Moody Media Latest Blog Entries

The Blessings of Being a Citizen

Dr. Philip Miller (media@moodychurch.org) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Happy 250th Birthday, America!

I’ve always loved the 4th of July. As a kid, I looked forward to the Independence Day parade our little town in northeast Ohio had every year. Then there was the cookout in the backyard: hamburgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, corn on the cob, fresh watermelon, and—best of all—s’mores. And finally, fireworks!

But more substantial than all of those fun traditions are, the reality is that life in America has been a tremendous blessing. The freedom to build a life, raise a family, worship God, and live out my faith—that’s a huge privilege, and one many people in this world don’t experience. America has her scars and problems to be sure, but on the whole, I feel like I won the global lottery when I woke up as a US citizen.

And you know what’s even better? In Christ, we are citizens of heaven! In Philippians 3:20 the apostle Paul reminds us: “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” All the blessings of our earthly citizenship will never compare with the glories of what it means to be a citizen of heaven and a member of the family of God from every nation, tribe, language, and people.

So as we celebrate our earthly citizenship as Americans this weekend, let us not forget our true citizenship lies far beyond these borders in a kingdom that shall never pass away. Jesus is King over all nations. And it is in Him that we are loved, more than we know!

Happy Birthday, America!

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Even as a child growing up in Canada, we had respect for the United States. Yes, we were taught to love Canada, but early on we heard about the great and influential country to our south. Little did I know I would eventually attend Dallas Seminary where I would meet my future wife, Rebecca, and we would reside in the Chicago area for essentially the rest of our lives. Since I became an American citizen many years ago, I can say with deep-seated confidence, “I am proud to be an American!”

Rebecca and I, along with our three daughters, paid a visit to Washington D.C. fifty years ago on America’s 200th anniversary. We visited monuments, read the fragments of Scripture on several government buildings, and on our way home, stopped in Gettysburg where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech where he said regarding those buried there, “That these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Yes, I do believe the United States is an exceptional country. America is far from perfect and always will be, but having visited many other countries, I can say there are none as prosperous and free as the United States. America pioneered a revolutionary form of government, creating the world’s first enduring constitution built on the idea that “We the people” have the right to govern through our elected representatives. No other nation in modern history has sent more missionaries or provided more financial support to Christian ministries around the world—building hospitals, orphanages and schools and, most importantly, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Christian Perspective on Our Constitutional Republic

The United States is not a democracy, it is a constitutional republic. That means winning the national popular vote isn’t enough, the candidate must win 270 Electoral College votes. And in my opinion, one of the wisest decisions was to establish a divided government with three equal branches (legislative, executive, and judicial), congressional representatives for each state based on its population, and all states having two senators regardless of the population size.

Thankfully, we do have mechanisms in the Constitution to redress our failures as well as those that allow us to move forward in a positive direction. Benjamin Franklin, answering a question as to the sort of government the delegates of the Constitutional Convention had created replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”[1] He was emphasizing the responsibility of the people, knowing that such a republic could not be kept if our freedoms are misused.

America has always been willing to help other nations when they are in a crisis. A few years ago, Rebecca and I visited the American cemetery in Normandy, France; we also have stood at war monuments in Washington D.C. reminding ourselves of both the high cost of freedom and the unpredictable outcome of foreign wars.

This morning, in my devotional time, I poured out my heart to God on behalf of the United States. We cannot quote the words of John Adams often enough, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.... Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”[2]

Can a Divided America Be Healed?

Today, we are deeply divided morally, politically, religiously; we even disagree on the kind of country we want in the future. The God who has blessed us is also the God who will judge us for forsaking the Judeo-Christian ethos that gave birth to our Constitution. While we acknowledge that we cannot predict our future, we must cry up to God on this special birthday of our country, repenting of our many personal and national sins so that we, by His mercy, might be a country that honors God.

No one knows what happened to Humpty Dumpty, we just know he fell and became unfixable. But a friend of mine added to his story with a challenging outcome:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty back together again.

But then something surprised
All the king’s men.
God’s people bowed down
To repent of their sin.

