WELS Family Devotion

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WELS Family Devotions

  1. 8h ago

    The Lord’s Sorrowful Love Song – October 5, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261005fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Isaiah 5:1-7 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Isaiah 5:4 The Lord’s Sorrowful Love Song In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Music moves people. A song can make you want to dance, or cheer (like a jock jam in your school gym), or cry (like a song about love and loss and a broken heart). Music moves people. In Isaiah 5, we get to hear a song from the Lord himself. It’s a love song about his “vineyard,” but with a sad twist. Listen to what made the Lord’s song so sad. The Lord had set his vineyard up for success. He planted it in a fertile place. He cleared out the stones, planted good vines, and built a watchtower. He even made a place to press the grapes. Those vines needed nothing more. The expectation was for those vines to do the only thing that grapevines do: produce fruit. The Lord looked for good grapes. Instead, he found bad ones. Isaiah tells us what the song means: the vineyard was God’s people, Israel. God had cared for them, but instead of doing what was right, they hurt others. This song isn’t about a bad grape harvest; this song is about God’s broken heart because his people wouldn’t love him back. We aren’t Old Testament Israelites, but hasn’t our God given us everything we need for body and soul, too? We must confront the “elephant in the vineyard,” and ask: When have I failed to love God or treat others as he wants me to? The Lord has every right to call our sin what it is. He has the right to sing a sad lament. Thank God, this is not the end of the song! The solo voice of Jesus sings another stanza. He sings the song of our salvation—how he carried all our bad fruit or lack of fruit. He carried our pride about any of our good fruit to the cross. He died to forgive us and rose on Easter—that’s music to our ears! As we hear the song of our Savior, what he has done, the Holy Spirit grows faith in us and helps us show his love to others. That is a song worth singing! Prayer: Lord Jesus, you took upon yourself all of our failures. Forgive me when I fail to love you and others. By your Holy Spirit help me bring forth the good fruits of faith. In your name. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children What’s your favorite happy song? Sad song? What fruit did the owner hope to find on his vines? What did he find instead? Questions for Elementary Age Children Name two things the owner did to care for his vineyard. Name two things Christians can do to care for their faith. Questions for Middle School and Above Isaiah says God looked for justice but found people hurting one another (verse 7). Where might you see that kind of difference between what God wants and what people do today? Why can you admit your “bad fruit” honestly to God? How does Jesus’ death and resurrection change what you want to do next? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  2. 3d ago

    Jesus Wants More Than to Win – October 2, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261002fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Matthew 21:23-32 [Jesus said] “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus Wants More Than to Win In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Locked in a battle of wills with a stubborn young child or teenager, more than a few parents have said—or at least thought—“You don’t get to win today!” Parents sometimes need to stand firm. Yet those tense situations can quickly change from loving correction into a stubborn contest. What began as an effort to guide a child becomes more about winning the argument. Jesus’ tense conversation with the religious leaders was different. It happened during Holy Week, just days before Jesus would go to the cross. Jesus was teaching in the temple when the religious leaders challenged him: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Matthew 21:23). Jesus answered their challenge with a question about John the Baptist. The leaders knew that admitting John had been sent by God would also express their refusal to believe his message. They were more concerned about protecting themselves than listening to God. Jesus then told them about two sons. One son told his father, “No,” but later changed his mind and obeyed. The other said, “Yes,” but never went. The religious leaders said the right things about God, but they refused to repent and believe. Meanwhile, people known for openly sinful lives heard God’s warning, repented, and believed his promise. Jesus was not trying to outsmart the religious leaders or win an argument. He wanted to break through their stubbornness. He wanted them to recognize his authority, repent, and receive the forgiveness he would soon win on the cross. We can be like both sons. Sometimes we openly resist what God says. Other times we say the right words while stubbornly doing what we want. We need Jesus to expose our stubborn hearts and turn us back to him. Jesus wants more than to win an argument with us. He wants to win us back. He speaks with God’s authority because he is God. He uses his Word to turn us from stubborn sin to the forgiveness he freely gives. Because his love does not change, he keeps calling us to repent and believe. Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you speak with the authority of God because you are God. Forgive us for saying “yes” with our mouths but “no” in our hearts. Break through our stubbornness. Turn us by your Word and love to repentance and faith. Help our family to repent, trust your forgiveness, and gladly follow you. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Which son eventually did what his father asked? What does Jesus want us to do when we have sinned? Questions for Elementary Age Children Why is it easier to say the right thing than to do it? How can pride or stubbornness keep someone from admitting that God’s Word is right? Questions for Middle School and Above Why was Jesus’ goal more than simply winning his argument with the religious leaders? How does knowing that God’s love does not change help you when you struggle with stubbornness, sin, or admitting you are wrong? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  3. 5d ago

