PG 1

PG 3PG 2

ForwardEAST COAST CHRISTIAN CENTER,

I have been given the privilege of spending the end of 2015 with several different pastors from around the country and I have really been encouraged about our church! I have learned a lot, but also I have been encouraged that we are doing church right in a lot of areas! One of those areas is the way we start each new year. We have started devotions, a Daniel fast and pressed into His presence for over 20 years now together as a church. This year we will be doing it again and I want you to be open to this in a fresh new way. Just as we have done devotions, fasting and pressing in for years, many of the greatest churches in America are starting their year the same way. This is something the Spirit of God is doing world wide and I want each and every one of you to be open to what God wants to do in you this year during this special time.

Pastor Dan

PG 5PG 4

IntroductionIf you’re new around East Coast Christian Center and maybe seeing this devotion for the first time, we want to take this opportunity to introduce it you to it. Each new year we do a New Year’s devotion. It’s an opportunity to all get together as a church and read the same things, pray the same things and refresh ourselves in the vision for East Coast.

The Devotional is based on the idea that we would take time at the beginning of the year and use it to press in a little bit more to the things of God, the person of Jesus, to get to know Him better, and start the year with a focus on the kingdom of God. There are a lot of things going on at the beginning of the year and our attention can go in many different directions, but we need our focus to go towards God and connect with Him.

The devotion is just one of the ways we seek God at East Coast Christian Center, and we’ve been doing it that way for a little over 20 years! But it isn’t even something that is only 20 years old, actually there was a season in the Bible when a guy named Daniel, (the “Daniel and the lion’s den” guy) had a lifestyle of seeking God. One of the seasons in his life he fasted sweets and meats, which meant he didn’t eat desserts and he didn’t eat meat for a period of time. God showed Himself really strong on his behalf, strong in the culture, and strong in the kingdom of God and it was a powerful thing.

So we start out our year with a Daniel fast and then we do a devotion that’s based on three main things. If you’ve been here for awhile, you have heard that we are “Building a life giving church that lasts”. We want to build a church that’s going to be around for generations and be here when my generation is gone and my grandchildren are serving God. Not just be here, but be relevant and life changing and life giving.

Another thing that’s big for us is we have a three part expression and we believe God has given us the vision to do. It has to do with UP; our relationship with God, our worship, our love for Him, our fire, our desire to be His children, to honor Him with our life, honor Him with our words, so it is UP. Then it’s IN; our relationship with the church and that we’re part of the body of Christ. He wants us to be edified which means to be built up, so that means we have times of getting in the Word together. Times we serve together and love one another; where we provide an atmosphere

where people can come from the community and from other parts of the world and be a part of this life-giving church that lasts. So the middle is IN and it’s all about the church. Then it’s OUT; that’s outreach, reaching out to a lost and hurting world. We’ve said it this way: “We’re taking the gospel out of the four walls of the church house to reach Merritt Island, Brevard County and the world for Jesus!”

We have decided to continue with the theme - LOVE GOD, LOVE THE CHURCH, and LOVE PEOPLE. Three prongs; UP, IN, and OUT. Reaching Up, Reaching In, and Reaching Out. It’s LOVE GOD, LOVE THE CHURCH and LOVE PEOPLE. We have heard some amazing testimonies of people reaching out and loving their family, neighbor, or co-worker. That’s what this devotion is about, centering in on God, centering in on His church, and centering in on reaching the world for Jesus.

We’ll begin the devotion on the 4th of January and end on the 25th of January. Each day we’ll have a specific chapter in the bible to read and one or two key verses; the Morning Breath radio program will follow along with it. All the details, dates and times will be in the devotion. We would love for you to dedicate your time to seeking God as much as you can. We get it, some people will fast TV, coffee, or chocolate, or if you are Pastor Kevin, Mountain Dew. Whatever it is that God wants you to leave out so you can press in, that’s what you need to get figured out ahead of time by seeking Him. If you can do a Daniel Fast there’s information in our devotion on how to do that. We would love to have you on board with the Daniel Fast, but if you can’t, then do what you can. Make sure you are healthy enough for whatever fasting you plan to do.

So seek God no matter what, read the devotion, come to services whenever you can and let’s press in and make 2016 a year where the Presence, the Power and the Passion of God are evident in the world in which we live

Thank you so much for loving God. Thank you so much for loving the church. And thank you so much for loving people.

Pastor Dan Stallbaum

PG 7PG 6

Pray and ask for God’s guidance. He will open your spiritual eyes so that you will have a clear understanding of what you read.

Read the entire chapter to get a better understanding of the key verse. Knowing the context in which the verse was written will give insight into the meaning of the scripture and what the author meant when he wrote it.

Re-read the key verse and ask questions. Train yourself to observe exactly what the text is saying by asking these questions:

•Who is speaking and what do they believe?

•What is the context of the key verse? What is happening before and after?

•When was the verse said or done?

•How is it going to happen?

The answers to these questions will bring revelation.

Deuteronomy 29:29 promises, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.”

Commit the key verse to memory, if possible. Joshua 1:8 explains the importance of knowing the Word by memory: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

Determine the application the chapter has for your life. The Word of God is powerful and in order to experience its power, you must act on it. As you ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of the text, think about what you’ve observed in your reading and what it means.

As you meditate on those truths, think about their place in your life and how they apply to you, personally. Do not let your study become an intellectual pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Consider each verse for your own personal life. That’s where application comes in.

Be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer. As you read the Word daily and apply it to your life, your life will start to change. You will become a living epistle, known and read by all men (2 Corinthians 3:2). This type of study is a habit that can be formed in your life.

Here are some online resources to help you study the Word:

www.biblegateway.com

www.blueletterbible.com

www.biblios.com

www.youversion.com

PG 9PG 8

Step 1 - Know the Purpose of Fasting

Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, guidance or healing? Perhaps you need a fresh start or a breakthrough in a specific area of your life, financial freedom, or grace to handle a difficult problem. Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify your personal goals for fasting.

Step 2 - Make a Commitment

Matthew 6:16 says, “Moreover, when you fast…” The wording of His instructions implies that Jesus intended for all believers to fast. It says “when you fast”, not “if you fast”. Before you start, decide these things:

•How long will you fast?

•What type of fast should you follow?

•What physical or social habits will you leave out during this time?

•How much time will you spend in the Word and prayer?

Step 3 - Prepare Yourself Spiritually

Prepare yourself spiritually through true repentance by taking these steps:

•Ask God to reveal your sin to you.

•Confess every sin specifically that the Holy Spirit shows you.

•Ask forgiveness of those whom you have sinned against.

•Make restitution.

•Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.

•Meditate on God’s character.

•Believe in faith for results

•Expect and prepare yourself to overcome any opposition.

Step 4 - Prepare Yourself Physically

Take reasonable precautions. Consult a physician if you have any health concerns or are on medication. Do not gorge yourself just before you start. If your daily caffeine intake is high, start tapering down prior to beginning your fast. Also, get plenty of rest. It is important for your body to have rest during this transition time. If you exercise, don’t over exert yourself. Exercise moderately. Prepare yourself for some discomfort, headaches, weakness or crankiness. Remember that the first two to three days of fasting are the hardest, but do not lose hope or feel discouraged.

