2026 Wk 27 - Lexi Freedom Weekend
Fire In the City • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Lexi Preaches.
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6-29-26 M&E Devo and Rewrites
Asleep in Jesus
“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:14
For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.
For those who belong to Christ, death is not the end—it is rest. Our bodies are laid to rest, but our spirits are immediately with the Lord. Jesus promised, “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
Sleep is a picture of peace after a long day’s work. In the same way, believers who die in Christ rest from every burden, every struggle, and every sorrow. Yet this rest is only temporary. When Jesus returns, He will raise His people in glory. What was buried in weakness will be raised in power. What was marked by pain will be clothed with immortality.
Like a seed planted in the ground, the believer’s body will one day bloom with resurrection life. Because Jesus conquered the grave, death no longer has the final word.
So we grieve with hope. We know that those who “sleep in Jesus” are safe in His presence today and will be raised to everlasting life when He comes again.
Reflection:
The promise of resurrection changes the way we face both life and death. If you belong to Christ, your future is secure. Rest in His promise today, and let the hope of eternity strengthen you to live faithfully until the day you see Him face to face
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that because Jesus lives, death has lost its sting. Fill our hearts with the hope of the resurrection and help us live each day with eternity in view. Amen.
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6-30-26 M&E Devo and Rewrites
“The glory You gave Me I have given them.” — John 17:22
“I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one.
Jesus doesn’t give us leftovers—He gives us Himself.
A small measure of His grace would have been more than we deserve. Yet instead of inviting us to the edge of His table, He welcomes us to sit beside Him as family. Through Christ, we are forgiven, adopted, and made heirs of all God has promised. His peace, His joy, His righteousness, His Spirit, and His future glory are now ours in Him.
Jesus doesn’t keep His treasures locked away. He invites us to draw freely from His endless grace. His love can never be exhausted, and His mercy never runs dry. No matter how much we receive, there is always more.
So don’t live as though God’s grace is limited. Drink deeply from His love and walk confidently in the riches Christ has already given you.
(This stanza would make a great chorus)
When I stand before Your throne,
Clothed in beauty not my own,
When I see You face to face,
Saved completely by Your grace,
Then I’ll fully understand
Just how much You’ve given me—and just how much I owe to Your amazing love
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7-1-26
“In summer and in winter shall it be.” — Zechariah 14:8
On that day life-giving waters will flow out from Jerusalem, half toward the Dead Sea and half toward the Mediterranean,* flowing continuously in both summer and winter.
God’s river never runs dry.
Seasons change.
We change.
Some days are filled with joy;
others bring pressure, grief, uncertainty, or weariness.
But through every season, the love and grace of God remain constant. His supply never depends on our circumstances.
When life feels hot with trials or cold with disappointment, we can come to the same living fountain and drink deeply. God’s grace never diminishes. His mercy never fails. His faithfulness is not seasonal.
Earthly sources will disappoint us. People may fail us. Resources may disappear. Even the strongest rivers of this world can dry up or be diverted. But nothing can stop the flow of God’s grace. It rises from His unchanging character and His everlasting love.
So stay close to the River of Life. Don’t search for satisfaction in the muddy streams of this world when Christ offers living water that never runs dry.
The generations come and go, but God’s grace flows on forever. Blessed is the one who chooses to dwell beside His life-giving stream.
:::Note: This ends with an invitation rather than the warning, leaving the reader with hope while still echoing Spurgeon’s central message.
7-2-26
“Our heart shall rejoice in Him.” — Psalm 33:21
The Christian’s joy is not rooted in easy circumstances but in the unchanging presence of Jesus.
Troubles come, yet believers still find a reason to sing. Like a buoy that rises above the waves, our hope is lifted by the assurance that Christ is with us. The storm may rage, but it cannot drown the soul anchored in Him.
Suffering alone brings no comfort. It is Jesus, walking with us through the fire, who fills our hearts with peace. He draws near to the weary, strengthens the weak, and comforts the broken. Even in life’s final moments, when death’s waters begin to rise, His voice still speaks, “Do not fear. I am with you.”
Because Christ has conquered death, the believer can face the unknown with confidence. The One who walked beside us through every trial will also welcome us home. His presence turns fear into peace and sorrow into hope.
Jesus is our greatest treasure—not only in the brightest days but also in the darkest nights. His presence is the joy of heaven, and even now, it is the joy of every heart that trusts Him.
