100%

Wally Flynt shares that we have an extreme Lord, who held nothing back for any of us. Let us have a grateful and forgiving heart that loves like Jesus and holds nothing back. The message,  "100%" is about 9 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, December 31, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Echo ~ December 30, 2017 ~ Purpose

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

February 13, 2015 as Purpose.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

- Isaiah 61: 1-3

I woke up early this morning after approximately three hours of something somewhat resembling sleep. Within minutes I found myself forced to filter incoming messages that made my poor barely functioning brain cry out to God for help not to be distracted from what matters and not to be led astray by people who may mean well but have it all backwards. 

The first message I could have done without this morning came from some television ministry airing at 5 AM that I couldn't help but overhear some before I was able to get my headphones in and Pandora playing. Discussions of Biblical Prophecy and how the math of the Scriptures shows.....blah blah blah. The second hit me a few minutes later as I read my morning materials and heard once again the message of stick with the winners, avoid those struggling or reveling in the bondage from which we have been delivered, stay safe by staying separate from those not free.

Prophecy serves a purpose, but knowing the future is less important than doing what we have been told to do. Jesus said inn John 14 "he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do." That's what we're to be focused on. Also, I understand staying away from situations and people we can't handle less we be led back to the pit from which we've been delivered, but if you're alive you are facing things that you can't handle on your own. That's why we need God. The answer to staying safe and free is not hiding from the people, places and things that are still in enemy territory but rather it is to stay safe in the shadow of the One who set us free in the first place and to give away our freedom, our solution.

Jesus said what I've done you do and do it more. Jesus said He is the fulfillment of Isaiah 61. So if we want to be free, if we want to get through hard times in the future, we don't need to avoid anything or know exactly how, when etc. We need to preach good news to those who are in desperate need for it, to help heal the broken hearted, to tell those who are in bondage that they can be free and then show them the way to that freedom, we need to declare that today is the day of deliverance and God's love and grace are available and better than His judgement. We are to empathize with care for those who mourn, point the way to the one who can give them "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness" that they can be righteous (clean before a Holy God) and God gets the glory. It's not about our safety or looking special or important because we're in on His play by play. It's about loving the hurting and freeing the captive and surrounding ourselves with those who need the solution we have.    

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 29, 2017 ~ The Refuge Of Love

Christmas is basically over. I say basically because I'm trying to keep it going by observing the 12 Days Of Christmas and today is Day 5. That means there's another week and Christmas will extend into the start of the new year, but at the same time, so much of what makes Christmas Christmas, that keeps it in mind and serves as the outward manifestation of the holiday is over and done already.

Due to the fire cleanup (Check out Joy That Doesn't Burn Away if you missed the Moment where I shared about our recent blaze) our decorations that survived have been cleaned, boxed up and put away. It seemed so sad to be removing those joyful lights and box the trees, nutcrackers and snowmen before the end of the year. The house seemed so bare and the dinginess of the smoke damage even more depressing. It somewhat felt like the light of God had fled our home.

Thankfully it hasn't, and I know that. Feelings are not facts, and wondering where God is right here at this moment in all of this does not mean that He is not present. Just because we can not feel His comfort for a moment doesn't mean the Comforter isn't holding us close. That Christmas is done doesn't mean that what we were celebrating is done for now also. Many have Christmas in the rear view mirror and are looking ahead to New Year's or their birthday, or even looking farther ahead over the next 361 days until next Christmas. We tend to do that, spend our days looking ahead for the next big or new thing, the next event worth celebrating, the next new move of God, while we sort of ignore or box up today. But Daddy's love for us is as real and as full toward us on the ordinary, dingy days as it is when everything is bright and shiny.

Months before the first Christmas, the angel appeared to Mary and told her of Daddy's plan. Her response was let it be done to me according to Your will. God called, and she said yes to His will for her life, and through her life, for all the world. A few months later while pregnant with Jesus, she is blessed by her cousin, Elizabeth. And this time her response is praise. We call her words the song of Mary, and they can be found in Luke 1:46-55. Luke 1, especially this portion, is a common Christmas scripture, and we tend to look at it as a part of a joyful celebration of that first Christmas.

But this wasn't a happy, glorious time for Mary, or at least not a totally happy one. I doubt her friends and family were throwing any baby showers for her. The truth of her words that this was a special baby growing within who was conceived by the Holy Spirit had not been proven by the man the baby would grow to be. That proof is what we celebrate on Easter, months away for us, decades away for her. She faced the looks, the rumors and whispers, the shame others cast her way. Even her fiance hadn't yet had his own angelic visitation yet and doubted her. All he knew was that the baby wasn't his. She faced losing all. But she knew God loved her, had chosen her as part of His purpose and plan, and that He was her salvation. So she praised the Daddy who loved her, in the dingy, dark of misunderstanding and uncertainty.

