John 13:31-35; The Fifth Sunday of Easter; May 18, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” (John 13:31–35, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus’ love is better than we can ever achieve. His love is selfless, ours is selfish. His love doesn’t tolerate sin, it exposes, condemns, and removes it. He forgives sin, not by ignoring it, but by his holy and precious blood, and his innocent suffering and death. He pays the debt of sin against God, it cost him everything. Our love wants to tolerate sin for the sake of unity. We don’t want to condemn, because others think it is unloving. We do little to speak the truth of sin, even though it usually costs nothing. There is nothing loving in ignoring sin, it is, in fact, quite the opposite. Sin is an affront to God’s purpose. It opposes God’s design for human life. It tears down relationships. It destroys trust. Left to its own devices, it is all consuming and all corrupting. No part of life can escape its influence. We rank sin. Murder is worse than speaking against our neighbor. Adultery against your spouse is worse than pornography. Homosexuality is worse than cohabitation. Lying is categorized as white lies and outright lies. Denying Christ is worse than overlooking an opportunity to speak about him. On and on it goes. We justify ourselves with excuses when there is no justification. In God’s eyes, sin is sin. It all comes from the same place. The corrupted human heart. It is all rejection of God. It is all damnable.

Jesus confronts sin. One example is in John 8, where the scribes and Pharisees bring before him a woman caught in adultery. “Moses commanded us to stone such women.” they said. Jesus stoops down and begins writing in the dirt. We don’t know what he wrote, but it was apparently convicting.

Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.

Her accusers all left; she was alone with Jesus.

Has no one condemned you?... No one, Lord. She replied. Neither do I condemn you, go and from now on, sin no more.

Jesus doesn’t ignore her sin or the sin of her accusers. He calls for repentance. Sin no more.

Love is not love when it ignores or justifies sin. A toddler will play in the street, ignorant of the danger. A loving parent will not allow it and may even punish the child. They must learn that the street is an unsafe place to play. Ignoring sin is the same. In Lutheran terms it is the First Use of the Law. That is to curb, or control dangerous sinful behavior. There is no salvation in the First Use, only condemnation, only correction, only expected behavior change. The means is the cattle prod, not grace. This is why God has established Government,

for [the government] is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:4, ESV)

Or as Luther stated:

The sword is necessary in the world, and without it the world cannot exist. If there were no law and no sword to restrain the wicked, everything would go to ruin. — AE 45:91

The church is different, yet the same in one respect. The church, that is Christians, act with love, the government acts with the threat of force. Both are commanded by God to confront sin. The government acts to restrain sin. The churches’ reason for confronting sin is much different. It speaks the truth in love, hoping for the unrepentant sinner to repent. Hoping for them to see their sin and turn to Christ for forgiveness. The church cannot function, as God has designed it, by ignoring or justifying sin. A church that doesn’t practice discipline isn’t loving.

Why doesn’t the church confront sin, as it ought? We don’t really understand the depth of it. We see it as a small thing, especially our own. We think that God simply overlooks it, because he is loving. But that isn’t the case. Sin sick is what we are. It is dangerous and deadly. There is no such thing as a small sin. And even Christians struggle with deep-rooted sin. Paul himself says:

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. Romans 7:18, ESV

For a loving God, this is an intolerable situation. His love can’t put up with sin. There are two responses from him. Eternal hell for sinners, or grace. But grace isn’t just ignoring sin. He can’t do that. Instead, he chooses to deal with sin in the only way possible. He pays the price, the debt himself. So caught up and trapped in sin are we, that we can’t resolve it. But God does.

So, once in history, God became a human being.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, ESV)

It is only in understanding the depth of our own sin that we take grace seriously. It is only in the cross that we clearly see the cost of sin. Instead of hell, that we deserve, we receive grace. God’s undeserved favor. When we look on the cross, as ugly as it is, with Jesus there, in all his gory glory, we see the price paid for our little sins, our great sins, everything we have ever done or will do against God’s law. It is utterly amazing what God does through the cross. What Jesus was willing to do for us, to resolve our sin problem.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5–8, ESV)

There is no grace without the bloody cross. God can’t just set aside sin; it must be dealt death. Forgiveness without the cross, and Jesus on it, is cheap grace. Detrich Bonhoffer, the Lutheran Theologian during the Third Reich, said,

Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession... Grace without the cross.

Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again... It is costly because it cost God the life of His Son; it is grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life. (from The Cost of Discipleship)

It is right there, Jesus, bloody, broken, bleeding and dying. It is the cost of your sin. That is why the real symbol of the truth of the cross is a cross with Jesus on it. It speaks to your sin, its depth, its seriousness. We dare not take our sin lightly. God, in Jesus, didn’t.

But there is more. Going back to Luther, he understood that it wasn’t enough to believe that the Gospel is true in general.

It is not enough to believe that Christ died and rose again. This must be for me. If I do not believe that it is for me, it does me no good. — Galatians Commentary (1535), AE 26:177

That’s faith. That’s the key. Because my sin is so great, your sin is so great, Jesus did what was necessary, for me and for you.

The Gospel is not only a story about Christ, but it is the power of God for all who believe. It does not say, ‘Christ is such and such a person, who lived and died,’ but rather: ‘He is your Savior; He is yours and all that He has is yours.’ — Sermons on John 3, WA 17/I:463

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Text: Isaac Watts, 1707 Common Tune: “Hamburg” (by Lowell Mason)

1. When I survey the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast Save in the death of Christ, my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.

3. See, from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

4. His dying crimson, like a robe, Spreads o’er His body on the tree; Then I am dead to all the globe, And all the globe is dead to me.

5. Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a tribute far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Jesus’ love is better than we can ever achieve. How can we confront sin in our brothers and sisters in Christ, when we can’t even see it clearly in ourselves? Lord, help us to see it thus.

The church, and I mean here the whole church, not just the LCMS, is corrupted by sin. It has always been. It will be so until the bridegroom returns to make all things new. He is the only hope for the church. Jesus is the only answer. It begins right here (in the heart), through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. First, we repent of our own sin and take it to the cross. There we receive Jesus, for me, for you, for forgiveness. Then, we proclaim clearly the truth of God’s Word, that speaks clearly about the churches sin. We speak the truth in love, not to judge, but toward repentance. Jesus’ love is better than we can ever achieve. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

John 10:22-30; the Fourth Sunday of Easter; May 11, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”” (John 10:22–30, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus is in the temple. It is Hanukkah. We think of it as Jewish Christmas. For Jews it commemorates the dedication of the second temple in Jerusalem. The building of it marked their return from exile in Persia. Zerubbabel and Joshua (not the Joshua associated with Moses, but the High Priest at the time) had it built by decree from Cyrus the Great, King of Persia. The temple itself was an important theological and cultural symbol for them. God was present there. The sacrificial system was daily practiced. It was the center of atonement, purification and forgiveness. Jesus is there. The Jews believed that the Messiah would come to that temple. And there he was standing among them.

The significance of the temple, and Jesus standing in it, can’t be overestimated. The question they ask is pregnant with meaning. How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. It is the right question, in a way. If Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ), then their long wait is over.

But there is an issue. They say, tell us plainly. Jesus must have been exasperated. I have told you. And you didn’t listen, you don’t believe. The word believe is a faith word πίστις, in Greek. It holds the meaning to assent, trust in the speaker, and commit the heart. Their unbelief isn’t just not knowing, it is willful, ongoing unbelief, regardless of what he says. You refuse to believe. You reject the Holy Spirit. No matter how many times he tells them plainly, they won’t believe.

Jesus drives the point home. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, Jesus hasn’t only said who he is, but he has shown it to them by his words, his miracles and his redemptive mission, all that he does in obedience to the Father. And yet, with all of that, they refuse to believe. but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. It is the clincher. They have no faith, they can’t believe. They are not among Jesus’ sheep.

