Redeemer Lutheran Church
15 Wexford Ave S L8K 2N5 Hamilton, ON, Canada

"Thanksliving" 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 - Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the... grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in Him in all speech and all knowledgeeven as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among youso that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. A number of years ago, I and a small group of students were doing a brief six-week "tour" of some churches in states throughout the Midwest. We put on a small production, doing some contemporary Christian songs, acting out a few skits, and telling others about Jesus. Our "mission" was to visit congregations, share our faith, and promote our school. It was a combination evangelism-recruitment effort. One of the great things about doing this was the chance to stay with church families for the night. These folks were kind to open their homes to us. I discovered a number of times that the family I was bunking with would regularly host people from school youth groups, other visiting troupes to their church, and even foreign exchange students. This intrigued me. Before our little tour, I figured the families we stayed with probably accepted us somewhat reluctantly, at the nudging of the church. But that was not my experience at all. In fact, showing hospitality appeared to be something like a minor specialty among these families. And they were good at it, too. Around tables of home-cooked food, I'd get to hear their backstorieswhat brought them to the area, what everybody in the household was up to, how long they've been members of their churchthat sort of thing. And, of course, I'd get to share my story, too. They'd ask questions about what I was studying and what I planned on doing after college. I remember one family in the Kansas City area had a plaque in their house. Actually, it was in their bathroom: "Thanksgiving Is Thanksliving." So simple, so profound. Perfect for a captive audience. It's not about gushing with thanks one day a year for all the goodies we have in this country. It's about living it out, eager to let the world know how thankfulhow very gratefulwe are for all that God has done for us in Jesus. That saying stuck with me. Naturally, I don't always live it out, and sometimes I probably appear anything but thankfulbut I am. One thing's for sure. This year's a perfect time to put thanksliving into action. While Thanksgiving and Christmas might look different than last year, we know that God through Jesusin the power and the presence of the Holy Spiritis in us, with us, and at our side always. What more could we be thankful for? THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we thank You for all good things, especially for Jesus our Savior. In His Name we pray. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Reflection Questions: 1. What are you most thankful for in your life, right now? 2. How do you show your appreciation to the fellowship of believers you're involved in? 3. What can we do to make others thankful for us?

"Longing" Isaiah 64:1-9 - Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presenceas when fire kindles brushwood and t...he fire causes water to boilto make Your Name known to Your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things that we did not look for, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides You, who acts for those who wait for Him. You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon Your Name, who rouses himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all Your people. Listen to Isaiah's words: "Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down!" Isaiah is longing for God to come near, longing for the presence of the Lord. He is almost heartsick for himour living water, our breath of life. Isaiah looks back to the old days, when Israel walked with God through the wilderness and met him at Mount Sinai. Now those were the days, Isaiah feels. But it isn't like that anymore. And why? Because the people have done evil in their words and thoughts and actions; they have cut themselves off from the Source of life, from God Himself, and they suffer for it. And Isaiah confesses that this is true of him as well. It's true of us, too, isn't it? We too have sinned. We too have wandered far from the Lord, and we long for the God we forsook. But just like Isaiah and the people of Israel, we cannot get back to God's presence on our own. Either God rends the heavens and comes down, or we are lost. It is that simple. From his point in history, Isaiah pleads with God. "Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever." Isaiah has hope because he knows that God is merciful. But from our point in history, we have something even betterthe knowledge that God has already heard our prayers, has opened the heavens and come downas the Man Jesus Christ, our Savior, born to deliver us. Now we don't need to long for the good old days of God's presence at Sinai. We have something far betterGod in the flesh, bearing our sins on the cross, and leaving them behind in the grave as He rises from the dead three days later. Now we have Jesus, who is our life and salvation. Our longing hearts can be satisfied, because He has said to us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5b). THE PRAYER: Lord, let me live always in Your presence. In Jesus' Name. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. When do you feel lonely or sad? 2. What do you do when you feel a longing for God? 3. How do you know that Jesus is with you, whether you feel Him or not?

"Tears to Drink" Psalm 80:4-7 - O LORD God of hosts, how long will You be angry with Your people's prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears and given ...them tears to drink in full measure. You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; let Your face shine, that we may be saved! It is not unusual to hear in the psalms a plea for God to answer the psalmist's personal prayers. In Psalm 39:12a, the psalmist says, "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry," or in Psalm 61:1, he calls out, "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer." In today's psalm, the petition is different. The psalmist pleads with God, not for himself, but on behalf of the people of Israel. The Israelites are nearly drowning in their tears. God has given them tears to eat and drink. To make matters worse, enemies ridicule the Israelites, laughing among themselves and no doubt mocking a God who apparently refuses to hear the prayers of His own people. We know what it means to drown in our tears. Through fear, illness and grief, it may appearat least from an earthly point of viewthat God is not listening and that He has given us "tears to drink in full measure." Unbelievers mock what they perceive as the utter futility of prayer; they deny the existence of a God who hears and answers prayer. Yet we are not alone with our tears. During His earthly ministry, our Lord wept, too. His tears at Lazarus' tomb impressed the gathered mourners with Jesus' love for His friend. Jesus wept over Jerusalem and the suffering that would come to the city that rejected its Messiah. On the cross, Jesus cried out to His Father, and while we do not know if the Savior shed tears of pain and desolation, He endured the ridicule of His enemies as they laughed at His unanswered prayers: "He trusts in God; let God deliver Him now, if He desires Him" (Matthew 27:43a). We know that Jesus' prayers were heard and answered. "In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence" (Hebrews 5:7). The reverent, obedient Son of God suffered and died on the cross, but the Father saved His Son from the corruption of death and raised Him up to become the Source of our salvation. In the Person of Christ Jesus, God Himself has shed tears and He sees our tears. For the sake of His Son, He forgives our sins and hears our prayers. In Christ we are restored and saved. We now live in the light that is the shining face of God's favor. We will, at times, shed anguished tears on earth, but one day we will live in God's presence forever, and He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your Son, remember our tears and hear and answer our prayers. In Jesus' Name. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Reflection Questions: 1. Have you recently been "down" because of life? How are you doing now? 2. Could the psalmist's prayer be one that is said of the church today? 3. Do your prayers include the church, our nation, and believers around the world?

Here is a video of yesterday's sermon: https://youtu.be/y1NdxTRNBO8

"Not Ours to Keep" Matthew 22:15-22 - Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle Him (Jesus) in His words. And they sent their disciples to Him, along ...with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and You do not care about anyone's opinion, for You are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put Me to the test, you hypocrites? Show Me the coin for the tax." And they brought Him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said, "Caesar's." Then He said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When they heard it, they marveled. And they left Him and went away. You've probably noticed that life is full of tricky questions. Do I eat the cupcake my granddaughter made for me, or do I stick to my diet? Do I glide through the intersection as the light changes from yellow to red, or do I stop? Or 2020's favorite: do I wear a face mask in response to COVID-19, or just wing it, assuming I (and everyone else) will be all right? Here Jesus is given His own sticky question, courtesy of the Pharisees' disciples and some crony Herodians (Greek culture-loving Jews)both fierce opponents of Jesus. They asked Him, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" With a "No," Jesus might look like a rebel, scorning Roman rule and ready to fight the occupying power. With a "Yes," He might look submissive, yielding to Rome's tyrannical might to keep the peace. Yes, life is full of difficult questions. Jesus then, fully aware of their aim to test Him, takes a coin and asks them a question: "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" It was the face of Caesar. If they were looking to Jesus to get out of their tax obligation, they were misguided. He told them not only to pay the tax, but that the rest of what they possessed wasn't theirs to keep either. "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Any Jewish scholar in the first century knew what that meant: the coin might have Caesar's face on it, but the emperor, the nation, and the world itself belonged to God (see Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 24:1; Job 41:11). No matter how tight was Rome's grip on the Jews was, they were God's chosen people, set aside from long ago. "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy 14:2). This is where the believer's true joy liesin knowing we are God's, along with all we possess. Redeemed by the Father through Jesus' blood, we yield our lives to Him in faith, trusting His grace to supply us with everything we need. THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, remind us that we, and all we have, are Yours to keep. In Jesus' Name. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Reflection Questions: 1. What tricky question have you faced recently? 2. Why were the Pharisees always trying to ensnare Jesus in some word game or question about the Law? 3. How do you give to God the things that are God's? Are some things more difficult to turn over to Him than others?

