Sanctuary Clinics, 984 Boston Highway, Monticello, FL (2026)

02/05/2026

Your growth is based on what you stop doing, and not just what you start doing.

02/05/2026

In Thought
Our master commands us to "go." We need permission to stay! The gospel is the account of Jesus leaving his father’s right hand to go to Calvary. Jesus instructed those who wanted to be his disciples to leave their homes and their comforts and follow him. Some insisted that they could not go yet because they still had to care for elderly parents. They just wanted to make sure everything was in order first. Still others expressed willingness to follow but wanted to know the details of what they would be doing. Jesus never excused those who struggled to follow him. He made it clear that to follow him meant he set the direction, and they were to follow. We can convince ourselves that Jesus does not really want us to adjust our lives, pointing to the success we are enjoying right where we are. Yet Jesus often told his disciples to go elsewhere in spite of the success they were experiencing. Peter had just pulled in the greatest catch of fish in his entire career when Jesus invited him to leave everything. Phillip was enjoying astounding success as an evangelist when the Holy Spirit instructed him to go to the desert. Success where we are can be our greatest hindrance to going where Jesus wants us to be. If you become too comfortable where you are you may resist Christ's invitation to go elsewhere. He may lead you across the street to share the gospel with your neighbor or to the other side of the world. Wherever he leads, be prepared to go.

Henry T. Blackaby, Richard Blackaby - Experiencing God Day by Day

In Reflection
Henry Blackaby asserts that our Master commands us to “go” and that we need permission to stay. This is a profound challenge to the sedentary, comfort-seeking nature of the flesh. Jesus demonstrated this principle by leaving heaven to go to Calvary, and He instructed His disciples to leave their homes and comforts to follow Him. For those in recovery, the biggest threat to spiritual growth is often not failure, but success where we are—becoming too comfortable or convinced that Jesus doesn't want us to adjust our lives.

Jesus never excused those who struggled to follow. He made it clear that to follow Him meant He set the direction, and we are to obey, even if it disrupts an area of great personal success, as He showed Peter after his greatest catch. Our calling is to be witnesses—to tell what we’ve seen and experienced of Jesus—which demands movement and discomfort.

Among Jesus’ final words were the instruction to minister in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Jerusalem was their backyard and comfort zone. Samaria was like ‘the other side of the tracks,’ a place where living out their faith would be difficult and awkward. The progression is clear: we are called to move outward, beyond our four walls, and outside of our comfort zones. When we are addicted to comfort, we resist Christ’s call to leave our emotional, geographical, or relational "Jerusalem." Wherever He leads—across the street to share hope with a neighbor, or into a painful family conversation—be prepared to go. Let’s GO!

In Deed
Identify one "comfortable" area of your recovery or your life where you might be stagnant, and ask God where He is calling you to "go" next. Commit to one uncomfortable conversation or act of service today that moves you outside your usual "Jerusalem."

02/04/2026

In Thought
For many of us who profess to follow Christ, much inward change may be needed before we can hear God correctly. When trouble comes – for example, when we have car problems or get into a dispute with someone – how long does it take us to bring it to God in prayer? When we see an accident or some violent behavior or we hear an ambulance down the street, do you think to hold those concerned up to God in prayer? When we meet with a person for any reason, do we go in a spirit of prayer that we are prepared to minister to them, and they to us? When we are alone, do we recognize that God is present with us? Does our mind spontaneously return to God we are not intentionally occupied, as a needle of a compass returns to the north pole when removed from near magnetic sources?

–Dallas Willard, Hearing God

In Reflection
Dallas Willard challenges us to examine the state of our internal lives, asking how much inward change is needed before we can hear God correctly. The measure of our spiritual health is the spontaneity of our prayer life. When trouble comes—a car problem, a dispute, or a moment of high anxiety—how long does it take us to bring it to God? When we witness suffering or meet a person for any reason, do we go in a spirit of prayer, prepared to minister and receive?

