WELS Family Devotion

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WELS Family Devotions

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    The NAME: Only Jesus Is the Name That Saves You. – May 4, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260504fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Acts 4:8-12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 The NAME: Only Jesus Is the Name That Saves You. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. What’s in a name? Is a name just a word? A man named William Shakespeare (he lived a long, long time ago and wrote stories and plays) once said something like this: “A rose would smell just as sweet even if it had a different name.” In other words, he was saying, “Names don’t really matter that much.” Hmm . . . do you think that’s true? Let’s try something—when someone says your name, what do you do? You turn your head, right? You listen! Your name matters because it means YOU. Maybe it’s short. Maybe it’s long. Maybe people even have a nickname for you. Maybe your name will never be famous that people will ask you for your autograph—to sign your name on something of theirs. Think about your name. But your name isn’t just random letters. Your name helps people know you and call you. The people who love you? They love hearing your name—because it reminds them of YOU. But there is one name that is more important than any other name ever. One name that is more powerful than every other name put together. That name is . . . Jesus. Why is the name Jesus so special? Because of what he did. Jesus saved the whole world. He died on the cross. He took away sin. He rose from the dead. Without his name, even life loses meaning. He won life forever—for you. The Bible tells us about a time when Peter talked about Jesus’ name. Some leaders asked him, “How did you heal that man?” Peter didn’t hide it. He didn’t whisper. He said it loud and clear: “Jesus did it!” And then he said something really important: “There is no other name under heaven . . . by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10,12). That means: Only Jesus can forgive sins. Only Jesus can open heaven. Only Jesus can make us God’s children. Best of all, God put his name on YOU. When did that happen? At your baptism. That’s when God said, “You belong to me.” So now when God hears your name . . . he smiles—because you are his. And when you hear the name Jesus . . . you can smile too—because he saved you! Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for living and dying and rising again for the salvation of the whole world. Thank you for sharing your saving name with us so that we are yours now and forever in heaven. 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 do you like about your name? Do you have a nickname? Who calls you that? What does the name “Jesus” mean? (Look up or ask a family member to read Matthew 1:21). Why is Jesus’ name the best name ever? Questions for Elementary Age Children Which commandment talks about God’s name? (It’s the 2nd Commandment!) Can you try to say it? Even part of it? (For help, look in Luther’s Small Catechism.) Why do you think God wants us to use his name in a good way? (Like praying, thanking, and praising him?) Questions for Middle School and Above What’s the connection between someone’s name and their reputation? How does God’s reputation help us to use his name in a good way? When did God put his name on you? (Your baptism!) How does what happened that day still make a difference in your life now? (Look up Romans 6:1-14 for help!) 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 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    Too Many Voices! – May 1, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260501fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: John 10:1-10 [Jesus said] “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:1-4 Too Many Voices! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Imagine you are in a grocery store, and you are looking for one thing, peanut butter. Your favorite kind! But you can’t find it anywhere. You walk up and down the aisles . . . bread . . . cereal . . . cookies . . . but no peanut butter. Finally, you decide to go up to the checkout to see if any of the workers can help you. As soon as you ask where the peanut butter is, everyone starts talking at once: “Try aisle 3!” “No, aisle 7!” “It’s by the jelly!” “I saw it by the snacks!” Now you don’t know who to listen to! It’s so hard to figure out what they’re saying because they’re all talking at once. Then you see the manager, finally someone who really knows the store. If you just listen to what she says, you know you’ll find the peanut butter. During our lives here on earth, there are lots of voices telling us where to find happiness and our salvation. They point us in all kinds of directions: We may be pointed in the direction of money, because if we have enough, money will keep you safe and happy. Or, We may be encouraged to be popular and liked, because that way we will never be alone. Or, We may be tempted to want to be famous, because famous people are remembered and never forgotten. But those voices are like all the other people in the store guessing where the peanut butter is. There is only one voice that can tell us the way to salvation. That voice is our Shepherd, Jesus. We hear his voice in the Word of God. He is the only true way to salvation, and when we know his voice, we will run away from every other voice trying to lead us astray. Jesus says, “Listen to me. Follow me. I know the way.” We trust that our Savior will guide us to a life lived to the fullest. He calls us each by name and leads us in the way we should go. So when lots of voices are shouting in your ears, listen to one voice—Jesus. He always knows the way. Prayer: Good Shepherd, sometimes it is hard for me to listen only to you. Other things in my life can sound really good! Help me to listen to your voice, because I know you want to lead me to eternal life with 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 Have you ever looked for something at the grocery store? What was it? Did you find it? Why is it important to listen to Jesus’ voice instead of other voices? Questions for Elementary Age Children What might happen if sheep don’t listen to their shepherd? In what way is Jesus like the grocery store manager in today’s devotion? Questions for Middle School and Above What are things kids might trust instead of Jesus? (Google search, friends) Do those really keep you safe forever? Why do things like money or popularity make it so hard to listen to Jesus? 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 min

