Theme: "The Word is Near You"

Summary

Pastor Paul Pett's sermon from the Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost confronts a foundational question: can anyone achieve eternal life through their own efforts?

Drawing primarily from Romans 10, Pastor Pett establishes that the law demands perfect obedience, a standard no human being can meet. Because no one can ascend to heaven on their own or draw near to Christ by their own power, salvation must come from outside of us. Christ, the living Word, draws believers to Himself through the power of the proclaimed Word, much like an electromagnet draws metal toward it. Faith is not something we generate; it is something we receive as Christ draws us near.

This salvation, rich with grace, mercy, forgiveness, and eternal life, is not meant to be kept private. The sermon closes with an urgent missionary charge: since 100% of those who never hear the gospel cannot be saved, every believer is sent by God to the places, people, and circumstances only they can reach, to live and speak their faith openly.

Key Points

Perfect obedience to the law is the only path to eternal life by works, and no human being is capable of meeting that standard

Nothing unclean, detestable, or false can enter heaven, which disqualifies every person apart from grace

Salvation cannot be achieved by human effort; Christ must reach down to us, just as He reached down to Peter sinking on the water

Faith is being drawn to Christ by Christ through the power of the proclaimed Word

The Word referenced in Romans 10 is Jesus Christ Himself, the incarnate Word, who is near us in our hearts and mouths

Confession of faith does not require spoken words alone but must be expressed actively through how believers live
God's riches are not material wealth but grace, mercy, forgiveness, and the gift of everlasting life

100% of people who never hear the gospel will perish, making the proclamation of the gospel an urgent responsibility

Every believer is sent by God to specific people and places that no pastor or church leader can access

Pastor Pett himself reflected on being called and sent by God to his congregation, illustrating that divine sending applies to all believers in their own contexts

Primary Sermon Text:

Our Epistle Reading for the Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost, Romans 10:5-17, was our sermon text.

Scripture Explicitly Mentioned:

Luke 10:25-28 - The encounter between Jesus and the lawyer regarding what must be done to inherit eternal life

Revelation 21:27 - The declaration that nothing unclean or false will enter heaven, only those written in the Lamb's book of life

Matthew 14:28-31 - Peter walking on water, sinking, and Jesus immediately reaching out to save him

Scripture Implied:

John 1:1-18 -The prologue to John's Gospel

1 Peter 3:15 - Being prepared to give a reason for the hope within you

John 14:6 - Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life

Without the power of the Word, there is no road to salvation. Without the power of Christ, there is no road to salvation. without Christ and what He did for us by His cross and resurrection, there is no way.

Because Jesus is the way. Not a way, but THE way. The only way.

I want you to think about faith as us being drawn to Christ by Christ. That's what faith is. We are being drawn to Christ by Christ.

You are in places I can never be. You are among people with whom I might never associate. You are in situations that I will never have access to.

100% of people who never hear the gospel will go to hell. Is that a true statement? Yes. 100% of the people who never hear the gospel will go to hell.

He sends us. He sends us to where we are to share our faith, live our faith, and proclaim what we know.

The Word is like an electromagnet drawing us to Him in faith. Drawing us to Him as our Savior.

We have to live our faith out loud, live it in a way that confesses Christ, live it in a way that helps people know that we believe in Jesus Christ, and then they will start looking for the reason for the hope that we have, according to Peter, and want to find the answer from us.

Tap or click for a printable PDF version of this devotional 

Here's a 5-day Bible reading plan and devotional guide based on the themes from Pastor Paul Pett’s sermon from Sunday, August 9, 2026, the Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost:

5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide
Theme: Sent, Saved, and Sustained by the Word
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Day 1: The Standard We Cannot Meet
Reading: Luke 10:25-28; Revelation 21:27
Devotional: The law is not a ladder we climb toward God -- it is a mirror that shows us exactly who we are. When Jesus told the lawyer to love God with every fiber of his being and love his neighbor as himself, he was not offering a manageable checklist. He was revealing a standard none of us can reach on our own. Nothing unclean enters heaven. Nothing false. Nothing detestable. That verdict lands on all of us. But here is where the gospel begins -- not in our achievement, but in our honest reckoning with our failure. Humility before the law is the doorway to grace.

