Quick backstory for this blog: My church is currently going through the book of Exodus. We are discussing from bondage to abundance. Learning to live the abundant life in Christ.
When I take notes I’m better able to store little nuggets from the sermon so I have started taking sermon notes again this year. Not just filling in a blank on a sheet of paper, but writing down what stands out that God points out to me. Then, during my time with God throughout the week I can go back and reflect.
If you don’t know what I do for a day job, I am a dyslexia interventionist, and one thing we know that research has shown us is that our brains store information better when we write it down. Not type it, or fill in a blank, but write it. The actual connection of the movement of our hand slows our brain down to process the entire thought we are writing, but also helps our brain be “sticky” (That’s how I explain it to the kiddos.)
To do this I created sermon notes journals. You can find them here anytime!
So, last week, during my pastor’s sermon, there was one thing that really stood out to me. Before Jesus came, in the Old Testament, before Passover families had to take in a lamb. Have you seen a lamb? A baby lamb? They are the cutest little things! Imagine taking this into your family home and basically treating it as one of your own for a while, but then having to slaughter it and place the blood of that lamb on the doorpost.
Doesn’t that sound really hard? I’m an animal lover so that just makes me completely cringe. They then had to enter their home by that doorway and constantly see the reminder of that sacrifice. They saw the blood. The blood of an innocent lamb.
Here’s what got me…
Imagine walking into your home every day seeing Jesus on the cross? Seeing His blood on your doorpost and being reminded of His sacrifice.
Why don’t we live like that?
I’ll tell you why. Because it’s uncomfortable, and goes against how we want to live.
And if you study the Bible at all you are aware that the Passover lamb sacrifice is a symbol of Jesus, the Lamb of God, and His sacrifice for us that would take place thousands of years later. So, Christ our Passover lamb, was sacrificed for us. God sent Jesus to take on our sin for us so that we might be the righteousness of God. Jesus came and died for our sins.
If we’ve been set free, if we’ve decided to follow Jesus, why are we living in captivity? Why do we not believe we’ve been delivered from sins penalty and power?
As I went back over my sermon notes this week one reflection God brought to my mind is that there is no power in partial surrender. How would I live if I had to see Jesus’ blood every single day?
Ouch, yeah did you just get your toes stepped on like I did?
Do I live with a sense that my identity is in Christ because of what He did for me and I have been freed from bondage to live in abundance, or do I live in captivity?
Do I take up my cross and follow Him daily or the world?
I definitely have more of a desire to live for Jesus when I I am constantly reminded of His sacrifice, but how often do we just want to feel comfortable and not think or do the hard things?
So often we don’t want to take up our cross and follow Jesus daily. We say we do, and we kind of try, but the ways of the world can be enticing.
For today, my challenge to you is the same one I gave myself: Are you living the true abundant life in Christ? And if not, ask God what you need to do so that you are. What is it you need to surrender to Him today?
© 2026 All Rights Reserved. Susan M. Clabaugh with Encouragement in Daily Living LLC
Want to watch the sermon I took this from? Go here and go to 25:50 in the video: Don’t forget to take notes by hand!!
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