St. Mark Lutheran Church - Flint, MI, 5073 Daly Boulevard, Flint, MI (2026)

09/07/2026

Devotion for Monday, September 7. Please read Genesis 50:15-21 (the Old Testament Reading for Sunday)

On Labor Day, we pause to give thanks for the work God has given us to do and for the workers that do it. Work can be joyful and fulfilling, but it can also bring frustration, conflict, disappointment, and, in some places, hostile work environments bring the wounds caused by others. Joseph knew all of these things.

His brothers had betrayed him, sold him into slavery, and caused years of suffering. Now, after their father’s death, they feared Joseph would finally take revenge. But Joseph responds with remarkable grace: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” Joseph does not pretend that their evil was good. Sin remains sin. Yet Joseph trusts that God is greater than the evil people do. The Lord had been at work through Joseph’s suffering to preserve many lives.

We need that same promise in our own lives and work. We may face difficult coworkers, unfair circumstances, failures, or situations we cannot understand. God does not promise that our labor will always be easy. But He promises that He is always at work for our good.

And we see that promise most clearly in Christ. The greatest evil—the rejection and crucifixion of the sinless Son of God—God used for the greatest good: our salvation. Jesus bore our sin, died in our place, and rose again so that we might have forgiveness and eternal life.

So, this Labor Day, give thanks not only for the work God has placed before you, but for the God who works through all things according to His gracious will. Our work does not save us. Christ has already accomplished our salvation. Freed from the burden of earning God's favor, we are free to serve our neighbors faithfully in whatever work He gives us.

Let’s pray: Lord God, thank You for the gift of work and for the people You place around us. Forgive us when we respond to hardship with anger, fear, or revenge. Give us faith to trust Your good purposes even when we cannot see them. Above all, keep us mindful of Jesus Christ, whose saving work on the cross gives us forgiveness and peace. Bless our work and make it a service to our neighbors. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

09/04/2026

Devotion for Friday, September 4. Please read Matthew 18:1-20 (the Gospel for this Sunday)

The disciples ask Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Their question reveals a temptation that remains with us: we want to measure our worth, compare ourselves with others, and prove that we are important.

Jesus turns the question upside down. He places a child among them and says that unless they turn and become like children, they will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Our Lord is not teaching that children are morally superior or that we earn salvation by becoming more humble. Rather, He points us away from self-reliance and toward receiving His kingdom as a gift.

That is the heart of the Gospel. We do not enter God's kingdom because we are great, worthy, or successful. We enter because Christ is gracious. The Son of Man came to save the lost. Jesus would humble Himself all the way to the cross, bearing our sin and judgment, and rise again so that sinners might have forgiveness and life.

Jesus also warns us not to despise “one of these little ones.” Every Christian is precious to Him. When a brother or sister wanders, Christ seeks the lost sheep. When sin damages relationships, He calls His people to repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. And where two or three are gathered in His name, He promises to be among them.

So our confidence is not in our greatness but in our Savior. We are needy sinners, but Christ delights to receive needy sinners. He forgives us, restores us, and gathers us into His Church.

Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us for seeking greatness and trusting in ourselves. Give us humble, childlike faith that receives Your gifts. Keep us from despising those whom You love, and make us eager to seek the wandering and forgive those who sin against us. Thank You for seeking us when we were lost and giving us forgiveness and life through Your death and resurrection. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

09/02/2026

Devotion for Wednesday, September 2. Please read Romans 13:1-10 (the Epistle for this Sunday)

God has not left the world without order. In Romans 13, St. Paul teaches that governing authorities are established by God to restrain evil and preserve order. This does not mean that every action of a government is good or that Christians must obey commands that contradict God’s Word. Rather, Christians recognize God’s providential ordering of society and faithfully serve their neighbors within their vocations.

Paul then turns from civil authority to the Christian’s life toward others: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other.” Love fulfills the Law—not because our love earns God’s favor, but because those who have received mercy in Christ are freed to love and serve their neighbor.

The Law exposes our failure. We do not love God or our neighbors as we ought, and no amount of good citizenship or moral living can make us righteous before God. But the Gospel announces something far greater: Christ has fulfilled the Law for us. He bore our sin, submitted Himself even to unjust earthly authorities, and gave His life on the cross for sinners. Through faith in Christ, we are forgiven and counted righteous before God.

