June 22nd, 2026
by Marselo Lozano
by Marselo Lozano
The Declaration of Freedom:
As we just celebrated Juneteenth and father’s day this past weekend one of our teaching pastors Chris Silva shared a remarkable truth just before my message —Juneteenth is a celebration that marks not the abolishment of slavery, but the moment enslaved people in Texas finally heard the news that they had been free for over two years. The Emancipation Proclamation had been signed in 1862, taking effect January 1, 1863. Yet it wasn't until June 19, 1865, when General Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, that the enslaved people there discovered their legal freedom. They faced a choice: continue living as slaves or embrace the freedom that had already been declared. This historical moment mirrors a spiritual reality. In Luke 4, Jesus stood in the synagogue and read from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." Then Jesus made a stunning declaration: "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Our spiritual freedom has been declared. The question is: will we continue to submit to the old slave master of sin, old habits, destructive mindsets, and broken relationships? Or will we stand on the promises of God and walk in the liberty Christ has purchased for us? Not understanding this truth has placed men and fathers of America in an peculiar space.
Source Code:
In a world where the concept of fatherhood has become increasingly complicated and often painful, there's a deep need to return to the biblical blueprint for what it means to lead, love, and serve our families. The journey toward understanding this begins with recognizing a profound truth: freedom has already been declared, but we must choose to walk in it.
Leadership Crisis:
Our culture faces a leadership crisis, particularly in understanding biblical manhood and fatherhood. We've twisted Scripture to support domination rather than service, control rather than example, lordship rather than love. When we read in Ephesians 5 that "the husband is the head of the wife," we often misunderstand what "head" means. In the original context, "head" refers to source—the origin, the beginning. Just as Adam was created first and Eve came from him, making him her source, husbands are called to be the source of protection, provision, direction, and spiritual leadership in their homes. This isn't about control. It's about responsibility. Being the "head" means being the source of: Protection from physical and spiritual harm provision for physical and emotional needs, direction toward godly living, correction done in love and wisdom an Example that points the family toward Christ.
Example Over Authority:
First Peter 5:1-4 provides crucial insight for all leaders—whether in the church, home, or community: "Care for the flock God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly... Don't lord over the people assigned to your care. Lead them by your own good example." The instruction is clear: don't lord over people. Don't be holier-than-thou. Don't constantly condemn or point out faults. Don't tell people what to do, how to do it, and when to do it in a way that makes you their lord instead of Jesus. Instead, be the example. This principle transforms how we understand Ephesians 5:22-33. When it says wives should submit to their husbands, it's not about blind obedience to a dictator. It's about following someone who is himself following Christ, someone who loves his wife as Christ loved the church—sacrificially, unto death. The husband's call is far more demanding than the wife's. He must love her as Christ loved the church, giving up his life for her, making her holy, presenting her without spot or wrinkle. He must love her as he loves his own body, feeding and caring for her just as Christ cares for the church. This is the great mystery and illustration: marriage demonstrates Christ's relationship with the church.
Death of Dreams:
Here's the uncomfortable truth about biblical manhood: your dreams will die. Everything you wanted to be, everything you thought you'd accomplish—much of it won't happen. And you can recognize a real man because he lets his dreams go. Jesus went to the cross and descended to hell so we wouldn't have to. He said, "If you want to find your life, you must lose it." Too often, we're busy trying to build something—anything tangible or intangible—without paying attention to who we're building it for. The critical questions become: What are you building, and who are you building it for? If you're not building the kingdom of God, nothing else ultimately matters. You can build things for your kids, your company, your spouse, your legacy—but if you're not building God's kingdom, you're building on sand. When you start building what God has called you to build, all the other things will be added to you.
The Generational Warning:
Perhaps the most sobering reality is this: we are only one generation away from our grandchildren not knowing who God is. Consider this biblical pattern:
David knew God intimately, pursuing His heart with passion, Saul knew about God but chased his kingdom and didn't truly know God. David watched Saul's failed leadership and chose differently. Solomon watched David's relationship with God but pursued women instead—over a thousand of them—building altars to foreign gods to please them. He had all the wisdom and wrote Ecclesiastes, but he knew about God rather than knowing God. The difference is everything.
Breaking Down the Armor:
One of the hardest things for men to do is remove their armor and show each other their battle wounds. We struggle with vulnerability, with sharing the things we're dealing with, because we were never meant to appear weak. But here's the truth: if we can't reach a place where we share our vulnerabilities and are transparent with other men, we find ourselves fighting alone. And we were never meant to fight alone. Men are like onions—we have layers. And we don't like peeling too deep because if you peel into an onion too far, you start crying. And strong men don't cry, right? - Wrong. Strength isn't the absence of tears or struggle. Strength is having the courage to be honest about the battle, to ask for help, to submit to mentorship, and to keep getting up when you fall.
Responsibility:
Every man must decide: Will I expand my circle of responsibility, or will I stay comfortable with "my four and no more"? There's responsibility you're given, and there's responsibility you take. Some men are called to be fathers to the fatherless, spiritual fathers to those who never had one, sources of wisdom and protection to those who were shortchanged or found themselves in situations where they weren't afforded what they needed. When we step into that expanded responsibility, we become more like Christ—the ultimate source who expanded His circle to include everyone.
Walking in Freedom:
The invitation stands today, just as it did in that synagogue 2,000 years ago: liberty has been proclaimed. The captives have been set free. The brokenhearted will be healed. The blind will see. The question is whether we'll believe it and walk in it. For men, this means stepping into the calling to be sources—not lords—over our families. It means dying to our dreams so God's dreams can live through us. It means removing our armor with other men and fighting together rather than alone. For everyone, it means recognizing that we've been declared free and choosing to live like it, refusing to submit any longer to the old slave master. The source code has been written. The example has been set. Now it's time to follow.