Christmas may be over for us for now, but if the end of the year feels a little dark and dingy, if the glory of God is not as bright and evident in our now, it's OK. We don't have to set aside today and look to the future. We, like Mary, can rejoice in God our Savior right now. Because it's when things are hard and it's difficult or impossible to ignore or pretend away the effects of the curse on our life that Daddy's love for us is even more precious. That's when we most need the refuge of His love. Whether it is felt or not, we can trust that He loves us as we are, not as we should be, and that His love is enough to carry us through the difficulties of despair and everyday life when the party is over and the decorations are put away. We can stay and rejoice in this moment without looking for distraction, without looking ahead to something else, without grabbing for help and solace in anything this world has to offer, without turning to false solutions and manufactured light, because the true light of His love for us shines on us still and is enough, even when we can not see it through the ash stained remains of our expectations.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

I Can't Forgive That

Dalyn Woodard shares on ridding ourselves of the weight we carry because of being wronged and hurt. The message,  "I Can't Forgive That" is about 45 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, December 27, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 27, 2017 ~ Love Needs Balance

I had a strong extrovert side once, but I always spent as much, if not more, time alone than with others. The extrovert in me hid the introvert like a dirty secret, Prison only strengthened that part of me that loves solitude. Leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone, and everything will be OK. Now that I am out, certain aspects of the introvert remain strong. The extrovert has mostly disappeared, and 95 days or so out of 100, I would rather spend the day with Leah and never see another soul than just about anything.

I tend to have people cross my mind and say things like we should really go visit so and so, only to find that a month later we still haven't managed to make it happen. There are people I consider good friends I haven't seen in over a year.When Leah and I do get dragged into some social thing, we tend to enjoy it and feel glad we went, but it's often a battle to make ourselves do it. She's mostly an introvert as well. Cuddling together with a rerun on TV sounds better than attending a party to both of us. There are family and friends that we love spending time with, of course, and we never see Amanda and Justin enough. But most of the time being social feels like work, and it's exhausting to struggle to force myself to leave the house to go spend time with someone other than Leah.

I sometimes wonder how many others that I am sure would be described as extroverts by most people who only saw them under the influence were really introverts. There was a reason I needed a couple of drinks before I left the house.  I loved gatherings, especially if they helped disguise how much I was drinking and drugging, gave an excuse to indulge or were a source of free, well did it really matter what it was if it were free? I'd drink Boone's Hill if you bought it, and I'd be more than happy to hang out with just about anyone till the drugs were gone and the bottles emptied.

But now that life is behind me, and I no longer need to surround myself with people to stay sober because I couldn't trust myself alone, it's harder and harder to pretend I want to go interact with people. The wonderful thing about being married to an introvert you love spending time with when you're also an introvert is that you are truly happy just being together. There's no drive or pull to go, go, go. The bad part is that neither partner is pushing interaction with others.

We are not called to isolation. We are called to love God and love others, and it is difficult to show love to people without interacting. Introvert mottos like people are great from a distance or in small doses aren't really compatible with sharing the friendship and love of Jesus. Is it selfishness or just personality that makes it feel like such a battle to sacrifice that alone time to go be there for someone who needs interaction but isn't in that small circle of family and close friends that make up an introverts comfortable social circle?

I know that it's possible to mix being an instrument of God's love and being an introvert. God's grace is sufficient. His grace and love within us enables us to stretch out of the comfort of isolation and truly enjoy spending time with the people He cares about. If we ask for help to be a light of love and a friend to those in need, He will provide that help. His love can be our motivation. But if you happen to be an introvert, also remember to understand that you need time to recharge and to prepare. Jesus would leave the crowds to go spend time alone with Daddy. That alone time to power up and refresh our souls helps us to go into the fray of humanity.

This may make little sense to an extrovert who feels more energized the less he or she is alone. But for those who find themselves more and more drained the more they are around others, that time alone with Daddy is all the more crucial. I suspect that Jesus was a balance between extrovert and introvert. I sometimes think we were originally designed to be a pretty equal mix of the two. That we would enjoy and be blessed by time alone with our Creator and time alone with a spouse, our immediate family and a few close friends, but that we would also enjoy and be blessed by being a part of community and interacting with people on a larger scale.

We can't love others well if we can't spend time alone with Daddy. We can't love others well if we avoid them either. Whether extrovert or introvert or something in between, we need that balance of interaction and isolation to be healthy and to be of service, to love God and to love others. As we approach a new year and think of changes, I would encourage myself and you to seek the balance of love. Love that makes being  alone OK. Love that makes relationship with a few special and treasured. And love that makes encounters with acquaintances and strangers and enjoyable part of being a part of the human race. The balance of all of these is part of living well, and wherever you fall on the extrovert/introvert scale is possible by grace because of the great love of God for us, in us, and moving through us.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 26, 2017 ~ The Ongoing Gift

Christmas has come and gone for most. I don't know how the 12 Days Of Christmas work, although I want to learn more about it. On that schedule, this is day 2, and anything that extends Christmas is great in my book. The greatest way to extend Christmas all year round is to remember that the greatest gift of Christmas is Daddy's love.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.

- John 3:16

Daddy didn't say I love you. Daddy gave. Jesus didn't say I love you. He came and gave His life for us. The Holy Spirit didn't say I love you. He came and moved in and gave a life worth living.

Extending Christmas isn't just leaving the decorations up or making more treats and even giving or getting more gifts. It's loving in action, sacrificing for the benefit of others. It is helping others see that they are truly valuable and significant, most of all to the Daddy who created them and loves them and adopts them as they are, not as they should be. The Son who says they are worth all, even His life. And the Spirit who says they are a treasure to be restored and made new. And those of us who follow Christ can remember these truths and give those we encounter the same love, by grace, so that we can be a beautiful Christmas light all year round, reminding the world that love is come, is available and is the answer to bondage of life.

