2026: The Year of Freedom

Freedom.

What goes through your mind when you hear that word?

Freedom is a huge word in my world. Freedom House and Freedom for Life Coaching LLC, are at the center of what I do and what gets me up early every day. I am a big fan of freedom!

Freedom may have different meanings for different people, but the idea generally orbits around the idea of getting to “do what I want.”

I meet with many men who believe life would be perfect if they just had their freedom back – What does that even mean? They are usually struggling in very difficult and painful relationship issues, generally created by themselves.

Their singular goal is often to simply loose themselves from their pain and live the way they want to. Basically, to live however they want without consequences. The problem is that there is no such life. When we run away from a very difficult situation or relationship, nothing automatically gets better. We just sort of spread the pain over a larger area that affects even more people.

So, to begin, we need to understand that freedom doesn’t mean a total absence of boundaries. That’s a recipe for lawlessness and evil that knows no depths. Our thinking about freedom must also align with God’s ideas about freedom, lest we get duped into thinking we are in right standing with God when possibly we aren’t.

In the Gospel of John, Chapter 8, Jesus is speaking to a group of believing Jews who were in this situation. They thought they were living in freedom when actually they needed the kind of freedom Jesus was offering.

 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

“But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said. “We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free’?

Wait a minute! Are you kidding me? The Jewish people over their history had been slaves for hundreds of years and yet now, in the heat of the argument, they can‘t see what (to them) should have been clear.

These people were so set on their course that they were blinded to the reality of their situation. As a matter of fact, Jesus was trying to inform them that not only did they have little insight into their history, they were also blind to the fact that they were actually playing on the enemy’s team. They tried to argue that Abraham was their father when, in fact, Jesus told them their true father was the devil himself.

We live in a time when people value - you could even say worship - many wrong things. And yet they may think they are on the correct path.

This is deception at its best.

The Israelites arguing with Jesus were misguided and deluded. They were steeped in their religious system and weren’t open to listening to anything different. They didn’t want to give up the life they were living and weren’t about to be told they weren’t free. They were stuck in a failed narrative. They desperately needed the freedom only Jesus could offer, but they were comfortable living in the wrong story.

And if we’re not careful, we could be too.

Are we simply appearing to serve God from our heart when actually we are pretty stuck inside and we are only offering God empty actions?

So I’m asking: Where do you need freedom in your life this year?

If you are totally honest:

• Are there any places where your spiritual focus may have subtly shifted? ...from God’s plan to man’s?

• Do you place too much value on work or earning more money?

• Are you finding too much value in your ability to produce rather than finding that value in your relationship with your heavenly Father?

• Are you valuing possessions over people?

• Are you aware of any possible blind spots?

• Things that others may be noticing and you’re missing?

  
  

Sometimes we’re just too close to our own story to see the obvious.

I mean, we may not even be aware of the issues that have us bound and locked up. Well, how will we know then? How can we diagnose what we are unaware of?

Here’s an unbelievably quick and accurate way to research your situation.

Ready?

Fasten your seat belt and

                        Go

                               ask

                                      your

                                               wife.

I dare you!  I believe if she thinks you have any blind spots, she will be more than glad to help you out.

I’m really not kidding – it is staggering how much God will help and guide us through our wife if we have a relationship where we can speak honestly and receive truth.

Most men don’t have enough humility to do this without getting defensive. But YOU aren’t most men. I believe if you are friends with this ministry, it’s because you want to walk closely with Jesus and you have a hunger for a deeper life – a richer life – a life dictated by the spirit of God rather than the spirit of this world. And that life is worth a little humility.

If you aren’t married, try asking your closest friend or friends. Tell them it’s no joke; you are taking your faith seriously and would appreciate some honest feedback.

This may be the most insightful and helpful thing you do this year!

Let’s circle back to this topic from time to time throughout our year together. In the meantime, I pray you will live fully into the true freedom Jesus offers!

“He who the Son sets free is free indeed” John 8:36