Reflection: Where in your life are you still trying to earn what only God can give?
Practical Application: Spend time today acknowledging one specific area where you have fallen short of loving God or your neighbor fully. Bring it honestly before God in prayer.
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Day 2: The Word That Comes Near
Reading: Romans 10:6-10; John 1:1, 14
Devotional: You did not climb into heaven to retrieve a Savior. You did not descend into the depths to raise one from the dead. Christ came to you. The Word became flesh and drew near — near enough to touch, near enough to heal, near enough to die. Paul's point in Romans 10 is staggering in its simplicity: the Word is already near you, in your mouth and in your heart. Faith is not a heroic spiritual ascent. It is a response to a Savior who has already closed the distance. Like a magnet drawing what it attracts, Christ draws us to himself through the power of his Word.
Reflection: In what ways have you been trying to reach God through your own effort rather than resting in his nearness?
Practical Application: Read John 1:1-14 slowly and aloud. Let the truth that the Word came near to you settle into your thinking before you move on with your day.
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Day 3: Riches That Cannot Be Measured
Reading: Romans 10:11-13; Ephesians 2:4-9
Devotional: When Paul speaks of God bestowing his riches on all who call on him, he is not describing a financial windfall. He is describing grace, mercy, forgiveness, and everlasting life — gifts that no amount of human effort could purchase and no human failure can permanently withhold from those who trust in Christ. There is no distinction. Jew or Greek, educated or not, morally polished or openly broken — the same Lord is Lord of all. The ground at the foot of the cross is perfectly level. What God offers, he offers without reservation to everyone who calls on his name.
Reflection: Do you tend to think of God's grace as something you must continually re-earn? How does that affect your daily walk with him?
Practical Application: Write down three specific gifts — spiritual, not material — that God has given you through Christ. Thank Him for each one by name in prayer today.
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Day 4: Sent to Where You Already Are
Reading: Romans 10:14-15; Matthew 28:18-20
Devotional: The chain of salvation described in Romans 10 is striking: calling requires belief, belief requires hearing, hearing requires preaching, and preaching requires being sent. But being sent does not always mean crossing an ocean. Sometimes it means crossing a hallway, a backyard fence, or a lunch table. God places his people precisely where he intends them to be. You are not in your neighborhood, your workplace, or your family by accident. You are sent there. The pastor cannot go where you go. The church building cannot follow your coworkers home. But you can be present, and your presence -- shaped by faith -- is a proclamation.
Reflection: Who in your immediate life has never clearly heard the gospel? What is one step you could take toward them this week?
Practical Application: Identify one person in your daily life who does not know Christ. Pray for them by name every day this week, and ask God to open a natural opportunity for you to show or share your faith.
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Day 5: Faith Comes from Hearing
Reading: Romans 10:16-17; Isaiah 53:1; 1 Peter 3:15
Devotional: Faith is not generated from within. It comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ. That means the stakes of speaking and living our faith are immeasurably high. One hundred percent of people who never hear the gospel will not come to saving faith through it. That is not a statement of condemnation toward them -- it is a call to action for those of us who already know. Isaiah asked who has believed what they heard. The question still echoes. Peter calls us to be ready to give a reason for the hope we carry. That hope is not ours to hoard. It is ours to hand on.
Reflection: Are you living your faith in a way that makes others curious about the hope you have? What might need to change?
Practical Application: Memorize Romans 10:17 in whatever translation you use regularly. Let it remind you daily that the Word you carry has the power to produce faith in others -- and that God intends to use you to deliver it.

What needs to change—and why?