As we just celebrated Juneteenth and father’s day this past weekend one of our teaching pastors Chris Silva shared a remarkable truth just before my message —Juneteenth is a celebration that marks not the abolishment of slavery, but the moment enslaved people in Texas finally heard the news that they had been free for over two years. The Emancipation Proclamation had been signed in 1862, taking effect January 1, 1863. Yet it wasn't until June 19, 1865, when General Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, that the enslaved people there discovered their legal freedom. They faced a choice: continue living as slaves or embrace the freedom that had already been declared. This historical moment mirrors a spiritual reality. In Luke 4, Jesus stood in the synagogue and read from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed." Then Jesus made a stunning declaration: "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Our spiritual freedom has been declared. The question is: will we continue to submit to the old slave master of sin, old habits, destructive mindsets, and broken relationships? Or will we stand on the promises of God and walk in the liberty Christ has purchased for us? Not understanding this truth has placed men and fathers of America in an peculiar space.
Source Code:
In a world where the concept of fatherhood has become increasingly complicated and often painful, there's a deep need to return to the biblical blueprint for what it means to lead, love, and serve our families. The journey toward understanding this begins with recognizing a profound truth: freedom has already been declared, but we must choose to walk in it.
Leadership Crisis:
Our culture faces a leadership crisis, particularly in understanding biblical manhood and fatherhood. We've twisted Scripture to support domination rather than service, control rather than example, lordship rather than love. When we read in Ephesians 5 that "the husband is the head of the wife," we often misunderstand what "head" means. In the original context, "head" refers to source—the origin, the beginning. Just as Adam was created first and Eve came from him, making him her source, husbands are called to be the source of protection, provision, direction, and spiritual leadership in their homes. This isn't about control. It's about responsibility. Being the "head" means being the source of: Protection from physical and spiritual harm provision for physical and emotional needs, direction toward godly living, correction done in love and wisdom an Example that points the family toward Christ.
Example Over Authority:
First Peter 5:1-4 provides crucial insight for all leaders—whether in the church, home, or community: "Care for the flock God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly... Don't lord over the people assigned to your care. Lead them by your own good example." The instruction is clear: don't lord over people. Don't be holier-than-thou. Don't constantly condemn or point out faults. Don't tell people what to do, how to do it, and when to do it in a way that makes you their lord instead of Jesus. Instead, be the example. This principle transforms how we understand Ephesians 5:22-33. When it says wives should submit to their husbands, it's not about blind obedience to a dictator. It's about following someone who is himself following Christ, someone who loves his wife as Christ loved the church—sacrificially, unto death. The husband's call is far more demanding than the wife's. He must love her as Christ loved the church, giving up his life for her, making her holy, presenting her without spot or wrinkle. He must love her as he loves his own body, feeding and caring for her just as Christ cares for the church. This is the great mystery and illustration: marriage demonstrates Christ's relationship with the church.
Death of Dreams:
Here's the uncomfortable truth about biblical manhood: your dreams will die. Everything you wanted to be, everything you thought you'd accomplish—much of it won't happen. And you can recognize a real man because he lets his dreams go. Jesus went to the cross and descended to hell so we wouldn't have to. He said, "If you want to find your life, you must lose it." Too often, we're busy trying to build something—anything tangible or intangible—without paying attention to who we're building it for. The critical questions become: What are you building, and who are you building it for? If you're not building the kingdom of God, nothing else ultimately matters. You can build things for your kids, your company, your spouse, your legacy—but if you're not building God's kingdom, you're building on sand. When you start building what God has called you to build, all the other things will be added to you.
The Generational Warning:
Perhaps the most sobering reality is this: we are only one generation away from our grandchildren not knowing who God is. Consider this biblical pattern:
David knew God intimately, pursuing His heart with passion, Saul knew about God but chased his kingdom and didn't truly know God. David watched Saul's failed leadership and chose differently. Solomon watched David's relationship with God but pursued women instead—over a thousand of them—building altars to foreign gods to please them. He had all the wisdom and wrote Ecclesiastes, but he knew about God rather than knowing God. The difference is everything.
Breaking Down the Armor:
One of the hardest things for men to do is remove their armor and show each other their battle wounds. We struggle with vulnerability, with sharing the things we're dealing with, because we were never meant to appear weak. But here's the truth: if we can't reach a place where we share our vulnerabilities and are transparent with other men, we find ourselves fighting alone. And we were never meant to fight alone. Men are like onions—we have layers. And we don't like peeling too deep because if you peel into an onion too far, you start crying. And strong men don't cry, right? - Wrong. Strength isn't the absence of tears or struggle. Strength is having the courage to be honest about the battle, to ask for help, to submit to mentorship, and to keep getting up when you fall.
Responsibility:
Every man must decide: Will I expand my circle of responsibility, or will I stay comfortable with "my four and no more"? There's responsibility you're given, and there's responsibility you take. Some men are called to be fathers to the fatherless, spiritual fathers to those who never had one, sources of wisdom and protection to those who were shortchanged or found themselves in situations where they weren't afforded what they needed. When we step into that expanded responsibility, we become more like Christ—the ultimate source who expanded His circle to include everyone.
Walking in Freedom:
The invitation stands today, just as it did in that synagogue 2,000 years ago: liberty has been proclaimed. The captives have been set free. The brokenhearted will be healed. The blind will see. The question is whether we'll believe it and walk in it. For men, this means stepping into the calling to be sources—not lords—over our families. It means dying to our dreams so God's dreams can live through us. It means removing our armor with other men and fighting together rather than alone. For everyone, it means recognizing that we've been declared free and choosing to live like it, refusing to submit any longer to the old slave master. The source code has been written. The example has been set. Now it's time to follow.
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