Hey everyone, welcome to our semi-quincentennial. How about that for starting things off with a seven-syllable word? Obviously, this is a chance for us to celebrate together, and we've encouraged you to do this with friends, and family, and neighbors. If you're joining us from around the world, this is a chance for us to remember our 250th anniversary of a declaration of independence from the tyranny of the King of England. So for those of you joining us from England, we're good, right? It's been enough time. So, we just want to get started here with this service. It'll be abbreviated, but we're going to open God's word, we're going to sing some songs that you know and love. We've even got a chance for you to hear from some folks who have served our country throughout the years. So let's just get started. Obviously, we're entering things from a different place. Thank you, Christie. So we're going to head backstage. You can see the team's going to get in place now. This is where some of our technology is that helps us communicate things and get things out into the world. And speaking of communication, that's our Director of Communication, Lisa Correct. We're going to hear from her in a little bit. But I want you to know as we head out here now, people have been thinking about this, planning for this, praying about this, rehearsing, and you're about to see the worship team. And one of the first things you'll notice is that there is somebody from your campus that's here. You see, we wanted to do this as one church with many locations. And so now as you get a chance to even just see some of the team here, let me just thank you all for showing up. I know this is a thing and you've carved time out, and thank you so much. So let me just ask this question. If we're here celebrating the semi-quincentennial- Wow ... yeah, of our country's declaration of independence, what do you guys do on the Fourth? Do you have traditions? Anybody have a tradition? We grill. Family. Barbecue's a non-negotiable. Yes. It all starts with the grill. All the food is grilled. All the food. Wow. All of it. Everything's on the grill. Okay. I heard somebody say family. Yeah, Ryan. We love to go to the parades. You love parades. You love parades in the morning. Okay. So just quickly, if you guys had to sum up a word that comes to mind when you think of-- What would be the theme of the Fourth of July? Anybody got one for me? Freedom. Freedom's the obvious one, right? It really is. And as it turns out, it's a central theme of scripture. So if we go to the Gospel of John, we're in the eighth chapter, and Jesus is in the middle of a really difficult conversation. In fact, these religious leaders are not treating him well at all. They're saying some really ugly things, if you go and read the whole chapter. But he starts off talking about how if people will trust him, and his way, and his words, and put them into practice, they'll know the truth, and it'll set them free. He will set them free. And then there's some pushback, and folks are saying, "Well, we don't need to be free. We don't need what you're offering. We're not interested." And Jesus says this in verse 36: "When the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." Indeed. You are really and truly free. Now, Jesus is not talking about political freedom here. He's talking about something completely different. But I do think freedom is important. It is a longing of the human heart. Freedom is not something we invented. God created us for this, and so we have this longing in our hearts, which I think is why, and we don't want a history lesson now, but I think those signatures on that declaration sparked not just our American Revolution, but actually history tells us, sorry, that it catalyzed real world changes, and people pursuing democracy, and free speech, and freedom throughout the years. In fact, one writer said it's the American Revolution that got the party started. Now, as soon as I say that, let's admit that we're not perfect, and that we never were. But what country is and ever was? It is true that our ideals of freedom were not reality for too many people for too long. But these founding principles were and still are true, that all are created equal in the eyes of our creator. These truths are worth celebrating, and remembering, and living up to, and chasing after. But I'll say it one more time, it's God who has placed that longing for freedom in each of our hearts. Now, as important as political freedom is, and it is, it's always worth standing against tyranny. But as important as political freedom is, what Jesus is talking about here is a life with him when we confess him as Lord and Savior, that it's full, it's satisfying, it's resilient, it's purposeful, and in so many different ways, it's free. When you come to Jesus, he says, "I will make you free indeed." Now, we talk about this every weekend. We celebrate this throughout the week. It's what baptism was all about. We believe that when you turn to Jesus, something begins to happen. If you'll allow him to make things right, then there is this freedom, there is this confidence, there is this assurance that everything has changed in your life. So we figure it's about time for us to do one of the songs that we love to do around here. Now, I'll be honest with you, when we do this in person, I'm guessing you guys would all agree with this at your sites, this is one of those songs people sing loudly. Now, we're not going to be able to hear you sing, and you may not want the person next to you to hear you sing because you're sitting at home, or you're on the deck, or you're at the lake. So here's what I would suggest. Turn the volume up. Right now, somebody grab the remote and turn the volume up because these words, they are true, they matter, they resonate. I'm going to ask you if you would to sing with us now. Yes. So the radical invitation of Jesus means three things that I want to share with you. The first is that he frees us from the old traps. If you go back to chapter eight, just a little bit before that, he talks about being enslaved by sin. So you're just caught up and you're trapped in this sin, and of course, that has to do with something that's going on in here. And Jesus is the one who frees us from that. You and I cannot live the life that we long to live without him. Let me put it to you this way. Has anyone ever noticed how exhausting