Let’s picture something together
Road trip with two different people
- 1st person: Your favorite person in the world
- 2nd person: Your least favorite person in the world
These are the things you must decide together
- Where are you going?
- How will you get there?
- Where will you eat?
- Who’s Driving?
Depending on the person, each of those questions will either bring JOY or FRUSTRATION
Amos 3
Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?
That’s what we are talking about today is the POWER OF AGREEMENT
Life is a journey
- Definitive start and finish
2 Timothy 4
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Along the journey, we will pick and choose different things to walk with us (AGREE WITH)
- People
- Thought patterns
- ideologies
- Dreams
- etc
Truth is, some of those agreements will be GOOD for us
- But some will be NOT GOOD
Who and what you agree with will determine the quality and direction of your life
Sometimes, it’s difficult to know which is which in the beginning
In this series, BE FREE
- How to walk in the Freedom of God
Spiritual Agreement:
Partnering with thoughts, ideas, and ideals either from God and His truth or the world and its truth
Some agreements are learned
- Patterns of behavior
- Habits we pick up from those around us
Some agreements are willingly chosen
- How we spend our money
- Who we date/marry
- Who are friends are
These agreements will either BUILD US UP in God’s truth or TEAR US DOWN
In this series, we are focusing on the Book of GALATIANS
- Written by Paul
- To churches that he had planted
- Handling church situations similar to us today
Galatians 4:8
But in the past, since you didn’t know God…
We are strangers to God before Christ comes into our life
- We can only do what our fleshly nature see’s as natural
Galatians 4:8
But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.
When God is a stranger to us, we are:
- Trapped
- Enslaved
- In bondage to our fallen nature (SIN)
We’re not free, we are slaves to:
- DEATH
- DESTRUCTION
- DECAY
But in JESUS, we can have FREEDOM!
- He breaks the death grip of sin in our lives
The Galatians knew this…
Galatians 4
9 But now, since you know God, or rather have become known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elements? Do you want to be enslaved to them all over again?
In other words…
HOW CAN YOU RETURN TO THOSE OLD AGREEMENTS
- Those old things that do not bring you life
They may bring temporary bliss
- But they DO NOT bring life
So what are we to do?
Galatians 5:1
For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.
How do we break agreements and Stand Firm in the Freedom of Jesus?
1: Recognize the agreements that don’t line up with God’s truth
3 Categories:
- About God
- About Yourself
- About Others
About God:
- God isn’t real – God Exists, and I can trust Him
- God is far away – God is close, and I can know Him
- God doesn’t care – God cares about all of my needs
- God won’t forgive me – God’s forgiveness is more powerful than my sin
About Yourself:
- I am worthless – I am worth the life of Jesus that He willingly laid down for me
- I will never be loved – I am deeply loved by God because He is my father
- I am broken beyond repair – God makes wonderful things from broken things
- I am a slave to my desires – My mind and heart are made new through the Healing love of God
About Others:
- I can never trust again – I can forgive because God has forgiven me of so much
- I can never reach people – God can use me to reach those far from him through my personal story
- Others are just for me to us – I can sacrifice for those in my life because of Jesus’ sacrifice for me
Once we’ve recognized where we have made agreements, How to we break them?
2: Speak truth constantly into your life
2 Corinthians 10:5
…we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
Instead of being held captive, we take our thoughts captive
We do this by….
Preaching to OURSELF
- Speaking God’s truth in and over our lives
This can help break agreements that we have made with lies and false ideas
Daily Declarations
- Not mystical
- Repeating God’s truth in your life and heart
Examples of Daily Declarations:
- Jesus is first in my life. I exist to serve and glorify Him.
- I am disciplined. Christ in me is stronger than the wrong desires in me.
- I am growing closer to Jesus every day. Because of Christ, my family is closer, my body is stronger, my faith is deeper, my leadership is sharper.
- My words, thoughts, and imaginations are under the power of Christ. I take all thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
- I wake up with purpose, direction, and meaning every day of my life.
- Pain is my friend. I rejoice in suffering because Christ suffered for me.
- The world will be different and better because I served Jesus today.
Don’t walk in agreements that enslave you
- Don’t turn back to what held you before
BE FREE IN JESUS’ NAME!
