One truth shared: Sometimes we can question God’s fairness in regard to who is saved. In reality, we should change our perspective and recognize that it isn’t “fair” that God saves anyone, including us, because of our sinfulness. This leads us to see God’s generosity and rejoice in it.

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Matthew 20:13-16

Is God fair?

“Life’s not fair.”

Maybe your parents have said that to you before. You wanted to go to a movie with your friends, but you had to stay home and watch your younger siblings. You protested and pointed out the unfairness. You were simply hit with “Life’s not fair.”

Humans want things to be fair. We want everyone to get a fair shake. We also want everyone to do their fair share of the work to be done.

We let this desire for fairness spill into how we think about God and eternal life. We want to make sure that God is fair when it comes to whom he allows into his heaven.

Here’s some news for you. God’s not fair.

Jesus used a parable to make this point. A parable is a simple little story that contains profound truths about life and eternity.

He told the story of a man who hired some men to work in his vineyard. They agreed he would pay them one denarius (one day’s wage) for their work. He went out a little later and hired some more men for the day. He did this three more times throughout the day.

Some of the men worked twelve hours. Some worked nine hours. Some worked six hours. Some worked three hours, and some only worked one hour.

However, when the time came for them to paid, everyone was paid the same amount for their work. You can understand why the men who worked all day long were not very happy with the owner. It wasn’t fair!

But the owner showed that he was being completely fair. He paid them what they had agreed upon. He had every right to be generous and pay the rest of the men the same regardless of how long they worked.

Some people are baptized into God’s family as little babies and live their entire lives as Christians. Other people come to know Jesus as their Savior on their deathbed after living a life chasing after the things of the world. Many people come to believe in Jesus somewhere in between those two things. Yet all of them receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Is it fair that the murderer who comes to faith in prison will receive the same eternal reward as you?

That’s really the wrong question to ask. The right question would be “Is it fair that God sent his only Son to die on the cross for my sins even though I did nothing to deserve it?”

It isn’t. God’s not fair to himself. That’s a good thing for us. Rather than question God’s fairness, rejoice in his generosity! Rejoice that he gave up his only Son on the cross, so that you could live with him in heaven forever!

Prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for sending your Son to die for me even though it wasn’t fair to him. Help me to rejoice in your generosity every time a new person believes in you and your grace. Amen.

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One truth shared: The Church is willing to say hard things in order to save a soul.

When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?

“We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”
Galatians 2:11-16

Pulling from the Wreckage

The Jaws of Life seems like an odd name for a portable, hydraulic tool meant to save someone. “Jaws” make you think of the fangs of a lion or a great white shark making its way close. But “jaws” can save people too, like in a car accident. If someone is in a rollover accident and pinned inside a crushed vehicle, the Jaws of Life are a handheld tool firefighters use to extricate a victim by cutting the metal of the car or separating it. These tools have ten to twenty thousand pounds of cutting/pulling force! When they come your way, you know you are going to be safe.

If you have ever driven by the scene of a car accident, you know how scary it can be. What if firefighters lacked the rescue tools or had no clue how to use them? Worse, what if they were scared to even come and help? What if they didn’t have the stomach for it and fainted every time they saw blood? Would that be loving? Helpful?

Nope.

In Galatians chapter 2, Paul witnessed a spiritual wreck. Not collision of cars, but a horrifying pile-up of souls being led to believe that God loved some souls (Jews) more and other souls (Gentiles) less, based on who they were at birth. They started separating themselves from people who had a different background than them. And the worst part was that another leader in the church, the apostle Peter, was leading the way in this accident.

Paul could have found excuses to stay away from the conflict, but he went in with the Jaws of Life—the rescue tool of God’s Word. He confronted Peter in front of the group so that the damage would stop and the healing would begin. Peter would realize his error. The Galatian group was extricated from a messy situation back to safety. Now they knew that it was Jesus, and only Jesus, that saves us. Our background and works have nothing to do with it. We are saved by grace alone!