Consumed by our selfishness and need, we became captives and unable to truly love, love without demanding or expecting something in it for us in return. The very things we tried to use to provide relief, joy, comfort and security became our chains and death. The gift of love sets us free, and walking in that love enables us to be a part of setting other captives free as well. So even as the tress and decorations are put away, the carols cease playing for another year and the leftovers disappear, let us continue to give the gift of love that makes us free.

He who the Son sets free is free indeed.

- John 8:36

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Audio Echo ~ December 25, 2017 ~ All You Need Is Love

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

December 18 2016 as All You Need Is Love - Fourth Week Of Advent.

Dalyn Woodard shares on why love is so important and how feeling lack of love or fearing lack of love effects us all. The message, "All You Need Is Love - Fourth Week Of Advent," is about 12 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, December 18, 2016. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

More Than Music And Pretty Lights - Fourth Week Of Advent 2017

Dalyn Woodard shares on lighting the candle of love for Advent and the amazing way God loves us all. The message,  "More Than Music And Pretty Lights - Fourth Week Of Advent 2017" is about 17 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, December 24, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Audio Echo ~ December 23, 2017 ~ Joy And Circumstance

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

December 11 2016 as Circumstance Has Changed - Joy - Third Week Of Advent.

Dalyn Woodard shares on what joy is and why we have joy. It's not just a joy despite circumstances, but it is also joy because of our circumstance. The message, "Circumstance Has Changed - Joy - Third Week Of Advent," is about 15 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, December 11, 2016. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 22, 2017 ~ Joy That Doesn't Burn Away

I've spent the last few days speaking about joy that isn't shaken by circumstances. It would be easy to wonder if I really meant it, or more, if my circumstances have been stormy enough to test such statements.  Am I preaching Pollyanna philosophy or the truth of the Spirit giving joy that can't be stolen by adversity?

While this Moment will be scheduled  for readers to see Friday, I am actually writing it this Tuesday evening. For those who are regular readers that may sound strange. I usually do my writing in the mornings, so why the switch?

Well, I wanted to get some of what I am feeling down and out. I am still a little shell shocked. The photo to the right is what has me shaken. To me this looks like a beautiful religious abstract work of art. perhaps that is what it appears to be to you as well. But what it actually is a photo of is a portion of the wall of our living room. The light color to the far right is the original color, or close to it anyway. The rest of the image is what it looks like after the fire this afternoon.

I messed up. I went out to feed the animals and didn't blow out the Advent candles before I went outside. The only thing we can figure is that the cat must have pulled on the table covering the wreath sat on or jumped up there and knocked one of the candles over. I don't know. What I know is that I didn't put the candle out and when I came back inside the living room blazed and black smoke filled the house. We lost some things that can't be replaced, the greatest loss being an antique sewing machine Leah's mother gave her that still worked until today. There were sentimental things that I had given Leah that can and can't be replaced, if that makes sense. But we are safe. There was no structural damage. The animals that were inside all lived, including the cart though they are shaken up as well.

I know I'm shaken, because I am startling easily. Too easily. The last time I was in an enclosed place so filled with gasses that made it hard to breathe was in prison. The burn from hot smoke and pepper spray are far too similar in feeling. I'm jumpy. There's a lot of work and not a little expense ahead to clean everything, replace sheet rock, floor covering, paint, etc.  But it is a hardship, an inconvenience, as my amazing wife said, not a tragedy. Leah said it best when she said God is still on the throne. This will be used to bring us closer to Him. This will not stop or harm the work He is doing in our lives. He is not going to cut me off because I made a mistake. Daddy still loves me. He is still going to make me like Jesus. He wants to get closer, not push me away.

I have my praise music on, which is mostly instrumental guitar, blues and experimental stuff from Stevie Ray and others. My chest hurts. My eyes are still burning. I don't know if I'll be able to  sleep tonight, and I have a lot of work to do....miles to go before I sleep and all that. But life is still good. Life is still worth living. My joy is there, mingled in with the sadness and frustration. If only I could be as quick to forgive myself as Daddy is the frustration would lessen. I'm sober. I feel no need to run from the reality, from the mess or the consequences of simply not thinking about the burning candle before going outside. I have no desire to change the way I feel with anything other than the presence of the Comforter...and spending some time with Leah. And on that note, I'm going to close, turn off the light in the study and go be with her. But I wanted to give God the glory for the gift of joy that remains even as the ash blackens so much. What He has given me, He freely offers you. Be blessed, and may the joy of the gift of Jesus be with you this day, this Christmas and all your days to come.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

People Of Grace And Peace

Dalyn Woodard wraps up the study of the book of Ephesians, verses 21-24 of chapter 6, and the topic of our identity. How does Paul's closing of Ephesians summarize all the letter covered and what  does it mean for our identity and life?. The message,  "People Of Grace And Peace" is about 29 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, December 20, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

If you missed Part 1 of the Identity Crisis series, Who Are You, it can be found here. Part 2, Living Free, can be found here. Part 3, The Blessing Of Belonging, can be found here. Part 4, The Fullness Of Jesus, can be found here. Part 5, Good News, Bad News, can be found here. Part 6, But God's Amazing Grace, can be found here. Part 7, Welcome To The Family, can be found here. Part 8, Count It All Joy, can be found here. Part 9. Power Prayer, can be found here. Part 10, Walking In Unity, can be found here. Part 11, Grow Up, can be found here. Part 12, Trading Up, can be found here. Part 13, Daddy Knows Best, can be found here. Part 14, Turn On The Light, can be found here. Part 15, Living Under The Influence, can be found here. Part 16, Spirit Filled Marriage: Part 1 Wise Husbands, can be found here. Part 17, Spirit Filled Marriage: Part 2 Wise Wives can be found here. Part 18, Daddy Issues, can be found here,. Part 19, Workers For Jesus, can be found here, and Part 20, Prepared To Fight, can be found here..

