Author Archive
Judgement Doesn’t Work
According to Genesis 6:5, “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. And, verse 11 states: “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. So, we see the reason for the great flood of Noah’s day, which actually was quite merciful since mankind was already destroying themselves with wickedness and violence.
Now, here is a very interesting thought: Right after the flood, when all evil was supposedly wiped out, God makes the same statement: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.” What ? So the flood outwardly removed evil, but did not remove evil from the heart of man. Noah went on to live another 350 years after the flood, long enough to see nine generations of offspring grow up, and he died only two years before Abraham was born. Noah saw the world corrupted and full of violence again, just as it was before the flood.
The lesson is this: Wrath and judgement doesn’t work; then or now. While the threat of punishment might keep someone from evil for the moment, it doesn’t solve the real problem: the sin nature within us that we all inherited from Adam. Jesus was born of a virgin, not with the nature of fallen man, but with the sinless nature of his Father, God. Now all who believe in him can be born again, born from above, children of God. Problem solved, once and for all!
Romans 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children not born of natural descent, nor of human decision or of a husband’s will, but born of God!
Fresh Start Women’s Center
Fresh Start is proud to announce the opening of our Women’s Center. We had Open House on Sunday April 22nd, 2012. Visitors came and enjoyed their tours around the newly renovated facility.Pastor David Philips of River of Life Church and Fresh Start’s Executive Director shared brief words during the the ceremony. The Fresh Start Women’s Center was opened and in full operation on
Monday April 23rd 2012
Desperate For You, God
Many Christians have a phrase “God,
I’m desperate for you.” There are even several songs about being desperate for God. But if you look up desperate it comes from the latin word despair, which means reckless or violent, nearly hopeless, critical, grave. That’s not words I would use to describe my relationship with Christ.
Now if you mean, “Lord, I’m in love with you & want you more than anything else” – That’s Fine. But if you mean “Lord, I’m in despair because of this unbearable situation. There seems to be no hope, but I am anxiously, recklessly, & violently fighting back anyway” – Then you’re 100% wrong.
The only reason for a Christian to be desperate is if they don’t understand what God has already done. God has already blessed us, healed us, delivered us, and prospered us. God loves us, and nothing will ever change that. We just have to walk in what God has already done.
The only reason to be hopeless, helpless, and in despair is if we don’t know who we are in Christ and what Christ has done for us.
Great News
Great News: Our God is a loving Father who has a wonderful Grand Plan. His whole family will live “happily ever after” with him in a beautiful new world…Jesus Christ has made this wonderful relationship possible by fully paying the debt of all the world’s sin once and for all. We enter this kingdom of God family relationship by his grace through faith in his finished work at the cross. Now, Jesus has poured out his spirit to flow through his new body, “the church” with the purpose of spreading the Good News through all the earth. By the revelation of Christ, lets all continue to enjoy his Grace and extend His Glory to our local communities and to the nations.
Knowledge or Relationship
Knowledge or Relationship
Do you know Jesus? – Or do you just know about Jesus?
That is a little different question. It will probably make you think for a minute. Maybe longer. Many people in churches have gotten this confused. There are lots of people who know much about Jesus. We live in the “Bible Belt” with church buildings on every corner. Most children are involved in Sunday school, Awanas, Generation C, & Vacation Bible School where learning Bible Stories & memorizing scripture are promoted. These are great tools to have. We should all study God’s word with great regard & diligence. The problem is we can know all about Jesus without really knowing Him.
God wants to have an intimate relationship with us. The best biblical word for this intimacy is the word “know”. The 1st use of this word “know” is in Genesis 4:1 – Adam Knew his wife Eve. The definition is to know completely and to be completely known. This describes the intimate relationship we have with our spouse – To be completely known to each other.
This is God’s desire… He wants to know & be known by us. God wants to have the same intimate relationship with us that we have with our spouse – That’s what it really means to know God. All throughout the Bible we see stories of religious people who know about Jesus but didn’t know Him. Time after time Jesus went away from people who knew all about him & He was drawn to those who were sinners but really wanted to know Him.
As a matter of fact, John 15:15 tells us he wants us to be his “Friend”. Servants just do what a master says without understanding his business. God’s desire goes deeper – to be so close that Jesus makes known to us “everything” our Father is doing.
