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The following blog is a summary of a message preached by Pastor Eddie Lawrence.

Watch the Sermon HERE!

Have you ever watched a two-year-old declare with complete confidence, "I'm bootiful"? There's something profound in that simple statement - a child believing without resistance what those who love her have spoken over her life. This innocent faith reveals a powerful truth about how we should receive what our Heavenly Father says about us.

What Does It Mean to Be Made in God's Image?

In the first two chapters of Genesis, we discover a pristine picture of life before sin entered the world. God created everything, then formed man in His likeness and image. When Adam opened his eyes, the first face he saw was God's face. The first voice he heard was God's voice. The first emotion he experienced was God's love.

Adam was placed in Eden - a word that means "pleasure." This wasn't just a garden; it was God's design for human experience. We were created to enjoy pleasure, to live in God's presence, and to operate with His authority. Adam began naming the animals, exercising dominion through his words just as God had created through speaking.

How Do We Align Our Lives with God's Word?

This series isn't just about aligning what we say with what God says - it's about aligning our entire lives with the revelation of God's word. When we understand our identity as image-bearers of God, we can begin to operate as Adam originally did, using our words to shape our future according to God's design.

Jesus demonstrated this perfectly. He said, "If you've seen me, you have seen the Father." There was no distance between Jesus and the Father, no discrepancy between what Jesus said and did and what the Father desired. As the last Adam, Jesus came to restore, reposition, and realign us with the Father.

What Is God's Timing for Your Life?

God established time in the earth realm - days, nights, seasons, and years. He operates in cycles and seasons, and understanding His timing is crucial for our effectiveness. There's a relationship between you and where you were born, when you were born, and to whom you were born. This isn't random - it's particular to God's purpose for your life.

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. This includes "a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted." Recognizing these seasons helps us understand when to build and when to uproot.

What Does It Mean to Be Called by God?

Jeremiah's calling reveals something powerful about God's design for each of us. God told him, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." This wasn't unique to Jeremiah - you are God's idea, and He has a specific call, design, and destiny for your life.

You may not be able to identify your calling with complete clarity initially, but when you encounter certain things, something inside you starts stirring. Your heart begins to burn within you. This is your Creator awakening and stirring the purpose He's placed within you.

How Do We Exercise Spiritual Authority?

God told Jeremiah, "I have put my words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant." This reveals the power of God's word in our mouths to shift atmospheres in nations and kingdoms.

As believers, we have been authorized to declare the gospel message. When the word is preached and the Spirit is moving, people begin to see what they couldn't see, hear what they couldn't hear, and understand what they couldn't understand.

When Should We Plant and When Should We Uproot?

In the original design, Adam was never intended to uproot anything. Uprooting became necessary after the fall when thorns, thistles, and weeds entered the picture. What do you uproot in a garden? The weeds - things that don't provide benefit but steal what you have.

Sometimes we need to uproot things in our lives, families, finances, health, and relationships that are rooted in the curse. These things cause chaos, perversion, and cycles of failure. Using the word of God, by the Spirit of God, in the timing of God, we can uproot what doesn't belong and plant what God desires.

What About the Old Landlord?

Imagine living under a tyrannical landlord who constantly demands payment, rearranges your life, and keeps you in debt. Then one day, a new landlord appears who has paid all your debts, canceled your rent, and promises to provide everything you need. You're free!

But then the old landlord returns, trying to convince you that you still owe him, that the new landlord is lying. This illustrates our spiritual reality. When you were born again, you got a new Lord. But the enemy wants to convince you that you're still under the old system of bondage and fear.

You are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. You are the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. Your storehouse is blessed, your health is blessed, your finances are blessed, your children are blessed, your marriage is blessed.

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to believe about yourself what your Heavenly Father says about you. Stop giving audience to the "old landlord" - those thoughts and voices that try to convince you that you're still under bondage, fear, or limitation.

Begin each day by declaring God's truth over your life. Identify areas where you need to "uproot" - negative thought patterns, destructive habits, or relationships that steal from God's best for you. Then "plant" by speaking God's promises and aligning your words with His word.

Ask yourself these questions:

  • What has God been stirring in my heart that I've been afraid to embrace?
  • What "weeds" in my life need to be uprooted so God's purposes can flourish?
  • How can I better align my words and actions with what God says about me?
  • Am I listening to the "old landlord" or trusting in my new covenant with Christ?

 

Remember, you were born for such a time as this. God has predetermined the boundaries of your dwelling and has a specific purpose for your life in this season. Begin to frame your future with your mouth by speaking what God speaks over you.