With our February fast approaching, we’re invited to examine what we’re truly hungry for – Jesus Himself.
Ryan reminds us that following Jesus is never passive; it is active, intentional and responsive. We move with Him. Even Jesus, God in the flesh and the perfect example of life with the Father, walked in the power of the Holy Spirit.
This week we explored the first two of three spiritual processes:
- The Baptism of the Father’s Love
- The Baptism of Purity and Surrender
preparing us for the Baptism of Power for Service (coming this Sunday).
The summary of this message has been drafted automatically from the transcript. Its accuracy may vary.
Welcome to Freedomhouse. Whether you’re here for the first time or the hundredth, you’ve made a good decision. There is nothing quite like walking this life shoulder-to-shoulder with brothers and sisters who are real.
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the nature of God’s love. We speak of it often, but when it is made manifest through the attention and affection of people, it is the most life-changing thing in the world. As we step into 2026, I want to challenge us to get “plugged in.”
The Dream: Promises vs. Hunger
While camping recently—something I’m not naturally inclined to do—I had a dream that has been rattling through my mind ever since. In the dream, I saw a vibrant community where everyone was participating in the gifts of the Spirit, but the most striking thing was a tangible, palpable hunger for God.
As I woke up, three phrases were repeating in my spirit:
- The promise invites you.
- Truth gives you parameters and safety.
- But hunger moves you forward.
You can be pregnant with promises and deeply rooted in truth, but if you don’t have a faith that smells and tastes like hunger, you will never move into what God has for you. Hunger is what puts fire in your soles.
The Dynamic Process of Following
In Matthew 4:19, Jesus says, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Notice that the “making” (our formation) happens in the “following.” This isn’t a static process; it is dynamic. If there is no movement in your spiritual walk, you have to ask: Am I still in the slipstream of Jesus, or have I let the world slow me down?
Even Jesus, the Creator of galaxies, surrendered to a process. For 30 years, He grew in wisdom and stature through obedience. Transformation is the fruit of that process.
Ryan Matthews.
— Love, Purity & Surrender and Power for Service
Three Workings of the Spirit
In Luke 3 and 4, we see three distinct “baptisms” or saturations of the Spirit that were crucial for Jesus’ mission. If Jesus needed these, how much more do we?
Love: Identity and Healing
Purity: Surrender and Boundaries
Power: Service and Mission
1. The Baptism of the Father’s Love
Jesus begins His ministry not with a miracle, but by standing in the Jordan River. When He is baptized, the Father speaks: “You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Humanity’s fundamental brokenness is almost always linked to a lack of love. We call it rejection or abandonment. Jesus didn’t just identify with this brokenness; He provided the solution: The Father’s Love.
“The solution to the brokenness of marriages and families is fundamentally this: people don’t know how to be loved by their Father.”
Ryan Matthews.
— Love, Purity & Surrender and Power for Service
2. Accessing Love via the Holy Spirit
You might think, “Ryan, I didn’t have a good earthly father. How do I know this love?” Romans 5:5 tells us that God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the perfect application of the Father’s love. He reaches the crevices that therapy can’t touch and that we can’t make sense of on our own.
3. The Triad of Identity
This baptism of love offers three things every human heart craves:
- Acceptance: “You are my son/daughter.”
- Affection: “Whom I love.”
- Affirmation: “With you I am well pleased.”
Moving Beyond the “Victim Flag”
Victimhood is a kind of spiritual rigor mortis.
Many of us get stuck in a state of victimhood. I’m watching my dad right now as he navigates the late stages of dementia. Because he hasn’t been moving his leg effectively for months, he can no longer extend it. The “rugby low-riders” are right: if you don’t use it, you lose it.
It locks us down and keeps us past-oriented. But God’s love is like a beautiful oil; it gets into the joints of our hearts and loosens us up so we can move forward.
When you are satisfied by the exquisite pleasure of God’s presence, lesser loves—addictions, lusts, and worldly cravings—lose their power. They are displaced by something better.
A Prayer for Today
If you have felt undeserving of love, I want you to reject that lie right now.
Faith is not led by feelings; it is led by the truth of Jesus Christ.
Repeat this with me: “In the name of Jesus, I acknowledge the lie that says I am not deserving of love. I see it for what it is. Today, I choose to believe that I am a loved son/daughter of the Father.”
