There is a freedom in Christ that is unlike anything else. Even a person who is physically incarcerated or held captive in the natural can know, experience, and live in freedom! But how? How does a person find this kind of freedom? And better yet, how do you hold on to this kind of freedom no matter what may be going on in your life? Let's find out together...

These are the keys to renewing your mind and learning to wear your new identity in Christ. It sounds simple (and it is) but it's also a step-by-step process. The Bible gives us these keys and on today's podcast, I'll share how I learned them and used them to grow in my walk with God.

The world is full of judgment, standards, and expectations-- and it can be exhausting. So how does that equate into our walk with God? How does that transfer into our desire to be pleasing to God? When I first became a believer, by all appearances, I looked like I had it all together but the truth was, I wore my mask well. I didn't understand the law of righteousness (being made right with God under the Old Covenant) versus the righteousness of faith (our salvation through faith in Jesus). So pleasing God was utterly impossible... until I learned the truth. "The art of pleasing is the art of deception." Luc de Clapiers

It's not unusual to ask yourself: Am I going the right way? This question isn't limited to travel. This is a LIFE question. The truth is, just as much as the Holy Spirit wants to guide us, the enemy wants to detour us. So it's important to have the right navigation system in our heart. "As he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).

Someone recently said, "I think a lot of people know about church but I'm not sure they really know Jesus." And I have to agree. Job said, "I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes" (Job 42:5). This is honest. It's also telling of our world and culture today. There's a BIG difference between having a knowledge of religion, religious gatherings, and actually knowing Jesus personally and intimately. The Bible calls it spiritual blindness-- and you don't want that. I pray this episode nudges you to know the difference, and make a difference.

In one of the most beloved psalms, the Bible says God "...leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul…" (Psalm 23:3). Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. And the only reason it would need to be restored is because something hit it so hard it left a wound. Whether we knew this terminology or not, I know that every person has experienced a soul wound at some point in their life. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to be healed of wounds against the soul. In this message, you'll learn how.

It's only crazy until it happens. That's a quote by Michael Todd, a pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But it perfectly describes how crazy faith can sound and feel at times-- until God shows up! There are key elements to faith and since Christians can't live in this world successfully without faith, isn't it important to know how faith works? I promise this episode will stir you to step out-- even if it looks crazy!

Jesus didn't set us free so we could get all bound up in the ideologies of this natural world. What I mean is, it's important to lived a balanced life, aware of the natural and spiritual all the time. Unfortunately, too many people (myself on occasion) get caught up in the demands of the natural and forget we can live fluid with Christ, no matter where we are or what's going on. In fact, it's not a suggestion-- it's the reality of a life in Christ.

Religion, fueled by the enemy's lies and our own misunderstandings and insecurities, has made us believe God is mad at us-- or prone to be mad at us if we make a mistake. This is NOT the truth. The Bible actually says, "So now the case is closed. There remains no accusing voice of condemnation against those who are joined in life-union with Jesus the Anointed One" (Romans 8:1, TPT). This is a great place for a Hallelujah and an Amen! Tune in to learn more!

You know the feeling... you're hungry but it's showing up in more ways than just your stomach growling. You are hangry and the only thing that will fix it is some food. The same is true spiritually! The number one cause of burn-out is hunger. Jesus said He is the Bread of Life and all who partake of Him will live forever. But you know you can't live naturally on one meal, so why do you think you can spiritually? Tune in to this week's podcast for some encouragement and tools to fix your hunger (burn-out). I don't feel guilty when I don't eat every day. I feel hungry. John Mark Pantana