July 1, 2026 • 37 mins
We connect Independence Day stories and American history to the question that keeps us up at night: are we actually free on the inside. We trace real freedom to Jesus, not success, not politics, not performance, and we invite you to lay down guilt and live from grace.
• honoring those who served and remembering freedom has a cost
• asking whether we live free inside our own hearts
• contrasting political liberty with spiritual freedom in Christ
• Galatians 5:1 and the burden Jesus never asked us to carry
• Creator-given worth and why value comes before achievement
• Valley Forge as a picture of winter seasons and dependence
• Patrick Henry, John Adams, and Ben Franklin pointing beyond themselves
• why transformed people matter more than winning arguments
• the trap of chasing success and building identity on approval
• Francis Scott Key, Fort McHenry, and learning to wait with faith
• Friday defeat, Saturday silence, and Sunday resurrection hope
• what freedom looks like in daily peace and no condemnation
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:06):
Today's program is dedicated to every man and woman
who has worn the uniform of theUnited States of America.
Thank you for standing watchwhile the rest of us slept.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
And above all, this message isdedicated to Jesus Christ, the
one who wore the crown of thornsso that every one of us could
(00:29):
experience a freedom nogovernment could ever give.
Now let's join the host oftoday's show, Ron Myers, with
our special edition of Get theHell Out of Your Life.
The flag, the cross, and theempty tomb.
Ron Meyers (00:47):
Hello, my friends.
It is so good to be with youtoday.
I'm Ron Myers.
I'm your host, and I don't knowwhere you're listening from.
Maybe you're driving home fromwork.
Maybe you're sitting on yourback porch with a cup of coffee.
Maybe you're taking a walk, ormaybe you're doing what I often
do.
(01:07):
Just trying to catch your breathafter another busy week.
Wherever you are, I'm gladyou're here.
You know, every year about thistime something happens to me.
I'll drive through town alongthe beach and notice American
flags appearing everywhere.
Front porches, schools,churches, businesses.
(01:29):
Then the grocery stores fill upwith charcoal, watermelon, hot
dogs, and red, white, and bluedecorations.
Children get excited aboutfireworks.
Families begin making plans.
And for a few days, it seemslike the whole country pauses to
celebrate one word, freedom.
(01:50):
I love that.
I really do.
I still get emotional when Ihear the national anthem.
I still stand a little tallerwhen old glory passes by in a
parade.
Because I know as a veteran,freedom isn't free.
Somebody paid for it, somebodyalways does.
Before we go any further, I wantto say something.
(02:12):
If you served in our country,thank you.
Whether you spent four years orthirty, whether people know your
name or never will, thank you.
Your willingness to serve hasgiven millions of Americans
opportunities they may neverfully appreciate.
So thank you.
(02:32):
But this week, as I was thinkingabout Independence Day, another
question kept coming to mind.
It's a simple question, but Ithink it's one of the most
important questions we'll everask ourselves.
Are we really free?
Do we live in a free country?
We do.
I'm asking something muchdeeper, my friend.
(02:54):
Are we free inside?
Because I've met people who haveevery freedom America offers.
Yet they're prisoners, notbehind bars, behind fear, behind
shame, behind addiction, behindanxiety, behind regret, behind
the exhausting feeling thatthey'll never quite measure up.
(03:19):
Maybe you know what that's like.
Maybe nobody around you knowsthe battle you're fighting.
You smile, you go to work, youattend church, you laugh with
friends, but inside you'retired.
You're carrying something heavy.
Friend, that's not freedom.
(03:39):
And that's exactly why I wantedto spend this time with you.
Not to talk politics, not todebate history, not to convince
you to vote one way or another.
I want to brag on Jesus becauseI believe America has given us
one of history's greatestblessings.
(04:01):
But Jesus offers something evengreater.
America gives us politicalfreedom.
Jesus gives us spiritualfreedom.
One protects our rights, theother transforms our hearts.
One changes where we live, theother changes how we live.
(04:22):
So today I want to tell youthree stories the story of a
nation, the story of a savior,and somewhere in between your
story.
Because I have a feeling they'remore connected than you might
think.
Every heart longs to be free.
Have you ever noticed that everystage of life is a search for
(04:44):
freedom?
Children can't wait untilthey're old enough to make their
own decisions.
Teenagers count the days untilthey can drive.
Yet adults dream about financialfreedom.
Parents dream about a freeweekend.
Retirees dream about freedomfrom schedules.
(05:05):
Everybody is chasing freedom,but here's what I've discovered.
Most of us are chasing the wrongkind.
We spend years trying to fixwhat's outside us.
When the real battle ishappening inside of us, you can
live in a beautiful house andstill not have peace.
You can have money in the bankand still be anxious.
(05:26):
You can have thousands offollowers online and still feel
lonely.
You can sit in church everySunday and still wonder if God
is disappointed in you.
I've talked with people who'vebuilt successful businesses,
people who have won awards,people who have accomplished
(05:47):
things they never dreamedpossible.
And do you know what surprisesme?
Many of them quietly ask thequestion Is this all there is?
Why?
Because success was never meantto be your savior.
Only Jesus can carry thatweight.
The apostle Paul understoodthis.
(06:09):
That's why he wrote these wordsin Galatians.
It is for freedom that Christhas set us free.
Stand firm then, stand firmthen, and do not let yourselves
be burdened by a yoke ofslavery.
I absolutely love that verse.
(06:29):
Notice what Paul didn't write.
He didn't say it is forreligion.
He didn't say it is for rulekeeping.
He didn't say it is for tryingharder.
No, he said freedom.
Think about that.
Jesus didn't die so you couldspend the rest of your life
(06:49):
wondering whether you've doneenough.
He didn't rescue you just so youcould trade one prison for
another.
Grace isn't another burden.
Grace is the removal of theburden.
Friend, if your Christianityfeels heavier every year, maybe
(07:11):
somewhere along the way you'vepicked up a backpack Jesus never
asked you to carry.
America's story officially beganwith a remarkable document, the
Declaration of Independence.
One sentence in particular hasechoed throughout history.
We hold these truths to beself-evident.
(07:34):
That's all people are endowed bytheir creator with certain
unalienable rights.
I've always loved that phrase.
Their creator, not theirgovernment, not a king, not a
president, not a Congress, theircreator.
Think about what that means.
Before you ever accomplishedanything, God already declared
(07:58):
your value.
Before you ever succeeded, heloved you.
Before you ever failed, he knewyou.
Before you ever sinned, healready knew the cross was
coming.
Friend, that's grace.
Our nation's early leadersunderstood something that still
matters today.
(08:20):
Freedom works best when peoplerecognize there is a moral
authority greater thanthemselves.
Laws can restrain evil, but theycannot create goodness.
A constitution can protectliberty, but it can't transform
the human heart.