Therefore, Christians can live faithfully in their vocations without fear. We respect authorities, obey lawful commands, pray for those in leadership, and seek our neighbor’s good. And when earthly authorities fail, we remember that Christ remains our true King.

Let’s pray: Lord God, give us wisdom to honor the authorities You have established and courage to remain faithful to Your Word. Forgive us where we have failed to love our neighbors. Through Christ, assure us of Your gracious forgiveness, and use us in our daily vocations to serve others in love. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

08/31/2026

Devotion for Monday, August 31. Please read Ezekiel 33:7-9 (the Old Testament Reading for Sunday)

The Lord appointed Ezekiel as a watchman over Israel. His task was serious: when God gave him a word of warning, he was to speak it. If he failed to warn the wicked, he would be accountable for his silence. But if he faithfully proclaimed God’s warning, the responsibility for the hearer’s response rested with the hearer.

God’s Word still confronts us with this same seriousness. We are sinners who naturally prefer silence when speaking the truth may be uncomfortable. We may avoid warning others because we fear rejection, conflict, or embarrassment. Yet God calls His people to speak faithfully—not according to our own opinions, but according to His Word.

And that Word does more than warn. It announces the Gospel: Christ Jesus has borne the judgment our sins deserve. At the cross, Jesus suffered the condemnation that rightly belonged to us. Through His death and resurrection, forgiveness and life are given freely to sinners who trust in Him. The Christian's call to warn others is therefore not a call to condemn them, but to point them to the Savior who desires their repentance and life.

We are not responsible for changing another person's heart. That is the Holy Spirit's work. But we are called to be faithful witnesses—to speak God's Law honestly and His Gospel clearly, trusting that God's Word accomplishes His purposes.

Let’s pray: Lord God, make us faithful watchmen. Give us courage to speak Your truth and give us humility to speak it in love. Keep us from silence when You call us to speak, and turn our eyes continually to Jesus, who has redeemed us from sin and death. Through Him, give us confidence to proclaim Your Word and trust Your Spirit to work through it. Amen.

08/28/2026

A Devotion for Friday, August 28th. Please read Matthew 16:21–28. (the Gospel Reading for this Sunday)

Good Morning! We often have our own ideas about what the Christian life should look like. We want a faith that brings comfort, success, and an easy path through life. But in today's reading, Jesus gives His disciples a very different picture. Immediately after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus begins to explain what that actually means: "He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things... and be killed, and on the third day be raised."

Peter does not like this plan. He takes Jesus aside and says, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you." Peter had just confessed Jesus as the Christ, but he still did not understand what kind of Christ Jesus came to be. Peter expected glory. Jesus spoke about a cross.

Jesus' response is strong: "Get behind me, Satan!" Peter's words were against God's very plan. The cross was not an accident or a failure. It was the very reason Jesus came. He came to bear our sin, suffer the judgment we deserved, and give His life as a ransom for sinners. The road to resurrection had to pass through the cross.

Jesus then turns to His disciples and says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Following Jesus does not mean that life will always be easy. It means trusting Christ even when faithfulness is difficult. It means putting God's will above our own desires and being willing to suffer rather than abandon Christ.

That can sound discouraging until we remember who is calling us to take up our cross. He went before us. He suffered, died, and rose again for us. And because Christ has already conquered death, the crosses we bear in this life are not the end of our story.

Jesus asks, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" The world can offer us comfort, success, possessions, and recognition, but none of those things can give us eternal life. Christ offers something far greater. He gives us Himself.

As we finish this week, let us remember that following Jesus is not about getting everything we want from this life. It is about belonging to the One who gave everything for us. When the Christian life becomes difficult, we can look to the cross and remember that our Savior has already gone before us. And we can look beyond the cross to the empty tomb, knowing that those who belong to Christ will share in His resurrection.

Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, forgive us when we seek an easy faith and resist the crosses You place before us. Give us courage to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Jesus faithfully. Keep our eyes fixed on Christ's cross and resurrection, knowing that our suffering in this life is not the end. Preserve us in faith until we receive the eternal life He has promised; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

08/26/2026

Thursday September 17th at noon at St. Mark! Please RSVP as there is limited seating.

