The first element of a training mindset is self-compassion.
A training mindset recognizes that we are all imperfect beings on a path of sanctification and healing. We are all works in progress. There is no benefit to beating yourself up when you fail. God does not beat us up when we fail. He meets us with mercy and compassion. So, why shouldn’t we do the same?
This is extremely difficult to grasp when in many religious circles we equate a self-compassionate approach as being compromising or soft on sin. But it does not have to be. We can maintain an uncompromising view of sin while being gentle on ourselves. Our aim is progress, not perfection.
When we have a compassionate view of ourselves, it frees us to learn from failure. And this is one of the huge superpowers of a training mindset – every failure becomes an opportunity to learn about ourselves and what is not working in our training programme. This is so critical for real growth. When we give in to a temptation, if we can carefully examine the thoughts and emotions that led us to the sin without turning away in shame, then we gain the insights needed to heal and grow. Without these insights, we will never truly grow. Without these insights, the most we can hope for is to cope, never to overcome.
Self-compassion enables us to move from hiding and repression to exploration and discovery of the root causes of our afflictions. But that’s for the next instalment…
See you then!
Copyright 2025, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
One of the concepts that we teach at Authentic Joy is the idea that in pursuing spiritual growth we need to have a training mindset not a trying mindset. We often use the metaphor of running a marathon to explain. In the metaphor, the ‘marathon’ is that challenge in your life that you are trying to overcome. Some examples are impatience, unforgiveness, pornography, a short temper, anxiety, racial prejudice or over-eating.
A trying mindset would be like waking up on the day of the marathon and saying, “Today I will finish this marathon! God says I’m more than a conqueror!” And so, we set off to try our best to complete the marathon… without training. Our determination and grit may get us halfway there, but without putting in the training, we inevitably end up face down in a puddle of sweat and tears.
A training mindset, on the other hand, would be like waking up every morning and training for the marathon. Training prioritizes consistency and progress over the end result. It embraces learning from failure as a necessary pathway to growth.
One of the most damaging things about a trying mindset is the cycle of guilt and shame that results when we do not achieve our goal. This has been one of the most difficult mindsets to change in my own life. In the areas where I struggle with an ongoing sin issue, every time I fall, my tendency is to beat myself up and wallow in shame. Then, to comfort myself, I end up even deeper in self-destructive behaviours. When I finally muster up the courage to go back to God in repentance (again), it resembles something like this: “This time, this time, I mean it God. This time I will stay the course.” And so, the cycle begins again. With no real plan, change is unlikely.
A training mindset has the potential to break this cycle, but there are several components to the approach that need to be implemented:
Self-compassion
Roots not shoots
Coaching
Community
I will unpack each of these facets of the training mindset in this series.
See you for the next instalment!
Copyright 2025, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
This week, I went to the movies to see Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning with my kids (spoiler alert). In the movie, The Entity (an AI entity) takes control of the world’s digital media. No one can know what is true or fake. Frankly, it felt more like a peek into the near future than a work of fiction. I began to wonder if (or when) truth was such an elusive commodity, how would I navigate my world? How would we all?
A phrase came to me:
“If we are not led by the Spirit we will not survive what is coming.”
It hit me like a ton of bricks. For years, I have been advocating the need for the church to be able to hear the voice of God, but I suddenly realized that the time of reckoning was at hand. Those who had not invested in intimacy with God would be hapless victims of the deceptions of this age.
In a reality where you cannot tell fact from fiction by any natural means, only the supernatural voice of God can guide.
If we are honest, we’ve already been infiltrated. For years, we have been conditioned to believe whatever comes across our screen once it jives with what we want to hear. Many Christians have been navigating life by the equation: truth = what I want to believe. It’s plain to see in US politics, at least for an outsider like me. I can tune into the feeds from two or more different Christian groups and hear the most passionate, convincing, and diverse descriptions of what the truth really is behind anything from riots to legislation to President Trump’s motives.
Brothers and sisters, if you do nothing else in this season in your life, invest in developing your ability to hear God’s voice and direction for your life. It is the only lifeline that we have.
