Abundantly Free

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See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.680 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:37.399 We enjoy spending this time with you, and I hope 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:38.400 you'll leave inspired. 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:41.560 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week. 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:44.960 We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:46.640 Enjoy our son Jonathan. 0:01:46.680 --> 0:02:00.320 Today tonight, I want to talk about living abundantly free 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:03.120 in twenty nineteen. There are a lot of things I 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:07.400 would describe as barely free. They usually sound something like 0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:10.760 seven day free trial or subscribe and get the first 0:02:10.800 --> 0:02:14.440 month free. The truth is these things are not free. 0:02:14.520 --> 0:02:19.240 That workout plan those extra filters, they're barely free. Trust me, 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.519 I've learned. The first week is great, but when a 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:25.320 few months go by and they're still charging you, you'll 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.160 realize this is not what I signed up for. A 0:02:28.200 --> 0:02:31.480 friend of mine said he accidentally spent the last six 0:02:31.560 --> 0:02:36.239 months subscribe to free legaldocuments dot com because he needed 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:39.079 one form. That friend may or may not have been 0:02:39.120 --> 0:02:42.400 pastor Nick, but the point is it ended up costing 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:46.720 him over one hundred dollars. If we don't cancel those subscriptions, 0:02:46.760 --> 0:02:50.160 those hidden charges start to add up. There's a difference 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:54.640 between barely free and abundantly free in life. Many of 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:58.239 us know God's promised us freedom, but we find ourselves 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:04.120 living barely free. We've accepted those hidden charges, allowed those things, 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:05.720 and just thought that this is the way it will 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:09.040 always be. We're paying for things we never intended to. 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:13.440 Maybe it's a constant battle with guilt, anxiety, or addiction. 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:16.600 It could be because of how we were raised, what 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:20.000 was passed down, what we experienced growing up, or maybe 0:03:20.040 --> 0:03:24.280 it's because of mistakes we've made. It's easy for disappointments 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:27.760 and failures to cause us to develop a barely free lifestyle, 0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:30.720 one where we don't pray bold prayers and believe for 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:34.239 our dreams, one where we shrink back in fear rather 0:03:34.280 --> 0:03:37.280 than step up to our calling. We think we've messed 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:40.600 up too many times to receive God's goodness. We settle 0:03:40.640 --> 0:03:44.440 for barely free. But that's not God's plan for our lives. 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:47.720 Jesus didn't take on the cross so that we could 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:50.400 live under the weight of what we've been through. He 0:03:50.440 --> 0:03:53.080 didn't rise from the grave so that we could struggle 0:03:53.120 --> 0:03:55.640 with addiction the rest of our lives. And he didn't 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:58.480 ask us to be perfect in order to experience the 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.400 kind of life he wants to give us us. Ephesians 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:05.760 one says, because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, we're 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:11.920 a free people, and not just barely free, either, abundantly free. 0:04:11.960 --> 0:04:14.600 This is the promise we can stand on in every 0:04:14.640 --> 0:04:18.280 area of our lives, free from fear, free from worry, 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:22.599 free from unforgiveness. Whatever might be limiting you. Abundantly free 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:25.400 has it covered, but we have to allow it to 0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:28.280 take root in our hearts and minds. As long as 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:32.080 we accept those hidden charges, learn to live with what's 0:04:32.080 --> 0:04:36.280 holding us back. It's not going to change tonight. God 0:04:36.320 --> 0:04:40.320 wants to cancel those subscriptions. He wants to cancel anxiety 0:04:40.360 --> 0:04:43.360 and insecurity. He wants to cancel the thought that says 0:04:43.440 --> 0:04:46.359 this will never change. Those things do not have to 0:04:46.440 --> 0:04:49.679 cost us anymore. The price has been paid in full. 