Travel Light: Embracing Freedom in Christ

``Even a few extra ounces can slow us down over time. Speaking spiritually, those ounces become pounds and then they become burdens and then they become chains. That, my friends, is the picture of what a lot of us do with our souls. We pack heavy. We carry around things we were never meant to carry. Not extra clothes, not extra shoes, but we carry around guilt and shame and regret and condemnation. [00:48:17] (42 seconds)  #TravelLightSpiritually

Guilt often disguises itself as humility and spiritual discipline but don't confuse conviction which leads to repentance and freedom with condemnation which leads to shame and paralysis. The holy spirit the holy spirit convicts it does not condemn. [00:52:41] (23 seconds)  #GuiltWhispersLies

Paul says that the law of the spirit has set us free from the law of sin and death now that is complex Beth is exactly right so what does it mean the law of Moses showed people what was right and wrong but that didn't fix the problem it only revealed it our human nature what Paul calls the flesh is too weak to live perfectly by the law so God did what we could not do God sent his son and through Jesus sin itself was condemned guilt no longer has the last word the penalty is paid the power is broken. [00:56:10] (47 seconds)  #NotGuiltyCaseDismissed

Sometimes when we talk about this we might picture that we're in some heavenly courtroom and we've been accused of every wrong thing that we have ever done and the evidence is stacked high against us and yes we probably even know and can admit that we're guilty and everyone in the room knows yes it's probably true and just when we're waiting for the judge to pronounce the sentence he or she looks at us and they say I've decided not guilty case dismissed in fact you're free to go right now you can begin traveling lightly. [00:56:56] (40 seconds)  #IdentityInChristFreedom

Remember the idea of hiking or backpacking it is to go the whole distance so the key to long distance hiking is to weigh every single item if it is not essential then it does not make the cut even a few ounces of extra weight can slow us down over time faith is the same way carrying guilt might seem small at first but then over miles over years it wears us out traveling light means dropping the guilt so that we can walk in freedom. [01:01:26] (45 seconds)  #PrayToTravelLight

So the prayer that now we could pray every morning before our feet hit hit hit the floor it could simply be lord help me to travel light today help me to travel lightly youtoday if guilt creeps in we can remind ourselves of this scripture there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in christ jesus maybe we can imagine ourselves setting down that heavy bag of guilt putting it down at the foot of the cross walking away leaving it there and deciding now we're going to travel lightly with jesus not alone we're going to travel lightly with jesus. [01:02:11] (65 seconds)  #WelcomeToChristTable

Sometimes one of the ways that we are reminded that we are forgiven we are reminded of the great power that we have been given through jesus christ in the united methodist church is through the sacrament of holy communion and you know this every single person is welcome at the table it is christ's table it's not my table it's not the church's table it is christ's table and every person is welcome and so today if you are carrying guilt that is heavy lay it down leave it here leave it here and don't pick it back up again decide together that we're going to travel lightly with jesus. [01:03:16] (60 seconds)  #GraceIsGreater