it is to do this on your own? How exhausting it is to try to climb out of a mess or to climb out of a trap on your own? Jesus says, "If you come to me, I will give you rest, but I'm the one that will give you courage, and power, and wisdom, and I'll show you a way forward." And then those regrets and those insecurities, those things that wake us up in the middle of the night, and we still wonder, "Well, wait a minute. Could the gospel be that good? Is it that true?" Jesus says, "Yes, if you come to me." Now it's almost counter-cultural to talk about surrender, but part of our freedom comes from trusting him and surrendering in him. Wait a minute, so you're telling me if I give up control to him and now he's in charge, that's when I'm free? Yes, that's when we're free. And when it comes to these thoughts that we have in the middle of the night, those old memories that still haunt us, and we wonder, "Did I do something that's beyond God's grace?" It's not true, and it's Jesus himself, when we turn to him, that begins to heal of this. Now, I'm not saying that it's like everything is all better. I'm just saying it's Jesus and the presence of Jesus, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, that he begins to unwrap these thoughts, and these assumptions, and these memories that have enslaved us. They have gotten us to a place where we're not even sure we can live this life that we've been called to live, but it's Jesus that gives us this freedom. There's a guy that I have quoted recently, John Newton, was a slave trader in England who was redeemed and never got over God's forgiveness of his sin. And he wrote hymns, and he pastored a church, and he preached against that evil. And he kept telling people about grace. Now, many of you know the punchline, but John Newton wrote that song that we sing all the time in this world. But towards the end of his life, some of his writings, you can begin to sense that he knows that the end is near. He can sense that he's lost a step. This is what he says in one of his writings, "Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly. I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great savior." Seems to me on this day, when we celebrate the freedom that we have in Jesus, we ought to take a moment to sing that old hymn that he wrote. So, I'm going to ask you all, would you just lead us in this? And if you would, you know this one. Would you sing "Amazing Grace" with us? Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind, but now I see. Through many dangers, toils, and snares. I have already come. 'Twas grace that brought us safe thus far. And grace will lead us home. Yes. Amen. The truth is that He does lead us. He's not finished with any of us, which really gets us to this third idea here, that Jesus frees us to live this fuller life. Now, this is the life that you long to live. This is the life that you were made to live. Let me see if I can make this point. You ever had that moment when you could kind of tell, this is going to be my moment, do I trust Him or not? Do I take that next step and see if His way is best? And it could be something huge. It could be something really quite small and private. It could be when you just say, "Here, you go first." It could be when you let somebody else have the spotlight. It could be when you choose to serve. It could be when you choose to forgive or when you let go of a grudge. It could be when you take the risk, and you begin to share your faith with a friend that you love. It could be when you pray big, bold prayers for someone. It could be when you champion someone that nobody else is even noticing. I could go on, but there's so many ways where we take that next step, and I'm telling you, when we do, Jesus is there with us. He doesn't just help us take that step. He is there with us saying, "You're not crazy for loving this boldly. This is what you were made for." In John 14, He says that, "If you'll do what I say, if you'll put these words into practice, I will show up in a powerful way," if we take those steps. So here's another step that we could take today. It's this idea of expressing gratitude. You see, any time we're given a gift, and I believe that grace that we just sang about is a gift. We don't deserve it. But what do you do when you get a gift? You respond by giving thanks. So we want to give God thanks today for all of these blessings that we have. And yes, on this day, I think it is important for us to thank Him for the freedoms that we enjoy. And if you want to be really specific about it, I think right now is a chance for us to thank God for the men and women throughout the years who have served, and fought, and defended these freedoms that we get to enjoy every day of our life. So we thought it would be a treat for you to hear from some of our own here at The Crossing who have served. Hi, I'm Michael Shelton. I was a pilot for 17 years in the Navy, and another six years served in the Air Force Reserves. Hi, my name is Colton Morgan, and I am a staff sergeant currently serving in the United States Marine Corps. My name's Lily. I am 17 years old, and I'm a junior in high school, and my dad has been in the military almost my entire life. My dad was first wave D-Day. He was my hero. My grandpa did it. We're a military family, and I was proud to go sign up, and that's what I did. I'm currently deployed. I can't tell you where I'm at. Every day, things get really challenging, and there are times where I've actually thought that I wasn't going to come back home. I decided to serve because I love this country, and I was so grateful for the opportunities that it afforded me. I wanted to be a part of the team that preserved those opportunities for the next generation. As a follower of Jesus, freedom to me is really the ability to choose to follow Jesus, and I am so forever grateful to be an American for this reason. A lot of nations, governments across the world, a lot of the countries that I've been to and been on combat deployments to, they don't have that same kind of freedom. So we're just honored and blessed to be a part of this great nation and to be able to defend that faith-based freedom that we have here today. Freedom means that I can go to bed every night and know that I get to wake up the next morning in this nation as a member of the United States. I will wake up and do it 20 times over because I genuinely love