One truth shared: Jesus understands how hard life is because he faced every temptation we have faced and more.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16

Uncovered by the Spirit

The tall grass is a dangerous place. You are either going to encounter a wild Pokémon or be eaten by velociraptors. Unless you have your own Pokémon or a Remington bolt-action rifle, it’s safer not to wander.

“Oh, but where is your sense of adventure?!”

I think there is something to be said about the “sense of adventure” that is nearly ever present. It seems humans have always wanted to see who can go the farthest, or climb the highest, or build the biggest, or . . . this list could go on forever. Our society today has capitalized on it and now sells faux-experiences and urges us through media to take one more step in any area that Google’s personalized advertising says we should go.

“Gotta get the new iPhone.” “Oh, there’s a PS5 now?” “New line of clothing from who-and-such!” “I’m an Instagram travel influencer, and my life is so awesome! Leave a comment about where you love to travel!”—you get my point. We are told to be adventurous, and it urges our natural inclination to want new experiences as well.

God wants us to experience all that he has blessed us with in this world. He has given us so much. Yet, because we live in a fallen world, there is risk that accompanies it. With new experiences come new challenges, new temptations, new consequences. To misquote Uncle Ben, “With great [new experiences] comes great responsibility.”

God’s standard for everyone never changes. He says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). That applies even when you have never been tempted in a particular way before, such as: how to use your phone in an appropriate manner; respecting yourself, your significant other, and God with his gift of sexuality; not abusing the freedom your parents give you as you get older and spend more time away from the safety of your home.
However, if past performance is any indicator of future performance, we may not feel confident. We may start looking back on all the mistakes we have made and already feel defeated and like giving up. Maybe we even fall into the devil’s trap where we start thinking “If I can’t love ‘me,’ how can anyone else?”

Barring velociraptors, I can say that facing the consequences from mishandling new experiences is not pleasant. In fact, it can be downright devastating. But I must tell you, when God looks at you, he sees Jesus. Jesus has experienced every temptation we have, and he did not make any mistakes. And now he intercedes for us. When God starts going down the checklist of every requirement to enter heaven, Jesus shows his perfect record of obedience and credits it to us. Believe in what he has done. Cling to this faith and never let it go. Approach God with confidence, and he will be the source of your supply in every and any need.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for choosing to suffer and face temptation for my sake. When I am overwhelmed by Satan’s temptations and crushed by the weight of shame from sin, remind me that you have faced all trials without mistake and credit them to me, taking away all my guilt and shame. Keep me confident and strengthen me as I strive to live for your glory until I am called home to you. Amen.

One truth shared: Jesus speaks clearly to his disciples and us and directs us toward radical love.

But to you who are listening I say, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you…. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Luke 6:27-28,36

Uncovered Love

But Jesus, that’s not fair. It’s not just. It is just not right.

That’s the way it feels. If someone hurts us, that wrong must be righted. If an injustice occurs, there must be justice. If someone speaks evil about us, then we must speak up and speak out against them. At the very least, we should do nothing.

But Jesus goes beyond calling us to inaction here. He calls us to action. He calls us to loving action. He calls us to do good to those who may have done us harm. He calls us to pray for them, to intercede for them. He calls us bless them and to mean it when we do.

This kind of love to which Jesus calls us seems to be upside down. It’s the hardest kind of love.

Well, kind of. When we think this way, we are assuming that we deserve better from other people and better from God. We assume that we’ve never hated, that we’ve never cursed, that we’ve never mistreated. We’re thinking to ourselves that we have somehow deserved goodness and blessing.

Do you know what mercy is? It is to withhold the justice that is due. It is to not give what is deserved.

That’s what God has shown toward you. He has given you blessing and forgiveness, instead of eternal cursing and condemnation. He turns his face and his attention toward you instead of turning away from you in anger. He does not give you what you deserve—though he has every right to do it. Instead, he gives you everything—and I do mean everything—that you do not deserve.

Maybe you and that enemy of yours are not so different after all. Perhaps you and those who mistreat you are not so different after all. So, let’s do the weird thing (at least to the world), the radical thing, the God-thing. Let’s hear Jesus today and be merciful just like God has been merciful to us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you call me to a love that is like yours. That’s so hard. It’s hard to not want to give what is deserved to another. But that’s the way you loved me. You did not give me the justice I deserved. Teach me to be merciful, just like you are merciful. Amen.

