Read: Acts 6:1-9, 7:2a, 51-60

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Acts 7:55-56

Things Aren’t Always as They Seem

Family Devotion – May 6, 2020

Devotion based on Acts 7:55-56

See series: Devotions

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The runner was taking her sweet time. She wasn’t winning the race. She was right in the middle of the pack. But the rest of the runners didn’t know that she was saving her energy for the end of the race. With one lap to go, she used that energy to blast past all the other runners and win easily. To those who didn’t know her style of running, it appeared that she was losing for most of the race. It seemed like she didn’t stand a chance of winning. But she knew what she was doing. The whole time, she really was winning. Things are not always as they seem.

Stephen wasn’t afraid to share the gospel. That made some people so mad that they wanted him dead. Angry people dragged Stephen out into the streets where they picked up stones to throw at him and kill him. It looked like Stephen was losing. But things are not always as they seem.

Even while Stephen was facing his final minutes on earth, he knew that he had already won. Why? Because “the Son of Man [is] standing at the right hand of God.” Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had given his life for Stephen and Stephen, trusting in Jesus as his Savior, had the victory of heaven waiting for him. No matter what people did to him, he was victorious. He had life in heaven because Jesus already won for him!

Sometimes we may not feel very victorious. Maybe it seems like we are losing one race after another. Maybe we give into temptation and take our eyes off our Savior. Maybe the challenges of life make us feel like we’re losing and we’ll never catch up. But things are not always as they seem. No matter what happens on this side of heaven, no matter what challenges we face, no matter how much guilt we carry, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, has still won the victory for us. Through faith in him, heaven is still our home. Let us hold onto our Good Shepherd to the very end, until the day that we are standing side by side with him in the mansions of heaven.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, keep us faithful to you no matter what. Give us the faith to cling to you in the good times and the bad, confident that we will be in heaven with you forever. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Why did the people want Stephen to die?
• How could Stephen be sure that he would be in heaven? How can you be sure that you’ll be in heaven?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• What are you looking forward to most about heaven?
• How is Stephen a wonderful example of faith for us?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Name one challenge and one blessing of staying faithful to God.
• Stephen was the first Christian martyr. The word martyr means “witness” but usually refers to someone who was killed for their faith. How was Stephen a faithful martyr or witness even when he died?

Hymn: CW 432:2 – I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb

Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, he bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.

Read: 1 Peter 1:17-21

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
1 Peter 1:18-19

Bought Back With More Than Gold

Family Devotion – May 1, 2020

Devotion based on 1 Peter 1:18-19

See series: Devotions

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

She saw the ad for the American Girl doll, and she got so excited. She could create her own American Girl to look just like her. She could pick the hair color, the eyes, the name. She could even pick the things that this American Girl doll liked. She could make this American Girl doll exactly the way she wanted it. The idea of this doll was the most valuable thing to her. But it cost $200. She didn’t have enough.

Human beings are valuable to God. He made human beings just the way he wanted them to be, down to the very last detail. Adam and Eve were holy and perfect, just like he wanted them. They were so valuable to him! But Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be something else. They fell into sin, and from that moment forward, all of us are born with that same sin.

But here’s the good news. We are still valuable to God! He wants to redeem us or buy us back from the sin that we live in. But does he have enough money to buy us back? Well, if we want to be with God forever in heaven, it’s going to take a bit more than $200. It’s going to take nothing less than the payment of a perfect life to buy us back. Think about that for a minute. You would have to wake up in the morning being perfect all day, every day, your whole life! You can try, but you can’t. No one can. God sent payment for us. He sent his own Son, Jesus Christ, who was perfect in every way. Jesus gave his own life to buy us back. It wasn’t anything like gold or silver that bought us back, it was the holy precious blood of Jesus.

How much are you worth? Sometimes you may feel like you’re not worth much. Maybe it seems that no one likes you and everyone is against you. Maybe you feel alone at home sometimes, like there’s just no time for you or there are so many things to take care of that you become the forgotten one. Maybe at times you face so much trouble that you even think you aren’t worth much to God.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Take comfort in this: you are worth more than money to God! You are worth the life of his own Son. Now, because of Jesus, you have a heaven waiting for you that cannot even begin to compare to the struggles of this day. Hold onto Christ who bought you back with his own blood.

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank you for buying us back with your own blood and making us your children. Help us to live each day out of thanksgiving for all that you have done for us. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• What did Jesus pay to make you his child?
• Name one thing that you can be sure of since Jesus made you his child?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• What does redeem mean? How did Jesus redeem us?
• Can you think of times when you have felt worthless? How does Jesus show us that we have worth?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Peter calls Jesus a “lamb without blemish or defect.” Why do you think Jesus was compared to a perfect lamb? What other Bible stories does that remind you of?
• Peter calls the sinful life an “empty way of life.” Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). What do you think “life to the full” means?

Hymn: CW 160:3 – This Joyful Eastertide

My flesh in hope shall rest
And for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
Shall wake the dead in number.

Refrain:
Had Christ, who once was slain,
Not burst His three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain;
But now has Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;
But now has Christ arisen!

