We can all get bogged down with the cares of life. That’s why every day we need to get washed with the “water of the Word” (Ephesians 5:26). So take time to get into the amazing Word of God!

• It is powerful. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

• It equips. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

• It guides. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Joshua 1:8

• It blesses. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25

• It brings peace. My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Proverbs 3:1-2

• It strengthens. Strengthen me according to Your Word. Psalm 119:28b

• It always comes to pass. So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

• It is truth. Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. John 17:17 AMP

• It saves. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21

• It heals. My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body. Proverbs 4:20-22

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.

When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:1-3 The Message*

God cares for you infinitely more than you realize. Even if you have become melancholy to the point where you are numb, there is still fight on your insides that God put in you! The way you offset discouragement is to get your eyes on Jesus and receive encouragement and strength from what the Word declares—that will “shoot adrenaline into your soul.” Mind-renewal is not automatic. We have to deliberately feed our faith and starve our doubts.

The sower sows the word . . . the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. Mark 4:14, 18-20

It’s absolutely imperative that you fend off the worries and cares and hold up your shield long enough to realize the full potential on your life. So, instead of breakdown, you will have breakthrough! As you root out the cares of this world and let the Word take hold in your heart and germinate, you’ll reap the fruit of effectiveness—thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. God is able to keep you from stumbling and make you stand! (Jude 24).

You can trust Him!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. *Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

God wants to pour out His strength on every moment of every day. Meditate on these verses and trust God!

Faithful is He who calls you but He will also bring it to pass. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.
Daniel 11:32b NKJV

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. Isaiah 40:31a

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. Psalm 37:5

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Hebrews 10:39

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

We learn to not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:9

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5:14-15

God Is Faithful!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13

These verses from Paul in the book of Philippians put into context all the trials, afflictions, and challenges we face: Because of what Jesus did for us we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). In order to be more than a conqueror, it implies that we have something to conquer—we aren’t in heaven yet and we live in a fallen world. But every step of the way God is guiding and giving us direction.

These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

Let the truth of these scriptures lift the cloud of hopelessness that may be trying to settle on you. You could be very close to breakthrough, but the cares of this world have spread a fog over the true nature of your situation. Remember, the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), and that is why we must cast down imaginations and take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). If you don’t quit, you can expect breakthrough!

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. Ephesians 3:20

You might as well unplug from all the worry, fear, and freak-out, get an overcomer’s attitude and trust God. He has solutions for your problems. With every temptation, trial, and trouble, He provides a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). God gives you all you need. He will strengthen you by might and power in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16) to not only have breakthrough in your own situation but to enable you to take Jesus to a broken, fractured world.

Press on!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11b-13

While in prison, Paul wrote that he had learned how to stay settled and content—that in the best circumstances and in the worst circumstances, he could do all things through Christ. God has the capability and inclination toward meeting all of your needs—even when you are in the middle of a battle. Be assured that faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Through Jesus we can do all things, but without Him we can do nothing. Looking at these two sides of the same truth will keep us from both insecurity and pride. “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:5-6a).

Whatever your background, you need Jesus. And Jesus is available to all. Jesus’ strength is so real and deep—with it you can run the race to the end, experience answered prayer, have freedom from recurring addictions, get restored, overcome the works of darkness, stay plugged into church, and make a difference in our culture. The God who is urging you to stay connected, abide in Him, and look to Him for strength knows something about the abundance He has designed you to walk in! Expect amazing fruit to come as you abide in the Lord.

Abiding in Jesus,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. Ephesians 3:14-16

The people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. Daniel 11:32b NKJV
The Bible says that when we spend time with God and get to know His voice and His heart, we will reap two amazing benefits: Strength will come to us and we will be empowered to do exploits.

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. Isaiah 40:31a
We all need new strength all the time. My heroes are people who are strong in God and thrive decade after decade. Those planted in the house of the Lord will flourish and bear fruit in old age (Psalm 92:13-14).

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3
When sorrows weigh on us, doubts rise up in our soul, and our burdens are too much to bear—God is our refuge. He is an invisible yet real fortification around our lives to protect and deliver us.

We live in a crazy, fallen world, but we serve a God who is trustworthy. He never fails or lies or breaks a single promise. So don’t look back and wish you had done things differently. Instead, look forward and trust in God’s ability to restore. His strength is available for you at every turn.

God is trustworthy!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2010 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.