Just think about that for a moment. They are not Jesus’ sheep. Jesus judges them and finds them lacking. There they stand, looking into the face of forgiveness. Despite all they believe that the Messiah is coming, that he would stand in that temple, that he would do the works of God, the Father, that he would give the words of eternal life, and they are committing the only unforgivable sin. They lack faith in the Messiah standing right there, where God said he would be. There is no forgiveness for them. They are still in their sins, and hell bound.

This text is a stark reminder about what is at stake. God judges the heart according to faith. Faith is the key, the all-important fact that determines our eternal destination.

If we look at the Gospel of Matthew (25:31-46) we see this played out at the final judgement. Jesus says, [the Father] will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left... ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom.’ They are blessed because My sheep here my voice, I know them, and they follow me. The sheep are known by Jesus; they belong to him. They are saved. It’s not because of what they do, what they do is because they belong to Jesus.

The goats, on the Father’s left, are those who do not know Jesus, and Jesus doesn’t know them. They do not serve him because they don’t have faith. They have rejected the Savior’s voice.

The contrast couldn’t be stronger. Jesus spells it our for them.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

Jesus outlines a faithful relationship with him.

My sheep hear my voice – The Word of God, comes to us from outside of ourselves. It sinks into our ears. It impresses on our minds. It does what God sends it to do.

Jesus knows them – Jesus has intimate knowledge of those who have faith in him for salvation. It was on the cross that he displays exactly what it means. He knows each of us, his sheep, so personally that he does what is most necessary for us. He brings forgiveness of sins through his death on the cross. So personal is his knowledge of you, that if you were the only Christian ever, his response would have been the very same. He would have died on the cross for you only.

He gives them eternal life – He gives. It is a gift, not deserved by you. Nothing you do can make Jesus love you more. All your works are nothing, compared to faith. Faith in Jesus, and all that he has done is the key. This life isn’t just for the future either. Jesus says it begins with faith. Right now.

They will never perish – Jesus is speaking in the strongest terms here. They will absolutely never, ever perish. There isn’t any doubt. It isn’t they will probably not perish. This is one of the strongest statements of Christian security in the whole bible. Jesus’ sheep will absolutely never, ever perish.

No one can snatch them – It is a double grip. I and the Father are one. The Father and the Son are both gripping you. Holding on to Jesus’ sheep. You are not saved because you hold fast to Jesus, but because he and the Father hold fast to you. And no one, or no thing is greater than that grip. Not Satan and his demons, not the world’s hatred and persecution, not even your own sin and doubt. And not death. It’s bind on you was broken when Jesus rose from his tomb.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38–39, ESV)

Your past sins are forgiven. They won’t snatch you out of Jesus hand. Your present struggle with sin won’t pull you away either. Jesus died on the cross to ensure his grip on you, even in your weakness. And all your future failures are forgiven, done and paid for. His sheep are held tightly, and no one, not even yourself, can snatch you out of his hand.

It’s a sheep thing. That’s who you are through faith in Jesus. He is the shepherd. He stands guard over you. When you stray, he comes to get you. When you are in danger, he protects you. When you are hungry, he feeds you. Psalm 23 is loved by Christians, because it says all that it means to have faith. Why don’t we, as the sheep of the Shepherd say it together.

Psalm 23 A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.

He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

John 21:1-14; Third Sunday of Easter 3, April 4, 2025;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. (John 21:1-14, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

You know, lots of times when I read about the disciples in these accounts, I get to feeling sorry for them. I mean, often in these lessons they come off pretty much like failures. How many times have we heard of how they didn’t do what Jesus wanted? How often have we heard about how they didn’t understand what Jesus was saying or what he was doing? Like when they misunderstood what Jesus meant when he said that Lazarus had “fallen asleep.” (John 11:1ff) They were walking along the road, and they received word that Lazarus was sick. Jesus waited three after hearing before going to him. “It’s time to go, Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep.”

“Lord, if he sleeps, he’ll get better!” the disciples answered.