John 16:13 (ESV) When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
A time is coming and is already here when truth will be a scarce commodity. The ability to navigate life via reason and logic will be cut out from under us. How can we know what to choose when the choices may be fact or fiction? How can we plan a course of action when we have no idea if our data on what is real can be trusted? Even applying Biblical principles will be of little use if we are not sure of the facts of the situation that we are applying them to.
In those times, only those who can truly hear from God and be guided by the Spirit of truth will stand. Take heed.
Reporting to you live from the edge of the precipice of deception.
Blessings,
Copyright 2025, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
The past three weeks have been filled with positive milestones for Authentic Joy. On April 21st, we launched our new book BECOMING mature: A Practical Guide for Disciples of Jesus. By the second week, it was in the top ten in three Amazon categories and even hit #1 in Christian Discipleship for a few days. I took a gratitude memory photo (below):
The first thing I want to say is a big THANK YOU to all of you who wrote reviews or bought the book (or both). Your support means the world to me.
But there is more! On Wednesday, I got an email from YouVersion congratulating me on crossing 50,000 plan completions. Yes folks, over 50,000 people have completed Authentic Joy’s Bible devotionals on the YouVersion Bible app! Again, THANK YOU for your support and love. 🙂
I have never been one to measure success in numbers, so while I am excited about what we are achieving at Authentic Joy, it’s not about the numbers for me.
What really motivates me is the thought of making an impact in the body of Christ. The type of impact that is far less measurable. I sincerely believe that the message in my plans and my books is one that will help people to grow in their faith. For me, the significance of the Best Seller tag and plan completions is simply to help increase the visibility of a book that is authored by an unknown entity in this world.
I am keenly aware that popularity and acclaim are not good measures of success in the kingdom. It’s like the gospel singer who has an amazing voice and draws large crowds versus the worshipper who, every time she opens her mouth, there is something inside of you that says, “That woman knows God!” Or the theologian who has mesmerizing oratory skills versus the simple man of God who causes your heart to burn every time he speaks of Jesus. The latter, more amorphous characteristic is the kind of impact I want to make by the grace and power of God.
Making this kind of impact starts long before the book/devotional/blog is written and takes far more than technical skill. It is a lifelong commitment to yielding your heart and soul to God. I cover this in greater depth in my book, where I share this wonderful quote:
“It is not what a man does that is of final importance, but what he is in what he does. The atmosphere produced by a man, much more than his activities, has the lasting influence.”
Oswald Chambers
So, in the midst of this time of celebration, I’m praying, “God, don’t let me lose sight of you! Keep my heart from being seduced by the numbers. Keep my heart ablaze for you and you only.” I am more afraid of success than failure. Success can take you out. I have seen it happen to too many in the church to have any illusions about my susceptibility to its allure.
My friends, keep me in your prayers… and I still need your help to get this message of maturity in Christ out there. Check out the book. And after you’ve read it for yourself, if you find it beneficial, then tell your friends about it.
May your souls be stirred to deep worship in the fires of intimacy with Jesus this week!
Grateful,
Copyright 2025, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
We are super excited to announce that we have a new book coming out!! Whoopee!!! My latest book, Becoming Mature: A Practical Guide for Disciples of Jesus, will be released on April 21st, 2025!
If you feel like you are struggling in your spiritual growth journey or just not progressing as fast as you would like, then this book is for you. Becoming Mature offers a transformative approach to Christian discipleship using scripture, personal experience, and psychological insights to connect with the reader. Becoming Mature takes you on a step-by-step journey of growth in love, purpose, community, identity, responsibility, wholeness, resilience, competence, and most importantly, intimacy with God.
It’s available to pre-order now on Amazon. Get it here!
And since y’all are my peeps. Here’s a free preview of the introduction.
Introduction
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!
~ Rudyard Kipling ~
As a young boy, Rudyard Kipling’s poem If (quoted above) made an indelible mark on my soul. Before I knew Christ, it embodied what I believed maturity would look like. It was the only poster that hung in my room, constantly reminding me of the man I wanted to become. It is no coincidence, I believe, that maturity has been an obsession throughout my life. In hindsight, it was a God-inspired obsession, a heavenly calling. God has given me more understanding since my boyhood days, both through divine revelation and through practical experience.