   I need to change the habit of keeping my faith mostly private or assuming “people already know I’m a Christian.” Pastor Pett emphasized that faith confesses Christ—not only with words, but also through visible love, actions, and witness—because people cannot believe in the One they have never heard.

One practical step this week:

   Choose one person in your ordinary life—coworker, neighbor, family member, friend—and intentionally show Christ’s love to them in a concrete way, while also being ready to say something simple about your faith, such as: “I’ve been praying for you,” or “My hope comes from Jesus.”

How this reshapes my response to a current situation:

   Instead of seeing difficult people or situations as interruptions, I can see them as places where God has sent me. Wherever I am—at work, home, or in conflict—I am not there by accident. Christ has drawn me to Himself, and He may be using me to reflect His grace so someone else can hear, see, and know Him.

Theme: "...Because of His Call"

Summary

Drawing from Romans 9, in this sermon Pastor Pett calls believers to examine their emotional response to those around them who do not know Christ as Savior. Just as Paul expressed deep sorrow and unceasing anguish over the unbelief of his fellow Israelites, and just as Christ himself wept over Jerusalem, Christians are called to move beyond personal security in salvation and actively extend God's call to others.

Pastor Pett emphasizes that salvation comes not by bloodline or birthright but by the grace, mercy, and promise of God -- illustrated powerfully by the baptism of a child during the service. Using the devastation of an EF3 tornado in Menasha as a vivid comparison, Pastor Pett challenges the congregation to feel the same urgency for souls headed toward eternal separation from God as they feel for victims of a natural disaster.

The sermon concludes with the reminder that because we cannot see into hearts and minds as God can, the call to witness belongs to everyone, extended to everyone.

Key Points

Paul's grief over unbelieving Israel in Romans 9 is sincere and deeply felt, not rhetorical or poetic, and stands in sharp emotional contrast to the triumphant conclusion of Romans 8

Christ himself grieved over those who rejected him, as seen in his lament over Jerusalem in Matthew 23, demonstrating that sorrow for the lost reflects the heart of God

Israel, though largely rejecting Christ, remains God's chosen people through whom the covenants, the law, the promises, and the Savior himself came to all humanity

Salvation is not determined by ethnic or physical descent but by God's promise and grace, as demonstrated in the examples of Isaac and the children of the promise

Believers who are secure in their faith cannot use that security as a reason to remain passive; the congregation's response to the Menasha tornado illustrates how care for others in crisis should mirror care for those without Christ

Because no human can discern who belongs to God and who does not, the call to witness extends to all people without exception

The baptism of Arya  during the service served as a living illustration of how one becomes a child of the promise -- not by birth or merit but by God's grace

Primary Sermon Text:

Our Epistle Reading for the Tenth Sunday After Pentecost, Romans 9:1-13, was our sermon text.

Other Scripture Explicitly Mentioned:

Romans 8:38-39 -- Paul's declaration that nothing in all creation can separate believers from the love of God in Christ Jesus

Matthew 23:37 -- Jesus lamenting over Jerusalem, comparing his desire to gather her children as a hen gathers her brood

Scripture Alluded to:

John 6:1-13 -- The feeding of the five thousand, referenced in the closing illustration about Jesus feeding the crowd and instructing the disciples to feed them

Galatians 3:26-29 -- The theme that belonging to God comes through promise and grace rather than bloodline or ethnic identity

Ephesians 2:8-9 -- Salvation by grace through faith, not by works or human merit

The Apostle Paul writes, "I am not lying. My conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit." Paul is not writing what he's saying for dramatic effect. Paul is not writing what he's saying just to put on a show. "For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen, according to the flesh."

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and if you are in a faith where you are secure in that faith, that doesn't affect you. It means I'm saved. And that's us saying to ourselves, I'm good, I don't have to worry about anybody else but me.

You can't sit on your own salvation and not be concerned in a sincere love and a desire to share your faith with someone else. Especially those who are closest to you.

