Mark Batterson

There are dozens of different addictions. Some are as obvious as opioids. Others are as private as pornography. Those addictions are multi-dimensional. Addiction is biological, psychological, and neurochemical. Addiction is emotional, relational, and spiritual. But no matter what addiction you struggle with, God can set your free. You are NOT your addiction. You are who God says you are. There are no shortcuts. There are no cheat cuts. But a single step of faith can turn into a giant leap toward mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health.

If the tomb is empty, all bets are off. In fact, all things are possible! It’s why we’re bold enough to believe that we can come out of the shadow of shame, overcome addiction, and face our fears with faith. Jesus is the Adjacent Possible!

It’s all FROM God. It’s all FOR God. That is where radical generosity begins. Your generosity is someone else’s miracle! And the more you give, the more joy you experience. You also discover this simple truth: you cannot out give God.

As followers of Christ, we should be more known for what we’re FOR than what we’re AGAINST. We can’t just count the ACTUAL COST. We’ve got to consider the OPPORTUNITY COST. You can do nothing WRONG and still do nothing RIGHT. Goodness is not the absence of badness! That is a glass half empty gospel, and God has called us to so much more than that.

Do you look at things the way they are, and ask WHY? Or do you dream of things that never were, and ask WHY NOT? What got you HERE may not get you where God wants you to go NEXT. But you have to have the courage to ask, WHY NOT.

The faithfulness of God is always pursuing us from the past. The sovereignty of God is always bearing down on us from the future. We live in the gap between SO FAR SO GOD and THE BEST IS YET TO COME. No matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. But we have to add the “Amen!”

There never has been and never will be anyone like you, but that isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you absolutely unique. God knows you better than you know you, which is why a relationship with God is so critical. You cannot reach your full potential without the God who gave it to you. Yes, we are better together. But we are best in relationship with God.

Grace means I’ll love you no matter what. Truth means I’ll be honest with you no matter what. Tough love happens where grace and truth meet, and it’s embodied by the person of Jesus. Discover the habits of highly effective grace givers and truth tellers: 1) know your tendency 2) don’t use your personality as a crutch 3) consider the source 4) know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em 5) pray it before you say it 6) level the playing field 7) catch people doing things right.

Destiny is not a mystery. Destiny is a decision. You are one decision away from a totally different life.

Don’t seek opportunity. Seek God. If you seek God, opportunity will seek you.