"Rejected or Cornerstone?" Matthew 21:42-46 - Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the ...cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that He was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him to be a prophet. Though cornerstones are often ornamental today, in some kinds of building, the cornerstone is absolutely necessary. It holds the building together, either from the bottom, as a foundation stone, or from the top where two walls meet, as a capstone. You have to choose your cornerstone wisely; if it is weak or broken or has hidden flaws, the whole building could fall apart. In Jesus' parable, the builders are the religious leaders of His day, and the rejected stone is Jesus Himself. Why would they reject Him? There are any number of reasons, and some of them are still reasons people reject Jesus today. First of all, there was His sheer ordinariness. Nobody meeting Him on an average day would have thought "Son of God" immediately and fallen to his knees. Here was a Man like other mena Man who was born, ate, slept, worked, got tired, suffered, and even died. How could that be God? Even as a Man He didn't look like much. He was not rich, not powerful, not from a privileged background. He worked as a carpenter and then a traveling preacher. His formal education probably ended with the synagogue school in Nazareth. He came from a conquered country and died a shameful death. How could this Man be anything great? But there were even more reasons to reject Him. Jesus spoke the truth, regardless of whom it offended. He would not defer to the rich or powerful. And look at the people He hung around with! There were fishermen, zealots, tax collectors, womeneven slaves and foreigners, as time went on. He did His first miracle in a crowd of rowdy wedding guests, and told His great secretthat He was the Messiahto a Samaritan woman with a checkered past. And then He died on a shameful cross between two thieves. No wonder the religious leaders rejected Him. But then there's us. What will we do with Jesus? That's the question that every human being has to face. Will you reject Himbecause He is unattractive or out of fashion or apt to get you into trouble with your friends or family? Will you turn away because He is "common," and His followers tend to be the uneducated and poor? Does His death put you off, or the sacrifice that every Christian believer must learn to live within their own lives, taking up their crosses and following Him? Does that put you off? Or will He be your cornerstone? As Peter quotes God, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame" (1 Peter 2:6). God has raised Jesus from the dead and made Him the cornerstone of the church, and ultimately of the whole human race. He has told us that Jesus is His Son, one with the Father, and that everyone who trusts in Him will live forever. So, what do you think of Him? THE PRAYER: Dear Father, build me, too, upon Your Son, the Cornerstone. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. What is the best-built building that you know? Why? 2. What is the worst-built building you know? Why? 3. How has Christ functioned as a cornerstone for your own life?

Here's the link to tonight's "Quest" course from Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton in which Pastor Astley and family are being interviewed: https://youtu.be/EQNBn6iKNrw

Here is the video from Bible study at COS this morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Ee6XIu9O8 We were discussing chapter 3 of CS Lewis' book The Screwtape Letters.

"A Tool or a Son?" Isaiah 45:1a, 2-6a - Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him ... I will g...o before you and level the exalted places, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut through the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the LORD, the God of Israel, who call you by your name. For the sake of My servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides Me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know Me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me. Isaiah 45 is a prophecy about Cyrus, king of Persiathe king who would one day allow the God's people to return home from exile to their own country. You remember the storyhow the Israelites did evil and worshipped other gods, year after year, century after century, until God's patience ended and He sent them into exile in a foreign country. They spent 70 years there grievingmissing home, missing even their Godas one singer wrote, "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?" (Psalm 137:4) But God would not leave them there forever. And so He spoke to Isaiah ahead of time, telling them about a king who would let them go home againa man named Cyrus of Persia. Now Cyrus was not a believer. God makes this clear when He says, "For the sake of My servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know Me." God chose Cyrus to be a tool, to do a jobto send God's people home and to support the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Did Cyrus ever become a believer? We don't know. Yes, he claimed that God had blessed him and given him the job of rebuilding the temple. But then, that was quite a common thing for kings and emperors to doa public relations stunt, a way of getting on the good side of the local people and the local gods, if they existed. Cyrus may have done exactly the same thing for a dozen other places he ruled. From our point of view, it doesn't matter. God used Cyrus as a tool, and the result was a blessing for God's people. But from Cyrus' point of view, it definitely mattered. Because God can use people in two different ways, either as tools or as children. And we all know what happens to tools. They get used and put away, lent out, lost, passed on to othersbut eventually every tool wears out. Tools are good, but they are not forever. But childrenah, there's the difference. When God uses His child to do something, the action grows right out of the love between Father and child. Children are not disposable. Children are forever. We see this best in our Lord Jesus Christ, used by His Father to rescue the entire world. He willingly chose to suffer and die for our sake, and to rise from the dead, three days later. He was not a mere tool. He knew exactly what His Father wanted, and He did it with all His heart. Jesus is a child, the Son of God. And you, too, are a childif you trust in Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living in you. THE PRAYER: Lord, make me Your child and not just Your tool. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. What are your favorite tools? 2. If you have children, how have you used them in the past? 3. How is God using you in your life right now?

"Eggs in a Basket" Philippians 3:4-14 - Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the ...flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the Law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faiththat I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The older I get, the more I realize just how much I am betting on Jesus. To use the old proverb, I am putting all my eggs in His basketand I'm starting to see just how important that is. The stakes are getting higher. Oh, I loved and trusted Jesus when I was younger, too; but now I am starting to see friends and family die, some of them younger than myself. I am becoming more and more disabled myself. I am watching my son grow up and move out into a world that seems more and more dangerous. As things become darker, it's clear that where I put my trust is important. Which basket will protect these precious eggs of mine? Paul had a lot of baskets to choose fromhis ancestry among the "chosen people" of God; his religious zeal; his top-level education; his clean conscience. And Paul could have done what a lot of us doput one or two eggs in each basket, just to minimize the loss if one basket happens to drop. But he didn't. He put all his eggs in Jesus' baskethe bet everything on Jesushe leaned all his weight on Jesus, holding nothing back, and trusted Jesus not to let him fall. That's the sign either of an idiot or of a very, very confident believer. You, too, may have many baskets to choose from. Do you have wealth? That's a basket. What about exercise and healthy eating? That's another. Then there are things like friends and family, education, good government, hard work, and savingsbaskets, baskets, baskets! Against all of these, Paul urges us to put our eggs in Jesus' basket. Not that the other things aren't goodbut they aren't eternal, everlasting, utterly trustworthy. Only Jesus is that. Only Jesus loves you enough to lay down His own life for youto hang on a cross for youto rise from the dead for you, and promise to share His everlasting life with you. Only Jesus will see you through whatever comes, no matter how deep the darkness, no matter how strong the storm. Because He is your Savior. THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me cling to Youall my eggs in Your basketbecause You are holding on to me in love. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. What "baskets" do you have to choose from? 2. Where are you most tempted to place your trust? 3. How can you tell what you're really trusting in?

"Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower" "O keep me watchful, then, and humble; Permit me nevermore to stray. Uphold me when my feet would stumble, And keep me... on the narrow way. Fill all my nature with Thy light, O Radiance strong and bright! "Thee will I love, my crown of gladness; Thee will I love, my God and Lord, Amid the darkest depths of sadness, And not for hope of high reward, For Thine own sake, O Light divine, So long as life is mine." "Thee will I love, O Light divine, so long as life is mine." Our hymn proclaims our life-long love for the Lord, yet we cannot sustain, or even begin, such devotion by our own efforts. The way that leads to eternal destruction is wide and easy, Jesus said, but "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life" (Matthew 7:14a). Like hikers making their way along a cliff-side path, we try to keep ourselves in the narrow way, but we often fall to temptation and slip and stumble. We want to follow Jesus, but every day, in our thoughts, words, and actions, we stray from His path. The prophet Isaiah foretold a day when God's people would see their Teacher with their own eyes. He would no longer hide Himself from their sight, and they would hear Him, too. Isaiah said, "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left" (Isaiah 30:21). The Holy Spirit, at work in the Word of Jesus our Teacher, guides us in Jesus' stepssteps that during His earthly ministry did not turn right or left from His appointed path. As His work on earth drew to a close, Jesus "set His face" to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51b). Betrayed and condemned to die, Jesus kept His feet on the narrow way through the streets of Jerusalem. He stumbled beneath the burden of the cross and the terrible weight of the world's sin. He carried our sins, our every weak, stumbling and straying step, in His own body to the cross and suffered the penalty of death that we deserved. His body was placed in a tomb, but on the first Easter morning, the sorrowing steps of a group of women led to His empty tomb. Jesus had risen from the dead! In Baptism we are united to Jesus' death and resurrection, and our feet are placed on the path of eternal life. We do not walk the narrow way "for hope of high reward." That reward is already ours, guaranteed as our inheritance by God's grace through faith in Jesus. We walk in His way even "amid the darkest depths of sadness," when we cannot clearly see the path at our feet. For His sake and for His glory, we follow Jesus. He upholds us and keeps us "on the narrow way" as we hear His guiding Word, "This is the way, walk in it." THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, when we stumble in sin, forgive us and uphold us. Keep us on the narrow way that leads to eternal life. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower," which is found on page 694 of the Lutheran Service Book. Reflection Questions: 1. How does God lift you up when you are stumbling or about to fall? 2. How did Jesus find the strength to press on when He was heading to the cross? 3. How have you grown through the dark or sad times in your life?

"The True Vine" Psalm 80:14-15, 17-18 - Turn again, O God of hosts! Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that Your right hand pl...anted, and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself .... But let Your hand be on the man of Your right hand, the son of man whom You have made strong for Yourself! Then we shall not turn back from You; give us life, and we will call upon Your Name! The psalmist writes, "You brought a vine out of Egypt; You drove out the nations and planted it" (Psalm 80:8). God set His people free from slavery in Egypt and planted them, His chosen vine, in the Promised Land. This vine of Israel was the son God called out of Egypt (see Hosea 11:1). God planted them to be a people made strong to worship and serve Him, to be a light for the nations. Yet the vine became rebellious and turned away from the Lord who had saved them, refusing to produce the fruit of faith that God sought from His vineyard. The Lord allowed His vineyard to be overrun by enemies, its walls torn down. The psalmist is pleading with God to have mercy on the suffering vine of Israel: "Have regard for this vine, the stock that Your right hand planted, and for the son whom You made strong for Yourself." In speaking of the vine of Israel planted so long ago, our psalm foretells another vine planted on earth. This descendant of the vine of Israel is the Son of God, made strong for God's own purpose. Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, said of Himself, "I am the true Vine" (John 15:1a). This true Vine, this Son, would become the Man of God's right hand, but before Jesus was exalted to that high position, the true Vine had to die in order to give life to its branches. As the vineyard of Israel was once broken and trampled, Jesus, the Son of Man, was put to death at the hands of His enemies. The Son made strong was beaten and mocked and nailed to a cross. But even then the Son was strong enough to bear the weight of the world's sin, strong enough to suffer in helpless weakness, enduring the penalty of death that we deserved. But God had regard for this Vine, the obedient, perfect Son He had made strong for Himself. The true Vine was raised to life on the first Easter morning, and after 40 days the risen Son ascended in triumph, exalted to reign at God's right hand. Jesus, the exalted Son of Man, the true Vine, rose from death to give us life, both now and forever. In Baptism, we are united to Him, buried and raised with Him. Through faith in His Name, we bear the fruit of love and good works, bringing glory to the Father and demonstrating to the world that we are disciples of Jesus, branches of the true Vine. THE PRAYER: Lord God, look on us with mercy and forgive our sins. As branches of Jesus, the true Vine, help us to grow strong in faith and active in love. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Reflection Questions: 1. Why does the Old Testament refer to ancient Israel as a vine? Does using illustrations of vine, vineyard, and fruit create helpful word-pictures for you? 2. How would Israel remain strong with God's hand upon them? 3. Is there someone in your life who has strengthened you by his or her steady presence, someone aside from your wife or husband?

"All We'll Ever Need" Luke 12:15 - And He (Jesus) said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in th...e abundance of his possessions." Jesus had a huge heart for people in need, but He did not confuse human need with human greed. Never did He imagine that something becomes a true necessity just because some people say so. For instance, how many phones, tablets, apps, pairs of shoes, or changes of clothing does it take to meet life's bare necessities, and without which you cannot live comfortably? The answer to that question will tell us a lot about ourselves. To be sure, there are many among us who do without life's bare necessities, and this is a tragedy in any society. For them living is a constant struggle of never having enough, of just getting by. Yet, while those who have little often dream of the material goods that seem beyond their reach, they too need to be on guard "against all covetousness." John the apostle tells us that Jesus Christ knew what was in man and was totally aware of what life is all about. Indeed, in Him was life and that life was-and is-the light of men (see John 1:1-4). As the Son of God, our Lord respected the creation, the material creation of God. He used material things wherever it suited Him. His love, however, was for people. Out of love for people, and in spite of their willful transgression against the will of His Father and their rebellious refusal to live as His sons and daughters, He willingly became a Man. He gave His life that all men everywhere might be forgiven every sin they've committedthat they might enjoy life to the full againregardless of their state of material possession. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with working hard and making money in the employment of the gifts God has given you. But don't set your heart on the things your money can buy. Instead, with everything that is in you, work hard at being the man or woman, the boy or girl, God wants you to be. That's real life, depending in no way on the number of your possessions. Pray hard, too, that God will make you the man or woman, the boy or girl, who earnestly desires the fruits of His righteousness. That's real life, depending in no way on the number of your possessions. This is the life Jesus wants us to knowone that draws its strength and contentment from Him. By faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior, know that you have everything you need. As the apostle Paul writes, "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:12-13). THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us everything we need: Jesus. In His Name. Amen. From "Everything Is So Expensive," a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Oswald Hoffmann, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour Reflection Questions: 1. What would you say is the difference between a necessity and luxury? 2. How can we resist the urge to keep filling our lives with material things? 3. There are many things that take our attention off God. How do you maintain focus?