It is great to read your Bible & learn all about God – But what He really desires is to have a Relationship with you that is,
–Deeper than Deep – All In – Never Look Back –Open Book –
No Holds Barred – 100% Committed!
Does this describe the relationship between you & Jesus or do you just drive around with a “Jesus Fish” on the back of your car?
Great News
Great News
By: Pastor Dave Philips
Hey, guess what? Man, do I have good news for you! The penalty for all your sin has been PAID. God doesn’t want to judge you or punish you. He’s not even mad at you. He loves you and you can be FREE from your struggles with sin and the guilt and shame that go with it. That’s right, PAID IN FULL. Justice was accomplished; God accepted the payment of the precious blood of JESUS for the sins of the whole world. So now, forgiveness and GRACE are offered to anyone and everyone who will believe.
Yet, so many of us struggle with this almost “too good to be true” news, that we still think we must do “PENANCE” or works to show our sorrow and pay for our guilt. When we hold on to our shame we have trouble offering forgiveness and a true presentation of the “GOSPEL” or “GOOD NEWS” to others.
Let’s get it straight. JESUS PAID IT ALL! Repent and believe the good news. Now start enjoying life knowing that you are right with God. Right living, love and good deeds will be the overflow of the abundant grace that’s in you.
Parenting with Grace
Parenting with Grace
by Steve Arterburn
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. – Proverbs 3:3
When my daughter, Madeline, was born, we bonded like superglue. I’d have walked on hot coals for that baby girl! She could do no wrong. I could hardly believe God had given me such a perfect child.
Then, something strange happened. The older she grew, the less perfect she became. What I used to think was cute began to look more like meanness and even downright rebellion.
Consequently, I no longer wanted to be Mr. Wonderful Father. I wanted to send her to reform school! Then a wise man came alongside me. “Don’t give her only what she deserves,” he said, “Give her what she needs—just like Jesus does for us.”
Wow! What a life-changing moment! If Jesus gave me only what I deserved, I’d be condemned to hell. My need was forgiveness, mercy, and grace. How are you at dispensing those?
“Children have more need of models than of critics.” - Carolyn Coats (1947- )
Navigating the World
Navigating the World
by Steve Arterburn
. . . I gave you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 1 Timothy 1:18-19
Jesus Christ calls his followers to be in the world but not of the world. What does this mean? One famous preacher explained it using an analogy of a ship in the ocean.
What’s a ship designed to do? Sail upon the ocean. That’s its element. That’s precisely where it thrives. The same should be true for Christians in the world. God equips and empowers us to love our neighbors, care for our home and our possessions, and develop culture. We’re to be the world’s salt and light!
Now let’s return to the ship analogy for a moment. What happens if the ocean gets into the ship? Disaster. Destruction. The ship sinks. The same is true for Christians with regard to the world. If the world’s values and allegiances penetrate you, you’ll become hopelessly confused, contradicted, and compromised.
Set sail, but keep your ship in shape by staying close to God. Read His word. Become a disciple. Spend time with others who believe. You need to be in the world . . . not of it.
“I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
Happily Incompatible
Happily Incompatible
by Steve Arterburn
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19
When asked to reveal his secret for staying married for well over half a century, Billy Graham gave a simple, yet somewhat paradoxical answer: “Ruth and I are happily incompatible.”
That’s a great answer to questions everyone inevitably asks themselves at some point during marriage: “How can I stay married to this person?” And, “Did I marry the wrong person?”
But that, “Did I marry the wrong person?” question is a dangerous one. Why? Because it’s framed completely wrong. And wrongly framed questions twist the issue and therefore elicit wrong answers. Furthermore, the question is based upon a serious misunderstanding of marriage itself. And misunderstandings create a fertile field for myths—myths that have the potential to damage your marriage.
When you married (or when you marry) you made a commitment to do certain things, like love, honor & cherish. There weren’t any “out” clauses in case the person wasn’t the right person for you.
Learn to be happily incompatible.
“There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends.” – Homer (8th century)
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THANK YOU
Thank You to everyone that has been interacting with our site. Stay tuned as we post to our "Special Topics" under the "Blog" tab, Words of Encouragement and Devotionals from Fresh Start's Co-Founder Pastor Dave Philips of River of Life Church and Fresh Start's Executive Director Clay Russell.
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