What’s the takeaway for us? Paul was willing to get his hands dirty if it meant pulling a soul from the world’s wreckage and saving them with the love of Jesus. So can you! Sometimes people in our lives make a mess with their own sinful decisions. Jesus wants us to love them enough to point out their sin, but in a way that shows how every sin is forgiven by Jesus too. Freed by grace new life begins! There is no better job to have!

Prayer: Lord, help me to run towards the people who need my help most. Give me the courage to confront sin in order to help others. Give me humility when someone confronts my own sin. Use those conversations to grow us in our faith in you. Amen.

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One truth shared: God gives us all we need to know about him in his Word.

Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped. “Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”
Exodus 34:5-9

God Speaks for Himself

Play out this scenario in your head: You start a new summer job not knowing anyone there. You get to know people slowly as the weeks go by. You really get to know them in the lunch break room. On Friday they share their weekend plans. You share yours. They catch on that you go to church most Sundays. It confuses them. They ask, “What’s so special about God that you would plan your weekends around him?”

How would you answer?

You’ve been put on the spot to explain why God is so awesome you feel the need to worship him. They are asking a big question! There are so many ways you can describe God because the Bible is a big book with lots of details about him.

If God was in the lunchroom, how would he respond? Well, in Exodus 34 Moses begged God for more of an explanation. Moses just wanted to know more about God. He wanted to see his glory. And as God passed by, God defined himself.

He uses the name LORD. This name means that he is the only God. He is eternal. He is the Lord. He is the one who saves. He is the one who saves you. He is your Lord.

Your Lord stoops down to see how you are doing and picks you up when you’ve fallen. Your Lord doesn’t treat you like your sins deserve, he loves you regardless of them. Your Lord doesn’t jump at you to accuse. Instead, he overflows with love that will never run out and will always be there when you need it. Your Lord doesn’t love a select few, he loves all his creation, all his people, all his children, all of you.

Your Lord forgives. Yes, he punishes sin. He doesn’t just turn a blind eye. But he doesn’t punish you. He sent his one and only Son to die in your place so you would be with him forever.

That is how God describes himself. Would you say it the same exact way in the break room? Probably not. But you can say it! And you do know who your Lord is. Whether your answer is long or short, God speaks for himself now through you. Through you, others can know how God is defined by his compassion and grace.

Prayer: LORD, thank you for describing yourself in a way that assures me I am constantly loved and I always yours. Amen.

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One truth shared: When experiencing moments of doubt, you can trust the truth of Jesus’ words of never-failing love and promises.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:27-31

Someone Worth Trusting

Come on, Peter! Really?! What is your problem?!

There Jesus was, standing on the water. This was so abnormal that the disciples first thought it was a ghost. But Jesus calmed them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid!” Phew! It’s Jesus!

Peter, as usual, was quick to speak (and speak boldly). He asked if he could walk on the water with Jesus, to which the Lord replied, “Sure, come on down!” So Peter gets down out of the boat, probably quite carefully and slowly, and miraculously, he’s walking on the water too! You gotta be kidding me! This is awesome!

But then he looked elsewhere. He saw the wind and the waves and likely had a more logical moment, “Wait . . . how is this possible? Humans don’t walk on water. What if the waves are too strong? What if this doesn’t last? What if I sink? What if . . .”

Peter! Really?! What is your problem?! You are literally living a miracle. You are literally face to face with Jesus with his promise to walk on water still ringing in your ears! How could you doubt?!

But Peter isn’t alone, is he? You might not have walked on water before, but surely those questions have plagued your mind:

“What if I drown in my homework? . . . What if I don’t pass this test? . . . What if my dad loses his job? . . . What if I don’t get accepted into college? . . . What if grandma’s cancer doesn’t get better? . . . What if . . .”

From the very beginning in the Garden of Eden, Satan has been tempting people in the same way. He first sparked doubt in Adam and Eve by asking, “Did God really say?” Suddenly doubts flooded their minds, wondering if God was holding back on them or if there was something better they were missing. So they ate the fruit because they doubted God’s love and God’s words.

Satan did the same with Peter. Peter doubted Jesus’ words that clearly told him to come and walk on the water, and he doubted Jesus’ love that he would keep him safe. And Satan still does the same today. He wants nothing more than for you to doubt Jesus’ words to you and love for you today.

