Forgetting What Lies Behind
Philippians 3:13-14
This verse has always been a favorite of mine. Philippians 3:13-14 — “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Have you ever tried to drive forward while looking in the rearview mirror? It doesn’t work well — does it? A quick glance will tell you everything you need to know, but dwelling there is dangerous. That’s why Paul, in his writing from prison to the church in Philippi, told them to forget what is behind and press on toward the goal in heaven.
Paul’s own past included persecuting Christians, imprisoning them, and even being an accessory to the martyrdom of Stephen. Because of his past, he referred to himself as “the least of the apostles.” Paul became a Christian through a dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus, where he was a persecutor of Christians. A blinding light surrounded him, and he heard the voice of Jesus asking why he was persecuting him. Paul was left blind and was led to Damascus, where a disciple named Ananias restored his sight, baptized him, and instructed him to preach about Jesus. (Acts 9)
We know all of our sins are forgiven and forgotten by God the moment Jesus enters our hearts. The enemy of our souls loves to remind us of past sins and failures to try to defeat us. Paul says to forget the past and strain toward what is ahead! Don’t let yourself get stuck, don’t let the sun go down on your anger, forgive your past self and those who’ve hurt you just as you’ve been forgiven. God sees you as perfect and holy as He is holy. You are his cherished child.
You could talk with a godly counselor, trusted friend, or pastor if you’re struggling with shame. Sometimes just releasing the past by talking it out will help you find the freedom in Christ to press on. Freedom doesn’t mean denying the past but refusing to be defined by it. Growth won’t happen if we’re hampered by regrets and shame.
We can press on toward the goal of heaven because of God’s love, which empowers us to share that love with others. Amen? Amen.
Deb Hill
EFCC Member
Are You Still the One?
Matthew 11:2-6
I’ve always loved the story of John the Baptist sitting in prison because it gives us one of the most honest pictures in Scripture of what it looks like to wrestle with doubt (Matt. 11:2-6). We typically think of John the Baptist as this unshakable, desert-tough prophet. He burst onto the scene wearing a camel-hair coat, wild honey dripping from his beard, a locust in his teeth, and with his voice echoing like thunder calling Israel to repentance. John had seen things. He’d seen crowds flock into the wilderness just to hear him preach. He’d watched hardened sinners wade into the Jordan, weeping over grace they never expected. He’d baptized Jesus Himself, and witnessed the heavens open, the Spirit descend, and the Father speak: “This is my beloved Son.” If anyone should’ve been rock solid in his faith, it was John. Right?
But now he’s sitting in a dark prison cell. Confining walls have replaced open skies. The prophet who once roamed free is now chained, seemingly forgotten, and awaiting a death sentence from a petty king. And in that place, where the walls close in, where the storyline no longer makes sense, John begins to doubt. He sends his followers to Jesus with a brutally honest question:
“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3)
I love that Scripture preserves that moment. It doesn’t hide it or sanitize it. It reminds us that doubt isn’t always a sign of weak faith; sometimes it’s the byproduct of the convergence of deep belief and deep pain. And notice how Jesus responds. He doesn’t scold. He doesn’t shame. He doesn’t roll His eyes and say, “John, seriously? After everything you’ve seen?”
Instead, Jesus responds with love and evidence:
“Go back and tell John what you hear and see, the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:4-5)
In other words: “John, I know your circumstances are confusing. I know the prison cell is loud. But I am still exactly who I said I am.”
Sometimes Jesus gives us the rescue we pray for. Other times, just like John, we don’t get the ending we would have chosen. But that doesn’t mean Jesus is any less faithful, any less present, or any less God. His identity is not threatened by our questions, and His love isn’t withdrawn because we waver.
If you find yourself doubting today, take heart; you’re in good company. Bring your questions to Jesus. Ask honestly. And listen closely as He reminds you, not always with the outcome you want, but always with the truth you need, that He is still who He says He is.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Formation
During the FOLLOW sermon series, The Daily Fill devotional will consist of four days of the regular devotionals, and the 5th day (Fridays) will include a “practice” section to help you go a little deeper with the subject studied this past week.