Read: Luke 24:13-35

“They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’”
Luke 24:32

The Scriptures Set Hearts on Fire

Family Devotion – April 27, 2020

Devotion based on Luke 24:32

See series: Devotions

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times,” cries out the exhausted mom to the kids who just don’t seem to get it. She had told them to get ready for bed, but when she saw what they were doing instead, she thought she might as well have been asking the dog to cook dinner. It’s not that her words weren’t clear. It’s not that she forgot to tell them. The truth of the matter is the kids were just too busy with other things for any of her words to really register.

Sometimes it’s hard to really hear what’s being said, especially when your mind is on other things. And it’s not just the kids! Consider these two men walking on the road to Emmaus on Easter afternoon. They just didn’t get it. Jesus had to suffer, die, and rise again. It’s not like they hadn’t heard this before. The entire Old Testament had been pointing to this, but they were so preoccupied with other thoughts that all the things that God had been telling them through his Word just didn’t register.

But then Jesus talked. He stayed patient with them. He taught them. He reminded them of all the things that they had likely been reading in God’s Word since childhood. They began to understand. Then he broke bread with them, and they saw . . . they saw Jesus! They saw Jesus for who he is, the fulfillment of all the Scriptures. They saw Jesus as their hope for eternal life. Their hearts were set on fire! Not a real fire, but the Holy Spirit planted faith in their hearts through the Word, and that made it all register!

Sometimes, it can be hard for things to really register when your mind is on other things. And for families, the mind can be filled with a lot of other things—the upcoming birthday, schoolwork, bills, jobs, parenting, dance class, piano lessons, baseball practice, housekeeping, and the list could go on. But for just a few minutes, set that off to the side. Open the Scriptures together and hear the marvelous news of Christ risen for us! And while you do, know that the Holy Spirit is at work setting a fire in your heart and the hearts of your whole family. It’s the fire of faith!

Closing Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we thank you for working faith in our hearts through the Word of God. Continue to open your Word to us that the fire of faith may continue to burn in our hearts. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Share one time that you struggled to listen to what Mom or Dad (or another adult) asked you to do.
• Jesus forgives us for all the times that we have not listened to his Word or we haven’t listened to our moms or dads (or other adults who care for us). Why can we be sure that we are forgiven?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Why did Jesus call the Emmaus disciples “foolish” and “slow of heart to believe”?
• Instead of getting mad at them, what did Jesus do for these “foolish” disciples?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Explain what it means that the disciples’ “hearts were burning within them.” What (and/or who) caused this “heartburn”?
• Does God’s Word work in our hearts even if we don’t feel it? Explain.

Hymn: CW 160:1 – This Joyful Eastertide

This joyful Eastertide,
Away with sin and sorrow!
My Love, the Crucified,
Has sprung to life this morrow.

Refrain:
Had Christ, who once was slain,
Not burst His three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain;
But now has Christ arisen, arisen, arisen;
But now has Christ arisen!

Read: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.
1 Peter 1:3-4

Peace Forever

Family Devotion – April 22, 2020

Devotion based on 1 Peter 1:3-4

See series: Devotions

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

What would you do if you had millions and millions of dollars? Ever have the fantasy of winning the lottery? Little kids likely dream of buying all the newest and coolest toys and technology. Big kids (adults) likely dream of buying all the “big kid toys” like cool cars, fast boats, and a big home.

Want to know a secret? The lottery is a huge waste of your time (and money!). Not only is it very rare for people to win, but apparently the vast majority of those who actually do win usually find two outcomes. Either they lose all the money because they spent it all, or they end up very sad and depressed. Sometimes, they even experience both of those things. Why is this?

Well, it turns out that money can buy you a lot of things, but it can’t buy you real happiness—especially not happiness that lasts. You can buy a new car or a new iPhone, but soon enough the next new model will come out. You might also have millions of dollars, but if you like to spend money, eventually it will run out. What a sad thing for someone to find out the hard way that worldly riches do not bring lasting happiness!

The apostle Peter tells us an amazing truth today. Money can’t buy happiness and eventually runs out, but there is somewhere that we can find a treasure that lasts—in the empty tomb of Jesus. You see, because Jesus now lives, we have what Peter calls a “living hope.” It’s a hope for every single day of our lives that we will be with Jesus one day in the peace of heaven. And here’s the best part—this treasure of eternal peace will not run out, fade away, or go away. It will last forever. It’s kept safe for us in heaven from now until the day that we get there.

Some might imagine how different their lives would be if they had millions of dollars. But you have a treasure even greater than that. Because Jesus lives, you will live in the peace of heaven. Oh, and one more thing! You don’t have to imagine, because the treasure is already yours right now. As Peter says, “Praise be to God!”

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me the treasure of eternal life with you in heaven through the death and resurrection of your dear Son, Jesus. Fill my heart with joy and thanks for the treasure you have waiting for me. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• Why is Jesus more important and more valuable than money?
• What do you think will be the best part of heaven? Why?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Why do you think people spend and lose their money so quickly on so many worldly things?
• When are times in life that it is especially comforting to hear that we have the treasure of heaven waiting for us?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Identify all the ways you can compare what happens with earthly inheritances to what happened with our salvation through Jesus.
• If you understand that you have the ultimate treasure waiting for you in heaven, how will that change the way you use your earthly treasures?

Hymn: CW #165 – O Sons and Daughters of the King

O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Blessèd are they that have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been;
In life eternal they shall reign.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!