Life Ministries Today

06/18/2026

The Lie That Shaped My Life—Until Jesus Exposed It

One of the most life-changing discoveries I ever made was realizing that many of my decisions were being driven by a belief I didn’t even know I had.

Because I struggled in school, I kept hearing—and eventually believing—that I was stupid. Over time, that belief became part of my identity. Looking back, I can see that many of my choices were fueled by a desperate attempt to prove to others that I wasn’t.

What I didn’t understand was that when we believe a lie about ourselves, we often spend our lives gathering evidence to disprove it, while unknowingly reinforcing its power.

Through counseling, and even more importantly through my relationship with Jesus, I began to discover my true identity. I learned that my worth was never determined by my performance, intelligence, accomplishments, or what other people thought of me. My identity is found in Christ.

Freedom began when I stopped asking, “How do I prove myself?” and started asking, “Who does God say I am?”

The old lies still try to surface from time to time. But they no longer have the same power because my focus is no longer on defending myself—it’s on abiding in Jesus. The more I abide in Him, the more His truth becomes louder than the lies.

True freedom comes when we stop living from false beliefs and begin living from our identity in Christ.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36

Inspired by insights from Jim Richards’ book, Take Control Of Your Life.

06/18/2026

“Codependency is one of the oldest problems found in the Bible.

Codependency can work its way into every good thing and destroy it. It can become the leaven that permeates and spoils the entire loaf. It can become the strange quirk that causes a good business to fail. It can be the unpredictable factor that eventually makes a good relationship go bad. It can be the unseen “demon” that seems to follow you through life to destroy every good thing that happens. It is the root of why you lose control in certain settings. When the beliefs that empower codependent behavior are present, it will grow as fruit in every area of your life.

Yet, because its form changes from situation to situation, you and I are deceived into picking the fruit but never identifying the one root that connects all the various manifestations! In other words, we may deal with some of our behavior, but we very seldom identify and address the true root issue. Whether you are a classic codependent or not, you will find that it is when you give in to codependent tendencies that destruction and pain come into your life. By identifying the root and establishing new beliefs, the fruit will fall from the tree and you will find a new quality of life filled with peace, joy and meaningful relationships!”

— Take Control Of Your Life by Jim Richards

06/18/2026

The Real Battle Is Beneath the Surface

Many of us spend years trying to manage symptoms rather than address the source. We numb our pain, learn coping strategies, or try to change the people around us, hoping life will improve. Yet lasting peace rarely comes from changing our circumstances—it comes from allowing God to transform what we believe deep within our hearts.

When emotional pain persists, the answer is not found in controlling others or simply suppressing our struggles. Real freedom begins when we honestly examine the beliefs driving our thoughts, emotions, and reactions. The root issue is often not what is happening around us, but what we believe about ourselves, others, and God.

Lasting change happens when truth replaces lies and our hearts are renewed. As Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

Adapted from Take Control Of Your Life by Jim Richards.

06/17/2026

Most of us think anger is the problem.

But anger is often just the symptom.

Beneath anger is usually fear, wounded pride, unmet expectations, threatened control, or a false identity trying to protect itself.

We spend years trying to manage our anger while ignoring the deeper issue: what are we trusting in?

Jesus did not come merely to help us behave better. He came to become our life.

The more self sits on the throne, the more anger feels necessary.

The more Christ occupies the throne, the less there is to defend.

The answer is not becoming better at controlling anger.

The answer is abiding in the One who is our peace.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." — Galatians 2:20

Read Here

We often try to overcome anger through willpower, but behavior modification can never transform a heart that is living apart from Christ.

06/17/2026

Everything Changes When Jesus Becomes the Source

Most of us spend our lives trying.

Trying to be better.
Trying to be stronger.
Trying to overcome our struggles.
Trying to fix ourselves.
Trying to fix others.

We chase success, approval, comfort, security, and even spiritual growth, hoping that somehow we will finally arrive.

But Jesus offers something radically different.

The Christian life was never meant to be lived by human effort. It was never about becoming a better version of ourselves. It was always about Christ becoming our life.

When Jesus is our source:

• Trust replaces control.
• Love replaces manipulation.
• Kindness replaces judgment.
• Forgiveness replaces bitterness.
• Peace replaces anxiety.
• Contentment replaces striving.
• Cherishing replaces demanding.
• Humility replaces self-protection.

