July 2, 2020 – Don’t be afraid

LynnDaily Devotion

The more we read the Gospels—the more we learn about Jesus’ life and ministry—the more awestricken we become. Jesus changed lives. He changed history. He changed everything!

Jesus went head to head with the prince of evil. He descended into darkness to demolish the dungeons of the devil and to free the captives who languished there.

The darkness fought back. Satan tried to suborn him. Sinners tried to defame him. Jesus was under constant attack until the day he died. His victory for us was hard-fought, hard-won, and beyond price.

And now it is ours. It is ours to cherish, ours to celebrate, and ours to proclaim from the housetops!

Jesus warns us to expect the darkness to fight against us, too. They went after Jesus; of course they will come after us. But we don’t have to be afraid. Three times in six verses Jesus says, “Do not fear!” We don’t have to be afraid because God sees everything. We don’t have to be afraid because they cannot touch our soul. We don’t have to be afraid because our heavenly Father watches over us.

When we look forward, we know that we will be walking into the darkness. That’s where the work is. That’s where people are trapped in sin. We see hardship. We see persecution. And, we see the opportunity to confess Jesus. We see the power of the Holy Spirit working through us to rescue people who are languishing in sin. When we look further, we see Jesus standing with us at his Father’s throne in heaven.

Let’s walk together in faith to carry the name of Jesus to souls who are dying without him!

We read from the eye-witness account of Matthew, who wrote as God inspired his every word, chapter 10.

Matthew 10:24–33 (EHV)

24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor is a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher and the servant like his master. If the master of the house was called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

26“So do not be afraid of them, because there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the housetops. 28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

29“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without the knowledge and consent of your Father. 30And even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31So do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.

32“Everyone who confesses me before others, I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. 33But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

God bless you,

Worship at Trinity

Come and worship with us! You can sign up here: https://trinitymarinette.com/events/july-05-06-worship/ or call Pastor or call the church office to let us know which service you prefer. It is wise to wait a bit if you are at risk or would just like to wait for the pandemic to fade. God willing, we will worship together when he ends this plague.

Here is this week’s bulletin: https://trinitymarinette.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2020-06-28-Announcements-The-Fourth-Sunday-after-Pentecost.pdf

If you would like to support the Lord’s work at Trinity, you may contribute at trinitymarinette.com/giving/ or you can mail it to

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church

1501 Thomas St.

Marinette, WI 54143