Use these suggestions to help you apply God’s Word to your life day in and day out.

Pray: Pray together or by yourself. You may want to take a few deep breaths to center yourself on God’s presence before you begin to pray out loud.
O God our Father,
who saves us by your grace
and grants us peace with you and with each other,
Open our hearts to all your children,
that we may receive them as beloved brothers and sisters,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Remember the Key Verse from Sunday’s reading
“no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.” Philemon 1:16, NRSV

Discuss: Over a meal, a cup of coffee, or the like, discuss these questions with family or friends.

• What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?
• Who is like Onesimus in your life? That is, who do you tend to not really see or value?
• Is it easy for you to develop friendships with new people? Why or why not?

Read: Dwell in the Word by reading from the Bible each day.
What does the Scripture say about how our relationship with God impacts our relationships with others?

Sunday Philemon 1-21 Philemon urged to free Onesimus as a brother

Monday Colossians 3:9-14 No Longer Slave nor Free

Tuesday Isaiah 58:6-9 Loosing the Bonds of Injustice

Wednesday Jeremiah 34:8-11 God Commands that Slaves be Freed

Thursday James 2:14-17 Faith and Those in Need

Friday 1 John 4:19-21 Loving God Means Loving Others

Saturday 2 Corinthians 8:1-7 Called to be Generous

Do: Put your faith into action.
Learn the name of and talk with someone who is providing you a service (like a store clerk, waitstaff, a receptionist, etc.). Take a moment or two to ask them about themselves and listen as you would to a close friend. During your regular prayer time, pray for them by name.

Remember: Use a notebook or journal to write or draw about the Scriptures you have read, the questions you have discussed, or the actions you have taken. Write down your questions for God and ways you have seen God at work in the world.

Written by Lorinda H. M. Hoover, © 2015 Glidden United Methodist Church. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.