Jesus - Our Beautiful Living Water

Good Morning Beauties!

The love of God - what can compare? It is life giving, healing, merciful…everything we need. Once touched by this love, your life is forever changed. Do you know it? If yes, do you want more of it? If not, seek Him and His love and He will be found. Selah.

I love the transformative power of God’s love. One of my favorite examples in the Bible is of the Samaritan woman Jesus found at the well. Here is a woman with much sin, but once she had revelation of whom she was talking to - the Savior of the World, she ran back and told everyone in her town about Him. She had been washed clean and was no longer the town’s blemish. It’s a beautiful story of redemption and can be found in John 4:1-42.

Jesus was very personal to the Samaritan woman, and that’s what He wants with you - a deep personal relationship. He gave her new life, and that’s His desire for you too - a new level of intimacy with your Savior. Do you relate to this woman at all? Where do you see the similarities? In what way do you want to be more like her? Selah.

We try to do acts of service for Him, but the truth is, He just wants us to be. Be with Him. Be present in our conversations with Him. Be at peace. Be content with ourselves. Will you “just be” with Him today as He speaks to your heart about how much He loves you? Selah.

I pray you will be encouraged by this video which includes several transformation stories of women just like us.
He Knows My Name - Francesca Battistelli

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

— Romans 8:38-39 New Living Translation

Abba’s Child

Good Morning Beauties!

Have you ever been lost? As a child, it can be a terrifying experience. It’s an overwhelming feeling of panic and danger until you find your parent. The feeling of love and security washes over you like a warm blanket, and you feel completely safe once again.

We can feel lost as adults too. Life’s circumstances swirl around in our mind until we’re dizzy. We feel impending danger and the fear becomes a stronghold and causes us to forget who we are and whose we are. Do you feel that way now? Are you secretly praying the world would pause for a moment to let you catch your breath? Selah.

Sweet Beauties, remember you are a Child of The Most High God! He is your Abba Father, your Daddy. Whenever you feel lost, He will gently take your hand and lead you to His promises - green pastures, still waters, smooth places. Take a moment to read Psalm 23 for encouragement. Selah.

Father God is all the security and strength we’ll ever need. He brings all He has for each one of us. He is an ever loving and ever faithful Father. You can trust Him with your life.

I recommend you look in your concordance today and look up every entry in the Bible that references the word “child” or “children.” You will find truth after truth about God’s love for you. Are you ready to open the floodgates of His love? Selah.

Child Of God - Katheryn Scott

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! ”

— 1 John 3:1 New International Version

Oh How Beautiful

Good Morning Beauties!

As we wrap up the truth of our Purity, I encourage you to take a look at the connection between our Purity and our Intimacy with God.  That's what this journey experience is all about - growing deeper in our relationship with Him and walking in the newness of life. When we surrender ourselves and allow Jesus to be fully alive in us, His beauty radiates right through us. He really is so beautiful.

I've found a wonderful study about this very subject, and think it's a nice way to conclude our time learning about Purity.  Grab your Bible and internet device, and open your heart for God's glorious truth....

Pursuing Purity: A Bible Study on Wholeness in Christ - Pastor Duke Tabor

Now, after that meaningful study, let’s praise our glorious Savior!

How Beautiful - Mosaic MSC

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“May the God of peace set you apart for Himself. May every part of you be set apart for God. May your spirit and your soul and your body be kept complete. May you be without blame when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:23 New Life Version

God’s Pure Creation

Good Morning Beauties!

I hope you all are feeling healthy and energized as we’re fast approaching the end of our journey. Your dedication is to be commended and applauded. I hope you are giving yourself credit for the hard work you’re putting into your journey experience.

I love this photo. To me, it ties in what we’ve discussed over the past few days about purity. The center represents our hearts and how God purifies us like gold. The white petals are the light breaking through the darkness. The total picture is God’s perfect creation on display for His splendor. Can you see it? Do you believe this is how He sees you? If not this flower, what represents how God sees your purity? Selah.

