The 4th of July celebrates the United States independence from Great Britain remembering the day our country gained freedom! As a skater and as an American I love my freedom and my independence. I enjoy being able to do whatever I want, when I want. Many have given their lives for freedom. Action sports culture holds the value of freedom and independence in high esteem. There are no rules so you can learn and play however you want. There is no coach telling riders what to do. There are no teams, just a rider and their board. There is no schedule for practice, you have the freedom to ride whenever you want. This freedom has that loose, relaxed feel that we crave. While freedom and independence are good, they are used in bad ways far to often. 1 Peter 2:16 says, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God” (ESV). As Christians we have freedom from the penalty of our sin which is death. We then serve and obey God because of the life and the freedom he has given us. We serve because of our freedom. Thinking about the freedoms we have today, ask yourself this question: am I using my freedom selfishly or to serve God and others?