    The Lord Who Chose to Serve – September 30, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260930fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Philippians 2:1-11 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Philippians 2:3-8 The Lord Who Chose to Serve In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. What a beautiful instruction! Paul tells us, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). Can you imagine what life would be like if we always treated one another that way? Instead of scrambling to be first, we would gladly serve others. That sounds wonderful, but everyday life reveals our sin. In our families and with our friends, we often want to be first. We want others to serve us, listen to us, forgive us quickly, and notice the nice things we have done. Instead of having the mind of Christ, our sinful minds turn inward and focus on ourselves. God’s law acts like a mirror. It shows us our pride and selfishness—not to make us despair of God’s mercy, but to lead us to repentance. We can say honestly, “Lord, I have not loved my family as you have loved me. I have been proud, selfish, impatient, and slow to forgive.” Repentance is not pretending our sin is small. It is agreeing with God that our sin is real and trusting in his mercy. Philippians 2 does not end with our failure. God’s Word lifts our eyes to Jesus. The Son of God humbled himself for proud sinners. He became a servant for people who want to be served. He obeyed perfectly in our place. Then he carried all our selfishness, pride, anger, and impatience to the cross. Jesus, the Lord of all, chose to serve us by giving his life for us. The Father then raised and exalted him. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We do not confess our sins to convince God to be gracious. God has already shown us his grace in Christ. Because Jesus has forgiven us, we can admit when we are wrong. We can forgive one another. We can put aside our pride and serve someone else. What a beautiful way to live! How can we express it in even the smallest and simplest of ways? May the Lord who chose to serve us now give us humble, loving hearts that choose to serve others. Prayer: Lord Jesus, you humbled yourself and died for us. Forgive our pride and selfishness. Forgive us for your sake. Give our family humble hearts that gladly serve others. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children How did Jesus serve and save us? What are some examples of humility that Jesus showed on the day he was crucified either in his words or actions? Questions for Elementary Age Children The mirror of God’s law shows our sin. What does God’s law show us about our pride and selfishness? How does forgiving someone, like a sibling or friend, place their needs before ours? Questions for Middle School and Above How are humility and repentance connected? Think of a recent situation that might have gone differently if you had put another person’s interests before your own. What could you have done? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  4. Sep 28

    Don’t Blame Others – September 28, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260928fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: “‘The parents eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. The parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die. “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! Ezekiel 18:1-4,30,32 Don’t Blame Others In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. You can’t blame others for the wrong things you do. Well, that isn’t entirely true. You can—and you do. We all do. It sounds like, “They started it.” Or, “She was frustrating me.” Or maybe, “What they did was far worse.” When we are caught sinning, we naturally make excuses. We quickly point a finger at a sibling, friend, parent, or even a teacher. When we blame others, we are doing what sinners have done since sin first entered our world. When God asked Adam if he had eaten fruit from the one tree in the garden he was not supposed to eat from, Adam’s response was to blame someone else. “The woman you put here with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (Genesis 3:12). The Israelites in Ezekiel’s day had a similar attitude. “The parents eat the sour grapes and the children’s teeth are set on edge” was their way of saying, “Our problems are our parents’ fault.” Point the finger. Shift the blame. Excuse your sin. That attitude probably feels familiar. Through the prophet Ezekiel, our just and loving God tells us to stop blaming and start confessing. In Sunday worship, we admit, “I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved others as I should. We have done those things that we should not have done, and we have not done those things which we should have done.” No blaming others. We honestly confess it to our holy God. Why does God call us to repent? Because he doesn’t want sin to destroy us. He says, “I take no pleasure in the death of anyone . . . repent and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32). God wants us to confess our sins and receive the forgiveness Jesus won for us by his perfect life and innocent death. Jesus accepted the blame and punishment for every sin—even the sins for which we blame others. So when you do something wrong, you don’t need to hide behind an excuse. Confess it. Jesus has taken your blame away. You are forgiven! Now live freely and confidently as God’s forgiven child. Prayer: Dear God, forgive us for blaming others instead of confessing our sins. Help us to live in faithful confidence of our forgiveness. Thank you for your faithful love that never fails. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children What should you do when you have done something wrong? God forgives us not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has already done. How does that make you feel? Questions for Elementary Age Children Why are we sometimes tempted to blame someone else for what we did? How does knowing Jesus forgives you help you tell the truth? Questions for Middle School and Above What excuses are you most tempted to make when you are confronted about a sin? How does God’s forgiveness give you the freedom and confidence to accept responsibility? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  5. Sep 25

