Message | Another Freedom - Pastor Rob Ketterling

Summary

Podcast Summary: River Valley Church – “Another Freedom”

Speaker: Pastor Rob Ketterling
Date: August 9, 2026

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Episode Theme Overview

This episode of River Valley Church centers on the biblical concept of true freedom as explored in Galatians 5. Pastor Rob Ketterling discusses what it means to embrace the freedom given in Christ, contrasts it with the modern cultural context of freedom, addresses the tension between flesh and spirit, and exhorts listeners to “keep in step with the Spirit.” The episode also celebrates the transition of long-time church leaders Kirk and Kaylee, who are being sent to pastor a church in Texas—serving as a living example of faith, commitment, and the church’s mission to raise and release leaders.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Farewell and Sending of Kirk & Kaylee (00:00–06:02)

• Pastor Rob and Pastor Becca, joined by Kirk and Kaylee, announce that after 15 years, Kirk and Kaylee are leaving River Valley to become lead pastors at Freedom Church in Texas.
• Quote: “When we say we send our best, we truly are sending our best to Texas. That is absolutely true.” – Pastor Rob (01:23)
• Reflections on their journey, evolving roles, and the importance of “longevity serving under the blessing of staying submitted.” – Kirk or Kaylee (02:52)
• Emotional farewell marked by prayers and blessings—affirming River Valley’s culture of raising leaders to serve beyond its own walls.
• Quote: “I want to train everyone and I wanna keep as many as I can. And then I wanna send the rest to the world...and I hope the ones we send to the world break our heart every time we do it.” – Pastor Rob (05:30-05:44)

2. Diving into Galatians 5 – The Freedom Paradox (06:02–13:42)

• Continuation of a series in Galatians, focusing on chapter 5—described as “one of those highlight chapters of the Bible.”

• Key Themes:

  • Christ sets us free so we may stand firm, not returning to “a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1).
  • The paradox of American-style freedom: modern culture interprets freedom as the absence of boundaries, but this can lead to dissatisfaction, anxiety, and lack of fulfillment.
  • Quote: “Unlimited freedom ultimately destroys freedom itself. ... The things that are restrictive—commitment, responsibility, healthy boundaries—are actually the things that help us to live in freedom.” – Pastor Rob (08:52–09:13)

• Commitment—whether to marriage, kids, a job, or a church—is framed as a means to genuine freedom, not a limitation.

• Examples: Importance of family and marriage commitments, and the “blessing of kids” opposed to cultural narratives about avoiding responsibility.

• Notable Moment (12:05): Encouragement that marriage is not a burden but a “beautiful thing” and statistically, those in committed marriages feel greater freedom to dream and build together.

3. Freedom Used for the Good of Others (13:42–17:15)

• Historical context: Galatians were fiercely independent and valued freedom. Paul exhorts them not to use newfound spiritual freedom selfishly.
• Quote: “He rescued us so you could be truly free, submitted to Jesus. Which doesn’t sound like freedom, but it is.” – Pastor Rob (14:02–14:09)
• Illustration: Like a team captain given latitude to serve and elevate the team, so too Christians are granted spiritual freedom to serve others.
• Practical Application: Use your “freedom of Tuesday night” (e.g., small groups) to help others grow; mature believers are called to be examples.

4. Flesh vs. Spirit: The Internal Battle (17:15–22:29)

• Galatians 5:16-17—calls believers to “walk by the Spirit,” which will keep them from gratifying desires of the flesh.
• The Christian life isn’t free of desire, but marked by competing desires (flesh vs. Spirit).
• Key Insight: The Holy Spirit overpowers the flesh, but only if we “stay behind the Spirit” and let Him lead.
  • Quote: “He’s leading the charge against the flesh. And you’re just like, I’m going to walk right behind.” – Pastor Rob (19:45)
• Explains the “Do Not” list (Galatians 5:19-21)—works of the flesh—and encourages repentance and reliance on the Spirit's power for change.
• Encouraging Note (21:36): “Some of you just say, well, I’m kind of trapped in this. You don’t have to stay trapped in that. ... The Holy Spirit is more powerful than your family heritage.” – Pastor Rob

5. Fruit of the Spirit: Evidence of Spiritual Maturity (22:29–25:35)

• Fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23): Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
• The mark of Spirit-led maturity is not knowledge or giftedness, but transformed character—manifested in relational fruit.
• Quote: “The evidence of the Spirit isn’t merely giftedness or knowledge or even activity in serving. It’s that the fruit of the Spirit—these things—mark you.” – Pastor Rob (23:09)
• Fruit grows slowly and quietly but inevitably appears as a result of “staying in step with the Spirit.”
• Insight: Crucifying the flesh means removing old desires from the throne of your life—not erasing temptation but suppressing its power and influence.