"A Worthwhile Faith" John 14:6-7 - Jesus said to him, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me..., you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him." During the building of the Golden Gate Bridge over San Francisco Bay, construction fell badly behind schedule because several workers had accidentally fallen from the scaffolding to their deaths. Engineers and administrators could find no solution to the costly delays. Finally someone suggested a gigantic net be hung under the bridge to catch any who fell. Finally, in spite of the enormous cost, the engineers opted for the net. After it was installed, progress was hardly interrupted. A worker or two fell into the net but all were saved. Ultimately, the time lost to fear was regained by replacing fear with faith in the net. When it comes to faith, it doesn't matter how strong your faith is. It doesn't matter how intensely or passionately you believe in something; rather, the power of faith is the object. It's whether that person or thing in which you place your faith is worthy of faith, is capable of delivering on that faith, whether it has the capacity to hold on to you when your grip is about to perilously slip. On that Golden Gate Bridge, many very talented people did the very best to not fall, but fall they did. But when they fell into a net that could hold themthat could break their fall and even protect themit changed the way they worked. They now worked by faith, not fear. So, let me say it about as clearly as I can say it. When it comes to life and salvation, truth and wisdom, there is no object of faith that can match Jesus Christ. And if you are seeking to know God, His blessing, His protection, His gracethere is only one way to be certain of that. Ready? Look to Jesus and Him alone. That's a pretty bold statement, isn't it? But before trying to challenge it, or deny it, or setting that claim aside, please take a good, hard look at Jesus in the Bible. Listen to what He says of Himself today. He says He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one else is that for you. Please read the book of John for a clearer picture of Him; it's less than 50 pages long. That's it! You could come to grips with Jesus today. I guarantee you will not find anyone like Him. There may be other religious teachers, philosophers, leaders, gurus, but there is no Savior like Jesus. You can work on that bridge of life yourself, or you can put your faith in the safety net of Jesus, the power of the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus, and then live life now in the fearlessness of knowing Him as Savior. To that end, God bless you. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your willingness to be my Savior, to come into this life to give me Your eternal life as a gift of the cross and resurrection. Give me a fearlessness then to live life boldly now for others because of the power of faith that rests in You. Amen. From "Jesus Christ: a Savior Worthy of Faith!" a devotion from Rev. Dr. Gregory Seltz, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour Reflection Questions: 1. Do you admire feats of engineering? Do you have a favorite? 2. What did Jesus mean when He said that because someone had seen Him they had seen the Father? 3. What reservations do you have in trusting your life to Jesusnow and eternally?

"The Lord Is at Hand" Philippians 4:4-9 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at ha...nd; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in mepractice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Paul writes, "The Lord is at hand." I used to imagine what it would be like to have Jesus at hand as the disciples did, so obviously there to be seen and heard and touched. It seemed to me it would be hard to be afraid; after all, there He is, with all His power and compassion and wisdom. What if I got sick? I could ask Him for healing. What if I died? No matter, it would be temporary. As soon as Jesus had a moment, He could reach over and raise me from the dead, no problem! It felt like freedom, to have Jesus close at hand. And Paul reminds us that we are actually in that situation every day, right now. True, we don't have the advantage of being able to see Him or hear His voice with our ears, but the Lord is at hand, right now, no matter what is happening. Therefore Paul says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." It's a good thing to practice. I know that for me, it really makes a difference when I remember to hand over the things I worry about to Jesus as soon as they come to mind. Kind of like saying, "Here, Lord, would you please deal with this? Because I just can't." He knows that I can't, and He is ready to take those things and give me help and peace. This is not an easy thing to write, or to do, in this time of pandemic. I am shut up at home right now as I write this, and I'm getting extra practice on taking my anxiety to the Lord. May the Lord bless you in your time of trouble, and make you strong in His love. He who suffered and died for you, who rose from the dead to give you life eternalHe will never leave you, and He will never forsake you. God keep you all. THE PRAYER: Lord, when I am anxious, help me to depend on You. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. When you worry, what kinds of things do you do for comfort? 2. If you could see Jesus visibly right now, what would you ask Him? 3. How can you form a habit of taking your anxieties to the Lord in prayer?

"What Are You Eating?" Isaiah 25:6-9 - On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples, a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich fo...od full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation." Isaiah describes a wonderful feast God is making for the people of God: rich food, good wine, everything of the best. It's the same thing Jesus describes in so many of His parablesa wedding banquet hosted by a king for many guests. Of course, the king represents God, and the guests are everyone who trust in Him. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be there, says Jesus (Matthew 8:11b). And in Revelation God says, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9b). This is a wonderful picture of what it will be like when Jesus returns, and we are with Him forever. But if you read the text again, you can see that God is having something different for dinner. It says, "And He will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever" (Isaiah 25:7-8). What is this? It sounds like some sort of shroud, some deathly grave coveringnot something anybody would want to swallow! But God is going to do it. He is going to get rid of it foreverwhere? On the mountain, on the hill we call Golgotha. It was on the cross that Jesus willingly "ate death" for all mankindso that we could eat at the table of God in His kingdom. He took death and sin into Himself, so intimately that they could not escape Him; and then He died and took them out of the world. Then Jesus rose from the dead, leaving them behind, breaking their power. Now all of us will "eat life" at the table of Godboth now, at Communion, and later, at the wonderful feast in God's kingdom. Jesus gives us this life. He tells us, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh" (John 6:51). THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You for swallowing up death for us. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. What is the food you like the most? The least? 2. Have you ever eaten something just to get rid of it? What was that like? 3. What are you looking forward to in God's kingdom?

"In Pain Comes Blessing" Acts 14:21-22 - They returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to co...ntinue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. Pain makes us hurt and cry; it makes us sad, exhausts us, and can anger us. No one wants pain, but we cannot escape it. It's part of the sinful human tragedy we're all are born into. I must confess I too have pains in my life. I am pained by family, health, and finances. I have noticed when I am in pain, I often go to God and sometimes hear myself challenging Him: "Why did You give this particular pain to me? Are You there when I am in pain? Are You happy to see I am in pain?" I'm not proud to ask these questions. I'm not pleased when I don't understand what the Lord is trying to convey. Sadly, too, when I'm in pain, I never want to blame myself. Instead, I want to place the blame for the problems on others. At least that's the way it used to be. Then, one day, I read an article about a girl born without the capacity to feel pain. She didn't know how certain things could be bad or dangerous for her. Without pain, it was easy for her to cut her hands. Without pain, she hardly noticed when boiling water scalded her body. Incidents like these left her scarred and contemplating suicide. At the end of the article, the author concluded that pain is a "friend" of sortslike a wake-up call to warn us. Through pain we learn what is good and bad for us. Spiritually, the same is true. Without pain, we can't really know what is eternally dangerous to us. To help us grow and learn, God may allow pains or discomforts to come. It's His way of shielding us from something that could be far worse. There's one other thing which must be said: God never leaves us alone in this pain. He is always with us, making sure that pain is constructive and not overwhelming. In this way, He teaches us and gives us those blessings that come from a faith that leans on Him. The apostle Paul knew this well. "... a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). May we all have a faith that trusts in God through the difficult and painful times of our lives. THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, grant me faith to trust in Your caring ways in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Myo Aundra Maw, a member of LHM's field staff in Myanmar. Reflection Questions: 1. Do you deal with any sort of chronic pain in your life? How do you manage it? 2. When you hear of possible trials or tribulations coming your way, do you typically lean on God more, or less? 3. How might a discomfort or problem help draw us closer to God?

