Be Prepared

Luke 21:36 "But keep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

On our quest of renewal in this new month and in this new year we must be prepared to endure all that comes with that process. Understand that when you open up and hand over your life to God the devil and his counterparts will not be pleased. You then become a "traitor" and the "enemy" since you no longer fight for him rather you are now fighting against him. Don't be alarmed by the obstacles you will face because no matter what it looks like the victory is already yours. You may feel a since of emptiness overcome you at some point along your journey and that is okay. That point of emptiness is such a critical point in the process because it is in that moment you are able to see that God has purged you of all things that aren't of him (hurt, bitterness, jealously, anger, unforgiveness, and etc.). Your emptiness is indicative that greater is coming and that it is now time for Him (God) to pour into you and fill you up with His Word, His love, His kindness, His trust, His forgiveness, and so on so be prepared. Others will embark on the same journey as you; however, you are only to be concerned with yourself prepare yourself so that you are lost in darkness. Recall "The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins" in Matthew 25. Preparation was key and that still holds true today. How will you prepare?

Preparation is studying the Word of God and understanding the tools you need to for the circumstances and situations that awaits you. 

#BePrepared 

Smile!

Hello people! It is Friday and today's topic is simply the word, "smile." I know we usually go into the year wondering what God has planned for us. We write our desires down sometimes too quickly. When was the last time we asked God, "What does He want from us oppose to what we want from Him?" This year, YES year, I challenged us all to make God smile. Believe it or not He makes us smile every day! Even on those seemingly bad days, His Spirit is right there comforting us back to perfect Joy.

It is already written in His Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His promises are declared throughout The Bible to His people. So relax! It is going to work out! We should be more inclined to explore more of Him and living what we read day to day! Everyone falls short which means everyone has something they need to improve. I pray our worship is more pleasing. I pray our lifestyle screams Jesus LIVES! Let's give more not just to people we know. Allow God to use you in front of perfect strangers. Remember, we could be entertaining angels. Allow God to improve you this year. Make Him proud! He is your Father, right? Let us all strive to make Dad smile!

#SmileChallenge #MoreofYOU #Selfless2016

Shattered by Shame, Restored by Grace

Shattered by Shame, Restored by Grace by Megan Sullivan

1 Peter 5:10 "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you" 

As we work to renew, re-educate, and redirect ourselves this month we prepare ourselves for God's restoration. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to read the book shown above "Shattered by Shame Restored by Grace" by Megan Sullivan. This book is packed with life lessons that many of us can relate to in some way or another. Shattered by Shame Restored by Grace teaches us to always be obedient and trust God no matter how bad we perceive the situation. We all may have situations occurring in our lives but we are not to let those situations overtake our lives. God can amazingly take our "mess" and turn it into a message, our test and turn it into a testimony. Understand that as children of God He is always in the midst of every situation and that it is our job to seek Him, listen to Him, and follow His guide. Get ready to be restored!!!  

This book is a good read and it is available for purchase on Amazon. 

Megan, it takes a strong-minded, faith-filled person to share their life on such an intimate level. Thank you so much for allowing God to use you.    

Surrender It All

Matthew 16:24-25 " Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." 

Are you ready? It's the first MOTIVATIONAL MONDAY of 2016!!! Now, before you dive into the year with unrealistic expectations for yourself to achieve take a moment to check out Fearlessly CHALLENGED. Understand that this is a marathon, NOT a sprint so we have to pace ourselves as we grow and transform. Can we agree that there is nothing we can set out to achieve without God? Okay, good. With that being understood we must surrender ourselves to Him. Allow Him to go through and sort out what should remain and what should go in the year ahead. Make a decision to let God enter in to build the foundation for our lives as we move forward. If you already have a solid foundation then continue building upon that according to God's will, God's direction, and God's love.

The struggle to return to work/school this morning is over! Now it is time to go after what is yours during this time of newness.

#FearlessFAITH #2016

It's 2016!!!!

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 

WE MADE IT!!! It's a new year and what a wonderful year this shall be! If this is your first time reading our blog we welcome you and if you are a returning reader we thank you for your continued support. Please take a moment to visit our redesigned website Fearless FAITH. There you will be able to Fearlessly MEDITATE, get Fearlessly FOCUSED, and be Fearlessly CHALLENGED. We would like all of our readers to subscribe and prayerfully consider joining us in our quest for continued mental and spiritual growth.

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU
This motto has become increasingly popular during this time of year while simultaneously being heavily criticized on social media. The new year brings new hope for those who are in need of change. Those who have hope also have faith and wherever there is faith there is opportunity; opportunity for God to manifest. Think about the last time you started something new, it was an amazing feeling right? Whether it be a new career, a new school, or a new relationship there is just an undeniable feeling of excitement. The excitement of the endless possibilities ahead whether it ends in a lesson, a blessing, or both. Do not be discouraged from setting goals and making life changes due to the opinions of others. Surround yourself with people and resources that will help you and encourage you to be even better than you set out to be. Challenge yourself but most importantly believe in yourself. Here at Fearless FAITH we celebrate newness every day, every week, every month, and every year and we encourage you to set goals for the new year and if you're not sure where or how to start check out our page Fearlessly CHALLENGED for an easy guide for setting goals for this new year.

