Hey there. Today I'd like to start with a prayer, so if you want to bow your heads or whatever feel free to do so. "God I pray thanks for letting us all be able to come here at lunch, and for giving us the chance, and the FREEDOM to be here. I pray that you bless me, and that every breath that I take be filled with Your holy spirit. I pray that you push aside all of the distractions, like the test that we may have in fifth period, or the big party tonight, and I pray that everyone will listen to what You have shown me, and what is being shown to them. I pray this all in Jesus' precious name, AMEN.

Now today I will be talking about FREEDOM. Throughout the Scriptures God has shown, and given all of us FREEDOM. Now if you have your Bibles, which I really hope that you do, I ask that you turn to John, chapter 8. Now this is Jesus talking now, to a lady that was caught in the act of adultery, and Jesus saves her from being stoned to death. Now as she is leaving He tells her to "(8:11) I do not condemn you, GO. FROM NOW ON SIN NO MORE (in another translation it might say "Go and leave your life of sin") now Jesus is giving this lady COMPLETE FREEDOM. He DOES NOT condemn her, but lets her be FREE to go, but tells her to leave her life of sin. Now later on Jesus explains himself in verse 34 "Everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin!!" WE ARE ALL SLAVES. FOR NO GOOD REASON! Why do we even bother to live these lives, if all that we are, are SLAVES!!!

But that's when Jesus comes in.

Now it'd be cool to memorize these next two verses, because you may hear them a few times. They are written by the same man, but to two different churches. Here they are. Gal 5:1 "It was for freedom that Christ set us free." "IT WAS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST SET US FREE."!!! Underline it! Highlight it! Circle the word FREEDOM, because that was why Christ set us free. Now the next one goes well with is. And its in 2 Corinthians 3:17 - Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Where the Lord dwells THERE IS FREEDOM. Give me an amen.

Now this is only one type of FREEDOM that Jesus gave us when he died for us. It says in three out of the four Gospels that the veil (or curtain depending on your translation) of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now this may not make a lot of sense to you right now, so here it is. When God instructed the Israelites to build the temple, He had them build a room, (30-foot square, by the way) and that was known as the most holy place, or the holy of Holies. Now God also had them build a veil/curtain, and it says in Exodus 26:33 that "The veil shall SERVE for you as a SEPARATION between the holy place and the holy of Holies." And the minute that Jesus died this veil TORE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM! Now later on Paul writes to the Hebrews (10 19-20) Therefore, brothers, we have confidence to enter THE MOST HOLY PLACE by the (listen to this) B L O O D O F J E S U S, by a new and living way OPENED FOR US THROUGH THE CURTAIN, THAT IS, HIS BODY." Earlier in Hebrews Paul explains how Jesus was (6:19-20) "�a HOPE both SURE and STEADFAST and one which enters WITHIN THE VEIL, WHERE JESUS HAS ENTERED AS A FORERUNNER FOR US. He did the work. We now have to accept, and EMBRACE this FREEDOM.

Now here are a few more verses to look over. If you still have you still have you Bible out, then flip to Romans chapter 8 (quite possible one the my favorite chapter in the whole Bible) and look at verse 15. (8:15) For you have not received a spirit of SLAVERY leading to FEAR again, but (INSTEAD) you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out "ABBA! FATHER!" Now think about that for a moment. We have been ADOPTED by the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. HALLEJUIAH!! Now look ahead to verse 21 (8:21) - Because the creation itself also shall be DELIVERED from the BONDAGE (slavery) of corruption, I N T O the glorious FREEDOM of the children of God.

Now we must know what to do with this FREEDOM now. In 1 Peter 2:16 Peter writes - "Live as FREE men, yet without using your freedom as a covering for evil; but* live as servants of God. (*us it as bondslaves of God). We don't use this FREEDOM as a covering for sin, which we already know from John 8:34 is just a slave, but INSTEAD use it as SERVANTS OF GOD, or as Nick loves to say, BONDSERVANTS of God.

And now I'd like to end with this, a reading from Isaiah 40:31. It reads "Yet those who wait for Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." Now think: what freedom is that?