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:53.960 What's happened in the past doesn't define your future. People 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:56.480 in your family may have struggled with certain things, but 0:04:56.520 --> 0:04:58.800 you can be the one to set a new standard. 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:03.520 Because of Jesus, we're not barely free, we're abundantly free. 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:07.320 That means we're not just free in one area. God's 0:05:07.320 --> 0:05:09.680 design is not for us to be free on the 0:05:09.720 --> 0:05:13.400 outside but captive by the negative way we see ourselves. 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.400 It's not for us to have a successful career but 0:05:16.520 --> 0:05:21.279 be bound by addiction. Who the sun sets free is free. Indeed, 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:26.760 one translation says unquestionably free. Let's receive that into our spirit. 0:05:27.000 --> 0:05:30.800 We're not barely free, we're unquestionably free. We're not learning 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:33.680 to live with the things that keep us from our potential. 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:36.960 We're not going to accept what causes us to stay 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:39.880 in mediocrity. We don't have to settle for less than 0:05:39.880 --> 0:05:44.880 God's best. The dysfunction, the depression, the barely free mindset 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:47.640 have to go. The way things are is not how 0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:51.360 they will always be. Those subscriptions have been canceled. This 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:55.240 is our time to live abundantly free. The Israelites, we're 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:59.960 in slavery for four hundred and thirty years, generation after general. 0:06:00.400 --> 0:06:03.320 They were mistreated and looked down on. They were given 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:06.760 impossible tasks and punished when they weren't able to fulfill them. 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:09.480 This was not the life they had hoped for. They 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:12.720 were miserable, and there was no end in sight. Until 0:06:12.720 --> 0:06:15.919 God said to a man named Moses, I have seen 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:18.760 the affliction of my people, and I've heard their cry. 0:06:19.360 --> 0:06:22.440 I know their pain and suffering. So I've come down 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:25.320 to rescue them and bring them to a good land 0:06:25.400 --> 0:06:29.720 with wide open spaces. Every moment the Israelites spent in 0:06:29.760 --> 0:06:33.200 that place of captivity, God saw them through every hurt, 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:37.719 every difficulty, every tear. He was there. He knew every 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:43.480 unfair situation, every mistake they've made, every lonely night. Many 0:06:43.520 --> 0:06:46.239 of us know the Gods with us in the good times, 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:48.960 but sometimes when we're in the middle of our mess, 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:52.640 we start to wonder where he's gone. We can feel 0:06:52.640 --> 0:06:55.960 like the Israelites, trapped with no end in sight. We 0:06:56.080 --> 0:07:00.280 start to think barely free is all there is. Through 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:02.960 this verse we see the truth is God has been 0:07:02.960 --> 0:07:07.000 with us all along. He's hurt every cry, he knows 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:10.560 every pain. He's close to the broken hearted. And the 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:13.920 best part is when God sees his children in trouble, 0:07:14.280 --> 0:07:17.480 he doesn't sit back and watch from a distance. He says, 0:07:17.600 --> 0:07:20.600 enough is enough. I'm going to do something about it. 0:07:20.880 --> 0:07:23.800 I'm coming down to rescue them. God loves you too 0:07:23.880 --> 0:07:28.000 much to let you live captive to hopelessness or anxiety 0:07:28.040 --> 0:07:30.600 the rest of your life. Maybe you feel like you've 0:07:30.640 --> 0:07:33.400 been in that place a long time. God sees you 0:07:33.760 --> 0:07:36.560 and he doesn't intend for you to stay there. The 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:40.400 Israelites were slaves for hundreds of years. The oppressor was 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:43.840 much more powerful than they were. In reality, they had 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:46.640 no chance on their own. The enemy was too great, 0:07:47.120 --> 0:07:50.240 it had been too long. They couldn't take on an army. 