“No guys,” Jesus answered, “you’ve missed the point again. When I said he was sleeping, I meant that he is dead.” I have this image in my mind of the twelve standing around with a puzzled look on their faces. “Lazarus is dead.” Jesus finally says in response.

“Oh!” they answer, “I guess we missed that.” Oops, another mistake.

It has always amazed me that the gospels, even though they were mostly written by the disciples, aren’t very flattering for the authors. They failed often and they failed big, especially when Jesus was in the most danger. As Jesus waits in the garden for the betrayer, they fail to stay awake. When the guards show up to arrest him, they fail again. All Peter can do is cut off the servant’s ear. (John 18:10) Not only has he failed to protect his master, but he’s also a failure at wielding a sword, too! He didn’t do what he should have done and what he did is all wrong. “Put away your sword.” Jesus says. All the disciples run away in fear, and let Jesus be taken.

And again, in the court yard outside of Jesus trial Peter fails when he is accused of being Jesus disciple. “I told you before, curse you, I don’t know that man! He’s nothing to me! Now leave me alone!” And then faced with that failure he ran out and wept bitterly. (John 18:15-18; 25-27)

Now later after Jesus has been crucified, they gather in a darkened room, huddled together afraid, for three days. And even when Jesus appeared to them, they had their doubts. Thomas speaks for all of them when he says, “Unless I see him, and touch him. I refuse to believe!” They had all failed to remember what Jesus said to them, they had all failed to believe in Jesus.

And that brings us to the account for today. After so many failures… so many misunderstandings, and now they are about to fail again. We’ve heard about their failures as disciples, now we hear how they can’t even seem to go back to their old lives, “that night they caught nothing.” Looks like failure again. There they are in the boat, even after Jesus has risen from the dead, failing again. They couldn’t do what Jesus wanted, and they couldn’t go back to their old life. There they sat early in the morning looking at their empty nets wondering if they would ever again be successful at anything.

“Boys,” came a voice from the shore, “Have you tried the other side of the boat?” Now, I don’t know of many professional fishermen who will take instructions from a stranger on how to fish. But the disciples did on that morning. Maybe it was the sense of failure that led them. Maybe they didn’t have the energy to dispute it, but they took the criticism. And when they did… 153 large fish jumped into the net. John was the first to realize that it was Jesus. “It’s the Lord!” he said. Peter put John’s words into action and leapt into the water to make the hundred-yard swim to shore. Jesus had turned their failure into success. He gives them what they need. Fish in their nets, and once they get to shore, he feeds them breakfast.

Are we failures too? We don’t like to think of ourselves that way. But I think that if we look honestly at ourselves, we can see that we are. We can’t help but be failures. That’s our sinful human nature. We try to make progress against it but no matter how hard we try we fail again. For instance, we know the resurrected Jesus, but there are many times in our life that what we know about Jesus just doesn’t seem to make any difference in how we live. Jesus says, “Love your neighbor” There are many times when we don’t even seem to love our family. How easy is it to hurt our parents, or our children, or even our spouse? Our hurtful words aren’t often blasted over the news, but we often take out our frustrations on those who are closest to us. And just sometimes we do it because we mean to do it. We are just like the twelve we fail; we fail to love.

How often have we stood in Peter’s sandals, denying Jesus? Maybe we don’t outright say that we don’t know him, but what about when we act as if being a Christian doesn’t mean anything, or when we make light of our faith. What about speaking up against those things we know the God’s Word tells us are wrong. What about being tolerant of open sin? Whenever we pretend that sin isn’t sin, or try to carve out exceptions for ourselves and others we are participating in that sin ourselves. When we participate in open sin either directly or in a failure to confront our brothers and sisters who are in it, we deny Jesus’ sacrifice for sin. We know the failure of Peter very well.

And as far as being successful fishermen… we fail there too. We know who the absent members of our church are, and yet we let year after year go by without a word, without an invitation. We know there are folks who don’t go to any church, and we do nothing. We know friends and family who out right deny the faith and we say nothing. We think that the church is only a place for those who have their lives straightened out, those who have money to give, and those who have good reputations. Jesus died for sinners. We are about to give that message to everyone.

