JUNE THEME – SET Free To LIVE Free – Embracing Liberty Through Christ
SUNDAY’S SERMON SUMMARY
The message of “Free Indeed: Breaking Every Chain In Jesus” centers on the necessity of allowing God to thoroughly search and expose the hidden strongholds of our hearts. Drawing from Scriptures like Psalm 139:23–24 and Galatians 5:1, it emphasizes that refusing to invite divine scrutiny—whether out of pride, fear, or denial—results in dragging invisible weights such as guilt, bitterness, and secret sin. Though Jesus has purchased our freedom, many remain imprisoned by habits and mindsets they’ve never named or nailed to the cross. Hearing and knowing truth without acting on it only perpetuates hypocrisy, making it possible for Satan to build strongholds around unacknowledged sins and bind believers even when the door to liberty stands wide open.
Building on this foundation, the text identifies seven common “chains” that keep us bound: fear (paralyzing us from stepping into fullness), doubt (letting “what if” thoughts cripple faith), prejudice (placing ourselves above others contrary to a heart that reflects Christ), unforgiven pain (allowing bitterness to poison relationships), worry and anxiety (entangling our minds in constant battle), religious performance (doing “all the right things” while missing genuine obedience), and self-protective walls (shutting out both pain and love). To counteract these, it offers five straightforward steps to walk in freedom: face fear with God’s truth, replace “what if” with “God is,” take small steps of courage (often by sharing struggles with others), lean on community instead of going it alone, and guard the mind while intentionally embracing rest. By consistently practicing these steps—inviting the Spirit’s mirror, obeying the Word, and yielding more to God—believers move from merely surviving under the weight of unseen chains to thriving in the victorious life Christ purchased, truly free in Him.
GO TO www.belmontbaptistchurch.com/sermons and listen to Sunday’s message.
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart
“YOUR TRUE IDENTITY IN CHRIST”
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17
Day after day, we move through life believing the names others have tagged onto us—“failure,” “inadequate,” “unloved.” Yet Scripture declares that, in Christ, our identity soars above every earthly label and every shadow of our past. When you embrace that God sees you as a brand-new creation, your worth shifts from how you feel to what He says about you. This new identity isn’t a mere mental exercise; it is a spiritual reality that transforms your thoughts, your emotions, and your decisions. Notice that Paul did not write, “if any person tries really hard to be in Christ,” but “if any man be in Christ.” This isn’t about human striving; it’s about resting in Jesus’ finished work—His perfect life credited to you, His death wiping away your sins, and His resurrection breathing into you an unbreakable life.
Consider Paul’s own testimony:
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” — Galatians 2:20
When Saul met Jesus on the Damascus road, his old identity as a persecutor vanished. He became Paul, the chosen apostle entrusted with spreading the gospel to the Gentiles. His past no longer held him captive; Christ became his defining reality. Because Paul walked daily in that truth, he faced shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonments without collapsing under shame—knowing his worth and purpose were anchored in Christ alone.
Application
- Identify Old Labels
- Today, write down three “old” labels or lies you’ve believed: for example, “I’m unlovable,” “I’ll never succeed,” or “My past defines me.”
- Replace with Scripture Truths
- Beside each false label, write a Bible truth that counters it:
- “It is God’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” — Luke 12:32
- “Ye are complete in Him” — Colossians 2:10
- “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” — Jeremiah 31:3
- Beside each false label, write a Bible truth that counters it:
- Speak Truth Over Lies
- Whenever an old label creeps back—whether through criticism or your own negative self-talk—speak the corresponding Scripture aloud. Refuse to live under those condemning vows again.
- Over time, these spoken declarations will rewire how you see yourself: not by your performance, but by whose you are.
Prayer – Heavenly Father, I admit that for too long I have worn the garments of my failures, fears, and past regrets. Today, I step into the new creation You have made me to be. Help me root my identity in the finished work of Christ alone, not in my own efforts or in what others say about me. Renew my mind so that I live from the truth that, in You, I am completely known, completely loved, and completely free. Amen.
Challenge – Before you go to bed, stand in front of a mirror and declare out loud three truths about your identity in Christ—such as, “I am chosen,” “I am redeemed,” and “I am beloved.” Let these declarations shape your prayers and your thoughts as you rest tonight.
Return to this reflection whenever old labels try to reclaim you. Each time you speak God’s truth, you reinforce the reality that, in Christ, the old has truly passed away, and all things have become new.
MONDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
SCOTTY NIX
Sadie Almand & Unborn Baby
Paula Ferus
Ann Stanley
Doug Stephens
Mary Williams – Rehab
Jill Haines
Angela Bryan’s Sister
Danny Jarrard
Darlene Wiggins
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
George & Linda Alexander
James Burnette
James Garner
Jessica Headrick
John McClain’s Mother
June Cronan’s Sister
Kailey Bateman
Kathryn Raines
Kim McClain’s Mother
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda
Lee Cronan
Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Lonzo Christian
Lori Blount’s Mother
Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom
Marynell Ford
Mike, Gwen, Michael Rice Family – Friends of Blount’s – Car Accident
Mrs. Franklin
Nora Allison
Pastor Driskell
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Roy Loyd
Scarlett – Marynell’s Granddaughter
Scott Lanier
Theresa Bain’s Granddaughter
Tom Witcher