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:53.640 But God stepped in and said, enough is enough. I've 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:57.200 come down to deliver you. Let my people go. He 0:07:57.320 --> 0:08:01.200 sent a supernatural force to set them for in the 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:04.560 same way, the enemy we're facing may be much more 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:07.320 powerful than us. We can think I don't have a 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:12.400 chance against this sickness, this addiction, this financial trouble. I've 0:08:12.440 --> 0:08:16.120 tried everything. I don't see how I could be truly free. 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:20.040 But don't discount the power of God. Don't rule out 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:23.160 the one who does the impossible. Don't give up on him, 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:25.960 because he hasn't given up on you. He has seen 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:28.680 everything you've been through, and this is not how your 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:31.680 story ends. He's going to deliver you from that place. 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:34.640 He's gonna make things happen that you couldn't do on 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.560 your own. By face, he's here tonight to say enough 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:42.040 is enough. Enough with fear, enough, with lack, enough, with inadequacy. 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:45.360 These things can't hold you back anymore. I haven't come 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:48.160 so that you could just barely get by. I've set 0:08:48.200 --> 0:08:52.600 you abundantly free. Let's get in agreement with God. Let's 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:56.079 invite him to step in. What he did for the Israelites, 0:08:56.120 --> 0:09:00.080 he can do for us. Imagine by faith that ever 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:02.840 force that's held you back is bowing to his power. 0:09:03.360 --> 0:09:07.160 Imagine every chain is broken, that every enemy has been defeated. 0:09:07.760 --> 0:09:10.480 We thought we didn't stand a chance, But the truth 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:14.160 is those things that worry that addiction don't stand a 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:18.120 chance against him. We think the problem looks big. Think 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:20.840 how it looks to the God who created the universe, 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:23.600 the one who is on your side. It's just a 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:27.000 miracle waiting to happen. He's gonna step in and turn 0:09:27.080 --> 0:09:29.720 things around. He's gonna show up and make a way. 0:09:30.120 --> 0:09:33.520 That's what he does, That's who he is. Even in 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.720 the face of oppression, we should declare I am abundantly 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:41.320 free because our God is faithful to his promise. Moses 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:45.000 led the Israelites out of that place of captivity, but 0:09:45.080 --> 0:09:47.920 they weren't even that far gone when the ruler decided 0:09:47.960 --> 0:09:51.080 to change his mind. We can imagine how excited they 0:09:51.160 --> 0:09:53.600 must have been to make their first journey as a 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:56.720 free people. But now they've found out their former master 0:09:56.840 --> 0:10:00.200 has gone back on his word. Not only that, but 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.400 an army from the land they were delivered from came 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:07.480 chasing after them. In other words, the past came chasing 0:10:07.520 --> 0:10:10.800 after them, the things they had been through, the people 0:10:10.840 --> 0:10:14.280 that had hurt them, the mistakes they had made. The 0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:17.240 past will always try to track us down and convince 0:10:17.360 --> 0:10:21.000 us to live barely free. It'll say things like you 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:24.600 come from a long line of abuse. Look what you've done. 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:27.720 Don't you know what they said was true? The past 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:30.280 doesn't want to let us go. It would rather we 0:10:30.320 --> 0:10:33.839 live bitter and discouraged, thinking I'll always struggle with this. 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:36.880 It limits the way we live in the present and 0:10:36.880 --> 0:10:39.720 the dreams we have for the future. It stops us 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:43.840 from loving people and enjoying life. That's the essence of 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:47.520 barely free, and it's the very thing Jesus came to 0:10:47.559 --> 0:10:50.920 put an end to. We all have negative things behind us, 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:54.120 but we serve a God of new beginnings. He has 0:10:54.200 --> 0:10:58.400 mercy for our mistakes, beauty for our ashes. The Bible 0:10:58.440 --> 0:11:01.319 says he's removed our sin. As far as the east 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:04.720 is from the west. He can heal, he can restore, 0:11:04.840 --> 