1st Timothy 4:12
"Don't let anyone look down on you because of your age, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and PURITY."

Psalms 119:9
"How can a young person stay on the path of PURITY? By living according to your word."

Before even beginning this devotional, I would like you to ask the Lord and ponder these questions...

"What is purity?"
"What does it mean to live a pure life?"

I asked some of my friends what they thought of when they heard the word "PURITY" and these were some of the responses I got:

-to abstain from sex
-to have holy thoughts
-unstained
-sinless

   When I thought of purity a couple weeks ago, my response would go straight to having holy thoughts, mainly pertaining to sexual desires. But the Lord is showing me how much deeper this topic actually is. To live in a constant state of purity would be to live in a place of freedom through Christ.

   So what does that mean? To live in freedom? To live in true Purity? The awesome thing about Jesus is the fact of Him dying on the cross for our sins so that we may be able to live in Freedom. Jesus died so we could live with Him in purity.

WATCH THIS VIDEO: "Ant trapped in circle drawn" on youtube:) First video!!

   In this video, the ant thinks it is trapped in a circle that was drawn around it. He thinks that he has nowhere to go. He thinks that he is stuck, but the truth is, it's a trick. There are multiple times in my life where I have restricted myself from walking out in freedom, or living in purity because of my guilt and shame. When we allow ourselves to live in the lies of the enemy, we are choosing to not live in freedom. God has given us the opportunity to live through Him in Purity. He has spoken truth and love over us. He wants us to think on things above, so that we can be even closer to Him.

   God does not keep us from having sex, getting drunk, getting high, being harsh or hateful for us to not have fun. He tells us not to do these things because HE loves us and wants our entire heart. He is not a God of restrictions or limitations, but a God of love and an abundance of satisfaction. What an honor it is to find satisfaction in Jesus. To not have to get drunk to be happy because we find Joy in Jesus. To not have sex for temporary love and enjoyment, but to find eternal love and comfort in Jesus.

   Ultimately, God calls us Free. You do not strive to be pure, you are pure. You do not strive to be free, you are free. God has set you free from every desire, struggle, temptation, or sin you possibly struggle with. Now He wants you to walk it out in Freedom, in Purity. Though this is the last day of the fast, do not let this be the last day you go deeper. Ponder on the things Jesus has taught you. Live through Him in all you do. Jesus is pleased with every single one of you.

Questions to Ponder:

-"Father, what are things in my life that I am allowing myself to be chained too?"

-"In what ways am I putting limitations on God or myself where He has called me free?"

Prayer: Father, you are good, you are grace, and you never make mistakes. Thank you for speaking truth over us. Thank you for loving us. Thank for setting us free. Jesus, teach us how to walk in your love and Purity in everything we do. Remind us how much you love us. Remind us how to walk in your freedom. Teach us how to walk in who you have called us to be. We love you Jesus. AMEN!

Jesus and I love you:)
-Nova Leigh

Hebrews 5:12-14
“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

1 Corinthians 13:11
“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.”

1 Timothy 4:6-10
“If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.”

James 1:5
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”

Hey, Church! How’s it going? We are almost finished with a TWENTY-ONE DAY fast!!! Twenty-one days of more focused time with God. Twenty-one days of dying to self as our bellies grumble and our cravings scream at us. Twenty-one days of turning to God and what He provides instead of to our pantries and what they provide.

I’m perfectly aware that we didn’t all nail these 21 days with our amazing self-discipline. Some of us completely caved and ate the thing(s) we promised to give up. Some of us had episodes where we completely forgot our commitment! How do I know this? Well, let’s just say I can personally relate to your struggles...  

The reason it’s okay to drop the ball at some point during the fast is this - the goal of our fast isn’t to show off our self-control. The goal is to grow closer to the Lord than ever before. What an honor to focus these last few days on seeking Him and loving Him and obeying Him and just being WITH HIM!

I am also totally aware there are some overachievers among us. Some of y’all NEVER gave in to temptation! Some prayed EVERY DAY! Whaaat?

But you know what? Whichever camp you belong in really doesn’t matter. In 2 days’ time, when the fast is over and we resume our usual routine, I hope our testimony is greater than having gone 3 weeks without coffee. I really hope we don’t go back to the people we were on Day 1. After 21 days with God, we shouldn’t be the same people or the same church. We shouldn’t look the same or act the same. I hope we have matured during this time of exercise and we have spiritually grown so much that others notice! Because honestly, after being with Jesus, REALLY being WITH Him, there’s no way those around us won’t see Him, too.

Prayer: Oh, God! We want to continue growing spiritually even after the fast is over. We need your nearness! We want to hunger and thirst for YOU! Make us more like You! Change us! Don’t let us go back to who we were 19 days ago! Keep working on us! We are grateful for all you are teaching us during this fast but please let the growth continue! We love you, God! Amen!

