Ever notice that most comics are more often thought provoking than funny? In today’s comic section there’s a panel that shows a marriage counselor sitting before a newlywed couple named Cyndi and Handsome who recently had a storybook wedding. The counselor says, “‘Happily Ever After’ can lead to some pretty unrealistic expectations. Let’s work on that.”
Unrealistic expectations can never be met, which can leave one feeling frustrated and angry; thus, opening the door to your drug of choice. I once heard, “Satan wants us to believe meaningless things for meaningless reasons.” He loves to plant meaningless thoughts (Jn. 8:44) into our heads that lead us to living meaningless lives, which only further fuels our frustration and anger.
Some of these unrealistic expectations and meaningless thoughts can only be discovered when we either get angry or take our drug of choice. Instead of beating ourselves up for getting angry or falling, how about putting that beat-me stick down and asking the Spirit, “What expectations and/or thoughts led to that angry outburst or drug of choice?” Once He does, and He will as this is His job (Jn. 16:13), we need to ask Him to help us filter those thoughts through the truths and biblical expectations found in Scripture. Now we can find freedom and experience peace by exercising the truth.
The FREEdom Process means being vulnerable to either the Spirit and/or another believer (James 5:16). Are you ready? Asked another way, what would you do if you really believed that God wanted to beat your addictions? To make your marriage great? To give your life meaning? Freedom has been paid for, but it doesn’t come without a cost.
Set “Free” Nowww

Baseball is a great game. Where in the world can you get paid millions of dollars to fail 70% of the time? Three hits in ten plate appearance are considered successful! How then do the successful hitters approach each at bat? They put their last at bat, their last failure, out of their mind and focus on their current time at the plate.
Paul states this truth in Philippians 3:13 where he challenges healthy believers to forget yesterday, the last mistake, and press on towards the goal of being like Jesus. On this journey, you may strike out from time to time. If you do, you have two options. You can either focus on your last failure or press on towards the victory. I encourage you to head toward Jesus, ask forgiveness, get up, and start walking again in the Spirit’s power. If not, we will fail again the next time.
Take the bat out of Satan’s hands (the one who’s beating you up over striking out) and focus on your next at bat – seeing God give you victory over that drug of choice. He wants you to experience victory over sinful habits that drag you down. He wants you to know real joy, love and peace.
“Do your work by faith, and leave the results with the Lord. Always strive to do your best; but if you do occasionally strike out, don’t sit on the bench feeling sorry for yourself. Get ready for the next time at bat.”
Set Free “N”owww

In my MiniChurch this past week we were discussing the book of John when we came across the phrase, “in Him was life.” I asked the group, “Ever heard of the walking dead?” Blank stares. I rephrased the question, “Have you ever seen a dead marriage?” Man, you should have seen the reaction. They were throwing out descriptions left and right. They got the point that some people are alive physically, but are not actually living.
Jesus came to give us life, not existence. We already have a heartbeat. Air is already coming in and out of our lungs. What is not readily apparent is whether we’re actually living. The following phrase rings true, “If you’re not busy living, you’re busy dying.”
Jesus describes Himself as The Life. We must walk with Him throughout our day in order to experience that life. How, you might ask? Use your biblically-based truth filter. Use the truths at the point of the lie you’ve garnered from the Word of God and zap those lies that lead you to death, your drugs of choice. Then ask the Spirit of God to give you the strength to exercise those truths in your daily decisions. You’ll experience life as you practice this FREEdom Process.
We all can show others the real Jesus by walking in life today, not be among the walking dead.
Set “Free” Nowww

Yesterday we learned that American believers have plenty of access to the Word of God, but fail to pick up, read and/or use it as their filter. One of the questions asked in Bible Impact is, “If you didn’t get into or finish your reading did you process the “why not” through the FREEdom principles?” Knowing what keeps us from the Word is just as important as what we heard Jesus say in the Word.
This is basically the question Jesus asked those disciples who remained with Him after many had left, “Why are you staying? Don’t you want to leave too?” Peter answers for the remaining disciples, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (Jn. 6:60-69)
Those who left saw Jesus’ teaching as too difficult to not only grasp, but also to apply to their lives. Is that your excuse for not getting into the Word? Or maybe you’re using lack of time? I could list more excuses, but let’s be real here. They all have one thing in common … they’re excuses that keep us out of God’s presence.
The Bible is the source for the words of life. Words that can give you truths to defeat the lies in your head. Living words that can give you victory over whatever robs you of life or defeats you throughout your day. You can make whatever excuses you desire for not reading and using the Word to filter all your thoughts through to experience true living. You do so, though, at your own peril.
Reading the Bible is not a Christian thing to do. If that is why you’re in it, then don’t necessarily expect God to be smiling. We need it to be able to screen out all the other messages we’re hearing so we can hear the only voice that matters, Jesus’. If you heard Jesus in the Word today, praise God! Use it to continue listening to Him. If you didn’t, what’s your excuse? It’s time to filter that thought through the Freedom process so you can experience true living today.
S“E”t Free Nowww

I came across an article entitled, “Bible Tops America’s 10 Favorite Books of All Time”. It stated that “regardless of which demographic group they belong to – male-female, Republican-Democrat or young-old – Americans named the Bible as their favorite book of all time … research puts Bible ownership at an average of four per household.”
This is an average of four per every household in America, not just Christians. With so many Bibles laying around, you’d think American would be an ideal place to live and Christians would be making a difference in American life. The statistics don’t show this to be taking place.
The problem is not access to the Bible, but getting into and practicing it. 9 out of 10 “born again Christians” may read it, but are not filtering their life through it. Life will never be satisfying unless the No. 1 Book is read and used to listen to Jesus by picking up your biblically-based truth filter on a daily basis.
Are you part of the 90% of believers who leave their filter at church on Sunday or the 10% that filters every decision through it? If you’re the former, you’re deceiving yourself like the rest of Americans who have, but don’t use the book (James 1:22). If you’re the latter, practicing the Word of God will keep you free to enjoy the abundant life Jesus promises.
S“E”t Free Nowww