Every election season, candidates for office hope the perfect campaign slogan will win people’s votes. One leader, however, offers far more than slogans and is looking for far more than our vote. Jesus promises us that in him we find everything we need for this life and eternal life. He calls us to trust and follow him as our Savior and King. This week, Jesus campaigns for a crown by saying, “This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” With these words, Jesus reveals that the way he satisfies our hunger is not by giving us instruction or inspiration. It isn’t by winning earthly power, fame, or wealth and then sharing it with us. Instead, he came to win us life by offering himself to death. In the very same way, he promises us a life that doesn’t avoid the grave but that overcomes the grave.

Every election season, candidates for office hope the perfect campaign slogan will win people’s votes. One leader, however, offers far more than slogans and is looking for far more than our vote. Jesus promises us that in him we find everything we need for this life and eternal life. He calls us to trust and follow him as our Savior and King. This week, Jesus campaigns for a crown by saying, “I am the bread of life.” With this bold declaration about himself, Jesus indicated that he came to do more than satisfy our temporary, earthly appetites. He came to provide life to the full and life for eternity. The deepest hungers of our souls can only be satisfied in him.

Every election season, candidates for office hope the perfect campaign slogan will win people’s votes. One leader, however, offers far more than slogans and is looking for far more than our vote. Jesus promises us that in him we find everything we need for this life and eternal life. He calls us to trust and follow him as our Savior and King. This week, Jesus campaigns for a crown by saying, “Don’t be afraid.” One of the primary jobs of elected officials is to ensure the safety of its citizens. It’s only natural that we expect the same of Jesus, our King. He ensures our safety, however, not by guaranteeing that all danger and evil will be kept away. Rather, he promises that no matter what we might go through, he is with us. He gives us eyes of faith to focus on his presence rather than our circumstances.

Every election season, candidates for office hope the perfect campaign slogan will win people’s votes. One leader, however, offers far more than slogans and is looking for far more than our vote. Jesus promises us that in him we find everything we need for this life and eternal life. He calls us to trust and follow him as our Savior and King. This week, Jesus campaigns for a crown by saying, “You give them something to eat.” It’s common for people to look to their leaders to provide for them. It’s common for leaders to be all-too-eager to make promises to do just that. However, Jesus promises to bless us through others so that we can be a blessing to others. He feeds us all, but he makes use the eyes to see human need and the hands to supply for it.

Every election season, candidates for office hope the perfect campaign slogan will win people’s votes. One leader, however, offers far more than slogans and is looking for far more than our vote. Jesus promises us that in him we find everything we need for this life and eternal life. He calls us to trust and follow him as our Savior and King. This week, Jesus campaigns for a crown by saying, “Come with me.” By nature, we want to be under the rule of no one but ourselves. Jesus, however, sees this desired state of independence as being like a sheep without a shepherd. Thankfully, he not only identifies our need but meets it. He not only tells us we need a shepherd but provides them for his people.

This year’s soccer camp theme was “The Thrill of Victory.” The theme comes from Psalm 149:4: “The LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Just as there are many things that would cause a player, a coach, a team, or a fan the experience of thrill in a soccer game, the Bible tells us what brings thrill to God’s heart. He rejoices when his people are saved. We are his prize. We are his trophy.

Many of our assumptions about the way life is and how the world works need to be cross-examined and corrected. Once his work on earth was complete, Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to do just that—to be his expert witness to expose our false assumptions and set the record straight. This week the Holy Spirit helps us see that offense is actually offense. Wherever the gospel is shared, there will be some who take offense at it. Far from indicating failure, however, that rejection only results in the further spread of the gospel elsewhere. As the devil mounts his strongest resistance to the gospel’s growth, his best efforts only serve to advance Christ’s kingdom.

Many of our assumptions about the way life is and how the world works need to be cross-examined and corrected. Once his work on earth was complete, Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to do just that—to be his expert witness to expose our false assumptions and set the record straight. This week the Holy Spirit helps us see that, in Jesus, death is actually sleep. Our senses and experience tell us that death is final. As a result, we assume our best answer for it is prevention. But Jesus demonstrates that he holds the power over death. As a result, death becomes sleep in him. Instead of death being final, it is only temporary. Whenever our own eyes close for the last time, we rest in the confidence of a glorious resurrection.

Many of our assumptions about the way life is and how the world works need to be cross-examined and corrected. Once his work on earth was complete, Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to do just that—to be his expert witness to expose our false assumptions and set the record straight. This week the Holy Spirit helps us see that when God looks unconcerned, he’s actually in control. Though life is full of storms that far exceed our control and easily become sources of fear, nothing is beyond God’s control. His power is so great that he will often appear unconcerned. In reality, his calm control over every storm of life gives us the ability to calmly cling to his promises in faith.

Many of our assumptions about the way life is and how the world works need to be cross-examined and corrected. Once his work on earth was complete, Jesus sent his Holy Spirit to do just that—to be his expert witness to expose our false assumptions and set the record straight. This week the Holy Spirit corrects our assumptions about what power looks like. The Bible frequently compares the message about Jesus—the gospel—to a seed. Though it looks small, it has the power to bring about tremendous growth and change. As we use the gospel in our own lives and share it with others, we may not always be able to detect what it is doing. We can be confident, however, that it possesses God’s power.