Step 5 - Stay on the Plan

Commit to seeing it through and staying the course. Make the following a core part of your fast:

•Pray.

•Read the chapter.

•Answer the questions in the devotion.

•Take walks at lunchtime and pray.

•Meditate on the key verses.

A daniel fast is based on the following scriptures:

•Daniel 1:3-8

•Daniel 1:11-13

•Daniel 10:3

Specifically, Daniel 1:12 (KJV) says:

“Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.” The word “pulse” is translated as “vegetables”. Pulse comes from the Hebrew word “zero”, which is something sown, like seeds to grow vegetables for food.

Daniel ate only what grew from the ground. He avoided meat for two reasons:

It was dedicated to idols and would defile the person who ate it knowing it was dedicated to idols (Daniel 1:8), and he was abstaining from this food to seek the Lord.

Daniel avoided sweets, desserts, and sugar. He proposed in his heart to find his joy and fulfillment in God, not in food.

Daniel 10:3 (KJV) says: “I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” In Hebrew, “pleasant bread” translated comes from “chemdah lechem,” which is delightful food, food that one eats for pleasure rather than purpose of nourishment.

So what do we eat? Keep it simple and follow the leading of the Lord. The purpose of a fast is to seek God, not just go on a diet. If you would like to lose weight while doing this fast, you can cut out dairy as well.

A suggested meal plan is as follows:

•Breakfast - Eat fruit until noon.

•Lunch - Eat a large salad with vegetables.

•Dinner - Eat beans and rice, vegetables or salad.

Here are some resources to help you plan meals according to the Daniel Fast:

www.danielfast.wordpress.com

www.danielfastcookbook.com

Daniel Fast

PG 11PG 10

DAY 1

Forget Me Not

Hear It When I came across this verse recently in my quiet time, it felt like God had opened His heart to me in the most powerful and intimate way. Though these words were spoken to His beloved thousands of years ago, I hear Him saying these words to me today. God’s truth has no expiration date. I hear Him say, “I remember the way you have loved me, and that when we first started this walk together, how you moved my heart.”

Now, we must listen carefully. This verse comes as a loving reminder from God to enjoy our relationship with Him, to revisit the love story at its origins, and to draw closer to experience that love in a deeper way. If our hearts have dulled in our love, He is initiating a deeper connection. He is not condemning us for allowing the gradual decline of our intimacy. But oftentimes, the inferior and condemning voice of the accuser, tries to drown out the conversations we have with God. In these times, we must stay tuned in to God’s heart, remembering HE IS FOR US, and reject the temptation to see ourselves as anything less than God sees. He will always call us to our heavenward potential.

Do you remember when you first gave your heart to Jesus? How did you demonstrate that love to Him? It seemed like nothing

could shake that simple gratitude and excitement of simply hearing Him speak. And even when things were hard and you walked through a wilderness, you trusted Him when you couldn’t see. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to end with the honeymoon. Because of the perfection of Jesus’ work on the Cross, we have open access to God, 24/7. The challenge is in the choosing.

See It My wife and I are seventeen years into our love story. After three and a half years of courtship, and almost fourteen years of marriage, we have seen amazing days and challenging days. The best days have always been when we were being INTENTIONAL about our connection.

Even as I write this, we both recently spent thirty six hours mostly in bed, due to simultaneously contracting food poisoning. But we served one another, prayed for one another, encouraged one another, and shared the joys and sorrows of our hearts together. Part of the reason we have continued to do this, is because we like to remember the God-history of our relationship.

We watch our wedding video on our anniversary, and we keep and re-read old cards and letters. We often talk about the wonderful moments and the hard moments God has brought us through together. These displays of devotion we enjoy today are rooted in the beginnings of our relationship. I can truly say that I am more committed to loving her today than I can ever remember. I think God knew what He was up to when He likened our relationship with Him to a marriage.

Do It Ask God to remind you how your love for Him has moved His heart. Pay attention to the specific ways He reminds you of how you’ve honored Him. Write those things down on a list in your bible or on a note app on your phone. Visit this list and act on it regularly, and watch how your heart is reminded of His love for you!

Chapter: Jeremiah 2Key Verse: Jeremiah 2:2 MSG

Get out in the streets and call to Jerusalem, God's Message! I remember your youthful loyalty, our love as newlyweds. You stayed with me through the wilderness

years, stuck with me through all the hard places.

PG 13PG 12

Family IssuesDAY 2

Hear It The Church is a family. And families will, without a doubt, have issues more than once. These issues may look like bitterness and wrath like we see in today’s Scripture. Have you ever been bitter at a sibling, parent, or child? Have you had hard-core malice or slandered someone in front of (or behind) his back? If so, you are human, and this applies to you! And just as surely as this occasionally happens within families, it happens in our church family as well. Today we will focus on the health of church family relationships, and this verse literally has the power to change the atmosphere of a church family. God has given us a clear path out of these relational troubles here in His Word. While hurt feelings are strong, His pathway to healing is even stronger. Look again at verse 32, and you will see words about kindness, tenderheartedness, and forgiveness. Don’t underestimate the power of these words at work in our hearts. They carry the power to turn the most malicious relationships into kindred spirits.

See It Countless times people have hurt other people within the Church. Of course, it seems obvious as followers of Christ who have experienced God’s love shed abroad in our hearts, that we should know how to dwell together peaceably. We

who have been forgiven everything should be forgiving every offense against us. So why is it that people in the church hurt each other, hold grudges, and part ways without reconciliation? The truth is that even the most harmonious relationships will experience turbulence. Even healthy relationships will experience disagreements. Within the church, most of the time relationships are peaceable, but let’s look at how we handle it when they are not. We cannot be in the habit of gathering our toys and going home. It’s time to take this scripture to heart and apply it not only in our homes, but also in our church relationships.

Do It The Word tells us to put away bitterness. In fact, as followers of Christ, we have relinquished our rights to be offended. This is something I need to be reminded of on occasion. It seems counterintuitive to be treated in ways we don’t deserve, then just let it go. But we must release the offense if we want to forgive freely as God has forgiven us. We must remind ourselves that they don’t owe us anything— not even an apology! This is because Jesus has paid their debts just as He has paid ours. God loves us even when we are not perfect, and we must love people despite their imperfect behaviors. If it is something that you just cannot let go of, then go to that person in love and talk it out. Ask for forgiveness then extend forgiveness, and keep your heart tender and humble. Let God search your heart today and show you any areas of bitterness. Meditate on this verse and let these truths come alive in your heart.

Chapter: Ephesians 4Key Verse: Ephesians 4:31-32

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,

forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you.

PG 15PG 14

DAY 3

Tackle It

Hear It Jesus had been going through the cities and villages of Galilee preaching, teaching, and healing people from every sickness and disease. When He looked at the multitude of people, He did not see the outer part. In other words, He did not look at the way they were dressed, their social status, education, or their gender, He looked at their heart. He saw their brokenness and despair. He saw their need and felt compassion for them. The Message translation describes it, “His (Jesus) heart broke” for them. It means to be moved from the deepest part of your being which moves you into action.

