"Would you like to redo this assignment?" my math professor asked me as he handed back the work that I had turned in to him the previous day. There was no grade at the top of the paper. He smiled kindly at me. "Just review your work."

Confused, I scanned the page of equations. Then, I laughed. Somehow, I had worked the entirety of the equations … backward. The results, naturally, were incorrect. I was grateful for a professor who allowed me a second chance rather than failing me.

Likewise, Peter got a second chance. At the Last Supper, Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you [Jesus], I will never disown you." (Mark 14:31a NIV) Yet, at the moment of pressure, his actions proved the opposite of his words. Jesus saw him through the crowd and looked at him with love. In today's verse, after Jesus rose again, the angel specifically mentioned Peter. He needed a word of hope after his failure. Jesus gave him another chance. He neither judged nor condemned Peter. He simply forgave him.

The overwhelming love of God continually covers our weaknesses, our sins, and our waywardness. This love does not react to our actions. There is nothing that we can do that will cause God to love us less. We expect condemnation, judgment, and punishment, because lost, broken people around us often dole these out. Just as I would have expected my instructor to fail my homework, so we often expect others to see our failures and judge us harshly.

Yet, by contrast, Jesus provides us with an example of how to treat those who fail. His love pulls us back to Him, covering every sin with His redemptive power. Just as the instructor gave me a fresh chance, so does the Lord. He doesn't review the days, weeks, and months of a year to count our failures. Instead, He renews mercy with each sunrise. Grace abounds every morning. Forgiveness flows abundantly from His heart.

The new year now lies before us like a blank piece of paper, ready for revised equations. If you have wandered, messed up, or sinned over this last year, return to Jesus. The arms of our gracious Saviour wait to receive you!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for the second chances that Your grace provides us. Thank You for Your forgiveness for every sin and failure when we turn to You and repent. May this new year offer many opportunities for us to serve You with renewed passion. In Your name, we pray. Amen.

My son loves waffles. He enjoys them each day as an after-school snack. However, this year during the Lenten season, he decided to forgo this treat. One afternoon, as we drove home from school, we discussed the meaning of the season, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, and what we were each giving up. "Mama," he said, "I feel like my sacrifice is small compared to the big sacrifice of Jesus."

I encouraged him that his sacrifice was important because he was doing it for the love and honour of Jesus, not because it was a big gesture.

The widow woman placed her two small coins into the offering at the temple. Jesus noticed her gift and praised her because she gave all from her heart. She gave with humility, unlike the Pharisees and religious leaders who merely gave to receive lavish attention.

We can bring our offerings to God with complete trust that our Father sees us. He understands that sometimes, we may have capacity for bigger gifts, while other times our giving will seem small. The Father simply seeks generous hearts and humble spirits.

As we anticipate Resurrection Sunday, our sacrifices are a heartfelt response to Jesus' ultimate sacrifice of Himself on the cross for our sins. He was our humble example, giving Himself for the salvation of the world.

Whether we forgo eating our favourite food, or give a generous financial gift, or abstain from other forms of personal gratification, we honour His sacrifice. We offer Him our gratitude, and we live sacrificially towards others with thanksgiving.

Prayer: Father, we bring our offerings to You with praise for what Jesus has done for us. Thank You for accepting our sacrifices, no matter how small. We are grateful for Jesus' work on the cross and the redemption given to us by it. In His name, we pray. Amen.

He stood before the judges, bowed, and began his final performance. To the astonishment of the judges and the crowd, his moves were not the moves of a third-degree black belt in Korean Tang Soo Do, but those of a lower ranking belt. The young man finished and stood motionless, waiting for his score.

Over the loudspeaker, a deep voice echoed, "Ladies and gentlemen, please give my son a round of applause. He chose to perform at a lower rank today, thereby forfeiting the Grand Champion trophy to another student." The young man bowed to the judges and toward the voice.

The voice was that of his father.

The son was the best in the school, but his motive had never been to earn a trophy; it was to honour his father specifically by performing his father's most favourite martial arts techniques. And his father approved. Eventually, he would be taking over the school, continuing his father's legacy.

John 8:29 – And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. (KJV)

When Jesus walked on this earth, His purpose was to honour His Father. His mission, ultimately, was to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. During His lifetime, He brought glory to His Father by healing the sick, raising the dead, and caring for children. Often, He experienced misunderstanding and criticism from the religious leaders and even from His own disciples. They did not comprehend Who He was or what His plan was. But Jesus knew that the Father was with Him, and His Father was pleased with Him. That was all that mattered.

In our daily lives, money, power, fame, or promotions call out to us, pulling us into the lie that they will fulfill us. Yet our calling as Christians is to honour our heavenly Father — not primarily to pursue success.

Just as Jesus always performed the will of the Father, so should we follow Jesus' example. How we please God will differ according to our unique gifts. It might involve sacrificial service to our family, giving from our financial resources, volunteering our time at a non-profit, or simply showing patience with others.

May we not strive for pointless trophies. May we not worry about satisfying other people or worrying over their opinions of us. We have a solo audience in heaven. Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus and choose the path of humility and service to others.

For then, someday, we will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Prayer: Father God, help us to remain purposeful in our actions and focused on Your work through us. Thank You that we can do good in Your name on this earth. We are filled with joy as we please You. We praise Your name above all others. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

My son received several Lego sets for his last birthday: a boat, a race car, and a train track. My husband and I helped him build each set per the instructions. Once the sets were finished, my son proceeded to dismantle them until all the pieces were scattered everywhere. The sets were then unrecognizable. In making his own creations, he lost the original models.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter rushed to rescue Jesus from being arrested by the soldiers, and in the process, cut off a servant's ear. Peter wanted to forge his own plan of action on Christ's behalf. He believed that he knew best, yet Jesus knew that the Father had sent Him to die for the sins of the world. Peter's actions showed that he was distracted from God's plan, so Jesus rebuked him. Jesus remained focused solely on His mission.

