Pastor Mike Popenhagen-Redeeming Love
Scroll to read a recap of Pastor Mikes’s sermon from August 10, 2025
Let’s Break it Down
God's redemptive love has the power to transform even the most desperate situations. True redemption isn't just about being saved from something—it's about being restored to something better. God doesn't wait until we've cleaned ourselves up; He pursues us in our brokenness. Redemption is God's gift, purchased at the cost of Jesus' life, not a reward for our efforts. To experience this transformative love, we must want it, embrace repentance as the way back, and allow God's love to change us from the inside out.
Key Takeaways
God pursues us even when we're at our worst - redemption comes when we least expect it or deserve it.
Redemption is a gift of love from God, not a reward for our efforts or self-improvement.
True freedom isn't the absence of boundaries but is found in the presence of God's Spirit.
Repentance isn't just about changing behavior but acknowledging our brokenness and turning toward God.
When we truly receive God's love, our desires change naturally, and we lose our appetite for sin.
Tap to watch Pastor Mikes’s full sermon on Youtube
Day 1:The Pursuit of Love
Devotional: Have you ever felt unworthy of love? Perhaps you've made mistakes that seem unforgivable, or you've wandered so far from where you should be that coming back feels impossible. In those moments, it's easy to believe the lie that we must somehow earn our way back into worthiness. The beautiful truth of God's redemption is that it operates on an entirely different principle. God doesn't wait for us to clean ourselves up before He pursues us. In fact, His love is most powerfully demonstrated when we least deserve it. The story of Hosea pursuing his unfaithful wife Gomer vividly illustrates God's relentless love for us. Despite her betrayal, Hosea went after Gomer, purchasing her freedom and restoring her as his wife. This wasn't because she deserved it—it was purely an act of love. This is how God loves you today. He sees your brokenness, your failures, and your wandering heart, yet He continues to pursue you with fierce love. You don't have to fix yourself first. You don't have to become worthy. His love for you is already complete and unwavering. Today, can you pause and recognize the God who is pursuing you? Can you allow yourself to be found by Love that doesn't depend on your performance?
Bible Verse
"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion." - Hosea 2:19
Reflection Question
What areas of your life have you been trying to fix before bringing them to God, believing you need to be worthy before receiving His love?
Quote Redemption comes when you least expect it or deserve it. Gomer doesn't deserve this. You may feel undeserving this morning. I'm here to tell you the Lord still loves you. He sent me here to tell you I am desperately pursuing you.
Prayer
Father, thank you for pursuing me even when I feel unworthy. Help me to stop running and to accept the gift of your redemptive love. Teach me to see myself through your eyes rather than through my failures. Amen.
Day 2:The Gift, Not the Reward
Devotional: We live in a world of transactions. We work to earn a paycheck. We study to earn a degree. We practice to earn a position on the team. This mentality can easily seep into our spiritual lives, where we begin to believe that God's love and redemption are rewards for our good behavior. But God's economy operates differently. Redemption isn't something we achieve through religious performance or moral effort. It's a gift freely given out of love. When we try to earn God's favor, we're actually missing the heart of the gospel. We exhaust ourselves trying to fix what only God can restore. The truth is, we are powerless to save ourselves. Our attempts at self-improvement may change our behavior temporarily, but they cannot transform our hearts. God's redemption addresses our deepest brokenness—not just our actions but our very identity. He doesn't just want to modify your behavior; He wants to give you a completely new life. And this gift comes not because you've earned it, but because He loves you. Today, can you lay down the exhausting work of trying to earn God's love? Can you open your hands to receive what He freely offers?
Bible Verse
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1
Reflection Question
In what ways have you been trying to earn God's love rather than receiving it as a gift? How might your relationship with God change if you truly believed His love was freely given?
Quote Redemption is a gift of love, not a reward for effort. You can't fix yourself.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me for trying to earn what you freely give. Help me to rest in your grace rather than striving for your approval. Thank you that your redemption is a gift of love, not a reward for my efforts. Amen.