6. Keeping in Step with the Spirit (26:09–32:13)

• Paul’s exhortation to "keep in step with the Spirit" (a military term meaning to “stay in formation” behind the Spirit’s leading).

• Illustrative Story: Indiana Jones and Short Round—Short Round immediately disobeys “stay right behind me,” likened to Christians veering out of alignment with the Spirit (27:22–28:06).

• Key Takeaway: “Abundant life is staying right behind the Spirit. Stay in formation. Don’t touch anything.”

• Modern application: Use whatever the Spirit leads you into as your guide; avoid “wandering ways.”

• Creative analogy: Alternative to WWJD bracelet—KISWTS: "Keep In Step With The Spirit." (29:39–29:45)

• Final Charge: “I want to keep in step with the Spirit. And I want to follow whatever he’s saying. And he’s leading the way so I can have victory over the flesh.” – Pastor Rob (29:49)

• Prayer (30:40–end): Pastor Rob prays for:

  • Strength to embrace commitment in all areas of life.
  • A change in attitude towards children and marriage.
  • Conviction for those living outside of God’s design.
  • Power to crucify the flesh and live victoriously by “keeping in step with the Spirit.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Unlimited freedom ultimately destroys freedom itself.” (Pastor Rob, 09:05)
• “Commitment is not a cage. It’s a launching pad.” (Pastor Rob, 12:00)
• “Crucifying the flesh doesn’t mean our temptation disappears, it means that we’re refusing to let our old desires remain on the throne of our life.” (Pastor Rob, 24:29)
• “Abundant life is staying right behind the Spirit. Stay in formation. Don’t touch anything.” (Pastor Rob, 28:06)
• “Keep in step with the Spirit. ... He’s leading the way so that I can live in true freedom.” (Pastor Rob, 29:49)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:00–06:02 – Special farewell and prayer for Kirk and Kaylee
• 06:02–13:42 – Introduction to Galatians 5 and the freedom paradox
• 13:42–17:15 – Call to use freedom for godly commitments and others’ good
• 17:15–22:29 – Explanation of the battle between flesh and spirit; reliance on the Holy Spirit
• 22:29–25:35 – Fruit of the Spirit and spiritual maturity
• 26:09–32:13 – “Keeping in step with the Spirit”; practical examples and encouragement; final prayer

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Conclusion

This episode is both a heartfelt send-off for key church leaders and a robust call to a deeper, more committed spiritual freedom. Pastor Rob passionately unpacks Galatians 5, urging listeners to reject the hollow promises of self-centered “freedom,” to embrace life-giving commitments, and to daily “keep in step with the Spirit” for true, abundant living in Christ.

Transcript

[Pastor Rob]

Well, hey, River Valley, we are up here with Kirk and Kaylee, and I'm gonna jump right to this. I just wanna say it right off the top.

[Pastor Becca]

Kirk and Kaylee have been praying since

[Pastor Rob]

November about taking over a lead pastor position. And they just accepted a lead pastor position in Texas. And so it's bittersweet that we get to say that we are sending them and they are going. But if you love and appreciate these

[Pastor Becca]

guys, can you show your love and appreciation for who they are? Absolutely.

[Pastor Rob]

Absolutely. Yes. Amen. Yes.

[Pastor Becca]

I know you love them.

[Pastor Rob]

Amen.

[Pastor Becca]

You can be seated here.

[Pastor Rob]

It's hard to believe, yet they came

[Pastor Becca]

to us in November and they said,

[Pastor Rob]

hey, we've been praying. We've been here for 15 years. And matter of fact, I do wanna just show a picture.

[Pastor Becca]

This was them 15 years ago.

[Pastor Rob]

Go ahead and put it up on the screen. I think we can show. Yeah, I mean, you see them there with the ice cream and I mean, just kids. Just kids. You weren't even engaged, I don't think, when you interviewed.

[Kirk or Kaylee]

No, we were 21 years old, still dating. And Pastor Rob, 15 years ago, he said, we'll hire you and as long as you marry Kaylee.

[Pastor Rob]

Yes. And so last weekend, they were candidating at Freedom Church in Texas and said yes. They got voted in and it was unanimous. They said, we want you. Who wouldn't? And like I say, they've done an amazing job. They are spiritual son and daughter to us. And when we say we send our best, we truly are sending our best to Texas. That is absolutely true. And like I say, they started as assistant worship leader, then worship leader at Eagan, and then young adults. What else?