"The Third Son" Matthew 21:28-32 - (Jesus said) "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard tod...ay.' And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him." My husband often says that he was a very bad boy when he was a child in Vietnam. He was the youngest son of a pastor, and when his father would start preaching, he would sneak out the church door to go play. He knew his father wouldn't be able to chase him down until church was over! We laugh about this story because all these years later, my husband is now a pastor like his father, and he can't sneak away anymore. It looks like God finally found a way to keep him in church! Jesus tells a story about two sons who also resisted their father when he wanted them to do something. But they did it in different ways. The first son said all the wrong thingshe was rude and defiant to his father's face. But then he did the right thinghe obeyed his father and went to work. The second son reversed this. He said all the right things"Sure, Dad, I'll be happy to go"but then he did the wrong thinghe stayed at home and didn't go. Then Jesus offered His hearers the choice: Which son was actually obedient? Which, in the end, did what his father wanted? Just imagine the look on the faces of Jesus' hearers. I bet they didn't want either son! Both were bad. But since they had to make a choice, they settled on the one that did the right thing in the end. Better a smart-mouth son who finally obeys than a smooth talker who never follows through! And that's the kind of choice God faces with us, isn't it? Some of us snarl and complain, but do His will in the end. Others of us say all the right things, but do our will in the end. What a choice! I think God needs another son to choose from. And that is what God has, doesn't He? God the Father has Jesusthe Son who both says the right things and does the right things. When God sent Him into the world to be born as our Savior, Jesus didn't give Him any backtalk. He was completely on board with the Father's plan to save us. And He followed throughpreaching, teaching, healing, caring, and finally suffering and dying on a cross outside Jerusalem. Jesus did His Father's will wholeheartedly. And what was the result? Jesus saved all of us! Through His death He brought us forgiveness for all our backtalk and snarliness and disobedience. Through His resurrection He gave us eternal life and adoption as children of Godchildren filled with the Holy Spirit, so now we actually want to do our Father's will. God's "third Son" is transforming all of us. Thanks be to God! THE PRAYER: Father, thank You for Jesus, who has made us Your children. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. When you were a child and were asked to do a job you didn't want to do, how did you respond? 2. When God asks you to do something and you don't want to, what usually happens next? 3. Is it easier or harder for you to obey God now than when you were a child?

"Green Pastures" Psalm 23:1-2 - The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. "I shall not... want," our psalm proclaims. "I will lack nothing; I will have everything I need." That bold statement expresses our confidence in the Shepherd who cares for us. Still, that confidence we claim can fail very easily. In the face of trouble and need, we grow concerned. Just how far can we stretch our finances? We worry about paying bills, buying groceries, providing clothing for our families. Even if we are not concerned about those necessary things, the temptations of the world around us, the ever-hungry consumer culture in which we live, and our own selfish desires lead us to want quite a bit. We wantand think we needmore "stuff." We wish we had more money to buy more material possessions. We need much and want more. When we become anxious about things we want and need, our Good Shepherd gently reminds us that we are not the only creatures in His green pastures. The Shepherd directs our attention to the birds and the lilies that share our pasture. Birds do not grow crops or worry about storing up food, yet God feeds them. Lilies don't weave cloth or even shop in department stores, yet the flowers' brilliant colors outshine even the rich, royal robes of King Solomon. God clothes the green pastures in bright grass that is alive one day and cut down and burned the next. God knows our needs (see Matthew 6:25-33). If He provides for the birds and grass and lilies, how much more will He care for the sheep for whom the Shepherd died? God knew out greatest need. We were lost and wandering sheep, unable to save ourselves, unable to find the safety and comfort of His green pastures. God the Son was born among us to be our Shepherd and our Savior. The Shepherd came to be the perfect Lamb of sacrifice, to offer up His life for the sins of every lost sheep. On the first Easter morning, God "brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep" (Hebrews 13:20). Our sins are forgiven, and we have been brought by faith into the Shepherd's fold. He continues to seek and to save lost sheep and, rejoicing, brings them home to His green pastures and still waters. He satisfies our every need. For if God gave us His Son, "how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:32b) Anxious sheep would do well to pay attention to where they are and to whom they belong, and to stop seeking those imaginary, greener pastures. If we are to be concerned about something, the Shepherd reminds us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. The Shepherd's precious sheep need only concern themselves with the green pastures provided for them and the paths of righteousness in which their Shepherd leads them. The Shepherd will take care of the rest. THE PRAYER: Jesus, my Shepherd, teach me to be content in Your care. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Reflection Questions: 1. Are you anxious about your life and the future? 2. Does God still lead us to green pastures, to comfort us? What might that look like in our everyday life? 3. When have you longed for a green pasture that was imaginary, or less than you expected?

This morning's sermon is here: https://youtu.be/9lhf28psqo4

"You Don't Have To" Philippians 2:1-11 - So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and s...ympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Some years ago there was a really bad fight in my home congregation, and a couple of people were spreading horrible lies about me and my husband. And people started calling us and telling us to fight back. "Get your story out there!" they said. "Fight back. Tell everybody about all the bad things X and Y have done, all the secret stuff you know about them. Write letters. Make phone calls. Plan strategies. Don't let them have the last word." Normally, we would have done exactly that. But not this time. After praying, we were convinced that God wanted us to follow Jesus' example during His suffering, instead. And so we stood still and let God deal with it. Do you know what a relief that was? It still hurt, yes. And of course we told the truth when we were asked. But it was lovely not having to manage our own defensenot staying up late worryingnot calculating the effects of every word we said. We didn't have to. Our enemies were grasping for power, for popularity, to make a name for themselves. We knew that we already had a name they could never take away from uschildren of God, dearly beloved through Jesus our Savior. We didn't have to defend that. God has already done it. The same is true for you. You don't need to win every argumentto come out on top in every battleto be seen victorious in every struggle. If you choose, you can tell the truth and walk away. You can leave your defense, and your future, in the hands of God, just as Jesus did. That might mean vindication, or it might mean more suffering. No matter. The things that really matter are the things that no one can take away from youthe gifts that God holds safe in His hands. Because Jesus suffered and laid down His life for you, you matter. You are loved and forgiven. God knows your name, and He will never abandon you. He treasures you. Because Jesus rose from the dead, you will live forever. You may suffer, but you cannot be permanently destroyed. You may lose so muchfamily, position, reputation, even life itselfbut you will not lose God, and He will not lose you. You are His forever. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to trust You when I am afraid. Give me Your peace. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. Do you know anybody who has to have the last word in every argument? 2. What does that attitude do to their sense of peace, do you think? 3. When have you rested and trusted God to take care of a bad situation?

"Made Holy by God" Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32 - The Word of the LORD came to me: "What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, 'The fath...ers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. ... "Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is My way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' O house of Israel, are My ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live." Ancient Israel's prophets had their hands full. If Israel wasn't chasing after false gods and practicing paganism, it was finding other ways to rationalize away its profuse sins. In this case, Israel was blaming its ongoing sinfulness on the transgressions of its ancestors. "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." Trotting out this old, worn proverb, Israel wanted to get off the hook of God's punishmentone that was bearing down on them via the scourge of Babylon. Their wordplay was also an attempt to shirk God's call to be holy. Nothing doing. Israel's marching orders were crystal clear from the days of Moses. "You shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be Mine" (Leviticus 20:26). It was the same in New Testament times. Peter writes, "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:14-16). But how can we be holy? How can we be sinless before God? Well, we can't ... on our own. But there is One who has gone before us, shedding His blood, giving His life for the world, and then in Easter victory, rising from the grave to conquer sin, death, and the devil, forevermore. His Name is Jesus. In Him there is holiness of life for all who trust their lives to Him in faith (see John 3:16). THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, make our lives holy through the gift of faith in Your Son Jesus. In His Name we pray. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Reflection Questions: 1. What are some things your ancestors have passed down to you? 2. Have you heard the proverb Ezekiel refers to before? What does it mean to you? 3. Do you feel you're received any negative traits from your parents or grandparents? Have you had to work in life to undo certain perspectives or habit patterns?