One truth shared: These whom Jesus called to follow him were not the most likely agents of his mission, yet these were the ones whom he called. In this we see the method of Jesus: he doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies and equips the called.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
Luke 5:10-11

Uncovered Agents

Strange, isn’t it, the ones whom Jesus calls to follow him? Even the location of the calling strikes us as odd. They were fishermen who had been up all night fishing a lake and didn’t have a single fish. This was their calling and their living.

These guys had no education, not formal rabbi training anyway. They didn’t come from the local Jewish Seminary. In fact, later, people were amazed at these guys because they were unschooled, ordinary men (cf. Acts 4:13). There was nothing special about them.

But these were the ones whom Jesus called to follow him, to learn from him, and to carry the gospel out into the world after him.

Strange, isn’t it? Jesus also calls you. You…

Let that sink in for a moment.

Sinful you? With all that you’ve done against him, he has still called you.

Timid-and-afraid you? With all your frailties and weaknesses, he has called you.

Unlearned-and-without-all-the-answers you? He has called you.

Jesus doesn’t need perfect people to tell other people about him. He forgives us and then he sends us. He doesn’t need us to get rid of our weaknesses. His gospel is powerful and matters more than any presentation style. He doesn’t need you to know all the answers and be eloquent with words. He promises to give you the Holy Spirit to give you words to say.

Awesome, isn’t it! Jesus has called you. First, he called you to faith. Now, he calls you to tell others about him. Jesus has called you.

Who will you tell about him today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, it is amazing that you have called me—sinful, weak, and uneducated me. It proves your power and grace! Use me in any way that you choose so that more and more people might know you and believe in you. Amen.

One truth shared: When Jesus went out to preach, what could he expect? When we go out with the gospel, what can we expect? Though we pray for gospel success and hearing, the rule is more often rejection.

All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Luke 4:28-30

Uncovered Rule

I hate to break it to you, but following Jesus isn’t the easier way. Not everyone will be happy to hear what you tell them about God and his Word. Not everything in life smooths out and gets easier when you believe in Jesus. Your family life won’t suddenly be better. Your struggle with a temptation won’t miraculously go away.

The life of Jesus makes this clear to us. In one of his first appearances as a preacher, Jesus is rejected by his own hometown. They wanted to throw him off a cliff! Jesus started out another day feeding over 15,000 people, and the next day he wasn’t sure if his own disciples were going to stick with him. Remember how his ministry ended? At the cross.

If the life of your Savior wasn’t easy, you can be sure yours won’t be either. You will try to share your faith, and people will push back against it even though it is the truth. The devil will make it difficult for you to follow Jesus. In fact, Satan will do whatever he can, not just to make your life difficult but to turn you against Jesus too. That is his goal and his purpose.

Following Jesus is not the easier way, but it is the better way. It is better because Jesus has already carried your punishment and your sorrows. It is better because you can trust that Jesus is the King who is ruling over your whole life, and he is good. It is better because he promises to always be with you and to ensure that you are never alone. It is better for 1,001 reasons more.

Following Jesus is not the easier way, but it is the better way. Stay close to him and you will not lose.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when the road behind you is scattered with difficulties and hardships, stay close to me and support me. When people don’t hear me when I share the truth about you, assure me how true your Word is. Do not let anything turn me from you no matter how the road of faith may be. Amen.

One truth shared: God identified that there was something special about David, some hidden potential. What was it? His anointing, like ours, purifies us and sets us on our course for greatness in God’s kingdom.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
1 Samuel 16:7

Uncovered Life Potential

What was it about David? What was it that was going on his heart that led God to choose him?

Maybe it was his bravery and courage. God knew about the bravery and courage that David would show in the face of Goliath. Maybe it was that.

Maybe it was his humility. God knew that David would humble himself beneath an evil king who constantly tried to kill him. Maybe it was humility.

But what if God saw the sin that David would eventually commit and the harm he would cause? God certainly saw the way that David was bent toward sexual sin. God certainly saw the way that David was prone to his own fits of anger. God knew David was proud in the depths of his heart.

God saw it all, both the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. And this is the one whom he anointed to be the very next king.

Sometimes people say that God sees our potential more clearly than we do. Those people aren’t wrong. God has a plan for our lives, a plan to save us and a plan to use it.

But that’s not why God chooses us and anoints us. He chose and anointed Jesus for us because he is merciful and gracious. Then, he anoints us with water and the word in Baptism to cleanse our hearts and to make us his. Through Baptism he sets us on a course to carry out his plan in and through our lives.