I would describe my achievements in life as mediocre. I have a checkered history where my personal relationships are concerned. Today I am happily married to a wonderfully on-fire woman of God, and we have a beautifully blended family of five children and one granddaughter. I attribute this outcome solely to the grace of God. (If you knew my story you would too, trust me.) My children are good kids. I am very proud of the adults they are becoming but none of them are really on fire for God…yet. I have a successful career, currently holding a managerial position at a natural gas company, but I could have achieved more. I can’t say I have won many souls for Christ, nor have I any notoriety in the Christian world. There is only one thing that I have truly excelled at – inner work. I have a dogged commitment to doing the hard, hidden work of maturity.
So let me set your expectations straight upfront: This book is about the unglamourous, unheralded hard work of becoming like Christ that most won’t see and very few will give you accolades for, BUT it is THE MOST important work that you can do, and if you choose to put in the work, your reward will be great indeed.
Excited? Let’s start unpacking it with Romans 8:19 (NLT):
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
It is significant that in this verse the apostle Paul used the Greek word huios (which is translated as ‘sons’). There are four possible words that he could have used. There is nepios which is a word used to describe an infant. An example of its usage is contained in Hebrews 5:13. Then there is paidion which is a young child as used in Matthew 19:13-14. There is also teknion which describes an adolescent or immature young adult. In the New Testament, it is often used by a teacher to refer to his disciples who have not yet matured. For example, in 1 John 5:21. Finally, there is huios. It is the word used for a mature son. It is the word used to describe Christ as the Son of God, and the word Christ used for Himself when he referred to Himself as the Son of Man.
Therefore, in the context of Romans 8:19, all of creation is not longing merely for more converts to Christianity, but for all the Christian babies, children and teenagers to grow into mature manhood and womanhood. This is what the world is waiting to see, and this is the cause that I have given my life to. My mission is to be an example, a catalyst and a servant in God’s glorious plan for maturing the Bride of Christ into absolute perfection, full authority and dazzling beauty of the fullness of Christ! I too, am eagerly longing for the church (myself included) to grow up into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. I hope it will happen in my lifetime, but even if it doesn’t, I will happily dedicate the rest of my years in service of this vision. Of course, this is not just my vision, this is God’s heart desire for His daughters and sons. He longs for us to come to maturity.
This mission is the reason for this book. My prayer is that you will find practical wisdom here that will help you grow in Christ. This is a book about the how – how we become mature. The contents are the gleanings of my journey toward maturity. I converted to Christianity as a teenager when I became a Roman Catholic through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Then, at twenty-one, I became a born-again believer and got baptized (again) in a non-denominational church with Pentecostal roots. However, I did not begin to see significant growth in my maturity until my late thirties.
What was responsible for this acceleration in my spiritual growth? A God-encounter. Up until that moment I had experienced a lot of religion and a lot of behaviour modification but limited transformation. What I mean is, I was filled with knowledge about God and how a Christian should behave but I had very little (if any) change in my internal desires and motivations.
(To read about my testimony, check out my first book – Authentic Joy).
After my encounter with the liquid love of Jesus, I began to see a change in my life. This was not as a result of my willpower, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, fuelled by His love for me and my love for Him.
This is how it started for me. From that moment, I would meet with my Rabbi every morning with excitement to discover what He wanted to teach me each morning. That was over ten years ago, and it was just the first key to unlocking a life of transformation. On these pages, I will share with you all that I have learned from my successes and my failures on my life’s journey thus far.
Stay tuned for more sneak peek previews in days to come!
Copyright 2025, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
In October my wife and I visited Niagara, NY. It was a wonderful time of connection with an old friend and connection with God in nature. One day we did a 10km walk/hike along the Niagara River gorge. At every turn was a new vista of vibrant autumn colours against the backdrop of the vast blue of the sky or the deep blue of the river. We felt like we had stepped into a special moment curated by God just for us.