"Grappling with Temptation" Genesis 4:7 - (The Lord said) "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It...s desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it." Here God speaks powerfully to Adam and Eve's oldest son, Cain. These words are especially relevant for those who seek to live free of sin and the fear of death. And todayjust like Cain, the devil is crouching at our door, using whatever snare possible to destroy us eternally! In Scripture God gives additional warnings concerning sin and the devil's intent. In Proverbs we read, "My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent" (Proverbs 1:10), and "Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil" (Proverbs 4:14). The apostle Paul tells us to "give no opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27). He also writes, "Put on the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). One man who had a clear awareness of the devil was the reformer Martin Luther. He also knew the only truly effective weapon against the power of evil is God's living and life-giving Word. In the preface to his Large Catechism, Martin Luther writes, "Nothing is so effectual against the devil, the world, and the flesh, and all evil thoughts than when one occupies one's self with the Word of God." "For this reason alone," Luther writes, "you should eagerly read, recite, ponder, and practice the Catechism, even if the only blessings and benefit you obtain from it is to drive away the devil and evil thoughts. For the devil cannot bear to hear God's Word." Long before Luther, Paul spoke of the might of God's Word for all people: "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek," (Romans 1:16). As you abide in God's living Word, there is power to combat the devil and your sinful appetites. While you will experience temptations in life, you can overcome these impulses. With Jesus Christ living in you, by God's gift of faith, the devil can no longer control you. In every generation God has always protected His children, and He does the same today. O friends, let God be the gatekeeper of your heart. Let His Word greet you in the morning and close out your day. God is your Stronghold in the battle against sin, and the sure Cornerstone on which you stand. In your struggle against the devil and the world, He is always there for you. Paul writes, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 1:13). Jesus' resurrection victory over Satan is power sufficient for anything we face, including our worst sins and temptations. Go to Him for strength in the fight. THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, keep us in Your Word, always. In Jesus' Name. Amen. Taken from "The Devil's Latest Snare," a sermon by Dr. Wallace Schulz, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour Reflection Questions: 1. How do you steer clear of problem areas in your life? Any strategies to share? 2. Does the phrase of sin "crouching at the door" seem real to you? If not, how else might you describe such a thing? 3. Do you use Luther's Large Catechism or some other Bible aid to help with your spiritual life?

"Waiting" Psalm 25:4-6 - Make me to know Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; for yo...u I wait all the day long. Remember Your mercy, O LORD, and Your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. We are used to waiting. Sometimes we may enjoy waiting if the wait is for something good. At other times, waiting is tedious and perhaps worrisome, but that doesn't change the fact we have to wait-for an anticipated vacation or visitor, for appointments, in line at a store, or through anxious hours at a hospital bedside. Although we are accustomed to waiting, we may be somewhat less patient when it comes to waiting for the Lord. We expect answers and action right now, forgetting that God's timeline and ours may not be the same. The psalms speak of our need to wait. "Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" (Psalm 27:14). "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7a). The psalms also remind us of the Lord's timing in comparison to our own: "For a thousand years in Your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4). Our psalm for today expresses the longing we may feel as we expect God to act: "For you I wait all day long." God's people have always waited. God promised to send His Anointed One, the Messiah. He called Abraham to be the father of the nation into which the Messiah would be born. But even Abraham had to wait in faith, "not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar" (Hebrews 11:13b). Many generations later, the promise was fulfilled, and the Messiah was born in Bethlehem. During His earthly ministry, Jesus the Messiah waited, too. The Gospel of John repeatedly reports, "His hour had not yet come" (John 7:30b). Finally, the hour came. God's promises "from of old" were fulfilled. Jesus was crucified, offered up as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. His body was taken down and buried in a borrowed tomb. Not yet understanding Jesus' promise to rise, the disciples hid in fear, waiting to be arrested and killed as their Lord had been. But theirs was a short wait, just three days, for on the third day, the first Easter morning, Jesus rose from the dead as He had promised. With Him rose the sure and certain promise of our resurrection to life on the Last Day. As we wait for Jesus' return and the day of our resurrection, we learn His ways and will in the truths of His Word. He leads us by the Holy Spirit to walk in His paths. We know that we can trust in His mercy and His steadfast love that "have been from of old." We eagerly wait for our Savior "all the day long," and while we wait, we pray, "Come, Lord Jesus!" THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, comfort us with Your Word in all circumstances of anxious waiting. Fill us with hope and the certain knowledge that You always keep Your promises. Come quickly, Lord! Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Reflection Questions: 1. Do you rely on the advice or wisdom of others, or do you prefer your own experience as a guide, in most cases? 2. What's one path that God might have for us to learn and follow? 3. How good are you with waiting for something to happen? What makes you most impatient in life?

"Keeping Jesus Front and Center" 1 Corinthians 3:7 - So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. When some people... do a thing well, they often expect praise or recognition for their deed. Truth be told, some people are often entirely preoccupied in their desire for praise for the good things they have done. Sadly, this all-too-human tendency sometimes manages to creep into the church. You may have met individualseither clergy and laitywhose itch for public praise draws people's attention away from God, and directs it to themselves. Now, it occurs to me that if ever there was someone who deserved a palm-branch parade for the work he did, it was the apostle Paul. He was a tireless worker for the Gospel's cause, but rather than receive the praise rightfully due his efforts, he was vilified, bound in chains, thrown in prison, and even placed at death's doorseveral times. Yet, in spite of all of this, Paul maintained that Christ should be the center of everything. He does not minimize or discount the work done by himself or others on their missionary journeys, especially at Corinth, but he does point out that they are all merely servantstable workerswhom God has used to carry His message of salvation to the world. Likewise, those of us who are workers in Christ's churchclergy and laitydon't serve God for our own glory. We don't seek our own glory because to do this we draw attention to ourselves and take honor away from the One to whom it is rightfully due: our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This kind of attitude was what Paul confronted in the church at Corinth. There were believers there who were not living with a Christ-first-and-before-all-things mindset. Instead, some were acting like childrencompeting with each other, seeking their own way, acting immaturely. Paul writes, "For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?" (1 Corinthians 3:3) As part of his ministerial duties, Paul took time to address and warn Corinthian Christians about placing emphasis on the human worker and not on their divine Creator, Savior, and Sanctifier. It is God all the way. He provides the nourishment and growth. There is no room for our egos and foolish pride. These are words we do well to heed. After all, we are the recipients of God's great grace as shown to us in Jesus' life, His suffering, and the cruel cross of Calvary. It is through His sacrifice we are saved, and it is to the Lord that all glory is due. THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, keep us steadfast in Your Wordmindful to live as those before Your throne, as humble servants before an awesome God. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Elias Thejoane, an LHM prison ministry volunteer in Africa. Reflection Questions: 1. What's your response, typically, to people who seek the attention or applause of others? 2. How do you react to people who should be more mature than they are based on their age and experience? 3. Is there a way to do our work and avoid being "too full of ourselves" when we work hard and accomplish things?

"For Our Best" Hebrews 12:5-7, 11 - And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord..., nor be weary when reproved by Him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? ... For the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. C. S. Lewis makes an interesting point about kindness. In his book The Problem of Pain, he observes that kindness is not demanding. Think about that. You might see a homeless man and give him five bucks. That was kind, but you didn't demand anything of him. Lewis points out that love is different than kindness. Love makes demands. If you showed love to that man, you'd stop and get involved. If he lost everything, you wouldn't give him $5, but would take him someplace to get back on his feet. If you smelled liquor on his breath, love would talk tough. "Drink yourself to death, or let's go to the detox center right now." Acts of random kindness are fine, but they are not demanding. Love is demanding. While God has given you many mercies, many demonstrations of kindness, the main thing for you to know about your God is that He is love (see 1 John 4:8). God has loved you from eternity. Before sin and Satan ruined God's perfect world, God loved you. Before we wandered into our caves of pain and suffering, God the Father decidedand His Son most willingly agreedto come into the world. The suffering and death of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins was determined before the creation of the universe. So great is the love of God for you! God the Father loves you as a parent loves their child, but parental love is also demanding. It's not content with the status quo. Do you keep your grown-up dependent at home when your child should be independent and out of the nest? No, love pushes the child to change, to grow into someone more mature, someone better. That's how our Father is with us in our pain and suffering. In this world, God stands with us in life, training us so you and I will grow to be the mature Christians His love envisions. Finally, remember this. The One who is with you in your pain and suffering, the One with scars on His hands and feet, knows how to get out of caves. That's what Jesus' resurrection is all about. Don't despair. If not today, if not tomorrow, there are better days coming. Jesus burst forth from the cave of His tomb and promises to lead you to a better tomorrow. As Psalm 42 says, "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation" (Psalm 42:5). THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, teach us by Your love to trust in You through all life's circumstances. Amen. From "O God, I Hurt!" a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Dale Meyer, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour Reflection Questions: 1. Were your parents strict on you growing up? 2. How might God discipline those whom He loves? Can you give an example? 3. If you raise children, how similar is your manner of discipline to your parents? Is that a good or bad thing?