Just as God chose David despite his sinful heart, so God has chosen and anointed you through Baptism. He has given you a clean heart and a powerful purpose.

Now, step into that purpose and serve him.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to see the purpose for which you have anointed me. You didn’t look at what I was capable of, but instead cleansed me and gave me power from your Spirit. Use me this year for your glory and good. Amen.

One truth shared: This lowly child is no lowly king. The warrior’s boot will be burned. The yoke will be broken. And he will sit on his throne bringing peace. This is what happens when he comes.

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:4-6

Peace

Almost every time that we imagine the Christmas scene and draw pictures of it, the scene seems so peaceful. We picture angels standing guard and their chorus singing outside. We imagine Mary and Joseph gently holding the baby Jesus and gazing adoringly into his eyes. The wise men and the shepherds are there too, but it is still a peaceful thing. It is gentle. Serene. Peaceful.

But that is not the picture that Isaiah paints for us. He pictures something violent happening when Jesus comes. He pictures a yoke that burdens people getting crushed over a warrior’s knee, absolutely breaking it to smithereens. He pictures the boots and the bloodied garments of the warrior being used as fuel for the fire. Why? Because a son is born to us.

It’s not the picture of Christmas that we normally have. We don’t picture a shattered yoke or a bloodied garment in the fire.

When Jesus was born and entered this world, the angels rejoiced but Satan surely cursed. He hated this idea that the Messiah had come to save. In that moment, he surely rounded up his demonic hordes to do their worst against this Anointed One of God. This was war!

Jesus grew and rose to meet them in battle. And this is what he did. He took the yoke of sin and guilt and shame that was on our shoulders, and he shattered it. He broke it into slivers and used it as kindling for the fire. He strode into battle—a conquering King—and bloodied his garments in the war against our enemies, absolutely decimating them.

The war is won! The yoke of our sin is shattered. Their garments are fuel for the fire. And so, we have peace! Peace with God. Peace for eternity. Sins forgiven. Heaven won.

Enjoy the victory and live in the peace that he has won for you.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for this vision of your coming through Isaiah. It shows me again how complete the victory that you won for me is. Here you show me that you are, indeed, my conquering Hero. Amen.

One truth shared: There are times when it seems as if the enemies of God are getting away with it. There are times when the enemies of the Lord are our enemies too. When the Lord comes near, we will be vindicated, and his enemies will be thrown down.

Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:14-17

Defeat

Trauma and abuse can be absolutely debilitating. After it happens, many people lose purpose, hope, and a sense of safety.

A group of scientists once carried out a very sad and provocative experiment on dogs. They wanted to know how trauma impacted dogs. So, they planned and executed a scientific study. In the study, the first group of dogs were put in cages. Throughout the day, these cages were electrified repeatedly while the doors to the cages were locked. At first, the dogs tried to get out of the cages, but after a while these poor traumatized dogs just laid down and endured the painful shocks over and over again. Horrible, isn’t it? This was phase one of the study.

In phase two of the study, they opened the cage doors of the traumatized dogs and a second group of dogs who had not been previously shocked. Then, they shocked all of the dogs. The group of dogs who had never been shocked before simply walked right out of the electrified cages. But not the traumatized dogs. Even with their doors wide open, they just laid in their electrified cages. They had come to consider themselves as nothing more than victims, like sheep marked for slaughter. This was now their life. Horrible to think, isn’t it?

Is this really who we are? Are we just sheep marked for the slaughter? Is laying down the only thing we can do in the face of abuse and trauma we have experienced? Are we the sum total of what has happened to us?

That’s not what our God says about us. That is not at all what our God has done for us. Our God is a Mighty Warrior who saves and turns back those who want to and even do harm to us. Our God is a Mighty Warrior who takes great delight in us. The Lord is coming near this Christmas to be with us and defend us. He has taken upon himself our punishment. He has defeated our enemies! He promises to return someday and deliver us from those who harm us.

Don’t be afraid and don’t hang your head in defeat! We are not traumatized dogs; we are “more than conquerors through him who loved us” and “nothing can separate us from his love” (cf. Romans 8:35-39).

Prayer: O Mighty Warrior, when I lay down because I feel that there is nothing else I can do, strengthen me by your Spirit. I am not a traumatized dog. I am not a victim. I am more than a conqueror. I am your child. So, strengthen me for this life. Amen.

