What are you looking forward to? Checking a project off your to-do list? Seeing a friend or family member? A holiday break from school and meetings? Purchasing a certain Christmas gift? Sleeping in next weekend? It’s natural for us to look ahead to things we’re excited about, to things we’re looking forward to.

Do you know what God’s looking forward to and excited about? Welcoming you home. God has a future so amazing planned for you that it’s beyond your imagination. A place without sin or heartache or pain or fear? Hard to imagine. A place where we will continually live in joy and harmony with one another? Hard to imagine. A place where you’ll see God’s glory and sing his praises day and night without reserve? Hard to imagine. And yet. It’s true. God has prepared a heavenly inheritance for you, and through faith in Jesus, God brings you into his family to receive it. You don’t have to earn it or purchase it or get on the wait-list. In Jesus, it’s already yours, and God can’t wait to share it with you.

If only, we let that be enough. Instead, we find ourselves comparing the materials and opportunities someone else has to what we have. We congratulate ourselves for completing a task more effectively than someone else. We do something to be recognized or praised rather than to genuinely help someone out. We fail to be the perfect people God has called us to be. In summary, we get caught up in sinful thoughts, words, and actions rather than looking for opportunities to serve in joy and gratitude for the grace God has shown to us.

When we recognize these sins and failures and bring them to God in repentance, he gives us more good news – in Jesus, our sins are completely and forever forgiven. They cannot keep us from God’s love, and through faith in Jesus, that heavenly reward is still ours.

Therefore, we can see each new day as another opportunity to serve God in love by loving and caring for those around us – in the classroom, at the grocery store, at home, out at the park, in rush-hour traffic, or in your neighborhood. Let people see God’s love and forgiveness evident in you as we wait for Christ’s return. Look ahead in joy and anticipation, knowing God can’t wait to welcome you home!

We recently had our local health department representative visit our campus for the annual renewal of our childcare license. Visits are always unannounced so we’re never sure when someone may stop by. It’s important to ensure student and staff files are up to date, our facility is clean and running properly, and that staff are aware of and following safety and educational guidelines on an ongoing basis so we’re always prepared for a drop-in visit.

In our text for today, Jesus reminds us of something similar, but with much greater consequences than a satisfactory health inspection. He tells us to keep watch, for we do not know the day or hour of his return. We know Jesus will come again on the last day to judge the living and the dead, but we don’t know if he’s coming tomorrow, or next year, or decades from now. So, we must be prepared.

Just like we would prepare for a visitor to our classroom or our home, we want to make sure we are spiritually prepared for the life to come. It’s easy for us to become distracted by our day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and schedules. It’s easy for us to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world around us, a world focused on success and possessions for life here and now. But, if we fail to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and intentionally spend time in his Word, we may find ourselves unprepared when he returns.

To stay alert in our faith and carry out the work God has called us to do, we need to schedule time to be in God’s Word. We need to make time to spend in prayer, confessing our sins, asking for and trusting God’s forgiveness for those sins, and asking for God’s help and guidance in our lives. As we worship God and reflect on his goodness to us, we can’t help but look ahead to the day we will see him face to face. And when we prioritize our own spiritual growth, we are best ready to encourage the students and families we serve to be prepared for Christ’s coming, for eternal life, as well.

Ultimately, we can live in joy and confidence, knowing that in Jesus, we already have all we need – forgiveness of sins, membership in God’s family, and a perfect, eternal home in heaven to look forward to. In Jesus, you are prepared!

I was just about asleep in a room on the 14^th floor of a large hotel near the airport in San Francisco. Suddenly it felt like someone had slammed a door really hard and then the room felt like it was moving, almost rolling. The thought occurred to me that in a hotel that size, no one could slam a door hard enough for me to feel it in that way. Oh. My. It’s an earthquake. It lasted less than a minute or two. I walked to the window to see the water in the pool sloshing from side to side and onto the walkway. As quickly as it began, it was over. It was only a 4.2 which, for an earthquake, is a minor one. (Unless you’re trying to fall back to sleep.)