After walking for quite a while along the river, we came to a stone staircase leading us back to the upper rim. At the top of the stairs was a bench overlooking the river. This is the view taken from that spot.
As we sat on that bench, the river laid out before us and a gentle breeze blowing off the river, a stillness fell over us. We had visited the waterfall earlier and been impacted by the sheer power of the millions of gallons of water flowing over the Horseshoe Falls and exploding onto the rocks below. But here on this bench, we felt like Elijah after the wind and earthquake and fire. God began to speak in a gentle whisper.
“In this season you are that river,” he said. As my spirit unpacked what that meant with His Spirit, He showed me the quiet power of the river. A power that is not boisterous or loud but quietly undeniable. I had been going through a season at work where God was reshaping what it meant for me to influence my workplace for the kingdom. I have a strong justice value system. I feel very strongly about being treated fairly and even more strongly about others being treated fairly and with dignity and respect. In the face of injustice, I can be passionate and adversarial.
But what God was showing me in the river was a different way to stand up for justice and righteousness. God was showing me the power of this mighty river was not only in the foaming white waters but also in the slow steady flow. The same type of steady inexorable flow that formed the Grand Canyon.
God was telling me to quiet my soul. I heard Isaiah 30:15…
This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.
He was calling me back to rest in Him and see the wonders that He would perform. Not me, He, the Holy One! In that moment I saw clearly the constant gnawing anxiety just below the surface that I had been living with for the past few months. I saw my unease and disquiet and fret. Even during this vacation, how many of my thoughts were still at work? I exhaled and began to take some deep breaths. When last had I even really breathed?
As I sat on that bench in Niagara a few days before the US elections it was not lost on me that my struggle to grasp Jesus’ way of impacting my world was a microcosm of a global church crisis of an identical nature. We all want to see righteousness and justice established on the earth but the critical question is how. I see us, the church, getting louder, more desperate, and more anxious. We are a lot more froth than depth.
I am still unpacking this lesson and what it means in practice to be the quiet river. But what I do know is this: There is a power to affect our world through prayer (God for us) and presence (God with us) that can only be accessed from a posture of abiding rest in Him and quiet confidence in the victory that has already been won. Being present in the moment to God and to people with a heart to love and to serve backed up by powerful governmental prayer from a pure heart is more powerful than any policy or legislation at the organizational or national level.
After telling His disciples about the Father sending the Holy Spirit to them when He was gone, Jesus said (John 14:27 NLT):
I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Thank you Jesus for Your gift of peace. Teach us to return to Your peace and to remain in Your peace.
Shalom,
Copyright 2024, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
DESCRIPTION: Participants will be taken on a 13-week journey that explores topics such as intimacy with God, identity, responsibility, spiritual/mental/emotional wholeness, resilience through trials, and discovering your calling/purpose. Part 2 is particularly focused on how to persevere through trials. The sessions will include teaching, discussion, reflection, and activation in an environment of safe and loving community. The emphasis is practical, not theological. Our focus is on how to practically live out the commands of Jesus and become more like Him.
TARGET AUDIENCE: This workshop is open to anyone seeking to walk more intimately with Jesus Christ and become more like Him. All are welcome no matter your faith tradition.
Thank you so much for a beautiful experience of discovering God’s love. It was so good to learn about the ways in which His love is planted, grows and multiplied in my life. I thoroughly enjoyed every session and eagerly looked forward to the next one every week. Each session helped me discover something about God that I hadn’t recognized before. And they showed me something of myself that I hadn’t yet discovered or actually knew but was holding back. Putting these lessons into practice in my life has been and will continue to be life transforming for me. The wonderful thing is that when I am transformed the people in my life begin a journey also. They may not know it or realize it yet but I know that He who began a good work…. Thank you again for putting into us (me) the way you do. It makes a difference. The Lord bless you abundantly.
Much love in Christ Delores, USA
Hello, Matik & Tricia,
First and foremost, thank you for creating a space where I could be open and vulnerable despite the fear I initially felt. It was truly an accomplishment for me to share my thoughts, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to do so.