One truth shared: There is a series of emotions that fill us when we think about the coming of Jesus. Fear. Anxiety. Perhaps even terror. One thing is sure. We are safe at the coming of Jesus.

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.” “In those days and at that time I will make a Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD our righteous Savior.’”
Jeremiah 33:14-16

Safe

I’m not sure what I would do if some celebrity walked into my office. It’s never happened to me so I’m not so sure what I would do, but I can imagine some of the emotions. There would be a certain “wow” factor. I might want to snap a picture with them and may even getting an autograph. I also think that it’s entirely possible that I would be so overwhelmed that I’d avoid eye-contact and wouldn’t have anything to say. Meeting a celebrity would be awesome and even terrifying all at the same time.

Those are some of the same emotions that I have when I think about the coming of Jesus. What are yours? Before you read on, take a moment, and reflect on the question: How would I feel if I met someone famous and important?

I think about how he came in the manger, about how he was born into this world, and I want to run up to him and peer into the manger. I think about how he marched into Jerusalem on a donkey, and I want to join the parade. It would be just awesome to meet Jesus and hang out with him, wouldn’t it?

I also think about how he described his coming at the end of the world—that scares me. His coming to judge. His coming to separate the sheep from the goats. His coming to send some to hell and others to heaven. This should scare and frighten us.

When Jeremiah talks about the coming Jesus, he doesn’t paint a picture for us to make us afraid. He pictures for us a tree growing in the middle of a field with sprawling branches. He pictures a place for us there under those branches for safely resting, a place for us to chill in his shade.

Jesus is for us a tree with sprawling branches. We can rest under his protection. We can chill under his forgiveness. Even now, we can put our feet up under this tree and rest in his protection and peace.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, at times your coming makes me afraid. I imagine judgment day and I know my sins; that day scares me because of my sin. But I know and believe that you have taken my sins away. I am safe from your judgment. I am safe in your care until your return. Keep me until that awesome day when you will gather me home. Amen.

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:10-14

Our Glory Days

A dad takes a trip down memory lane with his son. They climb up the stairs to the attic, where the dad then opens a giant box full of memorabilia from his “glory days” as a high school quarterback. The son’s jaw drops as he pages through newspaper clippings with his dad on the front page of the local paper.

“Dad, was that you?!?”

“Yes, it was!” the dad replies. He throws on his old letterman jacket to prove it, but it didn’t quite fit. The dad had put on a few since his high school years. This once varsity quarterback was now pushing papers at an accounting firm; and it showed. “Those were the days” the dad says as he holds a picture of his younger, slimmer self. “I’d relive these days in a heartbeat.”

Anyone who has played high school sports knows that feeling. If we could, we’d relive scoring that winning touchdown. Or sinking that buzzer-beater three-pointer. We’d relive receiving that glistening trophy and holding it high for the world to see.

Even if you don’t play high school sports, everybody has their “glory days” they wish they could revisit. We’d relive days when we were stronger and in better shape. We’d go back to when we were still with that certain someone—before the breakup. We’d go back to before we made those costly decisions, before we screwed up, before we made those mistakes, before our lives began their downward spiral.

But those “glory days” are inaccessibly buried in the past—regardless of how much we don’t want to let them go. The trophies may still be shining now, but eventually they’ll start to show their age. Our jerseys will one day no longer fit us. The lettermen jackets will eventually wear out and fall apart.

But high school trophies aren’t the only things broken, faded, and falling apart. Our lettermen jackets aren’t the only thing getting boxed up and buried.

We are too.

We can be as health conscious as we want and work out every day, but our mortality is thrown in our face every second of every day. And there is nothing we can do to change that. We can try all we want to immortalize ourselves in our victories, our accomplishments, and achievements; but we cannot undo death. We can wax nostalgic all we want and reminisce of “glory days” gone by; but our “glory days” and their trophies have little impact and significance on the problems we face today—death included.

Is that all Jesus’ resurrection is? A celebration of another empty “glory day”? Is Easter just a day we nostalgically celebrate once every spring, but, beyond that, it really has no lasting, significant importance?

Not in the slightest!

You see, the Bible isn’t a catalogue of wishful thinking. These things actually happened. That Jesus rose from the dead isn’t some fictitious event cooked up by Christians who couldn’t come to grips with dying. Christ has died. Christ is risen. And Christ will come again.