Life can feel like that hotel room or the water in that pool. There may be days where we feel like we’re standing on top of a mountain with a spectacular view of God’s creation. There are also days that feel like that mountain may as well be made from sand. Our lives get upended so often. Many times the challenges of life spring on us like that earthquake. We didn’t see it coming. We can feel like everything around us is undependable, unreliable.

What might it be for you right now? Relationships that are struggling or broken? A serious illness that has frightening possibilities for you or for someone you care about? Financial instability and concerns? The news in your city, state, our country, or the world? Something else?

The purpose of making that list is not to focus on the heartache and uncertainty of this world. While that is true and is part of every day, that’s not the goal. It’s true, the world around us can feel like a mountain quaking. However, we can focus on our God, what he has done, what he continues to do. We have a place to go or rather, someone to whom we can go. God is our refuge-our safe place. His promises don’t include a carefree world. Just the opposite—he promises that in this world, trouble will always be there. What he does promise for us is clear in Psalm 46. He’s our comforter, our protector, our strength. Like the frightened child who climbs into Mom and Dad’s bed for safety and comfort, we can have peace knowing that we are being held close in God’s loving arms.

The craziness of life isn’t going away but even more, God isn’t going anywhere either. He’s right beside us, behind us, all around us. He’s like a shelter in the middle of a torrential storm. We can exhale knowing that while the storm may continue, he’s there with us. He’s taken away our greatest fear—the consequences of our sin and covered us with his grace and mercy. While the world is shaky, we have peace in our unshakeable, immovable, ever-present God and Father.

Trust. When you have someone in whom you trust, it’s an amazing gift. It’s the person you can tell anything, a confidant. You know that if you ask that person to keep it between you, it will stay there. If they say they’ll do something, you can count on them.

Why do you trust someone? It really doesn’t have anything to do with you. You trust someone because they are trustworthy-worthy of your trust. They’ve shown over and over that you can count on them. They keep their word, their promises. It’s a great gift to be able to say to someone, “I trust you.” You feel safe and secure in your relationship with them.

But when it’s broken—that’s so hard. It’s a deep hurt when you realize that someone has broken or abused your trust. Getting that trust back is incredibly difficult. It may take a long time, or it may not ever be fully restored. Fallible people trusting fallible people is challenging to attain and maintain.

Not so with God. “This is our God.” There is so much in those four words. There is one God. He is a God of promises kept. Let’s consider a few:

• The promise to send a Savior-from Adam and Eve to fulfilling that promise in Jesus.
• The promise to Noah to spare God’s people in the ark.
• The promise to protect the people of Israel from Pharoah, from the attack of Egyptian soldiers at the Red Sea, from the perils of wandering in the desert for 40 years.
• The promise of Canaan-the land God promised at the end of those 40 years.
• The promise to take away our sins, rise on the third day, return to heaven to prepare a place for us-all through Jesus.

The list could go on and on. No matter how long that list gets, we will see that God has kept every promise and will keep every promise. That trust will never be broken by God.

What does that mean for you and for me? We can confidently say to each other and to others, “Surely this is our God!” God has shown over and over that he is trustworthy. We can trust in him-period. There is no hesitancy, no concern about the potential that God will break a single promise to us. The most critical need that we have, that of being saved from our sins and given the gift of grace is done. If God was willing to send Jesus to live a perfect life, die an innocent death, rise from the dead and return to heaven on our behalf, he will surely keep all promises.

Are challenges going to be a part of life? Yes. Will struggles be present each day? Yes. Will people disappoint us at times? Yes. Did God promise us a life without hardship? No. However, we can trust his promise of forgiveness, his promise of grace, his promise to be with us in and through the challenges of life. And we get to share all this with others, “This is our God!” You can trust in him.

I read an article once about a well-known children’s book author and illustrator and what inspired him on the path to becoming an illustrator. For him, it was an art teacher who always had another piece of paper when he wanted to start over. While I would imagine that he learned to take what he saw as a mistake and turn it into something to learn from, he also learned the gift of a new start with each piece of paper.

