Don't Limit God - Part 3

Pastor Cindy Hope

Breaking Barriers and Bitterness

When we talk about limiting God, we often think of fear, doubt, or complacency. But today, I want to expose two silent killers: boundaries we put up and bitterness we hold onto. These two may seem unrelated, but they share the same destructive power—they restrict what God can do in our lives.


We pray for breakthrough but build barriers. We cry out for healing but hold onto hurt. And then we wonder why we feel stuck.


But today, we’re going to tear down the fences and uproot the poison. Because you were never meant to live limited!


The Boundaries We Set for God

Imagine building a beautiful house and inviting God to live there but putting up 'Do Not Enter' signs on most of the rooms.

We’d never do that physically, but spiritually? That’s exactly what many of us do every day.


"God, you can have my Sundays, but my Mondays? Those belong to my agenda."

"Jesus, I’ll give you my worship, but my wallet? Let’s not go there."

"Lord, I trust You with my salvation, but my relationships? I’ll handle those myself."

"Jesus, I'll worship You, but my career decisions? Let's keep church and business separate."


We create spiritual VIP sections where God needs a special pass to enter. Some of us have more "Do Not Enter" zones than open spaces! But let me tell you something—God doesn’t do partial Lordship. He’s either Lord of all or not at all.

Every area you refuse to surrender is an area that stays under your control—not under His power.


And then there’s the "Sunday-Only Syndrome." Some of us treat our faith like a gym membership—we pay the dues, show up occasionally, but never fully commit. We think a quick Sunday workout will keep us spiritually strong, but then we wonder why we feel weak on Wednesday!


God isn’t interested in being your weekend Savior. He wants to be your weekday strength. He’s not just the God of revival services—He’s the God of real-life struggles, rush-hour traffic, and hard conversations. He wants to walk with you in the everyday moments.


The question is: Will you let Him?


2 Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us: "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." We have the power to tear down every obstacle that sets itself up against God’s work in our lives.


The Root of Bitterness

Now, let’s shift gears. Jesus said something profound in Luke 17: "It is impossible that no offenses should come." That means hurt, betrayal, and disappointment aren’t a matter of if but when. Pain is part of the package of life.


Your ability to handle and process offense will determine the direction of your life. Someone once said, "Offense is an event, but being offended is a decision." We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control what happens in us.


Bitterness doesn’t just appear overnight—it’s a process. Like a seed, it grows into something that can overtake your entire life if left unchecked.


First comes the wound – A betrayal, a disappointment, or an injustice. The pain is real, and it’s valid.

Then we protect it – Instead of bringing it to God for healing, we hold onto it.

Then we focus on it – We replay the hurt over and over in our minds.

And before we know it, we’re bleeding on people who never cut us.


Hebrews 12:15 warns us: "See to it that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Bitterness doesn’t just stay in one place. It spreads. It poisons marriages, friendships, families, and even our relationship with God. And here’s the scariest part—it doesn’t just distort how we see others; it distorts how we see Him.


The Power of Forgiveness

Holding onto bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. But God offers us an antidote—it’s called forgiveness.


Matthew 6:15 is clear: "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." That’s not a suggestion—it’s a warning!


Some of you might be thinking, "But I have a RIGHT to be angry!" And you do. But holding onto anger gives the enemy a legal right to keep you in bondage. Demons have a right to torment you when you refuse to forgive.


Forgiveness isn’t about letting someone off the hook. It’s about setting yourself free.


It doesn’t mean forgetting what happened.

It doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt.

It doesn’t even mean allowing that person back into your life.

Forgiveness is setting someone free—and realizing the prisoner was you all along.


I remember a time when I had to say "I forgive them" out loud, even when I didn’t feel it. Sometimes, I had to say it over and over until my heart caught up with my words. But guess what? It worked.


Because here’s the truth: You can’t change your past. You can change your future. And the bridge between the two? Forgiveness.


For some of you, that wound has been your identity for so long that you don’t know who you are without it. But God is saying, "It’s time to let Me heal what you’ve been protecting."


Are You Ready to Be Free?


I don’t know about you, but I refuse to be bound by bitterness when I was made to walk in blessing.