Jesus’ tomb is still empty—and it will stay empty. And because Jesus has risen from the dead, that means you will rise, too! That Jesus rose from the grave vindicates and validates everything he said and everything he did. He is who he says he is. He is your God. Your Redeemer. Your Rescuer. And by faith, his victory over sin, hell, and the grave is your victory.

While our glory days are still yet to come in heaven, as Christians, our glory days are now too! Even when we’re faced with hardship, we already hold a trophy that will never expire. Even when we are persecuted for our faith, we still possess an identity in Christ that will never tarnish, rust, or rot—that being the eternal identity of being a blood-bought, forgiven, redeemed child of God. Even when we are faced with death, not even death can rob us of the victory our Savior has won!

You are clothed with the letterman jacket of Jesus’ righteousness and perfection. You are forgiven! You belong to God. You are heaven-bound. Your Savior has laid claim on you!

So, as you fight for the next five yards, find comfort knowing Christ has already won the championship.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, fix our eyes ever firmly on you—especially in the face of hardship and adversity. Fill our hearts with the peace and joy of your resurrection. Move us to never cease celebrating the victory we have in you over sin, death, and the grave, and move us to share this joy with those around us. In your name we pray. Amen.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:3-6

God is a Finisher

It was sophomore year. The due date for our first semester biology project had finally arrived.

And my project wasn’t finished.

It’s not that I didn’t know about it, and it’s not that I had forgotten about it, either. In all honesty, I had simply procrastinated and punted that project to the last minute. And that left me scrambling those early morning hours on the day it was due—frantically trying to get it finished.

I just barely did—but, as you can imagine, my procrastination was seen all over the final product.

Love them or hate them, due dates and deadlines are a massive part of your high school career.

Maybe it’s that physical science presentation you’re giving next month; maybe it’s that American history paper that’s due next week; or maybe it’s those three chapters of that one book that literally need to be read by tomorrow (and you have to read them, because your AP English Literature teacher can tell if all you’ve read are the chapter summaries on BookRags, CliffsNotes, or SparkNotes).

You might not see it, but due dates and deadlines really are a good thing. They help us stay focused. They help us distribute our time effectively over multiple ongoing projects. They help us say no to distractions and keep us disciplined as we manage our time.

The thing is, we don’t always meet these due dates, do we? We turn in papers and projects late—and get penalized for it. Or maybe we meet our deadlines, but the product we present to our teachers is not exactly our best. We’ll cut corners. We’ll take shortcuts. We’ll settle for mediocrity instead of pursuing excellence. Sometimes it’s honestly because we’d rather scroll through TikTok or play PUBG. But a lot of the time, it’s because we struggle to focus. There’s stuff going on at home. You’re picked on at school. You’re grappling with some major questions about your identity or who you are. And when our head and heart are divided, even a small amount of incoming due dates and deadlines can feel debilitating. We can feel so overworked or overwhelmed, we’ll even give up on projects entirely.

Now put yourselves in God’s shoes. I mean, think about all the projects on his plate. Think of all the promises he’s made to you. He promises to provide for you richly and daily. He promises to put clothes on your back and food on the table. He promises to send his angels to guard you in all your ways. He promises he’s with you every second of every day. He promises to work all things—including the bad—for your eternal good. And God doesn’t just make these promises to you, but to every single one of his children. And yet, your God does not default on one of his promises.

The God who uniquely and wonderfully made you is the same God who uniquely and wonderfully saved you. At just the right time, God sent his Son. Your Savior Jesus, out of his amazing love for you, would perfectly carry out all his heavenly Father had given him to do. He would be perfect in our place, take our failure onto himself, die with it on a cross, and be buried with it in his death. And our failures and shortcomings stay buried—but our Savior Jesus did not! He lives! And because he lives, we, who cling to him in faith, will live too!

The faith your God worked in your heart through his Word is the same faith your God is committed to bringing to completion—that being the day you meet him face to face in heaven. Until that day, he is committed to strengthening and nurturing that faith through his means of grace because he’s not a God who fails to finish what he starts. He’s a God who gets his people home.

Take comfort knowing your God doesn’t sweat deadlines and due dates. Your God is a finisher.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you know we are constantly stressed by deadlines and due dates. When we feel overwhelmed and overworked, give us the peace that comes from your Son Jesus. Remind us that everything is going to be okay—because you, our loving Father, are in control. Remind us that, in Jesus, we have heaven as our home and you to thank for that! In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13

Christ Alone

I vividly remember not being included. It happened several times. Whether I was in elementary school, middle school, high school, college, or even now as an adult (also known as an “old guy”), I can still describe many instances where I was on the outside looking in. Do you know what that’s like?