He continued in verses 37 and 38, “He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” Afterwards, He called His disciples and gave them power to cast out demons and to heal sickness and diseases then sent them out to do His work. Once Jesus sat at the right hand of the Father, He poured His Spirit on His children. Jesus anointed and empowered us to fulfill our purpose. Part of that purpose is to love one another, to preach, teach, lay hands on the sick, and cast out demons. Because Jesus went to be with the Father and we abide in Jesus, we will do greater works than He did while He was here on earth.

See It Twenty-six years ago, we went camping with a group of people from church. There was a pretty big bonfire with a large pot of boiling water on it. We had to sit more than ten feet away because of the heat. All of the sudden out of the corner of my eye, I saw my four year old son running straight towards the bonfire. Of course, he was looking back at the kid that was chasing him instead of where he was headed. My heart dropped as I jumped out of my seat knowing there was no way I was going to make it in time to save him. As he was falling forward towards the boiling water, the man in charge of the bonfire, a previous football player, tackled him and saved him. You see, he saw what was happening and didn’t have time to think but to act. He was God’s worker in action.

Do It As we abide in Christ and fellowship with Him, we will be able to see the brokenness in people, have the Lord’s compassion and act on it. No time to think, what should I say? Will they reject me? Did I hear from the Lord correctly?

Ask the Lord to let you see people through His eyes, then let people see Christ through you. Start with a smile. Give a helping hand. Share the Gospel. We never know when a person is falling into a fire and needs someone to lovingly tackle them into safety. The love and compassion of the Lord will flow through you and the Spirit of Truth will guide you into action.

A D D I T I O N A L S C R I P T U R E S :

IS A I A H 4 0 :11

M AT T H E W 14 :14 ; 2 0 : 3 4

L U K E 6 : 3 1

J O H N 15 :12

E P H E S I A N S 4 : 2 9 - 3 2

Chapter: Matthew 9Key Verse: Matthew 9:36 NLT

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep

without a shepherd.

PG 17PG 16

God Never Disappoints

DAY 4

Hear It Let’s talk about the goodness of God for a moment. God is the kindest One in the entire universe! Now, the only way to understand that God never disappoints is to know His heart, more importantly, to trust that He is for you. You must learn to trust His heart toward you. How you see God and how you interpret the way He touches your life is personal! Just as Psalm 139 describes, the LORD created you and knows you completely! There is no place hidden from Him, nor can you flee to a place where He is not with you. His Spirit is forever with you— loving, guiding and protecting you. He loves you with all His heart!

See It At times, we struggle with the fact that God never disappoints. We question the events and circumstances in our lives. In our humanness, we equate disappointment with the longings of our hearts not being fulfilled. When our desires go unmet or our prayers unanswered, we doubt the goodness of God. Then we blame Him when things go wrong. We question His intentions because we lack good ones ourselves. Perhaps we think it’s too good to be true. Well, if it is too good to be true… It’s definitely God! God is brilliant, and His intentions are always kind! His love is absolute and flawless.

Are you on the mountaintop, basking under that tree of life where your long awaited dream has been fulfilled? Or are you in the desert, living in a wasteland where it seems years of empty promises have given way to feeling hopeless and barren? We know that hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12a). Could it be that your hope is misplaced? After all, doesn’t Isaiah 49:23 say that those who hope in me will not be disappointed? Jesus understood hope and became our hope when He sacrificed Himself for the world.

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Jesus made it even clearer in John 15:7 by saying, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Do It Maybe you are in a place of desperation or have a longing not yet fulfilled. Whatever you may be going through know this: God has not forgotten you! He is neither hearing impaired nor blind. And even though your circumstances appear hopeless, God is not! Sometimes life’s circumstances will go against the promises of God. Stay positioned within God’s heart and learn to dwell there. Stop questioning God’s intentions. Be flexible and stay connected; keep moving forward as you wait for your breakthrough. There will be challenges, but trust His heart. He will not reveal to you then withhold from you; His plans for you are secure. He is constant and relentless in His affections for you. Rest in His affections… God never disappoints!

Chapter: Psalm 139Key Verse: Psalm 139: 9, 10 & 16 NIV

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast... all the days

ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

PG 19PG 18

DAY 5

His LoveTowards Us

Hear It God’s love was put on display when Christ died on the cross for us. This scripture clearly removes all questioning of the validity of God’s love for us. Anytime you want to know how much God loves you, go to the Bible and you will see Jesus served and laid down His life for humanity. See how He taught the disciples to love and serve each other and then reach out and serve the world. This is why the Bible is the greatest love story ever told. If you find yourself asking the if-God-loves-me question, let me reassure you; He loves you so much that He gave His only Son for you. The Son of God became the Son of man, so that sons of men could become the sons of God. That’s real love! Even more than that, you didn’t deserve it. He died for you with the knowledge of your brokenness. That was the whole point! He died to make you whole! Jesus did not die to make bad people good, He died to make dead people live! You are alive in Christ because He loves you. You are the desire of His heart, and He was willing to give all of Himself in order to call you His son or daughter. Now, because God has put His love in our hearts (Romans 5:5), He has also called us to put His love on display. You are a love distributor.

See It Jesus said the world will know who we are by our love for one another. (John 13:35) Love is not a feeling. Love is demonstrated. Jesus asked that we would love each other as He loved us. (John 13:34) Demonstrated love changes the world.

This past summer over 350 people from East Coast took to the streets of our cities in their red shirts for our inaugural ECCC Serve Day. We helped feed the hungry at Overlook Ministries; washed dogs at the S.P.C.A.; led a church service at a nursing home; fed and clothed the needy at the Sharing Center; prayed for clients at the pregnancy center; cleaned up neighborhoods, beaches and parks. Beside the hundreds of volunteer hours sown into our communities the most impressive part about Serve Day was the impact we had through the prayer and the personal touch of the people who served. We prayed, laughed and worked together, all with one desire-- to tangibly show the love of God to the people of Brevard County.

Do It Make a commitment to get involved in a serving group today. Many hands can make a big difference as we serve our community together. Let’s take whatever we are facing today, and compare it to the magnitude of God’s love that was demonstrated on the cross. I am sure those obstacles pale in comparison. Let’s remind ourselves of the great sacrifice Jesus made to give birth to His church, then together, let’s show our community how much we love each other.

P R AY E R Daddy God, I receive your unconditional love for me today. Thanks for what you did on the cross. Thanks for demonstrating your love for me. I will forever keep Jesus as the standard of how much you love me. Let me see Your heart today, and help me demonstrate your love towards others. Amen. JESUS IS THE STANDARD!

Chapter: Romans 5Key Verse: Romans 5:8 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

PG 21PG 20

DAY 6

Loving the Unlovable

Hear It God has showed us perfect love. When we were in the worst of the worst and had turned away from God, He sent His only Son, Jesus. On the cross He paid for all sin, past, present and future. The Father sent His son because He loves us so passionately and wants us to have eternal life with Him. Because God loves us so greatly, we can love one another. This shows His love to people who may not know the unconditional, unhesitating love of the Father, so that they too may have eternal life.