Over the past few days, have you identified places of guilt or shame during our discussion on purity? On my second journey experience, God revealed deeply hidden shame I was still carrying around from things I had done in my teen and early 20’s. Things done out of the pain I was in. Truth set me free from the bondage of the guilt and shame. What do you need to be set free from today? Selah.

Here is one of the most pure worship songs I’ve ever heard. Please use it in your time with God as He heals you from any wounds and brings you into a new deeper relationship with Him.

Lord of Lords - Brooke Ligertwood

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“If we walk step by step in the light, where the Father is, then we are ultimately connected to each other through the sacrifice of Jesus His Son. His blood purifies us from all our sins.”

— 1 John 1:7 The Voice

Messy. Perfect. Beautiful

Happy Lord’s Day Beauties!

“For by that one offering he made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom he is making holy.” Hebrews 10:14 (TLB)

Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, (offering) made us perfect in God’s sight, even though we are still being sanctified, (being made Holy) by the Spirit. What does this mean? God already sees you as perfect! Yes, you still sin, yes you are growing in your likeness to Jesus from glory to glory; however, when your Abba Father looks at you, He looks beyond the mess and sees perfection. Hallelujah!!

Do you believe it? Take time to give this truth your consideration and write how remembering this truth can transform your life. No more stress and strife trying to be perfect before God or others. Selah.

If this truth is new revelation to you, ponder what it means to be fully accepted just the way you are…perfect. Selah.

The Bible says that God sees us as perfect through the grace of Jesus Christ. God's grace allows us to overcome sin and be transformed into new creations.  Let’s celebrate this amazing gift with our praise!
Perfect Grace - Philippa Hana

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“You are all beautiful, my love. You are perfect.”

— Song of Solomon 4:7 New Life Version

Beautiful Light of New Life

Good Morning Beauties!

Darkness. We’ve all had our share of it. It’s a place of loneliness, hopelessness, and perhaps even despair. The enemy is King of darkness with his only purpose to steal, kill, and destroy. Has he succeeded? What parts of your life do you keep hidden in the darkness with your guilt and shame? Selah.

You may be thinking, “What a bummer way to start today’s blog. I came here to be encouraged.” Beauties, we must first recognize the dark places and give them to God before we can be free of them. Enter - His marvelous light.

God created you with your freedom in tact, and He wants to restore you to that beautiful place. It takes being honest with yourself and Him. I remember a moment in time when I got really mad at God. I was going to church, earnestly seeking Him through Bible studies, and leading a worship dance team. I was doing all the right things, but was still not living a free life. My spirit knew it, and in frustration one day I exclaimed, “I don’t get it! Your word says, ‘where there’s light, there is no darkness.’ but I still have darkness!”

My honestly propelled me forward into my healing. A few months later He called me and met me in Australia where He changed my life forever. He filled my being with His love and light and answered my prayer.

What’s your story? Can you remember when God turned your darkness into light, turned your mourning into dancing? Are you in need of that kind of transformation right now? Cry out to Him with an honest heart and He will answer. Selah.

Marvelous Light - Christy Nockels

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.”

— Job 12:22 New International Version

Created Pure

Good Morning Beauties!

We are entering the last ten days of our journey together. Perhaps the most revealing days are ahead. Let’s take time today for reflection and assessment to ensure you finish strong. How are your expectations doing? Are they being met? What do you want God to do? What are you willing to do to ensure they are being met? Are your action plans eliminating, or at least minimizing, any obstacles to your success? Is there need for some tweaking or a complete rewrite? Are you still motivated to meet with God every day and spend time with Him so He can reveal truth to your heart and make lasting change as a new creation in Christ? Selah. Selah. Selah.

Our next truth is “You Are Purity.” Here are a couple of definitions of Purity to consider:.. ”freedom from adulteration or contamination” and “freedom from immorality”. How do you define it? What definition are you trying to live up to? Selah.

Jesus gave us a chance to “wipe the slate clean” and have a fresh start. Isn’t that what we want? When we are led by our human nature, living in the past, tempted by our sin, we want to start over and do it differently, do it better. Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross has allow us to have an entirely new life! No longer moved by the whims of this world, but living free in the Spirit.