It’s October. The bloom of those first few weeks may be starting to fade. That perfectly set classroom is looking more lived in. That ideal teacher we imagined we’d be as the year began isn’t quite what we see in ourselves every day. As we reflect on each day, it’s not too hard to note a number of things that didn’t go as we’d hoped or planned. “I did this and wish I wouldn’t have.” or “I wanted to do this and failed to do so.” You may be thinking you need a do-over, a fresh start, a new piece of paper.

Sin can leave us feeling ashamed, disappointed, discouraged. We try so hard to commit to not repeating sins and still find ourselves failing. Today’s verses may put into words how you and I feel at those times. “Create in me a pure heart, O God.” What a beautiful plea asking God to work in our sinful hearts and, through Jesus, clean our hearts of those failures and give us a willing heart and spirit. Failure and sin are and always will be part of each day. However, God’s loving grace removes those sins from our picture. Forgiveness is complete and completely ours. God doesn’t cast us away but rather, draws us back through the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts.

And then what? Joy! Not the joy we get from so many earthly things that are temporary—not at all. This is such joy knowing that we are forgiven, saved through faith in Jesus, recipients of salvation—not at all because we got something right. It’s ours because Jesus got everything right-for us. Remember the story where Jesus heals the man who was unable to walk his whole life? (Luke 5:17-26) First, Jesus forgave his sins. He also told the man to get up and walk. Picture this man walking, hopping, skipping, running down the street with a face that expresses remarkable joy. Walking? What a blessing. Forgiven? Dancing with joy that’s hard to put in words.

So, start each day with that prayer. Ask God to forgive you and to create a new heart of faith every day. Each day is like that new piece of paper. At the end of the day, you can look at that paper and see God’s hand and blessings throughout the day. You can have peace knowing that the sins and failures of the day are gone from your picture in God’s eyes. They are forgiven. We take sin seriously and we take it to God our Father. We respond with a joy that reflects God’s immeasurable love for us and get to share that to all around us.

What you do each day serving young children is one of the most important roles anyone can have. One of the many joys and blessings is watching a young child’s faith grow. But there are also plenty of hard things. Sin doesn’t pass by the early childhood classroom. It’s there and Satan works to interrupt and disrupt our efforts. One of Satan’s most effective tools is getting in the middle of our relationships.

We are imperfect humans serving imperfect children and with other imperfect adults. Like the children, the adults have wonderful gifts, and they also have areas of weakness. Like you and me, they have their own struggles with sin. Some may be tempted to talk about their concerns for a person rather than talking to that person. As you know, this is gossip, which hurts everyone including the gossiper. Working with young children can be stressful. Sometimes that stress shows itself in impatience with the children or with each other. Satan knows that a relationship that is fractured distracts us from our ministry. He’s good at it and is relentless in his efforts.

Our verses today start with the words—be kind and compassionate. It’s not hard to be kind to someone who is kind. However, the verse doesn’t say to be kind only to those who are kind. It says—to one another. It says forgiving each other. There’s no qualifier. The verses include the following encouragements: just as Christ forgave you. Follow God’s example. …just as Christ loved us.

Struggles, stress, and strife with our colleagues is going to be part of all we do. God’s words encourage us to look at his example. God’s forgiveness for you and for me is undeserved by us and generous from him. We don’t deserve it but God, out of incredible love for us, forgives us over and over. And then he asks us to do the same for each other. Last week we talked about each child in your room as a brother or sister in Christ for whom Jesus died and rose. The same is true of the adults around you. As you serve together, intentionally look for the gifts God has given your colleagues and thank God for them. He has given us each other to support and encourage one another. Satan wants to mess it up. Recognize his attempts and pray to God to guide you and give you grace and strength to overcome Satan’s attempts.

You’re dearly loved by God who is compassionate and forgiving. Keep striving to teach the children in your class to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. And as you consider the adults around you, look for opportunities to be supportive, understanding, compassionate and when needed, forgiving—just as in Christ God forgave you.

There they are! Your new group! It’s so exciting! They’re so excited! Well, many of them are. Two children are hovering in the corner barely making eye contact. Some are racing around the room like it’s an outdoor track. One is clinging to Mom with no hint of letting go. Here they are! Your group. Your class. It’s just like the teacher videos, right? You take a breath and plunge ahead.