Strange as it sounds,
And a little bit odd,
A healing occurred
Explained only by God.

Back on the wall,
Humpty took his place.
But it could not have happened
Without seeking God’s face.

So for all God’s people,
There’s a message to heed.
America’s our Humpty,
And to God we must plead.

Shattered, divided
And broken within,
God’s waiting for us
To repent of our sin. [3]

We have much to thank God for as we celebrate our 250th birthday. But only by God’s mercy can we survive, and “under God,” be a beacon of light to the world.

[1] Richard R. Beeman, Ph.D., “Perspectives on the Constitution: A Republic, If You Can Keep It,” National Constitution Center, https://constitutioncenter.org/education/classroom-resource-library/classroom/perspectives-on-the-constitution-a-republic-if-you-can-keep-it.

[2] John Adams, “To The Officers of the First Brigade of the Third Division of the Militia of Massachusetts, 11 October, 1798,” The Online Library of Liberty, https://oll.libertyfund.org/quotes/john-adams-religion-constitution.

[3] Steve Hale, Awakening Now or Never, vol. 1 (Riverstone Press, 2023), 57.

Hands In Harmony

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one. John 10:28–30

D.L. MOODY
These are precious verses to those who are afraid of falling, who fear they will not hold out. It is God’s work to hold. It is the Shepherd’s business to keep the sheep. Whoever heard of the sheep going to bring back the shepherd? People have an idea that they have to keep themselves and Christ too. It is a false idea. It is the work of the Shepherd to look after them and to take care of those who trust Him. He has promised to do it.
A sea captain, when dying said, “Glory to God, the anchor holds.” He trusted in Christ. His anchor had taken hold of the solid Rock.

ERWIN LUTZER
Years ago, I preached a sermon based on John 10 titled, “Held in God’s Hands.” We are in the hands of both the Son and the Father, and no one can snatch God’s sheep out of those hands. “But,” you say, “what about free will? Can’t I pluck myself out of His hands?” It cannot be done, because we are not only held by dual hands, but even more precious, we are His hands! We become “members of his body” (Ephesians 5:30).
God’s sheep are secure, belonging to Him forever. He will see to it that they arrive home to be with Him forever. True children of God might backslide, but they return to the Father having seen the high price they are paying for their sin. No good shepherd arrives at the sheepfold in the evening with fewer sheep than he left with in the morning. The bottom line is this: The basis of our own security is His faithfulness and promises—not our own.

PRAYER
Father, please comfort me by reminding me
that I am one of your sheep. Grant me the gift of assurance.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What fears or lies make it difficult to believe that God will keep you in Him?

In what ways can you open your heart today to receive God’s gift of assurance, based on His faithfulness and promises?

Unshaken Faith

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

D.L. MOODY
A man will not trust strangers. I want to get acquainted with a man before I put my confidence in him. I have known God for forty years, and I have more confidence in Him now than I ever had before; it increases every year. In the Bible, some things that were dark ten years ago are plain today; and some things that are dark now will be plain ten years hence.
We must take things by faith. You take the existence of cities on the testimony of men that have been in those cities; and we ask men to take our testimony, who have found joy in believing.

ERWIN LUTZER
There is compelling evidence that the Bible is the Word of God, but that being said, there are difficulties in the Bible we struggle to understand. As Blaise Pascal would say, there is enough evidence for Christianity for those who are open to belief but also enough darkness for those who are committed to disbelief.
But for those of us who accept the Bible as God’s Word and have come to know Christ, as Moody said, our faith grows year by year. We look back and see what God has done for us; we have experienced His forgiveness and guidance.
I can do no better than to quote the words of David: “One thing have I asked of the LORD that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD” (Psalm 27:4). Day by day and year by year, the longer we walk with God the more we trust Him.

PRAYER
Father, increase the faith and love I have for you.
Let my faith in you be unshaken.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How has your faith in God changed over the years?

When you look back at your own story with God, what is one specific moment where He proved His trustworthiness to you?

If You Believe It, Live It!

