Brenda Walsh Ministries

Spirit is Willing, Flesh is Weak
When you become a Christian, you make a commitment to live a life fully surrendered to God. But no matter how hard you try, there may be times when your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak. You “want” to do the right thing, but the second you take your eyes off Jesus, you fall, and you end up in Satan’s trap. The apostle Paul struggled with this as he stated in Romans 7:15-17: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” If you make a mistake or do something wrong, God doesn’t want you to be filled with guilt, darkness, and hopelessness. Because He loves you, He gave His life for your transgressions and thus provided freedom from sin. Romans 8:1-3 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” There is only one way to avoid Satan’s pitfalls, and that is to keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ, your Savior, as advised in Mark 14:38: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Text: James 1:13-18, Luke 22:40, Matthew 6:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Oneness With Christ
There are Christians who, although they “love” God, don’t fully understand the concept of what it means to have “oneness” with Him. To experience a “oneness” means having a trusting relationship with Him in which you have committed your heart and life and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. In doing so, you are also obedient to Him, as He has commanded, In John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Many people profess to be "Best Friends" with God while at the same time are living a life of sin - not willing to give up their sinful habits that go against God's Holy Word. But the truth is, you simply can not live a life in "oneness with Christ" and at the same time enjoy the sinful pleasures of this world! God wants you to make a choice. You can't have a leg in two different canoes! When you pray, "Please forgive me for my sins, and come into my heart and my life," Jesus hears and answers your sincere prayer, and you become "one with Him." The more time you spend in His presence, the closer you will become and the more you will know His voice. Pray for understanding when you read the Bible, and God will give you wisdom to discern what He is telling you. And the more you study, worship, and praise Jesus, the stronger your relationship with Him will be. Some Christians get discouraged because they don't "feel" God's presence, yet how could this even be possible when they rarely pray, go to church, or minister to others, and in reality, are spiritually dead! God wants you to put your faith in action and actively, prayerfully, and obediently . . . serve Him! It is then you’ll experience the joy of “oneness with Christ.” Text: 1 John 4:12, Proverbs 16:9, Hosea 2:19, Zephaniah 3:17

No Need to Worry
Have you ever wondered why Christians worry just like unbelievers do? There is so much heartache in this world and so many things that “could” go wrong that it’s human nature to worry and fret about things that are not under your control. Sometimes you may feel like it’s your job to worry or that worrying shows your love, even if you are powerless to help. But there IS someone who “can” help, and He is just a prayer away! When loved ones face an uncertain future, the rent is due, you lost your job, the doctor gave a grim diagnosis, and a million other things people worry about - it’s important to remember that your Best Friend Jesus has the cure for “worry weight.” Allow Him to be your personal trainer, and you’ll lose every pound of worry, for it will just melt away! No need to pace the floors or bite your nails - God’s got you covered! Psalm 55:22 says, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” And that’s a promise you can claim for your own. The next time you find yourself putting on worry weight, reach out to Jesus and allow Him to relieve you of your burdens. Turn worry . . . into prayers! It’s not only 100% effective, but it is faith-building too! When you lean on Jesus, there is no need for worry, because you can be 100% sure that God always has your back! Text: 1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:5-7, Romans 8:28, Luke 12:22-31

Why Lord, Why?
Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t intervene in our lives “before” life becomes a crisis? Why doesn’t He just send a check in the mail instead of waiting until the cupboards are bare and the eviction notice is given? Better yet, why doesn’t He just stamp out world poverty and hunger? Why does He allow the cancer to spread and leave little children without a mother? Why does He wait so long to answer prayers, stamp out corruption, end child abuse, and a million other "why’s!" And the answer is - We live in a sinful world, and until Jesus comes, there will be horrible things that will take place. God doesn’t force us to serve Him, nor does He “make” us live a godly life. God gave each of us the gift of choice, and we pay the heavy consequences of sin when we make bad choices! But let’s be very clear: it’s not God’s will that we suffer or have a moment of pain. Quite the contrary, for the Bible says in John 10:10 that “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Because of God's amazing love for us, when we turn our lives over to Him, He is able to pick up the broken pieces of our lives and can turn evil into good! We don’t have much longer here in this wicked world of pain – for Jesus is coming soon! Trust God completely, stay even closer to Him than ever before and keep your eyes on the heavenly goal! Text: Luke 18:7, Joshua 24:15, Revelation 21:4

Nothing is More Important
Children are a gift from God, but raising them is one of the most challenging jobs in the world. Once that little bundle is placed in your arms, there is a tremendous amount of love and joy - but also a bit of fear knowing that you are 100% responsible for this helpless baby! It takes a tremendous amount of prayer to know exactly what to do - especially in this sinful world we live in today. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” That is a wonderful promise that parents can claim! It can be a frustrating time just trying to figure out what to do - whether to say “yes” or “no.” And then there’s the whole issue of how to discipline. Scripture says in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” It’s important to discipline with “love” and pray for wisdom each and every day. Remember that God loves your child even more than you do - and the most important goal for any parent isn’t to “spoil them rotten,” but rather to prepare their child for eternity. Nothing is more important! Text: Psalm 127:3, Proverbs 3:27, Joshua 24:15, James 1:5