See It Isn’t it wonderful that God doesn’t love us the way we love others? We often love people with so many conditions and requirements. If someone doesn’t meet the stipulations of our love, we don’t give it to them. If we do love them and they do something to disappoint us, we take back our love until they prove themselves worthy of it again. Isn’t it great that God doesn’t hold His love over our heads as a reward to receive only if we do good and only to take it back when we mess up? The people who need love the most are often the ones to whom it is hardest to give. Maybe it’s because they don’t dress like you or act like you. Or maybe you just don’t like them because of what you’ve heard about them. These are the people that need to feel the love of God.

I was one of those unlovable people. I believed in God, but I didn’t know Him. I didn’t know He loved me even though I had been sinning. I didn’t look like a Christian. I wore short shorts. I cussed. My hair was cut short. I had a piercing in my nose, and I had just gotten out of a relationship much too serious for a fifteen year old. My friend had been inviting me to The New Thing Youth Church, and I finally agreed to give it a try. I was hesitant at first, in fear that I would be judged. To my astonishment, I was shown anything but judgment. I was shown the love that I had never known before. I was shown unconditional love by two of the female leaders. I expected them to judge me because of the way I was dressed, when I compared it to the way they were dressed. I didn’t think that I could ever possibly fit their standards for love, but they hugged me and talked to me like I was an old friend they had been missing. At the end of the service I confided in them and they still loved me— despite my actions and my appearance. They loved me the way God loves me. They loved me in the same way we should love everyone we come in contact with.

Do It I want you to pray and ask God to open your heart to the loveable and the unlovable. Ask God to show you someone who needs to feel His love. Ask Him to use you to show them how unconditional His love is for them.

Chapter: 1 John 4Key Verse: 1 John 4:10-11 NIV

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also

ought to love one another.

PG 23PG 22

DAY 7

Quiet: Part 1

Hear It Quiet. We need it. We need to get away from all the noise, and experience what it is to be still. So many things are calling our name day in and day out. Our relationships, our jobs, our problems, our devices, even our emotions are constantly sucking the life out of us.

I sometimes ask God to just send me an email. I promise you I do. But who am I kidding? He knows I would think it’s spam and delete it, so forget that. So then I ask Him to speak louder than the chaos of my own swirling thoughts and emotions that sway with the wind. I want Him to speak louder than my sweet, albeit exceptionally boisterous children, and louder than all the external noise and pressure and excruciating pain. But He reminds me that I must be quiet so His voice can be heard. My reply is often, “This. Is. Hard.” His response? My yoke is easy and My burden is light. It doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it, but we need practice.

God is always speaking.

See It Sometimes I’d like to be Amish. Honestly, I do. I think it would be a quieter life with farming, gardening, quilting, butter churning and barn raising. It seems being quiet would be easier without access to social media. I’m sure it’s difficult taking care of children while cooking each meal from scratch, not having a washing machine, and no dish washer. The Amish probably feel their work is the noise in their life. But we are all human, with our own distractions, and we have to make it a priority to hear His voice. It takes practice.

So how do we hear His voice? The answer can only come from God. The Bible tells us His voice is still and small. Even though the earth is His footstool, He has a still, small voice. Even though He created the heavens and the earth with the sound of His voice, that voice is still and small. He knows what we are bombarded with each day, and that if we will be quiet, and hear His voice, we will find His love, wisdom, discernment, strength and all that we need to successfully live within the noise.

He is a good, good Father and we are loved by Him.

Do It Take eight minutes and five seconds and listen to the song “Good, Good Father” on YouTube. Stop everything, and sit and listen in a quiet place. That quiet place may be your bathroom if you’re a mom with little ones...go there! Do it now if you can. Here’s a link for the song: http://youtu.be/djrY_eFDOwE

Chapter: James 4Key Verse: James 4:8a NKJV

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

PG 25PG 24

DAY 8

Quiet: Part 2

Hear It What does it mean to practice hearing God’s voice? It starts with practicing being quiet.

We grab our phones at every stop light to check who may have texted or what someone may have posted on Facebook. That’s me, but what if we took those opportunities to practice being quiet?

It’s difficult to be quiet with those precious, boisterous children in the back seat adding to our loudness issue! What if we include them in this little traffic light quiet game? Invite them to join you in this new venture as we teach them early to get quiet so they can listen for God’s voice. The benefits sound extremely multi-faceted if I do say so myself.

Must you gain some amazing revelation at every stop light between your house and Publix? No, not at all. But you’re now making space and giving some breathing room for God to speak. You probably won’t even recognize Him speaking at first.

Sometimes He speaks to us about very practical things. What may seem at first to be our inner thoughts, may be His quiet voice saying, “Don’t forget the eggs, you didn’t write them on your list.” I’m convinced the Lord helps me with my grocery shopping! He is the author of everything that is good, and not forgetting eggs when we use two or three dozen every week is good!! Not having to make another trip to the store with three children is good!! If I had filled my thirty second traffic light stop with checking my phone, I might have forgotten the eggs. It’s the little things.

See It He often speaks through music. Grab that phone that can be a distraction and let it be used for good. Turn on Pandora and choose your favorite worship station. “Shane and Shane” is one of my favorites along with “Hillsong Young & Free”. Whether we’re at home, at work, or in the car, it quiets us so we can hear Him. If we provide an atmosphere of worship, He can turn chaos into calmness.

He is always speaking. We need only to stop and listen. He’s always there. He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, but we have to get quiet.

Learning to get quiet is a rinse and repeat process. It takes practice. Try it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Write it on your to-do list to get quiet for five minutes. Set a timer if you have to. Practice.

While it’s true that God is always speaking, we are all completely unique and have many ideas that others don’t have. We are a community that needs to share these unique ideas in order to help one another! Jump on Facebook and share your ideas on the East Coast Christian Center page.

Do It The simple fact is that our distractions aren’t going anywhere, but how we handle and view them CAN change. Start by finding a five minute block of time today and stop and listen. Just be quiet and listen for Him. Practice.

Chapter: Job 33Key Verse: Job 33:14 NLT

For God speaks again and again, though people do not recognize it.

PG 27PG 26

DAY 9

Powerful News

Hear It This passage explains that the Gospel has power in it to do some incredible things. It is the power of God unto salvation. “power of God unto salvation” Wow!

But how does power relate to our every day walk with Jesus?

Power has done many things poorly in the history of the world. Power has kept people down, hurt people, and destroyed lives. Entire races have been hindered. Power though, when used for the right purpose, has allowed vehicles to move people around towns and airplanes to transport resources and people all across the world. It has made life easier in our homes and done so many other radical things.

There are divisive things throughout our culture, but the Gospel isn’t supposed to be one of those. The power of the Gospel should be an incredible connection for people to experience the Good News!

See It I heard a story recently about a new missionary named Mr. Jackson. He was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Poor health forced the Jackson family to leave the field bringing a new missionary to that station. As Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man looked under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Mr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, turned the ignition, and (to Jackson’s astonishment) the engine roared to life. For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there the whole time, but a single loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.

Do It What a difference a simple connection can make. Imagine how many people are walking around with a “loose cable” and missing out on the power that God has made available through salvation.

Paul boldly declares that he is not ashamed of the Gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation for all who would believe— to the Jew first and Gentile as well. There is no one this Good News is not good for! It is free to everyone. No one is too far off, too nasty, or too unclean.

We can be the connection that makes all the difference for people today. You are able, by the power of God, to connect people to the power source, and see lives transformed and changed… And it’s all free! It has been made available to everyone for centuries, but many people around us have just not seen the connection.