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 20, 2017 ~ Bad Boys Get A Great Gift

Monday afternoon Leah and I spent a few hours with my mother watching A Christmas Story Live, which Mom recorded for us since we couldn't watch it when it aired Sunday evening. The musical had it's moments, but isn't the best Christmas musical in my opinion. Not that this is a review. It did remind me of something that I have seen a lot of though. I watch a lot of Christmas movies. That's close to all I watch from Thanksgiving to the big day, although a huge exception must be made for December releases of Star Wars.

Anyway, there is a common theme in most Christmas movies. It's not the birth of Jesus. It goes right along with the song Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, and it's basically you better be good. A Christmas Story Live has plenty of lines that reflect the belief of many, especially children, that Christmas is all about merit. For example, in the middle of the song, A Sticky Situation, adult Ralph, played by Matthew Broderick, says, The horns of a dilemma. Good little boys who went to class on time always got the best presents, but bad little boys who got caught triple dog daring their friends to stick their tongues to a flag pole, well.... And later in the song the children sing, well, you can't confess a thing or you'll get busted, and if you're caught they'll cart you off to county jail. And once you're locked away, you'll find out on Christmas Day that Santa doesn't read a convicted felon's mail.

That line made me laugh, but it's sad too. It is sad that we have so messed up the message of Christmas to the point that many truly believe it's about getting good things for being good and getting nothing or bad things for falling short. We've all slipped and fallen into the ditch as we trudged through the darkness of life. Not all of us have fallen into a ditch with actual bars, but some of us have. Still, even the best of us have stumbled and fallen. If Christmas is all about merit, then it is far more frightening than anything that Halloween has to offer,

We're all selfish and self centered, and we all make mistakes while seeking to provide what we are born missing. Some cause more damage than others, make far more destructive choices and mistakes, but we all make them. And while we are all selfish at times and to some extent, some of us are, or were, ruled by selfishness. That is one of the worst aspects of the bondage of addiction, I believe, that you can think of little other than self, and yet, think so little of yourself. The truth is that you can not love God and love others while living for yourself first and foremost.

The greatest deception in the history of humanity is that looking out for yourself first, taking care of yourself above all else and getting what you want, when you want it, the way you want it, will bring joy. Everyone I have ever met who pursued their own comfort and pleasure above the concern for anyone and everyone else, including myself, who lived that way for far too long, have existed in a tormented life of long stretches of misery broken up by flashes of temporary relief that did little more than tease us with the carrot we could never catch.

If you live like that, it doesn't take long before the wounded and the weary begin to pile up around you. And the worst possible news one could get, other than things will never change or get netter, is that life and love are about merit. Kill me now, before I make it even worse. But the good news is that this popular Christmas message is a lie, a distraction from the truth that can end our misery and give us a life worth living. The true message of Christmas is a joyful one, not because it promises if you're good you'll get lots of goodies.

Here is the source of my joy, joy that isn't hampered by circumstances and the mess I've made of life. You don't have to be good enough! You don't even have to be a little good! The greatest gift imaginable is yours, if you want it. It's already been unwrapped and hung on a tree just for you. The Big Guy, not Santa but Daddy, loves you as you are, not as you should be. He sent His Son, wrapped the Word in flesh to take the consequences of our mess in our place. Jesus was born to set us free from judgment and the scale of justice and the bondage we sold ourselves into trying to free ourselves. And Daddy loves us enough not to leave us the broken misfits we are, so He sent the Holy Spirit to make His home within those who accept this free and great gift and to transform us into the best us we can be, the people we were meant to be, reflections of God Himself, full of love, peace, and yes, joy.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 19, 2017 ~ Argh Is Not A Joyful Noise

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.....argh is not a joyful noise. Neither are humbug, fiddlesticks, seriously?!?, you gotta be kidding ,me!, for the love of Pete!, or stronger expressions that I often think and slightly less often say when I get extremely frustrated or angry. Believe me that I know this is not a good thing, and this is not about why it's OK for a Christian to cuss when in pain, or angry or frustrated, nor is it a call to wash our own mouths out with soap or how dare we allow a curse word to go through our minds and slip from our lips? No, this is not some legalistic rant against profanity, nor an exercise in writing on liberty to excuse it. It's not about cursing, hokey mild or full-bore, at all.

It's about joy and the heart. Many may be reading from the Gospel Of Luke this time of year, but if you flip on over a few chapters from where most devotionals are pulling scriptures, to chapter 6, you'll find that Jesus thought we should know that it is out of the abundance of the heart that a man speaks. Abundance is a very large quantity of something. The idea is that what you have the most of in your heart is what is going to come out. When the frustration or pain overrides our consideration of others, overrides our concern for what someone else might think, when the filter gets shut off, what comes out? The answer is what is in the heart.

We rarely stay what people see as we grow older. The older people get, the less they are able to keep the mask on. So, if you visit a retirement center you generally find three types of people. Those who are totally out of it, those who are extremely sweet and those who are extremely bitter, rude, and mean. There's not a lot of middle ground. We seem to slide to one extreme or another as our ability to hide what is in the heart fades. I would really like to be one of those who is compassionate and loving, even when I don't really even know what's going on. I want, assuming I live that long, to be a blessing to those who help care for me and when I get boiled down to my essence and the filters are turned off for good, I'd love for people to see a lot more and hear a lot more of Jesus than of some angry old man.

