Exuse me while I vent for just a moment. Part of the reason we have so much dead religion in America is because Jesus is not our Life-Changer, but our Life-Saver. We don't want transformation. We just want candy; sugar-coated, high-fructose religion. The problem is, Jesus loves us too much to leave us unchanged. He knows our potential. He knows what we'd look like without all the hurts, habits, and ugly hangups. He's not about to let us settle for a syrupy substitute. He wants us whole, changed, and healed inside and out. This is why He came to redeem us on the cross. This is why He chose a path of pain, beating, mockery, and ultimately death. Not just to save our lives, but to give us life. A new life. A changed life.

In order to embrace this new life, we have to face our failures, to confess our sins, and admit where we fall short. This is step 5.

"We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."

In Celebrate Recovery the beatitude principle is,

"Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust. (Steps 4 and 5)

 “Happy are the pure in heart.”

We must consciously surrender to God's Spirit in order to stop running from our mistakes; to stop hiding behind our past. When we admit we are at the end of ourselves, God can step in and become our life changer.

There is something incredibly happy about living a wide-open life; a life not lost in secrets or covered in shame. When we come to God, confess our sin, and desire to honor Him, we have a recipe for "Happy." The pure in heart get to see God.

Enjoy these lyrics this week. The album is in production as I write this. We hope to ship the new CD, TWELVE late next week.

Make sure to pre-order your album on our new website here:

www.FREEDOMSOUNDTRACK.com

Also, if you have a friend or relative that would benefit from this music, I would encourage you to buy a 10-pack. You'll get a significant discount, and have nine other people you can bless in the process. Plus it helps Jill and I cover expenses to share the music.

Please enjoy the lyrics below, and a snippet of the audio. Have a good weekend friend!

Joyfully,

Rachel B.

LIFE CHANGER

(Jill Miller, Rachel Barrentine)

VERSE 1

There's a change that You wanna make

There are chains that You're gonna break

I surrender to Your Spirit, I won't hide behind my old ways

Prepare my heart, God I need Your help,

I'm at the end, the end of myself

And it's time to do something different

With the cards I've been dealt

CHORUS

Happy are those who put You first

Seek Your truth, hunger and thirst

Be my life-changer

Happy are those whose greatest desire

Is to do everything You require

Be my life-changer

VERSE 2

With every step, With every mile

Through every tear, through every trial

Get me ready, keep me steady, with a faith like a child

BRIDGE

Freedom is calling, freedom is waiting

Freedom is here, It's mine for the taking

Whatever Your Spirit leads me to do

I will obey and see it through