“Freedom” | GOOD NEWS - Week 3 | August 23rd, 2026

What if doing whatever you want isn't actually freedom? In this message, Pastor Matt Piland dives into 1 Corinthians 5 & 6 to address a major tension in both ancient Corinth and modern society: the difference between cultural freedom and gospel freedom. Discover why obedience is a response to grace, how good desires can become subtle masters, and how the cross gives us the power to lay down our rights for the sake of love.   💡 Key Takeaways:   Powerless to Refuse: Sometimes what begins as something you are free to choose can become something you feel powerless to refuse. Grace & Obedience: Obedience is not something we do so that God will love us; obedience is our response to the love and grace He has already given us. Mastered by Desires: Freedom isn't just about whether you are allowed to do something, but whether that thing has become your master and controls your life. Pride vs. Shame: The gospel simultaneously destroys our pride ("look what I've done") and our shame ("look what you did") by placing our identity entirely in what Christ accomplished on the cross. Rights vs. Love: True Christian freedom isn't self-indulgence or demanding our rights—it's having the freedom to lay our rights down to serve others in love.   📌 Timestamps:   00:00 – Generosity & Answers to Prayer: The Longs’ Testimony 03:58 – Welcome & Summer Sabbatical Reflections 05:27 – The Family Cruise Story & The Power of "It Is Included" 09:45 – The Tension: Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should 10:48 – Context of Corinth: Secular Values Infiltrating the Sacred 12:42 – Divorcing Holiness from Grace 15:02 – The Problem: What If Doing Whatever I Want Isn't Freedom? 16:25 – The 1983 Toyota Supra: License, Freedom, and Boundaries 18:00 – 1 Corinthians 6:12 (Mastered by Anything) 19:04 – A Better Question: Is It Becoming Your Master? 22:25 – How Good Things Can Become Ruling Things 25:22 – Confronting Sin & Pride in the Church (1 Corinthians 5:2) 27:26 – Choosing Sin vs. Defending Sin 29:54 – The Path: You Do Not Belong to Yourself 31:55 – The Gospel Destroys Both Pride and Shame 34:50 – Disputes & Lawsuits: The Need to Win 38:55 – Called to Live in Freedom to Serve 39:39 – The Principle: Freedom to Lay Down Our Rights 41:00 – Viewing Grace vs. Viewing a Cruise 44:31 – Closing Prayer & Response ✝️ Key Scriptures:   1 Corinthians 6:12 1 Corinthians 5:2 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 1 Corinthians 6:7-8 Galatians 5:13–14   📲 Download the New Bethlehem Church App to stay connected, access resources, and take your next step with us today! 🔗 Connect With Us: First Time? We'd love to know more about you. Click this link to let us know you’re watching! https://wearebethlehem.churchcenter.com/people/forms/1284381 If you want to take your next step with Jesus, please click here: https://wearebethlehem.churchcenter.com/people/forms/376703  We’d love to pray for you! Visit https://bethlehemchurch.us/prayer-wall/ to post your prayer request. Give Online: Support the ministry of Bethlehem Church at https://bethlehemchurch.us/give/    🗓️ Stay Up-To-Date: Website: https://bethlehemchurch.us/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethlehemchurchga/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethlehem_churchga/   #BethlehemChurch #GoodNews #1Corinthians #Freedom #MattPiland #Grace #Sermon2026 #ChurchOnline