I also know that if I were to enter into that age in the state I am in now, that wouldn't so much be the case. Thankfully Daddy isn't through with me yet. It's not that I am always a selfish, ungrateful jerk who throws a fit when things don't go my way, but I am still that person more than I would like.

This morning I got up and went to the study to do my writing and morning devotions, as I do on most days. Because this is the joy week of Advent, I knew the subject. I have felt led to write a week on hope, a week on peace, a week on joy, and also a week on love, even though the last will come after Christmas because of the way Advent falls this year. So now you know what the next week and a half or so will consist of topically. But you don't know exactly what each day will be about in any way more specific than joy and, later, love. I don't either. And this morning I had nothing but joy. What to say about joy? What to say? WHAT    TO    SAY???!

Then, as if a slight touch of writer's block wasn't frustrating enough, my stereo began messing up. I have a short in the auxiliary input jack, and sometimes it works well. Others, not so much. This morning was basically a not at all morning, making me long for just a not so much, which is what it is doing now, after nearly twenty minutes of fussing with it, fighting it, trying to jiggle it just right, growing frustration and, rigorous honesty, little joy in my heart. A silly stereo seriously damaged my calm.

That's about when that voice of condemnation quipped, You hypocrite! You have no business ministering to anyone. You're not a very good example, and you are nothing like Jesus. Here you are trying to think of something to write on joy, when you are not joyful! You're just upset because you're not getting your way and things aren't cooperating with the atmosphere that is more conducive for your writing!

Now, I don't know if that voice came from Satan, one of his helpers or just the ghost of my old nature, and quite frankly, I don't care. I am grateful for it. Grateful? Yep. The voice meant to make me slink away in shame and feel unqualified to do what God has called me to do, but the plan backfired. You see, it's half right. It spoke a half truth. And half truths are lies.

It is true that I am in myself not qualified to minister and that I am not very much like Jesus. It is also true that I didn't have joy at that moment and that I was upset I wasn't getting my way, that things weren't the way I wanted them. But pointing that out only served to help me see more quickly that I had slipped into self. The Spirit wasn't having His way in my mind, life and morning. The fruits of the Spirit include gentleness (not beating on a helpless stereo), patience and self control. Since these were non-evident in my life this morning, that served as a pretty good indication that the Spirit wasn't in control. And let's not forget that God didn't call me to minister for Him because I am such a great example, a good person and so qualified. He qualified me when He called me, and my ability to do it at all is only because of Him, which means, when I get it right, He gets the glory, not me. And it is only by grace that I can be like Jesus. It is the Spirit within me that is like it should be and is doing the transformation work of making me what God created me to be. Apart from Him and His control, I am not a good Christian or example.

The answer is not to quit or beat myself up. It is to quickly run back to Daddy and climb back in the shadow of His wings and will and to give the Spirit the control I took back without even realizing it. When I did that, the joy returned. The stereo is still popping and crackling more than I would like. I also still feel a bit like I'm rambling as I write this, but it's OK. The Spirit can use the writing as He wills, and the state of the stereo won't matter once I leave the study, much less years from now or in the eternal.  Joy is not something I get by being good enough, or even getting my own way. It also is a result of the Spirit in my life and relationship with Daddy. Our joy is because He loves us and because of who He is and all He's done.

I will sing, or rather write of and for joy, because Daddy loves me, has set me free, because He forgives and gives the grace to get up and do it better. Because He has put a new song in my heart of love and relationship rather than the old tune of bitter selfishness. Because I know that I I can always run to Him when things are wrong, even when the main thing wrong is me, and He will comfort and encourage and love me as I am, while working within me to bring me closer to Him and make me more like Jesus. I have joy at this moment, not because of the Christmas jazz playing in the study or because the words are finally flowing, but because I know that despite slipping into self like a comfortable old robe within minutes of getting out of bed, I didn't have to stay in that state. I can put on the clothing of grace and the rest of the day can be different.

My mistakes and failure of the morning don't have to define my entire day. My day, this moment, can be defined by Daddy's amazing love for me, and I am able to receive and walk in that love because Jesus came and did for me what I could never do for myself. That is the source of Advent Joy, It's not the music, the goodies, the music, the fellowship or any of the gifts, other than the gift of His love and forgiveness. Because I have received that gift, I have joy, even if I forget it and lay it aside from time to time. And the joy that I have found, you can have too, because Daddy loves you as much as He loves me. I don't have to manipulate away my frustration and shame or create joy through addictions or selfishness, and neither do you. Jesus came to set us free from the bondage that comes from trying to be good enough and satisfy our own needs.. He did it out of love we didn't have to earn or perform well enough to keep. And that, Dear Reader, is reason to rejoice, regardless of what may be going on in our circumstances.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 18, 2017 ~ Joy And The Pursuit Of Happiness

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

- The US Declaration Of Independence

It sounds good doesn't it? This idea of inalienable rights that the founders of the United States started the country with, even though all men being equal didn't mean that those who didn't own land could vote, or that women had much in the way of rights or that slavery would be abolished in 1776. Still, it was a nice ideal that in some ways we're still working toward. And it does seem that we are all created with a drive to and an innate sense of a right to pursue happiness. But maybe that idea that we have we can and should pursue happiness is not inborn but rather a learned response to growing up in the US. It's also important to remember that the founding fathers proclaimed the right to pursue happiness, which really is not to be confused with the right to be happy.