Here’s the challenge:

Are you ready to surrender the areas you’ve kept off-limits?

Are you willing to give Him your bitterness, your wounds, and even your right to be angry?


Let Him heal what needs healing. Break what needs breaking. And move in your life like never before.

Picture Him at the altar—with open arms, ready to take what you’ve been carrying.


It’s time to let go. It’s time to be free. It’s time to stop limiting God.

Don't Limit God - Part 4

By Pastor Cindy Hope • February 9, 2025
When we think of imagination, we often associate it with childhood fantasies—unicorns, fairy tales, and dreams of flying. But imagination is much more than that; it is a divine gift, a powerful tool given by God to shape our reality. What is Imagination? Imagination is not about fantasy; it’s about vision. It is the ability to picture something in your mind that is not yet visible to your eyes. Think about this: If I ask you how many doors are in your house, you don’t run to count them—you imagine your home and mentally walk through it. If you give someone directions and say, “Turn right at the McDonald's,” you’re using imagination to visualize landmarks. If I say “dog,” you don’t see the letters D-O-G—you see an actual dog in your mind. Your imagination operates based on the information you feed it—good or bad. Why is Imagination Important in Faith? The Bible tells us in Proverbs 23:7 , “ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. ” Your thoughts shape your reality. God has designed us to use our minds as a place of spiritual conception. The Hebrew word for imagination in Genesis 11:6 is YETSER, which also means “conception.” Just as a woman conceives a child before birth, you conceive ideas, dreams, and beliefs in your imagination before they manifest in your life. Genesis 11:6 – When people imagined building the Tower of Babel, God said, “Nothing they imagine to do will be impossible for them.” Isaiah 26:3 – “He will keep him in perfect peace whose mind (imagination) is stayed on Him.” Even Jesus used His imagination. Hebrews 12:2 says, “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” He saw beyond the suffering and envisioned our salvation. What Are You Imagining? Your imagination has the power to either limit or unlock God’s work in your life. Athletes visualize victory before competing. They see themselves winning before it happens. Negative thoughts create self-fulfilling prophecies. If you constantly replay past failures, you’ll struggle to believe in future victories. Your self-image determines your outcome. If you think you are unworthy or incapable, you will live as such. Many of us start life believing anything is possible, but over time, disappointments, failures, and negative voices reshape our imagination. We stop dreaming big and begin settling for mediocrity. Renewing Your Mind The Bible commands us to renew our minds because your body follows your mind (Romans 12:2). Scientists confirm that thoughts physically alter the brain’s structure. Dr. Caroline Leaf, a neuroscientist, explains how negative thinking damages brain cells, while positive thoughts foster healing and growth. This is why Philippians 4:8 tells us to meditate on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. What you focus on grows. If you focus on problems, they consume you. If you focus on God’s promises, they manifest in your life. God’s Method: Seeing Before Speaking God Himself used imagination before creation. Hebrews 11:3 says, “The universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Before my husband built a chicken coop, he didn’t just start hammering wood together. He imagined it—its size, structure, and purpose—before making it a reality. The coop existed in his mind before it existed in our yard. Likewise, faith is not about believing in things that don’t exist—it’s about believing in things not yet seen. How to Use Your Imagination for God’s Glory See yourself the way God sees you. Meditate on His Word and visualize yourself walking in His promises. Imagine your breakthrough before it happens. If you’re believing for healing, picture yourself healthy. If you’re believing for provision, see yourself financially free. Use imagination in prayer. Visualize God’s presence when you pray. Picture His peace surrounding you. Guard your thoughts. Reject negative imaginations that contradict God’s Word. Replace them with faith-filled visions. Final Challenge: Dream Bigger Today, take control of your imagination. Stop limiting God. Dream big. Believe bigger. Let your imagination become the canvas where God paints His purpose for your life. See it before you say it. Expect the impossible. And watch God bring it to pass.

Don't Limit God - Part 2

By Pastor Cindy Hope • January 26, 2025
Overcoming Fear & Walking in Faith

Don't Limit God - Part 1

By Pastor Cindy Hope • January 12, 2025
Are you holding God back?
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