Weekly Update – February 19th, 2026
For the last month or so, we have been exhorted by Jesus to consider our life in light of the end. We began in Luke 12:13-21 with a man who asked Jesus to judge between he and his brother about the inheritance of their father (Lk. 12:13). Jesus, seeing right through this demand, warned him about his soul (Lk. 12:20) and called him to consider eternity rather than worldly possessions. From here, Jesus tells us to not worry about tomorrow, with what we will eat or wear (Lk. 12:22), but instead to seek God’s eternal kingdom (Lk. 12:31). This is all leading up to Jesus’ second coming, which will come as a thief in the night (Lk. 39), leading us to either everlasting joy and fellowship with God the father, or everlasting pain and judgement for our sin. The question is, what does it look like to live in light of the end?
First, we are to be good stewards. In Luke 12:16, we see the beginning of the parable of the rich fool. Here we read, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully…” In other words, the crops that the rich man would later boast in and seek to store up, wasn’t even produced in his own power. It was the land that produced it. The next question to ask is “who allows the land to produce crops?” Well, God is the one who sends the rain and causes the sun to shine, so our conclusion is, God produced this man’s crop. From there we see that this rich man is about to have his soul called up from him. In other words, on his final day, there will be nothing left to this rich man’s name, not even his very soul. So, what does all of this mean? Nothing on this earth is ours. Not our possessions, not our family, not our jobs, not even our souls. Everything belongs to God. Therefore, we are mere stewards of what he has placed in our temporary lives. We then use all that we have for God’s purposes, knowing that the end is near.
Second, we don’t fear tomorrow. If all of life is lived with the end in mind, then whatever happens tomorrow is secondary. Now, we must qualify this a bit. Yes, we need to invest for the future, we need to ensure that we are providing for our family, and we should even consider leaving an inheritance for those who follow us (Pro. 13:22). Yet, at the same time, we are not consumed with tomorrow, or better yet, anxious about tomorrow (Lk. 12:22). The balance here is that when we are seeking God’s purposes, we must believe that since all that we have is his, that not even a blade of grass goes unnoticed (Lk. 12:26). Therefore, we can build up treasures in heaven, confident that God is in control in the present.
Third, we prepare for the judgement. Jesus is clear about one of his intentions in Luke 12. Verse 48 says that he “came to cast fire on the earth.” We know that he is talking about judgment here because of the following verses where he illustrates his point about the debt of a man who needs to settle so that he is not handed over to the judge. For the unbeliever, the call is to get right with God to avoid paying a debt that will never be fulfilled (Lk 12:59). For the believer, we hold to a savior who underwent a baptism of death so that our debt might be paid. Our response then, depending on what position we are in, is to either turn from our sins and go to God to settle our debt through Jesus Christ, or it is to live confident in what Christ has achieved, and to call others to get their affairs in order, by going to Jesus Christ.
Living in light of the end isn’t a call to drop everything and look up into the sky, nor is it a call to separate from the world and make sure our charts are in order. Instead, we want to examine our lives to ensure that we are stewarding all that God has given us in light of return of his Son as we trust in his plans for us today, prepared for the judgement that is to come.
Serving Him with You,
Pastor Michael Nelson
Written by Pastor
Michael Nelson
Fighter Verse for the Week
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. [Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.]
- Psalm 62:5-8
Announcements:
Women’s Bible Study: This will be a 10-week study of Joshua by Jen Wilkin. Morning and evening sessions will be held on Tuesdays, beginning on February 17th. Details are on the bulletin board.
Game Night: Our monthly game night is Friday, February 20th from 7:00-9:00pm. Invite a friend to come with you and bring your favorite game and/or snack.
Sunday Evening Service: Our next Sunday evening service will be on Sunday, February 22nd at 6:00pm. On this evening we will pray together and hear from Kamto Eze as he preaches from 1 John 5:1-5
Clothing Giveaway: On February 28th, from 8:00-11:00am, we will open up our basement to the community to giveaway tables of clothes. We always need lots of help for this event. Consider joining us on this day.
New – Spring Work Day: On Saturday, March 21st at 8:00am there will be an all church work day. Come and help us clean, make minor repairs and get our building ready for all of the spring/summer activities that will take place.
Men’s Study: Our next Men’s study will begin on Wednesday, April 8th from 8:00-9:15pm. The book for this study will be The Case for Christ. See Clint Blankenship for more information.
Family Discipleship Guides: These guides are designed to help equip parents further engage with what our children and youth are learning. You can find a guide for AWANA, HERE and for our Youth, HERE.
Building Remodel: We have officially kicked off our fundraiser! There are commitment cards available in the sanctuary as well as in the welcome center. Feel free to pick up one and return it to one an available basket. If you would like to give a one time or a reoccurring gift, you can do so HERE and select “building remodel.” You can also give through one of the offering boxes at church. Be sure to mark your envelop, “building remodel.” Check out a video highlighting the work done so far.
Food Pantry: The food pantry is currently in need of some food items. For a complete list of food pantry needs, click HERE.
Awana Bible Club
Awana Clubs are held on Wednesdays throughout the school year. Dinner is at 6:00pm with Awana Clubs starting at 6:30pm. Children can be registered HERE.
Equipping Hour
We have three classes held at 9:15am on Sunday mornings. “Habits of the Household” meets in the Sanctuary, a study in Hebrews in the Fellowship Hall, and a Ladies’ class studying the Old Testament meets in the classroom next to the nursery. You can find more information HERE.
Giving
To Give Online, Go HERE.
You can also mail your offering to: 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. 64030
Home Groups
Home Groups typically meet on the first and third Sunday of each month. Please contact Pastor Michael if you would like to join a Home Group. You can find more information HERE.
Prayer
An updated Prayer Guide can be accessed HERE.
Prepare for Sunday
Guide for Worship can be found HERE.