    More Than Fair – September 25, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260925fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Matthew 20:1-16 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? Matthew 20:15 More Than Fair In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. What would you buy if you had eight billion dollars? A mansion? A private airplane? An entire amusement park? Chuck Feeney had that much money. But instead of spending it on himself, he quietly gave more than eight billion dollars away. He helped build hospitals and schools and helped people around the world. After giving away nearly all his fortune, the former billionaire didn’t even own a home. He lived in a rented apartment. Chuck Feeney was amazingly, extraordinarily, unbelievably generous. The owner of the vineyard in Jesus’ story was amazingly, extraordinarily, and unbelievably generous. At first, he seemed like an ordinary boss. He promised to pay his workers a fair wage. But at the end of the day, workers who had labored for only one hour received a full day’s pay. That frustrated those who had worked all day in the hot sun. But the owner had not cheated them. They received exactly what he had promised. He simply decided to be amazingly generous with the workers hired last. Sometimes a person follows Jesus throughout life, while someone else lives far from God but is brought to faith near the end of life. It can seem unfair that both receive the same eternal life. We are tempted to think: “We followed you all these years, Jesus, and they didn’t. That’s unfair!” It may feel unfair, but God has not taken anything away from us. He is simply being amazingly generous with them. Even Christians who go to church every Sunday haven’t earned heaven. Believing in Jesus for many years does not make us more deserving than someone brought to faith near the end of life. We have all sinned and deserve God’s punishment. The only reason any of us can go to heaven is God’s undeserved generosity. He gave his own Son for us. Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live and died the innocent death that saved us. In him, God gives us forgiveness and eternal life as a gift. God is amazingly generous to those who come to believe at the end of their lives. Celebrate God’s generosity when he brings someone to faith—even at life’s last hour. God gives every believer more than what is fair! Prayer: Dear God, thank you for being amazingly, extraordinarily, and unbelievably generous to us. Help us celebrate when you show that same generosity to others. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Did the workers hired last receive less money or the same amount as the others? Why were the workers who worked all day upset? Questions for Elementary Age Children How would you have reacted if you were one of the guys who worked all day? In what ways has God been amazingly, extraordinarily, and unbelievably generous with you? Questions for Middle School and Above Why shouldn’t it frustrate us when people who did terrible things or never went to church in their lives repent at the very end of their lives and believe in Jesus? If someone can be saved near the end of life, why is it foolish to plan on rejecting God now and repenting later? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  6. Sep 23

    Bigger Than Our Brains – September 23, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260923fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Romans 9:6-16 What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. Romans 9:14-16 Bigger Than Our Brains In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Dogs are smart animals. They can understand simple commands like sit, roll over, and lie down. They understand when you tell them it’s time to eat or time to go outside. A dog learns to depend on its owner for food, protection, and care. But have you ever tried to teach your dog algebra? He’ll tilt his head, stare at you blankly, or jump up and lick your face. Compared to our brains, dogs’ brains are much smaller and simpler. Even the best-trained dog cannot understand everything its loving owner does. Its owner understands things that are simply too big for the dog’s brain. In today’s reading, the apostle Paul talks about something our brains can’t fully understand: Why do some people believe in Jesus while others reject him? The Bible gives us two clear answers. First, nobody gets to go to heaven because they have earned it or deserved it. We can’t work our way to heaven. It is only because of Jesus that we can go to heaven. We are saved only because of God’s mercy. God’s mercy is his forgiving love. God loves all people. Jesus died for all people and offers forgiveness and heaven to all people. So, why do some people believe while others reject God’s promise? Here is the second clear answer: when someone is saved, God gets all the credit. When someone rejects Jesus, that person is responsible. We must not change either truth to make them fit neatly inside our minds. Just as people understand far more than dogs do, God’s understanding is infinitely greater than ours. We can’t understand everything God has revealed about himself. But we can trust everything he says because he never lies or makes a mistake. Your faith is not something you earned or created. God brought you to Jesus through his Word and Baptism. He gave you his promises and made you his child. Your salvation does not rest on how smart, strong, or faithful you are. It rests entirely on God’s mercy. Some truths about God are bigger than our brains—but his promises are always big enough to trust. Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for giving me faith and saving me by your mercy. When your Word is bigger than my brain, help me humbly trust everything you say. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children What are some things a dog can understand? What is something it can’t understand? Who loves you, forgives you, and brings you to Jesus? Questions for Elementary Age Children What is God’s mercy? Why can’t we earn our way to heaven? Questions for Middle School and Above If someone is saved, who receives all the credit? If someone rejects Jesus, who is responsible? What should you do when something in the Bible is bigger than your brain and you cannot fully understand it? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  7. Sep 21

