Podcast Summary: "New Freedom"

Church of the Highlands - Sunday Messages - Audio
Date: January 19, 2025
Host/Speaker: Church of the Highlands (Pastor Chris Hodges)
Series: All Things New (Week 3)

Episode Overview

This message is the third installment in the "All Things New" series, focusing on the concept of "New Freedom." Pastor Chris Hodges invites listeners to pursue a deeper, lasting freedom in 2025—not just fleeting moments of relief, but genuine, enduring transformation. The episode weaves biblical teaching, practical steps, and personal stories to encourage the church family to break cycles of bondage and step fully into new beginnings.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Heart of the Message: Freedom Beyond the Moment

• Freedom is not just a one-time event. Many Christians experience temporary freedom only to fall back into old patterns.
• God's desire is for "freedom indeed" – true, lasting liberty.
• The cycle of freedom and bondage is common, both individually and societally.

Quote:

"Freedom is this journey. It's not just this one time, moment in time." (18:18)

2. Biblical Foundations for New Freedom

• Reference to 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting as a church-wide effort to start the year seeking God and pursuing change collectively.
  (01:20)

Isaiah 43:18-19

• “Forget the former things… see, I am doing a new thing.”
  • Pastor Chris encourages the congregation to see themselves and their situations from God’s perspective—welcoming a “fresh start.”

John 8:31-36

• Even believers can struggle with bondage.
  • "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (09:52)

Luke 11:24-26

• Warning against short-lived freedom: when an evil spirit leaves and returns with others if the "house" is left empty.
  • The need for vigilance and ongoing action.

3. The Freedom-Bondage Cycle

• Describes the natural pattern:
  • Freedom → Prosperity → Complacency → Bondage
• Illustrates with national, personal, and spiritual examples.
• Pastor Chris relates this to dwindling church attendance during peaceful times versus hardship.
  (16:20)

Quote:

"In wartime, people go to church. At peacetime, they go to the lake house, come on, somebody, right?" (17:26)

4. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) as the Framework

Pastor Chris uses this familiar parable to illustrate the steps toward new freedom.

Step 1: Admit the Need for Help

• The prodigal "came to his senses" and recognized he needed help.
  (29:58)
• Real change starts with acknowledging the problem.

Quote:

"God's looking for somebody who wants to enter 2025 and say, that's enough. I'm not going through this another year." (30:20)

Step 2: Humbly Repent—to God and Others

• The son confesses to both God and his father (symbolic of accountability).
  (33:45)
• Real freedom requires vulnerability, not just private resolutions.
• Pastor Chris emphasizes the importance of small groups/church community for accountability.

Quote:

"You go to God for forgiveness, but you're gonna have to go to God's people for healing." (39:58)

Step 3: Reject the Enemy’s Lies

• The older brother in the parable believes lies about his father’s love and what he deserves.
• Pastor Chris relates this to accepting negative labels/word curses spoken over us, sharing his late father-in-law’s story as a testimony.

Story Highlight:

• Billy Hornsby’s transformation after rejecting a teacher’s curse:
  "You're never going to amount to anything," followed years later by someone speaking blessing and reversing the curse.
  (49:23)

Quote:

"All bondage begins with a lie, every bit of it." (50:59)

Step 4: Embrace God’s Truth—Identity, Authority, and Peace

• The father clothes the prodigal with a robe, ring, and sandals, each symbolizing spiritual truths:

  • Robe: Righteousness and restored identity.
    • "You are the righteousness of God in Christ.” (56:01)
  • Ring: Authority against the enemy.
    • We all have authority in Jesus’ name—not just pastors. (58:20)
  • Sandals: Peace and a "clean slate" for your path.
    • "God washes it, puts a sandal on it, and gives you his peace." (01:01:21)

Quote:

"The more you see yourself as righteous, the more you're gonna behave righteously." (56:36)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On cycles of freedom and bondage:

  "Prosperity can sometimes lead you to ignore God… and right back into this bondage." (16:21)

• On real change:

  "Enough. This is my year. It's time." (31:43)

• On accountability:

  "The secret is in the accountability." (37:26)

• On reversing curses:

  "And the curse needs to be reversed in order for you to be free. We have to reject the lies of the devil." (51:09)

• On identity:

  "You're royalty. There's a robe of righteousness on you… wake up saying, 'I am the righteousness of God in Christ.'" (56:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 20:30 – Introduction to resolutions and the reason most fail
• 27:40 – The cycle of bondage and freedom in spiritual life
• 29:35 – The prodigal son’s turning point: Admitting need
• 33:45 – Repenting to God and to trusted people; Importance of groups
• 39:58 – Healing comes in community, not just private confession
• 49:23 – Billy Hornsby’s story: Overcoming word curses
• 56:01 – Robe, ring, sandals: God’s gifts for your identity and authority
• 01:01:21 – Prayer for lasting freedom and altar call

Takeaways and Action Steps

• Freedom is a journey—don’t expect instant, permanent results without ongoing action and vigilance.
• Start with honesty: Admit your need for help.
• Invite accountability: Healing often flows through trusted relationships, not solo effort.
• Reject the enemy’s lies and daily declare God’s truth: Know and claim your identity, authority, and peace in Christ.
• Engage in community: Consider joining a small group or Freedom Group for sustained growth.

Overall Tone

Pastor Chris’s tone is warm, motivational, relatable, and deeply pastoral. He shares personal anecdotes and uses humor, but drives home scriptural truth with conviction and clarity. The call is clear: 2025 can truly be a year of new, lasting freedom—if embraced God’s way.

For anyone who has struggled with cycles and is looking for practical, spiritual steps to real freedom, this episode is filled with encouragement, biblical wisdom, and clear next steps.