0:11:08.640 he can redeem. What's happened to us doesn't determine who 0:11:08.720 --> 0:11:11.959 we are. God calls us his children, and nothing can 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:15.720 separate us from that love. The army may chase after us, 0:11:16.200 --> 0:11:18.560 but we don't belong to them. We don't have to 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:21.600 be a slave to the past one more day. So 0:11:21.679 --> 0:11:25.240 let's do our part and stop thinking about it. Let 0:11:25.280 --> 0:11:28.280 go of who you used to be. Quit dwelling on 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:31.760 the mistakes, reliving every hurt. This is a new day. 0:11:32.200 --> 0:11:36.240 We need you here. God doesn't want us constantly looking 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:40.679 over our shoulder, replaying what went wrong, thinking through every 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:44.679 what if. Negative things will always remind us of what 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:48.280 came before and distract us from what lies ahead. They'll 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:51.800 keep us living in fear or self pity rather than faith. 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:54.960 We have to know the future God has for us 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:58.840 is too important to spend another day looking back. He's 0:11:58.880 --> 0:12:02.120 put purpose and destiny ahead of us. We wouldn't be 0:12:02.160 --> 0:12:05.120 alive if he didn't have great things in store. How 0:12:05.120 --> 0:12:08.040 can we live passionately for what's ahead of us if 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:11.200 we're always looking over our shoulder. We have to choose 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:15.320 between God's plan and our past. We don't have enough 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:19.120 time to concern ourselves with both. The truth is we 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.559 can't do anything to change the past. But God has said, 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:27.040 I'll trade you your past from my plan. I'll take 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:30.079 care of that. Your future is what's important to me. 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.320 I want to do something great with your life. Now. 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:36.280 We have to decide to live like our future is 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:39.760 as important to us as it is to God. That 0:12:39.920 --> 0:12:45.280 means letting go of some hurts, forgiving others, forgiving ourselves. 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:49.120 There are people God wants you to reach prayers. He 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:52.400 wants you to pray lives. He wants you to change. 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:56.040 He asks for our full attention on what He's doing, 0:12:56.520 --> 0:13:00.720 not what we've done. Sometimes we get so concerned with 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:03.240 looking back that we don't even consider God might be 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:06.160 trying to do something through it. He can use that 0:13:06.360 --> 0:13:09.959 setback as a setup for something greater. He can take 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:12.520 what kept us bound and cause it to break someone 0:13:12.600 --> 0:13:16.080 else's chains. He works all things out for good. Let's 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:19.760 allow him to by fixing our eyes on what's ahead. 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:22.360 The plans he has for us are too important to 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:26.280 pass up. Your future is too valuable to spend another 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:30.720 day living in the past. Make that trade. Choose God's plan, 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:34.640 Let him use your past, and watch his purpose unfold 0:13:34.640 --> 0:13:40.400 in your life. When the Israelites backs were against the wall, 0:13:41.040 --> 0:13:43.080 the army was closing in, and it looked like they 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:46.400 had nowhere to go. God hearted the Red sea and 0:13:46.480 --> 0:13:49.280 led them to the other side. When the army tried 0:13:49.320 --> 0:13:52.320 to follow them through, the water came crashing down and 0:13:52.360 --> 0:13:56.400 eliminated the very force that held them captive. God didn't 0:13:56.440 --> 0:14:00.480 want them to live like runaways, always wondering when they caught. 0:14:00.880 --> 0:14:03.319 He took care of the enemy once and for all 0:14:03.960 --> 0:14:06.480 in the same way. He's done that for us. We 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:09.120 don't have to live like we're on the run, like 0:14:09.240 --> 0:14:11.960 any day that old sickness or worry might show up 0:14:12.000 --> 0:14:15.080 again to take us back. He's dealt with it. Those 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:19.200 chains have been broken. Those former strongholds have no power 0:14:19.280 --> 0:14:23.640 over us. We're not barely free, we're abundantly free. But 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:26.720 even after all the God's done, if we don't see 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:29.880 ourselves the right way, it can keep us from our destiny. 