Day 3:True Freedom Defined
Devotional: What does freedom really mean to you? In our culture, we often define freedom as the absence of restrictions—the ability to do whatever we want, whenever we want. We think, "If only I could break free from this relationship, this job, this habit, then I'd be truly free." But what if our definition of freedom is fundamentally flawed? True freedom isn't about the absence of boundaries. It's about the presence of the right relationship. When we're connected to our Creator as we were designed to be, we experience authentic freedom—not to indulge our destructive desires, but to become our truest selves. Think of a fish. Is it more free in the ocean or on the shore? The water that seems to restrict the fish is actually the very environment in which it thrives. Similarly, our relationship with God isn't a restriction on our freedom but the context in which we find our purpose and fulfillment. When the Spirit of the Lord is present in our lives, we experience freedom from fear, from shame, from the need to prove ourselves, and from the power of sin. This is true liberation—not the absence of boundaries but the presence of God's Spirit guiding us toward life as it was meant to be lived.
Bible Verse
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." - 2 Corinthians 3:17
Reflection Question
How has your definition of freedom been shaped by culture rather than Scripture? What might true freedom look like in your specific circumstances right now?
Quote Many of us, we get the wrong definition of freedom. We've defined freedom as the absence of boundaries. Or, you know, if my boss would just stop saying, if I could just quit cussing or quit smoking, if I could, we kind of define freedom as things.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, redefine freedom in my heart. Help me to stop seeing your ways as restrictive and start recognizing them as the path to true liberation. Thank you for your presence that brings genuine freedom. Amen.
Day 4:The Way Back Home
Devotional: When we've wandered far from God, finding our way back can seem impossible. The distance feels too great, the mistakes too serious. We might even convince ourselves that it's better to stay where we are than to face the journey home. But God has provided a clear path back to Him, and it begins with a simple yet profound shift: repentance. Repentance isn't primarily about feeling bad or punishing ourselves. At its core, it's about acknowledging our brokenness and turning in a new direction. It's recognizing that we cannot fix ourselves and choosing to return to the One who can restore us. This turning isn't about earning God's favor—it's about positioning ourselves to receive what He already wants to give. Like a person who must face the sun to feel its warmth, we turn toward God to experience His healing presence. The beautiful paradox is that we don't clean ourselves up to come to God; we come to God so He can clean us up. When we acknowledge our need and turn toward Him, we discover He's been waiting with open arms all along. Today, whatever has kept you distant from God—shame, pride, fear, or simple neglect—know that the way back is open. The journey begins with a single turn.
Bible Verse
"Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe." - Psalm 107:2
Reflection Question
What has been keeping you from turning back to God with your whole heart? What would it look like to take one step of repentance today?
Quote Repentance is the way back. Repentance, it's a word we don't like to use anymore, but essentially it means to just to go the other direction. Let me say it differently. It's acknowledging you're broken and you can't fix yourself.
Prayer
Father, I acknowledge my brokenness and my need for you. Forgive me for trying to live independently from you. I turn back to you now, not because I've fixed myself, but because I need you to fix what I cannot. Thank you for welcoming me home. Amen.
Day 5:Transformed by Love
Devotional: Have you ever noticed how trying harder rarely leads to lasting change? We make resolutions, set goals, and exert tremendous willpower, yet often find ourselves back where we started. This is especially true when it comes to breaking destructive patterns in our lives. The revolutionary truth of God's redemption is that real transformation doesn't come from our striving but from experiencing His love. When we truly grasp how deeply valued and loved we are because of Christ, something shifts inside us. Our desires begin to change. Many of us have it backward. We think, "If I fix myself, then God will love me." But God's way is the opposite: "I love you completely, and my love will transform you from the inside out." When we experience being truly loved—not for our performance but simply because we belong to Him—the appeal of destructive behaviors naturally diminishes. We don't have to white-knuckle our way to holiness. Instead, as we bask in God's fierce love, we find ourselves wanting what He wants for us. This is the miracle of redemption: God doesn't just forgive our past; He transforms our desires. He doesn't just change our status; He changes our hearts. And it all begins with receiving His unconditional love.
Bible Verse
"I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness." - Ezekiel 34:12
Reflection Question
How might your approach to personal change shift if you focused less on behavior modification and more on receiving and experiencing God's love?
Quote See, you think if I fix myself then God will be pleased with me and then I'll get his love. No, it's the other way. God loves you and is pleased with you. And therefore because you now feel worthy, you just those things just, you lose the appetite for it.
Prayer
Lord, thank you that your love has the power to transform me from the inside out. Help me to stop striving and start receiving. Let your love so fill my heart that my desires align with yours. Thank you for not just forgiving me but for making me new. Amen.