Victory Midtown

It’s not always easy to build relationships with people whose lifestyles aren’t like ours. How do we love our neighbors when all we see are differences? Jesus engaged the culture of His day with love, grace and the truth of the gospel. He invites us to do the same—to live in a way that glorifies God and open our lives to connect with others so we may inspire them to want to know Jesus for themselves. We’re breaking down what that looks like in part four of our Open Doors series!

Did you know God created you just so He could love you? You are fully accepted as you are! He is for you and is faithful to welcome you into His arms no matter what. The Father doesn’t need or require anything from you… Rather than striving and trying to be lovable, He invites you to live from the place of already BEING loved!

One of the many beautiful attributes of God is His ability to love unconditionally. There is no guilt-trip, no condemnation, no prerequisite to be accepted. And if you’re feeling lost or like you’ve disappointed Him, know that His arms are always open to welcome you home. Nothing compares to your heavenly Father’s love for you, and all He desires is that you rest in His warm embrace.

Jesus came not only to set us free but to help us actually walk in freedom! But stepping into the next level of life with God requires loosening your grip on old ways of thinking and habits that are keeping you stuck. For every one of the enemy’s lies you’ve believed, God has an incredible truth to replace it. And He never calls us to give up something unless He has something better. What do you need to let go of so that you can embrace the new He has for you?

The enemy’s oldest trick is to get us to believe lies about who God is, who we are, and more. But God has given us spiritual weapons to tear down the lies, those strongholds that keep us stuck in old mindsets and from fully embracing what He has for us. He is calling us to a place of friendship, freedom, and peace. It’s available to all of us, but our minds have to be renewed. No matter where you are, you have a good Father in heaven who is ready to give you His truth. Will you receive it?

“… one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead…” (Philippians 3:13 NASB) Do you know what it cost our Savior not just to give you eternal life but abundant life? Jesus came to set you free so that you would walk in complete victory! But to break unhealthy cycles and move forward, we have to forget the past and confront areas where we have compromised. It’s time to take back everything that has been stolen and grab hold of the full life He died to give you!

We have a generous God! In giving us His son, Jesus, He gave us His BEST. When we come face-to-face with the selfless love of God and embrace it, we take on His nature and become givers, too. Because when we truly grasp just how much God cherishes us and then open ourselves up to Him, we will want to give as an expression of our adoration. In Extravagant part three, we’re making room for God to transform our hearts, minds and our finances so we can offer Him a worthy response to the extravagant love He has for us!

There’s something about love that produces generosity. Think about it this way: God so loved the world that He GAVE… When we give, we are called to do so out of the overflow of all that He, the One who breathed life into our lungs, has given to us. When we love others, we’re generous with our time, our affection and, yes, our money—which is the number one competitor against God in our lives. To be people free from the trap of greed, we have to allow the truth of His extravagant generosity toward us to penetrate our hearts. We don’t give to make God love us, because He already does. We give because we love God, and when you love, you also give!

Are you praying for someone you love to receive Jesus as Savior? Many of us have felt burdened by the desire for friends and family to know Jesus as Lord. While Christ is the only One who can save, we can play a part in leading people to Him when we love them as He has loved us. How do we love a way that extends the invitation to restoration? Join us for part three of Family-ish!

Here’s the truth: We have to get our families in order. Why? Because the first ministry God has called us to starts at home. Every family has a story. Not one of them is perfect, but even if you didn’t inherit a good family story, you can start today! Let’s pull a few more chairs up to the table of our lives and create space for spiritual family. From there, we can build more healthy families and show others what it looks like to live, love and grow together as God intended from the very beginning!