Pastor Sean Palmer continued our Lenten series in the story of the Exodus with a crucial word on freedom. We're not made to be free from every restraint; but when we accept the invitation to hold God above all, we open ourselves to experience true liberation from the powers that corrode our souls and keep our lives in bondage.
Text
Deuteronomy 5:6-7
Eternal One (speaking to the people of Israel through Moses): 6 I am the Eternal. I am your True God. I led you out of Egypt where you were slaves. 7 You are to worship no other gods before me—My presence is enough.
“A fish, because it absorbs oxygen from water rather than air, is only free if it is restricted and limited to water. If we put it out on the grass, its freedom to move and even live is not enhanced, but destroyed. The fish dies if we do not honor the reality of its nature.”
- Tim Keller
Reflection Questions
In considering the kind of freedom that Sean proposed, what constraints and restrictions in your life are you most prone to resist? What unhealthy attachments might have the message exposed?
In seeking to become who God made you to be, what constraints might help to order your time and energy accordingly? If you haven't already been participating in a Lenten fast or specific practice, why not consider doing so in the three weeks remaining until our Easter celebration?
Worship Set (with thanks to our dear sister, Latifah Alattas)
Tis So Sweet
We Will Feast
How Great Thou Art
Sanctus
You Love All Your People
Lay It All Down