Could you be bold enough today to tell someone how much they have to gain from the Good News? This News is POWERFUL!

Take a minute to pray and ask God who needs you to be their connection to jumpstart their walk with Jesus today. Let’s love some people today by connecting them to the power of God!

Chapter: Romans 1Key Verse: Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,

to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

PG 29PG 28

DAY 10

Look Up

Hear It Sometimes life in general can be less than what we hoped or expected it would be. During those times when I’m feeling unfulfilled, frustrated, or apathetic about life, I’m reminded that I need to refocus. Life is not about me. As we read here in Galatians, we are living our lives in the flesh by faith. Our flesh is our body (along with all its desires, feelings, and complaints). Our flesh is still here with us after we give our lives to Jesus, and it will always be with us on this side of eternity. But we must live by faith and keep our flesh in check. We must crucify our flesh daily for Christ to live in us and through us. We are His ambassadors in this earth, living for His purpose and not our own.

See It This may sound like a harsh word, but it is truly freeing to live as an ambassador for Jesus rather than living to fulfill our own selfish ambitions. Even as a follower of Christ, I can get focused on myself at times. I have to remind myself that a life focused on self will be a depressing one. Let me illustrate with a quick story.

Years ago, I worked in several long-term care facilities. During my time serving the elderly, I had many patients with differing perspectives and attitudes on life. There was one patient that I will probably never forget; her name was Miss Clara. There were

plenty of patients in this nursing home living in their seventh or eighth decade of life that continually told me how awful it was to be so old and sickly. Then there was Miss Clara. In the year that I worked with her, she only had one visitor. She was over 100 years old. She was unable to walk and had a hard time doing much of anything for herself. But Miss Clara had a different perspective than the others. When there wasn’t much to be thankful for in her situation, I wheeled her out to the main entrance and she excitedly exclaimed, “Oh my! Look at the sunshine!” She was not living a depressed life, because her perspective was not focused on the negative circumstances around her. Any day with sunshine in it was as exciting as Christmas for Miss Clara. She simply looked up and gave thanks!

Do It Some of us need to look up and shift our perspectives toward Jesus. There will always be circumstances that seem unfair, depressing, or impossible. Apathy will try to creep in and draw your focus toward living for yourself and for your own gain. I want you to spend your day today in search of things to be thankful for. It may be simple things like sunshine and food to eat. Whatever the case may be, let your perspective be directed upward. Can you make it all day without complaining about negative circumstances? Absolutely! Go for it! That is living by faith.

Chapter: Galatians 2Key Verse: Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave

Himself up for me.

PG 31PG 30

DAY 11

CommUNITY

Hear It In this scripture, Paul emphasized that encouragement and unity are vital to the church in understanding the mystery of Christ. There is incredible power in the way we choose to respond to one another.

From the outside looking in, the world often sees the church as a dysfunctional family- arguing and fighting over issues of little importance, and making them wonder what is so different about life in Christ. But that is not who we are. We are the Bride of Christ- cleansed by the blood, steeped in grace, and restored to right relationship with the Father. When we have a deep understanding of who we are, our natural response is a culture of encouragement, love, and unity. We love each other extravagantly because the Father loved us first.

Living in close, godly community has always been the heart of the Father. God in Himself is a community, and we were made in His image. When He formed us He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26 NKJV) We worship a triune God- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, between them, there is a constant giving of honor, submission, and love, bringing a harmonious and fortifying unity. That is why we as a people, who were created in His image, long for and flourish in godly

community. We need each other, and we need to live in harmony. God reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has in turn, given us that same ministry of reconciliation that begins with those closest to us.

See It From a young age, the world teaches us that life is a series of competitions. We must strive to be at the top of our class, the captain of the team, the star of the show, namely- the best. Usually, succeeding means you must disregard the person beside you. Even more, sometimes it means tearing down anyone who gets in your way because there is only room for one at the top. Fortunately, the Kingdom works in the exact opposite manner. There’s nothing bad about success. In fact, God intends for us to prosper. But we have to stop believing the lie that says success for someone else means that you will miss out.

One of the greatest things about the Kingdom, is that our God has unlimited resources and opportunities. That means a win for you is a win for me, because we are on the same team. We are co-laboring side by side, working toward the same goal of pointing people to Jesus. When we understand this, we find the freedom to serve, and prefer our brothers and sisters in Christ above ourselves. We cheer each other on without hesitation.

Do It Jesus told His disciples, the world would know they were His followers by the way they loved each other. Today, let’s be intentional with our encouragement and love for our family in Christ. I want to challenge you to ask the Holy Spirit to put someone on your heart that needs specific encouragement, and then seize that opportunity to build the Kingdom. An encouraging phone call or text, can give someone that needed push to keep pressing toward the gifts in which they were called to function.

Chapter: Colossians 2Key Verse: Colossians 2:2 NIV

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full

riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

PG 33PG 32

DAY 12

Light Me Up

Hear It In the book of Acts we see the birth of the church. The Gentiles were receiving Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit, and an entirely new direction was taking place in the church. The promise to Abraham that his descendants would be like the sands of the sea or the stars in the sky was becoming a reality right before their eyes. God intended the Jewish people to be the catalyst for spreading the gospel to the entire world. Through the release of the Holy Spirit on the gentiles, it was now evident that God intended for every person to be saved— not just the Jewish nation. In Christ we have all been given the right to be the sons and daughters of God. Our job now is to take the gospel of Christ that we have received and share it with anyone and everyone who will listen. We have become a light to the world!

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12

See It Have you ever walked around in total darkness? It’s a weird feeling when you can’t see anything, and you don’t

know where anything is. Walking around your own house when it is pitch black can be treacherous. I can walk in my house in the dark pretty well because I know where everything is. But sometimes, someone will move something or change the furniture around when I’m not paying attention. This becomes almost life threatening in an instant. I have fallen to the ground after smashing my toe and have even tripped over an obstacle sending me crashing around the house. Darkness is the absence of light, and Jesus has called us to be a light in this world. Without us (the Church), this world is wandering around in the dark and people’s lives are being destroyed by Satan. They are stumbling and falling into addiction, sexual misconduct, poverty, and many other traps that the enemy is setting for them as they are walking in the darkness. We must be a light to those who are lost so that they can find their way in life. Without someone showing me the way to Jesus, I may never have found Him.

Do It Do you have a local church? If you don’t, look for one so you can plug in and get involved with what God is doing in your community. Take the time to visit a few churches that interest you. Not sure where to start? Come try ECCC at the Merritt Island, Viera, or Cocoa campuses, and see what it’s like to be part of a life-giving church.

Do you already go to a church? Look at the ministry opportunities within your church body, and find an area to serve in. Become an usher or greeter. Help set up for service, or join a prayer team. There are so many places to get involved, and they need you! Check with your church. Find out what opportunities are available, and get involved!

Finally, bring someone to church with you this week. Take the time to reach out, and be a light. Show God’s love to a coworker, friend, or family member by bringing them along. Here at ECCC, we even have invite cards that can help you share the love you have for your church with those around you. Just go to the info area in your campus, and ask for invite cards. You can be the difference in someone’s life by being a light in the darkness to a world in need.