We are saved, not by our bloodline, but by his promises.
Not by birthright, not by bloodline, not by ethnicity, but... by the grace of God, the love of God, the mercy of God, and the promise of God.

We witness to everybody then! That's the simple and easy way. We don't know, and it doesn't matter that we don't know. What matters is that the love of Christ show itself.

Christ, who is God over all, lowered himself, humiliated himself, being stripped, beaten, nailed to the cross, and killed. For you and for me.

In light of this message, what is one specific attitude, behavior, or habit in my daily life that needs to change—and why?

   I need to change the habit of being spiritually complacent—being content that *I* am secure in Christ while not feeling urgency or compassion for those who don’t know Him. Pastor Pett’s message reminds me that love for others should move me to sorrow, prayer, and witness.

What is one practical, doable step I can take this week to live out the main truth of this message in my ordinary routines (work, home, relationships, or decisions)?
 
   Choose one person I know who does not trust in Christ, pray for them daily by name, and look for one natural opportunity to show Christ’s love—through a caring conversation, encouragement, invitation, or simple testimony of what Jesus means to me.

How does this message reshape the way I think about or respond to a current situation, challenge, or relationship I’m facing right now?

   Instead of viewing an unbelieving family member, friend, or coworker with frustration, avoidance, or resignation, I can see them with the compassion Paul and Jesus showed. Their spiritual need is greater than any earthly crisis, so I should respond with patient love, prayer, and a willingness to share the hope of Christ.

Theme: "If God is For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?"

Summary

Guest Pastor Jed McClellan's sermon from the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost presents the Christian's standing before God through the vivid imagery of a courtroom drama. The believer sits as the defendant, guilty of sins both committed and omitted, facing the accuser and the all-knowing judge. Yet Paul, acting as defense attorney, mounts a case that rests entirely on the person and work of Jesus Christ rather than on any merit of the accused.

The verdict -- not guilty -- has already been rendered through Christ's perfect life, atoning death, and resurrection. No force in creation, not sin, suffering, or even death itself, can overturn this verdict or separate the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Key Points

The Apostle Paul frames the Christian's justification as a courtroom drama in which the believer stands accused before God and opposed by the devil

The defense rests entirely on who God is and what He has done, not on the character or deeds of the accused

Christ's death and resurrection constitute the decisive verdict: the condemnation the sinner deserved was taken by Christ Himself

Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for believers, stripping every accusing power of its authority

No created thing -- tribulation, persecution, danger, death, or any heavenly power -- can separate the believer from the love of God in Christ Jesus

Justification is not abstract; it is grounded in the historical, bodily life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Primary Sermon Text:

The Epistle Reading for the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost, Romans 8:28-39, was our sermon text.

Scripture Alluded to Thematically:

2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Hebrews 7:25 - Christ intercedes for those who draw near to God through him.

1 John 2:1-2 - Christ serves as our advocate and atoning sacrifice before the Father.

The Apostle Paul lays out for us a courtroom drama that absolutely blows Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson out of the water. And he lays out a courtroom drama that involves you.

And in his defense of you, he does not mention you at all. He speaks only about who God is and what he has done. He speaks only of Jesus Christ and the work that He has carried out on your behalf.

You, you who are sinful, broken, guilty, guilty on account of your own actions, your own deeds. You are covered. by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, by the perfect life that he lived, by his death on the cross, which atones for your sins, and by his glorious resurrection from the dead.

Paul knows the trial is already over. The verdict has already been passed by Jesus Christ himself when he died and rose for you.

Because the only one who has any right to condemn is Jesus Christ himself. But instead of condemning you, the one who has sinned, the one who is deserving of condemnation, Jesus Christ instead took that condemnation on Himself.

Take whatever thing you think can separate you from God, carry it to its furthest conclusion, its scariest and most fearful point, and realize it has no power over you. not even death, can separate you from the love of Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ is alive.

