Jesus promises eternal life to all who stand firm in their faith.

Stand firm, and you will win life. Luke 21:19 (TNIV)

A Prayer for the Week:
O God, help us not to become tired of doing good. Lead us to make the most of each day to serve you and others. Amen. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

Mealtime Prayer:
Thank you God for the food you send. Keep us in faith until the end. Amen.

A Blessing to Give:
May God make you strong in your faith and give you wise words to speak. Amen. (Luke 21:15,19)

CARING
CONVERSATION
Discuss in your household or small group:
• What is a hope you have for the future?
• What is a fear you have about the future?
• It has been said: “We don’t know what the future holds, but we know
who holds the future.” What does this say to you?
• What promises does Jesus give to us about the future? (Look up Luke 21:19.)

DEVOTIONS
Isaiah 65:17 says that God will “create new heavens and a new earth.” Verses 24-25 of that chapter describe a new place where “the wolf and the lamb will eat together and the lion will eat straw like the ox.” Share your personal “pictures of heaven” with each other by completing this sentence, “I picture heaven as a place where ...” Draw or paint these images and display them in your home with the words of Isaiah 65:17a.

SERVICE
In Luke 21, Jesus warns that some Christians will face persecution because they follow him. This is the case today in various parts of the world. Pray this week for:
• Christians in North Korea. In this country, following Jesus is considered an act of treason, and Christians face the real threat of imprisonment and even execution.
• Christians in Sudan, Nigeria, Iraq, various parts of Indonesia, India and Pakistan. Many Christians in these areas live in fear of being physically attacked by followers of other religions.
• Christians in China. House churches in China face the constant threat of raids from government authorities who have imprisoned many church leaders. Got to www.persecution.org for updated reports about the persecution of Christians across the world.

RITUALS AND TRADITIONS
Psalm 98:7-9 calls on all of creation to “sing before the Lord.” Go on a walk or a drive and make a list of all the sounds of nature you identify. Then, write your own version of Psalm 98:7-9, mentioning the various nature sounds you heard.

DAILY BIBLE READINGS
These readings are related to the Lectionary readings for this Sunday.
We invite you to take time each day to read the assigned Bible passages.
Sunday Luke 21:5-19 Suffering for Jesus’ sake
Monday Luke 21:25-36 The coming of the Son of Man
Tuesday Exodus 14:10-31 Stand firm
Wednesday 2 Chronicles 20:1-4, 14-17 Do not be afraid
Thursday 1 John 4:1-6 Do not believe every spirit
Friday Jude 17-23 A call to persevere
Saturday Psalm 141 God is my refuge
Sunday Luke 23:33-43 Christ the crucified king