Freedom isn’t free. In the United States, this is celebrated at least three times a year: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans Day. For many Americans, they will experience all the benefits but never see the battlefield. It’s easy to take our freedom for granted when the cost seems so distant. In today’s message, Pastor Bill reminds you that your spiritual freedom wasn’t free either, but it’s often taken for granted because Jesus’s death on the cross happened so long ago. Don’t forget the cost He paid.

When you create a home budget, should it be based on your net income or gross income? That’s a silly question, because whether you love taxes or hate them, we know that the government gets first dibs. Today, Pastor Bill poses a different, but similar question: Do you plan your day around your net or gross time? As in, do you let God have first dibs on how He wants to spend time with you, or do you just slot Him in where you think is most convenient? He wants priority over everything else.

Cookies in the oven… a cup full of coffee… freshly cut grass… hickory burning in a fire pit… fresh linens… don’t these smells just warm you up on the inside? When something smells good, it makes the experience so much better. Today, Pastor Bill teaches that this is how God views your obedience. When you offer up your time, energy, and possessions with a genuine heart, it’s a pleasing aroma to God. It gives Him the same warm feeling inside as you pouring that beautiful smelling cup of coffee.

Oftentimes, we don’t engage in something until we feel ready. We will try to postpone having kids until we are debt-free, or not release a song we’ve recorded until we’ve spent so much time dwelling on it that we decide not to release it at all. As dangerous as impulsive actions can be, sometimes they are just as helpful. In today’s message, Pastor Bill teaches that God will equip you more than you realize, and He will often ask you to do things that make you nervous. However, He knows that you are ready.

How we spend our time is important. Did you know that when dads refuse to be around their children, the kids are twice as likely to drop out of high school? Did you know that when a father regularly attends church, the chance for them to attend church regularly as an adult goes from about 2% to 70%? Today, Pastor Bill teaches that prioritizing your time impacts more than you realize. God may be asking you to spend more hours with Him, or He may be asking you to invest more time in your family.

We all love our children, regardless of how they act, right? They might be knuckleheads sometimes, but that doesn’t make them any less our children. However… isn’t it just a little bit nicer when they listen to what we say? In today’s message, Pastor Bill teaches that God loves all of His children. He loves those who are picture perfect, and He loves those who can’t seem to get their act together. However, whenever you are obedient to God’s will and live according to His Word, it makes Him smile.

What’s your most prized possession? Is it the car you drive that you worked so hard to be able to afford? Is it your social media account and all the posts with high engagement? How important are your treasures to you? In today’s message, Pastor Bill teaches that God is going to ask you to make sacrifices. Would you be willing to sacrifice that item that you’re thinking of? See, God isn’t just asking for any sacrifice. He’s asking for your best. As Paul teaches, whatever you do, do it to glorify God.

Having faith in Who God is, and what He’s done is essential to wearing any spiritual armor.  If you start to question any of it, your defenses start to crumble, and your armor becomes cracked.  Today, Pastor Bill wants you to know that it all starts with that faith that’s unbending.  If your faith is like that solid steel of a sword or a breastplate, then your heart will be protected from injury and eternal death.  Strengthen your faith so that it’s a strong force, able to fight off doubts, questioning, and anything else.

Think of a rowing team; the sport is grueling and physically exhausting.  You’re a unit, but each person’s rowing is essential to get to the finish line.  If one person quits, your whole team loses out on being the champion.  Today, Pastor Bill reminds you that you may face some difficult opposition in the spiritual battles of life.  You might be so tempted to quit, because it’s hard and discouraging.  But that’s exactly where Satan wants you to be, and he knows that if you quit, you lose the battle.  Stay in the war, and win!

What about you?  Are you on the offensive?  Maybe you’re sitting back, casually letting life happen, finding yourself on the defensive end, when spiritual attacks and opposition come.  But like football, it’s the offensive side of the battle that puts points on the board, which brings about the eventual win.  Pastor Bill urges you today to get into the game, put on that spiritual armor, and be proactive in being ready for what’s coming.  Don’t let the battle take you by surprise.  Take action and overcome the enemy.