“ I do not want to be proud of anything except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of the cross, the ways of this world are dead to me, and I am dead to them. If a person does or does not go through the religious act of becoming a Jew, it is worth nothing. The important thing is to become a new person.” Galatians 6:14-15 (NLV)

Jesus didn’t come to correct our behavior, but to purify our hearts and make us new. It’s always about the heart with Him. Will you join me in making this song our prayer?

New Creation - Kayla Bailey

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Make a clean heart in me, O God. Give me a new spirit that will not be moved.”

— Psalm 51:10 New Living Translation

Beautiful Cross of Christ

Good Morning Beauties!

The attribute of “Redeemed” is always highly emotional and deeply moving for me. How about you? Were you able to take a good look at truth, despite the difficulty, and accept it as your reality? Were you able to gain a new sense of freedom? What did God reveal to you during the past few days that made the greatest impact? Selah.

The point of every 40 Day Journey, is to believe we have received the eight attributes of Christ, and our beauty flows from them. You may question the beauty of redemption, because the cross was a torture device, and anything but beautiful. If we look a little closer, we find it’s the result of Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection that is truly beautiful. His love poured out to us through His sacrifice on the cross is magnificently Beautiful.

I’ve found a song that describes the beauty of the cross so well, in fact, that’s the name of the song. I usually include it on Day 30 as an encouragement. I also like to share an interview of the singer, Jonny Diaz. The link is provided below along with the song.

As you spend time with God today, I hope you find the article interesting and up lifting. I hope you are moved by the beautiful truth in the song. More importantly, I pray you have found a deeper relationship with Christ and are experiencing a newness of life.

Jonny Diaz Interview

Beauty of the Cross - Jonny Diaz

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, ‘I love you.’”

— Billy Graham

Beautiful Assurance

Good Morning Beauties!

“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” John 3:16-18 (MSG)

Our salvation, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, is certain. Hallelujah! We have the assurance of eternal life! We are born again as Children of God. We’re free from eternal damnation and free to live with Abba Father forever. Do you have any doubts? Are there are any lies still lingering in your mind? Selah.

Let’s look at God’s Word, which is TRUTH, to ensure you are walking in the newness of life Jesus died to give you. I pray these verses will help you prioritize your life in Christ, even on those very busy days. Seek Him first and everything else will be given to you.

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24 (NIV)

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” John 3:36 (NIV)

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

 “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” John 10:28 (NIV)

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:11-13 (NIV)

I would love to pray with you and hear of your decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and if you’ve rededicated your life to Him. Please use the “Let’s Connect” section of my website.

Beauties, let’s sing this song as our prayer of thanksgiving to Jesus.

Blessed Assurance - Carrie Underwood

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

— Romans 10:9 New International Version

The Beauty of Sacrifice

Good Morning Beauties!

This morning we must look at Love’s perfect sacrifice. Yesterday we looked at why God sent His Son to save us. Today we will look at the extent of what Jesus was willing to do to rescue us - the “how” He saved us.

“But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.” Isaiah 53:5 (NLT)

We’ve heard about Christ’s sufferings, His wounding, but can we really know all He endured for us? I’m not so sure. The bible tells us He was so badly beaten, He was unrecognizable. Take a moment to think about that. Selah.

Each time I’ve taken this 40 Day Journey, I’ve always come back to this music video. It provides the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice in song and action. It will be very difficult to watch, but I pray you will watch it. There is a deeper level of love you will receive as He reveals all He did to ensure you would be together for eternity.

The Day He Wore My Crown - Sandi Patty & The Passion of The Christ

Selah.

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Christ suffered and died for sins once for all. He never sinned and yet He died for us who have sinned. He died so He might bring us to God. His body died but His spirit was made alive.”

— 1 Peter 3:18 New Life Version

Beautifully Perfect Sacrifice

Good Morning Beauties!

