Friday, July 18, 2025

Hey there, Friend

It’s the Smart Edit!
The Gospel of the Kingdom isn’t just a message—it’s a power surge. God’s not looking for agreement alone. He’s after voltage.

This issue—cancel powerless Christ-following, journaling is spiritual warfare, be a storyteller, and more.

P.S. — Why is it called “pickleball”?

Signals & Shifts

Quick hits from around the world and under the radar—where faith, culture, and global currents intersect. Curated to help you see, pray, and act with Kingdom clarity.

🆓 Perfect hug length to reduce stress and elevate immunity. Acts as free medicine, even against viruses.

⛪🔓 In a historic shift, the IRS now says churches can endorse political candidates without jeopardizing their tax-exempt status.

📖 John MacArthur passed into the presence of the Lord on July 14 at age 86. He stood firm on biblical truth when many folded. During the COVID panic, MacArthur defied “Caesar” while others closed their doors. More.

🔝📖 Bible reading beats exercise, meditation—even time with friends—when it comes to self-care. New study from the American Bible Society.

👀 Watchword. “Anger is the most fundamental problem in human life” (Dallas Willard). Brian—we see anger right away in Genesis 4. Cain and Able. Right after the fall of the human race in Genesis 3. Anger is seminal. Seed. You might make the case that anger is upstream from much of the sin we see. We can deal with anger with the sanctifying work of the Spirit in our lives.

_{THE BIG IDEA}

Cancel Powerless Christ-following

Each week, we highlight a Kingdom Dynamic: a key insight into how God’s Kingdom works in real life …

When Paul came to Corinth, he didn’t rely on polished rhetoric or persuasive intellect. He came with something far better: a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. See 1 Corinthians 2.1-5.

His aim? That their faith would rest on the power of God, not human wisdom.

This is our Kingdom dynamic: real faith anchors itself in God’s power. Not in theory, theology alone, or self-effort. But in the dynamic life of God breaking into every part of us. And flowing via us into the world around us.

The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Romans 1.16). It’s not just rescue from sin, but soteria (the Greek word) in every dimension: healing, restoration, deliverance, flourishing.

Power belongs to God. And yet, he calls us to live in it. Jesus said true faith can move mountains (Mark 11). And mountain-moving power flows through Christ-followers who let the cross shape them daily.

The power was released through Jesus’ sacrifice. But it continues to flow through those who take up their own cross and follow Him.

The cross, Paul says, is the power of God to those being saved (1 Corinthians 1.18).

The work of the cross in our lives is where transformation happens. That’s where true God Power lives.

Father, I receive the Good News of the Kingdom—your Royal Power. May my faith rest on that. Holy Spirit, I welcome your sanctifying work … the working activity of Christ’s Cross in my life. Amen.

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Holy Hack — Journaling Is Spiritual Warfare

Let’s try another Holy Hack We’re experimenting with something new in the Smart Edit. Holy Hacks are simple to grab and sharp in execution.

The enemy hates clarity. He wants you to forget what God said, miss what he’s doing, and stay tangled in confusion. Journaling pushes back. When you move the pen, believe God moves with you. There’s Kingdom momentum when you steward what’s surfacing.

Higher Thoughts

“My thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55.9

Storytelling. It’s said that history’s best leaders are storytellers. Why? Because people are wired for story. The mind may grasp facts—but the heart is captured by a narrative. And the heart is how we live. We carry the greatest story: Creation by design. Redemption in Christ. A royal commission to advance the Kingdom. A destiny in the new heavens and new earth. In a world of narrative wars, everyone’s offering a “lead.” Be different. Excellent. Excel in telling the true, beautiful story of Christ and his Kingdom. Live your part of the story.

The Spirit-filled life makes a demand on you. It calls you to walk by faith, listen deeply, and move in sync with the Holy Spirit. Some shy away. They’d rather keep things safe—confined to inductive Bible study and intellectual control. But the Kingdom doesn’t run on information alone. It runs on power. The Word and the Spirit were never meant to be separated. To truly follow Jesus is to be led by the Spirit. Daily, dynamically, and sometimes uncomfortably. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5.25 NIV).

Do you want to live however you want without any accountability? Via The Babylon Bee

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