[Kirk or Kaylee]

Minneapolis campus pastor, Apple Valley campus pastor and executive pastor.

[Pastor Rob]

Yeah, so he's worn all the hats and several times he's like, I think I'm ready.

[Pastor Becca]

I said, no, you're not.

[Pastor Rob]

He said, I think I'm ready. I said, stay a little longer. And finally, we just got to where we knew. We knew that this is the time frame and it's gonna happen rather fast. I mean, it's gonna happen quick. We've told our deacons several months ago and our staff that this was gonna happen. So they were in the know, maybe in the congregation. You didn't know, but we're doing this for all campuses for broadcast. But it's gonna happen fast. They don't have a pastor down there. They've been without one. And they. They want you to get down there. How soon?

[Kirk or Kaylee]

Our last weekend here will be August 22nd and 23rd and on the 22nd here at Apple Valley. I think we'll have some type of reception. I'm planning it, obviously. No, I'm just joking.

[Pastor Rob]

No, we are, we are. On the 22nd there is a farewell

[Kirk or Kaylee]

party and because yeah, it's called Freedom Church just outside of Dallas, Texas. And it's so bittersweet. We love River Valley and Pastor Rob and Becca are our forever pastors. And I wish for everybody that you could have longevity serving under the blessing of staying submitted. And faith for us for a long time has been staying here and now faith looks like jumping outside of the boat. And we're very excited about what God has for us next. And our first weekend as lead pastors at Freedom church will be August 30th. And so, yeah, getting ready to go. We have a house down there that we'll close on soon. And we have now signed with buyer of our house here in Lakeville. And so God's connecting the dots. School starts next week in Texas a little earlier. And so our families, we're going quick.

[Pastor Rob]

That's right. I want you to know we're a better church because you said, yes, we are. I'd hire you all over again, 10 times over. We are expecting great things from you. We are. And I'm also expecting an invitation to come preach in the middle of winter because you're in Texas.

[Kirk or Kaylee]

And I'm trying to get into the first month for an installation service. He's my pastor.

[Pastor Rob]

I'm trying to get there. I'm gonna try to get there and I thank God. We thank God for you. We prayed for you at all staff. We're gonna pray for you again. But I want to pray over them. And we really believe this Texas is gonna be better because you guys are going down there. And we're grateful for all the years, 15 years you invested into this church. And we just wanna pray blessing on you. So can you just extend a hand towards them? We wanna pray a blessing over them. God, we thank you for Kirk and Kayleigh. We thank you that they said yes. They said yes. And they came alongside on this team and have done 15amazing years.

[Pastor Becca]

And so, God, we just pray blessing

[Pastor Rob]

and and favor on them as they

[Pastor Becca]

step into this new role.

[Pastor Rob]

We are sending them.

[Pastor Becca]

We say we wanna send our best

[Pastor Rob]

and it truly is that. And so we are sending them. We thank you, God, that they can

[Pastor Becca]

be raised up here equipped and ready for this moment.

[Pastor Rob]

And we pray blessing on them now, God, as we celebrate them in the next couple weeks. God, I just pray that you'd be with them with us. And anytime we're in Texas, I pray that we'd go and visit them again. God, we expect great things and and are believing for great things. And thank you for them and their family being a part of our church. We send them in Jesus name. We pray. Amen and amen. God bless you guys one more time.

[Pastor Becca]

Love you guys.

[Pastor Rob]

Love you guys. Love you guys. Love you guys. Love you.

[Kirk or Kaylee]

Love you.

[Pastor Rob]

Love you. Love you. Love you. I'm not crying.

[Pastor Becca]

You're crying.

[Pastor Rob]

It's a joy that bittersweet and it's part of what we do, raising people up. I said years ago, I wanna train everyone and I wanna keep as many as I can.

[Pastor Becca]

And then I wanna send the rest to the world. And I said, I hope the ones

[Pastor Rob]

we send to the world break our heart every time we do it. Cause we truly are sending our best, whether it's to Indonesia or to Texas or wherever. And it's great. It's a wonderful thing to have a church that raises up people and sends them out. It isn't just about us. We've got a world to reach. And so grateful. Grateful.

[Pastor Becca]

All right, let's jump into Galatians chapter five. Last week we had Galatians chapter four.