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The original progression of the devotion moves—from trials, to suffering, to death, to eternal hope—thus, making the central truth memorable:
Our joy is not found in changing circumstances but in the constant presence of Jesus.
7-3-26
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him.” — 2 Timothy 2:12
If we endure hardship, we will reign with him.
If we deny him, he will deny us.
Not all suffering is suffering with Christ.
Before we can suffer with Him, we must first belong to Him. Only those who have placed their faith in Jesus can share in His life, His sufferings, and His coming glory.
Even then, we should be careful not to confuse the consequences of our own pride, poor choices, or sin with faithful obedience. Sometimes we suffer because we acted impulsively instead of wisely, or followed our own will instead of God’s. That is not the cross Christ calls us to bear.
Suffering with Christ comes through faithful obedience. It seeks God’s glory rather than personal recognition and is marked by humility, love, gentleness, and forgiveness. When we endure hardship for His name and for the good of others, we share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.
So let us examine our hearts. Are we suffering because we are following Jesus, or because we are following ourselves?
If our trials come through faithful obedience, we can endure them with hope. Every hardship borne for Christ is temporary, but the reward is eternal. To walk with Him through the fire today is a privilege; to reign with Him forever will be joy beyond measure.
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Spurgeon’s important cautions promise that gives the passage its triumphant hope:
the path of faithful obedience may include suffering, but it always leads to sharing in Christ’s eternal reign.
7-4-26
Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.
Sanctification is God’s ongoing work of shaping us into the likeness of Christ. It begins the moment we are born again. When we place our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us new life, making us a new creation. But that new life is only the beginning of a lifelong journey.
Each day, the Spirit works within us in two important ways:
He weakens the grip of sin and selfish desires
while strengthening the new life He has placed in us.
As we continue to walk with Christ, He gives us the power to persevere, to remain faithful, to grow in holiness, and to bear fruit that brings glory to God. One day, this work will be complete when we stand in His presence, perfectly made like Him.
Although the Holy Spirit is the One who sanctifies us, He uses a specific tool to accomplish His work: the truth of God’s Word. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them through Your truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Spirit takes the Scriptures we read, hear, and meditate on and presses them deep into our hearts. God’s truth not only informs our minds—it transforms our lives.
This reminds us that spiritual growth doesn’t happen by accident. We cannot neglect God’s Word and expect to mature in Christ. The more we fill our hearts with Scripture, the more our thoughts, desires, and actions begin to reflect Jesus. As the psalmist declared, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Never treat biblical truth as unimportant or dismiss error as “just a difference of opinion.” What we believe eventually shapes how we live. Compromising truth today often leads to compromising obedience tomorrow.
Hold tightly to God’s Word. Read it faithfully. Study it carefully. Obey it willingly. As you do, the Holy Spirit will continue His beautiful work of sanctifying your life, preparing you for the day when faith becomes sight and holiness is made complete in the presence of Christ.
7-5-26
I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Jesus calls every believer to be a saint—not a spiritual superstar, but someone set apart for God. Too often we admire the heroes of the Bible as though they belonged to a different class of Christians, imagining they were naturally stronger, holier, or less tempted than we are. But they were people just like us, transformed by the same grace we have received.
The apostle Paul experienced victories in Christ, yet he also wrestled with weakness, temptation, and the daily battle against his sinful nature. In fact, the closer a person walks with God, the more aware they become of their need for His mercy. Great saints are not people who think they have arrived; they are people who know how deeply they still depend on Jesus.
Rather than placing the saints of Scripture on unreachable pedestals, we should let their lives inspire us. The same God who called them has called us. The same Holy Spirit who empowered them lives within every believer today. The same grace that sustained them is available to us every single day.
God has not called us to settle for spiritual mediocrity. He invites us to pursue a life that reflects the character of Christ. Holiness is not reserved for a select few—it is the calling of every follower of Jesus.
How did the saints become so Christlike? They stayed close to Jesus. They loved Him, trusted Him, obeyed Him, and kept their eyes fixed on Him. As they walked with Christ, they gradually became more like Christ.
The same is true for us. We become like the One we continually behold. As we spend time in His presence, surrender to His Spirit, and keep our eyes on Jesus, He shapes us into His image.
You have been called to be a saint. Don’t settle for less than the life God has made possible through His grace. Walk closely with Jesus today, and let His likeness become increasingly evident in your life.