Chapter: Acts 13Key Verse: Acts 13:47-49

For so the Lord has commanded us, "I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, that You may bring salvation to the end of the earth." When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the

word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was

being spread through the whole region.

PG 35PG 34

DAY 13

Two Places at Once

Hear It Have you ever wanted to be in two places at once? Well, as Christians we are! We live in this natural realm around us. But at the same time, our spirits are also in Christ, seated in heavenly places!

How can we experience this? After all, we are living here on earth. One way is by spending time in communion with Him. As we worship Him and use our imagination to picture ourselves seated right there with Jesus and the Father, we can start to look at things through His perspective – with His “bird’s eye view” so to speak.

Jesus regularly went and prayed by himself, sometimes going to a mountain and praying all night. He stated that He didn’t do anything unless He had seen the Father do it.

Moses spent so much time in the presence of God, that his face shined brightly requiring him to wear a veil to cover his face because people couldn’t look at him. In Psalms, he is distinguished from the rest of Israel because he knew the ways of God – he had a heavenly perspective!

When Mary spent time sitting at His feet listening to Him, Jesus said she had chosen the good part.

See It In the past few years, God has encouraged me to enter His throne room, into the secret place, to spend time communing with Him to a greater degree. There, I have experienced so much love and received needed wisdom. I have played and danced with Jesus as a little girl, seen Him laugh with complete abandon, worshiped and danced before Him, and sat at His feet basking in His presence. Worship is one of the easiest ways for me to enter into an intimate time of fellowship with God. Ironically, another way is through nature.

Awhile back, I went to Taos for a personal retreat. The window in my room overlooked a river and as I watched and prayed early in the morning, I noticed an aspen leaf floating down the river. As it floated, it was hitting this rock, then that rock, and I thought, “I am like that leaf, getting battered as I go down the river.”

God spoke to me about how much I like floating on a lazy river. “But,” He said, “Your life is not a lazy river. You need to get out of the inner tube and get into a kayak. Kayakers conquer the river. They prepare themselves with the skills they need. They watch ahead to anticipate where to go. If they encounter rapids, they quickly analyze the situation and determine the best place to tackle them, and then go through using the skills they have learned to quickly conquer the challenge.” It amazes me how clearly I can hear Him during these times!

Do It This year I encourage you to go deeper in your time with God. Use your imagination and picture yourself with Him. Then God will take you beyond your imagination and show you more. As you spend time in His presence, you will hear Him more clearly and be able to take what you have seen in heaven and bring it to earth.

A D D I T I O N A L S C R I P T U R E S :

C O L O S S I A N S 3 : 2 - 3

J O H N 5 :19 N LT

H E B R E W S 4 :16

P S A L M 10 3 : 6 -7

Chapter: Ephesians 2Key Verse: Ephesians 2:4&6 NKJV

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us...

raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

PG 37PG 36

DAY 14

You Have Not Passed This Way

Hear It Joshua is a young, new leader, and he has the giant task of leading the people of Israel after the death of Moses. God tells him not only will there be a change of leadership in Israel but also a change in location for her two million people. Joshua knew these changes would affect every aspect of the Israelites’ lives. He would have to take charge and do the most difficult thing for people to do— lead people into change. I love how the verse says, “for you have not passed this way before.”

Joshua had to lead the people into a place they had never been before. That could have been terrifying without a proper picture of who God is. Those changes caused the Israelites to live, act and think differently. God was doing something awesome; He was leading them into the Promised Land. You will walk into your Promised Land when you let go of fear and follow God.

See It I was sitting in a college guidance counselor’s office after spending a considerable amount of time making my 2-4 year plan. She and I were grateful when we thought we were done. Then I heard a small voice in my heart say, “Don’t do business finance. Change your major to computer programming instead.” I was silent for a second. Then I looked at the nice lady and informed her that I needed to change my major. She politely suggested that I sleep on it, then see if I still wanted to make the change. I immediately said, “No.” I knew who was telling me to

make the change, and sleep wouldn’t be an option if I didn’t do this now. So, I (ever so awkwardly) reaffirmed that I was sure. That was a huge jump for me. College was stretching alone— especially 15 years removed from high school. Now God was leading me into an area I had never been before. I made that choice 3 years ago, and I will never forget how that moment of obedience led to so many blessings. It was a “have not passed this way before” moment. Those are moments when you jump. You go. You just do what HE is saying. Will you be afraid? Yes. But fear doesn’t control you anymore.

Do It Remember back to the last thing God told you to do. Look to God to bring it to life. OR Ask God to bring it to life. You see, how we obey God reflects how we love God. He loves you more than you will ever imagine. When He speaks to you, write it down, and carry it out! This life is meant to be an adventure with Him. If you are living in an unending cycle that has left you feeling trapped, pray and ask God to speak to you. His voice will take you places you have never been, and you will experience greater blessing than you have ever imagined.

Chapter: Joshua 3Key Verse: Joshua 3:4 NKJV

Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for

you have not passed this way before.

PG 39PG 38

DAY 15

W.A.L.K.

Hear It Love is not mere talk. It is walk. One of the richest descriptions of it comes from 1 Corinthians 13. It’s a masterful rendering of this massive word into two very concentrated and complete expressions:

1) Love is patient.

2) Love is kind.

Let’s focus in on kindness— one of the two pillars of love expressed. As we run again this new year with the rally cry God has given us to “Love God, Love the Church, and Love People”, I believe that one of the most effective ways we can do this is to apply this principle of kindness. Kindness is very closely tied to love, as we have seen. It must be walked out, not merely talked about. Paul exhorted the Church in Colossae to “Walk in wisdom, and make the most of every opportunity” towards people who have yet to encounter Jesus and His history of loving-kindness towards us.

Here is a biblical definition of this command to “walk in wisdom”:

“To make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well-doing are, as it were, the purchase money by which we make the time our own.” ~Strong’s Concordance

IF we could move beyond our self-imposed limitations and realize that there is no limit to the kindness of God, we could literally make wise use of every opportunity to make an eternal impact on people’s lives. With God’s love and kindness as our currency, we are invited to partner with the Gospel of Jesus and “buy back” those unkind memories and encounters people have experienced in their lives. We can then forward the payment Jesus made at the Cross to reposition them to relationship with the Father. By mirroring love (which is the true nature of God), we work with heaven to redeem the time. This is our honor and privilege as God’s children! It is through sharing the Good News of Jesus in word, deed, and truth with people that we walk this out.

Acts 10:38 says that Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. This statement about how Jesus walked is sandwiched with two secrets: 1) God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power to do it, and 2) God was WITH HIM.

Fast forward to today… WE are His Church. God has anointed US with His Holy Spirit and power, and HE IS WITH US! So let’s walk with our Father into places where darkness has had an influence, and let’s take every opportunity He gives us to walk out the love of the Gospel!

See It Love is not talk. It is walk.

W.alk A.round L.iving K.indly

Kind words— enriched by the love and truth of Jesus and given feet to stand on by acts of selfless kindness— can change the world!

Do It I recently read the book titled Jesus Prom by a pastor named Jon Weece. It challenged me to look for places where love had become a noun instead of a verb in my life. Talk to God and ask Him to help you write down a few verbs that you know could express the kindness of Jesus to someone in the upcoming days. Write down any ideas He gives you, and commit to follow through on them one at a time.

