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bfb56c3 The thing or person you trust in is actually the object of your worship. Look Edward T. Welch
1b9453f When you know that the kingdom is God's alone (though he gives it to us), that is the only thing that can lead to peace and rest. Owners are the ones who do all the worrying; stewards simply listen to the owner's desires and work to implement them. Owners are responsible for the outcome; stewards strive to be faithful. Edward T. Welch
7136b21 The more you read Scripture, the more you actually talk to God rather than think about fear. Edward T. Welch
e17ddbb When you are confident that you are the Father's treasured possession, you are also confident that his loving care will continue forever. Building warehouses is a waste of time and space. His gifts to you become things you want to give him back in gratitude. Then he gives you even more. Edward T. Welch
44f6525 Anxiety asks for more information so it can be prepared for the coming apocalypse. It also asks for more information so it can manage the world apart from God. Edward T. Welch
565b25a God tests us because we are so oblivious to the mixed allegiances in our hearts. The purpose of the test is to help us see our hearts and if they are found traitorous, we can turn back to God. Edward T. Welch
71ac027 Beneath our questions about God's generosity and his care for our needs is something darker. What we really care about is our wants. Edward T. Welch
8a7599b At this point, we know that worry and fear are more about us than about the things outside us. They Edward T. Welch
a294695 My wants are what concern me. That's where the battle must be fought. I Edward T. Welch
88846cb Life in the kingdom isn't easy, at least not when we want to share the throne. But Edward T. Welch
ce909d2 God likes his people to be outnumbered because then there is no mistaking that he alone is the Deliverer. Edward T. Welch
6c91e20 The fear of man is no respecter of persons. It might be called codependency by adults, peer pressure with teens, and shyness with children, but whatever it is called, it all betrays the same idolatrous heart. Edward T. Welch
2ff78f9 To paraphrase Augustine, if you want to know your God-given gifts, first know that the purpose of spiritual gifts is to bring unity to the church. Then "love God and do what you feel like doing." But there is more to the unleashing of gifts in the body. One of the bad fruits of an "I" church is that we don't tell people when they bless us. If someone has taught Sunday school and helped us understand a passage of Scripture, then we should te.. Edward T. Welch
74d8955 God does not forgive you based on the quality of your confession or your resolve to be a better person. But you keep thinking otherwise. Your standard is what you would do to someone like yourself, and chances are that you would not let the incident pass quickly. God, however, forgives, for his own name's sake. "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more" (Isa. 43:25)." Edward T. Welch
34ad1cc Since Jesus became thoroughly identified with sin, he would receive its wrath and judgment in our place. This meant he would experience the worst kind of rejection and alienation from the Father, and he would do this for us. Edward T. Welch
688148d Since ancient times, people have bowed down to idols in the appearance of humility and contrition. But their goal wasn't to be mastered by the idol. People worship to get things. We choose idols in part because we believe that they will give us what we want. The god of drugs brings fearlessness; the god of sex promises pleasure and intimacy; the god of wealth holds out power and influence. We can feel miserable about ourselves because we wa.. Edward T. Welch
41ca4f7 Sin can certainly be a cause of depression, but you must be careful about connecting the dots between the two. If you are being honest, you will always find sin in your life. Everyone does. That doesn't mean that sin caused your depression. Edward T. Welch
940a917 If you know you have been forgiven, you will forgive and reconcile with others. Edward T. Welch
69b09d5 You can't have a deeper relationship if you won't allow yourself to be known. All Edward T. Welch
0e7904b If you want to know more about yourself, turn to Jesus. When Edward T. Welch
ad46e40 To deeply understand fear we must also look at ourselves and the way we interpret our situations. Those scary objects can reveal what we cherish. They point out our insatiable quest for control, our sense of aloneness. Edward T. Welch
68341ab The basic idea is to focus on the matchless worth of the Lord God and then get connected to him. Edward T. Welch
a8e40f8 Then, when shame strikes, it is so nasty you have to numb yourself, and what better anesthetic than your addiction? It is the perfect vicious circle. Edward T. Welch