Further Resources:
Daily Declarations
- Jesus is first in my life. I exist to serve and glorify Him.
- I love my wife and will lay down my life to serve her.
- My children will love God and serve Him with their whole hearts. I will nurture, equip, train, and empower them to do more for His kingdom than they can imagine.
- I love people and believe the best about others.
- I am disciplined. Christ in me is stronger than the wrong desires in me.
- I am growing closer to Jesus every day. Because of Christ, my family is closer, my body is stronger, my faith is deeper, my leadership is sharper.
- I am anointed, empowered, equipped, and called to reach people far from God.
- I am creative, innovative, driven, focused, and blessed beyond measure—because the Holy Spirit dwells within me.
- I develop leaders. That’s not something I do. It’s who I am.
- My words, thoughts, and imaginations are under the power of Christ. I take all thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
- I wake up with purpose, direction, and meaning every day of my life.
- Pain is my friend. I rejoice in suffering because Christ suffered for me.
- I bring my best and then some. It’s what I bring after I do my best that makes the difference.
- The world will be different and better because I served Jesus today.
Because of Jesus …
- I am a child of God. (Galatians 3:26)
- I am a spiritual contributor, not a spiritual consumer.
- I am alive. (Romans 6:11)
- I am a faith-filled, life-speaking, fully devoted follower of Christ.
- I am Christ’s ambassador. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
- I am a masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10)
- I am content in Christ alone.
- I am chosen. (Ephesians 1:4)
- I am determined to love God and people with everything I have.
- I am a child of God. (John 1:12-13)
- I am strengthened by God, who upholds me, protects me, and defends me.
- I am joyful. (Galatians 5:22-23)
- I am gentle. (Galatians 5:22-23)
- I am not easily offended and will not hold onto bitterness.
- I am patient. (Galatians 5:22-23)
- I am faithful. (Galatians 5:22-23)
- I am self-controlled. (Galatians 5:22-23)
- I am kind. (Galatians 5:22-23)
- I am known—even before I was born. (Jeremiah 1:5)
- I am steady. (Psalm 91:1)
- I am not alone—God is with me.
- I am loved. (John 3:16)
- I am fierce in confidence and boldness because God is with me.
- I am free. (John 8:32)
- I am healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
- I am unashamed. (Romans 8:1)
- I am called and equipped to go after the righteous desires God puts in my heart.
- I am strong. (1 John 2:14)
- I am fearless. (Isaiah 43:5)
- I am secure. (John 10:28-29)
- I am not a people-pleaser because I answer to God first and seek to please Him.
- I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
- I am not shaken. (Psalm 62:6)
- I am not stuck in worry because Jesus offers a peace this world cannot give.
- I am born again. (1 Peter 1:23)
- I am more than a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)
- I am named by God, not labeled by man.
- I am the light of the world. (Matthew 5:14)
- I am mighty in His power. (Ephesians 6:10)
- I am the Church, and I exist for the world. (1 Corinthians 12:27)
For Women
- I am the daughter of the King of all kings.
- Because of Jesus, I lack nothing.
- God has given me everything I need to do what He’s called me to do.
- I speak encouraging, life-giving words and build others up.
- The joy of the Lord is my strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
- I will not compare myself to other women. God made us all beautifully unique.
- I will hold myself to God’s standards and measure myself with grace.
- I will love and laugh rather than fight and complain.
- I refuse to waste my life on meaningless things.
- I will act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. (Micah 6:8)
- Through Christ, I am strong, gentle, fierce, and compassionate.
- I will fight the good fight for what matters most. (2 Timothy 4:7)
For Men
- I am the son of the King of all kings.
- I lay down my pride and selfishness, giving all glory to the one true God.
- I love my family like Christ loved the Church—giving Himself up for her.
- I fight for purity, guarding my eyes and heart from tempting situations.
- I seek friendships with other godly men to sharpen my perspective. (Proverbs 27:17)
- I wait for God to open the right doors and take action when He does.
- I’m not defined by my failures or successes.
- I finish what I start.
- I never give up!
- I will act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. (Micah 6:8)
- Through Christ, I am strong, gentle, fierce, and compassionate.
- I am a warrior! I stand firm, even when the pain is crippling, because God is my strength.
- I will fight the good fight for what matters most. (2 Timothy 4:7)