Prison Break 4: Self Image

Powered by Podbean.com

"Why are they looking at me? Are they looking at me? I wonder what they think of me?"

These are questions that we all struggle with from time to time. We are so concerned with what people think of me. I have met very few people that don't care what people think of them... usually they're shameless.


Tonight Aaron Caulder spoke to us about a poor self image. A poor self image will imprison us, keep us from being legendary for God, and drive us further into sin. The truth of God's word says that we are His masterpiece!

"We are His workmanship..." - (Eph 2:10)

We are a work of art! Did you see Micah's canvas painting for the Easter production? Incredible!! Breathtaking!! That was just some paint on a canvas! You are a living, breathing, walking, creation of God - You are a designer original! You are created in the very image of God (Genesis 1:26)! Most days we forget that, and we go on being imprisoned by what others think of us!

As Prison Break comes to a close I want to challenge everyone to recognize the prison that you may be in, and break free! The truth of Jesus Christ can and will set you free. John 8:32 says that the TRUTH will set you free!!! Though the series is over, God is probably still working in your life. If you need someone to talk to let me know. We have a team of adult leaders that love you and are here to help.

p.s. - The Venti Life is coming April 9th!!!

Prison Break: Bitterness & Unforgiveness

Powered by Podbean.com

It happens to all of us…

“What they said to me, what they said about me, what they did to me!!!”

What is it that happened to you that you constantly think about? I can't believe they said that to me!! Ever been there?? Sure you have! We all struggle with bitterness and unforgiveness from time to time. But, here's the problem - we think being bitter about a situation or withholding forgiveness from someone hurts them...

It doesn't hurt them, it hurts YOU

Wednesday night Alex Davis brought us a message of forgiveness. He shared some things with us that were very personal and dear to his heart. Through his experiences he shared with us how to be set free from the prison of bitterness and unforgiveness. How do you break free from the prison of bitterness and unforgiveness??? You make the decision to forgive, to release the debt that they owe you.

Prison Break: Sexual Sin

Powered by Podbean.com

We live in a "sex saturated society". Drive down the highway, you'll see it on the billboards. Join in on a conversation at the office, you'll hear it sooner or later, watch the news... it will either be a preacher or political icon that just got caught up in a sex scandal... Imprisoned by sexual sin.

The bible likens sexual sin unto fire. Proverbs 6 asks the question, "Can a man hold fire to his close and not be burned?" Of course not, that's stupid. But we don't think that way about sexual sin. How many times have you said, or heard "your friend" say:

• I can look all I want...

• It doesn't affect me...

• Just a little won't hurt...

• No one will know...

• Just one more time...

• I'll only go this far...

Statements like these open the prison door. Satan is the father of all lies, he's a LIAR!!! That's his primary weapon against you. So, our primary defense is the TRUTH! Jesus said in John 8:32 that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free... free from the consuming fire of sexual sin.

Think back to the 8th grade, if you catch on fire, what are you supposed to do? Everyone knows you're supposed to STOP - DROP - & ROLL! What do you do when you feel the heat of sexual sin? What do you do when you begin to catch on fire from sexual sin?

STOP - Every believer has the ability to stop sinning! Sin has NO POWER over us! Read Romans 6-8, we have been set free from the law of sin! Just STOP! But by itself it's not enough...

DROP - next we need to drop in submission to God. James 4:7 tells us to SUBMIT to God, resist the devil and he will flee from us! When I submit to God, I am submitting to the truth. In Submitting to the truth, the LIE of sexual sin is exposed! When the lie is exposed, it's easier to win the battle, being able to see sin for what it is!

ROLL -Roll out as fast as you can. For you folks not down with the culture, Roll out means to flee! 2 Timothy 2:22 tells us to FLEE youthful lusts! Paul knew the power of sexual sin, it's not something to linger around and look at, it's not something to take lightly, it's a fire!

Parents please continue to pray with us through this series. Next week Alex Davis is coming in to share with our students on how to break free from the prison of bitterness and unforgiveness.

Prison Break

Powered by Podbean.com
If you've peeked into the high school trailer you might have seen a prison cell. That's the stage in which we will be delivering our messages from over the next few weeks. Wednesday night we began a new series entitled: Prison Break. You can listen to the opening message by going to the podcast page.


Coming off of "Becoming Legendary for God", our leadership has seen what God is stirring in the hearts of our students (and themselves). God is beginning to unveil how He wants to use us in huge ways. Yet there is a dark side... there are silent sins that can imprison us if we don't deal with them. They not only can imprison us, they also can & will keep us from doing"legendary" things for God's glory!

Over the next few weeks we are going to look at a few places in our life where we may be imprisoned: sexual sin, guilt, bitterness, unforgiveness, and a poor self image. Tonight was an overview of the next few weeks. We ended the night asking our students to identify that which may be imprisoning them and to ask God to speak to them in the weeks ahead. It's my goal that our students and leaders would be used by God in legendary ways - for His glory. In order to do that, we have to be set free from the sin that imprisons us. The only way to do that is to bring it face to face with the truth of God's word. I think someone famous already said that...

"You will know the truth, & the truth

will make you free." - Jesus Christ, John 8:32 (nas)