This weekend we are celebrating the ascension of our Lord which, according to Acts 1:3, happened forty days after Easter. Perhaps because the day always falls on a Thursday, or because it may seem anticlimactic after Easter, Ascension Day is often overlooked. Chances are that you did not receive any Ascension Day cards, or had many people wish you a blessed Ascension Day as would happen with Christmas or Easter. Yet it is mentioned in our Creeds as an important event in our Lord’s life, and, therefore, is important for us.

The American Bible Society’s annual State of the Bible report shared this encouraging information about Bible reading: Millennials saw a 29% increase in Bible use from 2024 to 2025 and men saw a 19% increase; among members of Gen Z, Scripture engagement rose from 11% in 2024 to 15% in 2025; and 51% told the American Bible Society they would like to read the Christian Scriptures more often. 

Have you ever used or heard the phrase “as the spirit moves me”? An AI generated definition says “as the spirit moves me” is a common idiom that means “when one feels like it” or “when the time is right.” It suggests acting on a feeling or impulse, rather than following a strict plan or schedule. It can also be used in a religious context, referring to the influence or prompting of the Holy Spirit. 

This weekend we will observe Good Shepherd Sunday. David declares in Psalm 23 that the Lord is his shepherd. Jesus declares in John 10 that He is the Good Shepherd. So what is the significance of having a Good Shepherd?

In this weekend’s Gospel reading, we’ll hear about the disciples having a miraculous catch of fish and Jesus telling them to bring the fish to Him. When it comes down to it, that’s what He wants from you and me.

During our Easter Sunday worship, we looked at three ways our view of Jesus is obstructed: 1) when life isn’t fair; 2) the loneliness of loss; and 3) anger when our worldview is challenged. This weekend we’ll look at three more things that obstruct our view of Jesus: 1) fear; 2) doubt; and 3) jealousy. The fact is, if we as believers might have our view of Jesus obstructed by these things, unbelievers will as well.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! For the next few weeks, we will be repeating those words often during our worship services. Because of the repetition, one may become tempted to treat it as an Easter ritual rather than a wondrous declaration of truth, but my prayer is that none of us ever loses the significance of those words.

Have you ever found yourself wanting to have a moment last longer than it does? You’ve looked forward to something, it happens, and then you move along to the next thing.

Have you ever wanted to accomplish something so much that it started taking over your life? For instance, maybe you wanted to lose weight and increase your exercise routine so all you thought about was counting calories and making sure that your regular exercise time was never jeopardized. You kept monitoring the scale, sometimes rejoicing, sometimes walking away in frustration, resolved to do an even better job of watching what you were eating and increasing the amount of your exercise. Did you ever get to the point where you just wanted to quit?

This time of year, my thoughts turn to baseball, and I have fond memories not only of playing catch in the backyard with my dad but also doing the same with my kids.

If you are a college basketball fan, this is a great time of year with the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments going on. Every year, there are the “Cinderella stories,” the teams from relatively small schools who made the tournament but were not expected to win a game yet end up knocking off the bigger schools everyone assumed would win.

Have you ever replied to someone giving you advice, “That’s easier said than done.” Jesus ended the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount this way: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10–12).

I want you to pretend you are going on a forty-day backpacking trip in a very remote wilderness area in a place about which you are totally unfamiliar. While packing the right supplies for the trip would be very important, perhaps the most important thing would be to hire a guide who knew the area and could safely lead you to your daily destinations. 

During Lent, our Wednesday services and daily devotions will take a closer look at Moses and Elijah and other mountaintop experiences they had to see what we can learn from them as we seek to walk closer with our Lord and grow in our love for Him.

This week’s Gospel reading from Luke 6 gives us challenging words from Jesus concerning how we are to love and forgive. It sounds great in theory, but what about when we’ve really been hurt by someone – someone who isn’t even interested in admitting and confessing his or her sin and asking for forgiveness? 

I once saw a cartoon that said, “You can’t take it with you, so eat it now!” It’s a humorous piece of advice that can make us stop and think about a challenging balancing act: How do I enjoy the material blessings of life without making them my ultimate source of joy?