Stretching has a purpose. Physically, it keeps your muscles flexible and healthy, helps with balance and coordination, and improves blood flow. It also boosts your posture and physical performance. Spiritually, stretching helps you stay open to what the Holy Spirit can do within you. Sanctification shapes you to be more like Christ, reflecting Jesus in your actions, character, and thoughts. So to be stretched is the process of being transformed.

You are stretched through experiences that push you out of your comfort zone and make you rely on God.  Think about walking without stretching first. The aches, discomfort, and cramps are terrible. In the same way, trying to live out your faith without spiritual stretching can lead to spiritual frustration, burnout, and mental struggles. Stretching is God moving you past your human capability and you can't afford to skip this process.

The more you are stretched, the deeper you grow in knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and your relationship with God. Don’t lose hope in the process. Stretching is meant to grow you and make you better than ever. It pushes you to do more than the bare minimum. God is raising the standard, and you need to be in the best spiritual shape of your life.

So stretch it out through Christ, walk it out by faith, and go be the light!

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."
Galatians 5:16 NIV

The journey of discipleship is not easy, nor is it just a social media trend. This is real life, and to reach eternity with Christ, we must live upright. This doesn’t mean just going to church on Sundays, putting on a religious act, or shouting "hallelujah" out of habit. Our spiritual walk is a daily commitment, and our spiritual life depends on it.
At our core, we are not as strong as we might think.

To strengthen our spiritual core, we need to exercise our spiritual muscles by following the disciplines Jesus showed us. To walk by the Spirit, we must be careful about what we feed our spirit. This includes what we watch, the teachings we follow, how we understand the Bible, and the sins we struggle with. In the "My Dysfunctional Relationship with Food" series, PC taught us that we feed our spirit through prayer, worship, fasting, reading the Bible, and spending time with God. So, why do we make something so simple seem so complicated?

Maybe it's because we haven’t learned to fully control our flesh. Romans 8:5 says, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Ask yourself deep down, what do you truly desire? Until you understand your true desires, you can't fully walk in God's will and if your flesh controls you, you cannot please God.

This week, I challenge you to spend time with God and ask Him to reveal your true self to you. Until you are honest with yourself, you cannot grow in your relationship with God or have a renewed mind, or a strengthened spirit. You cannot change what you do not accept.

Are we truly living out our beliefs? It's one thing to talk the talk, but are we walking the walk? Let’s take off the masks and be real with ourselves. Remember, you’re not fooling God—He sees EVERYTHING. No more hiding, no more pretending, no more lukewarm living. You claim faith in Jesus Christ, but do your actions show it?

Let's clear our hearts and minds from anything that’s holding us back, anything that’s keeping us from getting closer to God. That means letting go of self-deception, self-sabotage, bad habits, limiting beliefs, bitterness, unforgiveness, and offense.

To embrace the plans God has for us, we must first embrace the transformation that comes from the stretching.

It's time to get rid of the excuses, toss away the religious facades, and embrace the truth. It’s time to own our choices and step boldly into the light of God's love. We’re stretching into salvation as we prepare ourselves for serious transformation.

With God, you don’t have to strain,
This labor ain’t in vain.
Let your mind be in Christ,
So you’re renewed every day.
He’s taking you past your ability,
In Him there is victory!

When you say YES Lord,
Repent and turn from sin,
Keep your eyes locked on Him,
In every test, He makes a way.
Molding you piece by piece,
Elasticity in the spirit.
If you’ve given up who you were,
You know the feeling of the bending—
The turning and the pulling,
Crushing, never breaking.
There’s a bounce-back
In every shaking,
So be unceasing
In your praying.

Embrace the freedom
In the fellowship.
Grow patience in the serving,
As if you’re serving unto Him.
Honor the Sabbath,
Whatever day for the Lord.
Sit before God in solitude
And get the strategy for the storms.
Starve your flesh,
Feed your spirit with the bread of life.
Open up your Bible—
Every verse is a bite.
This is the stretching,
So be empowered in your worship.

Jesus had to drink the cup;
I expect your spirit to be stirred up.
You’re suffering not rejected,
You don’t get to neglect this.
Greater things shall you do in the earth,
Is a demand on your identity.
So surrender in obedience to experience
God and His goodness in totality.

Remember we at Center of Hope are here for you. You don't have to navigate this journey alone. If you need prayer or are looking to interact with COH return to the home screen and complete the necessary form.