[Pastor Rob]

If you don't realize we're going through

[Pastor Becca]

Galatians, we only have two chapters five and six left. And grateful for all the pastors that spoke last week, so enjoyed listening to sermons. Now, chapter five is loaded. I'm not gonna have time to even read all the verses of it. That's what this is, one of those highlight chapters of the Bible. It talks about Christ has set us free. It talks about keeping in step with the Spirit. It has flesh versus the spirit, which is Galatians 5:16. But I say walk by the Spirit and you'll not gratify the desires of the flesh. We're gonna get there today. It has the fruit of the Spirit. I love that our grandson Beckham, he walks around the house singing about the fruit of the Spirit. All right, that could be a whole sermon series. Just the fruit of the Spirit. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such thing, there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. These are things that are all loaded in chapter five. Now, I'm gonna try to hit three things today. Our freedom, flesh versus the Spirit, and In step with the Spirit.

[Pastor Rob]

All right.

[Pastor Becca]

And we will leave Fruit of the Spirit. We'll leave that for its own series. I might hit it just a little bit, but that could be.

[Pastor Rob]

Again, a whole series has been a whole series that we've done.

[Pastor Becca]

Now, the Apostle Paul talks about freedom in Chapter 5. After, he talks about their gospel, the identity. He's talked about their power. He talked about the family that they're in. And now he talks about freedom. Because freedom grows out of that. And so I'm gonna read two verses in the beginning, verse 1, and then

[Pastor Rob]

skip down to 13 and 14.

[Pastor Becca]

For freedom, Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Verse 13. For you were called to freedom, brothers only. Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. For the whole laws fulfilled in one word, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And so Apostle Paul's talking to him in chapter five about freedom. And as Americans, if you're American, we love freedom. I just know that we love freedom. As I travel around the world, I think I'm up to, like, 59 countries

[Pastor Rob]

of the world that I've visited.

[Pastor Becca]

And wherever I go, they're like, man, you guys just love your freedom. You're big thinkers. You just feel like the box has no walls on it. I'm like, yeah, we love our freedom, and I think we're good with that. But we've started to do freedom in such a way in America that it has a distorted view. We have a distorted view of our freedom. There's a freedom thinking now that says, the fewer commitments I have, the fewer boundaries I have, the fewer obligations I have. Free and easy, gonna keep my options open. And I don't wanna be weighed down by decisions and commitments. I wanna stay free. And I actually think that's a problem with our freedom. I think it's actually a problem with the way that we're living out our freedom. When we're keeping every option open in our life. It seems like we're more free, but we're becoming more dissatisfied, more bound, if you will. Even though we're like, I have no rules on me, nothing holds me back. And we have more anxiety, more loneliness, more addiction, more unfulfillment. It's all rising. People are free in our country, and people are free. But they say, I don't wanna be committed to family. I don't know if I wanna get married. I'm not gonna make that commitment. And then if they get committed to Marriage. Then they're like, well, I don't know if I wanna be committed to kids. And kids are seeing almost like a weight. Today I was thinking about doing a series on the blessing of kids. I'm hearing these people like, oh, we're just free to travel the world, and we're free to do all the things we wanna do, and we're free. And I'm like, no, kids are not a burden. Kids are a blessing. The Bible says, like, you're happy if your quiver is full of them. They're like arrows in your hand that you're shooting to the destiny. And I should do a sermon on that. But people are like, I'm not committed to a job anymore. I'll quit on a moment's notice. I'm not even committed to a church. That's what people say. They're like, I go to three or four or five churches. I'm not really committed to one. I kind of keep my options open. I'm telling you what, that's not the way to use your freedom. Your freedom was made for you to step into the commitments that actually matter. For centuries, philosophers have pondered this, and it's actually called the freedom paradox. And it's the idea that unlimited freedom ultimately destroys freedom itself. Unlimited freedom destroys freedom itself. And so all the things that we look at that are restrictive, commitment, responsibility, healthy boundaries are actually the things that help us to live in freedom. So Paul said, I'm like, you got freedom now. Don't use your freedom to do the wrong things, and you're gonna be free. But you're free in Christ. And your freedom brings you closer to Christ. We had Josh Hawley, Senator Josh Hawley

[Pastor Rob]

here, not that long ago for our men's night. He wrote a great book on manhood. That's the reason we invited him.

[Pastor Becca]

And in one of the chapters, he talks about this, attacking men, especially today. And he said, men need to make a commitment and keep it, provide and protect, live sacrificially for others. Men were built for commitment. And he says, I hate that. Our society, we're attacking commitment and making people feel like they shouldn't do it. The world is fighting against it. It says, play the field, don't commit. And so we wanna use our freedom to say, God, I wanna use this freedom to commit to the things that really matter.