He actually died. He actually rose. He actually followed the law of God perfectly. He was truly, absolutely innocent but took the sins of the whole world, endured the shame of the cross, bled and died so that we might be justified.

He renders the verdict not guilty. Not because of who you are or what you have done, but because of who Jesus Christ is and what he has done for you.

Tap or click for a printable PDF version of this devotional

Here's a 5-day Bible reading plan and devotional guide based on the themes from Guest Pastor Jed McClellan’s sermon from Sunday, July 26, 2026, the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost:

5-Day Bible Reading Plan and Devotional Guide

Based on Romans 8: The Courtroom of Grace

Day 1: The Verdict Has Already Been Rendered
Reading: Romans 8:1-4
Devotional: The courtroom is silent. The gavel has fallen. The verdict is in — and it is not guilty. This is not because you have lived perfectly or argued your case well. It is because Jesus Christ stood in your place and absorbed every charge that could ever be brought against you. Romans 8:1-4 declares that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The law's righteous requirement has been fully met — not by you, but for you. Rest today in a verdict you did not earn and cannot lose.

Day 2: Called, Justified, Glorified
Reading: Romans 8:28-30
Devotional: Romans 8:28-30 traces a golden chain that begins before time and ends in glory. God foreknew you, predestined you, called you, justified you, and glorified you. Notice that every verb is past tense — even glorification, which has not yet arrived in your experience. God speaks of your future as though it is already accomplished because, in Christ, it is. You are not drifting through life hoping things work out. You are held within a divine purpose that no circumstance can derail. Whatever today brings, you are moving toward glory, not away from it.

Day 3: If God Is For Us
Reading: Romans 8:31-34
Devotional: In his letter to the Roman church, the Apostle Paul asks a question that silences every fear: if God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31-34 reminds us that the God who did not withhold His own Son will withhold nothing good from His people. The accuser may bring charges. Guilt may rise within your own heart. But the only one with authority to condemn is Jesus Christ — and He has chosen instead to intercede. He is not a distant Savior who died and left you to manage on your own. He is risen, seated in authority, and actively speaking on your behalf today.

Day 4: More Than Conquerors in the Midst of Suffering
Reading: Romans 8:35-37
Devotional: Paul does not promise that suffering will be absent from the Christian life. He lists tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, danger, and sword — not as remote possibilities but as real experiences the people of God endure. Romans 8:35-37 does not remove the weight of these things. It reframes them. None of them can sever the bond between you and the love of Christ. In fact, in all of these things — not after them, not around them — you are more than a conqueror. Suffering does not signal abandonment. It is the very terrain on which Christ's love proves unbreakable.

Day 5: Nothing in All Creation
Reading: Romans 8:38-39
Devotional: Carry your deepest fear to its furthest and most frightening conclusion. Now hear Paul's answer: even there, the love of God in Christ Jesus holds. Romans 8:38-39 exhausts every category of threat — death, life, angels, rulers, the present, the future, height, depth, anything in all creation — and declares that none of it possesses the power to separate you from God's love. Death itself has been defeated by a risen Savior. Whatever you face today, you face it as someone who cannot be torn from the grip of a God who gave His Son to keep you close.

Attitude/habit to change:

Stop measuring your standing before God by your performance—your successes, failures, guilt, or “how good you’ve been.” Pastor McClellan’s message reminds you that your verdict is not guilty because of Christ, not because of your record.

Practical step this week:

When guilt, fear, or self-condemnation shows up, pause and say: “Christ has taken my condemnation; nothing can separate me from His love.” Then act from that truth—repent where needed, make amends if necessary, but don’t live as though your sin has the final word.

How it reshapes a current challenge:

Whatever situation feels accusing, overwhelming, or hopeless does not define you and cannot separate you from Christ. You can face it with courage and humility—not denying the struggle, but trusting that Jesus’ victory, not your weakness, is the deepest truth about you..

