WELS Family Devotion

This World Isn’t Our Forever Home – July 4, 2025


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Read: Luke 9:51-62

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51

This World Isn’t Our Forever Home

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“I wish this vacation would never end! Can we stay here forever?” Ryleigh and her family had such a great time on their trip. They saw the beauty of God’s world, visited their favorite theme park, and had so much fun together. But today was the last day of vacation. Tomorrow, they had to go back home. Ryleigh sighed. “I don’t want it to end.” Her dad smiled and said, “We’ve had a great time. But remember—this isn’t our home. We can’t stay here forever.”

Jesus had a moment like that, too. One day, he stood on a mountaintop with his disciples. His face and clothes shined with glory, it was amazing! Peter got so excited that he offered to build little houses so they could stay up there forever. But that wasn’t the plan. This world wasn’t Jesus’ home. He had something very important—and very hard—to do first.

Jesus left the mountain and headed toward Jerusalem. There, he would be arrested, hurt, and nailed to a cross. It was going to be painful. But Jesus was determined to go, because he knew this was how he would save us. Three days after he died, he came back to life! Then, later, he went back to his real home—heaven.

This world isn’t our forever home either. We have lots of fun here. We laugh with family, enjoy good food, and play with friends. But sometimes, following Jesus is hard. Some people don’t want to hear about him. Others might tease us or treat us badly. And sometimes, we have to give up things we really like so we can stay close to Jesus.

In moments like that, it helps to remember: This world is not our forever home. We’re just passing through. One day, Jesus will take us to live with him in heaven forever.

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for all the blessings we enjoy in this world. But help us remember that the best is still coming—our forever home with you. Keep our eyes on you and help us follow you every day. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

  • What’s your favorite place you’ve ever gone to?
  • Where did Jesus go after he came back to life?
  • Questions for Elementary Age Children

    • What do you love most about life here on earth?
    • Why is it good to remember that this world isn’t our forever home?
    • Questions for Middle School and Above

      • Can you think of a time when following Jesus was hard for you? (How does remembering heaven help you in that moment?)
      • What do you think the phrase means: “I’m just a visitor here; heaven is my real home”?
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        Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship.
        This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
        All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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