Dear teen, look at the blood-stained cross. Look at the empty tomb. They are all the proof you would ever need. God’s love for you is boundless and endless. God’s promises never fail. God’s words are always true. Trust the God who so loved the world that he sent his Son for you. Jesus reached out his hand to grab Peter when he was sinking in doubt, and he does the same for you. Listen to your Savior and trust him always as he says, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Prayer: Jesus, so often doubts fill my mind. I can hardly help it. My sinful heart is so broken and it’s so hard to trust. But I know that you’ve never failed me. I know that your words are always true. I know that you love me. Give me a confident and courageous faith that always trusts, even when I’m sinking. Amen.

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One truth shared: Go “all in” on treasuring and loving Jesus and his gospel more than anything or anyone else.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:44-46

A Priceless Treasure

What make and model phone do you have? Is it the newest and best, or is it old and beat-up with a shattered screen? How many pairs of shoes/sandals/slides/crocs do you think you have? Which is your favorite pair? If you could be a fashion influencer on social media, what clothing brand would you love to have an endless supply to model? If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you would buy?

The old saying is that “money makes the world go round.” Well, ain’t that the truth! You’ve probably figured that out by now as a teen. The version of the phone you have, the kicks in your closet, the fabulous fits you wear, your decisions about college and career, your desire for things like a car, a home, and much more in the future—it all depends on and revolves around money.

In our commercialized America, it’s so easy to get caught up in some kind of fictitious dream of what life should look life—“I need a four-bedroom, three-bath house on one acre of land with two cars and a boat and three smiley kids.” OH . . . “And I need to earn this many dollars in scholarships and pay this much (or little) for college and get a career that makes this much money so I can get all that.”

Be careful! Satan wants to suck you into worldly thinking quicker than you can say mucho dinero. Too many teens worry way too much about scholarship and college costs. Too many teens make career choices based on how much money they might make some day. And too many people in general obsess about getting worldly treasures.

But when your plans fall apart, or your job cuts your salary, or your car breaks down, or your phone is obsolete, or your shoes are out of style, or your house has rain damage from a leaky roof—Satan will only sit back and laugh that you put your heart and mind into so much worldly “stuff.”

Instead, consider what is real treasure. Is it not knowing that your sin is washed away forever? Is it not knowing that you were dead to God but freely made alive in Christ? Is it not knowing that you have the glorious riches of heaven waiting for you to enjoy for all eternity? Worldly “stuff” disappears or breaks or loses value. None of it lasts. But in the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ our Savior, we find and receive a treasure that will never spoil, perish, or fade.

So when you have this gospel-treasure, go all in! Be like the man Jesus describes who found a treasure in a field and sold all he had to buy that field. Or be like the treasure hunter who found a pearl of great value and sold all he had to buy it. Jesus isn’t telling you to sell your cool phone or nice pair of shoes and get rid of all your stuff. No. Surely you can enjoy those blessings. Instead, Jesus is telling you to go “all in” on treasuring and loving him and his gospel more than anything or anyone else. After all, when you have Jesus and you have heaven guaranteed and waiting for you, what else could you possibly want or need!

Prayer: Jesus, my priceless treasure, help me to have a heart that craves nothing more than to have you and your Word. I know you will graciously give me all I need and even countless blessings beyond my needs. I’m so thankful for my many blessings. But give me also a heart that is focused first on you, my treasure beyond worth and value. Amen.

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One truth shared: Let your light shine! Even when you can’t see any results, God promises his Word will always do its work.

As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11

The Word Works

Grace was very passionate about her faith. She loved Jesus so much. She was so thankful for everything he had done. She loved going to church and teen Bible studies. She had so much joy and she wanted nothing more than for others to have that joy too.

At work, Grace would drop little comments about what a great service she attended last week and would often invite other teens she worked with to their teen group outings. Everyone knew Grace was a Christian on her club VB team, too. She wore a cross necklace and always put a black sharpie cross on the athletic tape on her wrists. Grace’s social media profile had a cross icon and her confirmation verse. At school it was much the same. Grace tried to let her light shine in the hallways and classrooms, and she especially loved witnessing to her new international student friend—Kat from Vietnam.