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0500

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22

D.L. MOODY
A man may preach with the eloquence of an angel, but if he doesn’t live what he preaches, and doesn’t act upon his faith in his home and his business, his testimony goes for naught, and the people say it is all hypocrisy; it is all a sham. Words are very empty if there is nothing back of them. Your testimony is poor and worthless if there is not a record back of it consistent with what you profess.
What we need is to pray to God to lift us up out of this low, cold, formal state we have been living in, that we may live in the presence of God continually, and that the Lord may lift upon us the light of His countenance, and that we may shine in this world, reflecting His grace and glory.

ERWIN LUTZER
Greek scholars tell us that the word for hearers, which James uses in today’s verse, is a word used for auditors. An auditor is someone who comes to class but doesn’t do any of the assignments, and if he audits all of his classes, he won’t graduate. He’s there just in case there is something interesting for him to learn. Auditors confuse knowing and believing, and are oftentimes deceived because they think to themselves, “I’ve heard the lecture and I’ve attended the class,” and foolishly think they have met all the requirements for success.
Jesus said many would claim to know Him, even citing miracles to prove it, but His response was that He never knew them (see Matthew 7:21–23). Keep in mind, these people actually thought the door of heaven would swing open for them, but instead they discovered it was closed because though they heard the word, they didn’t really believe it; they had no saving faith. They were only auditors.
Let us be hearers and, for the glory of God, also be doers of the Word.

PRAYER
Father, help me to love your word and be changed by it.
May I listen and live what I profess.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What is the danger of being merely a hearer of the Word?

How do we protect ourselves from the trap of confusing consuming Christian content with actual spiritual growth?

The Fruit Of Friendship With Jesus

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22–23

D.L. MOODY
The fruit of the Spirit begins with love.
There are nine graces spoken of, and of these nine, Paul puts love at the head of the list; love is the first thing, the first in that precious cluster of fruit. Someone has said that all the other eight are an outflow from love. Joy is love exulting; peace is love in repose; long suffering is love on trial; gentleness is love in society; goodness is love in action; faith is love on the battlefield; meekness is love at school; and temperance is love in training. So it is love all the way; love at the top, love at the bottom, and all the way along down this list of graces. If we only just brought forth the fruit of the Spirit, what a world we would have! Men would have no desire to do evil.

ERWIN LUTZER
Are you a fruit-bearing Christian? One day, I was talking to a man going blind. He was angry at people, but most of all, he was angry at God. He bitterly told me, “I have always been a self-made man. And now I am going to have to depend upon others.” I tried to encourage him, but later I thought, God can’t use “self-made men.” God only uses “God-made” men. God has to take us as self-made men and women and prune us in order to make us fruit-bearing Christians.
The result of friendship with Jesus is fruit-bearing. Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide” (John 15:16). As Moody reminds us, the fruit that should be most evident is love. And we love Him because He first loved us. With that kind of love, we can even love our enemies!

PRAYER
Father, thank you for calling me your friend and calling me to be a fruit-bearing Christian. May I bring you glory by developing a more intimate relationship with you and loving others even as you love me.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How might God be using this season in your life to prune you so that you can grow more spiritual fruit?

Since your spiritual fruitfulness is a reflection of your proximity to Jesus, how would you describe the current state of your daily walk and intimacy with Him?

Paradise Express

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. Romans 4:5

D.L. MOODY
The thief had nails through both hands, so he could not work; and a nail through each foot, so he could not run errands for the Lord. He could not lift a hand or a foot toward his salvation, and yet Christ offered him the gift of God, and he took it. He threw him a passport, and took him with Him into paradise.

ERWIN LUTZER
Look again at this remarkable conversion story—the thief on the cross. One of the criminals who hung there, hurled insults at Jesus. “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us.” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly for weare getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong” (see Luke 23:39–41). It’s no accident Jesus hung on the middle cross between two thieves.

He hung there as a dividing symbol of the whole human race between those who believe and those who mock. The thief who believed was probably as wicked as the thief who did not, but that was not important in his dying moment. The issue was which one looked to Christ as Savior. Can you imagine this thief arriving in heaven to dine with Christ that very evening! If he is asked how he got there, all he can say is, “The man on the cross gave me permission to come.” As Moody said, Jesus threw him a passport and took him with Him to Paradise! And that is all that we can say when we arrive at heaven’s doorstep: The man on the cross gave us permission to enter the divine sanctuary of eternity. What a Savior!