We get those mixed up sometimes, so we start feeling like if something isn't making us happy we have the right to discard it, or change it or replace it, or abandon it, even if it is a person or relationship. Even the simple right to pursue rather than feeling entitled to have messes us up when we become so self centered and self seeking that we stop caring about others as we push toward the prize of happiness. We get a lot like Black Friday shoppers who in the name of the holiday remembering the selfless love of a Savior trample one another, fight, trick, manipulate and basically treat our fellows as little more than mobile obstacles. I did it. In my selfish pursuit of pleasure and happiness, the two things I confused with joy, I would run over anyone who got in my way. Lying, cheating, manipulating, using, stealing, and the like were just tools for getting what I wanted when I wanted as easily as possible, consequences to others and sometimes myself, be damned.

Happiness is a very nice bonus, but what I have found is more to be desired is joy. Happiness is externally created. It comes from situations and circumstances being a way that creates a positive emotional response. It comes from outside us, so when the outside doesn't cooperate with making us happy, we are sad and miserable. And we try to change it. We try to make others behave as we want in order to make us more happy, we avoid discomfort, or, having lost the understanding of what the joy we need is and how to get it, or having never experienced the richer, more satisfying and less transitory experience of joy, we seek to manufacture it through chemicals, distractions, sensual pleasures such as food or sex, entertainment, and other ways and means we use try to capture or cultivate joy ourselves for ourselves.

But joy is not captured or created by changing or controlling the external. Joy, which is not tied to circumstances and situations and therefore doesn't fade away when difficulties and discomforts come our way, is a fruit, a result, of something else. We are born with an innate need to have relationship with our Creator. The naturally occurring results of that relationship are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, basically a life worth living. When we don't have that relationship we are deficient in those results like joy, peace, and love and feeling the need makes us pursue them. And we mess it up. We chase acceptance, admiration, respect, sex, etc. when what we need is love. We pursue pleasure and happiness in place of joy, and confuse getting our way without conflict for peace. For every wonderful result of relationship with God there is a counterfeit, or counterfeits, that promises to fill the need but never quite does.

Joy is ours because Jesus came for us, to make a way for us to have that relationship that brings that list of things we crave from birth. He makes us free. He measures up in our place in all the ways that we couldn't and didn't and won't ever. The joy that comes from knowing we are loved of God, as we are and not as we should be, and cared for enough by Him that He won't leave us the mess He found us in, that joy that comes from the comfort and presences of the Spirit of God within us, the joy that comes because Jesus took our failure and gave us His ability to do it right, that joy doesn't change with the change of external situation and circumstance. It is joy that can endure darkness and difficulty. It is more satisfying than happiness, more to be desired, and it isn't temporary or fleeting, and we don't have to trample or disregard others to grab it. Just the opposite, we will find that when we love others as He does, it brings us closer to Him and gives us even more joy, even when we have to deny ourselves, our comfort, our pleasure, or our security in order to do so.

Joy to the world, to each and every one of us, because the Lord has come. Let every heart make room for Him and find freedom from sin and sorrow as far as the curse of a fallen and broken world is found.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Glad Tidings Of Great Joy - Third Week Of Advent 2017

Dalyn Woodard shares on lighting the candle of joy for Advent and how important joy is and where it can be found. The message,  "Glad Tidings Of Great Joy - Third Week Of Advent 2017" is about 14 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, December 17, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Audio Echo ~ December 16, 2017 ~ Preparation And Peace

Today's Unshackled Echo was previously published on

December 4 2016 as Preparation And Peace - Second Week Of Advent.

Dalyn Woodard shares on what God is able to do with the little that we can offer. God has done all that has to be done to make peace with us.. The message, "Preparation And Peace - Second Week Of Advent," is about 15 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Sunday, December 4, 2016. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 15, 2017 ~ Dreaming Of A Peaceful White Christmas

There was a time when feeling pressure, stress, disturbed, and buffeted by chaos drove me to a chemical solution. It never brought peace, a lack of disturbance and fear, but honestly it was a nice substitute. This artificial peace consisting of escape and turning off my ability to care about the people and circumstances that made me anxious and my mind scream with an intense need to make it all stop simply didn't last.

It was a lot like shaving ice and blowing it in an East Texas yard to produce a white Christmas. It looks a little like snow from a distance, at first, but even ice doesn't hold up to the mild winters we have hear. It quickly begins to melt and turn from fluffy artificial snow to slush. It just doesn't feel the same, and snow balls don't lead to laughter. They hurt, because they aren't balls of snow but ice bombs. Finally, before the day is over, the fake snow is completely gone and you're left with the truth that you didn't make a white Christmas as much as flooded your yard as you look over the muddy mess left behind. Perhaps the temperature drops at nightfall and the water remaining turns to ice that isn't shaved and manageable, making the sidewalk and driveway a danger to walk on the next day.

No, shaved ice is not the same as snow, and it falls far short of what was sought after. And chemical numbing and escape is not real peace. In my experience the length of time that it takes to melt the illusion and leave the mess got shorter and shorter. The artificial peace became so unsatisfying, but the things that drove me to it hadn't changed. The pressure and need for serenity only intensified as the solution failed and having no better option, I continued to seek solace where it could no longer be found. I realized that one day it would kill me, and at times, even that seemed OK, because at least the misery and constant disturbance would end.