what I do. So let's cling to hope, because I've seen revival in our midst and amongst the ranks, and God's not done with us. Your freedom was bought at a price, so be good stewards of it and enjoy life to the fullest. Those were good words. Those were strong words. And I heard the invitation, the call for us to be good stewards of these blessings that have been given to us. So would you join me now in prayer? Father, we come before you and, well, first of all, we're grateful for those who have served our country in the military. We're thankful for their families who have given in very real and often unnoticed ways. So we're praying in the middle of a world where men and women are in harm's way right now, that you would protect them. God, for those in our church family with loved ones now serving, give us wisdom to know how best to serve them. We pray for our leaders, that you would protect them as well, that your voice would call them to your way. May your voice rise above the rest in our own lives. Lord, we're grateful for the blessings that you have afforded to each of us. I know that there are untold numbers who long for what we enjoy in this country. So on this day, we thank you for those freedoms. But most of all, we thank you for the freedom many of us enjoy in Jesus. Now, may we be good stewards of your grace. May we tell others of your goodness and mercy. I'm praying for revival because I trust that you're still up to something. Jesus, our eyes are on you. You are Lord above all, and we pray all of this in your name. Amen. So let me just here at the end thank you one more time for joining us. I hope you guys have a great rest of the weekend with your family and neighbors and friends. If you're one of those folks who has to work this weekend, the rest of us just say thank you for serving us in untold ways. But I thought we would end and wrap things up the way we began, with this idea of gratitude. And maybe not just even about the day, but about anything that makes us think of home. Now, you've read things and heard things, and I have as well, and if we were together, I would be having you talk to each other and sharing what it is that you're grateful for. But let me see if I can get us started here, and then in a little while, you can share some things with each other. But I am grateful for what I think of when it comes to this day, and some of the stuff that folks were talking about, barbecue and parades and fireworks and all things fried. Yes, all of that, and more that we didn't mention, like, I don't know, homemade ice cream and ice-cold watermelon. But I'm grateful for things that are beyond this day, that remind me of home. I am grateful for that first baseball game with a little one that you love, or maybe it's the last game you went to with Grandpa. I'm grateful for neighbors that help clean up after the storm, or the sight of little ones chasing each other in the yard, or the sound of neighbors' laughter on the back deck. I'm grateful for classic rock and old-school country and R&B and gospel choirs. I'm grateful for sunsets on the lake and March Madness that first Thursday. I'm grateful when a thunderstorm rolls in. I could go on. I'm grateful for the way the woods wake up every spring here in the Midwest, or how much noise one frog can make on a tree in the summer. I'm grateful for the way the light hits leaves on this one part of my drive to work in the fall, down a hill towards the church. I'm grateful for the way snow can quiet the whole world. Now, if I'm not careful, I'm going to start sounding like I'm writing my own old-school country song, so I'll stop. Maybe you can continue here in just a second, telling each other what it is that you're grateful for, but I'll give you one last thing. I'm grateful every weekend I get to come into this church and see people worship and pray out loud as we proclaim the gospel and open God's world, and we have the freedom, and there is no fear of persecution. And then when I get to see God working amongst this people that I love, I'm grateful. Anyone else? You see, I'm hoping maybe that that can fill our hearts now as we keep moving forward. Lincoln said towards the end of the Gettysburg Address, he was talking about this unfinished work. So here we go. God's not finished with us or this city, this country, or this world. So I say we give thanks today, yes, but then let's get to work making this world better. By his grace and for his glory, let's advance the kingdom. Let's tell others about that grace we were just singing about. Let's roll up our sleeves and serve people whose names we don't even know. Let's listen better. Let's wait one more sentence before we interrupt someone. Let's pray for people we never thought we'd pray for. Let's let go of a grudge. Let's cry a little bit more and laugh a lot more with the people around us. And yes, let's pray for revival. I pray that the Holy Spirit will soak our thoughts, our words, our actions, in such a way that people will come to know Jesus, who is the true source of lasting freedom. So, happy Fourth of July. One more time, we're really grateful that you joined us. I hope you come back next week. If you're in town, join us. We're going to start this new series. But we thought maybe here at the very end, it would be a good idea to sing another one of those songs that we love to sing, but honestly, we love to hear you sing this song. So if you haven't yet, turn up the volume a little bit, because we think this is just about the perfect way for us to thank God one last time. Well, it is so good to gather together and declare the goodness of our God on such a special weekend. See, for many of us, we have experienced His goodness personally, and that's what leads us to worship. And not just worship through song, but in every aspect of our lives, which is why so many of us choose to contribute to the ministries of The Crossing in a regular rhythm of our life. And I know for some, you choose to give in a more physical, tangible, tactile way each week at our campuses or through things like text-to-give. So if that's you, the ways to give are on our screen, and you can participate in that way. But if you're new, you're just joining us, we are so glad that you did. I hope you'll consider coming back next weekend, either online or to one of our campuses, as we kick off a brand-new series called "More Than You Think." We'll see you then.