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The Climb: Repentance Was Always About Freedom
Most people see repentance as a prison- tight, heavy, and suffocating. But what if it was never meant to trap you, but to train you?
Jennifer Paulino
June 23, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
This week, we reframe repentance not as punishment, but as a powerful ascent into God’s presence.
It starts with conviction, is fueled by confession, and is proven through change.
True repentance isn’t the weight that crushes you. It’s the weight that strengthens you.
"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death."
God’s intent for repentance was that we may turn from the things that lead us away from him and towards eternal death. He wanted us to use repentance as a reflective moment to see how much he loves us.
TODAY’S FORM CHECK
Training Lesson: What behaviors or thought patterns am I being called to turn away from and what would it look like to walk in the opposite direction?
Definition of Repentance - English (Modern Use):
Repentance typically means sincere regret or remorse about wrongdoing or sin.
But biblical repentance goes much deeper than feeling sorry. It's a turning a transformation of mind, heart, and action.
Biblical Word Study
Old Testament (Hebrew)
שׁוּב (shuv) – “to turn back” or “return”
This is the most common Hebrew word translated as “repent.”
It paints the picture of someone physically or spiritually turning around—leaving one path and returning to God’s path.
New Testament (Greek)
μετανοέω (metanoeó) – “to change one’s mind”
From meta (after, change) + noeó (think, perceive).
It literally means a change in the inner man, a total rethinking of one’s life direction.
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Feeling the Pressure Yet? Here’s our encouragement:
When we come to Christ we have a burden that should be carried with the utmost elegance and grace. It’s not a burden to be carried alone but rather with a community of responsible believers.
If you’re locking in, bring someone with you!
Forward this. Share the link. Invite them into the tension—into the place where waiting for God becomes training with Him. We carry light, but we carry well. Let’s build this together.
You’re not broken. You’re not too late. You’re being conditioned by the call.
And pressure? That’s just a setup for power.
Spiritual Supplements
Conditioning Recommendations
▶ Worship Song: Graves into Gardens by Elevation Worship ft Brandon Lake
▶ Sermon of the Week: From Bondage to Freedom (Canvas Church)
More about Jennifer
Life doesn’t suck,
You just don’t know how to enjoy the ride!
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Off Roading In Joshua Tree
I don’t write from a stage—I write from the trenches.
Sharing my intimacy with God isn’t easy, but I know it’s necessary. I’ve been blessed to experience God’s love and wisdom from such a young age and feel a strong duty to share it with those who want to experience it as deeply as I have.
My hope is that every word pushes you to do the hard thing and fight a little harder each day. I’m a Dominican-born, American-raised woman who loves learning about history, psychology, and the science behind how we’re wired.
You’ll hear me say things like It Builds Character, Remember who you are, and Life is a rollercoaster, enjoy the ride—because that’s how I live.
And if you’re here, I got you my love! You’re not waiting in vain or alone.
You’re conditioning for something greater and I’m right there with you!
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