That's where Jesus changeseverything.
He didn't come merely to improvebehavior.
(08:43):
He came to create new hearts.
Governments can passlegislation, but only God can
bring transformation.
Governments can defend liberty,but only Jesus can remove guilt.
Governments can punish crime,but only Jesus can erase sin.
(09:04):
That's why America is such aremarkable nation.
But it was never meant toreplace the kingdom of God.
It points us towards somethinggreater.
Let's talk about Valley Forge.
Close your eyes for just amoment.
Picture Pennsylvania in thewinter of 1777.
Not Mississippi cold, not achilly morning.
(09:26):
I'm talking about bone deepwinter.
Snow, ice, wind.
Now picture hungry soldiers.
Some have no shoes, some wraprags around bleeding feet.
Disease is spreading, food isrunning out, men are wondering
if they'll ever see home again.
That's Valley Forge.
(09:47):
History books tell us aboutbattles, but they don't always
tell us about discouragement.
Can you imagine being GeorgeWashington?
Responsible for an army thatlooked like it might disappear
before spring?
Responsible for a dream thatseemed to be slipping away.
Many historical accountsdescribe Washington as turning
(10:12):
to God during those difficultmonths, seeking wisdom and
strength when human resourcesweren't enough.
I love that picture.
Because every one of useventually reaches a place where
talent isn't enough.
Money isn't enough.
Experience isn't enough.
We're left with one choice.
(10:33):
Trust God.
Maybe you've had a valleyforage, a season where
everything felt frozen.
Maybe it was sitting in ahospital room waiting.
Maybe it was watching yourmarriage struggle.
Maybe it was losing someone youloved.
Maybe it was wondering how youwere going to pay the bills.
(10:57):
Maybe it was quietly asking,Lord, where are you?
Friends, I've had those seasons.
There were times in my life whenI thought another accomplishment
would finally satisfy me,another event, another
promotion, another opportunity.
(11:17):
But every mountain I climbedsimply revealed another
mountain.
Success kept moving the finishline.
It wasn't until I stopped tryingto build my identity around what
I did and started resting in whoJesus says I am.
(11:38):
That is how I experienced realfreedom.
Friend, God often does hisdeepest work in our hardest
winters, not because he enjoysour pain, but because winter
teaches us something successnever can dependence.
Valley Forge wasn't the end ofAmerica's story.
(12:00):
It's where perseverance wasforged.
And maybe the winter you'rewalking through right now isn't
the end of your story either.
America teaches us that freedomis worth fighting for.
Jesus teaches us that freedomwas worth dying for.
There's an enormous difference.
(12:21):
George Washington asked ordinarymen to sacrifice for a greater
cause than themselves.
Jesus became the sacrifice.
Washington endured winner.
Jesus endured the cross.
Washington helped establish anation.
Jesus established a kingdom thatwill never end.
Friend, that's why I loveAmerica, but I worship Jesus.
(12:45):
One deserves my gratitude, theother deserves my life.
And that's where we're headednext.
Because in our nextconversation, we're going to
meet three markable men.
Patrick Henry, John Adams, BenFranklin.
Each understood somethingprofound about liberty.
(13:06):
But each one also points ustoward a greater truth, a
freedom they could protect, butonly Jesus could provide.
(13:31):
We stood beside GeorgeWashington and watched a nation
fight for its freedom.
But now I want to move to theconversation from the
battlefield to the human heart.
Because if we're honest, thegreatest battle you'll ever
fight won't be against anothernation.
It won't even be against anotherperson.
The greatest battle you'll everfight is the one inside of you.
(13:51):
The battle between guilt andgrace, fear and faith,
performance and peace, tryingharder or trusting deeper.
You know, one of the reasons Ilove history is because history
reminds us that people havealways wrestled with the same
questions.
They wore different clothes,they rode horses instead of
cars, they didn't havesmartphones, but they did worry.
(14:14):
They doubted, they hoped, theywondered if tomorrow would be
better than today, just like wedo.
And that's why I think that thenext three men have something to
teach us.
Not because they were perfect,they weren't.
Not because they had all theanswers, because they didn't.
But because they understood thatfreedom is precious.
(14:35):
And every one of them, in hisown way, points us toward a
greater freedom found only inJesus Christ.
Patrick Henry.
If I begin this sentence, mostAmericans can finish it.
Give me liberty or give medeath.
Patrick Henry spoke those wordsin 1775 long before America
(14:57):
declared its independence.
He wasn't trying to becomefamous.
He wasn't looking for applause.
He believed that living withoutliberty wasn't really living at
all.
Those words stirred ordinarypeople to extraordinary courage.
I've often wondered what it musthave been like to sit in that
room to hear a man speak withsuch conviction, to realize
(15:23):
history was changing rightbefore your eyes.
But every time I think aboutPatrick Henry, my mind goes
somewhere else.
It goes to another man standingbefore another crowd.
Jesus.
Unlike Patrick Henry, Jesusdidn't ask others to die for
freedom.
He chose to die himself.
(15:45):
Think about that.
When they arrested him in theGarden of Gethsemane, he could
have walked away.
He could have called angels.
He could have ended it all in aninstant.
Instead, he stayed.
Because he saw you.
He saw your fears, yourfailures, your regrets, your
addictions, your shame.
And he loved you enough to keepwalking toward the cross.
(16:09):
America teaches us that freedomis worth fighting for.
Jesus teaches us that freedomwas worth dying for.
That's why Galatians chapter 5,verse 1 has become one of my
favorite verses.
It is for freedom that Christhas set us free.
Not so we could becomereligious, not so we'd spend
(16:33):
every day wondering if God ispleased with us, not so we would
trade one kind of slavery foranother.
Jesus came to set us free.
Friend, if your relationshipwith God feels heavy, if you're
constantly wondering whether youhave done enough, can I gently
(16:55):
suggest something?
Maybe you've picked up a burdenJesus never asked you to carry.
Grace was never meant to weighyou down.
Grace was meant to lift you up.
Let's talk about John Adams.
One of America's founders, JohnAdams, understood something we
(17:15):
desperately need to remembertoday.
A free nation depends uponpeople who govern themselves.
Think about that for a minute.
Government can write laws, butgovernment cannot write
character.
Government can punish crime, butit cannot create compassion.
Government can build prisons,but it cannot set hearts free.
(17:39):
Only Jesus does that.
That's why I believe America'sgreatest need has never simply
been better politics.
Our greatest need has alwaysbeen transformed people.
Because transformed people buildtransformed lives.
Transformed families buildtransformed neighborhoods.
(17:59):
Transformed neighborhoods buildtransformed communities.
And transformed communitieschange nations.
That's exactly how Jesus worked.
He never started at Caesar'spalace.
He started beside fishing boats,around dinner tables, walking
dusty roads, looking ordinarypeople in the eye and saying,
(18:20):
Come, follow me.
