Happy Friday, everyone! We are in our final day of our National K-9 Conference. I am so grateful for all of our pups, and even more for our teams that so faithfully serve to bring mercy, compassion, presence, and proclamation of Jesus Christ to those who are suffering and in need. That gratitude is not only for our K-9 ministry, but also for our Disaster Response team, our Hearts of Mercy and Compassion teams, our Human Care teams, and especially to all of you who actively remember LCC with your prayers and your financial support.

There is a cost to ministry and to bringing hope to the hurting. That cost includes money, but also includes time and personal sacrifice. All of us together are living out a mission to continue bringing the freedom found in Jesus.

This cost of ministry is life-giving compared to the cost of sin and selfishness, which is life-taking. You see, sin promises to give us certain paychecks of happiness, pleasure, success, and wealth. But sin is more like one of those pyramid schemes or multi-level marketing scams, which ask you to pay everything up front, promising fortunes and wealth, and yet rarely delivering.

But when it comes to sin, it’s even worse than that. Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death.” Steve Farrar’s words ring true: Sin will cost you more than you wanted to pay. It always demands more than you expected. And the wages of sin include a loss of peace, relationships, joy, and ultimately, our lives. Our sin causes us a wage that we cannot afford.

But the good news is that Jesus paid the debt that we could never pay. Listen to Romans 6:23 as it continues, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus gives. Sin takes. Jesus absorbed the full cost so that we could be free. Colossians 1:13-14 reminds us, “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for paying the price we could never afford. Thank You for giving us the ministry of Lutheran Church Charities as we serve, grow, support, and pray for the freedom that is found in You, for those who are still seeking. Fill us with gratitude and help us share Your rescue with the world in need. In Jesus’ name, Amen.