Throughout this journey, there were times when I didn’t feel like showing up, when I wanted to skip sessions. Yet, my hunger to finish strong, without excuses, pushed me to honor my commitment to myself. I felt compelled to prove that I could make time for me, even amidst the busyness of the day and the emotions I carried.
Your mentorship has had an impact on me in ways I can’t fully express. When I said I felt like I was lost at sea, I meant it. Life’s unexpected challenges—like the loss of my eldest sister and the difficult relationship with my younger brother who seem to battle hatred and anger issues towards our family —had left me questioning everything. There were times when I felt as if I were being targeted, like I was digging myself out of a pit only for the dirt to be thrown back on me.
But through these struggles, I’ve come to understand that although the circumstances were too heavy to bear on my own, I always had the strength to return to the one who promised to be there for me. The class not only encouraged me but also challenged me in ways that forced me to engage with my Bible more deeply. It shouldn’t have taken this class to do so, but I’m grateful that it did. I’ve made a promise to myself to continue strengthening that connection, and I have been making more time for it.
You may not realize it, but on those days, your guidance saved my heart and mind from what felt like an inevitable breakdown.
Thank you once again for all you do. I applaud the message you’re spreading, and I look forward to joining Part 2 next year, God willing.
Warm regards, Rachel, Trinidad & Tobago
I loved that this was an open place to share. I had quite a bit on my plate at the start, and being in that space was a healing in itself. It renewed my trust in God. At that time, my husband was having some issues with his sight; he couldn’t see. But listening to the teachings and hearing what others had to share helped me to see God’s hand working in my life, and that of my husband, even in that situation.
It seems like there was something happening in my life for each fraction of Part 2, I was having some issues with my alcoholic brother. He was drinking and getting into fights. But being in a place that I felt safe to share and being taught about God’s continued grace, helped me through. During Part 3, I was not in the best place spiritually; I wasn’t giving God His due, not spending enough time in His presence. But Matik’s presentations (practice and assignments) helped to pull me out of that place and be more focused on my relationship with God.
I truly believe that spirituality is much more important than religion. I also believe that God isn’t about saving only one religion but all of mankind. These three ‘courses’ reiterated that fact. Interacting with people of different countries, religious persuasions and socio-economic backgrounds, taught me that I take a lot of things for granted in my life.
I truly enjoyed these sessions and looked forward to them. I would this again if given the opportunity, because there was so much to learn that I’m sure I missed something(s).
Thanks so much for this Matik! May God continue to bless your efforts to spread His Kingdom message to others.
Jeneil, Trinidad & Tobago
Hi everyone. My name is Gillian. My husband and I met Matik and Tricia virtually during our search for a greater level of understanding of the Kingdom of God and desiring a greater daily impact in our lives through a deeper intimacy with God. I have had the great opportunity to sit expectantly through the Spiritual Formation sessions for Part 2 and Part 3 courses.
The Authentic Joy journey has been a real eye opener for me. In their loving way, I was encouraged to ask myself some deep questions, that allowed me to understand who I am and who God created me to be. My fellow course-mates helped in the process by sharing their experiences and what they gleaned as well. I especially liked the exercises and the habits we were encouraged to develop. Journaling is still a challenge but I appreciate the value of it and will settle in one day. Our model was always Christ Jesus and I learnt that real life was thriving in His love, joy and peace and not the false self of the survival mode where I had the tendency to perform for acceptance.
We are all to continue to seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and in this, mature in love and purpose. I encourage you to go on this journey of Becoming Mature. For me although the course has ended, the transformation journey continues. I am committed to ardently pursue intimacy with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. My life depends on it.
Thank you, Matik and Tricia for your passionate pursuit of God and joy in giving this course. I love you both.
Gillian, Jamaica
This spiritual growth 10 week class through Authentic Joy was extremely well crafted and thorough with the foundational principles of our faith and very helpful and necessary for me, personally, to contemplate the basics and see where things got tangled or bent away from truth. Matik and Tricia provide a warm, safe, authentic atmosphere to ponder together and reflect, and then be encouraged. I was edified so much and it was so affirming to my spirit what God has been teaching me, but took being in community-valuing the Body oneness- to actually believe in it fully. I love the emphasis on valuing community to grow. Also their prayers are SO full of life and powerful. I could have spent the whole time in prayer with them. Their deep relationship with God is so felt. I’m very grateful to have been a part of the class with such good company of other believers!
