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Thinking about the end of the world can be scary, especially when Jesus tells us to be prepared and ready. Yet, God’s Word gives us hope and encouragement that we can share with each other.

It is easy to assume that tomorrow will be little or no different from today. However, the day is coming when life as we know it will end. The final Sundays of the Church Year remind us that our comfortable routines will be interrupted by the God who cares enough to interrupt them. His justice will grab our attention like a lion (Amos 5:19). He will silence all false and empty worship with justice that rolls in like roaring waters (Amos 5:24). Jesus also calls for our attention as we wait for that day: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). As we wait for that day, Paul reminds us that our waiting is filled with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14). Jesus died and rose again, and that forever changes our waiting.

It is easy to assume that tomorrow will be little or no different from today. However, the day is coming when life as we know it will end. The final Sundays of the Church Year remind us that our comfortable routines will be interrupted by the God who cares enough to interrupt them. His justice will grab our attention like a lion (Amos 5:19). He will silence all false and empty worship with justice that rolls in like roaring waters (Amos 5:24). Jesus also calls for our attention as we wait for that day: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). As we wait for that day, Paul reminds us that our waiting is filled with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14). Jesus died and rose again, and that forever changes our waiting.

Today, our focus will be on remembering the saints who have received their crown of glory in heaven – The Church Triumphant. However, we will also give thanks for the saints in the pews – The Church Militant. We are all alive in Christ!

Portraits of heroes are hung in museums, etched onto mountains, and immortalized in history books. But for those who keep the faith, the Lord has greater plans. On this All Saints’ Day, we see that the Lord’s faithful do not belong in galleries or textbooks but in the courts of heaven. There are no dead tributes to the fallen but living displays of Christ’s mercy. All those who have been joined to Christ in Baptism can celebrate their citizenship in the Kingdom that never ends and the promise that when their days of being saint and sinner in this life are finished, they will be all saints in the presence of their Savior.

Portraits of heroes are hung in museums, etched onto mountains, and immortalized in history books. But for those who keep the faith, the Lord has greater plans. On this All Saints’ Day, we see that the Lord’s faithful do not belong in galleries or textbooks but in the courts of heaven. There are no dead tributes to the fallen but living displays of Christ’s mercy. All those who have been joined to Christ in Baptism can celebrate their citizenship in the Kingdom that never ends and the promise that when their days of being saint and sinner in this life are finished, they will be all saints in the presence of their Savior.

Though many congregations observe Reformation on the last Sunday in October, there are those who keep it on the day appointed. For those, the propers of the day place us in conversation with Jesus about the greatest commandment and a discussion of David. This is not unrelated to the issues that gave birth to the Reformation—Law and Gospel and the confession of who Christ is. Jesus spoke well to those who questioned Him—so well that from that day on no one dared question Him anymore. As hard as it is to admit, we do not reason ourselves into the kingdom of God but enter by faith, trusting in Christ who fulfills all the Law and the Prophets and the promise of salvation as David’s Son and David’s Lord.

The Reformation was about returning to the truth of God's Word, a truth that continues to shape our lives today. In John 8:31–36, Jesus reminds us that His Word reveals our need for a Savior and points us to the freedom from sin and guilt that only He can give through His death and resurrection.

Let’s talk about “Kingdom of the Left” and “Kingdom of the Right” stuff; meaning Worldly or Divine authority. Jesus is quizzed about paying taxes to Caesar. Do you remember his answer?

There are certain “givens” in our earthly lives. In a letter written in 1789, American statesman Benjamin Franklin wrote: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” Paying taxes is one of those unavoidable duties we have as citizens of our nation. Paul directed the Christians at Rome to pay “taxes to whom taxes are owed” (Romans 13:7) as part of their ongoing responsibilities. Jesus and His disciples also paid taxes (Matthew 17:24–27). While paying taxes may not be a joy-filled experience, giving from what God has given us to support the work done in our Lord’s name can be a source of joy as we bring an offering and come into His courts to “worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 96:8–9).

There are certain “givens” in our earthly lives. In a letter written in 1789, American statesman Benjamin Franklin wrote: “In this world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” Paying taxes is one of those unavoidable duties we have as citizens of our nation. Paul directed the Christians at Rome to pay “taxes to whom taxes are owed” (Romans 13:7) as part of their ongoing responsibilities. Jesus and His disciples also paid taxes (Matthew 17:24–27). While paying taxes may not be a joy-filled experience, giving from what God has given us to support the work done in our Lord’s name can be a source of joy as we bring an offering and come into His courts to “worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness” (Psalm 96:8–9).

Who doesn’t love a good meal? Nothing beats an abundant feast of food. Whether it’s a wedding feast or an awesome BBQ feast on the grill, the food is so delicious it feels like a little bit of heaven. Interestingly, Jesus compares a wedding feast to the Kingdom of Heaven. Hope that whets your appetite!

Who doesn’t love a good meal? Nothing beats an abundant feast of food. Whether it’s a wedding feast or an awesome BBQ feast on the grill, the food is so delicious it feels like a little bit of heaven. Interestingly, Jesus compares a wedding feast to the Kingdom of Heaven. Hope that whets your appetite!

Who doesn’t love a good meal? Nothing beats an abundant feast of food. Whether it’s a wedding feast or an awesome BBQ feast on the grill, the food is so delicious it feels like a little bit of heaven. Interestingly, Jesus compares a wedding feast to the Kingdom of Heaven. Hope that whets your appetite!

Following Jesus doesn’t mean we reach a point where we have everything figured out. In Philippians 3, Paul reminds us that the Christian life is one of continually learning, growing, and knowing Christ more deeply—not so that we can become His, but because Christ has already made us His own.