08/26/2026

A Devotion for Wednesday, August 26th. Please read Romans 12:9–21. (the Epistle Reading for this Sunday)

Good Morning! We often think of love as a feeling, but in Romans 12, Paul gives us a much more practical picture of what Christian love looks like. He says, "Let love be genuine." Christian love is not simply something we say or feel. It shows itself in the way we treat the people God has placed around us, especially when loving them is difficult.

Paul gives us a long list of what this kind of love looks like. We are to "outdo one another in showing honor," rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep, and live in harmony with one another. We are to contribute to the needs of the saints and show hospitality. None of these things are particularly complicated, but they can be difficult because they require us to look beyond ourselves. Christian love means paying attention to the needs of others and being willing to serve them.

Then Paul gets to something even harder: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them." And later, "Repay no one evil for evil." This goes against our natural instincts. When someone hurts us, our first reaction is often to hurt them back. We want them to experience the same pain they caused us. But Paul reminds us that vengeance does not belong to us. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

Why can we let go of our desire for revenge? Because we know that God has already dealt with our sin through Christ. Jesus did not repay our evil with evil. Instead, He took our evil upon Himself. He suffered for sinners who deserved judgment and gave us mercy instead. The cross shows us both the seriousness of our sin and the incredible depth of God's love.

That doesn't mean evil is unimportant or that Christians should simply ignore injustice. It means that we can leave judgment in God's hands while seeking to do what is good. Paul says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." That is not weakness. It is the strength that comes from knowing that God is the righteous Judge and that Christ has already won the victory over sin, death, and the devil.

As we go through this week, there will certainly be people who are difficult to love. We may be tempted to hold grudges, seek revenge, or simply write someone off. Instead, Paul calls us to something different. Because Christ has shown us mercy, we can show mercy to others. Because He has loved us when we did not deserve it, we can love those who may not seem deserving of ours.

Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for the mercy and love You have shown us in Jesus Christ. Forgive us when we hold grudges, seek revenge, or return evil for evil. Give us genuine love for our neighbors and strength to overcome evil with good. Help us to trust Your justice and faithfully reflect the love of Christ to those around us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

08/24/2026

A Devotion for Monday, August 24th. Please read Jeremiah 15:15–21. (the Old Testament Reading for this Sunday)

Good Morning! There are times when being faithful to God can feel exhausting. We know what God has called us to do, but that does not mean it is always easy. Jeremiah knew this well. He had faithfully proclaimed God's Word, yet he found himself discouraged, lonely, and suffering because of it. In today's reading, Jeremiah cries out to God, "Remember me and visit me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors."

Jeremiah does not hide his frustration from God. He tells the Lord that he has been faithful to His Word: "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart." Yet now Jeremiah feels overwhelmed. He asks why his pain seems unending and wonders whether God has become like "a deceitful brook, like waters that fail." Jeremiah is struggling to reconcile God's promises with what he is experiencing.

Perhaps we can understand that struggle. There are times when we faithfully follow God and still find ourselves facing hardship. We pray, but the situation does not seem to change. We seek to do what is right, but it does not seem to make life easier. In those moments, we can begin to wonder whether God has forgotten us. Jeremiah reminds us that God's people can bring those struggles honestly before the Lord.

But notice what God does. He does not abandon Jeremiah. Instead, He calls him back to His promise: "If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me." The Lord promises to strengthen Jeremiah and make him "a fortified wall of bronze." Jeremiah will still face opposition, but he will not face it alone. God Himself will be with him to save and deliver him.

That promise points us to Christ. Jesus knows what it means to suffer while remaining faithful to God's Word. He was rejected, mocked, beaten, and finally crucified, yet He remained faithful to His Father and entrusted Himself to Him. And through His resurrection, Jesus proved that suffering and death do not have the final word.

So when faithfulness becomes difficult, we can bring our frustrations to God without fear. He does not promise that following Him will always be easy, but He does promise that He will not abandon His people. In Christ, we know that even our darkest moments are held in the hands of a faithful God. His Word remains true, His promises remain certain, and He will ultimately deliver His people.

Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, when we are discouraged and weary, remind us of Your faithfulness. Forgive us when our troubles cause us to doubt Your promises. Strengthen us through Your Word and give us courage to remain faithful even when following You is difficult. Keep our eyes fixed on Christ, who suffered and died for us and rose again, until the day He delivers us fully into Your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

08/19/2026

A Devotion for Wednesday, August 19th. Please read Romans 11:33–12:8. (the Epistle Reading for this Sunday)
Good Morning! There are some things about God that we can understand, and there are some things that will always be beyond our understanding. After spending much of Romans explaining God's work of salvation, Paul reaches a point where he simply stands in awe: "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" God's ways are greater than ours, His wisdom is beyond our understanding, and His judgments are far beyond anything we could comprehend.
That can be difficult for us. We often want to understand exactly why God does what He does. We want every question answered and every piece of the puzzle put into place. But faith means trusting God even when we cannot see the whole picture. We do not need to understand everything about God before we can trust Him. We trust Him because He has already shown us who He is in Jesus Christ.
Paul then moves from God's greatness to how we are to live in response to His mercy: "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice." Notice the reason Paul gives. We do not offer ourselves to God so that He will save us. We offer ourselves because He has already shown us mercy. The Christian life is a response to the grace we have received in Christ.
Paul also reminds us that we are not all called to do the same things. The Church is like a body with many members, and each member has a different purpose. Some teach, some serve, some encourage, some give, and some lead. These differences are not a reason for pride or jealousy. They are gifts from God meant to serve the whole body.
That is an important reminder because it is easy to compare ourselves with other Christians. We may wish we had someone else's gifts, or wonder why someone else seems to be doing more than we are. But Paul tells us to use the gifts God has given us faithfully. We don't need someone else's calling. We simply need to be faithful with what God has entrusted to us.
So as we go through this week, let us stand in awe of God's mercy and wisdom. We may not understand everything He is doing, but we know what He has done for us in Christ. He has forgiven our sins and made us His own. And now, in response to that mercy, He gives each of us opportunities to serve our neighbors and build up His Church.
Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, we praise You for the depth of Your wisdom, mercy, and grace. Forgive us when we seek our own understanding instead of trusting in Your promises. Help us to offer our lives to You in thankful service and faithfully use the gifts You have given us to serve others. Keep us humble, trusting, and faithful in Christ until the day when we see Your wisdom and mercy fully revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

08/17/2026

A Devotion for Monday, August 17th. Please read Isaiah 51:1–6. (the Old Testament Reading for this Sunday)

Good Morning! We live in a world that is constantly changing. The things we depend on today may be gone tomorrow, and even the people and places we trust can change with time. In Isaiah 51, the Lord speaks to His people who are waiting for His salvation and reminds them where they should look. He says, "Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug."

The Lord tells His people to look back to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham was only one man when God called him, and Sarah was barren. Yet God took this seemingly insignificant beginning and made Abraham into a great nation. What looked impossible became possible because God was faithful to His promise. The Lord reminds His people of this history because they are discouraged. If God could bring life and blessing from Abraham and Sarah, He could certainly fulfill His promises to them.

That is an important reminder for us as well. When we look at our circumstances, it can be easy to become discouraged. We see our own weakness, the troubles around us, and the uncertainty of the future. But Isaiah directs our attention away from ourselves and back toward the Lord. Our hope does not rest on how strong we are or how certain our circumstances appear. Our hope rests on the God who makes and keeps His promises.

And the greatest of those promises is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Lord says, "My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out." In Christ, God's righteousness and salvation have come near to us. Jesus took our sin upon Himself and suffered the judgment we deserved. Through His death and resurrection, He has given us forgiveness, life, and the sure promise of eternal salvation.

The Lord also reminds His people that creation itself will pass away: "the heavens vanish like smoke and the earth will wear out like a garment." Everything around us is temporary. But God's salvation is not. His righteousness will never be dismayed, and His salvation will remain forever. What a comforting promise when so much of life feels uncertain.

So as we begin this week, let us look where Isaiah tells us to look. Not to ourselves, not to the changing circumstances of the world, but to the Lord and His promises. The God who was faithful to Abraham and Sarah is faithful to us. In Christ, our salvation is secure, and even when everything else passes away, His Word and His promises will remain forever.

Let's Pray: Heavenly Father, when we become discouraged or uncertain, turn our eyes back to Your promises. Remind us that our salvation does not depend upon our strength, but upon Your faithfulness. Give us confidence in Christ, who has secured our forgiveness and eternal life. Keep us steadfast in Your Word until the day when Your salvation is fully revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

St. Mark Lutheran Church - Flint, MI

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