One heart at a time.
I have often asked myself, whatif Christians became known more
for introducing people to Jesusthan winning arguments?
Can you imagine that?
Less shouting, more serving,less condemning, more loving,
less pointing fingers, moreextending grace.
(18:42):
I think the world would noticebecause that's exactly what
Jesus did.
He loved people before theycleaned themselves up.
In fact, that's how they gotcleaned up.
Love changes people.
Condemnation rarely does.
Now let's talk about BenFranklin.
(19:03):
Benjamin Franklin may have beenone of the smartest men America
ever produced.
He was a scientist, inventor,writer, diplomat, printer,
statesman.
And if intelligence alone couldsolve humanity's problems,
Franklin would have solved mostof them.
But one of my favorite momentsin his life had nothing to do
(19:25):
with electricity or inventions.
It happened during theConstitutional Convention.
The delegates have been arguingfor weeks.
Nothing seemed to be working.
Tempers were rising, progresshad stalled, then the elderly
Franklin slowly stood.
He reminded everyone that duringthe Revolutionary War they had
(19:48):
often prayed for God's help.
Then he asked a question thatstopped the room.
If we needed God's help to winour independence, why would we
think we could build a nationwithout him?
Don't you love that?
One of the brightest minds inAmerica admitted, I still need
(20:10):
God.
Friend, that's wisdom.
Real wisdom isn't pretendingyou've got life figured out.
Real wisdom says, Lord, I don'tknow what to do.
I need you.
And the older I get, the lessimpressed I become with my own
abilities.
And the more amazed I become byGod's grace.
(20:33):
When I was younger, I thoughtconfidence meant having all the
answers.
Now I think confidence meansknowing the one who does.
Jesus never said, figure it out.
He never said, come back afteryou're all fixed up.
He simply said, Come to me.
I don't know about you, myfriend, but I am thankful he
(20:53):
didn't wait until I had my lifetogether because I'd still be
waiting.
Can I tell you somethingpersonal?
For years I misunderstoodfreedom.
I thought freedom meant success.
I thought if I could just buildanother business, promote
another event, earn a littlemore money, gain a little more
(21:14):
recognition, then I'd finally besatisfied.
Maybe you have chased somethinglike that.
A bigger house, anotherpromotion, another
accomplishment, thinking when Iget there, I'll finally be
happy.
But every mountain led toanother mountain.
The applause faded, theexcitement faded, the feeling of
(21:37):
accomplishment faded.
Success makes a wonderfulservant, but it makes a terrible
savior.
It always asks for more, morework, more achievement, more
applause.
It never whispers, You've doneenough.
Then Jesus began teaching mesomething that changed
everything, my friend.
(21:58):
My identity.
Wasn't in what I produced.
It wasn't in what people thoughtof me.
It wasn't in my accomplishments.
It wasn't even in ministry.
My identity was in Christ.
Friend, that realization set mefree.
I still work hard.
I still love what I do.
I still dream big dreams, but Iam no longer working for God's
(22:21):
approval.
I'm working because I alreadyhave it.
There's a huge difference.
One produces exhaustion, theother produces joy.
One creates anxiety, the othercreates peace.
That's grace.
So let me ask you (22:37):
who are you trying to impress?
Your parents, your boss, peopleon social media, the people at
church, or maybe if you'rereally honest, you're still
trying to impress God.
Friend, you don't have to.
The cross settled that forever.
(22:57):
When Jesus cried, it isfinished, he wasn't saying, I'm
finished.
He was saying the work isfinished, paid in full, nothing
left to earn, nothing left toprove.
That's why Jesus could say inJohn chapter 8, verse 36, So if
the Son sets you free, you willbe free indeed.
(23:19):
Notice what he didn't say.
He didn't say religion would setyou free.
He didn't say success would setyou free.
He didn't say politics would setyou free.
He pointed to himself.
Because freedom has a name, andhis name is Jesus.
(23:45):
Now I want to tell you one ofthe most inspiring stories in
American history.
It's a story behind a song, alawyer, a flag, a terrifying
night, a sunrise, and a hopethat refused to die.
But as incredible as that storyis, it only points to another
morning.
A morning outside a borrowedtomb.
(24:06):
A morning that changed not onlythe nation, but every nation.
We'll walk there together.
So let me kind of recap.
We've walked through ValleyForge, we've stood beside
Patrick Henry, we've listened toJohn Adams, and we've learned
from Benjamin Franklin.
And we've discovered thatAmerica's founders understood
something important.
(24:27):
Freedom is precious.
But now I want to tell you myfavorite story in American
history (24:32):
the story behind a song.
A song we all have sung, a songwe all have heard before
football games, baseball games,graduations, and countless
community events.
Most of us know the words.
Few of us know the story.
The year was 1814.
America was once again at warwith Great Britain.
(24:54):
A young attorney named FrancisScott Key had boarded a British
ship to negotiate the release ofan American prisoner.
The negotiations weresuccessful, but because he had
overheard the British plans toattack Baltimore, he wasn't
allowed to leave.
He and the others with him hadto remain aboard the ship until
(25:15):
the battle ended.
Imagine that, my friend.
You can't fight, you can't help,you can't leave, all you can do
is watch.
Throughout the night, theBritish Navy bombarded Fort
McHenry.
Cannons roared, bombs exploded,rockets streaked across the dark
sky.
The air filled with smoke, theharbor echoed with thunder,
(25:36):
every explosion briefly lit thesky.
And every time it did, FrancisScott Key searched for one
thing, the flag.
Was it still there?
The darkness, another explosion,another glimpse, darkness again.
Hour after hour, hope appeared,then disappeared, then appeared
again.
(25:57):
Can I tell you something?
I think that's exactly how lifefeels sometimes.
You get a glimpse of hope, thenanother setback.
You receive good news, thenanother disappointment.
You pray, then you wait.
You wonder if God is stillworking when all you can see is
smoke.
I've learned something over theyears.
Sometimes faith isn't fighting.
(26:18):
Sometimes faith is waiting,waiting for the doctor's report,
waiting for your marriage toheal, waiting for your child to
come home, waiting for thebreakthrough, waiting for God to
answer.
Waiting has never been easy, buthere's what I have learned.
God has never once been late.
(26:38):
Morning eventually came.
The smoke slowly drifted away.
The first rays of sunlight brokeacross the harbor, and there,
still standing, was the Americanflag.
Hope had survived the night.
Francis Scott Key would laterwrite those unforgettable words
(27:00):
O say can you see?
He wasn't simply writing poetry,he was celebrating hope.
Because hope was still flying.
As beautiful as that story is,it reminds us of another long
night, one that took placenearly 2,000 years ago.
(27:21):
Jesus had been arrested, beaten,mocked, whipped, crucified.