"Joy, Not Envy" Matthew 20:1-16 - (Jesus said) "For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his... vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?' So the last will be first, and the first last." What a strange story! It's clear that the vineyard owner is in a hurry to get the harvest in. He is in such a hurry that he goes out looking for workers five times in a single day! The sun is hot, and the grapes won't wait. As the day grows shorter, he doesn't even stop to haggle about their wages. That will all be settled later. Finally it's quitting time. The owner must be in a very good mood, because he's made the decision: full wages for everybody, no matter how long they worked! The latecomers are ecstatic. They never hoped to have such a wonderful reward. But the first group, the ones from the morningah, they are angry. Why? Because suddenly the good wages aren't good enough for them anymore. They need one more thingto see the latecomers suffer by comparison. Unfortunately, this is an attitude that creeps in among Jesus' followers as well. We, too, are tempted to think we deserve to be "on top" in God's eyes for all our faithfulness. After all, we are cradle Christians, brought up in the faith! (Well, some of us were.) Surely, it's unfair of God to give the same great blessings of love and joy and forgiveness and salvation to those latecomersto people who "had their party time" and then repented at (say) age seventy? Against this foolishness, Jesus invites us: Come celebrate! You have the same great blessings, and God is overflowing with joy. There is enough love for everybodyenough grace, enough mercy, enough everything. Rejoice with your generous Master, and with your late-comer brothers and sisters. God's harvest is coming in! THE PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to rejoice when You bless others and when You bless me, too. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. Were you ever envious as a child? How did this affect your pleasure in the good things that belonged to you? 2. When have you really rejoiced in the good fortune of others? 3. What do you imagine the celebration in heaven will be like when all God's people are home?

"Coming Home" Isaiah 55:6-9 - "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his ...thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." When I was little and I got into trouble, the last thing I wanted to do was to go home. I knew what was waiting for metrouble and shouting and punishment. That was why I would do almost anything to put off the evil hourto avoid going home. It's a pretty normal response, right? We do evil, and then we run away from the place where we did it. We avoid the person we wronged, because we don't want to face up to them and their anger or disappointment. We drive a different way rather than pass the building where we got fired. We won't go "home," wherever that may be, because nothing good is waiting for us, and we know it. But that's what makes our Isaiah reading so strange. God says to us, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Have compassion on him?! Abundantly pardon?! What could God be thinking? That's not a normal homecoming. Could this really happen? But those are the words that the Holy Spirit says to us. And so we peek up and around from the places we are hiding, just a littlewondering if maybe, just maybe, God might mean it. Maybe, just maybe, He really won't yellwon't condemnwon't give us what we know we deserve. Maybe we can go home again, can return to the Lord, can find peace and joy and love againin spite of who we are and what we've done. Maybe God is serious about His offer. And we discover that He is. He wants us home again, wants His children forgiven and cleansed and happy and homewants this so much that He lay down His own life to make it possible. That is what Jesus was doing when He came into this world, looking for all the lost ones, all of us who did wrong and then ran away. He came to bring us home. And if the only way to make that happen involved suffering and death? He was willing to pay that price. He paid it for meand He paid it for you. God wants you home again. He wants you home forevernot as a child on probation until you do the next bad thing and run off again. He wants you home foreveralways with Him, always being forgiven, always being changed, bit by bit, into the image of God's own Son Jesus. And so God calls you to Him: "Come home. Return to the LORD, that I may have compassion on you, and to your God, for I will abundantly pardon." That is what is waiting for us. Let's listen to Jesus, put our hand in His, and go home. THE PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to live with You forever as Your forgiven child. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. When you got into trouble as a child, were you afraid to go home? Why or why not? 2. When in your life did you expect judgment, but instead you found mercy and forgiveness? 3. How easy or difficult is it for you to trust in God's forgiveness?

A video of yesterday's sermon is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71yjUaEwuXY

"Hide and Seek" Psalm 27:8-9 - You have said, "Seek My face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." Hide not Your face from me. Turn not Your serv...ant away in anger, O You who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! It's probably more fun to hide than to seek in the childhood game of that name. When the call went out to choose the "seeker," players were quick to shout, "Not it!" The one who was "it" dutifully began counting while everyone else scrambled to find the best hiding places. In our psalm, there is only One who hides, and many who seek. God commands, "Seek My face," and people the world over have been doing that since Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden. God does provide evidence of His existence, clues so that He might be found, as the apostle Paul writes, "His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made" (Romans 1:20a). God's presence and power should be obvious, for as Paul says, "He is actually not far from each one of us" (Acts 17:27b). Still, people choose to worship and serve "the creature rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:25b), and look for God in all the wrong places. Many people choose to find false gods and worship created things, or to create their own personal religions. Yet God has said, "Seek My face." He wants to be found. God revealed Himself in creation, in mighty acts of power, and in His Word. He revealed Himself to the patriarchs and prophets. Yet there was more to be revealed. God Himself was coming to His people. "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2a). In Jesus Christ, "all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Colossians 1:19b). Hidden in human flesh in the Person of His Son, God stepped into the world as though to say, "Here I am! Seek My face!" God Himself was hidden and, by the Spirit's power revealed to eyes of faith, in a baby in a manger, in the suffering Victim on a cross, and in the risen and glorified Lord. God's Word reveals where He is to be found. We stand at the foot of the cross and look up to see JesusGod the Sonbearing the weight of our sin and shame, the guilt of our selfish search for gods of our own choosing. In the witness of the Word, we see the nail-scarred hands and feet of the risen Lord. In His Holy Supper, we receive Jesus' body and blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. For the sake of Jesus, God will never hide His face from us, or cast us off. The God of our salvation will not forsake us. We sought His face, but we did not find Him. He found us. THE PRAYER: Lord and Savior, when we were lost in sin, You came to seek and find us. Keep us strong in faith until we finally see You face to face. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. Reflection Questions: 1. What kinds of games did you like playing as a kid? 2. Does God hide His face from us today? If so, how? 3. Do you think about Jesus' death and resurrection very often? When are the times you're most likely to?

"...but even if this pandemic stays longer than we planned, the fire of the Lord will still fill the hearth and the home of every household that gathers around ...His Word and responds with faith-filled prayer. " Listen to Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler's sermon "Fireplace Spirituality" at lhm.org/lutheranhour or wherever you listen to podcasts!

