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Lately, we’ve been living in a true Wisconsin spring. One day it’s sunny and warm, the next there’s snow. Then come the tornado warnings, followed by heavy downpours—and then, somehow, back to sunshine that makes you want to drop everything and just sit outside in it.   The ups and downs of the weather lately are wild. But it reminds me so much of life. One day, everything feels like it’s going your way—you’re smiling, feeling good, full of hope. The next day, it’s like a storm rolls in. Something unexpected hits, and just like that, your mood shifts, your stress rises, and life feels a whole lot harder. Life can feel just as uncertain and ever-changing as a Midwest spring. But here’s the good news: we’re not left alone to deal with it.   Matthew 6:34  says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”   As Jesus sat with people and taught them, He showed them a new way to live—one rooted in trust, not fear. He reminded them that God is not only aware of their struggles but deeply involved in their daily lives. This verse encourages us to focus on today. Not because tomorrow doesn’t matter, but because God already holds it. We don’t need to carry it all at once.   There’s something beautiful that happens after a surprise snowstorm in April: when the sun finally shines again, you appreciate it in a whole new way. You  feel  it. In the same way, the difficult days in life teach us to hold on to hope. They help us recognize and treasure the moments when God shows up with peace, comfort, or unexpected joy.   When it feels like the season is dragging on—when you’re tired, unsure, or wondering if anything good is coming—don’t lose heart.   Galatians 6:9  gives us this encouragement: “Let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap (receive, experience the results), if we do not give up.”   There is a harvest coming. There is sunshine ahead. And your faith—even when it feels small—is not wasted. God sees every step, every prayer, every act of trust. So today, take it one day at a time. Don’t let what may or may not happen tomorrow steal the peace God offers you today. Trust that He is with you now and already preparing what you’ll need next.   Prayer: God, thank You for being with me in every season—sunshine and storm. Help me not to worry about what’s coming next, but to trust You with today. When life feels shaky or unclear, remind me that You are steady. Teach me to hold on, to keep doing good, and to believe that in Your perfect time, You will bring the harvest. Amen.

Pressure shows up in everyday life — in school, work, family, friendships, and even in the quiet moments when we wonder if we’re doing enough or being enough. It can feel heavy like the weight of everything is resting on our shoulders. Sometimes, it’s loud and urgent. Other times, it sneaks in slowly and quietly, building up until we feel overwhelmed . But pressure doesn’t get the final word . Even in the middle of all that stress, there’s hope. God promises that we’re not alone. He sees us. He knows what we’re carrying. And He offers us something better than perfection— He offers us peace . When we bring our pressure to Him, He meets us with compassion, strength, and rest—one moment at a time. The Bible reminds us that “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions (kindness) never fail. They are new every morning; great is (God’s) faithfulness.”   (Lamentations 3:22–23) The Truth is that God provides exactly what is needed at just the right time. He does this over and over again. That’s what Lamentations 3:22–23 reminds us. God’s love never runs out. His compassion is new every single day. Even when life feels scary or uncertain, God is still there. He is still good. He is still faithful. You might not always know  how  things will work out, but you can trust who is working it out — a God who loves you and never fails. Mother Theresa served the poor most of her life, and she experienced this kind of faithfulness in her life. She was an incredible follower of God. She lives a life of trusting God so fully that even in the hardest of moments, she knew he would come through. In the early days of the Orphanage, Mother Theresa opened called “Missionaries of Charity,” Mother Teresa and her sisters had no food left. Their pantry was empty, and they had no money. The sisters came to her, worried about what they would eat that day. Mother Teresa simply replied, “God will provide. He has always been faithful.” They prayed together and went about their day as usual, caring for the poor. Within hours, a man unexpectedly arrived at their door with bags full of rice and other food. He explained that he had felt a sudden urge to bring them supplies that morning. Mother Teresa smiled and said to her sisters, “You see? God is faithful. He provides at the moment we need it — not before, not after.” This story is just one of many that shows how completely Mother Teresa relied on God to provide, no matter how grim the situation seemed. Her life was an ongoing act of trust. Today, you may be in a similar season, where the pressure is building, and you may need to step into trusting God so fully that you realize you cannot do this on your own. That can be scary, but God knows what you need. And just like He did for Mother Teresa, He will show up for you—maybe not in the way you expect, but always in the way you need. Remember, you are not carrying the weight of your life alone. God’s love is steady. His faithfulness is real. His timing is perfect. So, take a breath. Bring your worries to Him. Choose trust over fear. And watch how God gently meets you in the middle of the pressure—with peace, provision, and His unfailing presence. Prayer: God, I’m feeling the weight of so much right now. It’s hard to know how things will work out, and I don’t always see a way forward. But I want to trust You. Help me to believe that You see me, that You care, and that You will provide what I need—right when I need it.   Remind me of Your faithfulness when I start to forget. Fill me with Your peace, and help me to rest in You today. Amen.

