Why You Feel the Way You Do

Your feelings follow your thoughts like a caboose lags behind a locomotive. If your "thought locomotive" goes into the valley, then your "feelings caboose" will follow it into the valley. But if the locomotive goes up a mountain, the caboose lags behind the train at first but it will eventually follow it up the mountain. 

Here’s a test to show how thoughts affect moods:

1. When I’m happy, I’ve been thinking _______________ thoughts.

2. When I’m sad, I’ve been thinking ________________ thoughts.

3. When I’m angry, I’ve been thinking _______________ thoughts.

4. When I’m depressed, I’ve been thinking _____________ thoughts.

The answers are: 1. happy 2. sad 3. angry 4. depressing

Do you see the correlation between the way you think and the way you feel? What you think about produces the mood you are in. Your thoughts tell your emotions what to do. Emotions simply respond to the information that is fed to them.

If you watch a horror movie, you’ll be afraid even though you know the movie isn’t real. If you watch a sad movie, you’ll cry. A comedy will make you laugh and put you in a happy mood. If you’re depressed, it’s because you've been dwelling on depressing thoughts. Some depression is caused by other factors, but it’s primarily caused by dwelling on negative thoughts, which produces the feelings of depression.

What you think about is the problem, but it’s also the solution to the problem. If your thoughts affect your emotions, then your moods can be reversed by changing the way you think. Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on positive, healthy thoughts. Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). Thinking positively releases endorphins that correct the chemical imbalances caused by depression. Although God didn't explain to us the medical reasons for rejoicing, He did tell us "a joyful heart is good medicine" (Proverbs 17:22). (Slaying Your Giants, pp.179-180)

Do you want to change how you feel? Decide today to change what you think about. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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To READ SAMPLE CHAPTERS of Slaying Your Giants click here: Sample Chapters

(NOTE: The 20-Lesson Discussion Guide for Small Groups must be purchased separately)

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Calming the Storm

Jesus was on the Sea of Galilee with His disciples when a fierce storm hit. Waves were crashing over the side and the boat was filling up with water as Jesus slept in the stern (Mark 4:35-41). The disciples panicked because the ship would soon go under. Jesus was in the stern, the lowest place in the boat and the first to fill up with water. He’s covered with water—but He’s sleeping!

This is the only incident in the Bible where it specifically states Jesus is sleeping. The disciples are screaming in fear but Jesus is at perfect peace. The disciples woke Him up yelling, “Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” From their viewpoint, it looked like God wasn’t in control and didn’t care about them. But this was a laboratory experiment to teach His disciples—and us—that He’s in control, even when our world is falling apart.

If they hadn’t awoken Jesus, He would have slept through the entire storm. I can’t imagine Jesus waking up and saying, “Whoa! I had no idea this storm was about to sink the boat. Why didn’t you wake me up sooner?” Jesus could sleep because He knew His Father was in control even when He wasn’t awake.

Jesus commanded the winds to be still and the sea became perfectly calm (Mark 4:39), which proved He was in control of the storm. The disciples were amazed He could actually calm the storm simply by speaking words. And He can calm you as well. He says to your heart, “Peace, be still. Do not be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” Listen carefully, and you’ll hear Him whispering those words to your heart.

You’ll never be able to sleep through the storm like Jesus did until you first rest in the fact God is in control. God is still with you, even if He appears to be sleeping and unconcerned. If the Lord doesn’t calm the storm you’re going through, He will keep you calm as you go through the storm. Either way removes fear and brings peace.  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Claiming God's Promises

It’s not enough just to know about God’s promises. We must receive the Scriptures for ourselves to make them a reality in our lives (Heb. 11:33). When prospectors discovered gold during the California Gold Rush in the 1800s, they had to “stake a claim.” Staking a claim meant they had to drive posts into the ground to claim the marked property as their own. This illustrates what it means to claim God’s promises.

You can’t see God, but you can see His promises recorded in the Bible. He wants you to stake a claim on them, which means to receive them by faith as your own personal property. Many people in the Bible chose to believe what God had promised, even when their situations looked impossible.

God promised Sarah she would have a child—and she gave birth at 90 years old. She was the first woman in history to go through menopause before she got pregnant! “By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised” (Heb. 11:11). Her husband Abraham was “fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform” (Rom 4:21).

Staking Your Claim: For example, if you aren’t sure God will forgive your sins, you can pray, “Lord, I receive your promises for myself. I’ve received Jesus and claim your promise that I’m your child (John 1:12). You’ve promised to forgive my sins (Eph. 1:7) and remember them no more (Heb. 10:17). You became sin for me and gave me your righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). I stand in your righteousness, not mine (Rom. 4:5)."

The fulfillment of each promise is God’s responsibility, but it’s up to us to trust Him to come through. He fulfilled every promise He made to Israel. “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:45) Have you staked your claim? www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Click here for 79 Answers to Bible Questions

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

Shake It Off!

“Shake it off” means don’t let certain nagging thoughts bother you. For example, you’re bothered because you can’t please people who will never like you. If you follow Jesus, the Lord wants to guard your heart and mind with His peace (Phil. 4:6-7).

Jesus told His disciples, “And whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet” (Matt. 10:14). He told them not to let rejection bother them, but to shake it off and move on. If we let rejection stick to us, we’ll carry it with us wherever we go. That’s why we must shake it off.