The world tells us to look within. The Gospel tells us to look to Christ.

The world says, “Try harder.”

Jesus says, “Abide in Me.”

The world says, “Build your kingdom.”

Jesus says, “Lose your life and find it in Me.”

The greatest discovery I have made is that the Christian life is not difficult—it is impossible apart from Jesus. But what is impossible for us becomes natural when Christ lives through us.

The answer has never been more effort.

The answer has always been a Person.

“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

And that is not bad news.

It is the most freeing news in the world.

06/16/2026

The Upside-Down World

One of the greatest deceptions of this world is convincing us that life is found in the things of this world.

We chase the American Dream—a beautiful home, a loving family, financial security, retirement accounts, vacations, and the freedom to finally enjoy life on our terms. None of those things are wrong. In fact, they can all be wonderful gifts from God.

The problem comes when we enjoy the gifts while forgetting the Giver.

When Jesus is removed from the center, good things slowly become idols. Life becomes centered on us, our comfort, our plans, our success, and our happiness. Yet no matter how much we accumulate, something still feels missing.

The world promises contentment but can only deliver temporary satisfaction.

Years ago, NFL quarterback Tom Brady said in a television interview:

“Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? There has to be more than this.”

He had achieved what millions dream about—fame, success, wealth, and championships—yet even he recognized that something was still missing.

Why?

Because we were never created to find life in this world.

This world is not our home. We were created for Jesus.

As Augustine famously wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in You.”

The emptiness people feel is often not the absence of more success, more possessions, or more experiences. It is the absence of the One for whom they were created.

Jesus said:

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Not a better version of worldly life.

Life itself.

The upside-down Kingdom reveals a truth the world cannot understand:

Contentment is not found in getting more.

It is found in knowing Christ.

The world works until it doesn’t.

Jesus never stops working.

“Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.” — Psalm 73:25

06/16/2026

My prayer for everyone ….

Jesus, Be My Life ❤️🙏

Heavenly Father,

My prayer is that we would stop looking to this world for what only Jesus can provide.

So many of us search for life in the approval of others, in success, comfort, possessions, relationships, or circumstances. Yet none of these things can satisfy the deepest longing of the human heart. They were never meant to be our source of life.

Lord, draw us into a deeper relationship with Jesus. Teach us what it means to truly abide in Him. As Jesus said:

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” — John 15:9

May we rest in that love. May we stop striving to find our worth in what we do or in what others think of us. Let us discover that our identity, our purpose, our peace, and our joy are found in Christ alone.

Father, help us to remain connected to Jesus as a branch remains connected to the vine. Let His life flow through us. Let His strength become our strength, His love become our love, and His peace become our peace.

May our lives bear fruit that points others to Him—not because of our effort, but because Christ is living His life through us.

And when the distractions of this world compete for our attention, gently turn our hearts back to Jesus, the One who is not merely part of our lives, but our very life.

“For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” — Colossians 3:3

Lord, may we become people who are captivated by Jesus, satisfied in Jesus, and transformed by Jesus.

In His precious name we pray,

Amen.

06/14/2026

From Lukewarm to Alive in Christ

One of the most sobering truths Jesus ever spoke is found in His message to the church of Laodicea:

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
— Revelation 3:15–16

In Revealing Revelation, Amir Tsarfati points out that Jesus was confronting people who had become comfortable, self-sufficient, and spiritually indifferent. They thought they were doing fine, but they had drifted from the very purpose for which they were created.

What makes this passage so personal for me is that I once would have considered myself anything but lukewarm.

I went to church. I tried to be a good person. I believed the right things. From the outside, everything looked fine. Yet looking back, I can see that much of my life was centered on me rather than Jesus.

That is what makes lukewarmness so dangerous. We can be religious without truly abiding in Christ. We can attend church, serve in ministry, and strive to live morally while missing the One it is all supposed to be about.

Ironically, one of the greatest gifts God ever gave me was a season of brokenness. At the time, I wanted out of it as quickly as possible. Today, I thank Him for it.

That brokenness drove me into the arms of Jesus in a way comfort never could have. In fact, I shudder to think where I might be if someone had rescued me from that season too quickly. What felt like devastation became an invitation to discover the life I had been missing all along.

I learned that Christianity is not primarily about trying harder, doing more, or becoming a better version of myself. It is about Jesus.

It is about falling in love with Him.

It is about abiding in Him.

