Thank God For Freedom

American Flag

 John 8:36 – If the son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.

As the nation prepares to celebrate it’s birthday, I couldn’t help but take a moment and reflect on the captivating and inspiring power of freedom. It is through our freedom that we get to experience and worship God without persecution and fear of repercussions for our beliefs. But, freedom comes with a cost. To protect our way of life there are many who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this land that we love. Although our nation is not perfect, there are soldiers who are willing to put their lives in harms way to make sure we are safe. For that I am extremely grateful.

However, about 2000 years ago there was a man named Jesus who died on a cross whose loved spread beyond not only state, city, and country lines but through continents. His act of love, His ultimate sacrifice, gave birth to a new everlasting fountain of hope for everyone on the planet to enjoy.  Although many of us may be familiar with His story, some may not know the many benefits we experience from His passion. It is by the shedding of His blood that we get to experience this indescribable freedom we have in Him today.

Below are few things that we can thank Jesus for daily that He has set us free from.

Freedom From Sin

Romans 6:6-7- Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

As we strive to live a life like Christ with his spirit, we can do so confidently knowing that through His death we are free from all matter sin.

Freedom From Bondage

Galatians 5:1 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Jesus has set us free from the captivity of bondage. This bondage may be in the form of spiritual strongholds in our mind or the countless devices the enemy tries to use to make us fall. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. The yoke has been destroyed.

Freedom From Fear

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The Sprit of fear does not belong in the body of a believer. If it exists it is only because the enemy is using it to distract us from the power that works in us. Stir up the gift and let go of the fear. You are free from it.

Freedom From Heartache

Isaiah 61:1- The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound

God will use his people to not only speak great things into the lives of his disciples but he also will use them to heal the brokenhearted. Jesus loves you so much that he is there to ease the pain and help you grow from it. Accept his freedom.

Freedom From Condemnation

Romans 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We all make mistakes as no one is perfect. Instead of letting your shortcomings fill you with defeat, pray immediately for your deliverance and recognize that your growth in Christ is a process. Dust yourself off and get right back to living for God. You are free from condemnation. God loves you and will work with you until you reach your expected end. Don’t give up!

Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! 2 Corinthians 3:17

Stay in the spirit and enjoy the freedom that God has granted you through his sacrifice.

Live A Life Worth Duplicating

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.  Philippians 4:9

Through the works of Paul you can learn a lot about how to model a life that will be pleasing to the Lord. It is through his passion, talents, and actions that he was able to plant churches, develop leaders, and encourage people to reach their maximum potential in God. Whenever I sit and read the many works that was done by his Holy Spirit lead efforts, I often find myself being marveled by the influence that God trusted him with. He often travelled to areas where others hadn’t heard the good news and ministered such profound truths that he converted thousands. How did he do it? Well the easy answer to that question is with God. However, while digging deeper into the text, I found some practical tips we can use to make sure, like Paul, we live a life worth duplicating.

Love Others

In the book of Philippians Paul demonstrated his unconditional love for people by sharing that he wanted what was best for them. The language used in the following scripture gives a clear indication of the depth of his relationships. To live like Christ we have to love like Christ.

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.  Philippians 4:1

Believe In Others

Within the new testament there are many indications of Paul’s ability to grow and develop leaders of the churches he established. In his letters it is not rare to find words of encouragement and faith to those in the ministry.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1:6

Invest in Others

With each letter to the church Paul provided encouragement and love but he also provided instruction from his personal experience to shield others from the traps of the enemy. He gave of himself so that others may be blessed.

 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:2-5

How To Live A Life Worth Duplicating

1. Love others unconditionally – This means loving people without any rules or stipulations that they must do to earn your love.
2. Believe in others – People will often attempt to live up to the expectations you have of them if you are in a position of influence in their life. If you have this influence, see people not as who they are currently but who they can become in Christ.
3. Invest in others – Give to others without any expectation of return. Sacrifice your time, energy, experience, and money to help people get to the next level in their lives.

Living in this manner is a great way to start modeling a life like Christ. There is so much more to share but I’m curious of your thoughts about these three. How can we use these three to make a difference in the lives of the people we come in contact with?

 

 

5 Reasons You Need to Visit Faith Apostolic Church

FAC ServiceFaith Apostolic Church is a rapidly growing, multicultural, and multi-campus church serving the communities of Carmel and Sheridan Indiana. With a robust spirit lead worship experience, and powerful teaching and preaching, God has drawn over 13 nationalities to fellowship and praise under one roof. From our dedicated youth services, prayer meetings, small group bible studies, vacation bible school, and mission trips all over the world, people of all ages are being introduced to God, filled with His spirit, and being baptized in Jesus’ name.

In addition to salvation people are being miraculously freed from addiction, healed from sickness, loosed from mental and spiritual captivity, and transforming as they are consumed by the power and love of God.

If you are looking for a church home that will motivate, inspire, and challenge you to live a fulfilled and promising life in God, then Faith Apostolic Church is looking for you. If you’re still not convinced to come see for yourself, below are 5 reasons why you need to visit Faith Apostolic Church:

1. WE TEACH AND PREACH THE TRUTH

When we asked members what they loved about Faith Apostolic Church here’s what we heard:

“First of all, our Pastors are simply amazing. They teach the unadulterated word of God! No tricks or gimmicks.” -Meyette Shaness Griffith
“The preaching and teaching is on point!” -Linnea Evans
“We do not compromise on teaching the full truth and holiness.” Jean Janes
“Truth” – Jane Driesens

2. OUR PASTORS LOVE THE PEOPLE THEY LEAD

“Best Pastor in the universe.” -Kayla Partlow
“I love how the pastor and his beautiful wife will take you in and love you no matter what is in your past. And how they can make you understand that GOD forgives and truly loves HIS children.”- Carole Carlisle

3. OUR CONGREGATION IS WARM AND INVITING

“Aside from the fact that we experience a powerful move of God each time we are together, I LOVE how we all truly LOVE one another. It doesn’t matter what your background is, where you are from, what you look like, etc., we love the way God expects us to love. I truly love my church!” -Daniel/Leah Wirkkala
“I love how everyone is accepted and no matter their past or background, the love and warmth felt at FAC is like no other.” -Toby Carey
“Our church family is very loving & embracing of anyone who walks through the doors.” -Meyette Shaness Griffith

 4. GOD’S SPIRIT MOVES AT FAC ON ALL AGES

“OMG the youth ministry is phenomenal! My son comes home every Sunday and Wednesday talking non stop about what he’s learned.” D Cherie Jennings
“I love everything about FAC my pastors , leadership , discipleship , SuperChurch (youth ministry) , Prayer team, my entire church family.” -Tabatha Brown
I love the Spirit of God that you can feel every time we assemble together to worship. It’s amazing! -Pastor Matthew Ball

5. WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU THERE

I can’t explain in words how excited we are to see a new face joining us in worship. We would love to pray for you, get to know you, and be a blessing to you and your family. We are confident that our ministry will add value to your life as it has done so many others. Here’s a few things current members are saying about what they love about FAC:

“I love everything!” -Steve Clardy
“No place I’d rather be! We love Everything and Everybody! Ladies bible study is a fav! I love that the spirit of God can move freely!”  -Shalonda Cheatham
“The praise team and the music!” -Kayla C

Now that you have read what everyone has had to say about Faith Apostolic Church it is time for you to come experience it for yourself. We will see you Sunday at 10 a.m. ET at the Carmel campus or at 2:42 in Sheridan. Click here for location information.

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