  3. 6 DAYS AGO

    The Long Trip That’s Worth It! – April 29, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260429fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: 1 Peter 2:19-25 If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:19-25 (selected verses) The Long Trip That’s Worth It! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Which sounds better to you: A super long 15-hour road trip with no snacks, no books, no movies, no stops, no friends . . . Or a 2-hour flight in first class with nice snacks and games, shows, and entertainment? Most people would probably pick the flight! But . . . what if the long car ride ended at a gorgeous resort with an amazing beach with soft sand, sunshine, and waves? And what if the short flight ended with you stuck in a dirty, smelly alley? More people may pick the road trip. Even though it would be long and difficult, you know that what is waiting at the end will be great. Christ lived a difficult life where people rejected and belittled him. People made fun of Jesus. They didn’t listen to him. They tried to trick him. They tried to mess him up at every turn. In the end, they beat him and killed him. But Christ endured all this for us: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross.” Why? Because he knew at the end of it all, he would see us in heaven. And that was worth it for him. We are called by Christ to follow his example. He tells us that we might suffer for doing good, because the world hasn’t changed too much since he was here. Sometimes people still make fun of Christians. Sometimes doing the right thing is hard. There are still some people who even hate Jesus and what he taught. They try to trap believers and mess them up at every turn. But through it all, Jesus is like a shepherd saying, “Come this way! Follow me!” Following Jesus can sometimes feel like that superlong 15-hour road trip with no snacks or fun. Sometimes the road feels long. Sometimes things are hard. But we know where Jesus is taking us. He’s leading us somewhere far better than a beach, he’s leading us to heaven. And heaven will be better than anything we can imagine! Prayer: Jesus, our Good Shepherd, you endured many difficult things during your life on earth just so that we could be in heaven with 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 Jesus sets a good example for us. Who is someone you look up to? Who shows you how to do the right thing? What is something fun coming up that you can’t wait for? (birthday, trip, holiday) Questions for Elementary Age Children What is one hard or sad thing that happened to Jesus? What is something hard that might happen when you follow Jesus? (Someone laughs. Doing the right thing is hard.) Questions for Middle School and Above Did Jesus suffer because he did something wrong—or because he did something right? Why? (The reading talks about receiving a beating for doing wrong and suffering for doing good and enduring it.) When people insulted and were mean to Jesus, he wasn’t mean back. Why is that so impressive? 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 min

  4. 27 APR

    The Best Neighborhood Ever – April 27, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260427fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Acts 2:42-47 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Acts 2:42-47 (selected verses) The Best Neighborhood Ever In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Have you ever wished you lived in the perfect neighborhood? One where everyone is kind . . . everyone shares . . . and nobody argues? For as long as history has been recorded, people have lived in groups. God made us to be with other people—not all by ourselves! It is nice to have neighbors. When you have neighbors, you have people to talk to, spend time with, and get to know. You have someone to watch out for, and you hope they’ll watch out for you too. But . . . does that always happen? Sometimes neighbors don’t like each other. Our sinful nature gets the best of us and instead of being kind and helpful, we can make other people feel left out and disliked. Sometimes people don’t share. Sometimes they argue. Sometimes they say unkind things. As great as a neighborhood sounds, it isn’t always perfect because of the sinful people within. In our reading for today, we hear about a group of believers who live and work together—and it sounds wonderful! It says they “were together and had everything in common.” That means they shared meals in their home and worshiped together. They enjoyed time together. Wow! Wouldn’t that be a fun group to be a part of? What do they know that we don’t? How did they figure it out? Turns out, we can have what they had. We have all we need in the words of our Good Shepherd. When we listen to the words of Jesus Christ in God’s Word, we hear his teachings. Our Good Shepherd teaches us how to live in harmony, and he gives us something in common with all believers of all time. That “something in common” is Jesus! When we live and work and pray with other people who put God first, we can spread his Word to even more people. One day in heaven, we will live in a perfect community—one with no sadness or sin, where we will all glorify God without end. No fighting. No hurt feelings. No sin. Just joy . . . forever. Together! Prayer: Oh, Good Shepherd, today we read about believers who were committed to serving you with each other. Help us to serve you and give us a community of believers to support and work with us. We look forward to the day when we will be with all believers in the perfect community of heaven. 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 Do you know any of your neighbors? Name as many as you can. What is one way for you to be a good neighbor? Questions for Elementary Age Children Can you think of a time when people from your church helped someone? What did they do? Do you have any friends or neighbors that also believe in God? Who are they and what do you like doing together? Questions for Middle School and Above Even if no one near you goes to your church, how can you still help others for Jesus? The believers in this reading probably did not agree on everything. What does it mean that they “were together and had everything in common”? What did they share together? Believe together? 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 min

