What hope do you have in the face of death? Do you have hope for life after death?

Because Jesus rose from the dead, followers of Jesus have resurrection hope in him. We are encouraged that death does not have the last word and we trust there is life after death.

The Apostle Paul encouraged the church in Rome, saying “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11, ESV).

What are the ways that you are being held captive? How do you need to be set free?

God wants to deliver his people from wickedness and evil. God desires to set the oppressed free, to break every bond, and to set his children free.

The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?” (Isaiah 58:6).

How free are you?

Are you still trying to pay an unforgivable debt? Are you still trying to earn the favor of God and others? Are you attempting to make your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds?

How free are you?

If God has set us free from the law and from our earning or achieving our salvation, why would we submit ourselves again to slavery to the law? Why would we submit ourselves again to the bondage of religious ritual?

Whose child are you? Who do you belong to?

We are God’s children. We belong to God.

In his first letter, the Apostle John wrote, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3, ESV).

God loves us so much, he calls us his children. When others may not know us well, we are perfectly loved and known by God and by our brothers and sisters in Jesus.

Who removes the excess weight off of your shoulders? Who helps carry your heavy load?

There are at least two kinds of people in this world: those who weigh others down, create obstacles, and burden other people, and then there are those who help lighten the load of others, ease the burden, and make life easier and more bearable for others.

When the religious leaders, the Judaizers and the Pharisees, wanted to re-institute the law and to make unreasonable and unachievable demands on new Gentile followers of Jesus, the elders stepped in and lifted their crushing demands on the Gentiles joining the church.

Have you ever felt overburdened by other people’s expectations and demands? Have you ever felt crushed by demands and standards you could not keep?

Religious requirements of the law can be overwhelming and can threaten to burden us and even crush us under it’s weight.

We cannot keep up with the demands and the requirements of the law. We simply fall short.

What cares and concerns weigh heavily upon you? Do you have fears and anxieties?

Fear and anxiety go hand in hand. When we are afraid, we feel anxious. When we experience anxieties, we fear the worst. Fear and anxiety feed off of each other.

The word of God calls us to faithful and secure trust in God, which produces the rest and peace of God for the follower of Jesus.

In Moses’s final speech, the book of Deuteronomy, God spoke to his downtrodden people—Israel, saying, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:8, ESV).

Have you asked God for what you need through prayer? Do you believe God will give you what you asked for?

Prayer is asking faithfully. When we come to God in prayer and ask him faithfully to meet our needs, God hears us and will answer us.

In Mark’s Gospel account, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24, NIV).

Jesus wants us to ask him for what we need in prayer, and he also wants us to believe that we have received an answer to our prayer. When we ask faithfully, God answers.

What does following in faith look like for the follower of Jesus? Are you following in faith?

Following in faith is not always simple or clear. To follow in faith requires stepping out into the journey without always being sure of the details, or the final destination or outcome.

Following in faith may look different for different people. However, following Jesus in faith produces life in those who follow him.

In the Apostle John’s gospel, Jesus said this about faith, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38).

Have you considered the real threat and danger of evil? Do you understand you have an enemy that wants to destroy your life?

We must be aware and alert, because we have an adversary who wants to kill, steal, and destroy. We must be watchful, because our enemy wants to devour us.

The Apostle Peter wrote, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9, ESV).

The only way we can stand against the devil is to resist evil and stand firm in our faith.

When should you go to God in prayer? When do you pray? How should you pray? How do you pray? Is there ever a time, or a manner, in which you should not pray to God?

There is never a bad time to pray. God welcomes our prayers, and anticipates that we will pray. Our prayers are welcome anytime.

There are ways to pray that are better than other ways to pray. We should pray, but when we pray it should be done to be heard by God, and not to be seen by others.

Are you surprised when tough times come your way? When life gets difficult, and trouble comes your way, do you find it strange?

Trials and difficulties are a part of living life in a broken and fallen world. We should not be surprised by trials, but we are often caught off guard when life is going well and suddenly hard times come our way.

The Apostle Peter exhorted the early church, saying, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13, ESV).

Have you ever experienced a closeness—an intimacy—so striking that you did not want it to come to an end?

God is present among us, and we can encounter his intimate presence in such a way that we will never want it to end.

The Prophet Jeremiah proclaimed, “You, O Lord, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not leave us.” (Jeremiah 14:9, ESV).

Jeremiah experienced God’s presence in the midst of his people. He experienced belonging to God and being called by God’s name. Jeremiah did not want God’s presence to end—he did not want God to ever leave his people.

What is the work that God has called you to? What are the ways you are called to steadily and steadfastly serve the Lord in his work?

As followers of Jesus, we are all called to do the work of the Lord. We are to always be about doing God’s kingdom work in the world. Our productivity should be abundant—recognizing our work is meaningful and is of eternal consequence.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth, saying, “My beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV).

How does God see his little children? How should God’s children be viewed and considered? How should we revere God’s children and care for and protect them?

Children are not only beloved of God, they are the example for each of us to emulate.

We are to be as dependent and as humble as little children. We are to reflect the trust and innocence of little children. Jesus said we are to become like little children.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus, called to him a child, and put him in the midst of the people and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4, ESV).

What is faithful living? How do we live by faith? How do we daily step out in faith? How do we make wise decisions of faith?

At some point in our journey, we all wonder how we can live faithful and faith—filled lives.

Each of us must wisely discern and consider which steps are the best to take. And many times in life we have to walk by faith.

Sometimes we need to take a “giant leap of faith”. We have to trust God with the unknown and to make the next best decision in a string of decisions and steps into the future.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7, ESV).

Have you ever felt distant or disconnected from God? Have you ever experienced feeling like you were alone—even when you were not?

We can experience loneliness, even when God is nearer to us than we can imagine.

The Psalmist writes, “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works.” (Psalm 73:28, ESV).

It is good to be close to God and to take comfort in the refuge and presence of God.

What captures your attention and your imagination more than anything or anyone else? What do you desire above all else?

Each of us have desires. We desire relationships and we desire material things. Desires are good. God has given us so many good gifts to desire.

Above all else, God has given us the gift of himself and longs for us to desire him above everything and everyone else.

The Psalmist writes, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.” (Psalm 73:25, ESV).

Is the church a place you go to, or is it a people you belong to? Is the church an organization or institution, or is it an organism or a movement of God’s people?

Jesus’ church transcends a building and a steeple. The church is about God’s chosen people. The church is the body of Jesus Christ living kingdom lives and doing God’s kingdom work in the world.

As the Apostle Peter wrote, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9, NIV).

When was the last time you played in the streets? What does it mean to have the privilege and blessing to play in the streets?

There is safety and security in a neighborhood where you can play in the streets. There is a peace and a soundness of mind when we feel we can allow our children to play in the streets.

In the days when God’s people, the Israelites, were threatened by the Babylonians and exiled to a hostile land, God promised salvation and restoration for his people.

God promised he would allow the Israelites the safety, the security, and the peace they needed to live a full and worry-free life, where they could harmoniously grow old and sit and watch the children play in the streets.