Latest / WholeHeart Conversations / Abundant Life Starts Within

Transcript

Abundant Life Starts Within · WholeHeart Conversations

• 0:08
  Constance Lavonice: In 2016, Forbes magazine published the results of a survey of 771 people conducted and written by Career and Leadership Coach Kathy Caprino, titled The Top Eight Things People Desperately Desire But Can't Seem to Obtain.
• 0:34
  Constance Lavonice: The key question was, if you could say in one word what you want more of in life, what would that be?
• 0:45
  Constance Lavonice: The number one most frequently mentioned word was happiness, followed by money, freedom, peace, joy, balance, fulfillment, and number eight was confidence.
• 1:07
  Constance Lavonice: An internet search will show that the results align with more recent studies on what people desire in life.
• 1:18
  Constance Lavonice: The theme of happiness, joy, inner peace, fulfillment, and connection is repeatedly indicated.
• 1:29
  Constance Lavonice: What do you desire more of in your life?
• 1:35
  Constance Lavonice: And is it even obtainable?
• 1:39
  Constance Lavonice: Welcome to Whole Heart Conversations, a place for women to grow spiritually, heal emotionally, and live whole, spirit, soul, and body.
• 1:52
  Constance Lavonice: I'm your host, Constance Lavonice.
• 1:56
  Constance Lavonice: Jesus says in John chapter ten, verse ten, the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, but I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.
• 2:14
  Constance Lavonice: Colossians one fifteen through sixteen says, Jesus is the visible representation of the invisible God who is spirit, and by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible.
• 2:37
  Constance Lavonice: And when we came to Christ, we were adopted into the family of God, received a new identity, wherein dwelt with a new spirit, the Holy Spirit, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, Christ in us.
• 2:58
  Constance Lavonice: And Jesus said that I've come to give you life and life more abundantly.
• 3:07
  Constance Lavonice: As Christian women, this applies to us.
• 3:13
  Constance Lavonice: Abundance.
• 3:15
  Constance Lavonice: Abundance is having a large quantity or more than enough of something.
• 3:24
  Constance Lavonice: It's a promise of God.
• 3:27
  Constance Lavonice: Jesus came to give us life more abundantly.
• 3:33
  Constance Lavonice: Does your life reflect more of the things of Jesus?
• 3:41
  Constance Lavonice: Jeremiah twenty nine, eleven.
• 3:45
  Constance Lavonice: God's plans are to prosper us and not to harm us.
• 3:52
  Constance Lavonice: He has plans to give us a hope and a future.
• 3:56
  Constance Lavonice: Are you prospering in your life?
• 4:00
  Constance Lavonice: Do you have hope?
• 4:02
  Constance Lavonice: Are you thinking positive about your future?
• 4:06
  Constance Lavonice: Are you experiencing the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 52?
• 4:15
  Constance Lavonice: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
• 4:27
  Constance Lavonice: The same love, joy, and peace people are desiring more of in their life.
• 4:37
  Constance Lavonice: Is it possible to obtain?
• 4:41
  Constance Lavonice: Yes, it is in Christ.
• 4:46
  Constance Lavonice: We already have it.
• 4:48
  Constance Lavonice: So what does that mean?
• 4:52
  Constance Lavonice: Let's just look at some of the reminders in the book of John, the words of Jesus in the scripture.
• 5:00
  Constance Lavonice: In John 8, verses 31 and 32, Jesus was speaking to the Jews who had believed him.
• 5:09
  Constance Lavonice: He said, If you continue in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
• 5:16
  Constance Lavonice: A disciple is a learner, a student.
• 5:20
  Constance Lavonice: He continued, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
• 5:26
  Constance Lavonice: John 14, 6, Jesus says, I am the way and the truth and the life.
• 5:36
  Constance Lavonice: No one comes to the Father except through me.
• 5:40
  Constance Lavonice: John 17, Jesus is praying for his disciples and those believers who would come after them.
• 5:49
  Constance Lavonice: That includes you.
• 5:51
  Constance Lavonice: That includes me.
• 5:53
  Constance Lavonice: That includes all of us who are believers now.
• 5:59
  Constance Lavonice: Going to verse eleven, Jesus says they may be one just as we are.
• 6:10
  Constance Lavonice: He's praying to the Father, Holy Father, keep them in your name, the name which you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are.
• 6:24
  Constance Lavonice: Verse seventeen says, Sanctify them in the truth.
• 6:30
  Constance Lavonice: Your word is truth.
• 6:33
  Constance Lavonice: John seventeen thirteen.
• 6:36
  Constance Lavonice: But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world so that they may have my joy made full in themselves.
• 6:48
  Constance Lavonice: And then John seventeen twenty.
• 6:51
  Constance Lavonice: I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.
• 7:02
  Constance Lavonice: Jesus prayed for us before he descended into heaven, that we would be one with him, as he was one with God, to know him the truth.
• 7:16
  Constance Lavonice: His word is truth.
• 7:19
  Constance Lavonice: And he, Jesus, is the truth.
• 7:24
  Constance Lavonice: Jesus says that I have come to give you life and life more abundantly.
• 7:31
  Constance Lavonice: And it starts in him.
• 7:34
  Constance Lavonice: Calmer relationships, better health, more peace of mind, less fear and anxiety, improved finances, not mustering up your own strength, but resting in God.
• 7:53
  Constance Lavonice: How does that look?
• 7:55
  Constance Lavonice: Instead of me trying to lead with my mind my thoughts of what I think is best, my own assessments, me staying up, working harder, stressing my body and mind, I stop and consider who I am in Christ, my identity, and what I possess in Him as a Christian.
• 8:24
  Constance Lavonice: Then it becomes easier for me to align my thoughts and my actions with his word by reading, meditating on, also listening to Scripture, taking intentional time to stop, pause, and rest before God to feed my spirit.
• 8:52
  Constance Lavonice: God is spirit, and we commune with him in our spirit.
• 8:58
  Constance Lavonice: And when we do that, we see the effects in our soul, our mind, will, emotions, and our physical bodies.
• 9:09
  Constance Lavonice: I know that it may seem weird because it's the opposite of what society does.
• 9:18
  Constance Lavonice: But as Christians, we have all the fullness of Christ within us.
• 9:26
  Constance Lavonice: And when we start with the Spirit, being aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit within us, which enables us, guides us, reveal the truth to us, when we feed the spirit through the word, then we can receive the more of what we desire.
• 9:55
  Constance Lavonice: God desires becomes our desires.
• 9:59
  Constance Lavonice: He has already filled us with the abundance of the fruit of his spirit.
• 10:05
  Constance Lavonice: And God has so many promises in his word that he wants to fulfill in us as we rest in him.
• 10:14
  Constance Lavonice: That means intentional time spent to seek him.
• 10:21
  Constance Lavonice: Now, to answer the earlier question, what you desire in life is obtainable in Christ, according to his will and purpose for your life.
• 10:37
  Constance Lavonice: But it starts with a relationship.
• 10:41
  Constance Lavonice: And relationships require time spent together with Christ, in him.
• 10:52
  Constance Lavonice: And my prayer for you this week is found in Psalm 37:4.
• 11:00
  Constance Lavonice: May God give you the desires of your heart as you delight yourself in him.
• 11:08
  Constance Lavonice: And if this resonated with you, please subscribe and share.
• 11:13
  Constance Lavonice: And then send the show a text and let me know what's in your heart.