Jesus is often depicted as soft-spoken or reserved, timidly dealing with confrontation or even avoiding it, but in reality, He never shied away from conflict. Instead, He brought very hard truths to the Pharisees and religious elite. Jesus will be faithful to confront you and your sin, but not because he takes pleasure in condemning you. In this teaching, Pastor Mark will remind us that it is out of deep love that He chastens those who follow Him.

When you are in bondage to sin, it is quite possible to be oblivious of your chains. You may not even recognize the given behavior as a sin, or you might not be willing to admit that it is controlling you. In this teaching, Pastor Mark reminds us that Christ came to set us free. He didn’t come to condemn or enslave us. He purchased our freedom. Still, it is your choice to accept His invitation into that freedom and commit your life to Him.

We have grown desensitized to sin in our world. The things we consider normal would have shocked people a mere fifteen or twenty years ago. The Bible tells us that if our right hand causes us to sin, we should cut it off. That is a harsh teaching. In this message, Pastor Mark will warn us to take a more serious view of our sin, as Jesus Himself does. Whatever steps must be taken to ensure freedom—whether it means turning off internet, cutting off relationships, or having an accountability partner—are going to be worth it in the end.

God desires for all of us to be free from sin. He went to great lengths to break the bonds the enemy places on us. Sadly, many people, Christians included, remain in bondage to sin. In this teaching, Pastor Mark assures us that true freedom is possible. Sometimes, freedom from certain sins comes instantly when you place your faith in Christ, but oftentimes, freedom takes time. When sin has its grip on you, it will not let go easily. It takes prayer, strong intent, and accountability to break free, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, we are more than conquerors and will be set free.

The world holds many allures: fame, wealth, power, and pleasure, just to name a few. They all appeal to our God-given senses, but as Pastor Mark points out in this teaching, everything outside of God is fleeting. Without Christ, all of us are empty vessels, incomplete and dissatisfied with our lives, no matter how appealing they may seem from the outside.