Happy Sunday!
Today’s Verse:
Luke 12:32 ESV
(Jesus said) ““Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Jesus begins with a promise, “Do not be afraid.” Let’s repeat it. Do not be afraid. In a world where so much is uncertain, where our fears so often get the better of us, we hear these words as life lines thrown to us. Let go of your fear, he is saying, because God, our loving Father, takes pleasure in giving us his kingdom. He does not begrudgingly hand it over, he gives it with generous and open hands.
In this we see the heart of the Gospel. God does not want us to earn his gifts, it is his good pleasure to give.
And this passage is not about God’s condemnation or his wrath, not about strict and harsh demands; this is the extravagant love of God. God loves us as we are and gives us the kingdom as a free gift. It is a gift we can’t purchase, a gift we can’t work for, a gift we can’t lose.
The natural thing to do is to grab on and hold tightly to what we do have. But Jesus is calling us to trust, to let go of our need to grab on to what we think we need to protect ourselves, and rest in the truth that our future and our value are in the hands of the One whose pleasure is to give.
So let’s go about our Sunday happy, trusting in him, because God loves us!
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Heavenly Father, thank You that it delights you to give us your kingdom. Quiet our fears and open our hearts to receive Your loving grace today. As we gather in worship, help us see Your gifts—Your presence, Your love, Your peace—and trust you anew. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
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