You’re doing so amazing!!! About this time, life takes over, and it’s just easier to quit and say, “I’ll try this again when I’m not so busy.” I completely understand, but I want to encourage you not to quit. You CAN do this! God will provide strength when you’re feeling weak, and He’ll bless your schedule when you prioritize Him.

I love the picture above. It looks like this sweet lamb is actually smiling. Take another look. Do you see him at rest, at peace, at ease? Do you notice the wood in the background? The photo represents Hebrews 12:2 to me. Jesus, the perfect lamb, was the ultimate sacrifice so that we may live. He paid the price for our sins by shedding His precious blood. Here’s the thing - He did so with joy, because He knew we would be together for eternity.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

Where is your focus? On Earthly things or building His Kingdom through faith in Jesus? What part of your life is God asking you to have joy, though you may be see it as a humiliating sacrifice? Selah.

Let’s praise our Jesus, who is so worthy of all our adoration.

Worthy is The Lamb - Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”

— 1 Peter 1:18-19 New Living Translation

Worship Our Redeemer

Happy Lord’s Day Beauties!

“He saved them from the hand of the foe; from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.” Psalm 106:10 (NIV)

Today our journey takes us to one of the most significant attributes of our beauty - our redemption. Stay close to God for the next few days as He takes you deeper into an intimate relationship with Him. The truth revealed in these lyrics will surely kick the enemy in the gut, and the lies binding you will be defeated, thus allowing you to live a new level of freedom in Christ.

The word redeemed is sometimes misunderstood, so let’s take a look at the definition. “to free from captivity by payment of ransom.” Merriam Webster Dictionary. Here’s the perfect example of redemption found in Ephesians, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace  that he lavished on us.” Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)

There was a payment to be made to cover our sins so we could be reconciled to The Father. Jesus paid it with His precious blood - His very life. Do you know a greater love than this? How will you thank Jesus for redeeming your life? Perhaps you can write Him a personal letter in your journal, or take time to color the “redeemed” page in the back of the journal. (page 129) Selah

A great way to thank Jesus for saving your soul is to tell your story. Others are needing the same hope you found in Jesus. Please share how Jesus redeemed your life, and how He can do the same for them. Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, and then take that obedient step to share the Good News! Do you have someone in mind? Selah.

We The Redeemed - Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”

— Psalm 107:2-3 New International Version

Godly Confidence is BEAUTIFUL

Good Morning Beauties!

Waking up this morning and coming before the Lord, He spoke the word confidence to me. Have you ever noticed a confident woman is beautiful? She is if she places her trust in Jesus and not in herself. In my pursuit of learning more about having confidence, I found a wonderful article by Kayla Ferris. I pray it will bless you as it has me.

“I’m discovering that self-confidence is a fickle friend. Sometimes I have it; sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it serves me well; other times, it misguides me.

Confidence in myself is unreliable because, honestly, so am I. Culture tells me I should invest in myself further, love myself better and believe in myself more. Those aren’t inherently bad ideas … but the results are inconsistent.

There has to be a better solution than me having greater faith in me.

And thankfully there is. Because, friend, what I truly need is God-confidence.

Trusting in God’s ability, faithfulness and love changes everything. God-confidence means I look to Him first, not myself. It means He fuels my faith (Hebrews 11:1), He quenches my fears (Psalm 27:1), and He alone stands unshakeable (Matthew 7:25).

Perhaps no one knew this better than a man named Daniel in the Bible. Attempting to conspire against Daniel, Persian officials decreed it illegal to pray. The penalty? The offender would become lion food.

But Daniel 6:10 says, “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”

Amazing. Daniel didn’t wring his hands, wondering what he should do. He had complete confidence that God was at work in the situation, and no matter the outcome, he would continue trusting God. We, too, can develop that level of confidence by growing in two areas that shaped Daniel’s entire life — knowing God and experiencing God.

Like Daniel, we can increase our knowledge of God. Daniel was constantly praying and studying God’s Word (Daniel 6:10; Daniel 9:2). The more we know about God, the more our confidence grows. Reading about God’s character strengthens our trust. Declaring God’s goodness builds our belief. We can soak our hearts and minds in His unshakeable Truth.