Chapter: Colossians 4Key Verse: Colossians 4:5

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.

PG 41PG 40

DAY 16

Living Sacrifice

Hear It During the first 20 minutes of our church services we offer our voices and hearts to God in worship. Worship happens when something is presented to God for His exclusive use. For example; singing, lifting our hands or praying. What if everything we did during our day was a worship offering? When we offer our bodies to God as our true and proper worship, then everything we do with our bodies is worship. Worship could be considered your daily occupation. If you are a carpenter, using your hammer is considered worship. If you are a mother, your care for your home and family is considered worship. (Hmm… laundry as worship?) If you are a student, your study is worship. Our bodies are gifts from God. When we present our bodies back to Him to be used by Him, then everything we do can be worship toward God. True and proper worshipers maintain an atmosphere of worship throughout their entire day because their bodies have been offered to God as a living sacrifice. Wherever they go, whatever they do it brings honor to God.

See It I was on an errand at Walmart to pick up some distilled water and postage stamps. (It was also an adventure because I had three grandchildren with me.) Like the Pied Piper we made our way back to the water aisle only to find an empty shelf. Awesome, now we’ll have to change our schedule and go out of

our way to Publix to get water. But I, I forgot to get the stamps. The post office was on the way so the four musketeers stopped in and picked up the stamps. Now we’re really running behind time. When we got to Publix, I saw a friend whose daughter had recently passed away. I immediately felt the compassion of the Lord rise up within me. I knew that her daughter had recently given her heart to Jesus, even though she had struggled with addictions. I greeted my friend and offered my condolences. Her heart was broken as she confessed she was unsure if her daughter was in heaven. I let her know that she had given her heart to Jesus and that all was well with her. We wept and prayed and felt the pleasure of the Lord for those few moments. Then we said goodbye and went our separate ways.

I believe true and proper worship happened that day in the middle of Publix. God used an everyday life event to bring His will to pass. I had no doubt as to why Walmart was out of distilled water and that the trip to the post office provided the perfect timing for me and my friend to encounter the love of God.

Do It Today is a perfect day to Love God by offering your body as a living sacrifice to Him. Make this declaration before you start your day today:

Father, it is my honor to offer my body to You this day. I invite You to interrupt, intervene or redirect me in any way you see fit, to accomplish whatever You deem necessary. I declare that my every action, reaction and interaction done in this body today is for the purpose of maintaining an atmosphere of true and proper worship.

Chapter: Romans 12Key Verse: Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.

PG 43PG 42

DAY 17

Untangled

Hear It Have you ever wanted to give up in life? So many thoughts flood our minds as we walk through life looking for answers. For many of us just getting to church this week wore us out because we were struggling and life has become overwhelming. We often think we are the only ones facing a certain problem. Those thoughts can leave us feeling isolated as we try to deal with life’s issues the best we can. This passage is for us, and in it we find a tremendous truth: WE ARE NOT ALONE! In fact, we are surrounded by people whose faith can encourage us, pick us up when we fall, and cheer us on during the race to push us past the finish line. Sometimes I look around and see every kind of brokenness represented in the church today. By God’s grace and incredible love, He has made us brand new. Old things have passed away, and all things have been made new. This scripture also points out that we have sin in our lives that gets in the way and holds us back. God’s Truth has rendered sin powerless against us, but we need to participate with God and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us to freedom.

See It Growing up I spent countless hours outside playing and getting into mischief. During the winter, I always wore my brother’s hand-me-down, drawstring sweatpants tied tightly with multiple knots. When I needed to use the bathroom I always had to run to one of my brothers or my mom to get me untangled. Oh the freedom and relief I felt when I finally got untangled. We need to be honest with our brothers and sisters about where we are bound in life so that they can help us get untangled. There are so many people that have been where you are and know the way to escape the problems that are hurting you. God will place people in your life who are willing to stand with you and walk you into freedom.

Do It How can I finally get a handle on my life struggles? Galatians 6:1 says to confess your sins one to another so that you may be healed. Find someone you can be honest with about where you are in your struggles. Don’t tell just anyone. But do find someone trustworthy who loves God and is willing to pray with you, walk with you, and help you experience the life-giving freedom that Jesus purchased for you on the cross. If you don’t have someone to talk to, ask a prayer team member, small group leader, or pastor to help you. You have the ability through Christ to get your life untangled and keep it untangled because He who the Son sets free is free indeed.

Chapter: Hebrews 12Key Verse: Hebrews 12:1 NCV

We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove

from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.

PG 45PG 44

DAY 18

Demonstrate

Hear It Today is a day for the demonstration of the Spirit and of power! Our Key Verse for today is good news for those of us that don’t have enticing words. In fact, it may actually be more beneficial that we demonstrate the goodness of God rather than just talk about it. James writes “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). This is not referring to our faith toward God, but the outward demonstration of our faith to others. Jesus said, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves” (John 14:11). If we only talk about God, but don’t give evidence of His power in our life, then why should the world believe you? While seeing is not believing, seeing the power and love of God does help others to believe. People in the world are suffocating with the lies of the enemy, and left without a real answer to their problem. You are their answer today. The Holy Spirit is in you for your sake, and He is upon you for the sake of others. Ephesians 3:20 says, ”Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” You possess the power of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate His love toward people you will meet today.

See It I was with a group of folks recently; some were friends, others I had just met. One of the new acquaintances was clearly experiencing some pain in his body. I sensed the Holy Spirit wanted me to pray for him. I felt a little anxiety coming on. An inner argument began, “What would the others in the group think?” “What if nothing happens?” I was tempted to keep to myself and do nothing. I remembered Pastor Dan’s message series, From the Neck Up and his encouragement to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. I decided to challenge the argument in my mind. To the question, “What will the others think?” I answered, “The fear of man is a snare (Proverbs 29:25).” And to the question, “What if nothing happens?” I argued, “What if something does happen?” I asked politely if I could pray for him. He appreciatively agreed. I simply thanked God for His healing power then commanded the pain to leave. To both of our surprise, the pain instantly left! We rejoiced and thanked God for His love. I didn’t invite him to our church but the very next Sunday I looked up and there he was with his family. After greeting them he reiterated that his pain had instantly left that day and had not returned. I just wonder where he and his family might have been that Sunday if I had lost that argument with myself.

Do It Cross the chicken line. As you observe the people around you today ask the Holy Spirit to show you someone in need of prayer. When you hear Him – and you will – your heart may beat faster and an inner argument may arise. This is a great indication that you have approached the chicken line. Take authority over those arguments and cross the chicken line! Ask if you can pray for the person, and give them simple encouragement. If they say no, you still crossed the chicken line! But if they say yes, great things could happen. Make sure to celebrate those victories, and keep moving forward. Remember, you are God’s physical answer to someone’s prayer today. DEMONSTRATE POWER!

Chapter: 1 Corinthians 2Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in

demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the

power of God.

