The Effects of the First Great Awakening On America’s Cry For Freedom Psalm 22:27-28

TRANSCRIPT

Date: June 28, 2026 Author: Wayne J. Edwards

According to a report from “Brave Books,” out of the 300 books recommended by children’s publishers, libraries, and educational organizations, regarding this week’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, NOT ONE SINGLE BOOK directly addressed Christianity’s influence on America’s founding . In fact, there were no books focused on religious liberty, the influence of the Founding Fathers’ faith, the Great Awakenings, or the role churches played in shaping America’s culture. However, it is without question that the Reformation and the First Great Awakening shifted American colonial culture from rigid, top-down religious authority toward individualism and spiritual equality. These two movements influenced the key phrasing of the Declaration of Independence. First , “All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Second, the Great Awakening’s emphasis on one’s personal relationship with God reinforced the belief that individual rights are “God-given” rather than granted by a king or a government. The title of this sermon is: “The Effects of the First Great Awakening on America’s Cry for Freedom.” Please review the attached study guide, reflect on its message, and share it with others who could benefit from it. We invite you to take this opportunity to engage more deeply with your faith. Thank you for your continued support. Please share these guides with anyone who may find them helpful.

According to a report from “Brave Books,” out of the 300 books recommended by children’s publishers, libraries, and educational organizations, regarding this week’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, NOT ONE SINGLE BOOK directly addressed Christianity’s influence on America’s founding . In fact, there were no books focused on religious liberty, the influence of the Founding Fathers’ faith, the Great Awakenings, or the role churches played in shaping America’s culture.

However, it is without question that the Reformation and the First Great Awakening shifted American colonial culture from rigid, top-down religious authority toward individualism and spiritual equality. These two movements influenced the key phrasing of the Declaration of Independence.

The title of this sermon is: “The Effects of the First Great Awakening on America’s Cry for Freedom.” Please review the attached study guide, reflect on its message, and share it with others who could benefit from it. We invite you to take this opportunity to engage more deeply with your faith.

Thank you for your continued support. Please share these guides with anyone who may find them helpful.

Download the following translated Sermon guides:

Old Testament Reading – Jeremiah 18:1-17 New Testament Reading – 1 Peter 4:12-19

The main theme of Psalm 22 is the universal sovereignty of God.

According to Philippians 3:20, when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we become citizens of heaven. Our supreme loyalty is to God the Father who called us, to the Lord Jesus Christ who saved us, and to the Kingdom of God. We are to live by Kingdom values and Kingdom ethics, and do all we can to advance the Kingdom of God on this earth until the Lord returns.

“Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace, you will have peace.” Jeremiah 29:7

In the summer of 1776, 56 men signed their names to a parchment that defined a revolutionary plan to establish America as a sovereign nation.

The U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1789, is the oldest working written national constitution in the world, which begs the question, why has America’s constitution survived?

Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” was the landmark event that began the first Great Awakening.

In 1831, 55 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Alexis de Tocqueville, a French sociologist traveled through America to discover its greatness. When he returned to France, Tocqueville wrote:

Contrary to modern revisionist claims, Christianity did not suppress liberty; it birthed it.

Contrary to the secular humanists, the Bible shaped how Americans understood personal freedom, human dignity, self-government, and the establishment of fundamental laws. Even non-Christians were influenced by the biblical worldview that permeated colonial America.

Proverbs 14:34 reminds us , “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”

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