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Embrace Your Freedom — 9/17/2026 10:00 AM
Today's speaker is Dr. Garrett Higbee, President and Founder of Twelve Stones Ministries in Westfield, IN. Dr. Higbee teaches from Galatians 5:1-13 that through Jesus Christ, we are free to love and serve others.
Notes
Embrace Your Freedom
Today in chapel, Dr. Garrett Higbee, President and Founder of Twelve Stones Ministries in Westfield, Indiana, taught from Galatians 5:1–13 about freedom.
Two Counterfeit Freedoms: Legalism and Licentiousness
Dr. Higbee began by defining the two “counterfeit” freedoms Christians fall into.
The first, licentiousness, Dr. Higbee calls “grace taken for granted.” The freedom which the world often subscribes to, licentiousness centers around self-indulgence, lack of accountability, and seeking the best for yourself in the moment. Some Christians disregard walking with God because they know they will be forgiven no matter how they sin, and as a result, licentiousness enslaves them to idols. Functionally, they declare themselves their own God.
The second, legalism, Dr. Higbee describes as “grace earned by works.” Legalism stems from believing that if you try hard enough, you can “earn” love, worthiness, and righteousness. Legalistic Christians focus on checking boxes. Legalism is hard to spot, because it can look like sanctification instead of the bondage it truly is.
Freed for Freedom’s Sake
Freedom is a gift we can never pay back; we can only pay it forward. Our purpose is not to prove ourselves to God after we are freed, but to delight and abide in Christ. Dr. Higbee explained that the “circumcision” addressed in Galatians 5:6 refers to “anything you do outwardly to make yourself feel superior, prove your righteousness, or earn God’s love.” Our efforts to please God must be out of gratitude and love, not a need to “earn” grace or pay God back. Rather than using our freedom to reimburse grace, we are called to enjoy it while serving and guiding others to God’s priceless grace.
Application
Dr. Higbee asked us to examine how we look at our freedom and how we try to “pay” for grace.
- Do you tend towards licentiousness, legalism, or a healthy view of freedom?
- Do you feel the need to “pay back” God’s grace through following rules or customs? How can you refocus on paying it forward by loving others?
- Remember that God loves effort stemming from gratitude. Reflect on what God has given you with no expectation of a return, and practice gratitude instead of gift guilt.