The first days of a new group of children can include all the above. Even for veteran teachers, it’s a time of settling in and building relationships one child and one family at a time. Soon this space will feel like home to the group. Routines will become, well, routine. Relationships will grow. Activities and lessons will provide the opportunity for each child to grow and develop.

Of all the things you teach and all the things you share, you get to share something even better than colors, numbers, letters, and how to function in a group. You get to wrap it all in the gospel. Every day, you get the opportunity and privilege to tell the children and sometimes their families, about Jesus.

Do you ever feel like, “Me? I’m not sure I’m equipped to do this.” It’s a humbling privilege that the Lord asks of us. But you’re not alone. God is with you each day. The Holy Spirit promises to bless it all. And you have the best prep book of all-the Bible. It’s full of all the things today’s verses talk about. God is so great we can’t completely understand all he is and does. His works? They are amazing beyond words: Creating the world and each of us. Parting the Red Sea for the Israelites. Keeping his promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Turning water into wine and raising Lazarus from the dead. The list goes on and on. The more you know about all God has done, the more you can share with the children before you.

God has done amazing things, but most amazing is what Jesus has done. Because of Jesus, all those sins with which we struggle are forgiven. Because of Jesus, God looks at us as his daughter, his son, his child. Because of Jesus, we have the promise of heaven. And you get to tell that everyday in the Bible stories, the prayers, the songs, and the simple conversations with children and their families.

This year, make it your goal to spend quiet, focused time each day in God’s Word and marvel at all he has done. Then praise, celebrate, joyfully sing, and proclaim! Tell and tell about God and his love and grace for you, for the children, for their families, for all. There they are! God be praised. May he bless their growing faith and yours as well.

We were going to dinner with friends several years ago and decided to try a restaurant none of us had been to before. It had a quaint look and touted a great fish fry. As we opened the front door, we entered the main part of the restaurant. Almost every seat was full. Slowly the room became almost silent with a significant number of individuals turning to take in our group. The look on their faces seemed to clearly say, “You’re not from around here.” They were correct. We felt more than a little awkward. We haven’t been back.

Do you ever wonder what it’s like to visit your church? “We’re a really friendly congregation,” you might say. What does that mean, exactly? Does it mean that you have someone to talk to and catch up with as you wait for the service to begin? Does it mean that there is a buzz of conversation in the entryway or even in the sanctuary before the service? Does that define “friendly?” Do you notice a new face and when you do, do your fellow members instinctively turn to greet them? Or do you note them and then continue on with your conversation, intending to introduce yourself only to realize you missed the opportunity. You hope someone else greeted them.

“May God be gracious to us and bless us.” Oh my! God has done this in ways that are hard to count! We are blessed first with his grace and forgiveness. That alone is more than we deserve and yet he also overwhelms us with earthly blessings. That’s something to share, isn’t it?
And there’s that visitor. Do they know about God’s grace? Are they in need of a reminder of God’s mercy and the Savior who loves them dearly? Are they here for the first time or for the first time in a long time? How can I help them feel comfortable and welcome so that they come again and again to hear the message of God’s grace?

“May all the peoples praise you, God.” God is so clear all over the Bible—with all his heart he wants all people to know him, believe in him, worship him. He wants everyone everywhere to be a part of his family, of your family of fellow children of God. And he uses you and me to tell people just that. It’s not all up to you or me. The Holy Spirit works through each of us as we care about the individuals we know and meet and as we share with them our joy, our peace, our confidence in our gracious and loving Savior.

The next time you are in worship take a look around. Who could use your kindness, your welcome? Who could use a friendly face that simply says, “I’m glad you’re here. Let me show you around, introduce you to some of my friends, and listen with you as we learn together about our Savior, Jesus.” And then we pray, “May all the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you!”

I really need… How many times do we say this? Now think of the ways that we fill in that blank. I really need some coffee. I really need something to eat. I really need a new jacket. We have such a “need” mindset that is often focused on material things in our lives. Our selfish, self-focused heart is rarely satisfied, and we find ourselves in complain mode wishing for wants on a pretty regular basis.

