The Road of a Lifetime : In the Fast Lane - Matthew 11:25-30 Life Stage: Early Middle Age (Striving)

A Precious Jewel : The Weak Rescued - Matthew 12:22-29

Compared to the strength of the spiritual powers of evil in this world, we are weak. We are vulnerable to the temptations and oppression of the devil and his demons. We are powerless against sin in this world. We are captive to these things, let alone the earthly powers of this world that can harm us. We cannot protect or save ourselves. But Jesus is more powerful than all these things in this world. Jesus is stronger than that which we believe to be strong and powerful in this world. He saves us from our captivity to the darkness of this world, and he has power over Satan and all evil in this world. While we are at the mercy of the devil and evil in this world, Jesus is stronger, he is on our side, and his promises are bigger than the darkness of this world.

A Precious Jewel : Guilty Made Innocent - Colossians 2:13-14

In our Western world, we often seek to maintain our innocence. We try to keep our hands clean. We stay out of trouble so that we can remain innocent. Yet, we all do things that we regret. We all have made mistakes. We are all guilty of sin. Even though we are and still live as sinners, we know we have forgiveness in Jesus. Our sin has been washed away in our baptism. The record of sin against us has been nailed to the cross, where it has been put to death, so that we may live freely without sin! In Jesus and his work on the cross, we have been forgiven of our sin, that we may live freely, without the guilt of our trespasses.

The Road of a Lifetime - Reaching the Destination, 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Psalm 73:26-28, Elderly

The last stage of life is one that we fail to look forward to, and that we often dread. We devalue the elderly and old in our world today, rather than valuing their worth, wisdom, and wellbeing. This is stage where we look back on our lives, reflect, have regrets, and begin to become isolated from the people and things that we love. Rather than enjoying this time and finding fulfillment in it, we fear, dread, and despise it. The reflection stage of life is one that we don't have to dread, but one we can embrace. In this stage, there is still opportunity to serve, wisdom to give, and work to do. There's a lot to look forward to as well. We know what the destination is. It's life with Jesus. We can leave a legacy of faith and a good witness for those who come after us, by embracing this stage, trusting in his promises. As we approach the destination on the road, we do so well, cherishing what we have, serving those we love, and looking forward to life with Jesus.

The Road of a Lifetime : At the Crossroads - Matthew 7:24-27 Life Stage: Middle Age (Crisis)

Life doesn't always go how we plan. Often, the worst possible things seem to happen at the worst possible times. Sometimes, we wake up and we question everything that we've done and that we've worked towards. We ask, "How did I get here? Is this really what I want? What if I had done this or that?" We hit a crisis, a crossroads, and we don't know what to do next. Regardless of whatever crisis you may face, Jesus remains the same. God's word and truth remain the same. If you build upon and rely on him, you can trust in his plan and his purpose for your life. If you build on your plans, goals, desires, etc., you'll eventually reach some kind of crisis, and things will crumble. But if we find our foundation upon the rock of Jesus and his promises, he will support us through anything. In our moments and seasons of crisis, we remember Jesus has brought us this far, he's with us every step of the way, his promises will crumble.

The Road of a Lifetime : In the Fast Lane - Matthew 11:25-30 Life Stage: Early Middle Age (Striving)

You have to reach the next level. You want to move up the ladder. You need to get that raise for your family to achieve their goals. You're behind on your life plan and you need to move up, or find a place you can move up. That new house with the pool is calling your name. If you can resonate with that, you're in the achieving stage of your life, and you are striving for the next best thing to reach your goals. Yet, often we can lose sight of the life God intends for us. In the middle of your striving, remember what God says about you. That he calls you to himself. That you matter, even if you don't hit your quota. Even if you're not where you want to be, God is using you for his purposes, which are greater than your goals. You can rest in God, because in Jesus, you have all that you could ever need. In the midst of your striving, God calls you to keep your goals in perspective, to remember who you are serving, and to rest in Jesus.