[Ukemeobong Michael]

This week’s lesson video really challenged me deeply because Its very easy to unconsciously assume that being born again automatically changes all our behaviours without intentionality on our part.

Yes, our spirit becomes new in Christ, but it’s like moving into a brand new house in a new country. You still have a choice: either buy new furnishings or move the old furniture into the new house. In the same way, we could carry old patterns, habits, emotional responses, and learned behaviours from our families of origin into our new life in Christ without even realising it.

Sometimes what we call “family curses” are actually deeply learned behaviours and emotional patterns passed from one generation to another — how we handle conflict, express love, respond to pressure, communicate in marriage, raise children, or even define success and approval.

I had to play it again, pause and reflect deeply on how my parents’ marriage is shaping mine, how my childhood environment affects how I respond to people, and even how I am raising my children emotionally. It made me ask myself: what am I unconsciously passing down to the next generation?

One thing that stayed strongly in my heart this week is this: one of the greatest gifts we can give the world is to raise the next generation better than we were raised.

I’m reminded that true discipleship is not pretending the past never happened, but allowing God to heal, renew, and retrain us from the inside out. Sometimes we need to go backwards in order to go forward. We need to identify cracks in the foundation so our building can stand strong.

I would encourage everyone not to just listen to this week’s teaching casually, but to sit with it prayerfully and honestly. There may be deep-seated answers hidden beneath the surface to struggles we have carried for years without understanding why.

[Ukemeobong Michael]

One part of the Week 1 that really challenged me was Pete Scazzero’s personal story — how he was leading a growing and impactful ministry while his inner life, marriage, and emotional health were quietly falling apart. What stood out to me was not just the crisis itself, but his humility and openness to change when confronted with the reality beneath the surface.

It made me reflect on how easy it is to pursue success according to prevailing cultural or even “spiritual” standards without realizing we are slowly drifting outside God’s boundaries for our lives. Sometimes the pressure is subtle — the feeling that we are not doing enough, building enough, achieving enough, or becoming enough.

What stood out to me deeply is that not every image of success we see around us is necessarily aligned with God’s assignment for us personally. Even good messages, good ministries, or good examples can create unhealthy internal pressure if they are shaping desires God never intended for us to carry.

I remember a season where while praying, I felt the Spirit of God instruct me to stop listening to certain messages. Not because the preachers were wrong, but because of the images, pace, and ambitions those messages were producing in me that did not align with what God was building in my own life.

This week reminded me that discernment is not only about identifying what is wrong, but also recognising what is not assigned to me.

1 Peter 2:11 (NLT) says:

“Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.”

Sometimes those “worldly desires” are not always obvious sinful things, but subtle pursuits, comparisons, pressures, ambitions, and images of success that quietly pull our souls away from rest, peace, and alignment with God’s true calling for our lives.

How do we remain grounded enough to pursue God’s purpose for our lives without being swept away by the prevailing winds of culture, social media, comparison, or even ministry expectations?

[Ukemeobong Michael]

I truly believe everyone should take the EHD personal assessment because it helps reveal you to yourself and gives an overview of what this course is really about.

Interestingly, I would suggest not to be too focused on the score itself (I was rated as an emotional adolescent) or to quickly reach the end. What impacted me more were the deep reflections behind each question. It actually took me much longer to complete because I kept having to pause and reflect honestly on the message behind the questions.

One thing I realised this week is that all of us came into this program with different expectations, just as we discussed during the live session. Oftentimes, we come to God with our own expectations — what we think we need. But God sees the full picture, including the things we don’t even realize we need.

Sometimes what you think you need is not actually your deepest need.

The paralysed man at the Beautiful Gate wanted money, but what he truly needed was to walk so he would no longer have to beg again. I believe many of us in this course will discover that God wants to give us far more than what we initially came asking for. But to receive it, we may need to let go of our expectations long enough for God to truly get our attention.

The burning bush was not the main point for Moses — it was the attraction that captured Moses’ attention. The call was the highlight.

For some of us, our hurts, exhaustion, disappointments, or difficulties may simply be the burning bush — the thing God is using to stop us from running outside His plan and to draw us back to Himself.

The scripture that came strongly into my spirit was:

“Take my yoke upon you and learn of me… for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We cannot carry both ours and His at the same time. At some point, we must hand ours over to take His.

So my encouragement would be: don’t become so focused on what you want to get from this course that you miss what God wants to give you through it.

Another reflection I had was this:

Don’t use the Word of God to cover or excuse your weaknesses. Use the Word of God to discover your weaknesses — and then let God cover you.

Share your own thoughts or reflection in the comments.

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Hallelujah! I love this. God calls us to rest on His Providence.

[Ukemeobong Michael]

We pray for every Christian seeking a deeper relationship and knowledge of Christ that the Holy Spirit will strengthen us with with inward might; that the eyes of our understanding will be flooded with light to see and experience God and His Kingdom in truth. That we will know God and walk in the path that He predestined for us, to produce results that please him. 🙏🏼 Amen.

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Very apt! I’ve been doing a deep study on the parables of Jesus in Matthew 25 and one of the striking points in the parable of the talents is that God has given us investments which He expects a turnover. Innovation is the system that enables this turnover. We are to make things better than we received or met them.

[Ukemeobong Michael]

The presence of God is enough assurance to move forward. Amen. Our role is to trust and obey. Instructive words!

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Amen! I love this. Jesus’ word always builds us, not for our destruction, conviction not condemnation. Glory to God!

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Our citizenship is not rooted in earthly systems but a heavenly inheritance. In a time of many conflicts and wars for physical territories and citizenship. This reminds us that human life is fickle and transient.

When we set our affections on the heavenly infrastructure growing inside us through Kingdom consciousness, our physical location becomes irrelevant. The earth is the Lord’s. We are His representatives and are not lustful of earthly things because we have an eternal inheritance that cannot fade away.

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Greatness in God’s Kingdom grows slowly. Proverbs 19:2 says that he that hastens with his feet (rushes into decisions) will not be innocent. Haste leads to mistakes but when we trust God to lead us through the process we come out like pure gold.

Inspiring devotional!

• This reply was modified 4 months ago by  Ukemeobong Michael.

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Its comforting to know that Christ’s atoning sacrifice is more than enough. God has nothing left to prove His love for me and I have nothing left to separate me from the love of God! Glory to God!

[Ukemeobong Michael]

A powerful Christmas lesson- The mind of Christ. All-Powerful owner of the Universe who does not care about being stripped of glory so He can redeem us back to Himself. Now we have unconditional access to throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in times of need! Glory to God!

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Amazing poetry here @Edward. I’ve always loved a good literary writing and when inspired by God it becomes a powerful tool to bless others.

Looking at the book of Psalms. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and even the entire bible, we see the power of writing in preserving the thoughts and purposes of God through many generations.

Together we can share the Kingdom of God through our works!

[Ukemeobong Michael]

Amen! Merry Christmas to you sir