Grace went on like this, shining as a bright beacon of Jesus light, for some two years in high school. But then one day at work something happened. One of her coworkers, Kyle, whom she had worked with for over a year, finally said, “Grace, enough already. Enough with all the Jesus stuff. Can’t we just work? I’m not ever going to come to church with you, okay?”

Ouch. That hurt. Later that night, Grace was lying in bed and reflecting on the incident. That led to more thinking about all of her witnessing. She started to realize that no one from work had ever agreed with anything she said about Jesus. No one from her VB team had ever come to church with her. Then she started to think about the people who occasionally laughed behind her back at school when she would talk about her faith. And Kat, well, Grace wasn’t sure if Kat even understood what she was saying about Jesus.

It can be hard and frustrating to live and share your faith in this world, especially as a teen. You’re a teen—will any adults take you seriously? You’re a teen—will your peers still like you? You’re a teen—does anything you say matter, and will anyone even listen?

Grace was pondering these thoughts and whether it was all worth it, when suddenly her phone dinged. Someone had DMed her. She opened the message, and it was from Brandon, another teen boy she worked with. “Oh great. More rejection,” she thought. But to her surprise the message said:

Hey Grace. How r u? Just wanted to say thanks for what you do at work. You know. The Jesus stuff. I overheard how Kyle kinda dissed you today. But I wanna let u know that I always hear you. It’s been bad 4 me recently, and I appreciate u. Would u mind if I came to church with u sometime? I think I kinda need it.

The biggest tears streamed down her cheeks as the biggest smile also beamed across her face. Grace had forgotten the famous words from God in Isaiah 55. Just like the rain and snow fall from heaven and always accomplish God’s purposes on this earth, so with his Word. It always accomplishes his purposes and never returns to him empty.

God spoke and the world came to be. Jesus spoke and calmed a storm and healed the sick and raised the dead. Jesus spoke, “It is finished,” and it was. God’s Word has always been powerful. So also when we speak and share it. We may not know how or when or why, but God promises that his Word will always be powerful and effective in the ways that he knows best.

Sure enough, Grace’s last two years of high school taught her that all the more. Kyle never did come to church, but Grace found out that her witnessing really caused him to think about faith for a long time and wrestle with his sinful lifestyle. Brandon? Well, he did come to church that week with Grace and ended up joining a year later. And almost exactly two years after that tearful night, Grace had another memorable moment—Kat was baptized at her Vietnam church and became a Christian.

Don’t sweat the how or the when or the why. God knows that. God takes care of that. Let your light shine. Share your faith. Spread the Word. Then trust that God’s Word will work, because it always does.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be a witness who boldly shares your Word and confidently trusts that it will work powerfully in people’s hearts. Amen.

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One truth shared: The Christian loves God above all.

Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.
Matthew 10:37-39

Love God above All

What do you love the most in your life? Your parent(s)? Your sibling(s)? Your BFF? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? Mr. Fluffers your 5-month-old puppy who sheds hair like he’s going bald (but you love him anyways)? Sports? Music? Video games? Your phone? (Please don’t say your phone!) So many things to love! But what in your life do you love the most?

Our God is so good and gracious that he opens his hand and satisfies the desires of every living thing (Psalm 145:16). But not only that, most of us have WAY more than we could ever want, need, or desire. Our list of blessings is longer than the line for the bathroom at a Taylor Swift or Beyoncé concert. It is simply incredible how he blesses us with so many good things. Be careful though! Very quickly good things become god things.

God’s First Commandment is: You shall have no other gods. Martin Luther explained that commandment quite simply: “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.” Any time we put something in front of God in our hearts or minds that becomes a god to us. That’s easy to recognize when it’s a statue of Buddha or a false religion like Islam. But that’s really hard to see when it’s a regular part of your daily life.