Growth is a form of change; therefore, as we grow we change. As our thoughts change our minds are transformed then as our minds are transformed our hearts are filled with God's love and strength. Our vernacular changes, our processes change, then our perspective changes. We start to see things that aren't as though they were. We start to understand things from a spiritual mindset versus a worldly mindset. Things that were perceived as unattainable are now within reach. Now, you are able to see why Jack or Jill didn't want you to tap into the newness that God afforded you. Water that seed that God planted in you during your season of drought. It's time to Renew, Re-educate, and Re-direct!!!

Fearlessly FOCUSED
As we enter into this new year we want to focus preparing ourselves for the changes and opportunities ahead. Therefore, our focus this month is to renew, re-educate, and re-direct.

Renew 
Romans 12:2 is the "go to" scripture for renewal as it is most applicable to today's spiritual struggle. It is so easy to get caught up in the ways of the world as there are so many ways for its ideals to infiltrate our minds. Before Fearless FAITH we (Kim and Marissa) use to encourage one another to die to self DAILY. We must understand that there is a daily struggle between us as Christians and the world that calls for daily renewal to stay on the path that God has for us. That means we must spend time with God not just for an hour and a half on Sundays, but everyday.

Re-educate
In order to live by the Word we must know the Word 2 Timothy 2:15. The most beautiful thing about the Bible is that you can read the same scripture over and over and each time receive a different revelation. This is because as our minds mature spiritually so does our eyes allowing us to see and interpret things differently. That is why it is so important to re-educate ourselves understanding that we can never be too wise and there is always a chance to go deeper into the Word of God.

Re-direct
The renewing and the re-educating will work together to redirect you towards God and His will for your life (1 Chronicles 22:19). Often times we get distracted and those distractions cause us to lose our way. Aren't we thankful that our God is so faithful to us that even in our deviation He finds a way to show us the way back to Him.

As we set out to take on this new year we ENCOURAGE you to set goals and/or resolutions. We look forward to you to joining in with us on our monthly focuses, challenges, and meditations to keep you going throughout your journey. Have a safe and happy new year!

#FearlessFAITH #2016 #SetGoals 

 

Yes or No

Hello again! Not quite the last day of the month, but we are close! This is a great time to prepare for the next month. Let's not bring any old baggage into the month of November. Well, it is great practice to start anew each day. Today, we will free ourselves of all that have us bound. Best way to do that is give it to God. How? Talk to Him in prayer. I am definitely guilty of not utilizing my privilege of communing with God lately. This semester has been so topsy turvy, I have been doing and trying every other way to get answers or escape. God stunningly reminded me that only He can give me the answers I need. Notice I said, need. Oftentimes, we go to God "searching" for the right path when we really want Him to tell us what we want to hear. His answers will not always be, yes. Whatever He is keeping us from is for protection. God is not trying to be mean when He says no. We have to pray being just as open to His no as we are to His yes. The only constant yes we need to keep in mind is a repetitive yes to His Will no matter what.

So take this time to free yourself of yourself. Think about what exactly you are asking God for. What if He doesn't give it to you? Are you going to pout or shout in gratitude? Yes, shout gratitude because again we should be just as happy when He says no as we are when He says, yes. An answer from God is good whether we like it or not. He doesn't have to talk to us in the first place. Furthermore, if we don't want to hear an answer then we shouldn't ask the question, right? So, whether it is yes or no be thankful anyway. It's not our will, remember?

#FreedomFriday #YesorNo 

No Filter - Know Your Worth

Today we are a social media driven society, which is a gift and a curse. Social media has sensationalized life to the point where we lack discernment of what living really is. We now have access to the "lives" of so many people that we don't take the time to live our own lives. We look at Suzie's pictures and videos on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube and strive to be like her as if the life we've been given isn't worth living. It has become mandatory to post every milestone in your life on social media where statements have been made like "It's not real until you see if on Facebook". Instead of living in the moment at a concert or event we bring our phones out to record never really taking the time to enjoy the moment.

Check out the worship song and allow it to infiltrate your mind, your heart, and your soul. Understand that we aren't free we are enslaved to the world of social media where we actually become less social with the people we are around daily and most importantly God. Don't forget how much God deemed you to be worth. Know that living YOUR life is good enough for Him. You never have to update God on how you are doing, what you have, and who you're with because He is the giver of all those things. God accepted you just as you were and if you haven't yet given your life to Him He will accept you just as you are. There is no filter necessary when God looks at you. You don't have to look a certain way or obtain a certain status He will receive you any way.

#KnowYourWorth #NoFilter #FearlessFAITH