  5. 24 APR

    Nervous and Forgotten – April 24, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260424fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Luke 24:13-35 Now that same day [Easter Day], two of [Jesus’ disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him. As they approached the village to which they were going . . . they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:13-35 (selected verses) Nervous and Forgotten In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Today was a very exciting day, it was Jeremiah’s birthday! He got home from school, ready to open presents and tell his mom all about his day. But when he opened the door, no one was there. He ran into the living room. Still empty. He checked the kitchen. Still empty. Jeremiah started to feel nervous and a little forgotten. He went to his room to put away his backpack. But when he opened the door, he heard a loud, “SURPRISE!” His mom, dad, sister, and even some of his friends were waiting for him with presents and a birthday cake! Jeremiah realized he hadn’t been forgotten at all—he had been in for a wonderful surprise. In our Bible story today, two men were walking with Jesus but didn’t realize it was him. They felt nervous and forgotten. They had watched the Savior they loved die, and they didn’t understand God’s plan yet. They had lost hope, just like Jeremiah thought he had been forgotten when he walked through his empty house. Then Jesus revealed the surprise! He was alive again. Imagine how happy and excited they must have felt! Most of all, they had hope again. The man they thought was gone forever was actually alive. Sometimes we feel hopeless too. We make mistakes and sin every day. The world around us is broken. But there is a hope that never fails—Jesus walks with us every day, just like he walked with the men on the road. He restores our hope and reminds us that he is alive, and he will never leave us. Prayer: My living Savior, in a sinful world, it can feel easy to lose hope. Today I heard how you walked with two men who felt the same way. Restore to me the hope and the joy that come from knowing that you died and rose again for 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 Have you ever felt like no one noticed you? What happened? Who is always with you and never forgets you? Questions for Elementary Age Children Jeremiah felt nervous and forgotten. Has that ever happened to you? How did you feel, and what made it better? What did Jesus do to show the two men he was alive? Questions for Middle School and Above Jesus walked with them without them realizing it. Why might he have done that instead of appearing to them right away? What’s the difference between hoping to make the team or get a good grade and hoping in Jesus? Why can we trust his hope will never fail? 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 min

  6. 22 APR

    An Expensive Purchase – April 22, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260422fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: 1 Peter 1:17-21 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:17-19 An Expensive Purchase In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. A long time ago, in 1878, a wagon was carrying gold bars for a company. Thieves robbed it. The thieves stole all of the gold bars and hid them in a nearby cave so they could come back another time and retrieve them. However, before they could come back, another group of people found the gold hidden in the cave and buried it somewhere in the ground, because they recognized it as precious. That gold was worth a lot of money. The thieves probably thought they were rich! But they learned something important. Even gold doesn’t fix everything. Gold can be lost. It can be stolen. It can disappear. The thieves may have thought they had it all figured out—they had an immense amount of gold! But they learned the hard way that gold doesn’t mean their problems were gone. We might not use gold today, but many people know that money doesn’t stick around. It isn’t permanent. Money can be spent. Toys can break. Even very valuable things don’t last forever. Thank God that he didn’t purchase us with something that can be stolen or hidden. When we were sinful and far from God, God reached out and purchased us with the most valuable thing of all—“the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” He didn’t use something like gold or silver to buy his children back. He used something far more valuable. He used the blood of his perfect Son to redeem us forever! When we know that we have been bought by the blood of Christ, we can live our lives differently. Before we were bought, we did not have anything—worldly possessions can’t save us! But as children of God, we can live knowing we have a home that is waiting for us. We can live for God in eager expectation of our salvation. We belong to Jesus, and no one can take us away from him. Prayer: Dear God, help me to know that you bought me for a price. You love me more than I even know! I want to live for you every day until I am at home in heaven with 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 Does money last forever? What are some things that don’t last very long? God “purchased” us to be his children—how long will we belong to God? Questions for Elementary Age Children Did God use gold, silver, or money to buy us? What did he use instead? We were horrible sinners who didn’t want to be with God. Why did he want to buy us back then? Questions for Middle School and Above What is the most expensive thing you have ever bought? How does that compare to what God spent to buy us back? Was God’s price bigger or smaller? God had to buy us back. Who or what was he buying us back from? 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 min

