- 153
- Episodes
- 14
- Ratings
- Daily
- Cadence
- 2024
- First episode
About WELS Family Devotion
WELS Family Devotions
- Publisher
- WELS
- Category
- kids & family · religion & spirituality · society & culture
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 15 May 2024
- Latest episode
- 7 Oct 2026
Latest episodes
153 episodes in the feed.
7 Oct 2026
A New Kind of Striving – October 7, 2026
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261007fam.mp3 (https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261007fam.mp3) Listen to Devotion (https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261007fam.mp3) Read: Philippians 3:12-21 Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 A New Kind of Striving In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. “Forgetting what is behind . . .” How could Paul say that? Don’t you think he remembered how he had treated Christians? He had dragged believers off to prison because they followed Jesus. He had a lot behind him! How could you ever forget what is behind you? Maybe you still remember something mean you said or something good you should have done but didn’t. You wish you could go back and change it. How can you leave that behind? Not by pretending it never happened. You can bring it to Jesus. He took your sin to the cross and rose again. Because of him, God forgives you. A full cross on Calvary and an empty tomb on Easter are his guarantee. In Christ, salvation is a gift given, not a bargain struck. That gospel truth brought Paul to strive in a different direction. Previously he persecuted Christ’s church (Philippians 3:6); now he pressed on because Christ had taken hold of him (Philippians 3:12). Paul even uses the same word for “persecuting” and “pressing on.” What changed his direction? Jesus, who died and rose for Paul—and for you. “Forgetting what is behind . . .” How can you? Because the same Jesus who forgave Paul is the Jesus who rescued you from your sins. His forgiveness frees you to stop looking backward in fear. You can look ahead and ask, “How can I show Jesus’ love today?” Maybe you can include someone who feels left out, tell the truth when it’s hard, or help without being asked. Paul pressed on because Jesus had already made him his own. You belong to Jesus, too. And as you follow him now, you can look forward to the day he returns and makes all things new. That’s a new kind of striving. Prayer: Lord Jesus, when I keep thinking about something wrong I’ve done, help me forget what you have placed behind me because of your undeserved love! Help me press on to be who you’ve declared me to be—a forgiven, beloved child of God. In your name. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Was Paul kind to Christians before Jesus changed his life? Who forgives you when you do something wrong? Questions for Elementary Age Children Why does the devil love to remind us of our sins and shortcomings? What does it mean to bring a sin you remember to Jesus instead of pretending it didn’t happen? Questions for Middle School and Above Paul says he has not “already arrived” (verse 12). How does that help you when you’re discouraged by a sin you keep struggling with? What is the difference between pressing on to earn a place with Jesus and pressing on because Jesus has taken hold of you? Download Family Devotions (https://cad.welsrc.net/download-cad/wels-family-devotions-6-1/) (https://welscongregationalservices.net/ministry-resources/marriagemoments/) Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/) All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
5 Oct 2026
The Lord’s Sorrowful Love Song – October 5, 2026
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261005fam.mp3 (https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261005fam.mp3) Listen to Devotion (https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261005fam.mp3) Read: Isaiah 5:1-7 What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Isaiah 5:4 The Lord’s Sorrowful Love Song In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Music moves people. A song can make you want to dance, or cheer (like a jock jam in your school gym), or cry (like a song about love and loss and a broken heart). Music moves people. In Isaiah 5, we get to hear a song from the Lord himself. It’s a love song about his “vineyard,” but with a sad twist. Listen to what made the Lord’s song so sad. The Lord had set his vineyard up for success. He planted it in a fertile place. He cleared out the stones, planted good vines, and built a watchtower. He even made a place to press the grapes. Those vines needed nothing more. The expectation was for those vines to do the only thing that grapevines do: produce fruit. The Lord looked for good grapes. Instead, he found bad ones. Isaiah tells us what the song means: the vineyard was God’s people, Israel. God had cared for them, but instead of doing what was right, they hurt others. This song isn’t about a bad grape harvest; this song is about God’s broken heart because his people wouldn’t love him back. We aren’t Old Testament Israelites, but hasn’t our God given us everything we need for body and soul, too? We must confront the “elephant in the vineyard,” and ask: When have I failed to love God or treat others as he wants me to? The Lord has every right to call our sin what it is. He has the right to sing a sad lament. Thank God, this is not the end of the song! The solo voice of Jesus sings another stanza. He sings the song of our salvation—how he carried all our bad fruit or lack of fruit. He carried our pride about any of our good fruit to the cross. He died to forgive us and rose on Easter—that’s music to our ears! As we hear the song of our Savior, what he has done, the Holy Spirit grows faith in us and helps us show his love to others. That is a song worth singing! Prayer: Lord Jesus, you took upon yourself all of our failures. Forgive me when I fail to love you and others. By your Holy Spirit help me bring forth the good fruits of faith. In your name. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children What’s your favorite happy song? Sad song? What fruit did the owner hope to find on his vines? What did he find instead? Questions for Elementary Age Children Name two things the owner did to care for his vineyard. Name two things Christians can do to care for their faith. Questions for Middle School and Above Isaiah says God looked for justice but found people hurting one another (verse 7). Where might you see that kind of difference between what God wants and what people do today? Why can you admit your “bad fruit” honestly to God? How does Jesus’ death and resurrection change what you want to do next? Download Family Devotions (https://cad.welsrc.net/download-cad/wels-family-devotions-6-1/) (https://welscongregationalservices.net/ministry-resources/marriagemoments/) Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/) All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
2 Oct 2026
Jesus Wants More Than to Win – October 2, 2026
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261002fam.mp3 (https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261002fam.mp3) Listen to Devotion (https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20261002fam.mp3) Read: Matthew 21:23-32 [Jesus said] “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus Wants More Than to Win In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Locked in a battle of wills with a stubborn young child or teenager, more than a few parents have said—or at least thought—“You don’t get to win today!” Parents sometimes need to stand firm. Yet those tense situations can quickly change from loving correction into a stubborn contest. What began as an effort to guide a child becomes more about winning the argument. Jesus’ tense conversation with the religious leaders was different. It happened during Holy Week, just days before Jesus would go to the cross. Jesus was teaching in the temple when the religious leaders challenged him: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Matthew 21:23). Jesus answered their challenge with a question about John the Baptist. The leaders knew that admitting John had been sent by God would also express their refusal to believe his message. They were more concerned about protecting themselves than listening to God. Jesus then told them about two sons. One son told his father, “No,” but later changed his mind and obeyed. The other said, “Yes,” but never went. The religious leaders said the right things about God, but they refused to repent and believe. Meanwhile, people known for openly sinful lives heard God’s warning, repented, and believed his promise. Jesus was not trying to outsmart the religious leaders or win an argument. He wanted to break through their stubbornness. He wanted them to recognize his authority, repent, and receive the forgiveness he would soon win on the cross. We can be like both sons. Sometimes we openly resist what God says. Other times we say the right words while stubbornly doing what we want. We need Jesus to expose our stubborn hearts and turn us back to him. Jesus wants more than to win an argument with us. He wants to win us back. He speaks with God’s authority because he is God. He uses his Word to turn us from stubborn sin to the forgiveness he freely gives. Because his love does not change, he keeps calling us to repent and believe. Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you speak with the authority of God because you are God. Forgive us for saying “yes” with our mouths but “no” in our hearts. Break through our stubbornness. Turn us by your Word and love to repentance and faith. Help our family to repent, trust your forgiveness, and gladly follow you. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Which son eventually did what his father asked? What does Jesus want us to do when we have sinned? Questions for Elementary Age Children Why is it easier to say the right thing than to do it? How can pride or stubbornness keep someone from admitting that God’s Word is right? Questions for Middle School and Above Why was Jesus’ goal more than simply winning his argument with the religious leaders? How does knowing that God’s love does not change help you when you struggle with stubbornness, sin, or admitting you are wrong? Download Family Devotions (https://cad.welsrc.net/download-cad/wels-family-devotions-6-1/) (https://welscongregationalservices.net/ministry-resources/marriagemoments/) Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/) All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
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