PRAYER
Father, I thank you for the gift of saving faith. I thank you that this thief, in his dying moments, looked to Christ as King, and though his faith was meager, it was sufficient. Grant me such a gift of faith that I, too, might be welcomed into your presence.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What does the story of the thief on the cross tell us about the nature of the Gospel?

Read Ephesians 2:8-10. What do you contribute to your salvation, and what is the result of our salvation?

Heaven, The Choir Room Of God

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Colossians 1:3, 5

D.L. MOODY
A great many persons imagine that anything said about heaven is only a matter of speculation. They talk about heaven much as theywould about the air. Now there would not have been so much in Scripture on this subject if God had wanted to leave the humanrace in darkness about it. “All scripture,” we are told, “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2Timothy 3:16–17). What the Bible says about heaven is just as true as what it says about everything else. The Bible is inspired. What we are taught about heaven could not have come to us in any other way than by inspiration. No one knew anything about it but God,and so if we want to find out anything about it we have to turn to His Word.

ERWIN LUTZER

There is much we could say about heaven, but I will focus on one aspect: In heaven, the worship of God will be ongoing. We can prepare for heaven while on Earth by worshiping the Lord. “Ascribe to the LORD the glory duehis name” (1 Chronicles 16:29). Just read the book of Revelation and you will find praise and worship directed toGod sung by angels and yes, sung by us. So, prepare for heaven now by worshiping God today. If you are looking for help, just read Revelation 5:9–14.

Let me repeat: The best preparation for heaven is to worship God well on Earth.

PRAYER
Father, may I praise and glorify your name through my submission and my worship.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Why do you think we will be worshiping God nonstop in the eternal state?

In what area of your life can you proclaim God’s worth more intentionally?

Runaway Fear

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Those who look to him are radiant. Psalm 34:5

D.L. MOODY

If you want to scatter your doubts, look at the blood; and if you want to increase your doubts, look at yourself. You will get doubts enough for years by being occupied with yourself only a few days.

ERWIN LUTZER
Conflict with doubt. Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to slide into despair? And when we’re indespair, it’s very easy for us to make a mistake or a wrong decision in a panic. In the Old Testament, David is painted very realistically. In fact, there are lessons we have to learn from his life because of his failures and his backslidings.

Visualize this: David is on the run from Saul when he comes to Ahimelech the priest and lies to get some food (1 Samuel 21). He told Ahimelech that he was on assignment for the king. He then asks for a weapon that he might do the king’s will. The priest believes the lie and then David acts on that lie. He actually takes up residence in the territory of the Philistines! Think of it: Here is David, the man who killed Goliath, choosing to make his bed in enemy territory. Fear made him backslide.

The point: Discouragement and fear can weigh us down and destroy our faith. We risk the danger of ending up in enemy territory if we look around us rather than look upward to God. Giant slayers have fallen into sin because they stopped trusting and started running in the wrong direction.

PRAYER
Father, keep my eyes focused on you.

Let my faith in you cast out fear as I meditate on your promises.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How can you recognize when fear is driving you towards "enemy spaces"?

Read Matthew 6:25-34. Why can you look up to God in trust?

Joyful Harvest

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:3

D.L. MOODY
There is more than one kind of joy; there is the joy of one’s own salvation. I thought, when I first tasted that, it was the most delicious joy I had ever known and that I could never get beyond it. But I found, afterward, there was something more joyful than that: the joy of the salvation of others. Oh, the privilege, the blessed privilege, to be used of God to win a soul to Christ, and to see a man or woman being led out of bondage by the gospel we shared. To think that God should condescend to allow us to be coworkers with Him! It is the highest honor we can have. It surpasses the joy of our own salvation, this joy of seeing others saved, and walking in the truth.

