Time of Grace With Pastor Mike Novotny

After his resurrection, Jesus showed himself to the disciples and helped them to see that the Old Testament prophecies were about him. Then he promised them the gift of the Spirit so that they could go out and tell others about what he had done for the world. Through the Word, Jesus is still helping us to understand the Scriptures. And through the power of the Spirit, he still gives people the courage to speak up about repentance and the need for a Savior but also that because Christ suffered and rose from the dead, forgiveness of sins is ours. And we become part of the communication team for sharing God’s free gift of grace with others. Sometimes we as individuals or congregations get distracted from our main purpose and get caught up in other things, but here Jesus points us to our main mission.

The devil loves to work the conflicts in our lives to cause rifts and problems in our relationships. Then he uses those problems to cause wedges between us and God. Each of us is part of the problem. Our self-centered, sinful selves contribute to the conflicts. James reminds us that because we are redeemed children of God, we lead new lives—lives of service and humble mercy and forgiveness toward others.

As Christians, we are to be careful of how we live, keeping in mind what it means to be a baptized child of God, one who is marked by the Holy Spirit. Because we are God’s, our lives have meaning, and he has a plan for each of us. We are to be filled with the Spirit so that God’s love overflows into caring for and serving others. We are also thankful for the blessings our Father gives us and can approach God in prayer anytime in the name of Jesus.

Through the Holy Spirit, God has given each of us unique gifts for use in his kingdom. As we live our lives, we are to live with a sense of urgency—a sense that Jesus could return at any time. This means we are to be clear and focused in our faith, living self-controlled lives so we can pray for God’s help as we use our gifts to encourage and build up others up. By doing this we keep his Word moving so that others can learn of God’s grace.

We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to convert us from lost creatures to believing children of God. Without him, we would be unable to believe in God’s promises. The Holy Spirit’s power flows through us to transform our lives into lives of faith, empowering us to share the news of Jesus with others.

Pastor Jeske's Mother's Day message reminds us that though we are all sinners, God's love and forgiveness is for all people.

God showed love and forgiveness to Hagar and her son. All of us also need God’s forgiveness, and it is important to keep that in mind and to show the same acceptance and forgiveness to those around us, no matter where they are in their lives.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, it seemed to the disciples that he was leaving them alone, but it was part of God’s plan to spread the gospel. Jesus gave the disciples and us the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom of God’s Word and empower us to be witnesses for him. It is our life’s work to share the message with others and to look forward to the day when Jesus will return again to take us with him to heaven.

God’s plan of salvation is not innate knowledge. It must be revealed to us. We could never come up with a plan as intricate and loving as God’s plan for his Son and for all of us. That knowledge must be revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. He is the one who creates faith in our hearts and shows us that we were created and designed for a purpose, that we are loved and forgiven through Christ. And it is our job to tell others the good news so the Holy Spirit can work in their hearts as well. 

Our faith is centered on Jesus. His death and resurrection give us forgiveness and the sure hope of heaven. God has given us this message in his Word, and because of our joy we know that this news is too good to keep to ourselves. There are many people in the world who don’t have that hope, and God has given each of us the commission to share it with whomever we can. 

Jesus’ bodily resurrection means that we too will be raised in our bodies to a life in heaven. What that means here on earth is that our bodies were designed, created, and meant for service to God. The Holy Spirit created faith in our hearts and now lives in us. We are to honor God with our bodies—as temples of the Holy Spirit.