"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" - Grace

Grace is the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.

Grace is so gracious because it includes and has been extended to each and every last one of us.

• So you messed up
• So you misspoke
• So you lied
• So you have a criminal record
• So you stopped going to church
• So you stopped praying
• So you stole, cheated and betrayed folks

Grace is still extended to you today. As long as we have Grace, we still have an opportunity to get right and live right! What will you do with the Grace that has been extended to you on today?

Know this truth, the Grace of God, who is Christ Jesus, has appeared to offer salvation to all people!

"But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift." (Ephesians 4:7 NKJV)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" - LOVE Will Cover IT!

No, we haven't exhausted all options for those in our lives that are being brought low by the schemes of this world. No, we will not give them over to be lost for all eternity. No, we're not at our last resort, we have now truly come to our best and only resort - LOVE!

All of the fussing, cussing, pleading, begging, yelling and crying have not produced much change. Oftentimes, these things only allow your feelings to be exposed and then trampled on by the enemy. However, true love not only covers but it also conquers the tricks, schemes and activities of the enemy.

Coupled with Love is Trust. Love enough to let go and let God. Trust totally that God will turn it around. Love through the process. Love in the process and love even more still when the change is taking place.

You've loved enough to trust, so trust that love will win! I'm trusting that love will cover, conquer and win. I'm confident that those lives that are loved will someday be lives lived for Christ.

It's Praying time family...it's ALWAYS praying time! Pray Saints, pray.

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:7-8 NIV)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" - It's all about purpose NOT programs

It's not our positions, our education, our financial success, it's not our buildings, our style of worship, our programs or membership. It's not a catchy phrase, car stickers, billboards or multi site campuses.

People will go where Christ is all and is in all. If you're not lifting up Jesus, then all you have is pointless programs. If you are seeing growth (not just numbers, but spiritual growth) - Hallelujah, keep lifting up Jesus. If you are struggling, re-look at what you're lifting up.

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." (John 12:32 NASB)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" - Jesus Destroys the Work of the Devil

It's time to kick the devil out of your life. He has made a fool of you for far to long!   Call on Jesus and watch the devil flee. Call on Jesus and you will be Restored, Renewed and Released from the consequences of the Devils work in your life. There is no other option in which you may choose to save your very soul, Jesus has come so that you may have life, not just life, but an abundant life. You can truly start living today...even right now.

CALL ON JESUS, I did!!!

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (I John 3:8 NKJV)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" - Worship

Some of us, and I'm more guilty than most, get all hung up on the style of worship, instead of being caught up in a lifestyle of worship. Great music and awesome preaching is what happens during worship. However, if we ONLY allow ourselves to enter into worship when led by a certain style of music or by a certain type of preaching then who or what are we worshipping?

Worship is our time with God and our time in His presence. The object of worship is not the music or the speaker or a building. Worship is our full attention and devotion, surrender and adoration to The One to whom we are singing to and speaking about! Some of my most powerful  worship experiences have come in the quietness of the morning while in my praying place (oddly enough, for me it's in my shower), where prayer is uninterrupted, easy, natural and the rinsing or pouring of water is spiritually and physically cleansing for me...and there is no music even playing.

Our task in worship is to prepare ourselves spiritually to hear the Spirit speak, sometimes despite the music and preaching.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.  God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:21-24 NKJV)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" - Maimed, Lame and Blind

This is truly a hard saying for all of us. Jesus is saying that whatever it is that is causing us to sin, that we must get rid of it. This saying goes beyond our mere thoughts that lead us to sin. It speaks of our actions and those parts of ourselves that we involve in sin. If you can't keep your hands off of another or off of another's property then cut of that hand. If you can't set your feet to do good and if you're using your feet to carry you into mischief, wickedness of all kinds and foolishness then cut off your foot to prevent you from continuing the same. If your eyes are lusting, craving and coveting those things that they shouldn't, then pluck it out!

We spend an unbelievable amount of time pleasing and catering to our flesh which is evil. Know this, we will not take flesh into the Kingdom of Heaven. Yes, an extremely hard saying this morning but the truth is the truth. Jesus wants us to know the importance of our understanding of what is at stake...eternal life in Heaven with Him or eternal separation from Him in Hell. Getting rid of those things that causes us to sin is of the utmost importance. 

Today, get rid of the relationships, devices, actions, thoughts, dependencies/addiction and get rid of all immortal behaviors that cause us to sin. Our eternity is begging for us to rid ourselves of anything and everything that keeps us bound and disconnected from the Kingdom of Heaven.

Truly, it's better to be Maimed, Lame and Blind than it would to be LOST for all eternity!

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—" (Mark 9:43, 45-45, 47 NKJV)

And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free - There is a Time to Confront and there is a time to Comfort

We must be reminded that there comes a time that we are to forgive the person who has done wrong. It is right to punish wrongdoing but what is worse than anything is punishment without the chance to be forgiven. If we continue to isolate, chastise and label folk for their wrongdoings, then we isolate them and they never have a chance of acceptance.  What happens when we reject those among us? Well, Satan wins! He will consume our brothers and our sisters. He (Satan) wants us to reject each other, this is his biggest recruiting tactic.

What we need more of is restoration, forgiveness, compassion, prayer and acceptance for those who truly have repented of their wrongdoing. We're good at punishing and locking up and doing away with our enemies, but be reminded that the Bible calls for Christians to forgive.

The truth is that Christ has forgiven you.  Is it too much to ask that you forgive another?

“Now, regarding the one who started all this—the person in question who caused all this pain—I want you to know that I am not the one injured in this as much as, with a few exceptions, all of you. So I don’t want to come down too hard. What the majority of you agreed to as punishment is punishment enough. Now is the time to forgive this man and help him back on his feet. If all you do is pour on the guilt, you could very well drown him in it. My counsel now is to pour on the love.” (2 Corinthians 2:5-8 MSG)

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32 NKJV) - Speak Truth

One thing is for certain, each and everyone of us have been lied to. Each and everyone of has been made a fool of in one way or another. Everyone has been tricked, mislead and duped into needless distractions, delays and trouble...all because of a lie that was told to us by the enemy in this world.

Well, we have to get these words in our spirit, "Never Again"! It is the truth that will set us free. It is the truth that will lead us out of darkness and into His marvelous light. It is the truth the breaks the yoke and eases our burdens!

Yes, let's speak the truth...His name is Jesus...The Way and the Truth and the Life!

Therefore, putting away lying, “ Let each one of  you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.(Ephesians 4:25 NKJV)