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“Spiritual Formation is a process of being conformed to the image of Christ for the sake of others.” - Robert Mulholland
Who is forming you?... Self-formation vs. God-formation
Spiritual formation is God’s design for every disciple; for everyone who desires to follow him. The question that we must consider is, who is forming me? We tend to be “graspers,” resisting being held by God or “manipulators,” rejecting being shaped by God. The question that we must ask ourselves, though, is who is doing the forming… really?
Practice: Meditate on the following verses, then honestly ask yourself, who is it that is forming you.
~ Galatians 4:19: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”
~ Romans 8:29: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
~ 2 Corinthians 3:16-18: “But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
As Mulholland says, “In the final analysis, there is nothing we can do to transform ourselves into persons who love and serve as Jesus did except make ourselves available for God to do that work of transforming grace in our lives.”
Doing vs. Being
As followers of Christ, we are called to live in obedience to him. That does involve doing, but when our doing replaces our need for Christ and our willingness to relinquish control to him, we miss out on the joy, grace, and love that come from “being.” Mulholland says, “When we operate from the perspective that our doing determines our being, we expect immediate returns on our investment of time and resources — observable results that prove that we have performed well and are therefore persons of value and worth.”
“Doing” can offer instant feedback. Yet failure to receive instant feedback can be felt as failure to be valued or worthy. As humans, we tend to operate from a place of needing to constantly prove ourselves in order to be valued. When our focus remains on who God has designed us to be, and we see our God-given value as His perfectly created child, we can rest in the understanding that life is a journey of yielding ourselves to His plans rather than a constant battle to gain control. It is a journey of surrendering rather than fighting. It is a journey of trust that you are fully and perfectly loved.
Practice: Honestly ask yourself where you find your value. What makes you feel worthy? Who or what determines your identity?
Control vs. Surrender
The difference between forming ourselves and being formed by God is the issue of control. We try to set our pace and direction by working hard to create limitations in our lives. “Being formed” goes against our do-it-yourself culture. We are used to fighting for what we want and who we want to be. Only surrendering and relinquishing control to God will allow us to receive full freedom and the abundant life for which we were designed.
Practice: Look back over the last week. Consider how you responded when someone or something disrupted your plans. What or who got in your way? Did you see those disruptions as barriers or opportunities? Honestly answering these questions will help you determine how much your need to control is impacting your life.
Formation? Surrendering to God’s Love
It is nearly impossible to see disruptions as opportunities unless we are utterly convinced of God’s unconditional love. David Benner says, “Only surrender to something or someone bigger than us is sufficiently strong to free us from the prison of our egocentricity…. Christ does not simply want our compliance. He wants our hearts. He wants our love, and he offers us his. He invites us to surrender to his love…. Love invites abandon and intimacy. Love speaks to the depths of our soul, where we yearn for release from our isolation and long for the belonging that will assure us, we are at last home. Love speaks the language of the soul as it awakens our hunger for relationship and connection.”
Surrender takes the focus off ourselves and frees us to experience the life God has designed for us. Surrendering to God’s love frees us to let go, relinquish control, engage in relationship, and trust the one who is forming us.
Practice: Which areas of your life are you holding on to that are preventing you from fully experiencing God’s love? Choose one to recommit to the Lord. Ask him to give you a tangible way to remember the sweetness that comes from surrendering to God’s design, his perfect plans. (maybe an object, a sticky note that you put on your steering wheel, etc.) Commit this to God afresh and let it be a reminder of your Abba’s unconditional love.
This is being formed.
The New and Improved You
Colossians 3:9-10
“Do not lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place you have clothed yourself with a brand new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more about Christ, who created this new nature within you.” (Colossians 3:9-10 NLT)
Paul uses the image of putting on new clothing to parallel our ever-changing transformation as we live a life renewed by Christ. The person He created us to be. If we look at the choices in our lives prior to receiving Christ as our Savior, they will look undeniably different than after.