The disciples watched the onethey believed to be the Messiah
breathe his last breath.
Can you imagine what they musthave been thinking?
We gave him everything.
We left our jobs, we left ourhomes, we believed, and now he
was gone.
Friday looked like defeat.
(27:41):
Saturday sounded like silence.
Friend, have you ever livedthrough a Saturday?
Those seasons when you've prayedbut haven't seemed quiet, when
you've believed, but nothingchanged, when you cried and all
you heard was silence.
We've all had Saturdays.
Those moments when we quietlywhisper, God, where are you?
(28:05):
But here's the beautiful truth,my friend.
Just because God is silentdoesn't mean God is absent.
While the disciples thought thestory was over, God was writing
the greatest ending in history.
Before sunrise on Sundaymorning, a few women made their
way to the borrowed tomb.
They weren't expecting amiracle.
They were bringing spices toanoint a body.
(28:27):
Instead, they found an emptygrave.
The stone had been rolled away,death had been defeated, sin had
been conquered, hope wasn'tburied, hope was alive.
Do you see it?
Francis Scott Key spent thenight wondering whether the flag
was still standing.
The followers of Jesus spent thedarkest weekend in history only
(28:47):
to discover that their Saviorwas standing.
The flag over Fort McHenrydeclared that a nation had
survived.
The empty tomb declared thatdeath itself had been defeated.
The Declaration of Independencechanged history.
The resurrection changedeternity.
One gave us a free nation.
(29:09):
The other offers a new creation.
Can I share something that'sbeen on my heart for a long
time?
I honestly believe Jesus wantshis reputation back.
So many people thinkChristianity is about guilt,
rules, religion, trying harder,being good enough, keeping God
happy.
Friend, that's not the Jesus Iknow.
(29:31):
The Jesus I know walked towardsbroken people.
He touched lepers.
He forgave adulterers.
He ate with the tax collectors.
He welcomed sinners.
He defended the outcast.
He restored failures.
He didn't lower God's standard.
He fulfilled it.
Then he invited ordinary people,people just like you, like me,
(29:56):
to stop striving and starttrusting.
Religion says work harder, butJesus says come to me.
Religion says clean up yourself,but Jesus says, come just as you
are.
Religion says maybe somedayyou'll be good enough.
Grace says Jesus already is.
That's why I spend so much of mylife bragging on Jesus.
(30:20):
Because he isn't merely thefounder of Christianity.
He is the savior of the world.
And he has never stoppedchanging lives.
So what does freedom actuallylook like?
It isn't perfection.
It isn't pretending you've neverstruggled.
It isn't acting like you've goteverything together.
(30:41):
Freedom looks like waking upevery morning knowing I am
loved.
Freedom says, my past doesn'town me.
Freedom says, my failures don'tdefine me.
Freedom says, I don't have toearn what Jesus already
purchased.
Freedom says, there is thereforeno condemnation for those who
(31:03):
are in Christ Jesus.
Think about those words.
No condemnation.
Not less condemnation, none.
The enemy loves to remind us ofyesterday.
Jesus reminds us of forever.
Friend, if God has forgiven you,why are you still carrying it?
Lay it down.
(31:24):
That's what the cross is for.
You know, I've met people inalmost every walk of life.
Millionaires, people who livepaycheck to paycheck,
professional athletes,musicians, business owners,
pastors, former addicts, peoplejust beginning their journey,
people near the end of theirs.
And I've discovered something.
(31:45):
The human heart longs forexactly the same thing.
Peace.
Not another possession, notanother promotion, but peace.
The kind Jesus talked about whenhe said, My peace I give to you.
Not the kind the world gives,his peace.
The kind that lets you sleep atnight, the kind that allows you
(32:07):
to forgive, the kind thatwhispers, it's going to be okay.
That's what I want for you, myfriend.
Not more religion, more Jesus.
Because when Jesus captures yourheart, everything changes.
Before we say goodbye, I'd liketo ask you one question.
It's the same question westarted with.
Are you really free?
(32:27):
Not politically, butspiritually.
Have you accepted the freedomJesus already purchased?
Or are you already trying toearn something he's already
given?
Friend, you don't have toimpress God.
Jesus already did.
You don't have to carryyesterday.
Jesus already carried it to thecross.
You don't have to wonder whetherGod loves you.
(32:49):
The cross answered that forever.
If you've never simply trustedhim, today is a wonderful day to
begin.
Not with a list, not with apromise to do better, just with
an honest conversation.
Jesus, I need you.
That's enough.
Because he's been waiting foryou for a long time.
(33:11):
Many of us will gather withfamily, smell hamburgers on the
grill, children will chaselightning bugs, neighbors will
laugh together, fireworks willlight up the sky.
We'll place our hands over ourhearts as the star spangled
banner is played.
When you do, remember FrancisScott Key.
Remember one man who waitedthrough a terrifying night until
(33:33):
morning revealed hope.
But then remember anothermorning, a garden, an empty
tomb, a folded burial cloth, anangel saying, He is not here, he
has risen.
Every fourth of July reminds usthat freedom has a price.
Every Easter reminds us thatgrace has a price.
(33:53):
America teaches us that freedomis worth fighting for.
Jesus teaches us that freedomwas worth dying for.
And because he did and becausehe lives, you don't have to
spend another day wondering ifyou're enough.
You aren't.
Neither am I.
Jesus is enough.
The Declaration of Independencedeclared that all people are
(34:15):
endowed by their Creator withcertain unalienable rights.
The gospel goes even deeper.
It declares that although wehave fallen short, we are so
deeply loved by our Creator thatHe sent His Son to rescue us.
One gave us a free nation, theother makes us a new creation.
Friend, celebrate America.
(34:36):
Be grateful, pray for ournation, honor those who have
served, wave the flag proudly,but never forget the greatest
victory wasn't one at Yorktown.
It wasn't one at Fort McHenry.
It wasn't signed inPhiladelphia.
The greatest victory in historywas all won on a hill called
Calvary and forever proven at anempty tomb.
(35:00):
Thanks for spending this timewith me.
If today's message encouragedyou, would you share it with
someone who needs hope?
And please like our Facebookpage.
And if God has written aredemption story in your life, I
would love to hear it.
Visit my website,thepromoter.org, and click share
(35:20):
your story.
Until next time, remember, Ilove you.
Jesus loves you.
And when you give Jesus yourheart, he will know that he
already won the battle.
So you can live free, loveboldly, rest deeply, and never
forget, Jesus didn't come tomake bad people good.
(35:40):
He came to make dead peoplealive.
And that's how you get and keepthe health out of your life.
God bless you, my friend.
Announcer (36:01):
Today's show was produced by Ron Myers
Ministries, a listener-supportedministry.
For a copy of today's broadcast,please visit our website,
thepromoter.org.
