The 5 Most Important Principles To Freedom You Need to Know
I'm going all the way back to 2011 to show you how I found FREEDOM. Jesus gave you the key, but it's up to you to unlock the door.
I am taking a week's break from my series on lessons I’ve learned from my 2024 Word of the Year (CONTENT). I am in California with my son, Chilton. He has committed to the mission field for the next two years and is based in Huntington Beach (suffering for Jesus).
Chilton is not being paid but raising funds to make this happen. Some of you are already supporting him, but if not, it would honor me if you gave him a small gift. You can Venmo him @Chilton-Bondurant or use THIS LINK for tax-deductible gifts.
If you missed one of the first two posts from this month, catch up here:
Below is a post from several years ago reflecting on the benefit of my first Word of the Year project. Enjoy!
The Year of FREEDOM!
In 2011, I stumbled on what I now call my Word of the Year project. Basically, I chose one word that I wanted to see happen in my life and focused on that word for the entire year.
That year changed my life.
That may sound like hyperbole, but it’s not. I chose the word FREEDOM. I dove deep into what freedom meant for myself, my family, my business – in every area of my life. I sought God and sat and marinated in those ideas and thoughts. I followed what I learned. In the course of 2011, something amazing happened.
I found FREEDOM.
The Principle of Finding FREEDOM
2011 was a springboard for me. It was so much more than a word. It was more than FREEDOM. It was understanding a principle Jesus shared with his disciples and others who believed in Him.
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
-John 8:31-32
Notice the progression that takes place in this short passage:
Believe
Abide
Discipleship
Truth
Freedom
American Christian culture has done us a disservice. We’ve come to believe freedom comes immediately upon salvation. Now, there is truth to that notion. When we call on the name of Jesus (believe), we are free from the guilt of our sins—past, present, and future. However, this doesn’t always set us free from the long-term effects our sin has on us—emotionally, mentally, and even physically.
Freedom usually comes over time. It comes through learning to follow Jesus.
Take me as an example.
The Missing Component
By the time I began my Word of the Year project in 2011, I had believed in Jesus for over 20 years! I was a disciple or follower of Jesus. Yet, I was bound in my heart and mind by things not of God.
The missing component? Abide.
I wasn’t sitting in God’s presence regularly. I WAS following what I knew to be true from years or months earlier. I WASN’T following what I heard from God that day or week.
The truth God showed me then was to set me free in that moment.
Notice, this is cyclical, never-ending. As I learn new (to me) truths about God, I must continue to believe things about Him I already know to be true, abide in them, and follow them as I find more truth and further freedom.
So What?
Why does any of this matter?
As a leader, I’m forced to consider what gives people the best opportunity to follow Jesus for the long term. There are lots of things I can do to help point someone toward God—church attendance, small group participation, Scripture memory, etc.
One thing trumps everything else: teaching you to intimately know Jesus for yourself.
If you can learn to live this cycle of believing, abiding, following, finding truth, and living in freedom, you will be transformed from the inside out. Here’s the beautiful thing: Your transformation doesn’t end in you. It spreads. If you are changed, you impact your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, employees, and random people you come into contact with.
How do I do it?
There are many ways to practically carry this out. Still, one of the most important is daily devotion – reading a section of scripture, meditating on that scripture, and praying about what God is showing you. Here are 2 great starts:
Bible App—One of my favorite tools is the Bible App, which is free for most smartphones and tablets (Google Play Store | Apple App Store). I would suggest any of these reading plans to begin:
The Jesus Bible Reading Plan | A year-long plan of a daily short passage of scripture and a devotion on how it ties to Jesus. 5-10 minutes per day.
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel | A year-long plan with a reading from the Old Testament, New Testament, and a Psalm or Proverb daily. These passages are tied together by Pastor Nicky Gumbel and his wife Pippa.
The Gospels with the Bible Project | A 90-day plan to read through all 4 Gospels (story of Jesus). Along with daily reading, there are videos explaining the meaning behind the stories and teachings of Jesus.
30 Steps Toward God—I’ve written a book of 30 devotionals to help you direct your heart toward God. It’s free and designed as a starting point for people trying to connect with God. You can get your free e-copy HERE.
That is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a multitude of other sources and ways to connect with God. The key is you learn to connect with God. Here are a few more tools:
7 Steps to Biblical Meditation
I changed in 2011. It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t even happen in that year. It began. This week, I challenge you to begin.
Begin (or continue) the process—believe, abide, follow, find truth, and live in freedom.