0:14:30.560 --> 0:14:34.520 The Israelites saw God perform incredible signs and wonders to 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:37.200 bring them out of slavery. They saw him split the 0:14:37.240 --> 0:14:40.360 sea in two. After that, he rained down manna from 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:43.280 the sky and brought water out of a rock. He 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:46.520 provided everything they needed. At this point, we would think 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:49.520 the Israelites would be full of faith, ready to take 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:52.400 the land God wanted to give them. But when they 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:55.640 saw how intimidating the people that stood in their way were, 0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:59.080 they told Moses, we don't stand a chance. We'll never 0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:02.800 defeat them. Enemy is too great. Does this sound familiar? 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:07.200 Even after all the Israelites had been through, after all 0:15:07.240 --> 0:15:10.880 they had seen God, do they still saw themselves as 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:14.120 barely free. They even went as far as to say, 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:17.320 let's just go back to where we came from. Let's 0:15:17.360 --> 0:15:20.640 go back to being slaves. God had brought them out 0:15:20.680 --> 0:15:24.560 of slavery, but slavery never got out of them. When 0:15:24.600 --> 0:15:26.640 they looked in the mirror, they didn't see someone who 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:31.080 was blessed, redeemed, chosen more than a conqueror. All they 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.760 saw was a former slave. They didn't believe they could 0:15:34.800 --> 0:15:37.880 take the Promised Land. They didn't realize God had an 0:15:37.920 --> 0:15:41.520 amazing future ahead of them. The way they saw themselves 0:15:41.920 --> 0:15:44.200 limited what God was able to do in their lives. 0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:47.960 They had been step free from the place of bondage, 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:51.240 but not the perspective of it. What they didn't understand 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:56.680 is that with God, our original state is abundantly free. 0:15:56.720 --> 0:16:01.040 Through Him we become new creations and daughters of the King. 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:05.240 Abundantly free is not what we're striving for. It's what 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:09.160 we're living from. Jesus came to establish that long before 0:16:09.200 --> 0:16:12.240 we were ever born. We have to see ourselves the 0:16:12.280 --> 0:16:15.920 way He does. From our original state. You're not an 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:20.240 addict struggling to get free. You're a free person overcoming 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:23.560 an addiction. You're not a sick person. Trying to get well. 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:28.000 You're healthy and fighting off sickness. You're not the child 0:16:28.360 --> 0:16:31.120 of a broken home. You're the child of a most 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:35.000 high God, full of purpose and destiny. We were created 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:38.840 to be free, whole, secure. We all have things that 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:41.720 have come against us, but long before any of that, 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:46.240 our heavenly Father determined who we really were. Forces may 0:16:46.280 --> 0:16:49.480 try to stop us, but it's only a matter of 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:52.760 time before God steps in. Let's see ourselves the way 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:56.240 he does, as abundantly free. We can even take it 0:16:56.280 --> 0:17:00.680 a step further and start declaring it we are unquestionably free. 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:04.280 It might take some time to break old thought patterns, 0:17:04.320 --> 0:17:07.840 but when we speak God's promise with face, our minds 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:10.959 starts to line up with the truth. His word starts 0:17:11.000 --> 0:17:14.440 pushing out the lies we've held on to. We may 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:17.520 have struggled in an area for a long time, but 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:19.840 we have to give God the permission to bless us. 