What direction will you take? graced Law Grace What path are you on? What direction will you take? Sundays, April 8th – 29th 8:30 a.m. * 10:00 a.m. Impact @ Regal Oakwood Theatres 2800 Oakwood Blvd. * Hollywood, FL 33020 Church Contact: (954) 443-7894 * icsofl.com

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14 NKJV Sin or temptation can no longer control us because we are no longer governed by what gives sin it’s power, but we are governed by God’s overwhelming desire for us to enjoy the win in life.

15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. Romans 7:15-19 NLT

OUR PROBLEM IS RELIGION, which is always focused on some type of law. “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” Romans 8:3 NLT

“Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.” Galatians 3:23-25 NLT “For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.” Galatians 2:19 NLT

How to Stimulate a Growth Spurt graced Law Grace How to Stimulate a Growth Spurt

Religion Stunts our Growth & Hinders our Development   “Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. Galatians 4:1-5 NLT

Religion Stunts our Growth & Hinders our Development   And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.” Galatians 4:6-10 NLT

“You crazy Galatians. Did someone put a hex on you “You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the cross was certainly set before you clearly enough. Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?” Galatians 3:1-3 MSG Religion paralyzes us into a childhood mentality, mannerisms, and mission. True maturity in Christ is expressed by lawlessness and faith, not by obeying laws and commandments.

“Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 NIV Religion by default and nature makes us selfish. Whenever your bound, your whole world is about your freedom.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NLT   “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:2 MSG The way of the world is religion. Religion can be seen as the focus on and adherence to rules, regulations, and codes with the belief that it produces acceptance and approval with God, a creator, or nature.

Don’t identify with who you used to be and who you no longer belong to!   “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.” Romans 8:3 NLT

SIN IS NO LONGER MY MASTER, THE LAW IS NO LONGER MY FOCUS, therefore For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14 NKJV SIN IS NO LONGER MY MASTER, THE LAW IS NO LONGER MY FOCUS, therefore EVERYDAY I AM GROWING STRONG IN CHRIST!