The hallmark of a life yielded to God is a commitment to listening and obeying. However, I have found that both listening and obeying are disciplines that require practice.
When I was a babe in Christ I could not hear God very well at all and my life was at the mercy of those whom I allowed to guide me. It was not pretty. As an adolescent (in terms of spiritual maturity), I transitioned into taking responsibility for my decisions. I could hear God but only in a very general sense. I knew the general direction that He wanted me to go but not much more than that. Thankfully, today I can hear God much better. The beautiful thing about that is that when you have a word from God, and you know that you know that you have a word from God, staying the course of obedience is easier (still not easy mind you but at least you KNOW that it will work out in the end for your good and His glory).
At the beginning of this year, God spoke to me and said that 2024 would be a year of victory in every area of my life. Like Joshua, I would be taking territory in my health, finances, career, ministry, sanctification, relationships etc. Now, a decade ago I might have been naively excited about this word but not today. I knew what that word really meant. It meant: Get ready for war! I’m still excited, but it’s more of a sober excitement if you know what I mean.
Again, a decade ago I might also have thought that I had nothing more to do than wait for God to drop this victory in my lap. And, of course, I would have ended the year frustrated and disappointed. But not today! I have learned that God wants me to partner with His word; to partner with Him. So, I made a plan of how I would partner with this word to see it come to pass in my life.
One of the first things I did was to rearrange my schedule to prioritize physical exercise and time with God. I slowed down. I got focused. I disengaged from social media. I’m not running around attending a lot of church events. Instead, I’m focused on quiet alone time with Him. In other words, I prioritized self-care. War takes a toll and I know my victory depends on my ability to stay connected and refreshed in God’s presence as well as physically and emotionally healthy. This is what it takes to persevere. It’s all about the long game.
The second thing I did was to engage the services of a professionally trained Christian therapist. I stress professionally trained because we Christians have this belief that any pastor with bible knowledge makes a good therapist. I can tell you from experience this is not the case! Not only that, but many church leaders do not even have a pastoral gift/calling and are really frustrated by having to deal with people’s problems which is not who you want counseling you! You want someone who, first of all, can hear God, and secondly has been called and trained to facilitate transformation in your life. Someone who enjoys helping people become the best version of themselves. Someone who can deal with all of our mess without shaming us or condemning us and who genuinely finds joy in their work. Someone who is your die-hard advocate and is full of hope for who you can become in Christ. I am blessed to have found a therapist who fits that description to support me in this season. If I am to have victory in my personal life I need to put in the inner work.
Next, in each area of my life, I seek God daily for the details of how to engage the enemy and secure victory. While the word of the Lord for 2024 is my rallying call, my inspiration, and my anchor, experience has taught me that the pathway to victory relies on a daily partnership with God. How do I handle this situation at work, Jesus? How do I deal with this issue with my son, Papa? What do you want to do at our church meeting this morning, Holy Spirit? The Spirit-led life is the only pathway to fulfilling God’s word for my life in 2024.
So has it gone smoothly thus far? Ha! Finances are tighter than ever, one of my sons had his first car accident, my granddaughter had a health challenge, I just strained my hamstring this week, I have a cough that won’t go away, and there are contentious issues brewing at work. Just to name a few of the challenges… But this is what I expected. This is the nature of war. There is no victory without war. It is only in our fantasies that a ‘take the promised land like Joshua’ word means a comfortable stroll around Jericho singing a few songs and then we walk in and take over while the enemy hightails it for the hills. At least that was what it looked like in my head in my more immature days.
I am thankful that He has brought me to the place where I can genuinely rejoice through trials because I hear His voice and I KNOW that I am following the Commander of the Armies of Heaven! “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) This is my peace in the storm.
