Veterans Day

Veterans Day

Is a time to honor all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces in wartime or peacetime. There Service, Sacrifice, and Gratitude naturally connect the veterans' experience with principles of faith.

The Echo of Greater Love

it's not just a day off, but a very special day of national thanks.

Briefly and clearly distinguish Veterans Day from Memorial Day.

Memorial Day: Honors those who died while serving.

Veterans Day: Honors all veterans, living or deceased, especially giving thanks to the living for their honorable service.

We are here to say "Thank you" to the men and women who, at some point in their lives, wrote a blank check to our country up to and including their lives.

This act of selfless commitment echoes the highest call of our faith—the call to serve and sacrifice for others.

The Call to Service

What does it mean to "serve?" It means putting a job or a mission above your own wants and needs. Veterans did this for our country, and we are called to do it for God and our community.

They willingly signed up for a mission greater than their own comfort or personal ambition. They became a part of a team, bound by duty.

They accepted discipline and hardship to protect an idea: the ideal of freedom, peace, and security for all of us.

The Biblical Echo of Service:

Matthew 20:28 " Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Jesus set the ultimate example. He didn't come here as a king demanding to be waited on; He came as a servant. His whole life was about doing for others. Veterans remind us that true leadership and love are rooted in this action, in serving.

How can we, in our own lives, answer a call to service? By putting the needs of our family, our neighbor, or our church before our own. Service isn't always glamorous; sometimes it's simply showing up and doing the hard work.

The Weight of Sacrifice

Sacrifice is giving up something valuable for the sake of something more valuable. Veterans gave up their time, their security, and sometimes their innocence.

The Veteran's Sacrifice:

Leaving Home: Giving up birthdays, holidays, and daily life with their families—the sacrifice of time and presence.

Putting their personal safety at risk for the well-being of a nation—the sacrifice of security.

Many of our veterans: carry invisible wounds (PTSD, emotional burdens) or physical injuries. These are lasting sacrifices that continue long after the uniform is put away.

The Biblical Echo of Sacrifice:

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

This verse is the heart of both military courage and Christ's ultimate act. The love is shown in the laying down. It's not just about dying, but about the willingness to give up your most precious possession (your life) for someone else's benefit. Our veterans embodied a love for country and countrymen that mirrored this "greater love."

What small, daily sacrifices can we make? Giving up a little free time to volunteer, giving up comfort to help someone in need, or giving up an argument for the sake of peace. We honor their great sacrifice by making our own small sacrifices of love and service.

The Response of Gratitude

We can't let their service and sacrifice go unnoticed or unappreciated. Our freedom is not free; it was purchased by a price freedom is not free. So, what is our response? Thankfulness.

Our Debt of Gratitude: We enjoy peace, the right to vote, and the freedom to gather (like we are today) because they stood on a wall of defense for us.

The Biblical Call to Thanks:

1 Thessalonians 5:18: "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

Gratitude is always God's will. Today, our gratitude is directed outward, toward our veterans, and upward, toward God for the peace we enjoy.

Beyond a "Thank You": True gratitude isn't just a word; it's an action. We honor them by caring for them.

Veterans Day is not a history lesson; it's a present call to action. Our service now is to ensure the sacrifices of veterans were not in vain. This means taking care of them and upholding the values they fought to protect.

Support veteran organizations, check on a veteran in your community, and actively work to be good citizens in the free country they preserved for us.

Let the service, sacrifice, and courage of our veterans inspire us to be "good soldiers" in our own battles—battles for faith, for family, and for our community.

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."