Today life hasn't changed much in some ways. There is still much in this life and that makes me uncomfortable, anxious, and brings disturbance. I still feel the overwhelming need to end the misery and quiet the disturbance, that drive to find peace. But what has changed is the solution. I found a solution that works. By turning to my Heavenly Daddy who loves me as I am and not as I should be, I found refuge from the chaos and pressure and rejection. Then I discovered that even though He loves me as I am, without requiring me to be better than I am or could ever be on my own, He also loves me enough not to leave me the mess I was and sometimes still am. He set me free from the bondage of false solutions and artificial peace, and instead gave the real peace that is found in His love and presence. For over seven and a half years I have lived without the need to turn to chemicals to get through life.

Those chemicals weren't the problem though, They were my solution. And the reason that I couldn't ever stop using for long before, was because as miserable and destructive as life under the influence was, life without them was worse. Until I found the real thing that the chemicals counterfeited. In relationship with my Creator I found the perfect fitting filling to the hole in my soul and life. The love that isn't conditional, the joy that isn't based on circumstances and enhanced sensations and the peace that doesn't melt in the heat and rain of life were the answers that worked every time, that didn't leave a mess or destruction in their wake.

Here in East Texas it is highly unlikely that there will be a white Christmas morning, unless there's some frost on the ground. And the desire for a little snow is not worth the mess of shaving ice and settling for the artificial, even without considering the cost. But in my life I am confident that there will be real peace and no need to seek artificial relief, no matter how chaotic the holiday may be or how much pressure life piles on, as long as I turn to Daddy to meet the need. And this miracle is not mine alone. I have seen the same miraculous snow fall of Daddy's love change so many others and set them free from the false solutions and melty messes. What He has done for me and others, He can and will do for you if you are tired of counterfeits that don't quite work or last, if you realize that there's nothing you can do to fix yourself or meet your own needs and are willing to give the Lord of peace reign over your will and life.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Prepared To Fight

Dalyn Woodard returns to the book of Ephesians, verses 10-20 of chapter 6, and the topic of our identity. Like it or not, there is a spiritual enemy and we are in a spiritual war. We need to be prepared by putting on the armor of who we are in Christ, so that we can stand against the plans of the enemy to hinder our relationship with God. The message,  "Prepared To Fight" is about 42 minutes long and was recorded at Nacogdoches Christian Fellowship on Wednesday, December 13, 2017. It's our prayer that you are blessed and ministered to as you listen. May God bless and keep you.

If you missed Part 1 of the Identity Crisis series, Who Are You, it can be found here. Part 2, Living Free, can be found here. Part 3, The Blessing Of Belonging, can be found here. Part 4, The Fullness Of Jesus, can be found here. Part 5, Good News, Bad News, can be found here. Part 6, But God's Amazing Grace, can be found here. Part 7, Welcome To The Family, can be found here. Part 8, Count It All Joy, can be found here. Part 9. Power Prayer, can be found here. Part 10, Walking In Unity, can be found here. Part 11, Grow Up, can be found here. Part 12, Trading Up, can be found here. Part 13, Daddy Knows Best, can be found here. Part 14, Turn On The Light, can be found here. Part 15, Living Under The Influence, can be found here. Part 16, Spirit Filled Marriage: Part 1 Wise Husbands, can be found here. Part 17, Spirit Filled Marriage: Part 2 Wise Wives can be found here. Part 18, Daddy Issues, can be found here, and Part 19, Workers For Jesus, can be found here.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments and or listens to the messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions to more people by sharing the Moments and messages that you read or listen to? Hitting the share button instead of or in addition to the like button will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

If you would like to have notifications of new Unshackled Moments and messages sent to you via email, send an email to dalynwoodard@mail.com requesting to be added to the list. You can also follow Dalyn Woodard (@Dalynsmsings) on Twitter or Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 13, 2017 ~ The Gift Of Peace

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

The serenity prayer above is one of the most quoted and used prayers in the rooms of recovery. Those early in on their journey down recovery road often speak of praying it frequently and fervently to help them make it through those tough days before the obsession is lifted and they have been set free of the overwhelming impulse to put themselves back in the chains of their bondage. I also hear old timers talk of using it still, years into recovery, to enable them to let go and accept others and life and to find peace in stressful situations.

Peace and serenity are so valuable, and when we have them in our life, it is so much easier to stay on the path of freedom and within the will of God. Peace is defined as the freedom from fighting and violence and freedom from disturbance, as quiet and tranquility. So what is serenity? That's the first of the three things we're asking for in this little prayer. Serenity is the state of being that is characterized by peace. The state of being calm, peaceful and untroubled. That's a pretty awesome state of being, in my opinion and experience.

Have you ever met someone who could be truly said to be serene in character? I have. My father is like that. When everything goes to pieces, he's always been like a rock, calm and steady. When things get messed up, he never freaked. He stayed calm and able to think and, as a result, was almost always able to do something to improve the situation rather than making it worse. On those times when the situation or circumstance couldn't be improved, it didn't reach him. He made it through without being personally damaged. Now, that is how it looked like from the outside, and to many who know him. Like a friend of mine in recovery used to say about serenity, he could walk through a crap storm and not get any on him.