And would you prayerfullyconsider making a tax-deductible
donation so that we may continueto share stories of God's
amazing grace with the world?
And join us next week foranother broadcast of Get the
(36:22):
Hell Out of Your Life.
Real people, sharing realstruggles, and offering real
hope.
From save the date, the 43rdAnnual Christmas City Gift Show,
(36:47):
November 13th through the 15that the Coast Coliseum Convention
Center.
SPEAKER_02 (36:58):
Visit Christmas City Gift Show.com for more.
Today's program is dedicated to every man and woman
who has worn the uniform of theUnited States of America.
Thank you for standing watchwhile the rest of us slept.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for your sacrifice.
And above all, this message isdedicated to Jesus Christ, the
one who wore the crown of thornsso that every one of us could
(00:29):
experience a freedom nogovernment could ever give.
Now let's join the host oftoday's show, Ron Myers, with
our special edition of Get theHell Out of Your Life.
The flag, the cross, and theempty tomb.
Ron Meyers (00:47):
Hello, my friends.
It is so good to be with youtoday.
I'm Ron Myers.
I'm your host, and I don't knowwhere you're listening from.
Maybe you're driving home fromwork.
Maybe you're sitting on yourback porch with a cup of coffee.
Maybe you're taking a walk, ormaybe you're doing what I often
do.
(01:07):
Just trying to catch your breathafter another busy week.
Wherever you are, I'm gladyou're here.
You know, every year about thistime something happens to me.
I'll drive through town alongthe beach and notice American
flags appearing everywhere.
Front porches, schools,churches, businesses.
(01:29):
Then the grocery stores fill upwith charcoal, watermelon, hot
dogs, and red, white, and bluedecorations.
Children get excited aboutfireworks.
Families begin making plans.
And for a few days, it seemslike the whole country pauses to
celebrate one word, freedom.
(01:50):
I love that.
I really do.
I still get emotional when Ihear the national anthem.
I still stand a little tallerwhen old glory passes by in a
parade.
Because I know as a veteran,freedom isn't free.
Somebody paid for it, somebodyalways does.
Before we go any further, I wantto say something.
(02:12):
If you served in our country,thank you.
Whether you spent four years orthirty, whether people know your
name or never will, thank you.
Your willingness to serve hasgiven millions of Americans
opportunities they may neverfully appreciate.
So thank you.
(02:32):
But this week, as I was thinkingabout Independence Day, another
question kept coming to mind.
It's a simple question, but Ithink it's one of the most
important questions we'll everask ourselves.
Are we really free?
Do we live in a free country?
We do.
I'm asking something muchdeeper, my friend.
(02:54):
Are we free inside?
Because I've met people who haveevery freedom America offers.
Yet they're prisoners, notbehind bars, behind fear, behind
shame, behind addiction, behindanxiety, behind regret, behind
the exhausting feeling thatthey'll never quite measure up.
(03:19):
Maybe you know what that's like.
Maybe nobody around you knowsthe battle you're fighting.
You smile, you go to work, youattend church, you laugh with
friends, but inside you'retired.
You're carrying something heavy.
Friend, that's not freedom.
(03:39):
And that's exactly why I wantedto spend this time with you.
Not to talk politics, not todebate history, not to convince
you to vote one way or another.
I want to brag on Jesus becauseI believe America has given us
one of history's greatestblessings.
(04:01):
But Jesus offers something evengreater.
America gives us politicalfreedom.
Jesus gives us spiritualfreedom.
One protects our rights, theother transforms our hearts.
One changes where we live, theother changes how we live.
(04:22):
So today I want to tell youthree stories the story of a
nation, the story of a savior,and somewhere in between your
story.
Because I have a feeling they'remore connected than you might
think.
Every heart longs to be free.
Have you ever noticed that everystage of life is a search for
(04:44):
freedom?
Children can't wait untilthey're old enough to make their
own decisions.
Teenagers count the days untilthey can drive.
Yet adults dream about financialfreedom.
Parents dream about a freeweekend.
Retirees dream about freedomfrom schedules.
(05:05):
Everybody is chasing freedom,but here's what I've discovered.
Most of us are chasing the wrongkind.
We spend years trying to fixwhat's outside us.
When the real battle ishappening inside of us, you can
live in a beautiful house andstill not have peace.
You can have money in the bankand still be anxious.
(05:26):
You can have thousands offollowers online and still feel
lonely.
You can sit in church everySunday and still wonder if God
is disappointed in you.
I've talked with people who'vebuilt successful businesses,
people who have won awards,people who have accomplished
(05:47):
things they never dreamedpossible.
And do you know what surprisesme?
Many of them quietly ask thequestion Is this all there is?
Why?
Because success was never meantto be your savior.
Only Jesus can carry thatweight.
The apostle Paul understoodthis.
(06:09):
That's why he wrote these wordsin Galatians.
It is for freedom that Christhas set us free.
Stand firm then, stand firmthen, and do not let yourselves
be burdened by a yoke ofslavery.
I absolutely love that verse.
(06:29):
Notice what Paul didn't write.
He didn't say it is forreligion.
He didn't say it is for rulekeeping.
He didn't say it is for tryingharder.
No, he said freedom.
Think about that.
Jesus didn't die so you couldspend the rest of your life
(06:49):
wondering whether you've doneenough.
He didn't rescue you just so youcould trade one prison for
another.
Grace isn't another burden.
Grace is the removal of theburden.
Friend, if your Christianityfeels heavier every year, maybe
(07:11):
somewhere along the way you'vepicked up a backpack Jesus never
asked you to carry.
America's story officially beganwith a remarkable document, the
Declaration of Independence.
One sentence in particular hasechoed throughout history.
We hold these truths to beself-evident.
(07:34):
That's all people are endowed bytheir creator with certain
unalienable rights.
I've always loved that phrase.
Their creator, not theirgovernment, not a king, not a
president, not a Congress, theircreator.
Think about what that means.
Before you ever accomplishedanything, God already declared
(07:58):
your value.
Before you ever succeeded, heloved you.
Before you ever failed, he knewyou.
Before you ever sinned, healready knew the cross was
coming.
Friend, that's grace.
Our nation's early leadersunderstood something that still
matters today.
(08:20):
Freedom works best when peoplerecognize there is a moral
authority greater thanthemselves.
Laws can restrain evil, but theycannot create goodness.
A constitution can protectliberty, but it can't transform
the human heart.
That's where Jesus changeseverything.
He didn't come merely to improvebehavior.
(08:43):
He came to create new hearts.
Governments can passlegislation, but only God can
bring transformation.
Governments can defend liberty,but only Jesus can remove guilt.
Governments can punish crime,but only Jesus can erase sin.
(09:04):
That's why America is such aremarkable nation.
But it was never meant toreplace the kingdom of God.
It points us towards somethinggreater.
Let's talk about Valley Forge.
