By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

A Warm Spot by the Fire

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking this SoundCloud link.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” 
Ephesians 4:32 English Standard Version

How does church feel to you?  Is it a place of warmth and love, compassion and forgiveness?  Or is it a place of coldness and judgment, distance and legalism?  If church should be family, brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, what kind of family does it look like to you?

One of my wonderful memories of growing up on a farm in Oregon is coming in from the cold and rain and gathering around a warm fire.  An even warmer memory was the love of Jesus that we shared with one another, a love that was kind and tender, forgiving and compassionate.

Our Lord Jesus came into this cold, sinful world and sacrificed Himself so that we would not be “out in the cold”, separated from God.  He died on the cross so that the warmth of God’s love could thaw out our cold, sinful hearts and we could be gathered together with our Lord and the whole family of Jesus forever.

And our mission is to bring other people into that circle of God’s forgiveness and warmth, to bring the hope and joy of Jesus into the most hopeless and grieving lives.   You can bring the warmth of Jesus’ love and compassion into every relationship that you have.  Because Jesus has loved you, you can love others and share His forgiveness and peace, especially where there is abandonment and pain and hurt.

Lord, send Your Holy Spirit to me that I might share the warm love of Jesus with everyone that I meet.  Thank you for loving and forgiving me so that I can be in your family forever!  Amen.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado