Freedom Journey

Observing Jesus’ interaction with an outcast woman reveals his love, acceptance, and tender mercy toward each of us regardless of what we’ve done or what has happened to us.

Every day we come to a crossroads where we choose which way to go. We can choose Trust Trail and receive freedom and joy, or we can choose Pride Pathway and receive suffering, fear, and shame.

Prideful living is the cause of pain, somethings that begins with a decision to forsake God and reject his way of living. Trusting in false idols and relying on ourselves results in bondage. However, when we return to God, he receives us with mercy and love.

Like for many young people today, Joseph’s childhood and teen years were full of pain and difficulties. Yet God was present with him, speaking to him, and protecting his life.

Learning how Joseph navigated the many painful events of his life, as he struggled with anger, injustice, pain, and grief, gives us important insights on how to trust God and let him lead our life.

When Moses led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt, their journey was one of discovering who was better suited to be their source of power, protection, provision. Relinquishing these roles to God is our life-long work.

Accepting that God has a better perspective about everything, something that comes from having true beliefs, positively impacts all aspects of our life.

Abuse attempts to damage the essence of our being, as it did for Tamar when her brother raped her. Yet even these devastating wounds are absolutely repairable.

It is every person’s temptation to blame God for bad things that happen, yet freewill is the crux of the problem. God desires that we freely surrender our will to him and receive his gift of eternal life.

Nehemiah’s choice to trust God’s perspective, using his 5-Step model, is a positive example for how we can navigate difficult circumstances.

We can’t prevent Satan from interfering with our life, but we don’t have to make it easy for him. Success requires awareness of the enemy, accurate thinking about how he works, attentiveness to what attracts his attention, and appropriate action when he attacks.

Gaining mental victory depends on guarding what comes into our mind and controlling our thoughts. Thoughts must be measured against God’s truth and rejected if they don’t measure up.

When we turn toward God and let him steer our life, he blesses us in wonderful ways. He has good plans for us and will use our life for a significant purpose.

In the eyes of the world, Hagar was nobody. Yet a compassionate God sees her misery and responds by providing for her needs, even though her prideful choices contributed to her situation.

Anger is not our enemy; it is merely a communicator trying to tell us that something important has been threatened. We have to look beyond our anger to find the real problem.

The victim identity tells us that we are defined by what has happened to us and that we have no choices. Just because we have been offended or victimized doesn’t mean we have to live as victims.

Our journey as a victim often resembles a desert-like experience, a stormy sea, or a gloomy prison. Traveling these victim roads results in unfulfilled dreams, fruitless striving, and bondage.

We are inherently good and valuable. Understanding this depends upon viewing ourselves with sober judgment, that we are a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. God accepts us as we are and hopes we will do the same.

Our journey through Letting-Go Wilderness is challenging, but we are sustained by God’s promises to not be afraid because he loves us, he is with us, and we belong to him.

Our sin separates us from God and causes us to become offenders to him and others. However, when we come to him with our sin, he is with us in grace, not judgment.