We can also experience God at work. Daniel personally witnessed God’s faithfulness, saw friends saved from a fiery furnace, and was held by God through worldly power struggles (Daniel 1:9; Daniel 3:26; Daniel 5:29-30). We can trust God enough to step into situations we feel called toward but don’t necessarily feel capable of navigating on our own. In places where we most need God, we experience Him at work, and our confidence in Him increases exponentially.

Knowledge and experience grow our God-confidence, and that kind of confidence will never fail us.

Let’s pray….God, You are powerful, faithful, loving and true. I want to build my confidence in You. Guide me toward the knowledge and experience I need to grow a God-confidence that will never fail, no matter what life throws my way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Confidence - Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.”

— Ephesians 3:12 New Living Translation

Righteous Praise

Good Morning Beauties!

Today is a day of celebration! We have been saved, sanctified, forgiven, and justified. We are righteous before Almighty God through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Will you join me in bringing praise to our Awesome God? Will you praise Him for binging you new life?

The Psalms are full of adoration of the righteousness of our God and gratitude for sharing it with us through Jesus. The best way to get a glimpse is to use the concordance in the back of your Bible for the words righteous and righteousness. You can always google search as well. Biblegateway.com is a useful resource.

What verses speak to you most? Write them down and take time to memorize them. The Spirit will help you retrieve them when most needed. Selah.

Let’s bring our beloved King praise today as we celebrate all He’s done.

Raise a Hallelujah - Bethel Music

For All You’ve Done - Hillsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“May your priests be clothed with your righteousness; may your faithful people sing for joy.”

— Psalm 132:9 New International Version

Say YES to Jesus, Say YES to Life

Good Morning Beauties!

“Blessed are those  whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Romans 4:7 (NIV)

We know that God’s kindness leads us to repentance, (Romans 2:4) and in that sweet place, we are forgiven. Forgiven of all sin past, present and future. All sin is forgiven. Only our beautiful Savior can do that!

Where do we see God’s kindness? Let’s take a look at His Word to find the answer. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NIV) God’s love for you is immeasurable! He knew all your mistakes and still sent His Son to die for you He knows you better than anyone and also loves you more than anyone. We have a remarkably kind Father. Where have you seen the kindness of God in your life? What was your response? 2025 is a new year. How will the reflection of your salvation and all of His continuing kindness create something new in you this year? Selah.

“…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 (NIV) Your sins are completely forgiven and forgotten. As humans, it’s almost impossible to forget when someone sins against us even though we’ve forgiven them. Perhaps this is why it’s hard for us to believe God is capable of forgetting our sins. The truth is, He is able, and He does! What are the sins you want to bring to Jesus today? What burdens do you still carry? He wants you to let go of anything that stands in the way of a deeper relationship with Him. Will you ask Him to forgive you? Will you forgive yourself? Selah.

Our loving God forgives us, and also justifies us. When brought before the Righteous Judge, we will be seen as innocent. Our faith in Jesus has saved us from the punishment due from our sins. I’m not sure where I first heard this explanation of “justification” but I like it. The statement says, “it’s just as if you’ve never sinned.”

Here’s what God’s Word says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)

If you have never asked for personal forgiveness from God and turned your life over to Jesus as your Lord and Savior, today is the day. Why wait? What is stopping you? The enemy will do everything to steal, kill, and destroy the life God sent Jesus to give you. it’s time to listen to the Holy Spirit’s sweet whisper instead of the loud chatter of the enemy. Will you say YES to Jesus and begin your new life with Him today? Selah.

I Choose Jesus - Moriah Peters

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

— Romans 10:9-10 New International Version

Surrendered Heart

Good Morning Beauties!

Two beautiful words today that absolutely change your life. Saved. Sanctified. God transforms our lives in an instant with salvation and over a lifetime with sanctification.

In my study time with God this morning, I kept hearing the word surrender, so I changed my focus to how surrender plays a role in our salvation and sanctification. Here is an article I found…

Is surrender essential to salvation?