Ever been in a situation with friends or at work when you know you should have said something, you should have done something different, you should have let your light shine—but you didn’t? Could it be that you love your reputation or the opinion of friends or peers more than God? How does your screen time compare to your Scripture time? Do you scroll through YouTube or TikTok more than you scroll through the Bible? Could it be that you love technology, or specifically your phone, more than God? Do your actions with your boyfriend or girlfriend or what you look at online match up with God’s guidance for purity? Could it be that you love your desires and cravings more than God at times?

How many examples might we identify where we fail and fall short of God’s expectations? How many times have we made good things into god things?

Thank God that we have a Savior who has loved us with an everlasting commitment! Jesus set aside his glory, his power, and his crown to come here to this world for us. He showed a committed love that was not distracted or deterred. He marched all the way to Calvary for you and for me so that the Father could open his arms in forgiving love to us. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

God’s love for us can be life changing. The more we see his love and commitment to us, the more we become committed to him. Jesus words in this devotion from Matthew 10 are very difficult to process. But then we see his loving arms stretched out on a cross and his victorious empty tomb. That is the Savior that we love more than anything, even good things. We love Jesus more than family, friends, sports, music, and even our phones. “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you loved us with a selfless, self-sacrificing love that put us first. Help us to be so committed to you that we always fear, love, and trust in you above all things. Amen.

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One truth shared: God gives us the guts to serve—God, help us to do it to your glory!

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus—Give Us “The Guts” to Serve!

Have you ever wanted to help someone so badly that your gut hurt? That’s what drove Jesus to help others—an insane, looking out for everyone, not passing anyone by, love that led him to serve. It was defined in a simple word in the Greek—compassion. It was from a word that literally meant “the inner parts” like the bowels, intestines, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, etc. When it all hurt from seeing others in need and in pain, suffering from sickness and disease, from poverty and injustice, from racism and social struggles—that “compassion” is what led to Jesus’ action. He worked. He healed. He drove out demons. He fed. He led. He loved. Ultimately, it’s what led Jesus to lay down his perfection to become sin for us on the cross, that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). It was compassion that led Jesus to serve. It was compassion that led Jesus to rise from the grave to serve our ultimate need—proof that our sins are really forgiven, and they are!

Think of all of the times we have passed by people in need; or given in to apathy or resentment in the face of social injustice or racism; or gotten angry with God when our mom got cancer or our dad had a heart attack, or grandma got COVID. How many times have we shown the ugly insides of ourselves and fallen so far short of God’s glory, we thought that there was no possible way to have forgiveness and peace with a perfect God. Every one of those times, Jesus made you perfect, because he felt compassion so deep inside for you—that it led him to die—for you. To rise—for you. That changes things. It changes us. Now, he calls you to be his own and live under him in his kingdom. Now, he calls you to serve.

People look different when you see them through the lens of Jesus’ compassion. They don’t look like a person, or a gender, or a color, or an income bracket, or a gen; they look like a soul that is precious to Jesus and worth everything—including, but not limited to, our care; our inner parts; our compassion, our service, and our love. After all, you are a little Jesus! It’s really the love of Jesus through us that he already showed to us. And it’s his call that leads us to serve!

Who are you able to serve with compassion today? Look around, consider starting within your very own home, and you’ll probably be surprised at how many people are hurting that God has placed you, his forgiven child, in the life of. God bless your compassion as Jesus guides your inner part—right down to your very soul!

Prayer: Jesus, thank you for seeing me, helpless and harassed by the world and my own thoughts of doubt and anxiety and sadness—and sin—and then for having compassion on me. You know and feel my sins right down to your deepest and most inner parts—and you died for them all. Risen in glory, dear Savior, help me show compassion to others and, I pray boldly, give me chances to see them—by first seeing what you have done for me. In your name I ask it. Amen.

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One truth shared: There are blessings to believing in a Triune God.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
2 Corinthians 13:14

Why Do I Believe in a Triune God?

Can I ask you a personal question? How are you doing in your relationship?

What relationship? Good question. It could be the relationship between you and your parent(s). Or, with your boyfriend or girlfriend. How about the relationship with your boss? Your coworkers? Your friends? Is it genuine? Or do you smile through clenched teeth? Is there a relationship in danger right now?

