power – ThrivingBranch

Your Authority in Christ (#1)

December 10, 2023December 9, 2023Leave a Comment

We’ve spent the previous four studies looking at our relationship with God, and how it touches every aspect of our lives. And now that we understand where we stand, we can move on to the topic of authority.

Authority is another one of those topics that are critical to a successful Christian life, but rarely gets the attention it needs. The scriptures are clear that we have a spiritual enemy, and that we are called to stand in times of attack or pressure. But the scriptures do not call us to stand without any power or recourse.

In truth, Jesus paid a very high price to redeem us, and bring us into a new and better covenant with better promises (Hebrews 8:6) — these promises are not ethereal, nor are they relegated to some unknown future time when we get to heaven. These promises are for here and now when we need them the most. Yet many believers are left completely unaware of all that they have to believe in, due to the aspect of our authority in Christ never being mentioned.

So today we are going to explore the authority Jesus has given to us, for the very purpose of defending and overcoming the spiritual enemy.

Let’s get started!

Breaking Strongholds (part 2)

February 13, 2022January 25, 2022Leave a Comment

In last week’s video we began looking at strongholds, and how we can have freedom from them, not by efforts, but by resting and receiving the grace of Christ through our reborn identity in Jesus Christ.

Strongholds can be utterly debilitating, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Even if they don’t appear to be that harmful at first, the doubt, fear, and uncertainty they cause can be quite costly in the long term.

Although many of us can recognize at least some part of a stronghold when it grips us… we know on the inside that something just isn’t right, we also, at the same time feel powerless to do anything about it. We fight, struggle and try to break free, and we might experience some kind of success for a day, week, or even a month, but then we find ourselves right back where we started.

This vicious cycle can cause people to doubt the efficacy of their salvation; to just give up and throw-in the towel and become depressed, and disillusioned.

However, as we began to uncover last week, our victory through Christ is greater than our perceptions. And today we continue exploring how our new identity in Christ gives us freedom from strongholds.

Speak to Your Mountain

January 16, 2022December 5, 2021Leave a Comment

When faced with a problem, the typical Christian can react in a few different ways:

With extreme passivity — “everything is God’s will; he’ll help if he wants to”
With self-abasement, doubt — “Why is this happening? Am I being punished?”
With anger and resentment — “How could God do this to me! This is bogus!”
While all of these positions look at the problem from a slightly different angle, they all produce the same result; these ideas immobilize you.

Think about it; if you believe that absolutely everything is God’s will, then you will never resist anything, because all of it is his will. So when spiritual forces attack, you’ll just roll over and accept it because, hey, it’s God’s will.

Similarly, if you believe that negative situations are God’s punishment for some wrong you’ve committed, then you still will not resist, because you deserve what is happening… it’s your punishment after all. So you’ll just suffer through the pain.

And the third idea is even more straightforward. You just directly accuse God of causing the problem.

All of these ideas keep you in a mental and spiritual box— never able to move forward, because moving forward requires the power of God. But if you see God as the source of your suffering or somehow complicit in it, then there’s no reason to even ask him for help!

Looking at things this way can seem rather hopeless; but all is not as it appears. The scriptures show us a different perspective; one not of hopeless reassignment to loss, but one of strength, power, and victory.

How To Change Your World

November 7, 2021October 14, 2021Leave a Comment

One of the most common questions that comes up today, is that if God is in control, and He’s so good, and we are so blessed, then what’s going on with the world; why does the world seem to be getting worse?

Some people assume that it’s because humanity is a fallen and sinful creation, sheer ignorance, or the devil and his forces of evil!

Those things are all part of the equation but not the whole answer!

What if I were to tell you that you are playing the most critical role in the state and direction of the world, and you don’t even realize how! In fact, you are the one with all of the power, and your power is being used against you without your knowledge.

Did God Give You Promises or Facts?

October 17, 2021September 14, 2021Leave a Comment

If you’ve spent any time in the more charismatic sections of Christianity, you’ve likely heard about the promises of God. The promises are something that Christians often meditate on, recite, and think about. There are books and devotionals dedicated to the promises, and they can give a lot of comfort.

But what exactly is a promise in the biblical aspect? By asking this question, I’m aiming primarily at the time-frame in view. When we typically think of a promise, we envision something that is going to happen, but hasn’t happened yet. The time-frame may seem like a small detail, but it can have large implications.

Today we will explore what it means to have a biblical promise versus a biblical fact, and how a seemingly subtle difference can significantly influence our perspective of what we have in Christ.

Faith and the Fig Tree (How to Move Your Mountain)

September 19, 2021August 1, 2021Leave a Comment

Last week, we studied about faith and belief. We examined what faith and belief are, and how they work together for tangible results; the kind of results that you can see, feel, experience and enjoy now on this earth. That’s what people need and want, and that’s what Jesus gave during His ministry.

Today, we will continue along this theme, by exploring more about how faith works, by looking at the example of the fig tree, and how Jesus taught us to move our mountains.

How Powerful is Satan, Really?

August 22, 2021June 26, 2021Leave a Comment

Besides Jesus Christ, one of the most contemplated figures in scripture is Satan. Often thought to be the antithesis of Jesus, Satan is usually assumed to be equally cunning, equally, knowledgable, and equally powerful.

Most Christians hold a level of fear regarding Satan, and consider him to be the god and ruler of the world. Is that an accurate view of Satan? Today we’re going to explore this question, and the answer may surprise you.

How to Fight and Win Your Spiritual Battles (part 1): The Cross is Not the End

March 14, 2021January 6, 2021Leave a Comment

Does the subtitle of today’s study surprise you? Do I have your full attention? Don’t worry, this isn’t some kind of click-bait that is propagated all over the internet today. Instead, this is a spiritual reality and truth that we seem to have forgotten in modern Christianity, and it has the effect of weakening us in all areas of life.

What I’m going to share with you today, is a truth that you can keep and take with you through the rest of your life. This truth is what is sorely lacking in Christianity today, and it is what is holding many of us back from experiencing spiritual victory.

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.

The Key to Powerful Belief (part 2)

February 28, 2021December 20, 2020Leave a Comment

Welcome back to the second part of our study on belief. In part one, we began looking at some of the challenges that we often face when it comes to believing, and the prophetic report of Isaiah, outlining the sacrifice of Jesus, and the redemption that He brought.

Today we will continue this discussion by seeing more of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us, and how to allow Him to increase our faith and belief as we look directly at Him.