Pastor's Corner: Freedom

Whenever I think of the month of July I tend to think of the word "freedom" due to the July 4th holiday (fireworks too). We certainly enjoy and hopefully appreciate the many freedoms we have in the United States, not just on July 4th, but I'm sure throughout the year. The Bible speaks of freedom too, but not so much in the political sense as we recognize with our holiday. The freedom found in Jesus is in many ways much deeper and more freeing. For example, the Bible tells us that through faith in Jesus:

• We are free from the penalty of sin which is eternal death and separation from God.

• We are free forever from condemnation because we're forgiven.

• We are free to live by the truth of God's will, not deception or lies.

• We are free to live in the power of God, not sins.

I love our country and the freedoms we enjoy, but realize that a person can live here and be in bondage and slavery to sin. Let me encourage you during the month of July, or anytime for that matter, to celebrate the freedoms we have as Americans, but also the deeper freedoms we have in Jesus. If you don't have the freedom found in Jesus or have questions about that, I'd love to talk to you about how you can.