The Son will set you free

I often wonder if I am really free?

If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (jon8:36)

As we go about our daily lives doing the things we enjoy, going back and forth to work, watching tv, listening to music, somewhere around the world there is a battle being waged that keeps our freedoms in tact. When we get up in the morning and check the sports scores to see if team won or lost, somewhere in the world is someone’s son or daughter is marching through a town to protect our rights and our liberties.

We are blessed as a nation. We live in a time when freedom is not just a dream it is a normality. We expect it just like we expect the sun to come up tomorrow. We have become blinded to the reality’s of what it takes to have this freedom. The foundation of this freedom is courage, strength and blood.

But in reality, this is just a token of goodwill in comparison to the freedom that we can find in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the key to freedom. Only Through Christ can we experience complete freedom. The British author John Stott says that through Jesus we are:
Free from the past and free from the penalty of sin.
Free in the present from the power of sin.
Free in the future from the presence of sin.

Christ free’s us from many things including guilt, fear and God’s judgement. We can only find true freedom by receiving Jesus into our lives as our personal Lord and savior. He’s the one who gives us freedom and and can set us free from bondage and strongholds.

weekend

This weekend was spent buying back to school supplies and catching up on yard work. We have five children ages 11 through 17. One boy and four girls. I took our son for clothes Thursday afternoon. Easy, seven pairs of jeans, seven shirts, shoes etc. and we were done. Maybe two hours counting the time looking at guy stuff in electronics.
Friday night and Saturday night we spent about six hours total looking for the discounted school supplies and some clothes for the girls. And it is only the tip of the iceburg. The supply shopping went well it was the clothes that seemed to get things bogged downed. Sometimes I wish they had to wear uniforms to school !
Allow me just a little rant here... why do they start school in the middle of August? Why does every teacher have to have some little special thing on the supply list? On e of the kids needed blue, black, red and Green ink pens. For what I dont know. As I was standing in the isle that had all (what a joke) of the school stuff I noticed ( after about 20 min.) that there were three other fathers with a list from some teacher looking like I was for green pens or some other thing. I blurted out with , What ever happened to just taking a notebook and a pencil to school? And maybe a pen! All laughed and the tension was broke. Until we got to the next isle and started looking for the special paper that they needed. With five kids you can imagine all the combonations of stuff we looked for.
Well, about 12 more trips to 8 differant stores and we should have it all wrapped up. Just in time for some other money sucking event to happen.
At church yesterday we had an awsome time. God showed up with the opening prayer and His prescence was felt through out the service. The music seemed to have more feeling and the singers were as tight as I've ever heard them. I play bass guitar with the band. They let me sing just not into a mike. My wife says this is good.
I love playing for the Lord. God gave me a little bit gifting in playing several instuments and I use it for Him and His will.
We attend LifeChurch in Birmingham Al. We are currently looking a for a Pastor to take over for recently departed Pastor. It is a hard wait but I know God has just the right person to take over. We pray God's will be done.
The yard work, we have almost three acres, took wife, myself and three of the girls and Jon about four hours to complete but the place looks great.