Happy Independence Day weekend, church family! The fourth of July weekend is all about celebrating freedom. As citizens, we celebrate our freedom from tyranny and oppression. One of the most famous lines that I am sure many of you know is this one: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” This has been attributed to Thomas Jefferson, but it was originally stated by John Philpott Curran in 1790.

Think about that: The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. As Christians, we have been granted incredible freedom in Christ. We have been granted freedom from guilt and from condemnation. We have been delivered from the power of sin, Satan, and death. Yet, here is the reminder that we all need. Freedom requires vigilance. The apostle Paul gives this exhortation in Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” The way that we fight for the enjoyment of the freedom that we have receive in Christ is by dedicating ourselves to serve one another in love.

So, our message this Sunday was taken from Romans 13:8-13. It is called “Owe Nothing But to Love.” Looking forward to worshiping with you and celebrating together the deep freedom of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Enjoy Jesus deeply, family. Slow down and savor His grace.

Come Sunday, invite a friend. God is so good!

Over the past several weeks, we have been studying the Biblical teaching on love in our summer series entitled “Summer of Love.” What our hope in doing this series has been is to reorient our hearts and our minds around a truly biblical view of love that without a doubt is in direct contradiction to the messages about love that we see in the world around us. This Sunday, our sermon is called Let Your Love Be Genuine. It is taken from Romans 12:9-13.

A friend of mine was giving a lecture this week at a church in Southern California and he quoted from a Wiccan (witchcraft) saying. The saying is this: “ ‘An ye harm none, do what ye will’ (or, ‘If you do no harm, do as you please’).” That sounds like love. Love is essentially doing no harm. Otherwise, its open season on whatever you want to do. That definitely is not the love of Christ for His people and it cannot be how we as Christians understand true and genuine love. Yet many Christians embrace essentially that view of love. Romans 12 begins with the exhortation “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds…” Let’s gather this Sunday and ask for the Lord to give us a biblical view of what genuine love looks like. Let’s pray that we would live out before the world a very different and glorious kind of love. Looking forward to worshipping with you!

While I was away this week speaking at a men’s event up in Canada, I got the news of the horrible shooting of two politicians and their spouses here in the Twin Cities. I looked up the news and a couple of things immediately struck me. First, before I had read anything, I thought to myself: ‘I’ve met that guy.” I don’t know when or where or if I really did but that was my first reaction. Then when I read the article, I read the awful wicked reality that this man professed to be an evangelical Christian, had pastored, and had been on missions. It sickened my stomach. I have since heard of people who know his family. Pray for them and pray for the families brutalized by his violence.

Well, it just happens to be, in God’s good providence, that my message which was planned over a month ago for this Sunday is from Matthew 5:43-48. My sermon title is called “Love Like Your Father.” Friends, we need to be reminded regularly that when we think we can play God with our lives or other people’s lives, we are least likely to actually be like God. Jesus says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Thank God that we have a Father who has not treated us according to our sins and failings! Don’t you agree?

Looking forward to studying this crucial passage of Scripture together and rejoicing with you in the good and gracious ways of our heavenly Father.

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