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:22.880 The only person who can stop God from being good 0:17:22.920 --> 0:17:26.639 to you is you. Some people think they don't deserve 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:30.800 God's favor. They've made too many mistakes, they hold too 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:34.320 many grudges, they've been through too much. That's a former 0:17:34.400 --> 0:17:39.520 slave mindset, like the Israelites. Maybe we feel unworthy because 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:42.480 we grew up barely having enough we think that's where 0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.679 we belong. Or maybe the things people have said about 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:48.720 us have started to shape the way we think. This 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.359 is a night to let all that go. God doesn't 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:54.240 bless those who deserve it. If he did, none of 0:17:54.320 --> 0:17:57.840 us would have a chance. He blesses those who he loves. 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:01.560 Why don't we see ourselves not as a former or anything, 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:04.760 but as people who God loves. When I look out, 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:09.000 I see people that are strong, confident, talented, with a 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:12.640 bright future, a group of people God is madly in 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:17.879 love with. Remember who you are, your original state, abundantly free, 0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:21.040 That's who God sees. When we know who we are, 0:18:21.520 --> 0:18:24.479 then God can show us how great he is. It 0:18:24.520 --> 0:18:27.200 takes the limits off of him. He's able to use 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:30.200 us in a mighty way. We can boldly step in 0:18:30.440 --> 0:18:35.440 to where he's calling us. The older generation of Israelites 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:39.359 define themselves by where they came from, but the next 0:18:39.400 --> 0:18:43.320 generation became the ones to enter the Promised Land. This 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:46.719 new generation had seen God deliver them before, and they 0:18:46.760 --> 0:18:49.639 were confident he would do it again. They were willing 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:52.239 to take him out his word and go wherever He 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:55.760 led them. They lived abundantly free. But even though they 0:18:55.760 --> 0:18:59.000 saw themselves the right way they lived abundantly free, they 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:02.320 still face giant. The enemy that stood in their way 0:19:02.359 --> 0:19:05.840 and had terrified their parents didn't just go away because 0:19:05.880 --> 0:19:09.160 they had faith. It didn't just disappear because they saw 0:19:09.200 --> 0:19:12.480 themselves the right way. They still had to take the land, 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.560 but they knew God was on their side. Like that 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:20.359 new generation, living abundantly free doesn't mean we won't have problems. 0:19:20.760 --> 0:19:24.200 It means those problems will never have us. They won't 0:19:24.200 --> 0:19:27.919 have our peace, our joy, our passion. They won't have 0:19:28.040 --> 0:19:31.320 our time and emotional energy. We need those things to 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:35.879 fulfill our destiny. When difficulty comes. Don't fall back into 0:19:35.920 --> 0:19:39.720 fear and frustration thinking I thought I was free, Now 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:43.000 look what's coming against me. Don't sink into worry or 0:19:43.040 --> 0:19:46.280 self pity when there's a new giant ahead. God didn't 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:49.120 bring you this far to leave you remember what He's 0:19:49.160 --> 0:19:53.000 already done. Abundantly free allows us to live from a 0:19:53.040 --> 0:19:56.800 place of rest, trusting God is in control. He's on 0:19:56.880 --> 0:20:00.479 the throne. Nothing we're facing is a surprise to him. 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:04.920 When we encounter challenges, it doesn't mean God's not with us. 0:20:05.400 --> 0:20:08.080 It doesn't mean that we're not free. Freedom is as 0:20:08.200 --> 0:20:10.720 true on the inside as it is on the outside. 0:20:11.280 --> 0:20:14.320 Let's not give our problems too much credit. The first 0:20:14.320 --> 0:20:17.000 thing some people do when they face a problem is 0:20:17.080 --> 0:20:20.280 get out their wallet and start paying up. Here's my peace, 0:20:20.880 --> 0:20:23.920 here's my hope, here's my joy. They give away their 0:20:23.920 --> 0:20:26.679 freedom at the first sign of trouble. We have to 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:30.680 realize the past to our purpose. We'll have some problems, 0:20:30.920 --> 0:20:34.399 but they don't have to have us. Even after the 0:20:34.440 --> 0:20:38.359 Israelites defeated the Giants, they came upon the towering walls 0:20:38.359 --> 0:20:42.480 of Jericho. These people were abundantly free, but here it 0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:45.040 seems like it's just one thing after the others standing 0:20:45.119 --> 0:20:48.080 in their way. But they didn't give up. They didn't 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:50.760 say the walls were too high, they didn't ask to 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:54.760 go