Years ago, I spoke at the grand opening of a pregnancy center a few blocks away from my college campus. The person who was speaking at this event was not the person who had graduated 25 years earlier. I was completely changed physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This hadn’t happened overnight, yet it was a resounding difference that evidenced that God was transforming my life from the inside out. While I knew that “old self,” she was no longer part of me.
The transformation continues daily for those who have chosen to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We get to choose the “new” self to put on. Do we follow Jesus or meander down our own path? This new identity is not static. There is a continual process of growing into Christ’s likeness. The new self is others-focused as we pick up our cross and follow Jesus. This daily choice isn’t always easy. That old self can push to “be worn” by a simple choice in the day. Formation happens one decision at a time. In fact, it is a moment-by-moment choice to listen and live in this new nature. As we choose to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus, we want to spend time with Him and study the Scriptures. We begin to think differently.
I wrote “simple” in describing the choice to be made. It isn’t always simple and can often be more of a wrestling match as we struggle to choose Him. As the Spirit lives in each believer, this new self is transforming us MORE into the image of Christ. We have an active dependent part and are never left to do it alone.
Tammy De Armas
EFCC Member
Renew—Rewire—Replace
Romans 12:1-2
When the Apostle Paul wrote Romans 12:2, he did not know about brain chemistry or have insights from today’s brain research. But he was inspired by the Holy Spirit, who knows human brains better than scientists or psychiatrists ever will. That is why Paul’s words are confirmed through modern insights. The verse reads, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Ever since those words were penned, believers have experienced transformation through mind renewal. A process of forsaking past patterns, false beliefs, and unhealthy alignment with the world’s patterns of sin, and replacing those harmful ways with new patterns, belief in Jesus’ saving love, and alignment with God’s way of truth and forgiveness.
Only recently have brain studies revealed that believing the right things about God and his love can help heal and physically rewire the brain’s composition. Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., writes in his book, The God Shaped Brain: How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life,
“When God’s methods for increasing brain health (Rom. 12:2) and nurturing mental stability are applied, the brain circuits of the prefrontal cortex actually grow stronger and, despite previous damage, healing ensues. Healthy connections grow and develop. If you are someone who has suffered abuse during childhood, or if you’ve struggled with an overly active limbic system resulting in too much aggression, irritability, impatience, anger, lust, selfishness, fear or insecurity, don’t be discouraged. God’s methods bring healing. And what are God’s methods? Truth, love and freedom. In order to be beneficial, treatment must be applied; truth is only beneficial when it is understood, believed and applied” (p. 56).
Growth in Christ, renewal, doesn’t come from trying harder; it comes from believing better. A believer’s brain will create strong pathways or neural networks based on God’s truth, and old or inactive pathways will be destroyed and replaced. So, let’s not be conformed to this world. Let’s be transformed by the renewal and rewiring of our minds.
John Riley
Junior High Pastor
The Slow Work of God
“…until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19)
If you’ve ever watched HGTV or been involved in a building project, you know that construction almost always takes longer than expected. The blueprint is drawn, the materials gathered, the foundation laid, and then the real process of formation begins. But there are always surprises—unanticipated problems, delays in materials, weather issues, and so on. Years ago, we bought a home in a new tract before it was built and were assured it would be finished by a certain date. Of course, it wasn’t. Delay followed delay, but eventually we moved in. Building takes time—and the same is true of spiritual transformation.
When you trusted Christ as your Savior, you became part of His forever family, secure in that identity. But that moment was only the beginning of the journey. As Paul writes in Colossians 3:10, we “have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” And again, in Romans 8:29, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” Spiritual transformation is a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus, and it simply cannot be rushed.
It is, in many ways, “the slow work of God.” As we grow in intimacy with Him, we gradually come to understand who He is. Formation isn’t instant; it is incremental. Over time, you begin to notice God’s presence and activity in your daily life—often realizing with surprise that He was there all along. You start to experience His nearness and sense the need to surrender areas of your life that you hadn’t recognized as barriers to growth. You discover the joy of slowing down and reflecting on the ways He makes Himself known. “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10).