DON’T STOP THERE! Be thinking about how you will order your days after the fast is over. What action will you begin to take to make sure you continue to grow and not regress? Who can you call on for help?  Will you continue to devote time to prayer? When exactly? Will you daily set aside time to be in the Word? What will that actually look like? Will you join a small group for help? Write out your plan and get to work!


Love,
Drew & Bethany Porter

1 John 1:9 (ESV) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”

Isaiah 43:25 (ESV) “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember your sins”

Psalm 51:1-2 (ESV) “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!”

Matthew 6:14-15 (ESV) “For if you forgive others their traspasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”

"Sin, transgressions, trespasses, iniquity…” Man! These are intimidating words. Words that, if we dive into them, clearly show us all the ways we need forgiveness and reveal our true need for Jesus as our Savior. And these words are not all created equal. So, let’s dive in just a bit deeper.

The word “sin” is a broad term used to cover all the ways that we fall short of the glory of God. These can be actions we have made of which we are completely unaware. They can also be actions we should have made but didn’t, and because we didn’t, we are guilty. But again, you could be completely unaware. You’ve simply “missed the mark” of God’s standard of holiness. You need forgiveness.

“Transgressions” are the things of which you are fully aware. You tell a lie. You lose your cool and scream at your kids, your spouse, your mom, etc... You know that’s not okay and you do it anyway. Someone cuts you off in traffic and you wave with not all of your fingers, but maybe a selected one of them. No one has to tell you this isn’t Christ like, but you did it anyway. That’s a transgression. You need forgiveness.

“Iniquity” is a rough one. These are those things that you have purposed in your heart you are going to do regardless of the potential consequences. It’s planned out and at the time it’s what you want and nothing can stop you from getting it. Sounds so serious and dirty but we’ve all done it. I have. You have. This is definitely what David was guilty of when he had a very intentional affair with Bathsheba and then very intentionally had her husband murdered. David needed forgiveness. You need forgiveness too.

Before you start to feel too heavy under the weight of your sin, allow me to remind you that if you’ll simply confess your sin, God is faithful and just to forgive. Keep in mind that God is a good Father who loves you enough to give His son for you. He promises to forgive if you’ll just ask. If you confess, He freely forgives once and for all. That truth should be the most heart freeing knowledge of your day, your week, and your life! Do you think God gets angry at you when you sin? If God is truly all knowing, that means he knows your past, present, and future sins. If He were going to get angry at you for your sin, He would never stop being angry. And we are told over and over again that God is patient, loving, grace and mercy giving. We’re even told it's His KINDNESS that leads us to repentance! Run home to your Father and fall into His grace and mercy and experience what He has promised.

But that’s not all!

Along with God offering you His forgiveness, you are REQUIRED to extend that forgiveness to others. Have you been hurt? Have you been wronged? Have you been abused or taken advantage of? Forgiveness does not let your offender off the hook of their responsibility. It simply allows you to let yourself off the hook from living your life full of bitterness. Forgiveness isn’t necessarily for them. It’s for you. And God has not suggested that you forgive others. He has commanded it. If God can forgive you and show you unlimited grace, love, and mercy for the things you are guilty of, he will empower you to forgive and show that same grace and you WILL be freed from the prison of bitterness.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you! Thank you for offering your forgiveness. Help me to accept that forgiveness. I know that you cast our sins as far as the east is from the west, but the memory of my sin is so close to me right now. Push the truth of your love and forgiveness into the deepest parts of my heart and help me to extend that everyone else. Help me to love people as much as you love people. God, your love is unfathomable and amazing to me.Thank you for forgiving me. Amen!

Don’t Stop There! You also must forgive yourself! It’s so easy to live feeling guilty about the mistakes you’ve made. That’s simply a tool that the enemy uses to keep you from being effective in your walk with Christ. Let go! Forgive yourself. Be honest with God about those feelings. He knows anyway. But if the God and creator of the universe is willing to offer you forgiveness, who are we to put ourselves above God to not forgive ourselves. Accept His forgiveness. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. Change the world!


I love you all,
Dustin Doyle

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver[a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together![b]’
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
Matthew 25:14-29 NLT

The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours;
    everything in the world is yours—you created it all.
Psalms 89:11 NLT

PROVISION.  INVESTMENT.  STEWARDSHIP.

First off, let me begin by saying how humbled I am at the opportunity to share with each of you.  It is one of my greatest joys! As most of you know… financial provision, wellness, and stability are very important to me. I bet they are important to you as well, and I KNOW they are important to God.  We see it all through scripture.  The parable I mentioned today comes straight from the mouth of Jesus.  It is literally speaking of money, but can be applied in a multitude of ways.