As the temperature warms up many people are beginning to think of planting gardens.  My father grew tomato plants each summer in hot and humid St. Louis.  I will always remember the feel of a warm, bright red tomato falling into the cup of my hand.  Jesus often told stories about gardening as part of His teaching.  In John 15:5 and 8, Jesus said, “I am the true vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing…This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” If a tomato branch is separated from the tomato vine, that branch will not bear fruit.  It will die.  And if the branch remains in the tomato vine it will produce fruit.  It produces the same type of fruit as the vine.  Tomato vines produce tomatoes, not cucumbers or grapes.  Since Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches, if we remain in Him we will produce fruit that is like Him.  The Jesus vine produces Jesus fruit.  What does our fruit look like?    Our fruit looks like Jesus.  And what does Jesus look like?  We see His character and His actions in the Bible.  Jesus is loving, strong, merciful, sacrificial, honors God, and tells people that He is the way to the Father.  In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes what we are gradually ripening into if we are abiding in Christ.  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  Just as a branch is nourished by the vine, we are nourished by Jesus.  As we are nourished by Him, He gradually changes us to become more like Him, to have these qualities in our lives.  We will also bear fruit by telling people about who Jesus is and our relationship with Him. How do we as branches remain in Jesus, the true vine?  Let’s compare it with other relationships.  How do we abide in or stay close to the people we value most?  We stay in communication.  It may be spending time together working, cooking, or eating.  Maybe it includes talking on the phone or social media.  We are more likely to tell the people we are closest to what we really think and how we really feel.  We feel safer with them.  However, if there is little to no communication with someone, how are we close?  It’s the same with abiding in Jesus.  Talking with Jesus about what is important in our heart, reading the Bible, doing what the Bible teaches, and worshiping with others at church are some of the most important ways of being close to and nourished by Jesus.  “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:8)         Prayer:   Father, thank you for Jesus’ teaching.  Thank you that you want me to know you and tell you my worries and my joys.  Thank you that you call me to live my life with You and for You.  Jesus, I choose to abide in You.  Amen.

Did you know that one of the things Jesus commanded in the Sermon on the Mount is to be perfect—just like God is perfect (Matthew 5:48). I don’t know anyone who’s perfect—certainly I’m not perfect. So what was Jesus up to when He said that? Well, let’s talk about the Sermon on the Mount first. Jesus said some things that were simply outrageous. He said that if someone is angry—just angry!—with someone else, it was the same as committing murder. The same as murder? We all get angry—how can anyone keep such a command? Jesus said that if a man to lusted after a woman, he had already committed adultery. But you didn’t do anything yet, how could you have already sinned? Jesus said love your enemies, and even pray for them. Do you do this? If not, you’ve already failed in being perfect. See how impossible it was to keep the law that God required for entering heaven? It was impossible. And that was Jesus’s point. Just like today, people back then believed that it’s possible to work your way into heaven. What Jesus was showing them was the exceptionally high standard God had. Why so high? Because God is holy and perfect. He’s never sinned, not for all eternity. So while God made us in His image—meaning that in many ways we are like God. Notice I said like  Him. We share similarities with God in some ways, but we fall far short of His perfection. So if the only way to heaven is being perfect, and you’ve already failed, what can you do? The only thing you can do is pray that God would have mercy on you. But God can’t show you mercy if you deny the one thing that can save you: the righteousness of Jesus. Here’s what that means. Before God the Father sent God the Son (Jesus) to earth, he was in heaven. When Jesus came to earth, becoming fully man and remaining fully God, He lived a righteous life. This means Jesus lived perfectly. No sin. Jesus perfectly fulfilled all that God commanded. Now, why did Jesus come to earth? To live a sinless life—a righteous life—one that covered the sins of all who believed in Him. You see, Jesus is the only one in the history of the world who was ever qualified to go straight to heaven on His own merit. Why could He do that? Because He lived the perfect life that no one else can live. This means everything to the sinner! It means that when I believe in Jesus as my Savior (rescuing me from my sin) and Lord (submitting to Him by learning about Him through studying the Word of God—it’s tough to submit and obey if you don’t know what’s expected). I feel like I keep writing the same message. And here’s why. I see many at