SERMON | 1 Peter 1:17-23 | A LIVING HOPE - 2. "Loosening the Bonds" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana.
Do you know you are loved?
Our full display of LOVE is God coming to us in Jesus Christ…
to tell our story in a new way…
to bring healing to our very hearts, minds, souls, and bodies…
to face and embody our rejection…
to suffer at the hands of our sinful pride and need to judge and control…
and to not condemn us.
to not respond with resentment.
to not respond in kind.
But to pray for us…
to forgive us…
to call out to us…
to wash our feet and kick in those prison doors anyway…
to dust us off and restore us to our original beauty…
to offer us LIFE…
to LOVE us.
Because that’s what God did through Jesus Christ.
That’s our trust and hope—in resurrection.
And, as people freed, we are to go and LOVE in response.
Not because we are supposed to, but because that’s all we know to do when we have arrived at the place of trusting and hoping in God alone.
___________________________________________________________________
Friends, Jesus Christ has freed us and continues to lead us into that freedom.
Embrace the full reality of freedom, leave your cell, and walk the path of discovering how valuable and loved you truly are.
Live in such a way that reflects this truth…that others in prisons around you may know of the fullness of joy that lies beyond the walls of their prisons.
Let us live, as freed people, committed to dismantling the prisons all around us so that everyone may live and walk as free as anyone and everyone else.
Let us continue to leave our prisons of judgment and condemnation behind us so that we may live into the true freedom of LOVE as revealed in Jesus Christ.
Live in such a way that reveals to people the truth you have come to know…
that we all are beautiful, priceless, and LOVED works of art formed in the image of God.
Christ IS Risen!
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.