This spontaneous turning to God is the essence of “praying without ceasing.” It is not about formal prayer but about a life of inner prayer, an ongoing dialogue as life unfolds. For those in recovery battling mental health issues, this constant consciousness of God’s presence acts as a powerful barrier against the self-centered isolation that fuels relapse. When the mind is not occupied, does it spontaneously return to God, as a needle of a compass returns to the north pole? If our minds drift immediately to worry, complaint, or self-will, much inward change is still needed.

Practicing the presence of God means recognizing that He is present with us at all times. This conscious awareness transforms every setting and situation, elevating mundane tasks and challenging interactions into moments of spiritual connection. When we cultivate this spirit of prayer, we are less likely to be blindsided by fear or fall into old coping mechanisms. Are you living in a spirit of prayer today? Let us pray for the grace to make our minds a compass that instantly and naturally points back to our true North, trusting Him in every circumstance.

In Deed
The next time you are waiting—in a line, at a red light, or for a meeting to start—notice where your mind "spontaneously" drifts. Practice redirecting your "compass needle" by whispering a simple thank-you to God for His presence right in that mundane moment.

02/04/2026

Before you change your thinking, you have to change what goes into your mind.

02/03/2026

In Thought
The soul finds its place between the body and the spirit: the link that binds them together. By the body, the soul relates to the external world; by the spirit it relates with the spiritual world. By means of the soul, the spiritual can subject the body to heavenly powers; by means of the soul, the body can act on the spirit and attract it earthward. So one must choose between the voice of God, speaking to the spirit or the voice of the world, speaking through the senses. We know what sin and Satan have done with this arrangement. By means of the body the spirit was tempted and seduced; it became a slave of the senses. We know also what God has done to destroy the work of Satan and to accomplish the purpose of creation. The Holy Spirit brings to our souls the life of Jesus—His holiness, joy, and strength.

—Andrew Murray

In Reflection
Andrew Murray explains that the soul is the critical link between our physical existence (the body) and the spiritual realm. This means the soul is the battleground where we choose between the voice of God and the voice of the world. Murray notes the tragedy of sin: the spirit was tempted and seduced by the body, becoming a slave of the senses. This describes the exact mechanism of addiction and much of the struggle in mental health—the compulsive need to follow the immediate, destructive dictates of the flesh.

The Apostle Paul sharply defines this choice in Romans 8:5: “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” This is not a passive observation; it is an active command to set, fix, and align our focus. The Holy Spirit brings to our souls the life of Jesus—His holiness, joy, and strength—providing the supernatural power necessary to break the bo***ge to the senses and accomplish the purpose of creation.

The choice before us is constant: Which voice are you listening to today? The voice of the Spirit, which draws the body to heavenly powers, or the voice of the world, which acts on the spirit and attracts it earthward? In the moments of temptation, setting your mind on the Spirit means intentionally replacing destructive thoughts with Scripture and prayer. This deliberate choice allows the Holy Spirit to fill your soul with the life and strength needed to resist. Trust God to destroy the work of sin by focusing your mind on His Spirit, claiming the life of Jesus as your immediate reality.

In Deed
Identify the primary "voice of the world" that has been speaking to your senses lately—perhaps a specific craving or a social media comparison—and decide on one verse of Scripture to "set" your mind on when that voice speaks today. Practice a five-minute "Spirit-focus" session where you silence all senses and simply listen for God's quiet internal voice.

02/03/2026

People don’t struggle with discipline…
They struggle with an environment that rewards their worst impulses and punishes their best ones…

02/02/2026

Your flesh doesn’t care about eternity because it’s not going with you

02/02/2026

Consider it all joy

02/01/2026

Living by prayer

02/01/2026

The fastest way to build confidence:
Start keeping promises to yourself.
Tell yourself you’ll wake up at 6, then do it.
Say you’ll work out, then do it.
Commit to reading 10 pages, then do it.
Every kept promise builds self-trust.

That’s all confidence is — evidence you can trust yourself.

01/31/2026

Like a screen door on a submarine

01/30/2026

Ritual or relationship?

Sanctuary Clinics

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