ERWIN LUTZER
As a pastor, I have heard reports from people who have gone into a neighborhood to share the gospel. When they return, they excitedly tell of how they led someone to Christ. Even though they’ve had a busy day, their countenance reflects their joy. They themselves are so thrilled when they realize that God used them to share a message of transformation with a needy sinner. One of the blessings I had as a pastor was to baptize others. I was exhilarated when I saw new converts weep with joy, hugging one another and sharing their newfound sense of belonging in the family of God.
Moody often spoke of the joy he experienced when he saw sinners converted. These new converts renewed his determination to preach only the gospel. What a blessing it is to be used by God to bring others to Him.

PRAYER
Father, I make myself available for you to use to advance the gospel. I long for the special joy of leading others to faith in Christ.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Why do you think believers experience joy when they are used by God to bring others to faith?

Why do you think God allows us to partner with Him in ministering to others?

From First Best to Second Best

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. Hebrews 3:19

D.L. MOODY
When the Israelites first came out of Egypt, God would have led them right up into the land of Canaan if it had not been for their accursed unbelief. But they desired something besides God’s Word, so they were turned back and had to wander in the desert for forty years. I believe there are thousands of God’s children wandering in the wilderness still. The Lord has delivered them from the hand of the Egyptian and would, at once, take them through the wilderness right into the Promised Land if they were only willing to follow Christ. Christ has been down here and has made the rough places smooth and the dark places light and the crooked places straight. If we will only be led by Him right into the land of promise, all will be peace and joy and rest.

ERWIN LUTZER
When the Israelites refused to obey God and were condemned to wander in the wilderness, they later regretted their decision. They experienced what we could call the “second best.” Does this mean God forsook them and said, “Well, you know, you made your own bed, you have to lie in it”? No, God blessed them even while they were being disciplined in the desert. God still gave them guidance through the cloud and the pillar of fire. He also gave them manna every morning.
Have you made a bad decision in the past and still experience the painful consequences? God is able to meet us in our wilderness, in the midst of a waisted life, or a life that has been ruined by others. God comes to help, to encourage, and to forgive.
Cry up to God in your wilderness; call upon Him, for He is near. He does not forsake us in the desert, but provides an oasis, a place of rest and blessing. You can’t redo the past, but your future can still be blessed. God is the God of second chances.

PRAYER
Father, help me in my unbelief; graciously provide an oasis in the desert of my experience.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
When has unbelief stopped you from following God’s will. Why did you not trust God in that moment?

How have you seen God use the second best that you chose to still bless you and others?

No One More Trustworthy

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

D.L. MOODY
This is the biblical definition of faith. The best definition I ever saw outside the Bible is: Dependence on the veracity of another. In other words, Faith says Amen to everything that God says. Faith takes God without any “If’s.” If God says it, Faith says, “I believe it;” Faith says Amen to it.

ERWIN LUTZER
Virtually every test we encounter in the Christian life comes down to two questions. First: “Is God trustworthy?” The second question is: “Will I sincerely trust Him?” Our temptation is to trust ourselves rather than God. We tell ourselves that sinning is preferable to obedience; we tell ourselves that God will not help us so we have to bear our own burdens. Everything comes down to a matter of trust. Let’s face it: There are very few events we are able to control. God has our future in His hands, we don’t. Can we trust Him?
Abraham was told by God that he would not only receive the land, it would be his and his offspring’s forever. Abraham and Sarah were already beyond the point to bear a child and so they were driven by this question: “How is God going to do it?” Abraham wavers; he can’t wait for the child of promise. So, he has a child by their Egyptian servant named Hagar—which had devastating consequences for 4,000 years (Genesis 16:1–6). Yet despite those lapses in faith, we read that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3). Ultimately, Abraham was absolutely convinced that whatever God said, God could perform. Sometimes we have to believe even though we don’t know how God is going to do it.

PRAYER
Father, thank you that you keep your covenants and are faithful when I am not. When my faith wavers, uphold me.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Does the story of Abraham comfort you when you reflect on what it means to have faith and trust in God? Explain your answer.

Has God ever shown Himself to not be trustworthy in your life?

