Got up this morning and went to a gym nearby to workout, came back, and figured out exactly why my hotel is so "cost effective" - no USA Today, no coffee, no continental breakfast. Oh well.
I started reading through Galatians today. On Sunday, Joe gave an amazing message on Freedom that really stirred my heart. It was a scandalous message, that probably made a lot of people uncomfortable. Honeslty, it made me a little uncomfortable in the beginning. That's exactly why I love my church so much. Our leadership and our people do not couch God's grace and freedom with a lot of "buts". Someone smart once said "If you're teaching grace correctly, you're teaching people that they have a license to sin" - and that's exactly how Joe taught it. It wasn't that part that struck me though, it was how sin actually takes away that freedom that I have. Between the talk and the worship following, the message moved from my head into my heart, but didn't strke me until later that day while I was mowing the lawn. I came to the conclusion that I look at sin from the perspective of the "law" and how I shouldn't do things, as opposed to looking at how my sin holds me back from where God wants me to be, and the amazing life that he offers. A light bulb went on in my head, and I started looking at what "Freedom" looks like in my life and where I have none. It really ptus a whole new spin on things, in terms of how I deal with sexuality, eating, drinking, relationships and self-centeredness. I love the way Galatians 5:1 puts it:"Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you."
I know I'm probably jinxing myself even saying that I've got a clue or am starting to figure this out - because it seems like right after I do that, I totally lose sight of what I've just said I've got a grasp of...