Let's begin with the simple Gospel message. Christ came to earth to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Because we are sinful beings (Romans 3:20), we cannot have fellowship with God. In fact, because of this predicament we are in, we cannot do anything to earn God's favor (Ephesians 2:8-9). God, however, understanding our sinful state sent Jesus Christ to die in our place (Romans 5:8). He is the mediator between holy God and sinful humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). Once I exercise faith in the finished work of Christ, my sins are forgiven and I become a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The Bible speaks about two wonderful theological truths that occur within the life of a Christian the moment she believes. First, the believer is justified before God (Romans 5:1). To be justified means to be "declared righteous." Before a person comes to know Christ, she is declared guilty of sin before God. This declaration of sin by God upon the sinner makes the person an enemy of God (Romans 5:10). The death of Christ upon the cross enables her to enter into a relationship with God where God declares the sinner not guilty of sin. The believing sinner, while still sinful, is reconciled with God and comes into a new standing with God (Romans 5:11).

Second, the believer is sanctified before God (1 Corinthians 1:2). To be sanctified means to be made righteous before God. It is the idea that since I have been declared righteous (i.e., justified), I am also made righteous (i.e. sanctification). You see, once a person becomes a Christian, God begins a work in her, enabling her to become more like Christ (Romans 8:29). It is God's will that each believer grow and become more and more like Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:3). God's role in the sanctification process is evident from Philippians 1:6, "…He (God) who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Personally, I do not see the word "surrendering" used when it comes to the salvation process. I see a similar idea with that of commitment, however. When I was declared justified before God, I realized that I was a sinner in need of Christ's provision of salvation. I made a commitment to trust Christ for the forgiveness of sin. I suppose one could use the word surrender in place of commitment. This one commitment, however, was just the first of a series of personal commitments I have made to God.

Because I am also sanctified, God is at work in me. Let me give you a personal illustration of God working righteousness in me. When I first became a believer, I drank alcohol on a regular basis, just like I did as an unbeliever. God was at work in me producing an ongoing righteousness and within a few months, I realized that my addictive behavior was not pleasing to God. So I quit drinking - just like that. I did not need 12 steps, extensive counseling, or other means to quit drinking. God was working in my life, I saw what He was doing, and I made a commitment to please Him in this particular area. All throughout my Christian life over time, I have made many different commitments to God. Again, if you would like to use "surrender," that is fine.

In summation, surrendering to God is essential for salvation, but it is not a one-time decision. Making commitments to God is an ongoing process throughout the Christian life, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).”

~ From the website allaboutfollowingjesus.org

I hope you receive truth from the article. Perhaps it will take some time to let these words sink in. You may even have a difference of opinion than the writer…that’s okay. Spend time with God seeking His wisdom, and He will gladly show you what He wants you to know.

I Surrender - HIllsong

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.’”

— Mark 8:34-35 New International Version

Freedom of Righteousness

Good Morning Beauties!

I’m excited to start our next few days as we look at the next attribute, RIGHTEOUS, and the truths God wants us to know. We will look at the amazing gifts from Jesus including salvation, and forgiveness. For those of you who are new to your Christian journey or are here to seek truth, these next few days are critical and foundational to your faith. If you are more mature in your walk with the Lord, you will still have the opportunity to solidify your beliefs and move deeper still with Jesus.

Righteous - Our faith has made us right with God. He sees us as sinless and guilt free because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Let’s read about this truth in the Bible.

“But now God has shown us a different way to heaven —not by “being good enough” and trying to keep his laws, but by a new way (though not new, really, for the Scriptures told about it long ago). Now God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us “not guilty”—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.” Romans 3:21-22 (TLB)

Hallelujah! We no longer have to worry about doing all the right things or trying harder to make things perfect. God already sees us as perfect. We can simply be who we’re created to be and enjoy our relationship with Jesus. The days of striving to be good enough are gone.

It’s time to do a little self-assessment. What do you worry about most? How much time do you spend thinking you have disappointed God? Selah.