The Old Is Passed, The New Has Come

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable. 1 Peter 1:23

D.L. MOODY
God has not only adopted us, but we are His by birth: we have been born into His kingdom. My boy was as much mine when he was a day old as now that he is fourteen. He was my son; although it did not appear what he would be when he attained manhood. He is mine; although he may have to undergo testing under tutors and governors. The children of God are not perfect; but we are perfectly His children.

ERWIN LUTZER
The topic of God’s special relationship to you is the best news you will ever hear. Since all who trust Christ belong to God, there are many promises we can claim. Just as Moody mentioned, we belong to God because we are born again. Let’s take just one promise given to us as His child and consider what it means for us.
You’ve read it before, but reread it, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Read the verses that follow and you will discover that we are a part of God’s eternal purposes. Paul says God foreknew us, He calls and justifies us, and in His mind, we are already glorified! (see Romans 8:28–30). God says, “It’s a finished process.” In the meantime, He is conforming us to the image of Christ.
There are times when we need to put away all distractions and quietly concentrate on who we are in Christ. We don’t have to understand all of God’s ways in order to know that we belong to Him, and anything He ordains for us is just and good. To be a son or daughter of God is the highest privilege; it is to join a family on Earth that will be glorified in heaven.

PRAYER
Father, thank you for remembering me; you know my name. Thank you for adopting me into your family.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How does thinking about God’s love for you since before the creation of the world make you want to act?

What can you do to remind yourself of yourself of this truth when you doubt your salvation?

The Greatest in Heaven

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Do good…expecting nothing in return. Luke 6:35

D.L. MOODY
Love never looks to see what it is going to get in return. I have generally found that those workers who are looking to see how much they are going to get from the Lord are never satisfied. But love does its work and makes no bargain.

ERWIN LUTZER
All of us have aspired to greatness. We would like to be remembered for doing something significant. That desire for significance is actually God-given because God put eternity in our hearts. In our fallenness, we look for significance in all the wrong places—and that’s a problem.
Mark records, “James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’” “And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory’” (Mark 10:35, 37).
It’s very interesting to notice that, when the other ten disciples heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. Jesus called His disciples to Him and reminded them that greatness in the kingdom of heaven is measured by service. To be first in God’s kingdom is to be last. “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Let’s admit that, like James and John, we find it difficult to rejoice over those who seemingly have been blessed more than we have. From my heart to yours, let us rejoice for any part we have been given in the vineyard of the Lord, however small it might be; and if others receive greater rewards, let us rejoice as if their reward is our own. Let us serve with joy, not for what we shall receive in return but for the privilege of serving the One we love.

PRAYER
Father, grant me opportunities to serve others in humility and love, and to rejoice for victories achieved by others.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How often do you put yourself in a position where you are able to serve others?

Why do you think those who serve will be first in the kingdom of heaven?

Built on Peace

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer (media@moodychurch.org) — Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0500

But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. Isaiah 57:20

D.L. MOODY
The only thing that can keep us from peace is sin. God turns the way of the wicked upside down. “There is no peace unto the wicked,” says God (Isaiah 48:22). They are like the troubled sea that cannot rest, casting up filth and mire all the while; but peace with God by faith in Jesus Christ, peace through the knowledge of forgiven sin is like a rock—the waters go dashing and surging past, but peace remains.

ERWIN LUTZER
Everybody wants peace, but there are certain thieves that rob us of our peace. I’m talking about guilt, self-hatred, anger, and jealousy; those inner sins of the spirit steal our peace. Then there are outward things like financial struggles and conflict with people that also rob us; perhaps you even have a person in mind right now who has robbed you of peace. Bitterness robs us of peace.
We need to renew our faith in the gospel of peace. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:13–14). It’s not just that He brings peace. He is peace. You see, the good news of the gospel is, “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Jesus brings peace because He is peace; He is also the only one who can bring peace between you and God. Moody frequently returned to the topic of peace, and for a good reason: We need to be reminded that peace is available to those who come to God. Our burdens must be transferred from our shoulders to Christ who cares for us.

PRAYER
Father, may I be given grace to cast my burdens unto your shoulders and receive the gift of peace.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Is anything stopping you from living in the peace of the Gospel?

What are the results of living in God’s peace?