My wife, Jan, and I were checking out a new hike. As we faced the mountains, we took a route that would hopefully add mileage to our hike, but still allow us to get to our desired mountain peak following the same ridge line.
As we made our way up the path and over this ridge line, however, we saw we were wrong. The peak where we wanted to go was actually separated by another peak that was behind it.
Was this a failure? No! We learned what not to do next time. We didn’t quit, either. Instead, following my wife’s suggestion, we went around the back peak and eventually made it to our destination.
Failure is only failure if we fail to learn from it. It was not our intention to go the wrong direction, but we did. We could either get angry at having to walk further or chalk it up to a new learning experience and move on. We did the later.
Jesus doesn’t want us to learn through our failures as they bring consequences, but through His grace and mercy, it’s not the end of the world if we do. We never abuse God’s grace; but at times, we will need to use it.
Set Free No”W”ww

There is a word flying around these days – narrative. It means “a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious.” Did you catch the last part? People can tell stories about an event that are simply not true and it’s okay if people are buying it.
This is dangerous territory. Our enemy loves to mix truth and lies together in one story. He loves to get you to believe that because one part of his story is true, so must the rest. Wrong!
Jesus said the truth will set us free from all the negative consequences that fictitious stories bring. We make decisions based on what we hear, like other people’s stories or narratives. In times like ours, it behooves the believer to be careful to run every thought, every story, no matter who is telling it, through Jesus.
Don’t be afraid of doing the hard work of checking out what you’re hearing. It can save you all kinds our hard work undoing bad decisions later.
S“E”t Free Nowww

A friend of mine and I were talking about our family trees. They were so different. He found out late in life that his dad wasn’t his bio dad, but was his dad. I knew my bio dad, but he didn’t want to be my dad. His parents were divorced and his dad remarried, which brought added siblings into the family. My parents divorced, but never remarried.
By the time we were done talking about our families, we came to this conclusion. It only tells us where we’ve been, but not where we’re going, which is the issue anyways, right?
We all have interesting pasts, some more colorful than others. But that should be the point. It’s our past. Jesus is the redeemer of our pasts so we can live with and enjoy life in and with Him in the present.
If you haven’t put your past in the past, don’t you think it’s time to pick up the FREEdom tools to do so? If you have, please, don’t look back! You have a bright tomorrow in Jesus.
“S”et Free Nowww

A few years back, my family went through some old photos in a box my mom had. She told us most of who was in them. What’s hitting home to me now is that we still don’t know who everyone was in those pictures! Were they family and/or friends? Here, their face was staring right at us and we didn’t know who they were.
Ecclesiastes reveals this reality. When your time on this planet is all said and done, everything will be forgotten in time. And, even those who will be remembered, will never know they’re being remembered as they’re not around to hear themselves being remembered!
Solomon points out another reality in 12:13, “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Jesus said the same thing, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me.”
How are you living, following the temporary or the eternal? The only eternal thing from your temporal time on this planet is Jesus. Every situation, no matter what it is, then, is simply an opportunity to listen to and follow Jesus, which results in becoming more like Him. People may forget you and what you’ve done. But they will never forget Him.
“S”et Free Nowww

We had a great discussion on the bread and the cup in my 3-5th grade Sunday School class yesterday. We discussed the origins of it in the Passover meal, which speaks of the death angel passing over the houses with blood on the doorpost.
We discussed death, which one student said was when soul and body separate. I then asked, “Where does the soul go then?” “Heaven or hell,” they answered. Their attention was riveted when I asked, “What is heaven and hell?” We finally arrived at this, “Heaven is where God is, who is love, peace, security, all the good stuff we want. Hell is where God doesn’t live; and thus, is where all the garbage stuff is at that makes us feel terrible.” Who chooses either of those? They responded, “We do by our choices.”
Our choices, apart from Jesus, get us what we deserve – loneliness, bitterness, shame, guilt, fear, insecurity, and the list of negative things goes on. We get real joy, if we choose Jesus today. We get peace of mind, if we choose to walk with Jesus. We get….you fill in the blank, all because of Jesus dying as the Passover lamb, as death or separation from God passes us by.
I then led them into the service to take communion. And told them when they held that little piece of matzo and cup of juice in their hands to thank Jesus for the good stuff they feel. I had a lot of grateful 3-5 graders yesterday morning!
Thank Jesus today that you don’t experience what you do deserve, which allows you to experience what you don’t deserve.
S“E”t Free Nowww