PG 47PG 46

DAY 19

God's Kindof Love

Hear It These verses in 1 Corinthians are powerful and pack a punch with what they say. These verses speak to the nature of God as well as His Omniscience (that He is all knowing). For man can only look at something through his eyes based in the natural realm, but the Bible tells us that God sees the heart of man and all his inner thoughts and motives. This inner or hidden heart of man is primarily what God is focused on. To put it plainly, the motives for our actions are more important than the actions themselves. I believe this is what Paul is trying to teach us through these scriptures.

Verse 3 says that even if you give all you have to the poor or give yourself to be burned as a martyr, you profit nothing unless you do it out of love. Now, men would probably be impressed if they saw someone give all they had away or give themselves as a sacrifice, but again, they only see what’s on the surface. God is the only one who sees the heart. When Jesus came to earth and humbly submitted Himself before God, He did it completely out of love for humanity. He willingly offered His body as a sacrifice for us. But the Word tells us if He didn’t operate in love when He offered Himself, then it would have profited Him nothing! We know this is not true because He was resurrected, seated in glory at the right hand of the Father, and has made a way for us to join Him in His glory. He indeed profited for His loving sacrifice. How awesome is that?

Verse 4 says that love suffers long; this is a perfect picture of God’s love for us because His is a perfect love. As humans we consistently find ways to mess things up, turn our backs on God, and stray from His Presence and perfect plan for our lives. God knows that His plans and ways are better than any we could come up with on our own. God, like an earthly father, hurts when He sees His beloved children go down the wrong path. Oh, how much more He loves us than any earthly father ever could! It grieves His heart to see us make choices that will destroy our lives. Yet because of His perfect love, He never turns his back on us. This verse also says that love does not envy, does not parade itself and is not puffed up. Paul warns us not to let our pride get in the way and mess with our motives to do good works. Remember, without love as the motivation for our actions, we can profit nothing from them.

See It When I read this, my mind was reminded of the Pharisees in Jerusalem. These were men who knew the scriptures inside and out and were highly esteemed in the community, yet they were motivated by self-seeking purposes. They would stand on the streets shouting their prayers so everyone could hear. They would tell everyone how much they gave to God and let everyone know they were holier than most people because they fasted and obeyed the law. This is exactly what Paul warned of. The Pharisees’ true motivation was having the opportunity to parade around and show the masses how much better they were than everyone else. What did Jesus call these men? Hypocrites! They did not give out of love, but out of pride.

Do It Beloved, the Bible says that love is random acts of kindness. So this week, I urge you to perform a random act of kindness for a stranger, whether it is paying for someone’s groceries or gas, mowing your neighbor’s lawn, or buying a homeless person lunch. But here is the twist: DO IT WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING, AND DON’T TELL ANYONE. Doing it in secret will push aside your pride and keep you from parading your good works around for all to see. Just rest in the fact that God sees you, and He knows your heart.

Chapter: 1 Corinthians 13Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:3-4 NKJV

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,

and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it

profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind, love does not

envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up.

PG 49PG 48

DAY 20

The Plan of God Demonstrated

Hear It This verse in Ephesians has fascinated me for years. There are some translations that use “by” the church, the manifold wisdom of God might be known, while the New American Standard Bible translation and others use the word “through.” This one word can, and does, change the meaning of the text.

The word “by” gives us the thought that the manifold, many sided wisdom of God is to be made known to us, the church, in a fuzzy or foggy way. I can know some things in life by being around the church, and even by watching how people help others, but have I experienced them?

We see an example of this in the sports world. Let’s take basketball. Many people can know a lot about a particular sport. You can read, study, watch games, even be the biggest fan, but if you have never actually been on the court and know the pressure that the game produces, you are less qualified to have a voice of authority in the lives of the players, coaches and fans. This might be termed experience versus head knowledge.

See It What I believe this verse is saying to us the church, is that we should be having experiences and encounters with God, to show God’s angels, and the devil’s demons, the works of the church by doing signs and wonders in the earth. We read in 1 Peter 1:12 about God’s angels longing to look into this salvation

that Jesus purchased for us. Those who rebelled need to experience from us the fruit of their rebellion.

Experience is the great divider. Experience provides confidence in people, while those who only talk have little, to no authority. In Acts 19:14-17, we see the story of the seven sons of Sceva. They received the experience of having no experience. They tried casting out devils in the name of Jesus like Paul had done, but with no experience of their own. Paul’s experience did not work for them.

Do It How do we do this? We learn in Ephesians 1:17-21, that we start by praying for ourselves and others. Then listen for the “small voice” of the Holy Spirit. Then we do what He says and look for things to pray for that can be measured. If someone needs a job, did they get it? Someone else might need healing, pray for them and ask if the pain has left. If they need wisdom, did it come? If its finances, did money, or an idea to make money come to them?

Last Thought. We were left here to make God’s enemies a foot stool for his feet. I say it is high time to demonstrate the devil’s defeat, and God’s victory, by showing the rulers and authorities the wisdom of God!!

A D D I T I O N A L S C R I P T U R E S :

H E B R E W S 1:13

H E B R E W S 10 :13

A C T S 2 : 3 5

M A R K 16 :17

Chapter: Ephesians 3Key Verse: Ephesians 3:10 NASB

So that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the

authorities in the heavenly places.

PG 51PG 50

DAY 21

You Were Born For This

Hear It On Labor Day weekend, we had a baptism on the beach. As we were leaving, tiny turtles started crawling out of the sand and making a run for the water. As soon as they were born, they immediately started running toward the vast ocean full of threats and danger. The danger was real. Only an hour earlier, we saw a small shark chasing a fish just feet from the water’s edge.

I couldn’t help but see a parallel between those who had just been baptized and the baby turtles.

As people were being baptized and proclaiming their faith in Jesus Christ in the ocean that day, they went down in the water, rose out, and immediately headed toward land. They headed toward a vast world that would be full of threats and danger.

Every morning we wake up and face this same world - this same world full of threats and danger. How do we deal with the sharks swirling around us? How do we not only deal with these dangers, but overcome them?

We have choices. We can run and hide, or we can realize that we were born for such a time as this. We can run straight toward the danger.

Yes! We were born to deal with a nation that is moving farther away from God, and closer to political correctness. Yes! We were born to deal with a world threatened by ISIS. Yes! We were born to deal with the crisis of the Syrian refugees. We were born to deal with divorce that destroys families, and face hundreds of

distractions. And yes, we were born to have children and teens who will face more temptations and challenges than ever before, and those children were also born for such a time as this! We were born to deal with all of the issues of today, and anything we will face for the rest of our lives.

See It

“Get your motor runnin’... Head out on the highway.

Lookin’ for adventure.

Born to be wild!”

-Steppenwolf

Do It Whenever you face a situation that seems overwhelming, or even impossible, let this thought rise up in your heart: I was born to deal with this. God in me is greater than the situation I am facing. Don’t contemplate running. Stop contemplating quitting. Instead, turn around and deal with it. Overcome it! Run toward it!

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14 NIV).

“Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 RSV).

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV).

Chapter: 1 John 5Key Verse: 1 John 5:4 NIV

For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the

victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

PG 53PG 52

Notes

PG 55PG 54

Notes

PG 57PG 56

Notes

B u i l d i n g a l i f e - g i v i n g c h u r c h t h a t l a s t s

One Church | Four Locationswww.eccc.us

Central Office Phone & Location: (321) 452-1060

670 N. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island, FL 32953