back into captivity. These obstacles didn't keep them from 0:20:54.800 --> 0:20:57.800 their destiny. They were part of it. Let's be the 0:20:57.840 --> 0:21:01.600 generation that stepped into the promised land, the ones who 0:21:01.600 --> 0:21:04.600 took new ground. Let's not be the ones who wandered 0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:06.920 in the desert and fell apart at the first sign 0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:13.760 of resistance. Let's be the ones who lived abundantly free 0:21:14.760 --> 0:21:18.280 It's not enough to just hear about freedom. It's not 0:21:18.440 --> 0:21:21.520 enough to just know of God's promise. We have to 0:21:21.560 --> 0:21:24.880 receive it and act on it. That's why what we believe, 0:21:25.480 --> 0:21:27.680 the way we see ourselves, and what we do about 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:30.560 it are so important. We don't want to leave here 0:21:30.640 --> 0:21:33.800 empowered on a Sunday night and find ourselves in the 0:21:33.840 --> 0:21:38.200 same cycle of captivity by Tuesday morning. That's not God's best. 0:21:39.040 --> 0:21:41.199 We're not meant to spend time in the presence of 0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:44.439 God and look the same day after day. We're not 0:21:44.520 --> 0:21:46.440 meant to keep coming to church and have no one 0:21:46.480 --> 0:21:49.480 at home notice a difference. We're not meant to live 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:54.040 barely free tonight. God wants to step into some situations 0:21:54.320 --> 0:21:56.720 and show us a new way to live a life 0:21:56.760 --> 0:22:01.560 that's abundantly free. Things don't change if we stay the same, 0:22:02.520 --> 0:22:05.600 both on the inside and on the outside. If we 0:22:05.640 --> 0:22:09.720 really truly want to be free, we can't leave everything 0:22:09.760 --> 0:22:13.200 as it is and expect things to be different. Sometimes 0:22:13.200 --> 0:22:17.160 we come to church feel something and wonder why nothing changed. 0:22:17.920 --> 0:22:21.240 Thoughts may tell us all kinds of spiritual reasons, but 0:22:21.320 --> 0:22:24.600 in reality, it's because we went right back to our routine. 0:22:24.760 --> 0:22:29.680 That feeling doesn't last, but God's promise stands forever. If 0:22:29.680 --> 0:22:32.240 you want to see your life line up with His 0:22:32.359 --> 0:22:35.760 abundant freedom, we have to respond to it first in 0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:39.160 the way we see ourselves. No matter where you are, 0:22:40.119 --> 0:22:44.680 how long it's been, your original state has and always 0:22:44.680 --> 0:22:48.240 will be abundantly free. We may not feel that way, 0:22:48.880 --> 0:22:52.120 but that doesn't change who we are because of Jesus. 0:22:52.520 --> 0:22:57.560 Let that thought permeate our hope, our dreams, our future. 0:22:58.280 --> 0:23:01.120 God loves you too much to leave you where you are. 0:23:01.800 --> 0:23:04.359 He's seen everything you've been through, and this is not 0:23:04.480 --> 0:23:07.080 how your story ends. He's gonna step in and make 0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:10.440 a way by faith. He's here to say enough is enough. 0:23:10.840 --> 0:23:14.240 You're his child. Like the Israelites, He's come down to 0:23:14.359 --> 0:23:19.280 rescue you. Don't discount his power, don't rule out a miracle. 0:23:19.920 --> 0:23:22.560 He loves you and we can depend on him above 0:23:22.640 --> 0:23:27.159 all else. Change starts on the inside, but it's not 0:23:27.280 --> 0:23:31.119 complete until it works its way into our lives. It 0:23:31.160 --> 0:23:34.399 always begins and ends with Jesus. But in the middle, 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:37.359 He's put things in place and people in place to 0:23:37.440 --> 0:23:42.280 walk with us on that journey. Doctors, therapists, life groups, 0:23:42.840 --> 0:23:46.359 there are books, programs, leaders at church that are here 0:23:46.400 --> 0:23:50.280 for us. It's good to get help. We all need it. 0:23:50.880 --> 0:23:53.520 If that's something God is telling you to do, don't 0:23:53.520 --> 0:23:57.240 second guess it. Find someone to reach out to a 0:23:57.320 --> 0:24:02.360 moment of vulnerability is better than a life live barely free. 0:24:02.480 --> 0:24:06.200 Freedom or a miracle doesn't always look like the Red 0:24:06.240 --> 0:24:09.800 Sea splitting in two. It can happen in a conversation. 0:24:10.920 --> 0:24:13.199 God can use a family member as much as he 0:24:13.240 --> 0:24:17.359 can use Moses. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to show 0:24:17.440 --> 0:24:19.800 us what steps to take and lead us to the miracle. 0:24:20.600 --> 0:24:24.639 Nothing changes if we stay the same. Could we stand together? 