Theme: "In This Hope We Were Saved"

Summary

Pastor Paul Pett's sermon from the Eighth Sunday After  Pentecost explores the Christian hope of Christ's return and the restoration of all creation. Drawing primarily from Romans 8, Pastor Pett emphasizes that present sufferings cannot be compared to the future glory that will be revealed.

The message addresses the tension between our current reality—marked by pain, decay, and the curse on creation—and the promised future of resurrection, transformation, and a new heaven and earth.

The message encourages believers to wait with patience, supported by the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us in our weakness, maintaining hope through having only positive expectations based on God's certain promises.

Key Points

The future glory that awaits believers far outweighs any present suffering, making comparison impossible

All of creation was subjected to God's curse after the Fall and groans for redemption alongside believers

The world's increasing natural disasters and decay reflect the "birth pains" signaling Christ's approaching return

Believers will be transformed in an instant—receiving imperishable, immortal bodies at the sound of the trumpet

Creation itself will be renewed into new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells

While waiting, Christians must exercise patience, even when it's difficult

The Holy Spirit intercedes for believers with groanings too deep for words when we don't know how to pray

Hope means "Having Only Positive Expectations" based on knowing God's plan

The separation of believers from unbelievers will be revealed at Christ's return (wheat/weeds, sheep/goats)

Primary Sermon Text:

Our Epistle Reading for the Fourth Sunday After Pentecost, Romans 8:18-27, was our sermon text.

Other Scripture Explicitly Mentioned:

Genesis 3:16-19 - The curse after the fall (pain in childbirth, cursed ground, thorns and thistles, return to dust)

Matthew 25 - Be prepared for Jesus' coming/Sheep and goats separation

Acts 1:10-11 - "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 - "Listen, I tell you a mystery. Behold, we will not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable... death is swallowed up in victory."

2 Peter 3:13 - "But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

Related Scripture Supporting Sermon Main Themes:

Romans 8:28 - "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good"

Revelation 21:1-4 - New heaven and new earth, no more pain or suffering

Philippians 3:20-21 - Citizenship in heaven, transformed bodies

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - The Lord's return with trumpet call

Hebrews 11:1 - Definition of faith and hope

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

It's so incredible, so amazing, so beyond what we can ever appreciate that it so far outweighs whatever we're suffering in the here and now that you can't make a decent comparison.

God cursed the earth. The world is suffering, and that because of God's curse upon it, and it had nothing to do with it. Who was really at fault? Adam and Eve were.

For we know the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. These destructive acts are increasing both in intensity and frequency.

We know he's returning. We don't know when, but we do know what will happen when he returns because of all the promises he's made.

In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

We are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Everything's gonna be made right. Everything's gonna be put right.

The Spirit helps us in our weakness. The Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Hope means Having Only Positive Expectations. We know what God's got planned. Have only positive expectations knowing what God's got planned.

Tap or click for a printable PDF version of this devotional

Here's a 5-day Bible reading plan and devotional guide based on the themes from Pastor Pett’s sermon from Sunday, July 19, 2026, the Eighth Sunday After Pentecost:

5-Day Devotional: Living in Hope While We Wait

Day 1: The Incomparable Glory Awaiting Us
Reading: Romans 8:18-21
Devotional: Paul declares that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that awaits us. Like an unbalanced scale, the weight of future glory far exceeds any pain we currently endure. This isn't minimizing your struggles—it's magnifying God's promises. The creation itself groans under the curse of sin, subjected to futility not by its own choice but because of humanity's fall. Yet even cursed creation waits eagerly for redemption. When you feel overwhelmed by suffering, remember: what God has prepared is so magnificent that present pain pales in comparison. Your current chapter is not your final story.
Reflection: What suffering are you experiencing today? How does knowing about incomparable future glory change your perspective?