[Pastor Rob]

And while I'm on it again, the kids are not a weight.

[Pastor Becca]

And marriage, there's people that are like, well, I don't know.

[Pastor Rob]

I don't know if I wanna be weighed down with that commitment of marriage, and we're gonna live together. A lot of people in society are saying, I don't wanna make that commitment.

[Pastor Becca]

I wanna be free to play the field. I wanna be free, and I don't wanna make that heavy commitment. Can I tell you this? Like, marriage is a beautiful thing as well.

[Pastor Rob]

Marriage. That was an easy one there, guys. You could. Amen.

[Pastor Becca]

You could have just screamed it and

[Pastor Rob]

your wife would be like, you're so amazing. All right, that was a freebie.

[Pastor Becca]

All right, first of all, God knows best. All right? So it's not living together, it's marriage and God knows best. In addition to that, though, experts are showing if you're in a committed relationship, you're like, you're thinking, I'll be free and I won't get bound by this commitment. But they're showing that if you are committed and you're in a marriage where you make this vow to one another, you truly are free. And you stop thinking things like, am I enough in this relationship? Am I chosen? Because if you're not married, you don't know are you chosen or not. You could be just convenient and not chosen. Okay? And then where is this relationship going? Those are the things that people are thinking about when they're living together. Again, God's word is right. And even if he just said, don't live together, be married, he was right. But these are additional supports to what he's saying. And all this mental and emotional energy that goes into those questions all of a sudden allows a married couple to dream bigger together. It allows them to take greater risks because there's a covenant that is there, and they build something meaningful together. And so there's something about this commitment. And commitment is not a cage. It's a launching pad. And so Paul's saying, like, you've got this freedom, but don't think you're just gonna live crazy free lives. You're gonna live a freedom in Christ, and you're gonna be committed to the things that matter. Now, it's interesting, when Paul's talking to

[Pastor Rob]

them about freedom, you and I wouldn't really know this about the people that are the Galatians.

[Pastor Becca]

They were Celtic people, the Gauls. And what's interesting, they were known as being fiercely independent, freedom loving people. You can't tell them what to do.

[Pastor Rob]

That's who Paul's writing to here.

[Pastor Becca]

And he's like, okay, you freedom loving, independent Gauls. You know, Julius Caesar even wrote about you guys. Like, you guys are freedom loving. He's like, I know you've got your freedom now. Don't take the freedom that you have in Christ to do all these bad things. I want you to use your freedom in Christ to commit to the good things. That's what God wants you to do. Use your freedom to commit to the good things. He rescued us so you could be truly free, submitted to Jesus. Which doesn't sound like freedom, but it is. Because think about the same things, about this couple that's not married. They're wondering, am I good enough? Where's this relationship going? All these things, okay? A person that knows Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, says, I know I wasn't good enough, but he loved me so much, he died for me, and. And I'm his child. A person that knows Jesus says, I'm on mission for God and I'm gonna do something with God. I'm allowed to dream bigger with God. I'm committed to Christ. I have this freedom to follow him. I have this freedom to do what he wants me to do. And it's a joyful commitment that I get to live out.

[Pastor Rob]

It's a beautiful thing.

[Pastor Becca]

So in Galatians 5:13, it says, for you were called to freedom, brothers only. Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. He says, our freedom that we have in Christ, we have all this freedom now. He says, our freedom is not for self indulgence. It's actually a freedom to help serve other people and to take care of the need. He's like, I've given you this freedom. Now lead by example. I'm thinking a way to illustrate this.

[Pastor Rob]

Like a captain of a team captain of a football team.

[Pastor Becca]

You say you're one of the captains, all right? When that captain is made a captain, they're given a certain level of freedom. But it's not so they can show up late. It's not so they can skip the exercises. It's not so that they can have a bad attitude. It's so they can show up early. It's so they can be an example and so they can use their captain's freedom. Like, the coach is not gonna be on there. Like, you're a captain. I need you to assist me in this. I need you to take this freedom that I've given you as captain. I'm not gonna be on you all the time.

[Pastor Rob]

I.

[Pastor Becca]

But I want you to use your freedom to make everybody else around you better. That's a good captain. Bad captain does all the other things. Now, our freedom that we have in Christ is Not a freedom to serve ourselves. It's a freedom to serve other people. It's a freedom to serve other people. And I wanna hit another thing.

[Pastor Rob]

I guess I'm kinda hitting a few things today. I'm hitting. Kids are good, marriage is good. You know what else is good? Small groups are good. All right, I wanna hit it.

[Pastor Becca]

Some of you are like, I don't need any small groups. I've been there, done that.

