Freedom from Feelings

August 14, 2022


“...and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)


Are you feeling hopeless in your circumstances?

Always remember: When we can’t always see God’s hand in our current circumstances, we can trust HIS Heart. We can choose to believe and trust Romans 8:28 when our God promises us that He will “work all things together for the good for those who love God & are called according to His purpose”. The reality is that we have lived in an imperfect world since Adam and Eve sinned against God when they ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. On that day mankind was banished from the Tree of Life that God intended for us. We won’t see the Tree of Life again until we are reunited with Him in the new Jerusalem when Eden is restored (Revelations 21-22).


The good news is that we get to choose how we live this life between two gardens. We can choose to have freedom from our feelings through the power of His Holy Spirit. We can choose to look at our lives through the lens of God’s eyes (The Tree of Life) instead of our own (The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). We can choose to allow God to rule over our hearts instead of our feelings. Our faith and hope do not come from our situations or feelings, but instead come from Jesus and His promises in His Word. He is the solid rock that we stand upon when our feelings lie to us. Be encouraged today that God is trustworthy, and He is always faithful in the promises of His Word. He promises to work all things together for our good no matter what we are facing, and to help us in the waiting. To have freedom from our feelings, we must be willing to trust His Word.


(John 8:32, Romans 8:28, Genesis 2:8,15-17, Genesis 3:1-6, Revelations 21-22)


Kayla McFarland

Freedom from Shame

August 21, 2022


“Jesus spoke...I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12)


Have you ever felt overcome with shame?

Shame is deadly because it strips us of the power to change when it paralyzes us. Shame causes us to hide from God, and these shame barriers break His heart because he desires to be close to us. We must remind ourselves that Jesus came so that we could have life and life more abundantly--that is His promise to us. Jesus has given us the power to overcome. Jesus gives us the opportunity to repent, change, and begin again. The devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy our lives. We must remember God’s goodness in the middle of our sin. We must run back to Him so that we are led in the way of everlasting and saved from the traps of the evil one. The devil would love to steal our peace and keep us bonded to shame so that we are separated from God and His plan for our lives. In those moments remember whose you are. 


God loves you unconditionally. His Word promises us “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). So, when you are in your dark moments of shame, remember what God Word says. Take your thoughts and make them obedient in Christ with His promises. God has forgiven you, so remind yourself that you’re already forgiven and deeply loved. Don’t let shame rule you anymore. God says ask and you shall receive, so ask Him to forgive you and break you from the bondage of shame today to receive the freedom that He has for you. You don’t have to walk in darkness anymore, break free from shame and receive the light that leads to life in Him.


Kayla McFarland

Freedom From Doubt

August 28, 2022 – Freedom from Doubt

 

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

(Hebrews 11:1,6)

 

How do we stop doubt from grabbing hold of us in the middle of our trials?

As Christians, we thankfully have His Holy Spirit to guide us to His Truth, but we must be willing to follow Him. When the devil tries attacking our belief in God’s good hand during our trials, we must fight against those thoughts with His Word. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We must remind ourselves of His promises of who our God really is. Promises like Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” To truly have faith is to have freedom from doubt by believing and trusting in God’s goodness. I am sure that doubt will tempt us during our trials. But we must take those doubting thoughts and make them obedient to what Jesus says. This is important to do, especially when it’s not easy. Especially when we can’t see God moving yet. Remember, true faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).Choose to trust that God will work all of this for your good. His ways are greater than our ways. Jesus promised us this: “…I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Be encouraged that God hears you and sees you. Don’t let your disappointment turn to defeat. He is always good, so choose to trust in Him through your trial and ask Him for help along the way. He is trustworthy and He is faithful.

 

I’ll leave you with this last word from the Lord:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:2-8)


Kayla McFarland

 

Freedom from Relational Idols

September 4, 2022 – Freedom from Relational Idols 


“& God spoke all these words: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...”  (Exodus 20:2-5) 


Relationships are wonderful blessings from the Lord. Our God truly admires relationships. Afterall, He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross so that we could be reunited in a close relationship with Him. Relationships are blessings until we allow them to come before God in our lives, because then they become idols. It happens when we expect people to fulfill what only God can fulfill in our hearts--when we allow those people to be our constant thoughts instead of our Lord. This hurts our first love, the only One who can love us like no one else has the capability to do. He is a jealous God. In Exodus 20:3-4, the words “in the form of anything” is Hebrew for “temunah”, meaning “likeness”, or “form”. This means that anything or anyone that we have allowed to replace God’s rightful place in our lives has become an idol. Therefore, we must tear down those relational idols and put God in the forefront of our hearts again. We must remember our first Love again and make Him first.


Prayer:

“Lord, please forgive me for putting ___ before You and for making them an idol. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. God, I surrender ___ to You, and I choose to trust in You. I ask that you’d break all unhealthy soul ties in Your name right now. I declare that I am free from any relational idol, and You God, are the Lord and King of my heart again. In Jesus Name. Amen.”


Kayla McFarland