Book Distributors through any affiliate link on this site. Your price for any item is the same as purchasing from CBD directly.
Each week we post a scripture to challenge you to hide God’s Word in your heart. Commit it to memory, meditate on it and apply it to your life.
This week’s verse:
John 10:10
I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Meditate and apply:
Satan wants us to believe that an abundant, joyful, and full life can be found in the way the world determines but it will never be found in a fallen, sinful world. Are you will to settle and compromise for abundant life the world’s way or do you desire to have abundant life in Jesus?
Abundant life is not just for eternal life in heaven. Abundant life is for the here and now and it’s found through faith in Jesus.
God created us to have relationship and companionship with Him. For this reason, we constantly seek to fill this need but we only find fulfillment in Jesus. Can you identify anything in your life that you are trying to fill the empty spots in your life with other than Jesus?
Jesus is not “hell insurance.” He is someone that wants to do everyday life with you.
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This 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 & Nobel
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.
Purchase Julia’s Book, “God, Love and Marshmallow Wars”
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Each week we post a scripture to challenge you to hide God’s Word in your heart. Commit it to memory, meditate on it and apply it to your life.
God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This 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. 
