From the Cross: Pride

by David Chadwick

Pride is today’s sin that some of our congregation brought forward to lay at the foot of the cross last April during our Easter Service of Darkness. Pride is the belief that we are the master of our own destiny. It is the belief that we know better than God.

The most important verse in the Bible about pride may be Proverbs 16:18 which says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Sin is sin, but THE major sin of all may be human pride. It is what caused Adam and Eve to rebel against God. Pride caused the devil to become the devil (Isaiah 14:13-14). It is the one sin that is unforgivable and will send you straight to hell.

Pride is the ultimate dismissal of grace because it makes you think that you can earn your salvation through your own good works and human efforts. Pride keeps you from seeing your own sin and receiving the grace of Jesus because you never think you need it.

The antidote to pride is humility. A teachable spirit. Where I know God is God and I am not and most of my problems come when I am not discerning the difference between the two extremes.

So, how do you know if you’ve conquered pride once you lay it before Jesus at the foot of the wonderful cross? Generally, you’ll have great thanksgiving in your heart. You will look around you and recognize that only God could have established such a beautiful creation. We are the ones who have messed it up. It’s our sin that has contributed to a less than perfect order. You’ll find yourself surrendered and aware that it is an absolute privilege to be a part of God’s story and to be able to experience the gifts that exist in his creation even in the midst of sin and brokenness.

Your perspective changes when pride is broken. You will begin to love to worship the Lord. You will be glad for every opportunity you have to sit at his feet, to gather with other believers, to pray, to worship corporately with other believers in the house of the Lord (Psalm 122:1-2). You will love to sing to him and praise him for creating you, giving you life, and awakening you to salvation!

You will begin to see that all of life is a gift. Eternal life is a gift. When this happens, you will know that pride has been eliminated from your life!

Today’s Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove pride and replace it with HUMILITY (James 4:10).

From the Cross: Fear

by David Chadwick

If the definition of anxiety is the belief that something bad MAY happen to you, then fear is the belief that something bad WILL happen to you.

Today’s topic is fear. It’s another stronghold that plagues this broken world.

The same studies about anxiety apply to fear as well. 90% of all fears will never actually happen to you. Fear is a worthless emotion. According to the Bible, it’s an evil spirit as well. Paul says that God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity (2 Timothy 1:7).

As a side note, some fear is valuable. The Bible encourages us to exercise fear of the Lord! A healthy fear can also lead you to prepare for or avoid potentially destructive situations. It can prompt you to make sure you have enough food and water before a storm comes. It can lead you to be cautious against things like robbery. This can be good.

But relentless, demonic fears about things that will most likely never happen will rob your life of joy, peace, and meaning. And paralyze your soul.

The Bible’s one continual antidote to fear is God’s presence. Only as you abide in his presence can you truly know that he is with you, in you, guiding you, fighting for you, and protecting you in every situation. Spend some time meditating in verses like Deuteronomy 3:22, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 23, Matthew 28:18-20, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, and Hebrews 13:5-6.

There are well over 100 times in the Bible where God commands his people to “Fear not.” Peace comes into our hearts when we know that HE controls everything in the universe and our fears are robbing us of shalom, wholeness and peace.

The bottom line question is this: What is your mind set on? Things above or things below. Are you focused on the size of your giant or the size of your God? Are you constantly thinking about the size of your mountain or walking in faith for your mountain to move? There are only two options. Either God is in control of everything - every atom, every second, every day, every month, every year, or he is not. Either you trust him like a child or you are full of fear. Which one is it?

Today’s Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove fear and replace it with COURAGE (Joshua 1:9).

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For more insight on the topics of fear and anxiety, check out Moving Beyond Anxiety by David Chadwick. In his book, David shares 12 ways you can overcome life’s fears and worries—all of which come straight from Scripture.

Order or download your free PDF by clicking here.

From the Cross: Anxiety

by David Marilynn Chadwick

Anxiety is today’s stronghold. The definition of anxiety is “apprehension, tension, or uneasiness, often stemming from the anticipation of danger, whether real or perceived.” It’s like a wire attached to a battery that slowly but surely drains all of the energy out of a person. Did you know there are studies that have been done that show that 90% of all of our worries NEVER end up happening. While anxiety feels very real to the person experiencing it, the anxious situation almost never happens and it ends up sucking the life out of the person who is experiencing it.

Anxiety is mentioned throughout the Bible, and not positively. Jesus addressed it in Matthew 6:19-34, Paul did in Philippians 4:4-6, and Peter did in 2 Peter 5:7. Clearly, they knew this was a problem in our sin-infested world.

So, what did they suggest in these passages of Scripture? Well, Jesus encouraged us to look at creation. Consider how God cares for the birds and grass. HOW MUCH MORE will he care for his children? The crown of his creation! Jesus encouraged childlike faith and a deep trust that our Daddy in heaven will care for us no matter what.

Then, Paul said to turn our cares into prayers. He said to take our anxieties, worries, and cares to God in prayer. We are not to worry about anything! He said that if we don’t pray, we forfeit a lot of peace and we begin to carry needless burdens.

Peter said to cast all of our cares on Jesus’s huge, broad, celestial shoulders. Did you know that the word “cast” here in the Greek is the same word Jesus used to cast out a demon? It’s a word of great force! Peter urged us to forcibly hurl our cares on Jesus because he cares for us!

Do you know how much Jesus loves you? I mean do you really, really know? He wants to carry your burden so you don’t have to. He promises this to his children!

Anxiety is a thief. It steals peace, joy, energy, and purpose. Anxiety looks at the size of Goliath instead of the size of our God. It focuses on the size of a mountain instead of the One who created the mountain. It gives power to the impossibility instead of believing that nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37).

Check your anxiety levels. If they are high, develop faith! Trust your Creator. Seek first his Kingdom and everything else in life falls into place (Matthew 6:33). Faith is the antidote to anxiety. How strong is your faith?

Today’s Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove anxiety and replace it with FAITH that can move mountains (Hebrews 11:1).

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For more insight on the topic of anxiety, check out Moving Beyond Anxiety by David Chadwick. In his book, David shares 12 ways you can overcome life’s fears and worries—all of which come straight from Scripture.

Order or download your free PDF by clicking here.