Introduction

If you walked in today carrying a heavy heart, a tired soul, or a long list of questions, you are in good company. The God who knows your name is here, and He is not distant. He is near to the brokenhearted, kind to the weary, and faithful to finish what He starts. Homes have porch lights to say, “You’re welcome here.” Grace is God’s porch light, shining warm and wide across the night of our fears and failures. You are not lost to Him. You are not overlooked by Him. You are seen, sought, and invited.

I think of John Wesley’s simple testimony, spoken with quiet courage near the end of his life: “The best of all is, God is with us.” That is the truth that steadies our steps when our strength feels small. God with us when the news shakes us, God with us when the mirror doesn’t tell the whole story, God with us when prayers feel thin and nights feel long. God with us—right here, right now.

So let me ask you: What if your life is not defined by your worst day? What if your future is not chained to your past? What if the center of the story is not your ability to hold on to God, but God’s faithful heart holding on to you? Hearts heal in the warmth of that hope. Worries weaken in the light of that love. The cross and the empty tomb stand as landmarks that do not move, even when everything else seems to shift like sand.

Today we will consider three clear realities that meet us like mile-markers of mercy: who we are before a holy God, what He freely gives through Jesus, and how every person who calls on His name can be saved. This is the good news that steadies souls and strengthens saints. It’s simple enough for a child to understand and strong enough to carry the heaviest load in this room.

Maybe you came wrestling with guilt you can’t shake. Maybe you carry shame like a shadow that follows you everywhere. Maybe you’re wondering if grace is big enough for the mess you made or the pain you bear. Friend, the gospel does not shrug at sin; it shows us a Savior who carries sinners. It does not flatter the proud; it lifts the humble and welcomes the contrite. And it does not run out when you run low. Mercy has a long reach and a kind voice.

Before we open the Word, take a deep breath. Let the truth steady you. You are about to hear the heart of God—His love that will not let go, His promise that does not expire, His call that includes you. Listen for His whisper in the words He wrote. Let the promise soak into the places that feel dry. Let the cross answer the questions your heart keeps asking. And as we read, ask Him to make these truths personal—because they are.

A word to the longtime believer: this is not old news, it’s evergreen grace. Let it gladden you again. A word to the curious: you don’t have to have it all figured out to be found. A word to the tired: there is rest in these promises. A word to the wounded: there is healing in His name. A word to the fearful: there is a sure foundation under your feet.

Scripture Reading (ESV) - John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” - Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” - Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 5:8: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” - Romans 10:9: “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” - Romans 10:13: “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”

Opening Prayer Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son and the clarity of Your Word. Speak to us now. Soften what has grown hard, strengthen what feels weak, and steady what is unsteady. Let the light of the gospel brighten every corner of our hearts. For those feeling far away, draw near. For those who are uncertain, give assurance. For those weighed down by sin, wash and renew. Holy Spirit, open our eyes to see Jesus, our ears to hear Your voice, and our hearts to respond with faith. Let the beauty of Christ be precious to us, and let the promise of salvation be plain. We receive Your love, we welcome Your truth, and we rest in Your presence. In the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Our Condition Before a Holy God

God is holy. That means pure, clean, bright, and whole. No stain. No curve. No shadow. When we stand in His light, everything true about us shows. Our words show. Our thoughts show. Our wishes and worries show. This is not meant to crush us. It is meant to bring us into the truth.

Honesty is the first hard step. We like to fix the surface. We smooth the noise and keep moving. Yet the heart leaks into life. It shows up in how we love, how we spend, how we speak, how we react when we do not get our way. The holiness of God brings a mirror. It is a clear mirror. It does not flatter. It does not twist. It tells the truth so we can hear grace when grace is offered.

The Bible gives a plain line here. Every person has sinned and falls short of God’s glory. That word “every” is wide. It reaches into every house and every heart. It names the child who tells small lies and the adult who keeps large secrets. It includes the kind neighbor, the church-going family, the hard-working student, the quiet grandparent, the bold leader, and the person who feels invisible. No one stands outside this word. No one escapes the reach of it.

This is not only about big headlines. It runs through ordinary days. It shows up in quick anger when the line is slow. It slips into envy when a friend’s good news feels like a loss. It hides in pride when we need the last word. It speaks in careless words that cut a tender soul. It stays silent when love should speak. It chooses self when love calls for sacrifice. The line “every” makes us all small and honest. It clears the room of excuses. It helps us see why we need help that does not come from inside us.

The same verse says we have sinned. That word is strong and honest. Sin is more than bad habits. It is more than a weak spot. It is crossing a line God has drawn for our good. It is missing the mark He set for our life. It runs deeper than a few mistakes. It lives in the desires that pull away from God. It leans toward self-rule. It does not trust His way. It resists His voice.

Think of an arrow that never flies straight. It curves away even when the aim looks good. Think of a spring with grit in it. The water flows, yet the taste is off. Our actions can look fine on the outside while the heart is tired, cold, or proud. Sin is not only in what we do. It is in what we love, what we worship, what we want most. This is why rules alone cannot heal us. This is why shame does not make us new. Naming sin as sin brings clarity. Confession clears the fog. It opens the door for real help.

Paul also says we fall short of the glory of God. Glory means the weight and worth and beauty of who God is. His character is the measure. His purity is the scale. His love is the pattern. He does not grade on a curve. He does not compare us to neighbors. The line is His glory, and our lives do not reach it. Even on our best days, something is missing. Our motives mix. Our patience runs out. Our love bends inward. Our worship drifts.

Falling short is a present reality. The words point to something ongoing. We keep missing the mark on our own. We can learn, grow, and change in many ways, and we should. We can form wise habits and seek counsel, and that helps. Yet the gap remains when God’s glory is the measure. The heart needs more than a new plan. The soul needs life from outside itself. Seeing the gap is painful. It is also a mercy. The truth becomes a doorway to hope that has weight.

The Bible also speaks of the wage of sin. Sin pays out. It hands us what it owes. The payment is death. That shows up in many forms. It shows up in a numb heart and a thin joy. It shows up in broken trust and worn friendships. It shows up in fear that will not let us rest. It shows up in bodies that break down and in graves that hurt our hearts. It shows up in distance from God, because light and darkness do not share the same space.

Our hearts can feel this pay-out. Conscience pricks. Sleep is choppy. Words replay in the mind. We try to make up the difference. We try harder. We promise more. The wage remains. We cannot erase the debt by work. We cannot buy our way out with good deeds. The law shows us the line. Our lives show us the miss. Death is the end of that math, and it is beyond our strength. This is why the promise of God with us matters so much. His nearness is not a soft idea. It is the only hope for people who owe a debt they cannot pay and who long for a life they cannot make.

The Gift of Life Through Jesus

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