And then we read today’s verses. There are two verses included today by design. The Romans verse can make us stop in our tracks when we read it slowly and take in all that this verse is saying. God gave up his only Son for us who absolutely don’t deserve it so that we can have the peace of knowing we are his own dear children. Our greatest need has been met. Forgiveness is ours. Heaven is ours. Because of Jesus. If God would go to that length so that we can be with him in eternity, it would make no sense to think that he’d turn his back on our earthly needs. And not only does he provide for our earthly needs, most often he overwhelms us with blessings over and above that. God could have fed us in so many ways, but he chose to do so with amazing foods that include the pleasure of eating delicious meals. He could have provided plants and animals for our needs but also created them as things of spectacular beauty. He is a God of gracious blessing and generosity. Are there times when we can be concerned about our earthly needs? Of course. But when we read this verse, we can have confidence that the Lord is with us, knows our needs, and can supply all those needs according to his will.

Psalm 136 has 26 verses. Each verse begins with a reminder of something about God or something he has done. He is good. He is Lord of lords. He freed us from our enemies. He gives food to all living things. He is the God of heaven. Each verse ends with, “His love endures forever.” He will never leave us. He will never run out of love and mercy for us. He is always with us, providing for us, protecting us from the Evil One. We are his children who are saved because of his son, Jesus.

So, give thanks to the Lord for providing for all you need. Give thanks to the Lord for Jesus. Set worry aside. Focus on the things you need that the Lord continues to provide. Be overwhelmed by the way that God has provided so far beyond our basic needs. We can trust that even when things in life go bad, God’s love is with us for our good. His love endures forever! Thank you, Lord!

I like to garden—well, sort of. I like to plant things. Getting my hands in the soil with a sense of optimism for the seeds or seedlings I’m planting is very satisfying. I like to fertilize and water my garden or pots. I like to trim the bushes and any low hanging branches. All of these are really rewarding and relaxing for me. However, there they are—those nasty weeds. They stand upright almost mocking me with a sense of, “I dare you to try and get rid of me!” They often seem to be the strongest plants in the garden. Worse yet is early in the season when it’s almost impossible for a novice like me to distinguish between the desired plants and the weeds.

I had a colleague once who shared how much she loved weeding. Taken aback I asked, “You love to weed?” With a bit of a twinkle in her eye (no exaggeration), she wholeheartedly said, “Yes!”. She shared that the quiet of the activity combined with a sense of satisfaction really gave her joy. She also shared that the process of weeding was a reminder for her of God’s grace for us in this sin-ridden world. The relentless nature of weeds, their ability to overtake the garden if not kept in check, and their sometimes deceptive similarity to the desired plants in the garden reminded her of the sin all around us. And as she watched her plants grow, she was reminded of God’s loving nurture for our faith.

Sin is all around us and sin is in us. Everywhere we look, we see the impact of sin in the world. We hear about it in the news with the infighting and divisiveness of people in cities and states. We hear about it in wars around the globe. But we also see it in our own small part of the world. It can be subtle. Things in the world can slowly erode our thinking over time. What was once offensive and considered wrong, is now defended. What was once respected, is now attacked and criticized. Relationships that were strong, are strained or broken.

We can easily become discouraged. But take heart. You were planted and chosen by the Gardener, Jesus. It’s he who is watching over you and keeping you safe. Those weeds, the sin all around you and in you? He has conquered it on the cross. He wants us to keep our eyes, our hearts, our faith focused on him. Jesus wants us to know that the harvest is coming. Heaven is promised for those who have faith in him and he has kept that promise. And he wants us to know that he continues to care for us. We can be encouraged, be faithful, be at peace in the hands of the Gardener. And as you tend your own garden, remember the Gardener who loves you so dearly.

As I enter her room, a slight woman with snowy white hair sits in a comfortable chair. She looks up at me and with a warm smile says how happy she is to see me. I tell her the same and settle in for a visit. Our conversation takes on the usual series of questions. “How are you feeling today?” “Who has been here to visit this week?” “What do you need? How can I help?”