Close your eyes for just amoment.
Picture Pennsylvania in thewinter of 1777.
Not Mississippi cold, not achilly morning.
(09:26):
I'm talking about bone deepwinter.
Snow, ice, wind.
Now picture hungry soldiers.
Some have no shoes, some wraprags around bleeding feet.
Disease is spreading, food isrunning out, men are wondering
if they'll ever see home again.
That's Valley Forge.
(09:47):
History books tell us aboutbattles, but they don't always
tell us about discouragement.
Can you imagine being GeorgeWashington?
Responsible for an army thatlooked like it might disappear
before spring?
Responsible for a dream thatseemed to be slipping away.
Many historical accountsdescribe Washington as turning
(10:12):
to God during those difficultmonths, seeking wisdom and
strength when human resourcesweren't enough.
I love that picture.
Because every one of useventually reaches a place where
talent isn't enough.
Money isn't enough.
Experience isn't enough.
We're left with one choice.
(10:33):
Trust God.
Maybe you've had a valleyforage, a season where
everything felt frozen.
Maybe it was sitting in ahospital room waiting.
Maybe it was watching yourmarriage struggle.
Maybe it was losing someone youloved.
Maybe it was wondering how youwere going to pay the bills.
(10:57):
Maybe it was quietly asking,Lord, where are you?
Friends, I've had those seasons.
There were times in my life whenI thought another accomplishment
would finally satisfy me,another event, another
promotion, another opportunity.
(11:17):
But every mountain I climbedsimply revealed another
mountain.
Success kept moving the finishline.
It wasn't until I stopped tryingto build my identity around what
I did and started resting in whoJesus says I am.
(11:38):
That is how I experienced realfreedom.
Friend, God often does hisdeepest work in our hardest
winters, not because he enjoysour pain, but because winter
teaches us something successnever can dependence.
Valley Forge wasn't the end ofAmerica's story.
(12:00):
It's where perseverance wasforged.
And maybe the winter you'rewalking through right now isn't
the end of your story either.
America teaches us that freedomis worth fighting for.
Jesus teaches us that freedomwas worth dying for.
There's an enormous difference.
(12:21):
George Washington asked ordinarymen to sacrifice for a greater
cause than themselves.
Jesus became the sacrifice.
Washington endured winner.
Jesus endured the cross.
Washington helped establish anation.
Jesus established a kingdom thatwill never end.
Friend, that's why I loveAmerica, but I worship Jesus.
(12:45):
One deserves my gratitude, theother deserves my life.
And that's where we're headednext.
Because in our nextconversation, we're going to
meet three markable men.
Patrick Henry, John Adams, BenFranklin.
Each understood somethingprofound about liberty.
(13:06):
But each one also points ustoward a greater truth, a
freedom they could protect, butonly Jesus could provide.
(13:31):
We stood beside GeorgeWashington and watched a nation
fight for its freedom.
But now I want to move to theconversation from the
battlefield to the human heart.
Because if we're honest, thegreatest battle you'll ever
fight won't be against anothernation.
It won't even be against anotherperson.
The greatest battle you'll everfight is the one inside of you.
(13:51):
The battle between guilt andgrace, fear and faith,
performance and peace, tryingharder or trusting deeper.
You know, one of the reasons Ilove history is because history
reminds us that people havealways wrestled with the same
questions.
They wore different clothes,they rode horses instead of
cars, they didn't havesmartphones, but they did worry.
(14:14):
They doubted, they hoped, theywondered if tomorrow would be
better than today, just like wedo.
And that's why I think that thenext three men have something to
teach us.
Not because they were perfect,they weren't.
Not because they had all theanswers, because they didn't.
But because they understood thatfreedom is precious.
(14:35):
And every one of them, in hisown way, points us toward a
greater freedom found only inJesus Christ.
Patrick Henry.
If I begin this sentence, mostAmericans can finish it.
Give me liberty or give medeath.
Patrick Henry spoke those wordsin 1775 long before America
(14:57):
declared its independence.
He wasn't trying to becomefamous.
He wasn't looking for applause.
He believed that living withoutliberty wasn't really living at
all.
Those words stirred ordinarypeople to extraordinary courage.
I've often wondered what it musthave been like to sit in that
room to hear a man speak withsuch conviction, to realize
(15:23):
history was changing rightbefore your eyes.
But every time I think aboutPatrick Henry, my mind goes
somewhere else.
It goes to another man standingbefore another crowd.
Jesus.
Unlike Patrick Henry, Jesusdidn't ask others to die for
freedom.
He chose to die himself.
(15:45):
Think about that.
When they arrested him in theGarden of Gethsemane, he could
have walked away.
He could have called angels.
He could have ended it all in aninstant.
Instead, he stayed.
Because he saw you.
He saw your fears, yourfailures, your regrets, your
addictions, your shame.
And he loved you enough to keepwalking toward the cross.
(16:09):
America teaches us that freedomis worth fighting for.
Jesus teaches us that freedomwas worth dying for.
That's why Galatians chapter 5,verse 1 has become one of my
favorite verses.
It is for freedom that Christhas set us free.
Not so we could becomereligious, not so we'd spend
(16:33):
every day wondering if God ispleased with us, not so we would
trade one kind of slavery foranother.
Jesus came to set us free.
Friend, if your relationshipwith God feels heavy, if you're
constantly wondering whether youhave done enough, can I gently
(16:55):
suggest something?
Maybe you've picked up a burdenJesus never asked you to carry.
Grace was never meant to weighyou down.
Grace was meant to lift you up.
Let's talk about John Adams.
One of America's founders, JohnAdams, understood something we
(17:15):
desperately need to remembertoday.
A free nation depends uponpeople who govern themselves.
Think about that for a minute.
Government can write laws, butgovernment cannot write
character.
Government can punish crime, butit cannot create compassion.
Government can build prisons,but it cannot set hearts free.
(17:39):
Only Jesus does that.
That's why I believe America'sgreatest need has never simply
been better politics.
Our greatest need has alwaysbeen transformed people.
Because transformed people buildtransformed lives.
Transformed families buildtransformed neighborhoods.
(17:59):
Transformed neighborhoods buildtransformed communities.
And transformed communitieschange nations.
That's exactly how Jesus worked.
He never started at Caesar'spalace.
He started beside fishing boats,around dinner tables, walking
dusty roads, looking ordinarypeople in the eye and saying,
(18:20):
Come, follow me.
One heart at a time.
I have often asked myself, whatif Christians became known more
for introducing people to Jesusthan winning arguments?
Can you imagine that?
Less shouting, more serving,less condemning, more loving,
less pointing fingers, moreextending grace.
(18:42):
I think the world would noticebecause that's exactly what
Jesus did.
He loved people before theycleaned themselves up.
In fact, that's how they gotcleaned up.
Love changes people.
