identity – ThrivingBranch

How To Not Be Taken Captive (#4)

April 16, 2023April 12, 20232 Comments

Welcome back to the fourth part of our series on how not to be taken captive. This is the segment that I believe most people have been waiting for, because today we will examine the most common captivating ideas in modern Christianity — or what I call the “Holy-Sounding Hogwash,” a term I coined in the previous part of this series.

I’ve compiled a list of the religious rubbish I’ve heard repeatedly throughout the years, and also added the ones which you all sent me via comments and emails, so it’s my wish that today’s study will benefit us all, as we see how the truth of Jesus and His finished work in the New Covenant keeps us from being taken captive by these dangerous doctrines.

How To Not Be Taken Captive (#3)

April 2, 2023April 1, 20232 Comments

In the previous two parts of this series we examined a list of items in Colossians 2:8 of things we should be wary of because they can take us captive.

We saw how the dangerous items in that list, aren’t so much physical but mental; they are deceptive thoughts, arguments, and errant beliefs. While there are many of those which are brazenly obvious today, other are more subtle, even creeping their way inside churches, and into the speech, and minds of Christians.

Today, we will dive into this particular area of subtle captivity, as we continue exploring how to not be taken captive.

Healing, Faith, Facts, and Feelings (#3)

February 19, 2023February 13, 2023Leave a Comment

Welcome to part 3 of Healing, Faith, Facts and Feelings. The last few weeks we’ve explored the foundation of faith, the reason behind why we can trust in God’s healing; and we also saw how God’s facts can and should change our perspective of our circumstances.

Now today we deal with the most destructive feelings of all guilt, shame, and condemnation.

Breaking Strongholds (part 1)

February 6, 2022January 18, 2022Leave a Comment

Do you have a nagging thought or feeling that you just can’t seem to shake? Perhaps an addiction, or sin that seems to persist despite your best efforts? Some camps within Christianity would claim that this is a sign of demon possession or that you need a spiritual intervention, usually in the form of a special deliverance or healing.

Such rhetoric can breed a lot of fear and uncertainty, leading to thinking that there’s something wrong with you, or that you’re not even saved.

Countless Christians have lost hope or given up entirely because of these ideas; so today we will explore how to truly break strongholds, through our union with Christ.

The Key to Powerful Belief (part 3)

March 7, 2021December 20, 2020Leave a Comment

Welcome back again to part three of our series on powerful belief. In part one, we looked at the prophetic report of Isaiah about what Jesus’ sacrifice accomplished for us. We also saw some of the common stumbling blocks that people struggle with when it comes to believing.

In part two, we continued along that theme, and also saw how the words that we speak are connected with what we believe in our heart.

Today, we put all of the pieces from the previous two weeks together, so if you haven’t yet read the last two studies, it might be helpful. By the end of this study today, you will understand how to have truly powerful belief in Christ Jesus. Let’s get started.

How You Prosper in Christ (part 2)

December 6, 2020October 5, 2020Leave a Comment

Welcome back to our study on prosperity. We saw last week that prosperity is not a dirty word. In that study, we examined how scripture lists prosperity as a covenant blessing based on our relationship with God in Christ, and also that His prosperity has a purpose: to share His generosity and blessing with those around us.

Now today, we are going to discuss how this happens, and how to receive the blessing of prosperity into your life, because just as with every other aspect of grace, people tend to inject a layer of works over what God gives as a gift in Christ

Join me today, as we discover how to prosper in Christ.

God’s Mercy and Grace (part 2)

November 22, 2020August 30, 2020Leave a Comment

Last week, we began a discussion about the mercy and grace of God. We learned about what the terms mean, and we started to look at how realization of God’s mercy and grace can impact every area of life.

As we see ourselves on the other side of the cross, we start to comprehend the reality that we are not still trying to get to the finish line; we have arrived.

Today I’d like to continue this discussion, and explicate these ideas further. As we continue examining God’s mercy and grace, we will see more of what He has accomplished, and more of who we are in Him.

Jesus Has Slain Your Goliath

May 3, 2020October 27, 2019Leave a Comment

One of the most famous stories in the Bible is the story of David and Goliath. It’s a story that is often taught to children in order to teach them about courage and belief in God.

Yet after Sunday school is over and we mature into adulthood, we often don’t hear much about David and Goliath anymore. Now why is that? Do we think that we have fully explored this story and extracted all of the truth out of it, in our Sunday school classes when we were children?

There’s a lot more to this story than an encouragement for children (or adults) to face their fears… but in-fact, as with the rest of the Bible, Jesus can be seen in it.

What I am excited to share with you today, is how the famous story of David and Goliath, actually shows us a wonderful picture of Jesus and His finished work for you. Buckle up, because this is going to be an amazing ride!

The Blessing of Being Hidden With Christ

December 8, 2019December 8, 2019Leave a Comment

Colossians 3:3 contains one of the most amazing of statements. This statement has so many wonderful implications that it would greatly strengthen and bless our lives if we would allow it to. And in-fact, this particular verse of scripture contains a specific truth that is absolutely vital to our understanding of our identity and how we are supposed to live as new creations in Christ – yet sadly I have seen many people rush passed this truth and latch onto the verses following it, and adopt a self-focused mindset that is destructive, due to not taking the time to consider the truth of verse 3.

So in this study today, we are going to examine, both verse 3, and the verses which follow it; keeping everything in context, and viewing it all in the light of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Approaching God Properly

July 7, 2019September 17, 2018Leave a Comment

When you approach God, what demeanor do you typically have? What attitude is forefront in your mind when you draw near to Him? For many people, it’s still an attitude of unworthiness, and a mixture of guilt and shame, sometimes under a cloak of religiosity.

Others approach him trying to stand on their own merit, relying on their own works, and sacrifices that they have made, thinking that such things earn spiritual points with God, and favor with Him based on their performance.

And these may seem as though they are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but they are both actually rooted in the exact same error: approaching God on the basis of yourself, and your own performance. It’s a very easy trap to fall into; we naturally want to stand in our own performance – and the world we live in generally promotes this idea of self-reliance, self-work, earning your own way. However when it comes to God, and spiritual identity, standing in yourself is not only wrong, it is deadly!

Today we will be examining what it means to approach God properly, and how it has a profound impact on your relationship, your union with Christ.