Feed Your Soul who do the “best behavior” thing when you come. You don’t swear, you don’t say “Oh my God,” you don’t do a lot of things that you do when you’re not at the Methodist building picking up meals. You know, I don’t care about all your behavior that you do elsewhere. The Holy Spirit will take care of your sinful behavior if you believe in Jesus. What I care about is you and your eternal life. Jesus makes it possible for your sin to be covered—but the sin He’s concerned with is not your swearing. He’s concerned with your belief in Him. I don’t mean the facts of Him being born on Christmas, Him dying on Good Friday and rising from dead. Anyone can believe that. You only are covered by Jesus’s righteousness if you realize the sin of not believing in Him damns you to hell forever, that His righteousness can cover your sin, and that if you refuse Jesus’s righteousness, you are under judgment. And Jesus is the Judge. Think about all this. I love you all and want you to be in heaven. But you have to put your faith in Him and trust in Him. Jesus is the only way. If you need prayer or a Bible, let me know.

Nearly every week, as I think about what to write, I stop at Matthew 7:21—23. Jesus has been teaching the people about what it means to believe in Him…what the kingdom of God is like…how one should live as a true child of God. As Jesus gets to the end of all this teaching, He warns the people. He says: don’t deceive yourself that you’re saved because of what you do. In other words, don’t think you get to heaven because of “nice or good things” you do . What’s remarkable is, in this short story, Jesus describes people who claim to have done some really good and amazing things—teaching in His name, casting out demons, and doing miracles. All that sounds incredibly good, doesn’t it? And yet, Jesus says He will say to these people, “I never knew you, depart from Me.” Yikes! Those are terrifying words—because to depart from Jesus is to be cast into hell. If Jesus doesn’t know you, hell is where you’re going. Scary stuff, right? So, in this parable, why would things that sound good to us be meaningless to Jesus? Why would doing things like that not get you into heaven? Well, it seems there are two reasons. 1) Since Jesus is saying these people won’t enter the kingdom of heaven, these people have no real faith . Jesus knows the hearts of men (John 2:25). He’s not deceived by anything a person says or does. He knows if your faith is real or not. ”No creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). So, let’s think about this—who teaches in Jesus’s name yet would be barred from heaven? False teachers!!! Do you think that everyone who preaches and teaches from a pulpit and uses the name of Jesus is authentic? Of course not! Satan is the great deceiver and he uses false teachers to deceive others with lies. Now, listen to me. There are plenty of false teachers out there. Take Joyce Meyers and Joel Osteen as examples. They teach this “name it and claim it” religion. Totally false teaching. Did you know that false teaching was a big problem in New Testament times? Every single book in the New Testament except Philemon warns about false teachers. False teaching was a huge problem then and it’s a huge problem today. False teachers have no place in heaven, and are deceiving themselves that they are saved. But they hurt more than just themselves…they destroy those who follow them. How? Like this: followers of false teachers are also self-deceived and on their way to hell. 2) The people Jesus describes in this parable are caught up in works…their focus is on all these great things they’ve done. They believe that these good works earn them brownie points with God. Their “faith” isn’t really faith in Jesus but faith in what they do. People who believe this say this: “I’m going to heaven because I’m a good person.” What’s more, they believe that the more good stuff they do, the better off they are in God’s eyes. Jesus makes it stunningly clear that this is wrong thinking. Be reminded: He said, “I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” He calls these people workers of lawlessness. That means workers of sin…sinners who have not repented and put their faith in Jesus. They are people operating from a wrong understanding of God. You see, God desires a repentant heart. He desires a heart that loves Him, not a heart that’s focused on going through the motions of doing good or acting religious.  What’s scary about this parable is that for these people that Jesus is describing, it’s too late. They’re dead (there is no purgatory but that’s a different lesson). Like every person that has ever lived, they had their chance to truly believe in Jesus, to put their faith in Him. But they didn’t. They only put on a show of believing while in truth, they belonged to Satan. And now, though they spoke of Jesus, they never knew Him. Though they did good things, they did it for all the wrong reasons. They didn’t do anything out of love for God but out of self-interest. So, they deceived themselves. Don’t be caught in that same trap of self-deception. Don’t be among those foolish ones expecting heaven, but winding up in hell. Put your faith in Jesus. Today. Today is the day. If you need prayer or a Bible, let me know.

