As Americans, one of the things we say we value most is our freedom. We even proudly describe our country as "the land of the free." But how free are we really? Slavery and imprisonment obviously mean loss of freedom, but how is that Paul and others of the early church could consider themselves "free" even in jail? Meanwhile, many of us are this very minute suffering as captives without our even realizing it.

Jesus gives us a whole new understanding of what it is to be truly "free" It's a message of such good news that his early followers were even willing to risk their lives for it.