Day 2: Creation's Groaning and Our Shared Longing
Reading: Genesis 3:16-19; Romans 8:22-23
Devotional: When Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground itself. Earthquakes, floods, decay, and death—none of this was part of God's original design. Creation groans like a woman in labor, and we groan along with it. These birth pains increase in both intensity and frequency, signaling that something new is coming. Even as believers with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we experience this inward groaning. It's not a sign of weak faith; it's evidence that the Spirit within us recognizes this world isn't our true home. Your dissatisfaction with brokenness is actually the Holy Spirit affirming that better things are promised.
Reflection: Where do you see evidence of the world's brokenness today? How does this increase your longing for Christ's return?

Day 3: The Certainty of Christ's Return
Reading: Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54
Devotional: Jesus will return the same way He left—visibly, bodily, triumphantly. This isn't wishful thinking; it's certain promise. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, everything changes. The dead will be raised imperishable. Our broken bodies will put on immortality. No more pain, no more surgeries, no more loss. Death itself will be swallowed up in victory. We don't know when this will happen, but we know it will happen. This knowledge transforms how we live today. We're not hoping for what we can see; we're confidently expecting what God has promised. Your faith isn't blind—it's anchored in the resurrection and return of Jesus.
Reflection: What aspect of Christ's return brings you the most comfort? How can this certainty affect your daily choices?

Day 4: Waiting With Patience in Our Weakness
Reading: Romans 8:24-25; 2 Peter 3:13
Devotional: Patience while waiting isn't easy. We're like children asking, "Are we there yet?" on a long journey. Our patience often ranks low on the scale, and that's where the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don't even know what to pray for sometimes, but the Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. The triune God—Father, Son, and Spirit—knows your heart better than you do. He hears your groans, understands your struggles, and sustains you through the wait. New heavens and a new earth are coming, where righteousness dwells. Until then, God's got your back through every moment of impatience and doubt.
Reflection: Where is your patience wearing thin? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you in this specific weakness?

Day 5: Hope: Having Only Positive Expectations
Reading: Romans 8:26-28; Hebrews 11:1
Devotional: Hope isn't wishful thinking—it's having only positive expectations based on God's promises. We know what God has planned because He's told us. The Spirit who dwells in us intercedes according to God's will, and the One who searches hearts knows exactly what the Spirit is saying on our behalf. This means you're never alone in your struggle, never unheard in your groaning, never abandoned in your waiting. God is working all things together for good for those who love Him. Your hope isn't in circumstances improving; it's in the unchanging character and promises of God. Wait on Him with confident expectation.
Reflection: What promises of God anchor your hope today? How can you cultivate "only positive expectations" even in difficult circumstances?

Closing Prayer: Father, thank You that our present sufferings cannot compare to the glory You will reveal. Help us wait with patience, sustained by Your Spirit who intercedes for us. Strengthen our hope as we eagerly await the return of Jesus and the redemption of all creation. In Christ's name, Amen.

In light of this message, what is one specific attitude, behavior, or habit in my daily life that needs to change—and why?

   I need to change the habit of being spiritually complacent—being content that *I* am secure in Christ while not feeling urgency or compassion for those who don’t know Him. Pastor Pett’s message reminds me that love for others should move me to sorrow, prayer, and witness.

What is one practical, doable step I can take this week to live out the main truth of this message in my ordinary routines (work, home, relationships, or decisions)?
 
   Choose one person I know who does not trust in Christ, pray for them daily by name, and look for one natural opportunity to show Christ’s love—through a caring conversation, encouragement, invitation, or simple testimony of what Jesus means to me.

How does this message reshape the way I think about or respond to a current situation, challenge, or relationship I’m facing right now?

   Instead of viewing an unbelieving family member, friend, or coworker with frustration, avoidance, or resignation, I can see them with the compassion Paul and Jesus showed. Their spiritual need is greater than any earthly crisis, so I should respond with patient love, prayer, and a willingness to share the hope of Christ.