If there is any character in the Bible that you might know about besides Jesus, it’s probably Judas. You might not know anything other than his name and maybe what he did. He’s the guy who betrayed Jesus. What can we learn from Judas, the betrayer? Jesus called each of His twelve disciples. He chose them. None of them were randomly selected, none joined this team except the men that Jesus specifically chose (John 15:16). We know from the Bible that Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James, and John from their fishing careers. And we know that when Jesus told Matthew, “Follow Me,” that Matthew abandoned his tax collecting business (Matthew 9:9). The Bible doesn’t tell us how the other seven began to follow Jesus so we don’t know about Judas’s situation. However, we do know that at some point, there came to be twelve disciples who made up this inner circle of close followers. Depending on timing, these guys spent two to three years hearing Jesus preach to the crowds. They got personal instruction from Him. Jesus’s teaching was no ordinary teaching—definitely not your everyday pastor. Jesus taught with such authority that the people were astonished by His teaching (Mark 1:22). Judas was there for all of it. He heard Jesus teaching. Jesus worked thousands of miracles. As you read about Jesus’s stunning  miracles, one after another, it’s important not to miss the glorious magnitude of them! He changed the lives of thousands of people. Blind people could see. Paralyzed people could walk—not just hobble along, but walk! One woman had been bent over for 18 years. Jesus touched her, and immediately she stood up straight (Luke 13:10). He healed a man’s son long distance—Jesus was in Cana, the man’s son was in Capernaum, 16 miles away. No touching necessary, simply the power of Jesus’s words, “Your son will live” (John 4:50). Jesus raised people from the dead. The most incredible display of this is a friend, Lazarus, who had died. His corpse had been lying in a tomb for 4 days. Four days—think of that! Jesus came and called, “Lazarus, come out”, and Lazarus, made alive by the power of Jesus words, walked out of that tomb alive (John 11:43). Judas saw these miracles. And still, he betrayed Jesus. It’s beyond comprehension that Judas—having heard Jesus teach with his own ears and seen Jesus’s miracles with his own eyes—could turn on Jesus. And for what? A little bit of money. How could Judas do such a thing? Well, how can anyone hear or read what Jesus did in His lifetime—His teaching, His powerful miracles—and still say, “I don’t believe.” That’s what Judas did. He refused to believe in Jesus. Despite his front row seat with Jesus, it was not enough for Judas. He rejected Jesus when he rejected the truth Jesus taught: that life comes through believing in Jesus and only Jesus. Instead of life, Judas opted for a few bucks. What happened to Judas? Well, he’s in hell (Acts 1:25). Jesus came to give life to those who believe in Him. And at the same time, faith in Jesus rescues those who believe in Him from the eternity of hell. It’s really that simple. Judas had a choice: life through believing in Jesus or eternal hell. Everyone faces that same choice. Jesus is the source of life. The cost is belief in Him. I pray you’ll see that His priceless gift, life, is worth any cost. If you need a Bible or prayer, let us know.

