What a morning to celebrate how Jesus has changed people’s lives and their choice to follow Him. It’s amazing to see what God is doing. Baptism is also a time for all of us to reflect on the death and resurrection of Jesus, and celebrate the freedom He brings us.
I know that true freedom is found in Jesus, and I know the Holy Spirit wants to remodel my heart so I can live freely, but here’s the problem … people. It seems like relationships can rob us of our freedom when they aren’t going well. Whether it’s our kids or spouse on a bad day, the boss who stresses us out, the person who takes advantage of us, or the person who cuts us off on the road, people have the power to rob us of living in freedom. How do we pursue relationships in a way where we can experience freedom?
I know that true freedom is found in Jesus. It’s amazing that He has made a way for us to experience a loving relationship with God. At the same time, I don’t always feel like I’m living in freely in my day to day life - I give into temptation, lose my temper, fall into bad habits, get overwhelmed, etc. How do I experience this freedom as I live my life each day?
We live in a culture where we've never had more options to choose from, but in many ways, we also feel chained down by those same choices. We can feel the pressure that comes from being tied to our job, to a broken relationship, to our past, to our financial situation, to inner battles, etc. No matter how hard we try, why is it so hard to feel free in our daily lives? We'll be talking about what it means to experience real freedom in our souls and lives. What if it really is possible to live free?