guilt is not from God
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Guilt is Not From God

I was convinced I had missed a step when I became a Christian because I didn’t act like a Christian. I was too angry. My temper was too short. And no matter how many times I asked my children nicely to do something, I always ended up yelling at them. Perhaps I wasn’t good enough to be a Christian. After all, even though I’d heard this verse a thousand times, I didn’t feel like a new creation: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”. (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Psalm 34 offers encouragement and demonstrates ?God's grace.
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Psalm 34: A Song of Praise And Promise

Have you ever messed up and felt unforgivable? Sadly, I have. When my daughter was twelve, I walked into the house with my arms full of groceries and tripped over her backpack, nearly falling. Rather than simply asking her to put it away, I lost my temper and barked at her about being more respectful. As the words flew from my mouth, I noticed the new friend she’d invited over and the look of horror on her face, and I was reminded of David when he wrote Psalm 34.

Whenever I’ve made mistakes, I’ve felt unworthy of God’s love and wanted to run from Him due to my shame. But when I read Psalm 34, I find genuine encouragement because it demonstrates God’s grace. It shows God is with us, helping, healing, and delivering us even when we are at our worst. All that is needed is a humble, repentant heart seeking God.

If I know my Identity in Christ, Why don't I act accordingly?
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When You Know Your Identity But Don’t Act Accordingly

Is there a difference between knowing who God says you are and acting like that person? I once thought there must be some magical way to get God’s truth of my identity from my head to my heart. There must be a trick to actually “receiving” His gift of love and feeling the freedom His word promises. 

Try, try again
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Try, Try Again

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” This is advice we should all heed. Or should we? There was a point in my life when I thought if I just tried harder, I would stop letting God down. I knew that He forgave me when I sought forgiveness. But I was convinced that because I kept making the same mistakes again and again, I was a huge disappointment to God. 

Keep It Simple. Why do we make everything so complicated?
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How to Keep It Simple When Life Is Complicated

I used to know a guy who always talked aloud to himself, saying, “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”  I would politely giggle and chide him for putting himself down. But sometimes I wonder if perhaps he wasn’t onto something. After all,…