In a previous message, Jesus healed a blind man (John 9). The man believed that Jesus was from God because Jesus had healed him, something that was possible only if Jesus actually was  from God (John 9:33). The man believed the truth about Jesus: Jesus had healed Him, and Jesus was from God. In response to Jesus, the man believed and worshiped Him. That man is now in heaven with Jesus. The Jewish leaders reacted very differently. They scorned Jesus and what He had done for the man. They turned away from Jesus. Are they in heaven? Not if they continued to reject Jesus. You know, Jesus worked so hard to make it clear to people when He was here on earth who He was. He worked so hard to get people to understand that through Him was life (John 1:4), and that He was the light of the world (John 8:12). Do you know what that means? Light, in the Bible, means biblical truth. When you walk in the light, you walk in truth and you have life—spiritual life. The opposite of this is darkness which refers to errors and lies. If you walk in darkness, you’re caught up in the lies and deception of the world. Jesus trudged all over Israel, walking miles and miles to get this message out to people. He worked and worked and worked...healing hundreds…feeding thousands…teaching countless numbers of people the truth of who He was, and that eternal life with God the Father in heaven was possible only by believing in Him.  The amazing reality is that Jesus left heaven to come to earth…can you believe He would do that? It’s hard to comprehend that Jesus’s love for sinners is so deep that He would give up glorious heaven to come down to earth. And for what purpose? To die on a cross so that sinners might have eternal life. He gave up heaven to come down to earth so that He would suffer and die. And do you know who He did that suffering for? Well, He did this for you… IF  you believe in Him, put your faith in Him. Trust Him with your life. Obey Him and do all that He commands. You know, when you are saved, Jesus is both your Savior and Lord  of your life—which has to do with obedience to all  the truth of God’s Word. So, maybe Jesus came down from heaven for you—I say maybe because if you have not put your faith in Jesus, you aren’t saved. It’s that simple. But how does salvation happen? One of the points made in the book of John again and again is that salvation is a miracle worked by God through the Holy Spirit. We can’t get saved on our own. We can’t do good things and earn our way to heaven. We can’t “make a decision for Christ.” We aren’t saved by joining a church. So what can you do? You can pray as the tax collector did, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18: 13). Like Peter told Simon the magician, you can pray to the Lord that you might be forgiven (Acts 8:22). God promises “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart . I will be found by you” (Jeremiah 29:13-14). Seek Him today. With all your heart. If you need a Bible or prayer, let one of the Feed Your Soul team members know.

The book of John, Chapter 5 begins with Jesus healing a man who’s been unable to walk for 38 years. For years, this poor man has been laying by a pool that would bubble from time to time—maybe there was a natural spring that fed the pool that caused the bubbling? No one knows, but there was this superstition that when the water began to bubble, the first person into the pool would be healed. Anyway, this man had been laying there, hoping to get into that bubbling water for a super-long time. Along comes Jesus. What do you think happened next? Jesus healed the man! Right then and there. One minute, the guy couldn’t even get himself into the water, and the next minute, he got up, picked up the mat he’d been laying on, and walked away. Amazing! You’d think there would be all kinds of joy from the people who were there, right? I mean, here’s someone who’s been in absolute misery for almost 40 years and bam! He’s completely healed. But no. We hear nothing about any rejoicing. All we read is that the Jewish leaders were mad, so mad they wanted to kill Jesus. Why? Because Jesus had healed the man on a Sabbath—and that was against their rules. They clearly couldn’t care less that this man was suddenly well. Now, let’s think about this…who can heal in this way? God. If Jesus can heal in the same way as God, who does that tell us Jesus is? God in the flesh. And that’s exactly what Jesus told them. He said, “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17). What does this mean? It means that, like God, Jesus never stopped working!!! From the Old Testament, we read that God never sleeps or slumbers (Psalm 121:3-4). How is it that God never sleeps? Because “He does not faint or grow weary” (Isaiah 40:28). God never gets weary—He never is  tired and He never gets tired! From this, we can conclude that God is always working. Now, as God in the flesh, Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Being fully human, Jesus did get tired—one time, Jesus was so tired, He was sound asleep in the boat in spite of a raging storm going on (you can read about it in Mark 4:35-41). Jesus got emotional too—He got so angry that God’s house of worship had been turned into a market that He cleared everything out (John 2:15). He wept tears of sorrow—remember how, in the week before His death, Jesus wept over the people of Jerusalem because they rejected Him and the life He had to give them if they would only believe (Luke 19:41)? So while Jesus did get tired and emotional because He was fully man, Jesus also constantly did the work of God , because He was fully God . His claim to be God is what made the Jews mad. But here’s the thing. Jesus was not a madman, claiming something that He wasn’t. And He wasn’t a liar when He said He was God. He was  God in the flesh and He had proof—His miracles, for one thing! Only God could do what Jesus did! So what happened to the man Jesus healed? We can’t be sure, but Jesus found him later on in the temple and told the man, “Sin no more” (John 5:14). That was not a suggestion. That was a command. Did the man obey? It doesn’t seem like it, because the Bible tells us the man went to the Jews and told these guys—the ones who wanted to kill Jesus—that it was Jesus who had healed him. The man turned Jesus in, his Healer. In spite of personally receiving the blessing of healing, the man refused to believe in Jesus. What about you? You have the chance to believe in Jesus and receive life, which only He can give. I pray that you won’t be like the healed man and refuse Jesus. If you need prayer or a Bible, let us know.

