new identity – ThrivingBranch

How Jesus Conquered Your Sin (#2): Changing the Tree

May 9, 2021March 21, 2021Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the second part of our series on how Jesus has conquered your sin. Last week we saw how sin is not primary a behavior or an action, but that sin actually goes much deeper; sin is an identity.

The basic understanding of identity is crucial to comprehending what sin is, and how to conquer it. This is something that I’m quite familiar with, as I lived on both sides of the spiritual isle. I struggled against sin for many years, going as far as to keep a daily log and diary of my sin and failure.

In this series, we are looking at a different perspective, and another way of conquering sin; a way not based on our efforts, but based on the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Behold Jesus and Be Transformed

October 11, 2020May 31, 2020Leave a Comment

Do you want real transformation? Real miracles? Real change? There is a very interesting section of scripture that explains how real transformation occurs, and I’m exited to share it with you today.

So many people are in need of help; spiritually, emotionally and physically. And all of it comes through one specific channel and one specific source. And it’s much much simple than you may realize. Let’s get started.

Did Jesus Really Finish the Work? (Being Secure in Christ)

September 27, 2020May 5, 2020Leave a Comment

One of the biggest areas that I struggled with in the past, was the idea that I was waging a constant battle to “improve myself”.

– Improve my performance – to commit less sinful actions

– To look more like Jesus, meaning basically the same thing, to commit less sinful actions

– To never be comfortable, but always in this constant war to try and become what God wanted me to be.

This feeling was spurned on by the Christians around me who said things like: If you’re comfortable in your Christianity, you’re doing it wrong. A phrase which always struck me as a bit of a dangling-carrot. Did Jesus die to subject us to further futility? Is the work complete or isn’t it? Did Jesus only perform a half-redemption?

I have since come to realize that I am not alone in these questions. And millions of Christians around the globe are on a mental and spiritual treadmill. Constantly running to try and reach an unreachable goal. Never being satisfied, and never feeling any comfort – because if they dared to, they would be a “lukewarm Christian” in their view.

Well, today we are going to examine this, as we have a discussion about being secure in Christ.

Faith is the Key to Miracles

September 20, 2020April 22, 2020Leave a Comment

Do you need a miracle today? Would you like to see more miracles in your life? Whether it’s physical, emotional, financial or spiritual, there is a single channel and avenue by which miracles come: faith. Faith is the key that unlocks the power of God in your life. And ironically it is largely ignored in favor of trying to obtain miracles by performance and works.

So today we are going to have a discussion regarding faith and miracles. Because miracles can still very much happen, and the scriptures tell us how. So let’s get started!

Your Assurance of Success in Christ

September 13, 2020April 4, 2020Leave a Comment

Success, we all want it. With very few exceptions, each of us wants to succeed in whatever we do; nobody likes to fail. But what assurances do we have for success? Is success just a gamble? A roll of the dice? Fear of failure can be a strong deterrent to moving forward.

So what should our view be, as believers in Jesus Christ; as reborn new creations washed clean and redeemed by His sacrifice? Perhaps simply having the question spelled-out in this way just opened your perspective somewhat. And we’re going to continue today by having a discussion regarding how Jesus Christ has given you the assurance of success. Let’s get started!

Jesus Has Given You New Clothes

June 7, 2020November 29, 2019Leave a Comment

Several times in the past, I have heard preachers say something along the lines of:

If you were going to meet royalty, you would put you best foot forward behavior, and you would wear your best suit! Well God is here now, and you should look your best for him, too!

In a certain way, these pastors are correct… we should look our best for God. The question is “how exactly do we accomplish that?” By what means and method do we “put on our best suit”? Where exactly can our best clothes be found – spiritually-speaking?

There are some who think that we must strive, struggle, and sweat, to work for God, and exercise our own force-of-will in order to look our best for God… but is that the truth?

Today we will answer these questions in this study.

Death to Sin: Your New Life in Christ

May 31, 2020May 31, 2020Leave a Comment

Spend some time listening to Christian leaders and you will probably hear them say that we must continually “die to sin” and “die to self”. They will typically say that this dying is a process that we must continually strive towards, focus on and work hard to achieve.

This leaves many people stuck in the spiritual mud of legalism – spinning their wheels furiously to get ahead, but never actually making progress – because progress can not actually be made in this fashion.

So today in this study, we will be taking a look at the idea of dying to sin, and dying to self, as well as what it actually means to have new life in Christ, because all of these ideas and terms are actually related… and sadly through generations of religious indoctrination, we have forgotten the foundation of the finished work of Christ, and begun to construct a faulty foundation of works and self-effort in-place of the cross, and that is not only foolish, but it is flat-out deadly.

What it Means to Lay Aside Every Weight

May 24, 2020November 14, 2019Leave a Comment

There an interesting phrase in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1, which encourages us to lay aside every weight and sin; and this directive has caused some degree of confusion and misapplication, to make people think that they must strive to “stop sinning” through their own self-effort. And this, like every other form of religiosity, will lead to spiritual and emotional bondage and ultimately death instead of the freedom and life that Christ sacrificed to give us.

What I would like to share with you today, is a different perspective on what it means to lay aside every weight and sin – and it doesn’t rely on your own efforts, your own sacrifices, or your own strength, but on the finished work of Jesus Christ. And as you see this truth today, you will rejoice at how easy Christ has made all of this for us.

Your Healing is Unstoppable! (part 3)

March 8, 2020August 22, 2019Leave a Comment

Welcome back again to our series on how your healing in unstoppable. Last week we saw how the fact that we exist in a sinful world, cannot really stop or hinder our healing in any way because of the fact that we have been placed into a New Covenant, and we have been given a new status and title – even the right to approach the Father in the Name of Jesus. And we ended last week by looking at the verse of 1st John 4:17, which tells us that even our very identity and nature has been changed; which many people are not even aware of.

Today we are going to explore this fact in more detail, as we continue seeing how because of the finished work of Christ, your healing is indeed unstoppable.

Your Healing is Unstoppable! (part 2)

March 1, 2020August 14, 2019Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the second part of our series looking at the truth of your healing, and the biblical reality that because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the truth that your healing is unstoppable.

Last week we took an honest look at the “sin problem”, and we answered the question of whether sinful deeds could actually impede or stop your healing… and I would encourage everyone to view that study if they have any doubts regarding healing and sin.

Today we are going to continue this theme, and look at a related argument regarding healing, which is healing is not guaranteed, and sickness is inevitable, because we live in a sinful world.

Much like what we looked at last week regarding sinful deeds stopping healing, this idea about a sinful world stopping healing is just as common – and just as crippling when it comes to healing, and so we will be examining it today in this study.