Even when I want to walk with God, I often start living by my own rules and my own desires. I think, This tactic may work for peace, or This next idea will give me purpose. When I recklessly disregard His commands, God rebukes me: "Your way is not My way." He teaches me to seek Him while I'm in painful circumstances. He calls me to yield my stubborn will to His plan, for I cannot see the end results as He does. His original design will always be better than my cheap imitation, for with Him is love, acceptance, and grace. I achieve none of these through my meagre efforts.

As Jesus' death opened the way to resurrection and life, so our surrender to God will give us His fullness of joy and peace in purpose. Let's do it! Pray with me:

Prayer: Father, I acknowledge that I rush ahead of You, ignoring Your plans. Help me to trust that You are at work in my life. With You, I stay on the path of life. Thank You for Your patience with me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Thunderstorms with tornados are common in Indiana, USA, where I spent much of my childhood. Blaring sirens would ring out, disturbing a peaceful dinner or interrupting a night's sleep. My family would cross our lawn to the neighbourhood church, and hide in the basement. My grandpa, the pastor of the church, had a study in the basement. There, surrounded by his books, his overstuffed leather chair, and massive desk, I would curl up next to him and wait out the storm. Sometimes, we would read his books, or talk about our day. Sometimes, he would review his sermon notes for the coming Sunday. But in his presence, I no longer feared the raging storm.

Wars, turmoil, grief, and sickness all threaten to overwhelm us. Their presence invades our hearts and minds, blaring out warning sirens. We find ourselves on high alert as we navigate life. Peace is drowned. Yet, with God, the turmoil around us cannot touch our souls. We find refuge in Him.

In every season, we can turn our focus and our gaze back to God, no matter what assails us. We look to His purpose, to His plan for our good, much like my attention turned to my grandfather so long ago while tornados swirled above us. When our eyes look heavenward, we can rejoice. We can remain grateful to God for His grace, His presence, and His power.

When any bad news hits you, take it immediately to God the Father in prayer. Lift your hands and say, "I know that You have this in Your hands, and You have me, too."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your care for us. Thank You for holding us in Your hands. We fix our gaze on You and our hearts are at rest. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Earlier this year, the government of Peru mandated that all group homes for children and youth be closed. The officials wanted at-risk children to be placed with family or friends. A non-profit organization, New Hope Peru, immediately offered training and began to organize local churches to help in the process. New Hope understands the biblical concept that children thrive in families, so they are driven to help Peru transition into a successful foster care system.

There are times when Jesus-followers are called upon to act on what they believe. Today's Scripture passage notes that Joseph and Nicodemus had been hidden followers of Jesus. But after He was crucified, they finally had to do something about their faith. They went to Pilate and risked public knowledge of their association with Jesus. They were disrupted in their routines. No longer out of sight, they carefully laid Jesus to rest in Joseph's own new tomb.

The way of the cross calls us to selfless acts of service. Yet, how many times have I chosen comfort over struggle, peace over truth, convenience over sacrifice? Jesus commands me to kill off the old selfish ego — the sin nature and its incessant pull away from Him.

Where am I choosing to hide in the crowd, comfortable and hidden, when my faith calls me to stand out? Where am I putting off the Saviour until a more convenient time? What areas of my life need surrendering to Him? Perhaps, He is asking me to sacrifice financially. Perhaps, He wants me to help an overwhelmed single mother. Perhaps, I need to open my home to a child in need, to serve a neighbour, or to speak encouragement to a family member. His Spirit will show us where we are called to serve, if we choose to listen instead of ignoring His voice.

Prayer: Father God, forgive us when we've chosen obscurity over purpose. Living by faith is not always easy. Help us to move away from convenience and to begin taking risks with You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

The older gentleman approached me in the crowd of bustling shoppers. Wispy, white hair curled around his ears. "Ma'am," he said. "Can you help me find something in this store?" I paused from my work and smiled at him — a wide, beaming, friendly smile. I answered his question and directed him to where he could find the product.

After my response, he leaned closer to me, and in a conspiratorial whisper, said, "That smile. I bet it comes from the Lord."

"Yes, sir," I said, smiling again. I was grateful that the Lord's grace appeared on my face.

Moses, upon returning to Israel's camp after time on Mount Sinai, is described as having a beaming or radiant face.

Exodus 34:29-35 – When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the Lord's presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. (NIV)

Moses glowed so brightly that the Israelites were afraid of him. His face reflected the glory of the Lord. His countenance presented evidence of God's presence.

Faces appear in all different shapes, sizes, and styles, with freckles, wrinkles, tan lines, and paleness. But the face of a Christ-follower glows. The spark of the inner life, maintained by prayer, through worship, and from God's Word, shoots upward from the heart to the face. The more time that we spend with Jesus, the more that we are transformed into His image.

What does His face look like? It radiates grace, joy, peace, and love. Whether we are at our jobs, parenting our children, or volunteering in our communities, may our faces display the glory of Jesus. May those around us know Who our Saviour is by the smiles on our lips and the light in our eyes. Pray with me:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I want to showcase Your glory and grace to the world. As I turn my gaze to heaven, may Your image be engraved on my heart, on my mind, and on my face. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.