[Pastor Rob]

I don't need them.

[Pastor Becca]

Okay? You don't understand. Like, if you have been around in the church a long time, you're like. And you've got a captain's thing on your chest, and it's not so you could show up late, skip small groups. Like, there's people that are desperately in need of you to use your freedom of Tuesday night to give up your freedom to help them grow in Christ. That's how we use this freedom. I've got the freedom to. But I'm gonna use it to help people grow in Christ. And in verse 13, he says, don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. He actually says the word opportunity means

[Pastor Rob]

like a military base.

[Pastor Becca]

He said, don't use your freedom in Christ as a military base to launch out and do all these selfish things. Use your freedom to serve Jesus. Use your freedom to serve others. It's not a have to. You get to and make the commitments to the right things. Now, second thing, flesh versus the Spirit. In verses 16 and 17, he says, but I say walk by the Spirit and you'll not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. I want you to know this. The Christian life is not the absence of desire or a battle. It's.

[Pastor Rob]

It is.

[Pastor Becca]

There's a battle that's going on of competing desires in this Christian walk. There's a desire of the flesh and there's a desire of the Spirit. And the desire of the flesh wants to drag you away from Jesus, drag you away from the abundant life. And the desires of the Spirit wants to bring you towards Jesus Christ. And there's these opposing forces that are there. And he says, walk by the Spirit, like in your daily walk in your daily life. Stay in tune with what the Holy Spirit is doing. And he says, if you stay in tune with what the Holy Spirit's doing, he gives you a promise you won't do. You won't Gratify the desires of the flesh. He says there's victory in your life if you yield to the spirit. Now, I want you to realize this. The Holy Spirit overpowers the flesh.

[Pastor Rob]

All right?

[Pastor Becca]

The Holy Spirit overpowers the flesh. Please don't see it as two opposing, equal forces, all right? The flesh is strong, but the Holy Spirit is way stronger. Okay? And the Holy Spirit is helping you to win the battles against the things of the world, the flesh, that wanna destroy you. And so the spirit. I also want you to understand this. As Paul is writing to the church in Galatia. He's saying, like, the spirit is helping you fight against the flesh, and he's not behind you. Like, come on, Rob, you got this. Come on. He's not like the turbocharged, like, I don't have this one. I need a little extra strength. Spirit, I'm fighting the flesh. The way that Paul's writing. This is. The spirit is in front of you. The Holy Spirit is in front of you fighting the flesh. And you just gotta stay behind the spirit. And he's leading the charge. He's leading the charge against the flesh. And you're just like, I'm gonna walk right behind. Wherever the Holy Spirit is going, I'm gonna stay there. And my job is to stay surrendered. My job is to just whatever the Holy Spirit is leading me into. That's what I wanna do.

[Pastor Rob]

It's a beautiful thing.

[Pastor Becca]

Then Paul gives the Don't List, all right?

[Pastor Rob]

If you read Galatians 5, you'll find the don't list. Galatians 5, 1921.

[Pastor Becca]

Now, the works of the flesh are evident. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. That's the do not do. Listen, okay, now, some of the things on this list are grossly immoral. All right? Even the fact that I read them. Some of your parents are like, oh,

[Pastor Rob]

the car ride's gonna be interesting on the way home today. All right? He said it. All right, all right.

[Pastor Becca]

Some of them are just harmful tendencies,

[Pastor Rob]

and they don't make the headlines. Like, you know, you're like, envy or division or something like that. You're like, you know, jealousy, strife. You know, you're like, that doesn't make the headlines. But you know what they do? They still pull you away from Jesus. They still divide relationships they divide families, they break the unity.

[Pastor Becca]

And so he said, these things are things that pull you away. And can I just say this? I don't know where you're at. Like, if you any of those things were said and you kind of like, ooh,

[Pastor Rob]

I'm doing that one.

[Pastor Becca]

That's the flesh. But I just wanna tell you, it will not lead to the abundant light. It's trying to kill you. It's trying to pull you away from Jesus. And I'm just telling you right now, repent in Jesus name. You don't need to do those things anymore. The spirit is more powerful than those things. Some of you say, well, that's just the way my family is. No, the Holy Spirit is more powerful than your family heritage. Okay? You don't have to live that way. Some of you just say, well, I'm kind of trapped in this. You don't have to stay trapped in that. You can get out of that. You can change by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's leading you through and you just have to stay in step with him and let him lead the way and keep your eyes on what the Holy Spirit's leading you into. Seriously, you need to repent and don't let those things lead you away. So it's the don't do list. Don't do. But then Paul gives us the do list.