We live in a very consumeristic “me, me, me,” culture, and sometimes it’s a struggle to create disciplines that produce a God-like view in the area of finances. “I work for my money; therefore, I have every right to choose what “I” do with it.” For Jesus followers that quote is true, but it still comes with some responsibilities. Believe it or not, we are not the owners of our money, God is.  You are the manager.  Congratulations on your promotion!  We do work and earn money, but it is at the job and with the body parts He gave us. Also (to reference the song we sang a few weeks ago) it’s even the Lord’s breath in our lungs.  He gives so much to us freely and entrusts us to manage (steward) things wisely.

What does that look like?  One might ask, “Are these scriptures talking about the stock market or my 401k?”  It probably has been looked at in those ways, but I view it a little differently.  God gives everyone a different place in life as far as resources, skills, and abilities to earn.  What you have and what you start with does not matter.  It truly is a matter of a discipline (knowledge/training) and what you do with the resources God has given you specifically.  Remember, comparison will always kill contentment.  None of the dudes in the parable knew what each other were doing.  They just took what they had been given and did what they knew to be pleasing and acceptable to the person who gave it to them.  Two of them put their resources out in the world while one was scared to let go and produce anything more.  The master in the story was not happy about that.  You do not see the second servant say, “Oh man, I didn’t produce as much as the first guy, master is gonna be mad at me because I failed”.  He did his best to produce from what he had and it paid dividends.  It PUMPS ME UP to think that if I am a good manager, then God says in His word even more will be given!

Are you able to trust God with what He entrusts you with financially?

Is producing a return on God’s investment in you a priority or is it just for provision?

Do you know that provision comes when actually implementing the promises of God in your life or do you struggle with the idea of never having enough?

An easy way God has setup a return on His investment is through the Church.  We reference it as the “tithe.”  There is only one place in the bible that God actually tells us to test Him and it is in the area of giving financially.   When you give to the Church you are giving to God directly and it is the responsibility of the Church (any church, not just Overflow) to put it to use and produce a return for our master.  

Prayer: “God, today I thank you for all that I am and all that I have.  I give it all back to you.  I will put forth my best efforts and trust that what you have given me will multiply as I take care of my family and give back to you.  Use it all for your glory and that the name of Jesus would be the sweetest name to all that we encounter.  Give me disciplines that would be healthy so I can be a blessing to more and more people daily.  I love you with all that I am.  Amen!”


Don’t Stop There!
I used to only think of 3 “Ts” when I thought about stewardship.  Time.  Talent. Treasure.  This fast has really shown me that we need to add a 4th one as well. Temple. God paid a significant price for each of us through His son, Jesus. Once we realize we are not our own any longer, it really puts in perspective that we want the things we manage to be as in good of shape as they possibly can when we get to see Jesus face to face.  This year in 2021, let’s examine our lives and improve in all these areas.  It is a process and takes time.  Don’t ever forget that we serve a master that is full of grace and truth and loves us more that we could ever imagine!

Time:  Do we manage time wisely and spend intimate time with our Heavenly Father in prayer and bible reading?

Talent:  Do we manage our talents, skills, and abilities for the glory of God?  We should be practicing this in our daily walks through jobs, relationships, and serving in ministry.

Treasure:  Do we give God our full trust as it pertains to finances?  Do we understand contentment and joy?

Temple:  Are we treating our bodies in a way that is pleasing to Jesus?  Remember, the Holy Spirit lives inside of us. We are God’s temple.  Healthy lifestyles are a good way to produce longevity in the body God has given us on this Earth.

 
Love you all,
Matthew Page

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) There are three things that will endure - faith, hope, and love and the greatest of these is love.

1 Peter 4:8 (NLT) Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for loves covers multitude of sins.

1 John 4:16-17 (NLT) We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him God is love, and all live in love line in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.

Psalm 36:5 (NLT) Your unfailing love, O Lord, is vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

Psalm 103:8 (NLT) The lord is merciful and gracious; he is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love.

I hope your fasting is going good this week! As we focus on love for the day, the Bible teaches us that God is love. Along with that, God's unconditional love is so different than the love we experience
here on earth. We have love for family and others, but we put conditions on this type of
love. There are those that put love into money and things of this world, but we know those things will pass away.

Gods' love is eternal with no conditions on it. Love is such a deep and delicate thing that can't be taken lightly. As 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says: Love is patient and kind. It's not jealous or boastful or proud." As we dig in today, let me challenge us all to love and seek after God. If we shift our focus to loving God (instead of worldly things) we will be blessed beyond measure.

Prayer: God, I come to you today thanking you for always loving me no matter what I've done in my past. Let me be able to show that same kind love to others that are around me daily.

Don't Stop There! Let someone know that you love them today. Be specific on how they have impacted your life for the good helped you to understand  what REAL LOVE is.

God Bless, Darryl & Betsy Dunn