0:24:28.640 --> 0:24:32.639 God opened the door and set the Israelites free. He 0:24:32.760 --> 0:24:35.720 parted the Red Sea. He gave them the Promised Land. 0:24:36.160 --> 0:24:38.960 But every time they had to take a step, they 0:24:38.960 --> 0:24:41.960 had to walk out of that place of captivity. They 0:24:41.960 --> 0:24:44.560 had to cross through the sea, they had to take 0:24:44.640 --> 0:24:47.760 the land. These things didn't just happen to them. They 0:24:47.840 --> 0:24:52.120 responded to what God was doing. Before the Israelites took 0:24:52.119 --> 0:24:56.080 the Promised Land, Joshua asked them, how long are you 0:24:56.119 --> 0:24:59.159 going to wait before you take possession of the land 0:24:59.359 --> 0:25:02.879 God has given you. That's the same question God is 0:25:02.920 --> 0:25:05.960 asking us tonight. How long are you going to wait? 0:25:06.040 --> 0:25:10.000 To live abundantly free. It's already been given to us, 0:25:10.359 --> 0:25:13.359 but we have to take hold. If you feel like 0:25:13.400 --> 0:25:20.879 you've been living barely free, captive to worry, anxiety, fear, addiction, depression, resentment, 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:23.480 whatever it might be, we want to pray with you, 0:25:24.440 --> 0:25:26.760 and just the moment, I want to invite you to 0:25:26.800 --> 0:25:29.520 come down to the front. If you feel like something's 0:25:29.600 --> 0:25:32.199 limiting you from living the fullness of life. You know 0:25:32.280 --> 0:25:35.080 God has for you something you haven't been able to 0:25:35.080 --> 0:25:38.320 break on your own. Let's stand together and begin to 0:25:38.400 --> 0:25:42.160 take that new ground. Freedom isn't found at the front 0:25:42.160 --> 0:25:45.159 of a stage, but there is breakthrough when you step 0:25:45.200 --> 0:25:47.760 out and respond to what God is speaking to you. 0:25:48.359 --> 0:25:52.879 Don't hesitate, don't wait to live abundantly free. If you 0:25:52.920 --> 0:25:55.119 want to make the decision that you're not going to 0:25:55.200 --> 0:25:59.040 live barely free, that tonight is a turning point, that 0:25:59.119 --> 0:26:01.760 this is a new begin Why don't you step out 0:26:01.800 --> 0:26:03.600 and meet me down here at the front right now. 0:26:04.119 --> 0:26:07.320 Let's take a step of faith. There's plenty of room. 0:26:07.600 --> 0:26:11.880 Let's not put it off. Let's not go home without 0:26:11.920 --> 0:26:23.480 taking a step towards freedom. God has seen everything you've 0:26:23.520 --> 0:26:27.400 been through, and he's been with you every step. He 0:26:27.440 --> 0:26:31.400 loves you, He cares for you. Tonight is a new beginning. 0:26:32.000 --> 0:26:34.800 It's a turning point. Those old things do not have 0:26:34.840 --> 0:26:38.600 to hold us back. We've been set free. In a moment. 0:26:38.600 --> 0:26:41.439 We're gonna pray together. But no, this is the start 0:26:41.480 --> 0:26:44.960 of a conversation between you and God. Keep it going 0:26:45.200 --> 0:26:47.880 for the weeks and for the months to come. Keep 0:26:47.920 --> 0:26:54.119 responding to what he's saying to you. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 0:26:55.400 --> 0:26:57.520 you know each and every person under the sound of 0:26:57.520 --> 0:27:01.600 my voice. You've seen everything they been through. You've heard 0:27:01.640 --> 0:27:04.600 every cry, you know every tear, and you've been with 0:27:04.720 --> 0:27:09.280 us every single step. God. For different reasons, we've found 0:27:09.280 --> 0:27:13.160 ourselves living barely free. But we know, no matter how 0:27:13.200 --> 0:27:17.720 long it's been, we're not going to stay here. More importantly, 0:27:18.320 --> 0:27:21.320 you love us too much to leave us here. So God, 0:27:21.880 --> 0:27:24.639 we're asking you to step in. We're asking you to 0:27:24.720 --> 0:27:26.639 show up and make a way. Do what only you 0:27:26.680 --> 0:27:32.080 can do. Break chains, bring down walls, set us free. Lord, 0:27:32.160 --> 0:27:35.719 we need you. Would you direct our steps, show us 0:27:35.720 --> 0:27:37.960 where to go, show us what we need to do, 0:27:38.320 --> 0:27:41.120 Bring the right people into our lives. Lead us by 0:27:41.160 --> 0:27:45.520 your spirit. God. We declare that every force that has 0:27:45.560 --> 0:27:50.520 held us back is broken in Jesus' name. Every force, 0:27:51.000 --> 0:27:56.080 every fear, every anxious thought, every addiction has been shattered. 0:27:56.760 --> 0:28:00.760 Every chain of depression, hopelessness, in out of has been 0:28:00.800 --> 0:28:04.240 thrown out. These things will not limit us. They will 0:28:04.280 --> 0:28:07.320 not keep us from our destiny. God, you are here 0:28:07.359 --> 0:28:12.320 tonight to say enough is enough. We're through living barely free. 0:28:12.400 --> 0:28:15.720 We're done holding onto the past. God. We are here 0:28:16.200 --> 0:28:19.560 united under your promise that says who the sun sets 0:28:19.560 --> 0:28:24.840 free is free. Indeed, because of you, Jesus, we're not 0:28:24.960 --> 0:28:28.400 barely free. We're abundantly free. So we lift up our 0:28:28.480 --> 0:28:31.480 hands to give you praise. We lift up our voice 0:28:31.480 --> 0:28:34.600 to worship you. Thank you for this freedom that we 0:28:34.640 --> 0:28:35.400 are living in. 0:28:36.160 --> 0:28:39.560 Thank you for listening to the Jolos Deine podcast. Help 0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:42.400 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:42.480 --> 0:28:46.400 all over the world. Visit jolostin dot com slash give 0:28:46.480 --> 0:28:48.160 Hope to give a gift today. 0:28:49.440 --> 0:28:52.360 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:28:52.360 --> 0:28:55.720 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:28:55.840 --> 0:28:59.040 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:28:59.200 --> 0:29:00.960 I know God's been to still ahead. 0:29:01.160 --> 0:29:02.200 We'll see you next. 0:29:01.960 --> 0:29:14.480 Time, nice buns, soft, fluffy and ultralownetcarbs. 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