As you grow in self-awareness and learn to recognize the inner voice of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit, His purposes for you become clearer. This takes time, and you must extend grace to yourself when the journey feels difficult. Often God invites us to wait, to slow down, to simply be with Him. It is His work in us, unfolding on His timetable. But take heart, because He has given us a beautiful promise: “And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
Is the slow work of God encouraging or discouraging to you? Think about a time you were surprised by God’s presence. Who helps you discern the movement of the Holy Spirit in your spiritual transformation?
Francie Overstreet
EFCC Member
Being Transformed Into Glory
2 Corinthians 3:18
I don’t consider myself to be a patient person. I want people to think I’m patient, but inside I’m vanquishing a volcano of acceleration toward completion. “Stop and smell the roses,” sounds like a convenience afforded to few; or is it?
Backpacking has been a lifelong recreation and spiritual encounter for me. The beginning of the trip is always a shift from comfort into bearing the load and adjusting my gear. This requires patient and attentive awareness of friction points and unbalanced loads. You don’t become an experienced trekker on your first journey; you gain this over time, with blisters bearing witness to the transformation. My hikes have primarily been in the mountains. As elevation increases, oxygen decreases, and a reduced pace becomes essential. The slowness of the journey reveals the reason why the trek is meaningful. As I slowly gain altitude, I notice subtle changes. I notice flora in the transformative processes of life. The same plants blooming at a lower altitude in a beautiful array are in bud at elevation. I notice the subtle changes in the rocks and trees as altitude increases, and water unexpectedly appears. If the lack of oxygen were not there, I would speed past these magnificent creations. The delay is a necessary aspect of hiking; it provides the opportunity to behold, wonder, and discover joy. The slowness makes the journey and the struggle meaningful.
In 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, we encounter Moses, the law, and the gospel of Jesus in a new light. Moses’ awareness was formed by his journey. Moses experienced a profound transformation by choosing to say “Yes” to God, encountering the Divine along his journey. This encounter was so powerful that his transformation had to be veiled to allow others to be in his presence. The passage references a lifting of the veil that is later understood through Jesus’ fulfillment of the law. What we may overlook in this short passage is how Moses’ life feels both strangely distant and deeply familiar to our own. Though God used him as a remarkable leader, Moses was still human—marked by weakness, complexity, and grace. Which parts of his story echo in your own? Self-righteous. Vindicated. Judged. Scorned. Rejected. Alone. Afraid. Found. Tested. Tried. Humbled. Searching. Lost. Redeemed. Moses’ formation was in response to his inner longing to know his creator. It led to a path of patient wandering. Not in isolation, but in an emerging observation and participation in the slow work God can bring to the observant wanderer. May your journey of following Jesus bring renewed hope in the God who encounters those on the path to find him, in unsuspecting places, as your pace is slowed.
Jaisen Fuson
EFCC Elder
“Who I Am in Christ”
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Did you know that your God, your Creator, is head over heels in love with you!? Accepting and believing who our Creator says we are isn’t as easy as it sounds, because we are wired to be in control and do things our own way. Truly understanding and living out the truth that we are who God has created us to be comes from practice.
Read through the following list. Circle one statement in each section that you wholeheartedly believe. Celebrate this! Tell someone about this truth that you know as a child of God.
Next, think about one statement in each section that is hard for you to believe. Read the passage connected to the statement every day for a week, asking the Holy Spirit to help you see yourself as the dearly loved child that your God created you to be.