It is about discovering that we were created not merely to live for Jesus, but for Jesus to live His life through us.

Today, I can honestly say there is nothing I desire more than Him. The things I once chased pale in comparison to knowing Christ. What once felt like sacrifice has become joy. What once felt like loss has become gain.

We were never created for lukewarm religion.

We were created for a living relationship with Jesus Christ.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” — John 15:5

Credit: Inspired by an excerpt from Revealing Revelation: How God’s Plans for the Future Can Change Your Life Now by Amir Tsarfati.

06/13/2026

The Church Today: Living in the Promise

One of the most beautiful pictures in Scripture is that the Church is the Bride of Christ. Right now, we are living in the time between the promise and the wedding feast—a season of expectation, preparation, and anticipation.

Amir Tsarfati points out that in 2 Corinthians 1:21–22, Paul says God has given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee (Greek: arrabon)—a pledge, down payment, or engagement token. The Holy Spirit is God’s assurance that He will complete the work He has begun and that one day Christ will return for His Bride.

What amazes me is that Christianity is far more than following rules or attending church. Through Christ, God is uniting a people to Himself in a relationship so intimate that He describes it as a marriage. The Holy Spirit living within us is a constant reminder that we belong to Him and that our future with Him is secure.

Some men struggle with the biblical picture of the Church as the Bride of Christ because they think of it in purely earthly terms. But Scripture is using human marriage to point to a far greater spiritual reality—the union between Christ and His redeemed people.

Paul reminds us:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:28

This does not mean that men and women cease to exist. Rather, it means that our standing before God is no longer defined by race, status, or gender. Our deepest identity is that we belong to Christ. In eternity, the divisions that separate people today will be gone, and our identity will be fully found in Him.

No human words can truly describe the wonder and beauty of what Christ has done and is doing. The Bridegroom is coming, and every day brings us one step closer to seeing Him face to face.

“I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” — John 14:2–3

The older I get, the more amazed I am that God does not simply save us from something—He saves us unto Someone. The Christian life is not ultimately about becoming better people; it is about being united to Jesus Christ Himself.

Summary and reflections inspired by Amir Tsarfati from Revealing Revelation: How God’s Plans for the Future Can Change Your Life Now.

06/13/2026

Set Your Mind on Christ

Many people read Paul’s words, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2), and assume he is telling us to withdraw from the world. But that is not what he means.

In Colossians 3, Paul explains that “earthly things” are not our families, jobs, responsibilities, or the good gifts God has given us. Rather, they are the sinful desires and idols that compete with Christ for our hearts. To set our minds on earthly things is to orient our lives around something other than God.

The Greek word translated “set your mind on” is phroneo. It means to direct your deepest attention, affection, and allegiance toward something. What captures your heart will ultimately govern your life.

Paul’s call is not simply to think about heaven more often. It is to make Christ the center of everything.

When Christ becomes our focus, we don’t withdraw from the world. We engage it more faithfully. We love our families, serve our neighbors, work diligently, forgive freely, pray continually, and live with gratitude. A heavenly mindset produces an earthly life filled with humility, love, peace, truth, and thanksgiving.

I can personally testify to the difference this makes.

There was a time when my thoughts were consumed by the world. I worried about the future, chased things that could never satisfy, and often lived from an earthly perspective. Today, I find myself captivated by Jesus.

Every morning I sit in my chair, pray, read, write, and spend time with Him. Throughout the day my mind continually returns to Christ. I talk with Him, think about Him, and see reminders of Him everywhere. What amazes me is that this is not something I have accomplished through determination or self-effort.

It is what Christ has done in me.

Looking back, I am amazed at how He has renewed my mind, redirected my desires, and become the focus of my heart. The greatest miracle is not what I have done for Jesus, but what Jesus has done in me.

When Paul says, “Set your minds on things above, where Christ is,” I no longer hear it merely as a command. I see it as an invitation to become so captivated by Jesus that everything else finds its proper place.

As I sit each morning and look out at a tomato plant growing on my deck, I am reminded of Jesus’ words in John 15:5:

“I am the vine; you are the branches.”

The fruit is not striving to grow. It is simply connected to the vine. In the same way, the transformation in my life did not come from trying harder. It came from abiding in Christ.

The greatest miracle in my life is not what I have done for Him.

It is what He has done in me.

Adapted from insights in The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts by Joe Rigney.