FREEDOM

ISAIAH 61:1 (CEV)
The Spirit of the LORD God
has taken control of me!
The LORD has chosen and sent me
to tell the oppressed
the good news,
to heal the brokenhearted,
and to announce freedom
for prisoners and captives.

GALATIANS 5:1 (CEV)
Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Christ has set us free to serve him -- and him alone.

PRAYER
Thank you, God, for setting us free from the things which truly oppress us. I acknowledge that I don't really understand what that freedom means and often confuse it with acquiring personal power. Help me to grasp the breadth of this freedom which Christ has secured -- and to more fully serve him and his agenda for the world. I'm going to live with real freedom. Amen.

GOD'S AID

PSALM 3:2-3 (CEB)
So many are talking about me:
     "Even God won’t help him."

But you, Lord, are my shield!
     You are my glory!
     You are the one who restores me.

LUKE 1:49 (NTE)
The Powerful One, whose name is Holy,
has done great things for me, for me.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
There is no limit to God's aid when we are on his side.

PRAYER
God, when everyone is eager to blow me off you stick with me. Forgive me for getting caught up in the drama of the world and forgetting to stay close to you and your protective shield. Keep reminding me of how you have carried me through the turmoils of the past so that I can trust you in the present and the future. Amen.

LIKE FAMILY

GENESIS 13:8 (MSG)
Abram said to Lot, "Let’s not have fighting between us, between your shepherds and my shepherds. After all, we’re family."

ROMANS 12:10 (NTE)
Be truly affectionate in showing love for one another; compete with each other in giving mutual respect.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
Treat one another like family.

PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank you for welcoming me into your family through Christ. I admit that I'm still a bit childish in the way that I treat my Christian siblings and I'm even less mature in how I treat people outside the family. Plant your heart in me so that I am treating others with love and great respect -- even when they don't live up to their calling. Because of my connection with Christ Jesus I am going to lead the way in honoring others. Amen.

ALL PEOPLES

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

ISAIAH 56:7 (ABP)
My house will be the go-to place of worship for people from everywhere and every group.

COLOSSIANS 3:11 (NLT)
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

SUMMARY SENTENCE
In the new social order that Christ is establishing all the old constructs are obsolete.

PRAYER
Thank you, God, for the new order that you are establishing in Christ. I admit that I still look at people in an outdated way. Help me to grow out of the old way of thinking. I'm eager to embrace all peoples through the grace of Christ. Amen.