Slideshow image

When Pastor Keith spoke to GraceLife Kids about marching and the “about-face,” it stuck with me. The idea that in the army those commands are about obedience, discipline, and unity made me think about how we move through life. I pictured myself marching forward, thinking I’m heading into battle, only for God to say, “Turn around. Face Me. The battle is Mine.”


Then Pastor Chris had everyone greet one another, encouraging us to connect with people we didn’t know. It reminded me that we are not meant to fight alone—we are one body, one unit, God’s army together.


During worship, the message felt consistent: God is our defender, our strength, our leader. We sang about fighting on our knees and how the battle belongs to Him. It felt like preparation—not for a physical war, but for spiritual warfare. And I realized… I feel like I’m in the middle of that right now.
I woke up this morning with a sense of heaviness and anxiety. Almost like impending doom. Even before church, I didn’t feel like showing up, watching, or writing. It felt like resistance. I remembered something Pastor Joe said recently—that the enemy presses harder the closer we get to God.
Like with Saul and David. Saul confessed, wept, and acknowledged that David was God’s chosen king, but he never truly surrendered his authority. He admitted the truth, but he held onto his crown.
I learned that there’s a difference between confession and surrender. Saul acknowledged truth but never submitted.


Pastor Joe’s sermon preview: You can’t bow before the King of Kings while still wearing your own crown.
#Repentance #LifeOfDavid #SundaySermonPreview


Wearing my own crown, huh?


The truth is, I don’t consciously choose to pick that crown back up. But I see it in the patterns—fear, anxiety, grief, trying to manage things on my own. It’s like I carry this heavy, worn-out crown made up of everything I’m not meant to hold.


I started asking myself, “How am I going to put this personal takeaway into action? What does surrender actually look like in my daily life?”


I can set alarms. Put notes on the fridge. I can set an alarm to get on my knees when I wake up—and REALLY repent. I can start journaling at night, taking an inventory of my day, and then turn all the ick over to Him in prayer before I go to sleep (Step 10—iykyk). I’ll pray in the morning to live in His will, then turn all the heavy stuff over to Him at night. I learned years ago that it takes 21 days to build new neuropathways in the brain and 30 days to form a new habit. And I’ll show myself some grace through this process.


What stood out most from the message is that true freedom comes from a transfer of authority. That means dethroning myself, letting go of the need to control, fix, or carry everything, and placing God fully in that position.


Our God is such an awesome God.