New Life Wichita

There are times in our lives when we want God to do something... now. It can be easy to treat God like a vending machine. But what if the real challenge is in our listening? Imagine experiencing God in a life-altering way by getting to know our Heavenly Father instead!

Almost every religious system argues that what happens to you in the afterlife hinges on your good works. It's no surprise that some of us approach God the same way. There is a part of us that believes that our standing with God hinges on our good works. This means we underestimate the significance of what Christ did on the cross and overestimate the significance of our good works and deeds. But what would it look like if we changed our paradigm? We might experience God in more authentic ways!

The struggle for almost everyone who believes in God is not knowing where they stand with Him. The good news is that there is a standing invitation in which we can know with certainty where we stand and enter into something with God that seems and feels impossible, but it is the thing God desires most: Intimacy.

Distrust broke intimacy with God, and as soon as sin, sorrow and death entered the world, it resulted in our constant struggle with God. But God, in His relentless pursuit of us, took the initiative to do what only He could do: restore what was broken, and it is not based on our faithfulness. It's based on His.

Genuine relationship can only be had when there is freedom to choose, and from day one, God has given us the freedom to choose. Our problem is that a lie broke and continues to break the intimacy between us and our Heavenly Father.

Experiencing God. Intimacy is to be fully known and to know fully without the fear of rejection, but how many of us genuinely experience that with God? Could it be that we're too afraid, too busy, or too disinterested?

Discomfort & Indifference. When we see someone we care about making bad decisions, we can confront them or hope someone else does. We often say nothing, but we should ask ourselves: are we really being kind, or are we letting fear, discomfort, or indifference keep us from what love requires?

Fear is a byproduct of our ability to think about what might happen in the future, and it can protect us from harm. However, living with too much fear can cause us to be self-absorbed, distracted, and overly protective. But the good news is: You don’t have to be afraid even when there’s something to be afraid of. Fear does not have to control us!

Anger. Could something deep inside us be the source of both war and peace? Through James, the brother of Jesus, we see a connection between wisdom and peace. How we view, handle, and channel our emotions, particularly anger, is crucial.

Envy causes us to compare and compete with others in an unhealthy way. It brings arrogance when we're winning and discouragement when we're not. It's like chasing after the wind. How do we stop envy from controlling us?