Morning messages can be an important part of classroom routines – a way to let students know about any changes to the schedule, any special visitors, an upcoming event, or even just the approaching “stay home days” of the weekend. These reminders help the class prepare for and look forward to what’s coming. In our text for today, we hear some messages that help us be prepared for our life here on earth and our eternal life to come.

First, we are reminded that we are children of God – it’s who we are and where we find our purpose and our value. Before we can fully appreciate this status, though, we must remember who we are by nature, enemies of God trapped in our sin. And yet, despite our sinfulness and failure to obey God’s law, God “so loved the world that he sent his one and only Son” to pay the penalty for our sins (John 3:16). Jesus came to pay the price and defeat sin and death on our behalf. Through faith in him, we are now forgiven children of God, our heavenly Father, and like a good father, God is there to provide for our needs, protect us from harm, and guide us through the ups and downs of life.

We can get so caught up in the things – the possessions, the vacations, the opportunities, the finances – of this world, but next, we hear a reminder that this world is not our forever home. We have something much better, much greater, to look forward to. When Christ appears to take us to our heavenly home, we will see him in his glory, and we will be like him. We don’t know exactly what our heavenly bodies will be like or how they will be the same or different from how we know them to be now, but we can be confident they will be perfect because they will be like Jesus. And we will live with God where tears and exhaustion and heartache and worry will no longer exist. The best is truly yet to come!

So, finally, as we look ahead to our eternal home, we live with this heavenly perspective in mind. As God’s children, we now strive to stay away from sin and sinful behaviors, and when we fail, we confess our wrongdoing, trust in God’s free and full forgiveness, and with God’s guidance, make a conscious effort to change. Our identity as God’s children changes the way we talk, act, and serve, and whatever our days may bring, we ultimately look ahead to future glory – an eternal home in heaven. And that’s not just a nice message; it’s a true and certain fact. Live in the confidence of being God’s child today!