Who is Jesus?  Many people today did not grow up in the Church and haven’t read the Bible.  They may be curious about who Jesus is, but not really sure how to find out about Him.  If this is you, I encourage you to find out for yourselves by reading what the Bible says about Jesus.    The Bible is a long book, but it has four short chapters called books or gospels that tell of Jesus’ life:  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Each book is only about 20-30 pages.  Three were written by people who knew Jesus personally.  Luke was written by a doctor who interviewed people who knew Jesus.  These short books tell us what He did and what He taught.   If you are curious about Jesus, I encourage you to read them for yourself.  As you read look for what they say about Jesus.  What did Jesus do?  What did He say about Himself?  What did others say about Him?  How did He treat other people?  How did people react to Him?  What do these books say about His death and coming back to life?  What do they say about His relationship with God?    If you are not familiar with the Bible, some of what you read will be confusing.  Jesus lived about 2000 years ago in a middle-eastern culture where they spoke and wrote in languages different from ours.  Not exactly southern Wisconsin in 2025.  And yet, what He did and said, and what those around Him did and said, reveals a lot about Him.  If you don’t have a Bible, ask people with Feed Your Soul for one.   We have them for the purpose of giving them to people who want to read about Jesus.  They are free.     What is my relationship with Jesus?  After learning what the Bible says about Jesus, a second important question is What is my relationship with Him?  It is one thing to believe what the Bible says about Jesus, while not letting it change my life.  Then my belief is only in my head.  It is quite another matter to believe in who Jesus is and to give my life to Him; to know and talk to Him like a best friend (who is also God) and follow His teaching.  This kind of belief is in my head, my heart, and my behavior.  Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock…But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” (Matthew 7:21-27) He also said, “Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” (John 17:3)  and, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. (John 14:6-7)   Some people may want to know Jesus more, but aren’t sure how to go to the next step.  A simple thing anyone can do is talk to Jesus.  “Jesus, I want to know more about you, to know You.  I will look for you.  Please lead me to yourself.”  Keep reading the Bible and talk with Jesus.  He loves you and is leading you to find Him, so He can show you His love for you.

Have you ever walked through a dark room? You move slowly, unsure of where to step. Your hands reach out, searching for something to guide you. It’s easy to feel lost, uncertain, and even afraid.   Light and darkness are complete opposites, and we notice the difference right away. In the Bible, darkness often represents confusion, sin, or life without God. The tricky thing about darkness is that we don’t always realize we’re walking in it. If we’ve been in the dark long enough, our eyes adjust, and we learn to live in the shadows without noticing how much we’re missing. But the moment light appears, like when streetlights flicker on at sunset, we suddenly see just how dark it really was.   Knowing Jesus is like stepping into the light. He helps us to have a new perspective, to view things differently, and even more clearly- which is life changing. In  John 8:12 , Jesus says:   “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   Imagine walking outside just before sunrise. Everything is still dark, and it’s hard to see what’s around you. But as the sun begins to rise, shadows fade, and details become clear. What once felt uncertain and hidden is now bright and visible. That’s what happens when we get to know Jesus. His truth, found in the Bible, helps us see things as they really are—who we are, who He is, and maybe even a better way of living.   Without Jesus as our light, we may not even realize how lost we are or how much we need Him. But when we choose to get to know him, he becomes our light, and everything changes. We don’t have to walk in fear or confusion anymore because He shows us the way.   Isaiah 42:16  reminds us of God’s promise:   “I will turn the darkness before you into light and the rough places into level ground.”   No matter how dark life feels, God’s light is always stronger. Even the smallest candle can push back the deepest shadows. If you feel lost, unsure, or afraid, turn to Jesus. His light is always shining, ready to guide you. All you have to do is follow Him.   A Prayer for Today:   Lord, sometimes we don’t realize how much we are walking in darkness until You reveal a better way. Help us to see clearly, to follow and to trust your plan for our lives, even when life feels uncertain. Shine Your light into our hearts so that we can reflect it to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Some of us lack confidence about ourselves.  Christians are people: 1) who believe that Jesus came to die for our sins, came to life again, appeared to people and went to heaven, 2) who have turned away from the wrong things we used to do, and 3) who have committed ourselves to do what Jesus taught.  