The apostle Paul was on a ship that struck a reef. The passengers were stranded on the island Malta, and the natives built a fire to keep them warm. As Paul placed a stick on the fire, a viper came out the woodpile and fastened itself to his hand. He shook it off into the fire and suffered no harm (Acts 28:5).

Satan is a snake (Rev. 12:9) and wants to attach himself to your spirit so he can inject his venom. When the snake bites, you can either let it hang on—or you can shake it off. People who are bitter are full of venom because they didn’t shake it off when it first bit. When Paul shook off the snake, he suffered no harm. And if you’ll shake it off, you won’t either.

When people hate and reject you, shake it off. Don’t let condemning thoughts that aren’t from God to bother you. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace because it trusts in You.”  www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

IF Jesus Rose From the Dead, THEN. . .

So what difference does Jesus’ resurrection make? If He rose from the dead, then…

1. It verifies that everything Jesus taught is true. Heaven is real, Hell is real, Angels are real, Satan and demons are real, etc.

2. It proves that Jesus is the correct spiritual leader to follow. Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6)—not Mohammed, Buddha, or anyone else. “There is salvation in no one else; there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

3. It establishes the fact that Jesus is more powerful than death. “But now Christ has been raised from the dead” (1 Cor. 15:20).

4. It means He’s still alive today in heaven. He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). He lives in an eternal kingdom beyond this world (John 18:36).

5. It means everyone will stand before Him to be judged. “For we must all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Romans 14:10)

6. It gives assurance to all His followers there’s no need to fear death. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies” (John 11:25)

7. It means everyone who believes in His resurrection will be saved. “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

Out of all the events that have occurred in the history of the world, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important. And that means those who trust in Him have a reason for living.

If you aren’t sure that Jesus rose from the dead, I encourage you to watch the movie Case for Christ (NOW IN THEATRES). Click to WATCH MOVIE TRAILER. Based on a true story of an atheist investigative journalist, Lee Strobel, who set out to disprove Jesus’ resurrection.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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BIBLE STUDY: Did Jesus die on Friday or Wednesday?

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Making Life Count Ministries

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Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett 

How Do We Know Jesus Rose from the Dead?

Is the resurrection of Jesus fact or fable? If it’s a fable, you can live any way that you would like. But if it’s a fact, it changes everything about our reason to live:

1. Old Testament prophets predicted the Messiah would rise from the dead (Psalm 16:10, 30:3, Acts 2:27-31, 10:43, 13:33-35, Matt. 12:40). The prophecies were recorded hundreds of years beforehand.

2. Jesus predicted His own death and resurrection. (Matt.16:21, 17:9,23, 21:19, 26:32,56, John 2:19,21). Even the unbelieving Pharisees remembered His prophecies about rising from the dead (Matt. 27:62-64)

3. Jesus’ disciples, who fled when He was arrested, were so convinced He rose from the dead they were martyred for Him. They remembered Jesus had prophesied His own resurrection (John 2:22). Peter, who had previously denied Him three times, boldly preached He rose from the dead (Acts 2:24,32, 3:15, 4:2,10, 5:30, 10:40-41).

4. Pontius Pilate ordered Roman soldiers at the tomb to keep His body from being stolen. (Matt. 27:62-66). The Roman guards reported to the chief priests that He rose from the dead (Matt. 28:11-15).

5. After Jesus rose from the dead He appeared to over 500 people. (1 Cor. 15:4-8)  

6. Paul, who had murdered Christians, was changed after met the resurrected Jesus and preached for years about His resurrection. (Acts 9:1-6, 13:30,33-37, 1 Cor. 15:8)

If you aren’t sure that Jesus rose from the dead, I encourage you to watch the movie Case for Christ (NOW IN THEATRES). Click to WATCH MOVIE TRAILER. Based on a true story of an atheist investigative journalist who set out to disprove Jesus’ resurrection.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett

What REALLY Happened on the Cross

Two thousand years ago, people watched Jesus die on a cross. But what really happened on the cross couldn’t be seen by the people watching Him die because it occurred in the spiritual realm. What happened? Every sin that’s ever been committed from Adam and Eve until the end of the world was placed in His body--including every sin that you and I will ever commit. 

   Sins are bad thoughts, words and deeds that separate us from God. Dying for all sins is a hard concept to grasp, but Scripture reveals that it’s true:

***  “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24)

***  “(Jesus) offered one sacrifice for sins for all time” (Heb. 10:12)

***  “He Himself is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2)

***  “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18)

Even though Jesus paid for all sins for all time, it doesn’t mean everyone has been forgiven. He made forgiveness and salvation available to all. Since forgiveness is in Jesus, we must receive Him into our lives to receive forgiveness for all sins. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). “He who has the Son (living inside you) has eternal life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). No matter what evil things you have done, God will cleanse you if you’ll receive Jesus Christ into your life.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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TESTIMONY: I received a message this week from a woman in South Africa. “I love The Sure Cure for Worry. It's helping me a lot. Now I know I can trust God alone and not use my own understanding. God is speaking to me through this book.”

Receive these devotionals (free) by email: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com (Your email will not be given out. You’ll receive an email when the new devotional is posted)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net  Twitter: @KentCrockett