When does life begin? There’s a lot of debate about that in our society today. Does the Bible actually say when a human being becomes a human being?

Yes, it does! Already 3,000 years ago, David recognized when God’s gift of life begins. He wrote: “You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about how God has cared for you from the moment you were conceived.

God bless you!

It’s wedding season. Our family’s summer plans have revolved around weddings that family members have invited us to. I bet many of you have received wedding invitations too. Do you realize that the Bible is really one big wedding invitation? The Bible’s whole message is an invitation to come to Jesus’ wedding banquet in heaven: “Blessed are those who are called to the wedding supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9). Jesus told a parable about God’s invitation to his banquet in heaven. Surprisingly, many people in Jesus’ story came up with excuses and missed out on the wedding. Could that describe you and me? May nothing keep us from attending Jesus’ wedding banquet in heaven! I hope you can listen to this sermon: “The Wedding Invitation.” Jesus loves you!

What you see doesn’t tell the whole story. When times are good, your success doesn’t mean that you’re better than anyone else. So be careful not to trust in it! When times are bad, your suffering doesn’t mean that you’re forgotten by God. He knows your name. No matter what is happening, when you least expect it, roles can be reversed, and everything changes. Jesus told a powerful story about role reversal: The Rich Man and Poor Lazarus. On earth, Lazarus had nothing, but when he died, the angels welcomed him into heaven. On earth, the rich man had everything, but when he died, he suffered the agonies of hell. What you see doesn’t tell the whole story. Life can only be understood in light of Jesus’ promises of eternal life. I hope you can listen to this sermon: “Role Reversal.” Jesus loves you!

Have you been baptized? Then according to Jesus you are a born-again Christian! That means that every morning when you wake up, you can tell yourself, “I am a baptized child of God. I have new life in Jesus. No matter what has happened in my past, by the Spirit’s power I want to live for Jesus today.” And every night you can sleep at peace. Every day, no matter how hard you try, you sin. But do you know what your baptism means? You’re forgiven. Your sins have been washed away in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. God the Father loves you so much that he sent his Son for you. God the Son loves you so much that he gave his life for you. God the Holy Spirit loves you so much that through a little water and the power of God’s Word he made into the child of God. There is nothing better. You are born again! I hope you can listen to this sermon for Trinity Sunday: “Born Again.” Jesus loves you!

We need reminders in every area of life. From notifications on your phone to sticky notes on your counter, we are really bad at remembering things. Jesus knows that. That’s why he sent us the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his disciples, “He will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit constantly uses God’s Word to remind us of Jesus. He convicts us of our sins. He leads us to repentance. He fills us with Jesus’ forgiveness. He leads us to trust in God’s grace. He empowers us to show our love for Jesus by obeying his teaching. We need those reminders every single day! I hope you can listen to this Pentecost sermon: “The Reminderer.” Jesus loves you!

When Jesus looks at you and asks, “You do not want to leave too, do you?”, may the Holy Spirit give you the faith to say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67-68). Believing in Jesus is worth it. Think of all that Jesus has done for us: How could we leave the One who has loved us since before the creation of the world? How could we turn away from the One who bought us with his own blood shed for us on the cross? How could we turn away from the One who has carried us in his arms since the moment we were baptized. To whom shall we go? I hope you can listen to this Confirmation Day sermon: “To Whom Shall We Go?” Jesus loves you!

What is Confirmation Day? Our church is preparing to celebrate Confirmation Day this Sunday. What is it?The practice of confirmation is one way that our church encourages this Bible verse: “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:10).I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about the importance of professing our faith and how Confirmation Day provides that opportunity to young Christians. God bless your day!

What is Ascension Day? There are some festivals in the Christian Church that don’t make it onto most people’s calendars. One of those is Ascension Day. This year, Ascension Day is today, May 29th.The Bible gives us this encouragement: “Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).I hope you can listen to this short video devotion about Ascension Day and the blessings that come from fixing our eyes on things above. Happy Ascension Day!