Link to devotionals - https://cliffviewchurch.org/devotionals

In this episode of Milk to Meat 101, we explore one of the most foundational truths of the Christian faith: we are adopted into God’s family.

What does adoption reveal about God’s love?

Adoption shows us that God’s love is:

🔹 Proactive – He chose us before we ever chose Him (Ephesians 1:5).

God doesn’t wait for us to “clean ourselves up.” He meets us where we are and, through Christ, brings us into His family.

🔹 Unmerited – We don’t earn adoption. It is a gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8–9).

We are saved not because of works, but because of His mercy.

🔹 Costly – Our adoption required sacrifice.

God gave His Son so that we could become sons and daughters. Jesus paid the price so we could belong.

🔹 Secure – We are no longer spiritual orphans (Hebrews 13:5).

In Christ, we have a Father who will never leave or forsake us.

🔹 Identity-Giving – We are heirs, not slaves (Galatians 4:4–7).

Through adoption, we receive a new identity, intimate access to God as “Abba, Father,” and the assurance that we belong to Him forever.

Before salvation, we wander searching for belonging. In Christ, we are given a permanent home, a loving Father, and an unbreakable relationship.

This is the heart of the gospel — not just rescue, but family.

Welcome to Milk to Meat 101 — building a strong foundation in Christ.

Link to devotionals - https://cliffviewchurch.org/devotionals

How do we renew our minds daily in a world that constantly bombards us with information—much of it unhealthy and spiritually damaging? In this Milk to Meat episode, we take a sober and practical look at what it means to guard our minds and intentionally pursue renewal.

We begin by addressing the reality that much of what we watch, listen to, and willingly allow into our lives is not spiritually healthy. The phrase “it isn’t that bad” is examined honestly, revealing how even a small amount of harmful influence can contaminate our thinking. Using the illustration of a crystal-clear glass of glacier water ruined by a single drop of sewage—and the reverse analogy of searching for one good drop in a glass full of sewage—we show why compromise in what we consume spiritually is never harmless.

From there, we talk about the importance of limiting what we allow into our minds and homes, choosing content that draws us closer to the Lord rather than slowly dulling our spiritual sensitivity. Guarding the mind isn’t legalism—it’s wisdom.

The episode then turns to the life-giving practice of daily devotion and prayer. Spending intentional time in God’s Word and in His presence consciously sets our minds on Christ. As we read and pray, the Holy Spirit renews us, washes over us, and speaks to us, turning our devotional life into a two-way relationship rather than a routine.

We close by emphasizing that the more we grow in intimacy with the Lord, the more we become like Him—and the less we look like the world. Renewing the mind is not accidental; it’s a daily, deliberate pursuit that shapes who we become.

This episode challenges listeners to take inventory of what they are allowing into their minds and to recommit to practices that lead to true spiritual renewal.

Link to devotionals - https://cliffviewchurch.org/devotionals

Authentic Christian living begins with believing the right things about who we are in Christ. In this Milk to Meat episode, we examine how spiritual identity produces authenticity, aligned choices, and resilient faith.

We start with a simple but penetrating truth: “You may not live what you profess, but you will undoubtedly live what you believe.” When our relationship with the Lord is real and alive, what we profess with our mouths begins to match how we live. Knowing who we are spiritually allows us to resist external pressures to conform to the world and instead live in alignment with what God is calling us to be.

From there, we explore how understanding that we are chosen, forgiven, and God’s workmanship equips us with resilience and strength. Drawing from Romans 8:1–4, we unpack the powerful reality that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Through His sacrifice and resurrection, Jesus broke the power of sin and condemnation once and for all.

We explain how the Law of Moses could reveal sin but could not save us, because it depended on human effort. In His great love, God took responsibility for what we could never fix. Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh, lived a perfect and blameless life, bore our sin, and satisfied the righteous requirement of the Law on our behalf. Because of this, we are now free to walk according to the Spirit rather than the flesh.

This episode highlights how freedom from condemnation changes the way we live—replacing fear, victimhood, and powerlessness with confidence, obedience, and Spirit-led strength. When we truly believe what Christ has done, our lives begin to reflect it, and authentic faith becomes visible in how we walk every day.