Maybe you’re the person who’s always included, always on top, always winning, always admired, always with more friends than you know what to do with. Maybe you’re the person who sets down your phone and, when you pick it back up a few minutes later, you have several notifications and new followers. Or, maybe you’re like the vast majority (by that I mean probably 99.9999% of people) who haven’t been included in every way.

You know what? God experienced that too. On the cross, Jesus felt abandoned. “Why have you forsaken me?” he cried. Here’s the answer: The Father let his Son die for the sins of his people so that we never know what it feels like to be excluded. Jesus spent his life including those who were excluded, loving the unloved, and searching for those who strayed.

One time, Jesus defended a woman who was about to be stoned to death for her sin. Another time, he stood up for a lady who had a record of sexual sin. He even made a man who was a thief and a cheater to be one of his disciples! And these are just the tip of the iceberg of how far God will go to include us.

When we say that we are saved by Jesus Christ alone, we recognize that Jesus is the only one who could save us. More than just by his example, God carried out all of his saving work in Christ alone. And since he sought you out, included you in God’s family, and brought you into the inner circle of his family, then you are loved. You are included. You are close to God now and forever.

Prayer: Lord, I have to admit that I hate the idea of being far from anyone and anything that is good and wonderful. Thank you for bringing me close to you through Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:10,17

Scripture Alone

Two kids start arguing on the bus. The argument is over some current issue on the news. They go back and forth about what is right and wrong. And how can you tell who wins? Is it the person who is louder or meaner? Is it the person who wins over the others who are watching?

Determining right and wrong in our society today is hard. It’s especially challenging to stick to the truth of God’s Word in a world that denies that there is absolute truth, much less, that the Bible is true.

But God’s Word is up to the challenge. And it does more than just help us win an argument. It’s the very power of God to combat evil and to protect us against the lies of this perishing world and the evil one—the devil. How so? Consider two examples.

Let’s say that there are friends at your school who think differently than you do about substances, sex, porn, or how to view the government. Those are all big and challenging topics. Now imagine if you were left to discern what’s true just according to your friends. You value them. But they don’t know everything. But God does. And in holy word he uses his mighty power to show us the way. Most importantly, his Word shows us our Savior when we lose our way!

Or consider what many people think about death and eternity. Imagine if you had to just pick the best opinion as to what to believe about life after death. How terrifying. But that’s not so for us as Christians. We have God’s mighty power in his Word. Jesus won eternal life through the cross and the empty tomb! There’s nothing better than that—nothing more powerful than that! And since God owns eternity, then he owns the truth. Furthermore, he gives the Bible—the eternal truth—as armor for us. Not just for an argument, but for eternity.

Prayer: Lord God, keep me in your Word and protect me through is for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
1 Thessalonians 5:1,2,4,5

Don’t be Surprised!

In sports there is nothing like a last second score to win the game. Fans live for it! Players dream about it! Those moments infuse sports with a sense of purpose and anticipation.

Now, imagine sports with no game clock. Do you think the players would give maximum effort to win? Probably not. Offenses would take their sweet time. After all, what’s the rush? No sense in teams playing defense. What’s the point? Teams have plenty of the time to score later. Would fans even watch the game? Doubt it. What a snooze fest! In fact, with no game clock, even players could take naps.

Just as sports with no countdown would be pointless, people who live life with no countdown lack purpose. God said, “Time is counting down until I am come back! You just don’t know when the buzzer will sound.” Does the countdown until Christ comes back fill you with happy anticipation… or not? Is this where we must admit we haven’t given it much thought? Are we so busy living today that we have no time to consider this no guarantee of a tomorrow?

Often, we live in the dark, forgetting that time is counting down until God comes again. The apostle Paul’s encouragement in 1 Thessalonians 5 is a wake-up call for Christians. Wake up and see that you are not living in darkness! You live in the light of Christ. That means we will not be surprised by Christ’s second coming. Instead, we get busy getting ready for it!

This good encouragement motivates us to take advantage of every opportunity to worship and praise God, spend time in his Word, and celebrate his Sacraments. This moves us to go and proclaim the gospel to those who don’t know the forgiveness Christ gives. This compels us to serve God by serving our neighbor!