Condemnation rarely does.
Now let's talk about BenFranklin.
(19:03):
Benjamin Franklin may have beenone of the smartest men America
ever produced.
He was a scientist, inventor,writer, diplomat, printer,
statesman.
And if intelligence alone couldsolve humanity's problems,
Franklin would have solved mostof them.
But one of my favorite momentsin his life had nothing to do
(19:25):
with electricity or inventions.
It happened during theConstitutional Convention.
The delegates have been arguingfor weeks.
Nothing seemed to be working.
Tempers were rising, progresshad stalled, then the elderly
Franklin slowly stood.
He reminded everyone that duringthe Revolutionary War they had
(19:48):
often prayed for God's help.
Then he asked a question thatstopped the room.
If we needed God's help to winour independence, why would we
think we could build a nationwithout him?
Don't you love that?
One of the brightest minds inAmerica admitted, I still need
(20:10):
God.
Friend, that's wisdom.
Real wisdom isn't pretendingyou've got life figured out.
Real wisdom says, Lord, I don'tknow what to do.
I need you.
And the older I get, the lessimpressed I become with my own
abilities.
And the more amazed I become byGod's grace.
(20:33):
When I was younger, I thoughtconfidence meant having all the
answers.
Now I think confidence meansknowing the one who does.
Jesus never said, figure it out.
He never said, come back afteryou're all fixed up.
He simply said, Come to me.
I don't know about you, myfriend, but I am thankful he
(20:53):
didn't wait until I had my lifetogether because I'd still be
waiting.
Can I tell you somethingpersonal?
For years I misunderstoodfreedom.
I thought freedom meant success.
I thought if I could just buildanother business, promote
another event, earn a littlemore money, gain a little more
(21:14):
recognition, then I'd finally besatisfied.
Maybe you have chased somethinglike that.
A bigger house, anotherpromotion, another
accomplishment, thinking when Iget there, I'll finally be
happy.
But every mountain led toanother mountain.
The applause faded, theexcitement faded, the feeling of
(21:37):
accomplishment faded.
Success makes a wonderfulservant, but it makes a terrible
savior.
It always asks for more, morework, more achievement, more
applause.
It never whispers, You've doneenough.
Then Jesus began teaching mesomething that changed
everything, my friend.
(21:58):
My identity.
Wasn't in what I produced.
It wasn't in what people thoughtof me.
It wasn't in my accomplishments.
It wasn't even in ministry.
My identity was in Christ.
Friend, that realization set mefree.
I still work hard.
I still love what I do.
I still dream big dreams, but Iam no longer working for God's
(22:21):
approval.
I'm working because I alreadyhave it.
There's a huge difference.
One produces exhaustion, theother produces joy.
One creates anxiety, the othercreates peace.
That's grace.
So let me ask you (22:37):
who are you trying to impress?
Your parents, your boss, peopleon social media, the people at
church, or maybe if you'rereally honest, you're still
trying to impress God.
Friend, you don't have to.
The cross settled that forever.
(22:57):
When Jesus cried, it isfinished, he wasn't saying, I'm
finished.
He was saying the work isfinished, paid in full, nothing
left to earn, nothing left toprove.
That's why Jesus could say inJohn chapter 8, verse 36, So if
the Son sets you free, you willbe free indeed.
(23:19):
Notice what he didn't say.
He didn't say religion would setyou free.
He didn't say success would setyou free.
He didn't say politics would setyou free.
He pointed to himself.
Because freedom has a name, andhis name is Jesus.
(23:45):
Now I want to tell you one ofthe most inspiring stories in
American history.
It's a story behind a song, alawyer, a flag, a terrifying
night, a sunrise, and a hopethat refused to die.
But as incredible as that storyis, it only points to another
morning.
A morning outside a borrowedtomb.
(24:06):
A morning that changed not onlythe nation, but every nation.
We'll walk there together.
So let me kind of recap.
We've walked through ValleyForge, we've stood beside
Patrick Henry, we've listened toJohn Adams, and we've learned
from Benjamin Franklin.
And we've discovered thatAmerica's founders understood
something important.
(24:27):
Freedom is precious.
But now I want to tell you myfavorite story in American
history (24:32):
the story behind a song.
A song we all have sung, a songwe all have heard before
football games, baseball games,graduations, and countless
community events.
Most of us know the words.
Few of us know the story.
The year was 1814.
America was once again at warwith Great Britain.
(24:54):
A young attorney named FrancisScott Key had boarded a British
ship to negotiate the release ofan American prisoner.
The negotiations weresuccessful, but because he had
overheard the British plans toattack Baltimore, he wasn't
allowed to leave.
He and the others with him hadto remain aboard the ship until
(25:15):
the battle ended.
Imagine that, my friend.
You can't fight, you can't help,you can't leave, all you can do
is watch.
Throughout the night, theBritish Navy bombarded Fort
McHenry.
Cannons roared, bombs exploded,rockets streaked across the dark
sky.
The air filled with smoke, theharbor echoed with thunder,
(25:36):
every explosion briefly lit thesky.
And every time it did, FrancisScott Key searched for one
thing, the flag.
Was it still there?
The darkness, another explosion,another glimpse, darkness again.
Hour after hour, hope appeared,then disappeared, then appeared
again.
(25:57):
Can I tell you something?
I think that's exactly how lifefeels sometimes.
You get a glimpse of hope, thenanother setback.
You receive good news, thenanother disappointment.
You pray, then you wait.
You wonder if God is stillworking when all you can see is
smoke.
I've learned something over theyears.
Sometimes faith isn't fighting.
(26:18):
Sometimes faith is waiting,waiting for the doctor's report,
waiting for your marriage toheal, waiting for your child to
come home, waiting for thebreakthrough, waiting for God to
answer.
Waiting has never been easy, buthere's what I have learned.
God has never once been late.
(26:38):
Morning eventually came.
The smoke slowly drifted away.
The first rays of sunlight brokeacross the harbor, and there,
still standing, was the Americanflag.
Hope had survived the night.
Francis Scott Key would laterwrite those unforgettable words
(27:00):
O say can you see?
He wasn't simply writing poetry,he was celebrating hope.
Because hope was still flying.
As beautiful as that story is,it reminds us of another long
night, one that took placenearly 2,000 years ago.
(27:21):
Jesus had been arrested, beaten,mocked, whipped, crucified.
The disciples watched the onethey believed to be the Messiah
breathe his last breath.
Can you imagine what they musthave been thinking?
We gave him everything.
We left our jobs, we left ourhomes, we believed, and now he
was gone.
Friday looked like defeat.
(27:41):
Saturday sounded like silence.
Friend, have you ever livedthrough a Saturday?
Those seasons when you've prayedbut haven't seemed quiet, when
you've believed, but nothingchanged, when you cried and all
you heard was silence.