Every day I see victory in my circumstances. I see it in the unexpected heart-to-heart conversation when one of my children has an uncharacteristically teachable moment. I see it in an unexpected call from someone I do not know that connects me with purpose in a way I could not have planned. I see it in just-in-time resources to help me navigate difficult relationships. Most of all I feel it in His voice and the nearness of His presence. I know I am victorious because He is with me every day. This was God’s word to Joshua:
Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
There are a few things I want to leave with you:
Hearing God takes practice. It develops over time. But it is essential for every one of us to be working on developing this ability. Your effectiveness in living a purposeful life that is pleasing to God is determined firstly by how well you can be directed by Him in your daily walk. This is not just knowing the bible. This is knowing His voice. There is a difference.
When God gives you a word, know that it will not (generally) come to pass without your active participation. God wants to do things with you, more than He wants to do things for you. Active participation means digging into the details of what God requires from us. Never stop at just receiving a word with joy. Dissect it. Ask questions. Work it out daily with Him. God often gives scant details so that we will not run off without Him.
God rewards obedience. When you begin to do life His way and in His timing, you will reap the rewards!
#2 in my opinion, is what makes all the difference in our experience of this Christian life. I know many people who are stressed, anxious, discouraged, and exhausted by following Jesus. There was a time when I was all of those things. We press on and hold on in the hope that all things work for good… But that is not how God wants us to live! We are designed to live in fellowship with God and His presence is supposed to be the source of our internal atmosphere. Our experience of life should be full of peace, hope, and joy not because circumstances are peaceful, hopeful, or joyful but because He is and He is with us! I am not afraid or discouraged because the Lord my God is with me wherever I go! If as a Christ-follower there isn’t peace and joy on the inside of you that is BIGGER than your circumstances then there is a deeper walk in God available to you. Press into it now!
Copyright 2024, Matik Nicholls. All rights reserved.
As a participant, you will be taken on a 10-week journey that explores the mechanics of how to transition from a place of disconnection to meaningful, and satisfying connection with others. We examine issues such as identity, self-worth, and vulnerability. We also tackle the challenges of staying connected with people with different values from us and how to do conflict well. And much more! We will explore kingdom relational principles and partner with Holy Spirit to discover hidden barriers that may be keeping us from having the kind of relationships God wants us to have. Participants will realize a marked improvement in their ability to partner with God in their relationships.
FORMAT:
The focus of this workshop is improving your practical ability to connect with others. Therefore, the sessions have been carefully designed to facilitate tangible growth in your effectiveness in building and maintaining healthy kingdom relationships. To this end, the sessions are camera-on sessions that include theory and practice, all based on sound biblical principles. You will come away with tangible work products and tools that will facilitate your continued growth well into the future. We have deliberately designed this as a series of small group meetings over a period of time to allow for ample personal reflection and meaningful sharing in a safe space of community with others. This methodology has been proven to deliver superior results for our participants.
TARGET AUDIENCE:
This course is for everyone! The content is relevant to every relationship in your life and they say that the biggest determinant of our quality of life is the quality of our relationships. Please note that all faith traditions are warmly welcomed.
FACILITATORS:
Matik Nicholls and Tricia Celestin-Nicholls share a burning passion for Jesus and for empowering people. They live in the beautiful Caribbean twin islands of Trinidad & Tobago with their five children and one granddaughter. Together they lead a small non-denominational faith community.
What they share in this workshop is largely based on their journey toward having a better marriage, and having better relationships with their children, parents, siblings, co-workers and brothers and sisters in Christ. A journey that involved facing their trauma and dysfunction, pursuing healing, getting professional help, and learning the relational skills that they were missing.
In addition, Tricia is a certified coach with the International Coaching Association and is trained in Story Informed Trauma Therapy and Trauma Counselling.
COST:
$30 USD or $200 TT
Note: If you feel that God is leading you to take this course but you cannot afford this price, please reach out to us.
To do a direct bank transfer use the following information:
Name: Matik Nicholls
Bank Name: Republic Bank Limited
Account No.: 260086069031
Account Type: Savings
Swift Code (international transfers): RBNKTTPX
For more info on international direct transfers click here. When the transfer is completed, please email the receipt or a screenshot to matik.nicholls@authenticjoy.org together with your name.