Relationships seldom die because they suddenly have no life left in them. They wither slowly because there’s not enough love or commitment.

Can I ask you one more personal question? How’s your relationship with God? Ever experience a moment of shakiness in faith? Maybe you forgot God’s love and forgiveness. Maybe it feels like an up-and-down experience. One moment, one Sunday… you feel very close to God. The next moment, next Sunday, next month… you feel a million miles away from God.

Here are words that keep you close to him: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” In his triune name, God is reminding you of some very important things for your relationship with him:

• The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ – “Grace” is God’s loving and forgiving attitude toward you. His name is “Lord” because he purchased and won you on the cross and now you belong to him. His name is “Jesus”, the name by which everyone called him here on earth when he came to save us with his grace. His name is “Christ” to indicate his role as your Savior. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” continues to hug you even when you are or feel unhuggable!
• The love of God – Love is the key ingredient in any relationship. But our love sometimes shifts depending upon the wind. On the arrow of a weather vane on top a barn were these words; “God is Love.” Whichever way the wind blows, God is still love! His love for you never changes but follows you wherever you go!
• The fellowship of the Holy Spirit – One time, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:28,29). Did you catch that? To believe in Jesus is the work of God! It doesn’t depend on how you feel or how you think he feels about you. The magnet that moves your heart from spiritual blindness to sight, from being spiritually dead to alive, from being an enemy of God to a lover of God… is the Holy Spirit. He creates a fellowship, a union, between you and God.

One more time: How are you doing in your relationship? “Grace, love, and fellowship… to you.” Because of the unified work of the Triune God, your relationship with him—is good!

Prayer: Lord God, accept my praise for revealing yourself to me as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three persons and one God. Hold me fast in my faith, so that your name is with me now and forever. Amen.

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One truth shared: Heaven celebrates when we reflect God’s glory on earth.

I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.
John 17:4,5

Glory on Earth

It can be fun to daydream about all the things we can do in heaven. But did you know that there is one amazing thing we can do now that we cannot do in heaven?

Before we get to that one thing, we need to remember how good this world used to be. In the beginning it was better than good. It was, as God said, “very good.”

The Garden of Eden was created to be a thing of perfect beauty and perfect efficiency. And that was just a nest to get things started. God created an entire world for us to discover and inhabit. Relationships were perfect. Work was a joy. God was there. Everything was very good.

Then darkness came.

A temptation led to doubt, and doubt led to sin. The world was darkened by the constant fear of death and all the many ways it causes suffering throughout life. Relationships were broken. Work became painful. We became distant from God, and nothing about that was good.

We will always long for the joy of heaven because we were created with eternity in our mind and a longing for God in our heart.

But Jesus brought something very good to a world that was darkened by sin. He brought glory to God on earth.

His selfless sacrifice for our sins was a remarkable demonstration of divine grace unlike anything this world had ever seen. Not even the beauty of Eden could compete with the way his light shone through the darkness.

And that brings us to the one amazing thing you can do now that you can’t do in heaven. You can shine in the darkness. When you reflect the love of Jesus to others, you bring hope in a way that makes heaven rejoice.

It’s okay to long for heaven. But don’t miss the opportunity you have right now to let your light shine in a dark place. You never know when God might use your light to bring hope to others.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, there will be days when I long for the joys of heaven. But until you bring me there, help me to see the joy of shining your light in a dark place. Shine through me this week. Amen.

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One truth shared: You will never be more loved than you are right now.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6

Never More Loved Than Now

True story: A young man once asked a spiritual leader how to get to heaven. After a moment of thought, the leader told this young man that the way to get to heaven was to keep the Ten Commandments. All of them.

I don’t think your pastor would ever give you that answer. Any Christian out there knows that the way to heaven is only Jesus. That makes it all the more surprising that the spiritual leader mentioned above was none other than Jesus himself.

But the answer Jesus gave this young man was exactly right.

Just as darkness cannot coexist with light, so sinful people cannot coexist with a holy God. You must be perfect, and perfection is spelled out in the commandments. That’s the only way to be with God.

What everyone eventually comes to realize is that there’s a problem. The perfection required of us is not something we can attain.