"Give Your Fears to Him" Luke 8:22-25 - One day He (Jesus) got into a boat with His disciples, and He said to them, "Let us go across to the other side of the l...ake." So they set out, and as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we are perishing!" And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that He commands even winds and water, and they obey Him?" You know the story. It happened on the Sea of Galilee, that fascinating lake in northern Palestine, rich in associations from the life of Jesus. It was a treacherous little lake because often, sometimes without warning, the winds would sweep down through the rocky ravines of the surrounding hills and whip up the usually calm waters into a terrible storm. That's what happened to set the stage for our story. At the suggestion of the Master, the disciples were taking Him across the lake. Exhausted by His labors of preaching and relieving the afflicted, Christ was soon sleeping like a child. Not soon thereafter the tempest struck in unusual fury; the waters went high and low, and the boat went with them. The disciples were filled with fear, but let's not think they were easily frightened. These were stouthearted fellows, several of whom had been raised by the sea. This experience told them; however, they were in real danger. As they hastily trimmed the sails and manned the oars, they were no match for the forces of nature that were opposing them. They had reached the point we sometimes reach when a storm of life sweeps over us. Finally, in despair they turned to Christ, as we sometimes turn to God when everything else has failed. "Master, Master, we are perishing!" they cried out. "And He awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, 'Where is your faith?'" The same can often be said of us, too. It is well to note that we do not live all of our lives in a storm. Yet, for many, their fears reach far out into the future. In fact, some folks are booked up with worry for months in advance. But God wants us to live each day, one at a time. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). I don't know what the basis is for your fears. I do know that when you have penitently admitted to God the guilt in your life; when by faith you have accepted Christ as your personal Savior; when you have learned to love God above everything else; then you have no reason to fear the worst that life can pour over you. The world and all that is in it will inevitably pass. Yet in Christ you have strength and courage for life, heaven, and all eternity. May His strength be yours this day. THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, comfort us in our fears. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen. From "Where Is Your Faith?" a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Armin C. Oldsen, former Speaker of The Lutheran Hour Reflection Questions: 1. Have you experienced a very frightening event in your life? Care to share? 2. When Jesus asked the disciples, "Where is your faith?", what might have been their reaction? 3. When things are looking bad, how do you turn to God in faith?

"The Expanse of God's Love" Colossians 1:19-20 - For in Him (Jesus) all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all th...ings, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. Filmmakers really enjoy exploring the topic of the universe, with all its vastness, immensity, and unknown variables. Many movies have tried to show interstellar battles, wars between different galaxies, and the earth defending itself against alien invasions. This is the stuff of science fiction, and there have been hundreds of movies made with these storylines. Real science is different, however. Scientists are doing their best to extend their reach into the seemingly limitless expanse of the universe. Successful ventures have included landing men on the moon, the development of all manner of high-powered telescopes, and the operation of international manned space stations. But what about God? How can we bridge our distance to Him? Since God is a Spirit, there is no telescope that will ever allow us to see Him, and there is no microscope capable of identifying His fingerprints or blood type. And if that is not bad enough, our sin has separated us from our Creator. Indeed, the universe itself has been corrupted by sin. This leads us to askhow do we get close to God? Is it possible to cross the gulf between us? Thankfully, the Bible supplies an answer when it says that God reconciled all things on earth and heaven to Himself, "making peace by the blood of His (Jesus') cross." God is the Creator of all things. He is the Maker of distant galaxies and the grains of sand beneath our feet. He who created everything now wishes to restore everything. This He does through His Son, Jesus Christ. Only through the Savior can we be delivered from the power of darkness, can we be forgiven, can we be brought back to the family from which sin and Satan have stolen us. Now there is no question that when we compare ourselves with the universe, we are very small. We are only beginning to comprehend the immense depths of outer space, and the mysterious forces that work in that realm. In spite of the unknowns of space, we know the Lord is even greaterand He has made Himself known. He is the Creator of all things, the One who maintains harmony and order. He also sent His Son Jesus to become one of us, to give His life to rescue us from dark fear and uncertainty. The manger, the cross, and the empty tomb of Jesus are not science fiction: they are God the Father's reality. Through them He has canceled the distance between us. THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, Lord of the universe, thank You for rescuing us from sin, death, and Satan. In Jesus' Name. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Fernando Henrique Huf who serves with Lutheran Hour Ministries in Brazil. Reflection Questions: 1. What do you like best about sci-fi action movies? 2. How has God made peace with the universe through the blood shed on Jesus' cross? 3. When considered against the expanse of the universe, why do you think God would care about us, at all?

"A Real Debt" Matthew 18:21-35 - Then Peter came up and said to Him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?..." Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also My Heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." Over the years I've heard this parable so many times, and the one thing that usually gets emphasized is the huge difference between the size of the two debts. And the lesson we go away with is usually, "Look how much God forgives you. The sins that other people commit against you are tiny in comparison. So just forgive them, okay?" The problem with this lesson isn't that it's wrong. It's absolutely correct. And yet, it's just not that helpfulat least to me. Why? I think because what my neighbor did to me was so real and so hurtful to my eyesso costly in terms of pain and trouble. I can't say, "Oh, this is nothing, I'll just let it go. It doesn't matter to me." Because it does matter. Jesus recognizes this fact. In His parable, He mentions the amount the second servant owesa hundred denarii. That isn't fifty cents, or a couple of dollars. It's the equivalent of four months' wages for one of those servants. In modern terms, we're talking the cost of a decent used car. And if someone treats us badly on that level, it matterseven if our own sins against God are astronomically higher. So why bring this up? Because Jesus doesn't call us to pretend that our hurts and damage don't matterthey absolutely do. What He calls us to do is different. We need to face up to the pain and hurt that the other person's sin has cost usto tell the truth, to admit that it does matter, not to minimize itand then, with God's help, to forgive it anyway. That's real forgivenesscostly, difficult forgiveness. Who can do this? Only someone who has Jesus living inside themsomeone through whom Jesus Himself is acting. After all, when He forgave all our sin and debt to God, He knew exactly what it cost. It cost Him the cross. Jesus is the master of difficult forgiveness. And if we bring our hurts and griefs to Him, He can work miracles of forgiveness in our own lives and relationships. It may take time and a lot of pain. But He can heal usand show mercy to others through us. THE PRAYER: Lord, help me when I can't seem to forgive others. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo. Reflection Questions: 1. When did someone show mercy to you? 2. What is the difference between forgiving and ignoring or excusing? 3. Is there someone you are struggling to forgive? Ask the Lord for help.

"Extending God's Welcome" Romans 14:1-3, 8-12 - As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may e...at anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. ... For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God." So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. There's something really nitty-gritty and practical about the apostle Paul's message here. In his missionary travels, he met with people in all stations of life. He debated with scholars over the Christ, and he shared the Savior with everyday men and women he met along the way. While there were certainly differences of opinion and belief in those he spoke with, it seems likely he wasn't too concerned with sorting it all out before he told them about Jesus. "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). After all, those who differ from us in habit or custom are not excluded from God's love. We're all sinners; we're all in the same boatwhite collar, blue collar, no collara world full of sinners in desperate need of God's grace and mercy. Paul had this truth branded on his heart; it informed everything he did. "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:15). There is no room for judgment, no reason for despising others who, like us, are lost without God's grace. And so to those who are different than us, Paul announces: "God has welcomed him (and her)!" Jesus showed this in His breaking bread with sinnersto the displeasure of the Pharisees and scribes (see Luke 15:1-10). Jesus expressed God's all-embracing love to the Samaritan woman at the well, the Roman centurion's son, and in the story of the Jewish prodigal (see John 4; Luke 7:1-10; Luke 15:11-32). In truth, the external differences we see are cosmetic, superficial; yet they can be mighty barriers to God's work in our lives. We are blind to what God sees: the heart. And it's there where the Holy Spirit works, bringing us to faith in Jesus, enriching our lives with His presence, and inspiring us to tell others about the Saviorwith a hearty welcome to all! THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, teach us to look past people's differences and accept them as You have accepted us. In Jesus' Name. Amen. This Daily Devotion was written by Paul Schreiber. Reflection Questions: 1. What are some ways that God welcomes us? 2. Do you have an issue sometimes with people who express their faith in ways different than you? 3. Did people support and encourage you in your faith when you were younger or less mature in your faith?