I know that my father is not a serene man by nature. That's not who he was before he totally surrendered to God. And I also know that things do get to him, and that he has been hurt deeply and disturbed over the years, often, I am sad to say, by me and the destruction in my life. But I can count the times when I have truly seen him shaken and loose his cool over the 46 years of my life on one hand. And those times when the peace is gone, when he is disturbed and the pain and pressure squelch his serenity, he still normally doesn't appear shaken. If you don't know him well, you might not ever realize that he is upset or disturbed or troubled. The turmoil within rarely reaches the surface for him, and I have only seen it boil a couple of times. I would like to be like that. Because when crisis comes, his reactions don't make it worse, and he helps others by being stable, steady and clam enough to think and able to wait to react until he knows what should be done.

Not only would I like to be like that, I believe it is possible. I didn't use to. I used to think that calm, quiet, slow to react character was just who he was. But now I know that it is a learned response. He has learned to be that way by learning to quickly turn to Daddy when the storm blows. He has learned that he can always trust Daddy to care for him, to care for the others involved and to make a way and give direction if He is sought by walking out on that ice of faith in God time after time and never regretting those times when he put His trust in Daddy and not in himself or others. That simple trust and quickness to turn to God in times of need make my father a calm man who doesn't overreact or freak out when things go wrong. In fact, the more the storm blows, the more he seems calm, like the eye the hurricane is swirling around but unable to shake. Of course the difference is that while he is in the storm, he is not a part of it, it is not built on him.

I am learning. I freak out way less than I used to. I don't overreact nearly as often as I did in the past. More and more often I am able to wait, to pause, before reacting when pressured or disturbed to wait for guidance before I move. I understand serenity and what it is like to be calm as the storm of crisis blows around and over me. I know what it feels like to have peace and where it comes from, from that same Power outside of me that freed me from my bondage.

Now, I am far from my father in this area. And I still have plenty of moments and situations where my calm is damaged. But it is so much better than it was. The least thing in the past used to make me run, run to this or that escape and comfort. When I couldn't flee, the rage roared within and out of me. I wasn't the eye in the hurricane. I was the storm blowing through life leaving destruction and brokenness in my wake. That is a rare thing these days, and despite what some might think, the lack of becoming the storm, of bonding with the chaos of crisis and making it worse, is not simply a result of no longer drinking and drugging. The chemicals didn't cause the storms. They were my escape, my solution to the pressure and the pain.

It was as I slowly but with greater frequency began turning to the Daddy who released me from the captivity of the chemicals with those situations I couldn't handle or control, with the crisis moments, for my help, refuge and direction that I began to experience peace. And I am not unique. What God has done for me, He can and will do for you, if you seek Him and allow Him reign over your reactions. He will set you free and give you the gift of peace.

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Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.

Unshackled Moments ~ December 12, 2017 ~ Trust Leads To Peace

Peace can be so hard to find when we look at our circumstances  and what's happening in the world as an accurate indicator of reality. We see  the headlines, we feel the pressure of all that needs to be done, or maybe we take a few minutes to scroll through a social media feed, and it can quickly feel like peace is an endangered commodity, especially during the time of year it is mentioned the most.

For those seeking peace, longing for it, it's important to remember that peace does not come from the perfect arrangement of circumstances and situations. It is not achieved through the efforts and cooperation of humanity. It is a fruit, or result of, the Holy Spirit in our lives.

When we give the Spirit the control over our lives and rely on His power rather than our own, peace is one of the results. That's because as we live by the Spirit we grow in our trust. Trusting God, a benefit of grace, enables us to turn to Him when things get hard. It helps us to forgive and have compassion for those who are selfish, disregarding, rude and worse towards us. We know we are loved and cared for by God, so we don't have to have our peace marred when we are treated wrongly by others. We can know that any wounds and damage will be healed and restored. We know there is forgiveness for our imperfection and that we don't have to measure up, but at the same time we also know that the Spirit will help us live and go through our day as we should, loving God and others. We don't have to fight anyone or anything, because the Lord fought for us and already won the war.

Trusting Daddy to love us and accept us as we are, not as we should be and to care for us enough not to leave us as we are meets the need in our soul that causes us to dread. Trusting in the work of Jesus on our behalf eliminates the pressure to be good enough and ends the striving to do the impossible ourselves. Trusting the Spirit to work in us and through us to heal us, comfort us, and strengthen us to respond to people and circumstances the way Jesus does, in sacrificial love that shows compassion to all, even enemies, and brings glory to God, stops the struggle to protect ourselves from being treated wrongly and to look out for ourselves above and before all others. These are some of the reasons and ways that learning to trust God, by giving the Spirit control of our lives, will and day, leads to peace.

If peace seems hard to find, don't search for it. Seek instead a closer and deeper relationship with the One who gives peace. The One we remember as a baby at Christmas and a Savior at Easter.

This site is free. If this blessed, helped and or informed you, the best thing you can do is pass it on via the social buttons below. And please subscribe or follow Unshackled Life Ministries on Facebook.

Unshackled Life Ministries is grateful for every person that reads the daily Unshackled Moments, the weekly Unshackled Echo and or listens to the Audio Messages. I want to thank those who have clicked "like" on something that blessed or ministered to them on social media, commented on the blog or replied to an email subscription. It is encouraging to know that God is using this ministry to help and bless others. Please remember that if God used something from this ministry to help, encourage or bless you, it could also bless someone else. Would you help get the devotions and sermons to more people by sharing this? Hitting the share button or forwarding this to a friend will help us reach more people with the good news of freedom and the encouragement to live an Unshackled Life. Thank you and God bless.