SERMON NOTES WITH APPLICATION - "I'VE BEEN RELEASED" PT I - ACTS 9:1-9

Series Theme: I Got It

“I’VE BEEN RELEASED” PT I

Acts 9:1–9 (KJV)General Theme: Hidden Manna

🌅 BIG IDEA

Saul was on his way to destroy the movement of Jesus — and instead, Jesus interrupted him to deliver him.This story shows us that release doesn’t start when your circumstances change — it starts when your mind changes.Jesus confronts Saul on the road to Damascus and releases him from:

1. limited thinking,

2. avoiding his inner challenges, and

3. running from his real assignment

God doesn’t just free us from something — God frees us for something.

1️⃣ RELEASED FROM LIMITED THINKING (vv. 1–2)

Saul thought he was doing God a favor by persecuting Christians. His mind was locked into a version of faith that could not imagine Jesus as Messiah. His thinking was narrow, rigid, and harmful.

Truth: Release begins when God challenges your assumptions. God can’t lead you into your purpose while you’re stuck in your old mindset.

For Christians: You can be sincere… and sincerely wrong. Let God stretch what you think you know.

For Seekers / Non-Christians: You don’t have to have it all figured out — just be open to the possibility that God may be bigger than your current understanding.

💡 Practical Application

• Ask God: “Where am I holding onto old thinking that no longer serves my purpose?”

• Don’t be afraid to unlearn what limits your growth.

• Make space for new perspectives, new people, and new possibilities.

“You cannot enter new rooms with old thinking.”

2️⃣ RELEASED FROM AVOIDING MY CHALLENGES (vv. 3–5)

On his journey, a heavenly light knocks Saul off his feet. God confronts him directly:“Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”This is Saul’s moment of truth — he is face-to-face with the reality he’s been running from.

Truth: You can’t heal what you won’t face. Release requires confrontation, not avoidance.

For Christians: Some prayers aren’t about God fixing things — they’re about God revealing the truth about you.

For Seekers / Non-Christians: Sometimes the crash in your life isn’t punishment — it’s an awakening.

💡 Practical Application

• Stop dodging hard conversations with yourself.

• Let God shine light on the parts of you that hurt, confuse, or scare you.

• When conviction comes, respond with humility, not defensiveness.

“Your breakthrough is on the other side of what you keep avoiding.”

3️⃣ RELEASED FROM RUNNING FROM MY ASSIGNMENT (vv. 6–9)

Saul asks the question that signals true release: “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?”

This is surrender. This is readiness. This is the end of running.Though Saul loses his physical sight, God is opening his spiritual eyes. These three days of blindness prepare him for a whole new life.

Truth: Release is not just freedom from your past — it’s permission to walk into your calling.

For Christians: Your assignment won’t always look glamorous, but it will always grow you.

For Seekers / Non-Christians: Purpose often begins with a simple openness to direction.

💡 Practical Application

• Ask God daily: “Show me where You want me and who You want me to serve.”

• Don’t confuse blindness with abandonment — sometimes God closes your eyes to reset your vision.

• When God leads you by the hand (like Saul’s companions did), let someone walk with you.

“You’re not released until you stop resisting your assignment.”

✨ TAKEAWAY

Release isn’t just about breaking chains — it’s about breaking cycles. God releases you from small thinking, from avoiding your inner struggles, and from running in the wrong direction so you can run in purpose.

God knows how to interrupt you. God knows how to confront you. God knows how to release you.

And when you walk in that release, you’ll finally say — “I GOT IT.”

THEMES

I Got It

Release empowers clarity. You understand what God is doing because you finally stop resisting it.

Hidden Manna

The nourishment you need—direction, healing, purpose—often comes in hidden, unexpected encounters with God, just like Saul on that Damascus road.