Pastor Steven Furtick

Archive for the ‘Scriptures’ Category

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| Scriptures, Spiritual Growth

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17

If Jesus.
Who had infinite power and potential.
Who carried the most important calling and mission in history.
Who did so much in His lifetime that John would later say that the world could not contain the books describing it.
Had his Father’s acceptance before he did a single thing in His earthly life to obtain it.

What makes you think you have to knock His socks off before you can obtain it as well?

What makes you think you have to turn your life around before you can come back to God?
What makes you think you have to impress God with your obedience before He will impart His grace to you?
What makes you think you have to do things to get God to like you, much less love you?
What makes you think you have to build a church of thousands before God will be pleased with you?
What makes you think you have to be the perfect spouse or parent before God will perfectly love you?

Many Christians spend a lifetime trying to achieve something that Jesus already achieved for them in His. God’s acceptance isn’t based on your performance. It wasn’t for Jesus. And because of what He did for you, it isn’t for you either.

The acceptance He had, you have.
The love He unconditionally received, you unconditionally receive.

Yes, Jesus was the Son of God. But through Him, you are a child of God with the same privileges (Galatians 4:5-7).

That includes the privilege of having God look at you and being well pleased.
Don’t waste any more time striving after what’s already yours.

Resource of the Day: For a little more on the ideas above, check out this post from the New Thru 30 series: Stop Achieving. Start Receiving.

More & Better

| Scriptures

Ephesians 3:20 is one of my all time favorite verses:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…

That’s a hot one right there.  An astonishing promise.  God can do so much more than what you’re expecting.  His performance isn’t limited to the confines of your imagination.  The implications of this statement are hard to believe…but simple to understand.  It’s a straightforward fact:
The wildest dreams you can conceive don’t even compare to the endless power of God.

I must have quoted that verse hundreds of times.  And every time I do, I kind of interpret it this way:
God wants to give me more of whatever I’m asking for.
If I ask for a certain level of provision, He can exceed what I need and give me even more provision.
If I ask for favor with a certain person, He can give me even more favor than I asked for with that person.

But I’ve learned that sometimes God doesn’t bless you with more of the thing you asked for.

Instead, He blesses you with something completely different.  He rewards you with a different kind of currency.  He switches the category altogether.  Sometimes the way God exceeds our expectations isn’t by giving us more of what we think we need…He gives us something that He knows we need even more.  Instead of repairing the thing that’s broken, He gives you brand new equipment.

In other words, sometimes the immeasurably more takes on a completely different form.

Instead of giving you the promotion at work, He gives you more opportunity to spend time with your family.
Instead of sending you a boyfriend, He sends you more opportunity to serve Him in your season of singleness.

Sometimes God gives you more of the same.
Sometimes He gives you something even better than that.

Be confident that whatever He gives you is the best option available.