Have you ever been in trouble either with the law, or a maybe teacher, or a parent, and felt truly scared of what would happen to you next?

After recently graduating from high school, I went on a beach trip with several buddies. One of my friend's parents let us (15 rowdy boys) stay in their three resort homes for a week: no parents, no chaperones - just a bunch of restless boys recently graduated from high school.

We didn't get into any serious trouble over the course of the week (e.g. like drugs or anything), but some of us were very careless with the properties. Me especially.

Trying to be cheeky and bring some 'fun' to the party, I decided to light fireworks inside one of the homes. While one of my friends played video games, I fired a bottle rocket (maybe two?) right at him. And I got just what I wanted from him: shock and laughter.

The fireworks went off, zipped around the room, and popped...that was it. Wide-eyed and in disbelief, my friend was in shock and couldn't believe what just happened...and I couldn't stop laughing. Fortunately I didn't set the house on fire, and nothing serious really happened because of it. Or so I thought.

About a week or two after the trip, the damaging news spread throughout the boys and finally got to me: the damages have been tallied up. My friend's parents had hired a cleaning company to meticulously go throughout each property, and detail the damage, and the estimated cost to repair or replace. Holes in the walls, furniture broken, general uncleanliness, and yes, burn damage to rooms and carpets from fireworks.

My friends parents were livid, which made the whole thing even worse. Of all the parents of all of the boys, these parents were the most easy going, so we knew it was bad if even they were angry at us.

Then I got the bill: thousands of dollars to replace the carpets. And that was just one line item on the list of damage we had done. I was in shock. Being a mostly-broke, recent high school graduate, I was immediately underwater. I was not only in trouble, but now I was in a debt I couldn't even pay.

My parents were ashamed, my friends were in trouble, and there was no one who going to help me get out of this.

I paid what little I could toward the debt with some of my graduation gift money, but that only chipped away at my debt.

However, in my lowest point, I realized something even more: I actually hurt my friends parents. I hurt them!

The debt was bad, but now I had the realization that I caused them to distrust me, and even dislike me! And I really enjoyed them! To me, being out of favor with them was probably worse than being out of favor with my own parents! My friend's parents truly enjoyed me, but now they wanted little to do with me. And I hated it!

I knew what to do.

I called my friend's Mom, and I told her straight, no fluff: "I am so sorry." I truly was heartbroken before her.

She thanked me, and we got off the phone.

Still stuck, but feeling a little better, something happened...

A few days later, she called back. She called: "Dane, no one else apologized to me for this - you were the only one to apologize - thank you. And because of that, you don't me owe me anything; I'm clearing your debt."

I was blown away. I was free.

Without even knowing it, Jesus set me free. In my conviction, he gave me the instructions to apologize, and in doing so, he set me free from my debt, their anger, and my shame.

This is his supreme delight. The delight deep in your soul that knows it has just been set free. Free from the worst case scenarios or terrible possibilities. Free from everlasting punishment. Just free and happy. This delight is why Jesus came - to set us free.

However, do not rejoice that the evil spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

When we come to surrender to Jesus, ask him to forgive us for ignoring him and choosing our own stupid ways, this same delight washes you all over and inside. Everything is cleansed, made right, and your soul is finally free. Jesus says to not rejoice that spirits submit to you, or that you built something great or won a game - Jesus wants us to be grounded so our first joy, every single day, is that we are just delighted to be free.

He doesn't want you live a day without knowing how sweet it was to feel that weight lifted off, be fully happy.

Are you ready to be fully set free? If the weight of the world is on you, are you willing for Jesus to take everything, including all of your mistakes, bad decisions and choices, and be fully free? Are you ready to believe there is life beyond your debts and your shame?