Her responses are always similar. She feels fine all things considered. A couple of people have visited, and she so enjoyed their visit. And then I notice a change in that warm smile. As she sits each day, reflecting on her life to this point and the world around her, she admits she’s tired. I ask if she’s been sleeping well. “Not that kind of tired,” she explains. As she looks around, she shares that she is ready to go. “Go where?”, I ask. “Go home to my Jesus.” This woman of faith is feeling the weight of sin this side of heaven that has been with and around her a lifetime and she’s ready for whenever Jesus calls her home.

I’m nowhere near the age of this dear woman, but I have moments like hers and I would imagine most people do. I’m not saying I’m eager to say to Jesus, “I’m done! I’m outta here!” However, there are moments that I might be willing to admit that the weight of sin in this world is heavy, a burden that is hard to bear.

Today’s wonderful and often familiar verses speak to that kind of tired. It’s not a physical fatigue but a spiritual tired that only finds its rest in one place, Jesus. The verses provide a wonderful picture. Imagine Jesus standing with arms outstretched. He looks at you with open arms and says, “Come. I’ll give you the rest you need.” With those loving arms wrapped around us, the cares and burdens are replaced by hope in him. He’s gentle and with a humble heart he reminds you of his love, his forgiveness, his grace, and his care for you.

There are all kinds of tired—tired after a long day, or long illness, or long-timed strained relationship, or a life in this sin ridden world. But in it all is our rest. We don’t have to wait to be in heaven with Jesus to enjoy the rest and peace we crave. It’s already ours because of what Jesus has done for us. The day will come when he takes us home to be with him in heaven. For now, we can lean on him and rest in his loving, gentle, grace-filled arms and be at peace. And as we share Jesus with those around us, we provide that peace to a broken world. Rest well, my sisters and brothers in Christ.

I read a magazine article about a family of 5 that lived in a small, 2-bedroom house. At the announcement of their third child, many friends expected they would move into a larger space. But instead, they responded “God doesn’t promise that we will always be comfortable.” They decided to make the small space work for their family.

God promises many things. He promises to hear us when we pray. He promises to care for our physical needs, although perhaps not in the way or with the timing that we thought. He promises that Jesus died for our sins, and through Jesus’ death we will be in heaven after we die. He promises that we will be there with our believing family and friends and all who believed his Word and promises.

But God does not promise that we will always be comfortable. In fact, he tells us the opposite—that we will suffer in this world. (“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33) We will even feel like we are an outcast. There are many people that wish to hurt us because we love God and his Word. There are many people fighting against God and against us. There are people that hate us for our faith in God and our belief in his promises.

Sometimes we just want to shrink back from the world and hide from it. We feel exhausted, trampled, and broken. But God has already won the race for us! He fought sin and the devil, and he won. God will give our exhausted, trampled, broken body a new life, complete with a crown of righteousness, when we go to heaven.

And so we fight to keep God’s Word pure. We fight against the influences of the world and the sinful desires that tempt us. We look to God and his Word, the Bible, for strength. By immersing ourselves in the truth of his promises and surrounding ourselves with friends that can also remind us of the strength that we have through faith in Jesus, we continue our fight on this earth.

We fight as if we are in a race, the clock ticking, but with the comfort that Jesus has already won the victory for us. It’s like reading the last page in the book first—we already know how this is going to end! God promises that at the end of our earthly race, we will cross the finish line into heaven, enjoying the painless, sinless, joyful pleasures of heaven.

Trust is an important part of any strong relationship. A child wants to trust that his parent will care for him physically and emotionally. An employee wants to trust that his employer will create a safe work environment and provide payment for work done well. Friends trust that they can share difficult experiences in confidence and with respect.

The writer of today’s reading, Paul, calls himself the worst sinner. Paul remembers what he did in his early adulthood. He not only didn’t believe in Jesus, but he worked hard to ruin the lives of all Christians. Paul was a persecutor of Christians. However, God called him to serve as a missionary to share the message of the gospel. With the faith given to him, Paul trusted that Jesus “came into the world to save sinners”—sinners like Paul. He trusted that Jesus had given him eternal life by dying on the cross. He knew that the promise that Jesus came into the world to save even murderers like himself was a “trustworthy saying”.