While living as “children of the light” provides good encouragement, even better, it is good news. As children of the day—that is, God’s children—the good news is that God will not judge you based on the darkness of your sins. Instead, when God returns to judge, he will judge you on the basis of what Christ did for you on the cross. There God’s Son didn’t play games. Jesus won the battle and gave you the victory over sin, the death, and the devil.

Do you want to live your life with more purpose and greater anticipation? Count down the days until you eternally experience the blessed victory that is yours in Christ, and, until then, make all your days count for God’s glory and praise.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, while our thinking is often selfishly consumed with our present circumstances, forgive us, and keep us mindful of your future return. By the good news of your Gospel, move us to live in your love and in the freedom of your forgiveness and not fear all our days until we are with you forever in heaven. Amen.

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-7

God’s Desire for Your Sexual Desires

Everything God created is good.
God created you. God created sex.
So, sex and your sexual desires are good gifts from God.

Does the idea that “sex is good” sound strange to you? You are not alone.

Our culture is hypersexualized, and sexual sins have been normalized. Most often, what we see and hear about concerning sex is not good. After all, sexual desire is what leads to sexual sin: lustful thoughts, pornography, and inappropriate relationships before marriage and outside of marriage.

So, what’s a Christian to do? How are you to think about sex and your sexual desires when our sex-obsessed culture leads us to view these as bad things and not good gifts from God?

God’s desire for your sexual desires is that you avoid all the badness and experience all his goodness by controlling your body’s desires in a way that is holy and honorable. That means when you date, you don’t sexualize your desires as “passionate lusts,” instead you realize your desires have a holy place—in marriage! And then, as you enjoy marriage as a gift of God’s love and the holy place for sexual desires to be satisfied, God sanctifies you (sanctified means made holy). In other words, when we enjoy sex the way God created it to be, we also enjoy life the way God created us to be: pure and holy!

But what if your past sexual experiences have been bad, and not good? What if you’ve sinned sexually? What if sexual brokenness has made you feel less whole and even less holy? Whether your past is marked with promiscuity or purity, this truth is for you: “Christ loved [you] and gave himself up for [you] to make [you] holy, cleansing [you] by the washing with water through the word” (Ephesians 5:25–26).
God knows we struggle with his command to “avoid sexual immorality.” Therefore, this very same God “gives you his Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 4:8) to assure you and comfort you with the good news that you are washed pure and made holy in Christ Jesus.

This is who God created you to be. Live how God created you to live!

Prayer: Dear Lord, especially when sexual temptations enter our life, remind us that our sexual desires are not bad, but they are from you and can be controlled in a way that is holy. By your Holy Spirit empower us to live pure lives in Christ that give honor to you in all we do. Amen.

In this series we’ll look at some of the struggles that we have that we endure silently, secretly. We struggle secretly and alone. What does God’s Word say to us in our darkness and trouble?

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16

Secret Sin

There is an important distinction between guilt and shame. Guilt is when you feel bad about something you did. Shame is when you feel bad about who you are.

It can happen in life that an unaddressed guilt over something you are doing turns into general shame about who you are. You feel so bad about the guilt that you have let it become part of who you are. Perhaps you have a secret sin that would bring shame if people were to find out about it.

It is not a good feeling to live with guilt. It is even worse to live with shame. God does not want either to have control over you.

Whether you know it or not, guilt and shame have the power to control your life. The longer you hide them, the stronger they become. So when guilt begins its work on your conscience, and when shame begins to take hold of your identity, pause to think about the significance of what Jesus did for you.

He was already punished for the guilt you are feeling. He already made it so that your identity has nothing to do with your sin. Who you are was determined by his victory over sin and death. You are God’s loved child.

You will not fully appreciate that as long as your sin is an unconfessed secret. Secret sins give birth to guilt, and guilt gives birth to shame. The longer you let it grow, the stronger it will become. But you have One who is stronger than any guilt or shame you can experience. His name is Jesus, and he is armed with enough mercy and grace to overcome what you have been hiding.

Would you be honest with yourself today if you have been holding onto a secret sin? Confess it. Talk to Jesus about it, and trust that he will respond with mercy and grace. If you want, you can use a prayer like this:

Prayer: Dear Jesus, the reason you came to this world was to release me from sin’s consequences. I believe that you died and rose again to do that. Would you help me today to stop letting sin reign over me? Give me your forgiveness for my hidden sin. Give me strength to overcome it so that I can live in the peace that you want to give. Thank you also for surrounding me with friends and family who care and can help me too. Amen.