7baecab Shame's hold over you leads you to believe you don't deserve to be rid of shame. As a result, you treat hope as if it were a contaminated substance. Edward T. Welch
99cbbe1 Hebrews 2:5-18 Suffering does not oppose love; it is a result of it. One of the grand purposes of human existence is to look more and more like Jesus. This is God's plan for us. It is one of the greatest gifts he could give. It is evidence that he has brought us into his family. If Jesus learned obedience through suffering, we will too. A path without hardships should cause us to wonder if we really belong to God. The challenge for us is to.. CCEF
e43bff7 What is shame? The Son of God, while on a rescue mission of love, was misunderstood insulted betrayed denied mocked spit on cursed abandoned Edward T. Welch
d970f84 The important thing was the shedding of blood. Sounds barbaric, but the Old Testament was reminding us that there was a significant cost involved in moving from unclean to clean. You didn't have to pay it, but it still had to be paid. Edward T. Welch
96f2ca4 Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests--Aaron and Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood." (Exodus 28:1-3, emphasis m.. Edward T. Welch
f822d7c Isaiah himself was only more aware of his shame as it stood in contrast to the perfection and purity of the Lord. It brought him to despair at his predicament. But despair is not a bad thing when it compels us to trust in or be associated with God himself. Edward T. Welch
6ce9ab9 Shame is very much on display in Jesus' crucifixion. When he predicted his own death to his disciples, he made sure to explain that it would be infused with mocking, a public flogging, and spitting (Mark 10:33-34). Witness this hatred and rejection and it will change you. Edward T. Welch
10dc272 The fastest way to bring a wrecking ball to our skewed interpretations is through confession. Edward T. Welch
fe243f4 The Holy One is not human. The triune God is not human. Don't limit God's character by your expectations of what a decent human king might do. You expect God to reject; he accepts. You expect him to turn away; he turns toward. Edward T. Welch
9e5ec64 Shame can be removed, and you can still be you. Despite your feeling that your destiny and shame's destiny are identical--that if shame no longer exists, you won't either--the reality is that you will be more you without shame. Edward T. Welch
cc79d7c Hiding. Covering up. Self-protection. Feeling exposed. They are telltale signs of shame. Edward T. Welch
08630f9 Once at Golgotha where he would be crucified, the people continued their festival of shame, not knowing that their attempts to heap shame on the Creator God were the most disgraceful acts in human history. Edward T. Welch
21d3555 The odd thing is that fear and anxiety are running away from something, but they don't know what to run to. They know danger, but they don't know where to find peace and rest. Edward T. Welch
74efb96 the desire is overwhelming. Why? Because there is availability without accountability. Edward T. Welch
7fb273c When he was with his fellow pastors, they challenged each other with these seven questions: 1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising? 2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity? 3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material? 4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer? 5. Have you given priority time to your family? 6. Have you fulfilled the mandates.. Edward T. Welch
5487d10 When your emotions feel muted or always low, when you are unable to experience the highs and lows you once did, the important question is not "How can I figure out what I have done wrong?" but it is, "Where do I turn--or, to whom do I turn--when I am depressed?" Some turn toward their beds and isolation; others turn toward other people. Some turn away from God; others turn toward him." Edward T. Welch
ce64f1c a lingering sense that something was very wrong with him. That sense is called shame. Edward T. Welch
e9ed875 The world was created by God as the abode of human beings. As created by God it is good, but as our abode it bears the mark of our sin. Therefore, in the New Testament, the term world is used to denote the order of things that are alienated from God. Edward T. Welch
5cbb1aa But the point is that we live in a culture that idolizes happiness, and if we idolize happiness, it will always elude us. Edward T. Welch
ec94dcb the culture with the most peace, money, and leisure is also the one with the most malignant sadness. Edward T. Welch
0d32e1c When I'm depressed, pain is my friend. I wallow in pain. It's what I am familiar with. I'll tell you that I hate my pain and that there is nothing good about it, but I still hold onto it. I'm so dead inside, so empty of any enthusiasm or hope. My pain reminds me that I'm alive. It allows me to be angry. Edward T. Welch