    When Mercy Makes You Mad – September 21, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260921fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Jonah 3:10–4:11 The LORD replied [to Jonah], “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jonah 4:4 When Mercy Makes You Mad In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jonah was acting like a baby. He sat outside Nineveh on the desert sand, crossed his arms, and pouted. He was angry that God had spared the city. Jonah hated the people of Nineveh. They belonged to a nation known for treating its enemies cruelly. That’s why he ran away all those months before when God called him to preach to the people of Nineveh. He knew they might turn away from their sins and seek God’s mercy. And Jonah knew what God would do—what God always does when people tell him they are sorry for their sins. He forgives sinners who turn to him for mercy. And Jonah didn’t want that. He wanted God to destroy Nineveh. As Jonah sat in the hot sun, God caused a huge, leafy plant to give him shade. Jonah appreciated the cool shade and started feeling better. But then God sent a worm to chew the plant, so it withered and died. Again, Jonah crossed his arms and pouted. “Jonah,” God said, “you have been concerned about the plant that grew one day and died the next. Shouldn’t I be concerned about the 120,000 people living in Nineveh?” Jonah cared more about losing his comfortable shade than he did about thousands of people who needed God’s mercy. You see, God loves all people. He wants everyone to believe in him and be saved. And he wants us to love everyone—even our enemies and those who treat us badly. That’s hard to do. But God did not stop loving us when we were his enemies. He sent Jesus to save us. Remembering that love helps us love people who are hard to love. Loving our enemies does not mean pretending that evil is acceptable or that wrongdoing should have no consequences. We can ask God and earthly authorities for justice without seeking revenge or wanting anyone to be eternally lost. Don’t be a Jonah who wanted his enemies destroyed! Love your enemies. Pray for those who are mean to you. And when mercy makes you mad, remember the mercy God has shown you! Prayer: Dear God, thank you for loving me and showing me mercy through Jesus. Help me love my enemies, pray for them, and want them to know your saving love. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Was Jonah happy or angry when God spared Nineveh? Does God want us to love only our friends or even our enemies? Questions for Elementary Age Children Why is it so hard to love and pray for those who are mean to us? In what ways are we hard to love? Questions for Middle School and Above Jonah cared more about his shade plant than about the people of Nineveh. What comforts or preferences might we care about more than people who need Jesus? If God wants us to love our enemies and pray that they will be saved, is it wrong to want justice for people who do evil? Explain your answer. Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

  8. Sep 18

    You Don’t Have to Pay – September 18, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260918fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Matthew 18:21-35 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. A man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. Matthew 18:21-35 (selected verses) You Don’t Have to Pay In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Andy wasn’t trying to break the window. Every day, he walked by the old warehouse. Beneath its tall windows were wide brick ledges. Andy and his friends often tossed stones toward the ledges to see if they could land them there. One day, Andy threw a little too hard. The stone crashed through a window. A security guard ran out and grabbed Andy by the arm. “You are going to have to pay for that,” he said. Andy arrived home in tears. He told his dad what had happened. The new window would cost $500, but Andy only had $10 in his piggy bank. Andy and his father went to talk to the building owner. Andy quietly held out his ten-dollar bill. “I promise I will pay you the rest one day,” he said, looking at the ground. The owner looked at the sad little boy holding the money up to him. “Keep your money,” he said. “You don’t have to pay. Just please don’t throw any more rocks at my windows.” It would have taken Andy years to pay that debt. Can you imagine how relieved he must have felt when the owner canceled it?! That’s how the servant in Jesus’ story must have felt—relieved, excited, thankful. He owed the king more than he could ever repay. Sadly, after the king canceled his enormous debt, the servant refused to forgive another servant’s much smaller debt. The king in Jesus’ story helps us understand God. We are like the servant with the enormous debt—ten thousand bags of gold. We have sinned against God in more ways than we can count—in what we think, say, and do. Our debt of sin is something we could never pay. But God did not simply pretend that our debt did not exist. Jesus paid it completely by suffering our punishment on the cross. Because Jesus paid everything, God tells us, “You don’t have to pay.” God forgives us like the king in the story and like the owner who didn’t make Andy pay for the window. But he did ask Andy to stop throwing rocks—it was the right thing for Andy to do. God’s forgiveness changes how we treat people who sin against us. So be relieved. Be excited. Be thankful. Then share with others the mercy God has shown you. Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for paying the debt I owe for all my sins. Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Could the servant ever pay back everything he owed? What did the king do with the servant’s debt? Questions for Elementary Age Children How would you feel if someone canceled a debt you could never pay? What does Jesus say to us because he paid for all our sins? Questions for Middle School and Above Why can God’s forgiveness begin to feel ordinary, even though our debt was enormous? How should remembering the debt Jesus paid change the way you respond when someone sins against you? Download Family Devotions     Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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WELS Family Devotions

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  • Channel
    WELS
  • Creator
    WELS
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
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