With the turn of every new year comes fresh new opportunities to get back in shape. All across America, millions of Americans this month have made one of the most common new year's resolutions: get in the gym. If this is the case for you, I encourage you to stick with it for the whole year. You will be certainly glad you did.

This week I was back in the gym and I had a powerful revelation while I was there! Now, I like to work out and have been consistently for 14 years. I actually was so passionate about it that I got my bachelors degree in health & exercise science from Oral Roberts University (Go golden eagles!). 

But anyways, Monday was leg day. I hate leg day (as most guys do lol). But I have to do it. For optimum health and physique you must work out the whole body. It’s especially hard for me to do leg day because I was born with naturally strong looking legs. (Shout out to the parentals Dr. Bill Winston & Veronica Winston - thanks guys!) Because of this, I have always gotten compliments on my strong looking legs. People would ask me about the workouts that I did to get them that way.

BUTTTTT...
Those complements would always seem to dampen my desire or even need for growth. As a result of this, I would skip some leg days. But just like any other muscles, when I didn't work them out they would get weak. Now instead of actually being strong, they just LOOKED strong. SO when the weight was put on, I couldn't hold up under the pressure. Here's the critical point:
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​We all like compliments and feelings of appreciation. However, if we are not careful they can talk us into becoming lazy and compromising our work ethic or future efforts. If you are naturally good or gifted at something, don't think that is enough. Keep growing...keep building...keep learning...keep pushing! Chances are, you have only seen just a small portion of what is really possible!

I have made a decision this week that I will never allow compliments to talk me into becoming comfortable. In reality, compliments can become the enemy of my growth. And who really wants weak legs anyways?

~David 
#TheBestIsYetToCome
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As a pastor and someone who is very visible in a large ministry, there are a few questions that I get more often than others. “Are you Bill Winston’s son?” – Yes, since birth. “How old are you??” – I was born in 1985 so you can do the math. But the last one is the most important question and a question that everyone seems to have at some point:

            “What do I do now?? I need some direction.” 
 
In life it is certain that at some point we're all going to need direction. What I have found is that sometimes the direction that we think we should take is not always the direction that God wants us to take.
Ephesians 2:10 the Amplified Bible says, "For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live]."
​So there's a path that God has planned for us to take. A place of success reserved just for you. The only catch is that God is the only one who has the map, so if we want to get there, we have to for directions.

During the last few weeks I have been teaching as series called "Care•less" - not meaning not careful, but living free of worry and anxiety. In the world today it seems like it's impossible to avoid worrying about something. Life brings so many twists and turns. Some are expected and some are a complete surprise. But know this, God was not surprised by what you are going through. As a matter of fact, He saw it coming. Now you might be wondering, God why are you letting me go through this?? However, there is one thing that we should consider before we point the finger at God: He has already prepared our rescue package. That's why God is good, because He didn't leave us alone or forget about our needs. He saw what we needed ahead of time and made reservations for us. All we have to do is receive His strategy, wisdom, direction, and provision that will prove to be the answer to whatever life is throwing our way. 

God says in a passage found in 1 Peter 5:5-10 that you can cast all of your cares (worries, anxieties) on Him because he cares for you. BUT there is a specific strategy that this passage outlines, giving us steps to follow so we can live worry free. Here we go!

This took courage to write, and some may not like it or agree... But it's worth a shot! (warning, this post is a little lengthy so get your coffee ☕️ )

Growing up in my house I used to think that I would have to pray for many hours a day to be a good man of God. From years of watching my dad (Dr. Bill Winston, Living Word Christian Center) get up at some crazy hour of the night/morning, I thought that was normal. Now I loved God, but I had no desire to replicate that in my life. Any one who knows me knows that I like my sleep. So when God called me into full time ministry, I was nervous.. "God does this mean I have to get up at 4:00am every day???" ? I used to feel bad for months after entering into full time ministry because it was so hard for me to wake up so early for prayer and devotional time. I loved God and spending time with Him but I just felt like I was not wired to be up so early. But as I grew in God, He showed me that it's not about seeking Him the exact same way someone else does. Pursuing God in a way that speaks more to religious tradition than to authentic relationship is not God’s original plan. And that's where I get to the point of this blog post. Many Christians look at what they are not doing on a daily basis and feel bad about their walk with God. They find themselves asking is my Christianity good enough for God?..Or even good enough for others? Do I read enough of the Bible? Do I pray for long enough? Am I attending enough church services??

After years of growing up as a Christian young man in a pastoral household, to being in ministry now, God brought me to this conclusion: it's about relationship, not tradition or religion.

To have a good relationship with your spouse or significant other, one thing is absolutely necessary: the love of God! That love is unconditional and helps you love everyone else better. The key to any great marriage or relationship is to be selfless. Love gives, and that is what we should do to those who we love the most. Scroll down and you will see a prayer confession that me and my wife Niki say daily. We hope that as you pray it daily, it will help you to have an amazing relationship too!
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       We believe that we have been called together as one to fulfill God’s perfect purpose for our lives, choosing to set a new standard for Godly relationships. We let our actions be the fruit of the righteous and holy seeds we have sown, for we do not sow unto the flesh to reap corruption but we continuously sow unto the spirit (Gal 6:8).  We will walk by faith according to the fruits of the spirit, and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16).
 
         We live our relationship and marriage according to the Word of God and refuse to compromise in any area. It is our daily commitment to love, respect, trust, and cherish each other as well as continually cleanse our mind with the washing of the water with the Word (Eph 5:25-27). We make the Word of God our foundation for our commitment to each other. We choose to treat each other with kindness and gentleness, with a spirit of meekness; always respecting, admiring, and honoring one another in love. We only think on those things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and of good report (Phil 4:8). In all we do we keep our minds and hearts fixed on God and His purpose for our lives, so he can bless our relationship.
 
         We continuously integrate the principles of care, honesty, time, and protection into our relationship daily. As we make Jesus our first love, He will help us love each other with a greater agape love than ever before. With this love we will cover each other daily, praying, bearing, and enduring ALL things (1Cor 13:4-8).  Furthermore, we will practice ALL aspects of this love described in 1 Corinthians 13. We communicate with each other out of an attitude of love and understanding. We approach each day together with an attitude of servitude toward one another, with no expectation of recompense.
 
         We constantly build each other up with prayer, exhortation, and the Word of God in order to press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God (Phil 3:14). We thank you Father God for unending unity in our commitment to each other. We remain mindful that the goal for our marriage, first and foremost, is to come together in Christ to be a more powerful force FOR the Kingdom of God. In Jesus name, Amen!