"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Thus begins the most famous document in American history. Its 57 signers would have been executed for treason if the nation created by this treatise had lost its War of Independence. The 57 signatures appear beneath these words: "for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." They knew that freedom is never free.

On this July 4th weekend, we give thanks to the God who has given us freedom to worship him. We give thanks for those who secured the right to such freedom of worship, those visionaries who birthed the concept of a free church in a free state.

And with those courageous signers, we want to pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. We want to carry forward the torch they have passed to us. We want to be worthy of their sacrifice and trust. We want to serve the cause of freedom as they did. We want to give our children and grandchildren the same example of courage and honor that we have inherited from those who have gone before us.

Jesus will show us how.