[Pastor Rob]

These are the good things.

[Pastor Becca]

Fruit of spirit. All this is in chapter five, again, a loaded chapter that is there. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control against such thing. There is no law says, this is a beautiful thing. There's no limit. Like, we want all of this we can have. We want as much of this as we can have in our life. And it's interesting, people will say, like, pastor, you know, I wanna learn more. Or they might say, I wanna be fed. I really wanna be fed. Or they say, I wanna go into the deeper things. All good things. All good things. But rarely do I have anybody come up to me and say, pastor, my character's not being formed enough. I don't have enough of the fruit of the Spirit. I was talking to my wife the other day and I am lacking fruit. Like, the produce aisle's empty. You know, like, nobody says that. Could you help me? How am I gonna develop more fruit in my life? See, the more you walk with Jesus, yes, you should get smarter. Yes, you should have all these other things, but you should have this growing in you. The fruit of the Spirit should be growing in you. The evidence of the spirit isn't merely like giftedness or knowledge or even activity in serving. It's that the fruit of the spirit. These things mark you that when people talk about you, they say, I've never met somebody that's more full of love, the joy that's coming out of them. They're so patient with me. Everyone else is that they're so patient that. Do you understand? These things show maturity and you may not realize it. You're like, I don't know if it's growing in me. Like fruit just grows pretty slow, pretty silent. I mean, have you ever waited for

[Pastor Rob]

fruit on a tree to grow? You're like, where is it? And then it shows up tiny. And they're like, where?

[Pastor Becca]

Like it's so tiny and it just seems like it just takes forever and ever.

[Pastor Rob]

And then before you know it, there it is. That's how it is. And fruit is growing in your life,

[Pastor Becca]

that fruit of the spirit. And Paul's saying, this is the do list. This is the do list. And stay in tune with the spirit. Stay locked in and let the fruit of the spirit grow in you again. We should do a whole series on this. I've appreciated this Galatians series, but as you go chapter by chapter, there's so much to cover. I wanna hit a couple other things. Verse 24 and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Again, crucifying the flesh doesn't mean that our temptation disappears. It means that we're refusing to let our old desires remain on the throne of our life. We're saying these old desires that are there, they are not on the throne of my life. Jesus is on the throne of my life. And I'm gonna crucify those desires and I'm gonna put those to death. That's not the way I'm gonna live anymore. Because I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. I'm not doing those things anymore. But the thing about the desires of the flesh, how many know you can crucify em but they're not all the way dead?

[Pastor Rob]

How many know what I'm talking about?

[Pastor Becca]

It's kinda like a bad movie, like where they.

[Pastor Rob]

It's like it's dead and it's like

[Pastor Becca]

back again and like Terminator, I'll be back. I mean it's like it just keeps coming back over and over again. So you say, this is, I'm gonna crucify this, but I'm gonna make sure that I keep an eye if anything rears its ugly head, it goes again.

[Pastor Rob]

It goes again.

[Pastor Becca]

He said, you gotta take care of these things. We reject the flesh. And we say, God help us to

[Pastor Rob]

live in line with the Spirit. We're gonna crucify those things. All right. Last thing I wanna talk about, keep

[Pastor Becca]

in step with the Spirit. So earlier in this chapter, Paul says,

[Pastor Rob]

you know, walk with the Spirit. Okay? He said, walk.

[Pastor Becca]

And so in your everyday life, Paul's saying, if you wanna live in victory, if you wanna live the abundant life that God wants you to have, if you wanna live the freedom that he wants you to live, walk with the Spirit. Every day, walk with the Spirit. And just be listening to whatever the Holy Spirit is saying and be obedient to the next thing the Holy Spirit

[Pastor Rob]

tells you to do.

[Pastor Becca]

But then he says, here, keep in step with the Spirit. Different word. This one's a military word that means, stay in formation. Stay in formation if you wanna live the victorious life in Christ and you wanna be victorious over the things that you've crucified. He says, stay in formation with the Spirit. Stay right behind him. He's leading the way. Remember, he's not back behind us, cheering us on. He's actually in front of us leading the way. And so we're gonna stay in formation. I was thinking of different ways illustrated. Like, I was thinking of different movies and different. Cause this seems like most, like, stay right behind me.

[Pastor Rob]

You know what I'm saying?

[Pastor Becca]

And how many say, stay right behind me?

[Pastor Rob]

The person drifts off and goes off to the. And you're like.

[Pastor Becca]

I said, stay right behind me.