The young man mentioned above went away sad because he did not think there was a way for him to be with God. He was right. Nothing we do can atone for the darkness of our sin and make us fit for life with God.

So Jesus became the way for us. He consumed the darkness of your sin when he died on the cross, and he clothed you in his righteousness when he came back to life. The way to God is still to be perfect, but Jesus became the way by providing his perfection for you.

There will be days when you feel unlovable. Something you said, did, or thought will leave you with a guilty feeling, and you won’t feel worthy of God’s love.

The good news is that the way to God’s love was never through what you do. Because of Jesus, you can tell yourself every moment of every day: “I will never be more loved than I am right now.”

Prayer: Dear Father, thank you for establishing a relationship with me that is not dependent on how good I am. Help me live in the joy of your grace every day. Amen.

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One truth shared: The Scriptures provides direction for life.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:25-27

The Secret to Seeing Jesus

Three days after Jesus was crucified, two of his followers left Jerusalem and walked seven miles to a town called Emmaus. They traveled with a deep sadness because they thought Jesus was gone forever. Everything hurt.

Have you ever felt a sadness like that? Maybe someone you loved was suddenly taken from you. Perhaps you were betrayed by someone, and it felt like part of your heart was ripped away. Maybe you have been so angry over an injustice that it came out as sadness.

There can be times in your life when you feel a sadness that makes everything hurt. But even in those times, Jesus walks alongside you.

We know this because Jesus walked alongside the two disciples who were walking to Emmaus. The funny part is that they did not know he was standing next to them. Rather than popping the confetti and giving them a hug, Jesus did something unexpected.

He pointed them to the Scriptures.

He showed them from the Scriptures how the Messiah’s suffering and death were all part of a greater plan to redeem a world that was lost in sin.

Jesus walks alongside you in your sadness, though you will not always see him. He points you to the Scriptures that show how suffering and death are the result of mankind’s sinfulness. Yet from the very beginning, Scripture shows how God’s plan was not to eradicate sin by condemning sinners. His plan was to walk alongside sinners and have his Son take their place.

When you find yourself wandering through life because you’re not sure what God is doing, take note of who is by your side. Let God’s Word speak direction into your life, and you will see the bigger picture of God’s loving plan for you.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I believe you are with me in the times I need you the most. Help me to see you clearly through the Scriptures that teach me about you. Amen.

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One truth shared: The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of your faith.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
Matthew 28:5,6

Proof of God With Us

Imagine that a seemingly ordinary person walks up to you and claims to be God. They say things that only God has the right to say. There is something magnetic about the way they act—you are drawn to them, but at the same time you are skeptical of their claims. As well you should be.

What would they have to do to prove that they are who they claim to be? What kind of miracle would it take? What feat of power would settle your doubt?

There are lots of tricks that mankind has figured out over the years. What we can do today with our science and technology would seem like miracles to people who lived 200 years ago.

But there is one thing that science and technology will never figure out: a way to get around death.

Death is something we are constantly at war with. Thanks to God’s gift of medicine, we can win a lot of battles against sickness and prolong our lives. But we cannot win the war against death. Death wins every time.

So if God were to show up as a person on earth to help us, it would be a very short-lived solution if his priority was to cure illnesses, establish justice, or address poverty.

What is amazing is that while Jesus did those very things, they were just a prequel to a greater battle that he would face. He battled death just like every other human. But unlike any other human, he won.

His victory establishes a new hope for you and all mankind. We still have the daily problems of life that go along with living in a sinful world, but we do not have the eternal problem of death to deal with.

At his resurrection, Jesus proved he really is “God With Us.” Even more, his resurrection was the beginning of hope for the entire world.

Prayer: Dear Savior, let the certainty of your resurrection be the foundation for my faith and hope in you. Amen.