The truth of the matter is, the disciples were failures, and we are failures, poor miserable failures… poor miserable sinners. That’s the real problem, isn’t it? Our sins threatened to separate us from the God who created us. Our sins are the real problem. In the eyes of a God who demands perfection, we are utter failures because we aren’t perfect. No matter how hard we try we can’t be perfect.

But Jesus is perfect. It is perfect Jesus that gives us success. When the disciples listened to advice from the shore, they knew it was Jesus because they had success. They ended up with a net so full that it should have broken; it was too large to fit in the boat. It wasn’t only success it was SUCCESS! It wasn’t just a good day fishing; it was an amazing day fishing. Imagine the best fishing story you’ve ever heard. And it was because of Jesus. They couldn’t wait to get to shore. And Jesus was there waiting to feed them.

That’s what Jesus does. He forgives failures. I’m not talking about a plastic Jesus on the dashboard to bring good luck. He’s not the kind of God that helps you to win the lottery. He’s the kind of God that lives in you through his Holy Spirit and show you how to do the right thing. He prompts you to show the love of Jesus in the community through what you do and speak. He makes success out of you, even when you fail.

What Jesus Christ has done makes a difference for your failures. In his great love he paid the ultimate price for your failures. He suffered pain and death. He hung on the cross and endured the punishment that we failures deserved. Even though he was treated as a failure, he changed that awful event into success. On Easter morning some 2000 years ago, he turned what seemed like the failure of his death into the success of life. The tomb was opened, and he breathed again. He lived and walked, smiled and laughed again. He met with his disciple, he met them on the road, he met them in the darkened room, and he met them on the shore of the lake. He was alive. Death had failed! Jesus succeeded!

But the most important thing to remember is that Jesus’ success wasn’t just his success. Everything Jesus did, his whole life, his whole horrible death, he whole glorious, successful, resurrection; everything he did, he did for you! He gives that success to you in Holy Baptism. There he washed you clean of your sin and your failures. There he gave you, his success; His perfect life, His self-giving death, and even His glorious resurrection. He covered you with the perfect robe of his perfect life. Now when God looks at you, He sees Jesus. In God’s eyes you are a perfect success.

We really do know all this. Most of us have been hearing it all our lives. It is rather funny though that as much as we know it to be true, we don’t really feel that much like a success. There are those days when we just can’t seem to get it right. There are those days when the love we should have just isn’t there. There are days when we don’t really want to risk exposing ourselves as a Christian. There are days when we just want people, we think don’t who don’t fit here in this church just to stay out. That’s the sinful nature, dragging us to failure again. That’s the failure in us trying to take control again. That’s when it’s important to remember the success that Jesus has won for us. That’s when it’s important to remember when our heads got wet. That’s when we turn to Jesus and say, “You have forgiven me. I am yours. Jesus, help me!” And our loving and gracious Lord says, “I’ve died for your failure already. I took them all to the cross. You don’t have to live with it anymore. My success is yours.” And then sometimes we can love as Jesus would have us love, even when the people around us aren’t very lovable. Then we can set aside our prejudice, even when I don’t feel like it. And sometimes we even find ourselves speaking words about Jesus, even when we’re afraid. And sometimes we can even ask people to come to church that we really don’t even want to sit by. It isn’t because of us, because our failure only gets us empty nets, just like the disciples. It’s all because of Jesus. It’s the Holy Spirit working in our hearts to bring success as only He can do.

The disciples enjoyed breakfast that early morning. Jesus brought them success in their fishing. For them there would be many more failures. But Jesus would turn them also into successes. Through His Word preached, through His Sacraments, Baptism and Holy Communion, given, Jesus used those fishing failures to build His church. There were bigger nets to drag ashore, more fish to count. They weren’t fish from the sea; they were people that God, in Jesus, died to save. They were failures like you and me that Jesus died to save. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ. Amen.