Using the analogy of a planted seed reproducing under the proper conditions, Ron Carpenter Jr. (The Necessity of an Enemy) reiterates his earlier assertion that enemies are indicative of new seasons in our life: “The fact that an enemy has surfaced in your life is an indicator that there’s unborn seed in you. The enemy […]
Ron Carpenter Jr. states in The Necessity of an Enemy that our assignment in life is not just to do something , but to be something. The ultimate purpose of our be-ing, he states, is to glorify God through our life. Keeping that in mind, Pastor Ron asserts: “Real trouble will not come in life […]
In the opening section of his book The Necessity of an Enemy: How the Battle You Face is Your Best Opportunity, Pastor Ron Carpenter Jr. defines the enemies in our lives and discusses how they can enlarge our capacity through external challenges as well as internal changes. The author defines enemies as “the people, mind-sets, […]
Pastor Steve Mays states in Chapter 12 (“Overcoming Deception”) of his book Overcoming that during times of adversity it is critical that we examine our faith. We need to honestly determine whether there is any self-deception relative to our relationship with the Lord. In New Testament Greek, examine means “to prove or test under fire”. […]
In Chapter 9 of Overcoming, Pastor Steve Mays, who has had multiple surgeries over the years with resultant agonizing pain, proclaims that when God desires to do something unbelievable in our life, He often will bring us to “a place of difficulty in which things do not make sense.” In the time of transition following […]
The second eternal perspective on overcoming fear presented by Pastor Mays is based on the very familiar words of Romans 8:28- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Beset by adversity and in the midst of our […]
Pastor Steve Mays presents 3 eternal perspectives on conquering fear in Chapter 3 of his book Overcoming. The first of the perspectives is that God will hold us together. As a result of his Damascus Road experience, St. Paul knew with certainty that God had delivered him, always was with him and was working on his […]
Past Steve Mays presents key principles to overcoming depression in Chapter 3 of Overcoming. The first key is that God gives us a new start, just as He gave St. Paul on the Damascus Road. The author explains: “What is so exciting for me is that God has a marvelous plan for each of us […]
In Chapter 2 (“Overcoming Suffering”) of Overcoming, Steve Mays contrasts the two responses we choose to suffering by using the analogies of a mirror and a window. With a mirror: 1. all we see is ourselves 2. we see our pain and problems as well as the corresponding offense 3. we are oblivious to God […]
Continuing his discussion of discouragement in Chapter 1 of Overcoming, Pastor Steve Mays presents 4 key truths that are enabled by walking in God’s light (a clear conscience): 1. When our conscience is pure before God, we choose to believe that God is bigger than any problems we are experiencing. 2. We have the flexibility […]
In his introduction to Chapter 1 of Overcoming: Discover How to Rise Above and Beyond Overwhelming Circumstances in Life, Pastor Steve Mays notes that Joni Eareckson Tada describes discouragement as a handicap that no one sees. Specifically, those who have not been through a ministry downsizing or position loss most likely cannot perceive our struggles […]
In Total Forgiveness, R. T. Kendall tells the story of how Nelson Mandela emerged from his 27 years of imprisonment without becoming bitter. Nelson Mandela realized that bitterness would only hurt himself, and then revealed the key to overcoming his negativity: “If you hate, you will give them your heart and mind. Don’t give those […]