We have every reason to have confidence, but sometimes we look too much at our mistakes, weaknesses, or hard circumstances.    Our relationship with God gives us confidence and God has said a lot about that in the Bible.    Here are just a few examples.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (and she) is a new creation…” (2 Cor. 5:17).  “In Him (Christ) we have redemption (we have been bought or purchased) through his blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). “…those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons (and daughters) of God” (Romans 8:14). “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1) Jesus said to His followers, “You are my friends if you do what I command,” (John 15:14).  “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9). For Christians, living with our mistakes, weaknesses, and hard circumstances, we are also forgiven.  We are God’s children.  We belong to Him and He loves us.  We need to repeatedly remind ourselves, and each other, who we are in relation to Christ.  It can be helpful to write out one or more of the above verses and put it where we will see it every day.  Read who we are every day.  Know who we are every day. Just to be clear, everyone was created in the likeness of God and everyone has sinned, which separates us from God.  And yet, God doesn’t want that separation.  God loves everyone: people who don’t believe in God, people who aren’t sure whether God is real, Christians, and the people of all the world’s religions.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).   “…God our Savior, who wants all men (and women) to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4).  God wants everyone to know Him, but only those who believe in Christ and follow Him will be saved and are His people. Prayer: Father, thank you that you wanted me to be forgiven and to know you.  Thank you that you bought me back through Jesus’ death for my sin and you adopted me.  I am your child.  I belong to you.  My confidence comes from you.  Amen.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is Jesus telling about a lost sheep.  “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them.  Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?  And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home.  Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” (Luke 15:4-7)     We have all wandered off from God like sheep.  We can wander off by saying and doing things that are wrong, that are hurtful to ourselves or to others.  With positive activities such as family, work, exercise, or church, if God is not in our lives, we have wandered off.  We may have even walked away from God because we want to be independent of Him.  But just like God made us to breathe and eat, He made us to know Him.  If we don’t breathe or eat, or are separated from God then we are dead, either physically or spiritually.     One of the things I like about this story is it shows God’s heart.  He doesn’t just let us wander off from Him and complain about us or look for an opportunity to lecture or punish us.  God wants us to know Him and go through each day with Him.  He wants us close to Him.  Of course, God doesn’t need to search for us like the shepherd.  He knows exactly where we have wandered off to.  He searches for us…chases after us by showing us that we are separated from Him and showing us He loves us.   Because He loves us, Jesus died for us and came back to life so that the wrong things we have done can be forgiven.  If we believe in this and commit ourselves to follow what He teaches (not the wrong things we have been doing) we can know God and become His children; no longer separated from Him.     It’s nice to know that God loves the world; that He loves everyone.  What I like about this story is it’s about one individual sheep, one person.  God loves us individually.  God loves me, and you, as individuals, not only as part of the world.  He knows our personality, strengths and weaknesses, what makes us laugh or cry, the choices we have made, our regrets.  He knows it all and loves us right now.  If we are separated from Him He is coming after us.  When the shepherd found the sheep, the one individual sheep, “he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and…there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents…”  When God finds us (or more correctly, when He lets us find Him) He is joyful.    And, angels in heaven who we can’t even see rejoice when we are found by the Shepherd and change our lives from the wrong things we used to do.     This story reminds me of how God came after me.  I had wandered off.  I was lost.  I knew I was separated from God and had no idea how to get back.  God put people in my life who told me about their relationship with Christ.  He put people in my life who challenged me to read what the Bible says about Jesus.  He put someone in my life to guide me to pray to Jesus and give my life to Him.  God came after me.  If you don’t belong to God yet, then He’s coming after you too, because He loves you and wants you to know His love.  And if you let yourself be “found,” then God will be joyful and there will be rejoicing in heaven.   Father, thank you that you chased after me and let me find you.  Thank you that you chase after each of us individually.  Thank you, Jesus, that you died for us because you love us so much and long to rejoice in our knowing you.  Amen.