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One truth shared: Jesus gives you real life.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”
John 11:25

Life

Have you ever wondered how people would remember you if you were gone? Kind of a morbid thought to be sure, but also something that seems to affect the way many people think and act. Athletes will put off retirement, perhaps longer than they should, in the hopes that they might be able to finish off their career with just one more championship. Presidents and other public figures build massive libraries to display their accomplishments long after they have left office. Even for people for whom death is statistically unlikely to occur in the near future, the impressions made on other people and what others think of you when you aren’t around remain influential factors in life! For many, and perhaps for Christians too, it’s tempting to find meaning and purpose in life based on what others think of us and how they remember us when we are gone.

Today’s scripture reading gives us a different perspective on all of that. The scene is this: Jesus’ good friend Lazarus died, and Jesus is comforting Lazarus’ sisters Mary and Martha. The focus of the conversation has nothing to do with how people will remember Lazarus now that he is gone. Instead, Martha expresses her Christian faith that she will see her brother again in heaven but remains understandably devastated by his untimely death. Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die!” Death is sad and hard to deal with, but Jesus dealt with death in a way like no one else could—he overcame it! Because death comes from sin, and because Jesus paid the price for all sin on the cross, death could not hold him! And death cannot hold Jesus’ followers either. He went on to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead, and he will do the same for you and your loved ones.

That reality grants a new perspective to God’s children. Instead of worrying about what others think of us and how they might remember us if we aren’t there and using such measures as a source of meaning and purpose in life, remember what Jesus’ resurrection promises you! No matter what others may or may not think, Jesus values you so highly that he was willing to lay down his life for you! And then he took it up again, so that you too might live again after you die. You don’t need to worry about how others will remember you, because you’ll live again, and you’ll be in heaven where the last concern possible on your mind is some hollow earthly monument that points back to a few human achievements. Your legacy and reputation aren’t based on the value other people place on you—it’s based on the price your Savior paid for you. Your legacy is this: child of God. Beyond that, nothing else matters!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, you valued me so much that you were willing to give up your own life! Thank you for your sacrifice and all you’ve done for me. Teach me look at my life as you do and help me use it to serve you in any way I can. Teach me to prioritize my relationship with you above all others. Amen.

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One truth shared: The Living Water brings hope.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

Hope

“God has a plan.” “Everything always works out for good.” “Jesus is with you.” “Don’t be sad, you’ll see her again in heaven.” Bible based truths such as these are the kinds of things Christians share with each other in times of hardship… and rightly so. God says all these things in the Bible. But if you or someone you love has ever gone through a hard time, saying those things doesn’t always make you feel better! Words don’t make the hard things go away! So how can promises of things to come bring hope right now?

Some have described this kind of hopeless feeling as “thirst.” Not the physical thirst for water, but a spiritual thirst for life the way God designed it to be. This spiritual thirst is a thirst to be rid of the sinfulness and frustrations and disappointments of a broken world. One might call it a thirst for heaven. In the Bible, God promises that such thirst is satisfied in Jesus—what he does, and what he promises. This good news does satisfy spiritual thirst and does provide hope, even now as we continue to live among the effects of sin.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul puts it like this: “hope does not disappoint us.” Why not? He continues, “You see, at just the right time… while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Our hope for the future based on God’s promises is not a vague wish for good things to come. Biblical hope anticipates the results of something that is an accomplished fact! In other words, Jesus already took on human flesh and inserted himself in the real history of the world at just the right time, to fulfill prophecy, to live as God required, to die for our sins, to rise from the dead. That’s not the future—it’s the past. It happened! It’s an accomplished fact, and it can’t be undone! That means all the blessings connected to it also are done and can’t be undone! There’s no “unforgiving” of sins. There’s no undoing heaven, or of any of the other results of Jesus work! That’s why biblical promises are not just words or some nice sayings. Even though they don’t always remove the outward hardship right now, they serve as a rock-solid guarantee of what’s to come based on what already happened and can’t be changed: Jesus’ work for you.

When the present is hard, cling to the good news of the past: a Savior who intervened in history! That fact guarantees that in the big picture, the future is bright!

This is your hope!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, you inserted yourself into human history to be our Savior. Thank you for leaving your heavenly throne to satisfy our deepest needs! Use the realities of what you accomplished to bring us hope, even in the darkest of times! Comfort and strengthen us with the certainty of a bright future to come! Amen.

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