Even if we have not murdered anyone or looked for opportunities to stop God’s work, we are sinners. You see, God doesn’t view sins as big sins or small sins. To God, all sins are big. To God, every sin is the worst. We, like the writer of today’s passage, are the worst sinners because our sins condemn us. However, we are also redeemed sinners who have been saved by what Jesus has done to remove our sins and restore our relationship with God. We, too, need a daily reminder that we can trust that Jesus has saved us from our own selfishness and that Jesus has earned our place in his kingdom.

How thankful we can be that God has shown his mercy and patience with us! We can trust his promise to strengthen our faith as we press on in this world. When we remember our sins and God’s mercy, we can reflect that mercy and patience on those around us. We can share that “trustworthy saying” with others—that even though we are the worst, Jesus died once for all!

If you were given a choice, which superpower would you want to have? Would you like to be able to read people’s minds? Would you like to be able to see the future or visit the past? Or would you like to be able to “apparate” from place to place like in the Harry Potter books?

These gifts might be fun to think about, but none of them will really solve our problems of this world. Our biggest problem is sin. We sin every day in many ways, and no “superpower” that we can think of will make that problem go away. We can’t go back in the past and undo our sin. We can’t earn our way by doing good, and we certainly can’t “apparate” to heaven!

But Jesus lived a perfect life—the perfect life that that we cannot live. Jesus never sinned. He never disobeyed God. And then he took all of our sin upon himself, died on the cross, and came back to life. The only way to heaven is through the death and resurrection of Jesus.
There is one gift that God has given all of us, and it is powerful! God has given us the gift of God the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus left the disciples, he told them that they would receive this gift that would make them more ready to tell others about Jesus. The Holy Spirit would prepare their hearts and give them the words to share with others, in Jesus’ name. The Holy Spirit gives the best spiritual gift ever—faith in Jesus as our Savior. This is a gift that God has given to all believers!

So what can we do with this gift? We can share it with others! We can pray for the right words to say. We can ask God to prepare our hearts to do his work when we tell him we are sorry and regretful of the things that we have done wrong. We humbly ask him to forgive us, and then confidently live a life that reflects this undeserved love that God shows us. We are thankful for this powerful gift that God has given us—the gift of the Holy Spirit, who gives us faith and helps us share the news of Jesus’ life and death with others.

Quality time is one of my “love languages”. I feel loved when someone puts the phone away and works shoulder-to-shoulder with me. I feel loved when I feel like it is worth someone’s time to do something with me.

Jesus had spent a lot of time with the disciples. He was the perfect example of what quality time looks like. They had experienced so many things together! Now Jesus was preparing them for his own death, where he would die on the cross and reveal his power over sin, death, and the devil by bringing himself back to life.

Jesus had given them everything that they needed while he was on earth. He provided for them physically and spiritually. He gave them the promise that he would prepare heaven for them and come again to bring them there. And now, during his last few days with the disciples, he gives them another gift—the promise that the Holy Spirit would help them. With the help of the Holy Spirit, Jesus wanted the disciples to give quality time to prayer, worship, serving others, and the mission of reaching those that are lost.

Do we give Jesus quality time? Or do we sometimes allow the joys and gifts of the world to be our priority. Do we “put the phone down” to devote time to our Savior, who came down to the earth and suffered, died, and beat the devil for us? Do we look for opportunities to tell others about God’s love and forgiveness? Do we really listen to people so that we can help them not only with their physical and emotional needs, but their need for Jesus?

What does quality time with Jesus look like? Jesus wants us to spend time with him by studying his word. We do that when we read the Bible and go to church. We spend time with Jesus when we surround ourselves with other believers that help us to study and live in God’s Word. We want to do these things out of love for what Jesus has already done for us. Jesus gave the disciples everything they needed, and he does the same for us—he gave us eternal life in heaven through his death, and he gives us the Bible to remind us of all that he has done and continues to do for us. Jesus lives and calls me to live for him!