1. In honor of freedom

2. Memorial Day Hampton Park in Charleston South Carolina Was used as a Confederate prison camp for blacks, as well as a mass grave for Union Soldiers Former slaves exhumed the mass grave and buried each individually in 10 days. A group of 10,000 black people gathered together to honor their deaths on May 1, 1865

3. Memorial Day began as a recognition and remembrance of the cost of freedom. Specifically freedom from slavery. It was later “adopted” by former Union leaders as Decoration Day. A day to decorate the tombs of all fallen soldiers.

4. Excellent examples of sacrifice Ittai the Gittite 2 Samuel 15:19-23

5. The Levites Numbers 18:23

6. Job The entire book of Job

7. Naomi and Ruth The entire book of Ruth

8. The widow of Zaraphath 1 Kings 17:8-24

9. The Prophet Habbakuk Habbakuk 3:16-19

10. Our Savior Jesus Hebrews 12:2

11. Tie it all together Memorial Day began as a group of slaves gathered to honor those who paid a high price for their freedom We meet today for the same reason. To honor one who paid a high price for our freedom Everybody is still a slave to something. He offers to begin to release you from it this morning.