Posts with the tag “freedom”

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10   There’s a powerful story about a criminal who, when faced with the choice between being hung by a rope or walking through a mysterious iron door, chose the rope. As the noose was slipping around his neck, he asked the king what ...  Read More

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."- John 8:36   We can criticize and protest the way certain music and media portray sex and sexuality, but if we don’t provide a safe space for honest conversations about these topics, we’re setting future generations up for confusion and struggle. It’s crucial to create environments where people, especially young people, can talk openly about ...  Read More

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places," - Ephesians 1:3   Many people struggle with the idea of counting their blessings, especially when the world defines blessings in material terms—big houses, nice cars, and lavish lifestyles. It's easy to equate blessings with what we can see and touch. But tru...  Read More

"...to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." - Ephesians 1:6   Imagine being at an airport, ready to fly home, only to realize your ID has been stolen. That’s what happened to Dr. F. Bruce Williams during a revival trip. Despite lacking proper identification, he was allowed to board because someone vouched for him. Similarly, our acceptance by God isn’t ba...  Read More

"For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear." - Romans 8:15   Have you ever found yourself trapped in cycles of chaos and dysfunction, unable to break free from the patterns of your past? It's a startling reality that many of us face—being bound by the familiar grip of our trauma, unable to see ourselves removed from the very situations that once hurt us. In Romans 8:15, Pa...  Read More

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit." - Psalm 32:1-2   Have you ever experienced the transformative power of God's forgiveness? David's journey reveals not only the act of releasing his past but also the blessed assurance that follows. In verses 1 and 2, we're remi...  Read More

"When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." - Psalm 32:3-4   Have you ever found yourself burdened by the weight of your mistakes, carrying the heaviness of guilt and shame? It's a common struggle we all face, but there's a powerful lesson to be learned from King David's...  Read More

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." - Psalm 51:10   Cleansing is an essential concept in the journey of faith. It represents the process of purifying our hearts and spirits from wrongdoing. Just as we wash away physical impurities, we must cleanse our inner selves from sin and unrighteousness. Psalm 51:10 beautifully encapsulates this idea as it portrays King D...  Read More

“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” - Proverbs 18:10  If you want to leave your old life behind and step into the life God is calling you to live, you are going to have to do a few things differently. Albert Einstein is famously quoted as saying, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” If you...  Read More

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7  Are you struggling to embrace the freedom that comes from Jesus? As we reviewed yesterday, Paul reminds us in Galatians 5:1 that we are free in Christ. All of us were...  Read More

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” - Galatians 5:1  Have you ever gone on a group trip with friends or family? If you have, then you know there’s always someone on the trip who must micromanage every detail of the trip. And so you leave the trip more stressed than you were before because this one person is so obse...  Read More

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” - Galatians 5:1  Galatians 5 helps to free us from the need to be perfect. At the time of this text, those new to the faith were being challenged by Jewish Christians who felt that in order to be saved, a true Christian had to observe all 613 commandments, customs, and ritual law...  Read More

“’Yet even now,’ declares the Lord, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.’” - Joel 2:12Fasting. It is something we have spent the last couple of days talking about. Fasting is a great tool to gain clarity from God. It is something Elijah did while waiting for God to light the fire at the altar and then send the rain at Mt. Carmel. And it is something we ...  Read More

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who se...  Read More

“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for He is the one who called you to freedom.” - Galatians 5:7-8  The story is told of a gentleman who really wanted to buy his first tv set but always found excuses not to. First, he thought tv’s were too expensive, then he didn’t think there were enough stations to provide him variety. He f...  Read More

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” - Hebrews 12:1    There is a story of a bald eagle that was gracefully soaring over the northwestern pacific in search of food one day. In the middle of its flight, the eagle happened upo...  Read More

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1 Perfectionism is a very rigid view of life that assumes that one’s worth and acceptance is contingent upon doing everything perfectly with no flaws; however, it’s this pursuit of flawlessness that leads us on a fast track towards unhappiness and depression because perfection is an illusion—an impossibility. Spiritual perfectionism will have us believing that we can earn God’s grace and favor by the things that we do. Yes, it is important to seek to live a Spirit-filled life. But we must recognize that we will fall short of God’s glory at some point. So, there is no need to throw in the towel and give up on our walk with God. Think about it from the view of a parent. As a parent, you have nurtured your child and you have tried your best to instill great values in that child. However, there will be times when your child makes mistakes. Does this change your love for your child? No. There may be consequences for those actions; however, your child will still be yours regardless; and you still have a high expectation of them to do great things. Sure, you might mess up from time to time. But this does not mean you have to revert back to your old habits. Acknowledge you have messed up, accept God’s forgiveness, and keep pressing on! Do you find this to be a struggle for you? Maybe you continue to go back to your old ways because you feel as though you cannot live a “perfect” spiritual life. Don’t let perfectionism keep you from claiming the freedom God has already given you. Let that bondage go.   Read More

“Jesus replied, ‘Very true I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.’” – John 8:36 The abundant life for which Jesus came and died was predicated upon a desire to set us free. John the evangelist conveyed the Lord’s sentiments when he said, “So if the Son ...  Read More

“It is for freedom that Christ as set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1 The apostle Paul knew a lot about what it was like to be in prison. During his second missionary journey, he was arrested and imprisoned in Philippi. He was set free by an earthquake that freed him and Silas. After his third missionary journey, he was ...  Read More

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ” - Isaiah 41:10    Over the last few days we have covered why we miss signs when it comes to getting in (or out) of relationships, and the reasons we often ignore or dismiss these signs. As we conclude this conversation, let's discuss one o...  Read More

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” - Mark 11:25   When you carry unforgiveness, you are saying that the past is more important than the present. You are saying that the person you refuse to forgive is more important to you than yourself. You are also saying that the prison of the old trauma is mo...  Read More

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)We recently talked about the blessing of redemption that came as a result of Jesus’ death and resurrection. But that’s not the only blessing we’ve received from Christ. Another blessing we can be thankful for is the blessing of r...  Read More

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)I was recently reminded of a story told by preacher AJ Gordon, who one day met a young boy carrying a rusty cage with several birds fluttering nervously on the inside. Gordon asked the boy where he got the birds, and the boy replied that he trapped them in the field. "What are you going to do with th...  Read More

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3)There is a well-known hymn of the church written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897. The opening stanza goes, “When upon life's billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, count your many blessings, name them one by...  Read More

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)Religious perfectionism was the dominant spiritual stronghold that people struggled with during the time of Paul’s ministry, and it’s an issue that many of us as believers still struggle with today. This kind of perfectionism was the...  Read More

Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.” (Matthew 20:32-33)  For some reason, asking for help has been labeled as a sign of weakness in today’s culture. This upsets me because if you never ask for help, how will things get any better? You’re never going to experience the peace, the relief, the freedom, or the healing ...  Read More

A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. (Proverbs 14:30)  On one occasion, self-help author and cultural critic Shannon Alder wrote about the difference between people who are jealous and bitter versus those who are confident and secure. She described those who are jealous and bitter as those who are the first to race to the top of mountains, while those who are con...  Read More

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. (Exodus 2:11)  I can only imagine what life must have been like for Moses growing up living in the house of the man, Pharaoh, who was oppressing his people. I imagine he heard many horror stories of how the Hebrews were mistre...  Read More

“We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.” (Psalm 75:1)When we go through a disappointing, traumatic, or devastating circumstance, it can be hard for us to move forward if we can’t get closure on the matter. Psychologists define closure as the ability to receive understanding that allows you to obtain clarity, healing, and resolution for a trau...  Read More