Freedom Sunday

Daily Scripture Readings

Monday: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 6:7-20

Wednesday: Acts 13:26-39

Thursday: Romans 6:1-4; 15-23

Friday: Romans 8:1-4

Saturday: Galatians 3:23-29

Opening Prayer

Gracious God,

From now to forever from now, you are the author of freedom.

Create in us a new heart,

That we might live into the freedom made available through your Son Jesus Christ.

For it is in His name we pray. Amen.

Reflection

When we think of prison, we usually visualize a cell with bars and guards patrolling the halls. But there are other kinds of prison. Many people live in spacious and comfortable homes with all the perks, but they are still in prison. And others serving prison terms behind bars are experiencing freedom because they have found a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Although he was not being held in a material, human prison, David prayed, "Bring me out of prison so I can thank you" (Psalm 142:7 NLT).

How about you? Are you experiencing true freedom in Christ—or is a certain area in your life keeping you in a "prison"? God places a high value on freedom. From the very beginning, he gave us the freedom to choose good or evil, right or wrong, obedience or disobedience. Sadly, Adam and Eve used that freedom to disobey—and their disobedience affected the history of humanity. Everyone makes some wrong choices—and those poor choices rob us of real freedom. We imprison ourselves in walls of guilt, fear, anxiety, insecurity. The walls vary, but we have all experienced them.

Good news! We can find real freedom! True freedom is in Christ. He died on the cross for our sins. When we receive His forgiveness and make Him Lord of our life, those prison walls can come down. As we learn to trust Jesus, we can be set free from whatever has restricted us and kept us from enjoying the blessings God wants to give us. We will finally be able to grow and become the person God has designed us to be.

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