I Am Accepted
• I am God’s child — John 1:12
• I am Christ’s friend — John 15:15
• I have been justified — Romans 5:1
• I am united with the Lord, and I am one spirit with Him — 1 Corinthians 6:17
• I have been bought with a price; I belong to God — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• I am a member of Christ’s body — 1 Corinthians 12:27
• I am a saint — Ephesians 1:1
• I have been adopted as God’s child — Ephesians 1:5
• I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit — Ephesians 2:18
• I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins — Colossians 1:14
• I am complete in Christ — Colossians 2:10
I Am Secure
• I am free forever from condemnation — Romans 8:1–2
• I am assured that all things work together for good — Romans 8:28
• I cannot be separated from the love of God — Romans 8:35–39
• I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God — 2 Corinthians 1:21–22
• I am hidden with Christ in God — Colossians 3:3
• I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected — Philippians 1:6
• I am a citizen of heaven — Philippians 3:20
• I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind — 2 Timothy 1:7
• I can find grace and mercy in time of need — Hebrews 4:16
• I am born of God, and the evil one cannot touch me — 1 John 5:18
I Am Significant
• I am the salt and light of the earth — Matthew 5:13-14
• I am a branch of the true vine, Jesus, a channel of His life — John 15:1, 5
• I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit — John 15:16
• I am a personal witness of Christ — Acts 1:8
• I am God’s temple — 1 Corinthians 3:16
• I am a minister of reconciliation for God — 2 Corinthians 5:17-20
• I am God’s coworker — 2 Corinthians 6:1
• I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realm — Ephesians 2:6
• I am God’s workmanship, created for good works — Ephesians 2:10
• I may approach God with freedom and confidence — Ephesians 3:12
• I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me — Philippians 4:13
By Neil T. Anderson Author
A Chosen People
1 Peter 2:9-10
Purpose flows naturally from identity. A surgeon performs surgery. A mail carrier delivers mail. A born-again child of God lives to show others the love and goodness of God. You have not just been saved from something. You have been saved for something.
“You have been chosen by God himself—you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own—all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were less than nothing; now you are God’s own. Once you knew very little of God’s kindness; now your very lives have been changed by it.” (1 Peter 2:9-10, Living Bible)
"God gave us the ministry of reconciliation… We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:18b, 20)
Being certain of who you are in Christ will determine how you represent Him because your life will always reflect what you believe. As you mature in Christ, your identity will not come from what you do; what you do will flow from your security in who you are in Christ. Once you are certain of God’s love, acceptance, and approval, you don’t need to work to earn it. You serve from gratitude for all He has done for you. You are freed to become Christ’s ambassador and an agent of reconciliation between others and God.
“Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
As a disciple of Jesus Christ, your calling is a mission to disciple others to grow in their understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done for them.
“For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
God has created you uniquely different from every other person. Likewise, His purpose for you is uniquely designed and prepared in advance by Him. The specific way in which you will serve God is a calling you receive as you abide in Christ. You don’t lead the way; you follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. So, as you spend time with your Lord, ask Him to show you what He wants you to offer to others whose hearts and lives He wants to impact through you. He chose you because he loves you!
Sharon Chapman
EFCC Member
Christ Lives in Me
Galatians 2:20
Your new life in Christ includes the presence of God’s Holy Spirit living in you.
“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20a)
“…you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…” (Ephesians 1:13b)
To experience the fullness of your new life in Christ, it will be necessary to surrender all that conflicts with the Holy Spirit.
“Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)
Sometimes a stronghold makes it difficult to live your new life. A stronghold is a habit or a way of thinking that controls how you live. God has given us instructions in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 for surrendering strongholds.
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. And we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Paul mentions we have been persuaded to believe things that do not agree with God’s truth, resulting in strongholds. So, what can you do? God says, “Take them captive! Make them obedient to Christ!” Take a thought captive by asking if it agrees with what God says is true. Make it obedient to Christ by choosing to believe it (if it agrees with what God says is true) or by refusing to believe it (if it disagrees with what God says is true).
Further obedience requires replacing wrong thoughts with God’s truth. For example, if I believe I am not good enough, I need to realize that is not how God sees me. It is a lie! He says I am His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). I am His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6). I must accept and embrace these truths to keep the lie from influencing how I live.
As you surrender thoughts and attitudes from your old identity, your new life in Christ will become an expression of His love, not your old self. You’ll become increasingly sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Satan will lose the ability to influence your thoughts. What a gift we have through Jesus Christ, who lives in each of us!
Sharon Chapman
EFCC Member