[Pastor Rob]

You know, I was thinking about a movie that I saw years ago with Indiana Jones. And he said, this little guy, Short Round, he's a little.

[Pastor Becca]

He says, short Round, stay right behind me, walking my steps. And no sooner does he say that, he turns around and the little kid touches something and just about kills them all.

[Pastor Rob]

And little Short Round says, I'll stay behind you. I won't touch anything. Yeah, you know what?

[Pastor Becca]

We're like, short round. Paul says, stay in. Stay in formation behind the Holy Spirit. We're like, got it. You walk out those doors of church, and you're touching everything and you're breaking. And the Holy Spirit says. I said, stay right behind me. Abundant life is staying right behind the Spirit. Stay in formation. Don't touch anything.

[Pastor Rob]

All right?

[Pastor Becca]

The Spirit isn't just standing beside you, cheering you on. He's leading the way for the win. And he's saying, stay in step with me. Stay in step with me.

[Pastor Rob]

And you'll live in the victory of Christ.

[Pastor Becca]

You'll live. And so we're staying in step with what the Holy Spirit says. Some of us need to stop our wandering ways, our touching of everything else and saying, holy Spirit, where are you taking us?

[Pastor Rob]

We're following you. Years ago, there was a bracelet that a lot of people wore. Some might even have it on today. Wwjd how many know? Like, you know, W what would Jesus do? Popular bracelet. And if you don't know the story, years ago, I took my mom. She said, I want to get a tattoo. And she said, I want it on my wrist. And I know I took my mom for a tattoo and I've done a sermon. I should probably preach it again.

[Pastor Becca]

And she didn't want to do wwjd.

[Pastor Rob]

She said, everybody else has that one. She said, I wanna do a different one. So she did ibtj and it stands for I belong to Jesus. And so that was her new way wwjd, ibtj. And if you ever see her, she wears short sleeves on purpose. So people ask her about it. And if they ask her about it, she goes right into witnessing about Jesus. And it's awesome. But wwjd ibtj I've got a new one. K I S W T S It sounds like wkrp.

[Pastor Becca]

Everybody kiswts.

[Pastor Rob]

I think we need to, at the end of this sermon, keep in step with the Spirit.

[Pastor Becca]

Keep in step with.

[Pastor Rob]

I want to live the victorious life. I want to keep in step with the Spirit.

[Pastor Becca]

Whatever the Holy Spirit's saying to do,

[Pastor Rob]

I wanna keep in step with the Spirit. And I wanna follow whatever he's saying. And he's leading the way so I can have victory over the flesh. He's leading the way so that I can live in true freedom. He's leading the way so that I can live an abundant life and dream bigger for Jesus. I wanna keep in step with the Spirit. And I pray that for you, church, that we would keep in step with the Spirit. Say, holy Spirit, lead me. Holy Spirit, take me to victory. Holy Spirit, help me to overcome these things that used to have, you know, authority in my life and now they don't. I want to keep in step with the Spirit. So, Lord, I thank you for again, just a jet tour through Galatians 5. And I just pray something's going to grab us. Something's going to grab us.

[Pastor Becca]

I pray, Lord Jesus, for us to

[Pastor Rob]

enjoy the freedom we have. And I just pray right now. I just.

[Pastor Becca]

I wanna pray for some of those things.

[Pastor Rob]

That I brought up. Lord, I pray right now for people that are not living in commitment. They're not living in commitment. They're not committed to your church. They're not committed to the person they say they love. They're not committed. I pray that they truly be committed to the things that matter in this life. They be committed first and foremost to you and then committed to the things that matter in this world. Lord God, I pray for anybody that

[Pastor Becca]

thinks kids are a burden.

[Pastor Rob]

Lord, I pray that we would change that narrative. Kids are a blessing. They are a blessing. As I look back, I wish we'd have had more kids. I thank you, God, for our kids, Lord. I thank you for marriage. Thank you for marriage. And I pray if there's anybody living together right now, there'd be a deep sense of conviction to come over our church for them to do the right thing and make the commitment. Lord, I just pray right now that we'd keep in step with the Spirit and we'd stop touching the things that are off limits, that are on the do not do list. And we'd say we want to be in step with the Spirit. And we'd produce the fruit that changes this world, Lord Jesus, that helps us to look more like you. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. And lastly, I pray that we'd keep in step with the Spirit. Holy Spirit, lead us, guide us. Bring us into all truth. Help us to get to the finish line looking like Jesus.

[Pastor Becca]

Help us to overcome this world by

[Pastor Rob]

the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus name we pray. Amen and amen.