Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you. (Galatians 5:1)
Saturday had all the elements of a great day.
It started with Bible-study; five guys, coffee, Romans, and a mutual commitment to grow as disciples of Jesus.
Then home for coffee with Rebekah before heading out to play golf with two more friends from church. It was the kind of July day I wasn’t used to in Florida. Ten o’clock it was 70-degrees with low humidity. The course was pristine, featuring tall trees, rolling hills, and deep woods.
The golf course was one of those, “Excuse me, Mr. Maul; when you find it convenient, would you please tuck in your shirt,” places. Then he cleaned my clubs. What a beautiful day.
Saturday evening, after a relaxed dinner, Rebekah and I both spent the remaining hours preparing for Sunday morning. She fine-tuning her message; me prepping to teach the “Daily Walk” adult ed class; both of us with Jesus on our hearts and minds.
CHURCH: So now it’s time to head into church. We have this great freedom privilege here in the United States of America. It’s a quality of life that’s in scant supply in many parts of the world, and I’m worried those of us who enjoy it here take it so much for granted we don’t really know what we have any more.
“Freedom means I can do what I like,” may be technically true; but an expression of freedom that fails to engage in purposeful relationship to the Creator misses the point of what freedom is.
I’m grateful church isn’t a legal obligation; I’m even more thankful the church is alive and thriving. I’m going to go and worship God this morning exactly because I’m free.
I wouldn’t even understand what liberty meant outside of redemption – DEREK