We've all had Saturdays.
Those moments when we quietlywhisper, God, where are you?
(28:05):
But here's the beautiful truth,my friend.
Just because God is silentdoesn't mean God is absent.
While the disciples thought thestory was over, God was writing
the greatest ending in history.
Before sunrise on Sundaymorning, a few women made their
way to the borrowed tomb.
They weren't expecting amiracle.
They were bringing spices toanoint a body.
(28:27):
Instead, they found an emptygrave.
The stone had been rolled away,death had been defeated, sin had
been conquered, hope wasn'tburied, hope was alive.
Do you see it?
Francis Scott Key spent thenight wondering whether the flag
was still standing.
The followers of Jesus spent thedarkest weekend in history only
(28:47):
to discover that their Saviorwas standing.
The flag over Fort McHenrydeclared that a nation had
survived.
The empty tomb declared thatdeath itself had been defeated.
The Declaration of Independencechanged history.
The resurrection changedeternity.
One gave us a free nation.
(29:09):
The other offers a new creation.
Can I share something that'sbeen on my heart for a long
time?
I honestly believe Jesus wantshis reputation back.
So many people thinkChristianity is about guilt,
rules, religion, trying harder,being good enough, keeping God
happy.
Friend, that's not the Jesus Iknow.
(29:31):
The Jesus I know walked towardsbroken people.
He touched lepers.
He forgave adulterers.
He ate with the tax collectors.
He welcomed sinners.
He defended the outcast.
He restored failures.
He didn't lower God's standard.
He fulfilled it.
Then he invited ordinary people,people just like you, like me,
(29:56):
to stop striving and starttrusting.
Religion says work harder, butJesus says come to me.
Religion says clean up yourself,but Jesus says, come just as you
are.
Religion says maybe somedayyou'll be good enough.
Grace says Jesus already is.
That's why I spend so much of mylife bragging on Jesus.
(30:20):
Because he isn't merely thefounder of Christianity.
He is the savior of the world.
And he has never stoppedchanging lives.
So what does freedom actuallylook like?
It isn't perfection.
It isn't pretending you've neverstruggled.
It isn't acting like you've goteverything together.
(30:41):
Freedom looks like waking upevery morning knowing I am
loved.
Freedom says, my past doesn'town me.
Freedom says, my failures don'tdefine me.
Freedom says, I don't have toearn what Jesus already
purchased.
Freedom says, there is thereforeno condemnation for those who
(31:03):
are in Christ Jesus.
Think about those words.
No condemnation.
Not less condemnation, none.
The enemy loves to remind us ofyesterday.
Jesus reminds us of forever.
Friend, if God has forgiven you,why are you still carrying it?
Lay it down.
(31:24):
That's what the cross is for.
You know, I've met people inalmost every walk of life.
Millionaires, people who livepaycheck to paycheck,
professional athletes,musicians, business owners,
pastors, former addicts, peoplejust beginning their journey,
people near the end of theirs.
And I've discovered something.
(31:45):
The human heart longs forexactly the same thing.
Peace.
Not another possession, notanother promotion, but peace.
The kind Jesus talked about whenhe said, My peace I give to you.
Not the kind the world gives,his peace.
The kind that lets you sleep atnight, the kind that allows you
(32:07):
to forgive, the kind thatwhispers, it's going to be okay.
That's what I want for you, myfriend.
Not more religion, more Jesus.
Because when Jesus captures yourheart, everything changes.
Before we say goodbye, I'd liketo ask you one question.
It's the same question westarted with.
Are you really free?
(32:27):
Not politically, butspiritually.
Have you accepted the freedomJesus already purchased?
Or are you already trying toearn something he's already
given?
Friend, you don't have toimpress God.
Jesus already did.
You don't have to carryyesterday.
Jesus already carried it to thecross.
You don't have to wonder whetherGod loves you.
(32:49):
The cross answered that forever.
If you've never simply trustedhim, today is a wonderful day to
begin.
Not with a list, not with apromise to do better, just with
an honest conversation.
Jesus, I need you.
That's enough.
Because he's been waiting foryou for a long time.
(33:11):
Many of us will gather withfamily, smell hamburgers on the
grill, children will chaselightning bugs, neighbors will
laugh together, fireworks willlight up the sky.
We'll place our hands over ourhearts as the star spangled
banner is played.
When you do, remember FrancisScott Key.
Remember one man who waitedthrough a terrifying night until
(33:33):
morning revealed hope.
But then remember anothermorning, a garden, an empty
tomb, a folded burial cloth, anangel saying, He is not here, he
has risen.
Every fourth of July reminds usthat freedom has a price.
Every Easter reminds us thatgrace has a price.
(33:53):
America teaches us that freedomis worth fighting for.
Jesus teaches us that freedomwas worth dying for.
And because he did and becausehe lives, you don't have to
spend another day wondering ifyou're enough.
You aren't.
Neither am I.
Jesus is enough.
The Declaration of Independencedeclared that all people are
(34:15):
endowed by their Creator withcertain unalienable rights.
The gospel goes even deeper.
It declares that although wehave fallen short, we are so
deeply loved by our Creator thatHe sent His Son to rescue us.
One gave us a free nation, theother makes us a new creation.
Friend, celebrate America.
(34:36):
Be grateful, pray for ournation, honor those who have
served, wave the flag proudly,but never forget the greatest
victory wasn't one at Yorktown.
It wasn't one at Fort McHenry.
It wasn't signed inPhiladelphia.
The greatest victory in historywas all won on a hill called
Calvary and forever proven at anempty tomb.
(35:00):
Thanks for spending this timewith me.
If today's message encouragedyou, would you share it with
someone who needs hope?
And please like our Facebookpage.
And if God has written aredemption story in your life, I
would love to hear it.
Visit my website,thepromoter.org, and click share
(35:20):
your story.
Until next time, remember, Ilove you.
Jesus loves you.
And when you give Jesus yourheart, he will know that he
already won the battle.
So you can live free, loveboldly, rest deeply, and never
forget, Jesus didn't come tomake bad people good.
(35:40):
He came to make dead peoplealive.
And that's how you get and keepthe health out of your life.
God bless you, my friend.
Announcer (36:01):
Today's show was produced by Ron Myers
Ministries, a listener-supportedministry.
For a copy of today's broadcast,please visit our website,
thepromoter.org.
And would you prayerfullyconsider making a tax-deductible
donation so that we may continueto share stories of God's
amazing grace with the world?
And join us next week foranother broadcast of Get the
(36:22):
Hell Out of Your Life.
Real people, sharing realstruggles, and offering real
hope.
From save the date, the 43rdAnnual Christmas City Gift Show,
(36:47):
November 13th through the 15that the Coast Coliseum Convention
Center.
SPEAKER_02 (36:58):
Visit Christmas City Gift Show.com for more.
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