Romans 13:1-7

“There is no authority except that which God has established.” When we talk about “godly government” we are not

saying that the only legitimate governments are those who do what is perfectly godly. We are confessing our belief that the King of kings is in perfect control of all the governments of this world, and that he works in all things—including tyrants and dictators—for the eternal good of his dear children.

2 Corinthians 13:14

The Triune God has given you just what you need. His grace. His love. His fellowship. God never gives up on you.

1 Corinthians 12:1-7

We all are given unique gifts to put to use in service to God and those around us. These gifts are all given to us by the Holy Spirit as additional “undeserved, unearned gifts” on top of the already incomparable gift of faith in Jesus we’ve been given by the Spirit. This means you have your own individual niche to fill in God’s kingdom.

Ephesians 1:15-23

Today we celebrate the ascension of Jesus. The fact that Jesus ascended from this world to heaven may not at first seem like a very comforting thought. But Jesus is right where we want him to be—at the right hand of God the Father in complete control over everything for the good of his Church and for you. No matter how out of control life may get, you know the one who saved your soul is still in control.

John 14:15-21

As humans we deal with abandonment issues. People leave us. Sometimes because of death. Sometimes because they move away. Sometimes because they walk out on us. There’s pain and sorrow involved in those events. But Jesus is not going to leave you with abandonment

issues. He isn’t walking out on you. Ever. Listen to his promises today.

John 14:1-11

The gospel is the most inclusive message in the world. The benefits of Jesus’ death and resurrection are meant for every man, woman, and child who ever lived. The gospel is at the same time also very exclusive. It says that salvation can only be found in one place – the person of Jesus Christ. The unbelieving world finds this claim—that Jesus is the only way to salvation—to be the most offensive teaching in all of Scripture. But this is the truth upon which Christ builds his Church. We are saved by Christ alone.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is the most famous Psalm. It offers comfort and encouragement within some of the most beautiful poetry in Scripture. But each time we read Psalm 23 we’re bound to pick up another detail we’ve never caught before.

Our Good Shepherd is with us. And if there’s any doubt about that, Jesus shows us just how masterfully he fulfills every word of this comforting Psalm. Walk along with your shepherd today.

Luke 24:13-35

Heartbreak, of all kinds, will be an ongoing reality in this world but God's Word can be your source of burning hope, just like it was for the Emmaus disciples. If Jesus lives, hope lives. He puts your broken heart back together by rising from the dead and unfolding the great promises of Scripture before you.

1 Peter 1:3-9

If you ask people “do spoilers ruin experiences for you?” the vast majority of people will say, "Yes.” Easter has shown us the ending of the story – of the world’s story and our own stories. And it has done anything but spoil things for us. It’s done the opposite. It’s allowed us to look at everything in a new light, in a hopeful light, even when life gets dark. We’ve been given a whole new perspective on life and death through the risen Christ. These verses from 1 Peter 1 are the perfect place to turn to right after Easter. We get to revisit what Easter means for us going forward. Spoiler alert – it makes everything better.