  7. 20 APR

    A Big Mistake – April 20, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260420fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Acts 2:14,32-41 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:14,32-41 (selected verses) A Big Mistake In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lucas was riding in the car with his dad when the car started to shake violently. Warning lights came on all over the dashboard. He looked at the flashing lights and felt worried. His dad quickly pulled over, reached into the glove compartment to check the car’s instruction book. Lucas heard his dad mutter something about how the car’s computer and the engine stopped talking to each other and that he could not drive it anywhere. Now Lucas was scared: “Are we stuck? How will we get home? What would they do without their car?” Lucas watched as his dad called his uncle who lived nearby to come and take a look. It felt like forever, but finally his uncle arrived and opened the hood. As soon as his uncle looked under the hood, he laughed. It was an easy and simple fix—a hose had loosened and become detached. With one small click, the car was as good as new. “Whew!” Lucas sighed with relief. What seemed like a huge problem turned out to be something small. The people in our reading today felt awful when Peter confronted them with what they had done. They had crucified the Son of God. They realized they had made a very big mistake. But Peter wasn’t finished—he continued to tell them that God had made “the Jesus, whom [they] crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” God had taken the horrible thing they had done and made it into something wonderful. Peter tells them of a promise that comes to them because of Jesus’ death. They will receive the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ. Instead of only guilt, they received forgiveness. The best part of this reading for us, might be when we hear Peter say that this promise isn’t just for the people he is talking to. It’s for us too! It is for all believers of all time. Jesus’ crucifixion was a horrible and sinful event that God used for the good of his people. We have a true hope of forgiveness because of it. Because he lives, I know that I will live too in heaven with him one day. God turned the worst thing into the best news. Prayer: Heavenly Father, you used the death of your Son to give me life and forgiveness. I have a sure hope that I am a child of God and that I will be with you one day. Help me remember that you can bring good even from bad things. In Jesus’ 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 is a mistake you made that someone helped you fix? Was it big or small? How did you feel afterward? Why did the people feel bad during our reading today? What had they done? Questions for Elementary Age Children What is something good that came from Jesus’ death (something bad)? Why is the story from the beginning of the devotion like the true story of Jesus’ death and resurrection? Questions for Middle School and Above What verse from the reading assures us that the promise of forgiveness is for everyone? Can you think of another “bad” thing that God could use for good? 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 min

  8. 17 APR

    I’ll Believe It When I See It! – April 17, 2026

    https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260417fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: John 20:19-31 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:19,24-29 I’ll Believe It When I See It! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. “I’ll believe it when I see it!” Have you said that lately? Maybe someone told you something amazing and you weren’t sure it was true. Other people don’t always tell the truth. Sadly, people say things that they don’t mean. Sometimes, people lie to us. You can’t believe everything people say. We learn to say, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” Here’s the problem: Sometimes, we say those words to God. God isn’t like us people. God doesn’t lie. God doesn’t change his mind. God always tells the truth. Yet we sometimes treat God like he’s just another person. We don’t believe him. We say, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” That’s what Jesus’ disciple Thomas said after Jesus rose from the dead. It sounded too good to be true. Even though Jesus had told his disciples many times that he was going to rise from the dead, Thomas didn’t believe it. Even after his friends saw Jesus on Easter evening, Thomas still didn’t believe it. He said, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands . . . I will not believe” (John 20:25). In other words, “I’ll believe it when I see it!” So, Jesus did a wonderful thing for Thomas: He let Thomas see him. That next Sunday night, Jesus appeared to his disciples again, and this time he made sure that Thomas was with them. He let Thomas see the nail marks in his hands. He showed Thomas that it was really him. He was really alive! Finally, Thomas believed and said, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Thomas wasn’t doubting anymore—he believed! Jesus said, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Blessed are those who don’t need to see to believe. That includes you! You can trust Jesus. When Jesus says something, it’s always true. Jesus promises that he is with us always. Is that true, even though we can’t see him? Yes! Jesus says that he has prepared special rooms for us in heaven. Is that true, even though we can’t see them? Yes! Jesus says that he has washed away all our sins. Is that true? Yes! Faith is believing in what we can’t see. We trust Jesus because he always keeps his promises. We don’t need to see it to believe it. We trust Jesus’ words! Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for gently taking away Thomas’ doubts about your resurrection. When we doubt too, use your Word to convince us that we don’t need to see it to believe it. Help us trust your promises every day. 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 didn’t Thomas want to believe? What did Jesus do to take Thomas’ doubts away? Questions for Elementary Age Children Besides the examples in this devotion, what are two other promises God makes to us in the Bible that involve things we can’t see? (Jesus hears our prayers, heaven, angels, forgiveness, etc.) How can we know that those promises are true? Questions for Middle School and Above Reread Thomas’ confession: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). What very important truth did Thomas confess about Jesus? Thomas is often known as “doubting Thomas” because of this one recorded moment. But based on this whole story, why isn’t that a very fair way to describe Thomas? What would be a better way to describe him? (Maybe: believing Thomas, trusting Thomas, or forgiven Thomas.) 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 min
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  • Creator
    WELS
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © WELS 2021 Copyright. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    WELS Family Devotion

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