BOCF Sabbath Report • August 1, 2026

The Law Gives Liberty

True freedom is not found in doing whatever seems right to us. It is found in walking according to the loving instruction of Yahweh.

“But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein…this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

JAMES 1:25

Our Sabbath gathering began with prayer led by Freda Hall, followed by worship under the direction of Reda Brower. Together, the congregation sang Red Letters, Praise, Children of God, and Joy to the World.

The songs prepared our hearts for a service centered on one powerful question: What does it really mean to be free?

Scripture Reflection & Special Music

God Is With Us in the Scary Times

Jonah Ellison shared today’s Scripture reflection. Speaking honestly about some of the difficult circumstances he and his family have endured, Jonah reminded us that God does not abandon His people when life becomes frightening or uncertain. Even in the moments we cannot understand, He remains near.

Following his reflection, Jonah was joined by his mother and siblings for special music. Together, they sang “Demons” by Josiah Queen—a fitting reminder that fear, pain, and the struggles we carry do not have the final word.

Main Message • Gary Hall

The Law Gives Liberty

Gary Hall began with a story from high in the Rocky Mountains. At roughly 9,500 feet, he caught a trout that surely believed it was free—right up until it found itself on the end of his line. The story was lighthearted, but it introduced a much deeper thought: what we call freedom may not always be freedom at all.

Reading the final verse of Judges, Gary drew attention to a condition that feels familiar even now:

“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” JUDGES 21:25

Gary spoke of his gratitude for this country and for those who sacrificed to defend its freedoms. At the same time, he warned that freedom separated from truth can become another kind of bondage. When everyone defines right and wrong according to personal preference, liberty can quietly give way to slavery to sin.

Rather than leaving us to speculate about where that road leads, the book of Judges gives us a sobering picture. When God’s instruction is pushed aside and each person becomes his or her own authority, confusion follows.

A Commission Built Upon God’s Instruction

Gary then turned to Joshua 1:5–9. After the death of Moses, Joshua received the responsibility of leading Israel. Yahweh instructed him to be strong and courageous, but that courage was to remain anchored in obedience. Joshua was told not to turn from the Torah to the right or to the left.

The answer was already before him: remain led by God’s instruction, and walk in the way that brings life, liberty, and true freedom. Israel was not being released into lawlessness. The people were being invited to live freely under the leadership of Yahweh.

Gary emphasized that the Torah was never meant to be viewed as a burden that God placed upon His people. It was a gift—an expression of His wisdom, protection, and care.

Does the Day Matter?

Drawing from personal experience, Gary recalled conversations with family members and other ministers about the seventh-day Sabbath. Some had said that the particular day of rest did not matter. Gary’s response was simple: if the day matters to God, then it should matter to us.

His point was not that obedience earns God’s love. Rather, when we recognize His authority and trust His wisdom, we should desire to follow what He has instructed—including remembering the seventh day and setting it apart.

A Kingdom of Peace

Reading from Revelation 20:4–6, Gary turned our attention toward the coming Kingdom and the reign of Jesus Christ. This will be a Kingdom governed by righteousness and led by the King of Peace.

Gary asked us to imagine a world without war, hunger, or prisons—a world where people are no longer crushed by violence, injustice, and need. Food will be abundant. Peace will not be temporary or fragile. Humanity will finally experience liberty as God intended it.

That Kingdom will not be governed by the United States Constitution, communism, human philosophy, denominational tradition, or any other system devised by mankind. God’s law will be the standard, and His righteous rule will bring freedom to all humanity.

Torah Was Given as a Gift

In Exodus 19:5, Yahweh called Israel to obey His voice and keep His covenant. Gary encouraged us to rearrange the way we sometimes think about this moment. God was not merely handing Israel a list of restrictions; He was entrusting His people with a treasure.

His Torah showed them how to live as a people set apart. It taught them justice, worship, rest, responsibility, compassion, and holiness. God’s standards reveal His character, and His desire for His people has never changed.

What Comes Next?

Gary reflected upon America’s 250-year experiment in self-government and asked what comes next when a nation continually moves God out of the picture. He then turned to Matthew 24, where the disciples asked Christ about His return and the signs that would precede it.

Matthew 24:21 describes a time of unprecedented trouble. Gary explained that Messiah must return to establish righteous government because humanity has repeatedly shown that it does not know the way to lasting peace. Left entirely to ourselves, our choices eventually bring destruction not only upon people, but upon the world around us.

Human systems fail because human hearts remain unchanged. History has demonstrated that mankind cannot create lasting peace by simply inventing another political system, passing another law, or placing confidence in another earthly leader.

Changed From the Inside Out

Yet Gary’s message did not end without hope. Recalling the promise recorded in Jeremiah 31:33, he reminded us that God will place His law within His people and write it upon their hearts:

“I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

God’s Kingdom will not merely control outward behavior. He will transform humanity from the inside out. People will learn His way, understand real peace, and finally experience the freedom they have spent generations trying to create for themselves.

Free at Last

Gary closed with another story from the mountains. While traveling toward a Feast site near Rock River, Wyoming, the group discovered a cold stream flowing directly from a snowbank. They stopped and drank from its clear water.

After taking a drink, one member of the group stood and joyfully declared, “Thank God Almighty, I am free at last,” echoing the well-known words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Gary invited us to imagine the day when all humanity can stand together and make that declaration—not because everyone is doing what seems right in their own eyes, but because the whole world has finally learned the way of God.

God’s law does not take liberty away. His law teaches us what liberty was always meant to be.

Scriptures From Today’s Message

Judges 21:25 • Joshua 1:5–9 • Exodus 19:5 • Romans 6:11 • Romans 8:31 • Romans 12:1 • James 1:25 • Matthew 24:21 • Jeremiah 31:33 • Revelation 20:4–6 • Revelation 21:7

Caring for One Another

Prayers & Praises

Prayer Requests

• Courtney following the loss of her father
• Family members who are currently incarcerated
• Holly
• Protection and safe travel as the Feast approaches
• Leigh Anne and her family
• Marcella and her family as they face difficult circumstances

Praise Reports

• Darrel is making progress and can button his shirt again
• Praise for a new home
• Gratitude for God’s continued presence and provision

Announcements

• Anyone interested in providing special music should speak with Sarah or Amanda by Thursday. Signing up a couple of weeks early is perfectly fine.
• A church quilting party is coming soon. Additional information will be shared as plans are finalized.
• Anyone interested in volunteering to bring the message should speak with Amanda.

Jasmine Brower brought our gathering to a close in prayer.

As we left, Gary’s question remained with us: Are we defining freedom for ourselves, or are we allowing Yahweh to show us what freedom truly is?

Body of Christ Fellowship at Vaughn’s Chapel