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In Mark 5, Jesus encounters a man whose life has been completely devastated by demonic oppression. He is isolated, tormented, hopeless, and unable to free himself. Yet with a simple command, Jesus demonstrates His absolute authority over the powers of darkness and completely transforms the man. This story reminds us that while our bondage may look different, every person apart from Christ is enslaved to sin and under the domain of darkness. Through His mercy, Jesus sets people free—not only from guilt and condemnation, but also from the power of sin and Satan. The challenge for believers is not merely to be freed, but to live in the freedom Christ has already won for us.

Mark 5:1-20

1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.
14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

See the sermon guide and discussion questions here: https://myrealchurch.org/teaching/stand-alone/freedom-in-christ/

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We challenge the noisy cultural stories about masculinity with Psalm 1 and a clear definition of biblical manhood rooted in following Jesus. We lay out three marks of a real man and end at the cross, because we need a Savior before we can live with courage, contentment, and consistency.
• cultural extremes around masculinity and why misogyny is toxic
• a Bible-shaped definition of manhood as sacrificial responsibility that blesses others
• contentment as deep blessedness rather than constant cheer
• King Ahab as a warning about entitlement and discontent
• Lance Armstrong as a modern example of insatiability and downfall
• the secret of delighting in God’s Word day and night
• being materially content and spiritually hungry
• why children need presence more than possessions
• courage to resist compromise and stand against shifting cultural narratives
• the “walk, stand, sit” progression into ungodliness
• consistency as rooted faith that bears fruit over time
• the North Star metaphor for unchanging convictions
• Paul Tripp’s reminder that true manhood leads us to the cross as Savior

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Sermon on Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the LORD knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

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Dressing the part can be exhausting when you’re trying to prove you belong. Paul flips that pressure on its head in Colossians 2 and 3: in Jesus, you already belong, and he has already clothed you with righteousness. We start with a simple image, a strict workplace dress code, then trace a bigger biblical theme: salvation changes what you wear because it changes who you are.

From there, we get honest about the “old clothes” that still hang in the back of our closet. We talk about why works-based righteousness and rules-based religion still trap modern Christians in guilt and constant self-checking, even when we say we believe grace. We also address the rise of “spiritual but not religious” thinking and the temptation to chase mystical experiences, visions, or angel-focused spirituality instead of holding fast to Jesus Christ, the Head of the church.

Then we move into the practical lists Paul gives: what to put to death and what to put on. That includes sexual immorality, lust, covetousness, idolatry, anger, slander, and lying, alongside the everyday virtues that actually make a church look like Jesus: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace, and gratitude. We land on the key: we don’t put on these garments by trying harder, we put on Christ daily through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit.

If this challenged you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review so more people can find it. What “old garment” do you need to put off, and what virtue is Jesus calling you to put on this week?

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In this passage, Paul reminds believers of the dramatic transformation that has taken place through Jesus Christ. Once they were alienated from God, hostile toward Him in their thinking, and characterized by sinful behavior. But through Christ's physical death on the cross, they have been reconciled to God and brought near. God's purpose in this reconciliation is not only to forgive them but ultimately to present them before Himself as holy, blameless, and above reproach. Paul concludes by exhorting believers to continue steadfastly in the faith, remaining anchored in the hope of the gospel they have received. The passage highlights the believer's past condition, present reconciliation, and future glorification.

Colossians 1:21-23

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation[a] under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

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In Colossians 1:15–20, Paul breaks into what many scholars believe was an early Christian hymn or poem celebrating the glory of Jesus Christ. Through rich, worshipful language, the passage exalts Jesus as the visible image of God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the King of both creation and new creation. More than a theological statement, this hymn was meant to awaken awe in the hearts of believers—reminding the church that the One who holds the universe together is also the Savior who reconciles sinners through the blood of His cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

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The book of Acts tells the story of the birth and expansion of the early church after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, ordinary believers boldly proclaimed the Gospel, devoted themselves to God’s Word and prayer, lived in unity, and carried the message of Christ from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. Acts reminds us that the same God who worked through the early church still works through His people today.

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In Luke 7, Jesus is invited to dine at the home of Simon the Pharisee when an uninvited woman—known publicly only as “a sinner”—enters the gathering. Though rejected and labeled by religious society, she boldly approaches Jesus with tears, worship, humility, and costly perfume. While the Pharisees see her only through the lens of her past, Jesus sees a repentant sinner in need of grace.

Through a parable about two debtors, Jesus exposes Simon’s self-righteousness and reveals that those who recognize the depth of their forgiveness respond with deep love and worship. The woman leaves forgiven, transformed, and at peace.

This passage reminds us that our past does not have to define us, Jesus welcomes broken sinners who come in repentant faith, and true transformation is found only in Him.

Luke 7:36-50 (ESV)

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

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