Another thing we need to discover is our need for other’s approval as we try to meet their expectations. Why is this so important? Who’s expectations is it viatally important for you to meet? What will happen if you don’t? Perhaps that person is you. Selah.

Let’s step into a new freedom today knowing that we are already right with God, and there is absolutely nothing we can do to make Him more pleased with us than He is right now. No longer do we have to balance the scales with more good deeds than bad. We can also lay down the need to please others. If we are pleasing and acceptable to God, nothing else should matter. Are you holding anyone’s opinion of you higher than God’s? Selah.

Run and Run (Christ is my Righteousness) - Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

— 2 Corinthians 5:21 New International Version

Beautiful Inner Peace

Good Morning Beauties!

We’re half way through the 40 Day Journey. Can you believe it? You’ve made many sacrifices to be here, to meet with Jesus each day, hear from Him as He reveals truth, and deepen your relationship with your King. How AWESOME!!! Your hard work will be rewarded with the best gift ever - Jesus.

This morning, the Lord is impressing upon my heart to look at the beauty of peace - having a peaceful mind, heart, and life with others.

The most peaceful people are the most beautiful. Have you ever noticed? Think of someone you know who you think is absolutely beautiful. Now consider her level of inner peace, the peace that only comes from God, Himself. Who is she? How has her peaceful spirit inspired you? Selah.

Next, let’s take a look at what the Bible says about peace:
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.” Isiah 26:3-4 (NIV)

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Romans 14:19 (NIV)

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 (NIV)

In Ephesians 6:15 it refers to the Gospel as the “Gospel of Peace.” I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. The Gospel of Jesus is usually thought of as a Gospel of Love, right? It’s also the Gospel - the Good News - of peace. Why do you think it’s so important to Jesus we live in peace with Him, ourselves, and others? What area of your life do you need God’s peace? Make that your prayer today. Selah.

Give Me Your Peace - Gateway Worship

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

— John 14:27 The Living Bible

Beautifully Selected

Happy Lord’s Day Beauties!

On this fourth day of looking at our royal status with God, He’s shown me that we, my beauties, have been selected into HIS Royal Family. We have been chosen by the King of Kings, Lord of Lords to join HIM and all the saints for eternity.

Google defines chosen as, “having been selected as the best or most appropriate..” WOW! You’ve been selected by God as BEST for His family. “…but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world,… John 15:19 (NLT) God has set you apart from the world to be true royalty.

What does “chosen” mean to you? Can you reflect on times when you were chosen and how it made you feel? What about a time when you were not chosen? What did that situation feel like? How did the enemy use that situation to harm you? Will you allow God’s truth of how He chose you to heal any wounds inflicted by the enemy? Are you ready to walk confidently in your royal status? Selah.

Chosen - Vineyard Worship

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

— Matthew 22:14 New Living Translation

The Beauty of Heaven’s Glow

Good Morning Beauties!

How do we know if we’re walking in the freedom Christ died to give us? Isn’t that what this journey’s about? So, how do we know if we’re making progress? Will we feel something? Will we look different? Will there be tangible results? Selah.

Today’s lyric is one of my favorite. God gave me a beautiful picture in my head of His warm golden glow coming from Heaven to live in and through us. As we uncover the lies of the enemy residing in us, Heaven’s glow (His truth and love) will illuminate the darkness and eventually overflow onto others.

I bet you’ve seen people you know appear to be glowing. Whether it’s new found romantic love, the fullness of an expected baby, or perhaps during worship, an overwhelming expression of love is surely the reason. God allows these intense moments on Earth so we may get a glimpse of how much He loves us.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Psalm 34:8 (NIV) When we have a taste of the goodness of God, all we can do is share it with others. Holding it in is selfish, and the love of God is anything but self serving. His love always serves others.

So, the answer is, yes! We WILL reveal our progress by the way we feel, look, and love others. How is your progress? Selah.

Reflect on His goodness today…

The Goodness of God - Jenn Johnson / Bethel Music

Love and Blessings,
Kendra

“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

— Psalm 23:6 New International Version