by Maria Rudolph
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Read James 3:1–12
I grew up in Germany, with today being St Nicholas Day. Now, it is my children’s turn to clean their shoes on the eve of 6 December and place them neatly outside their bedroom door. When they awake, they will find small goodies in their shoes - lollies, nuts and gifts. St Nicholas Day is a joyful event of giving and receiving.
Nicholas was the 4th-century bishop of Myra, located in modern-day Türkiye (Turkey). The stories surrounding his generous giving and godly conduct have somehow taken on a life of their own and curiously culminated in the modern-day creation of Santa Claus. While this is a far cry from the original person of Bishop Nicholas, it serves as yet another reminder of God, the giver of all things. St Nicholas is credited with this quote - ‘The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.’
How blessed we are with godly quotes from him and many other faithful Christians throughout the ages. How blessed we are with Scripture verses full of wisdom said and recorded by the people of old. Yet an observation and warning from St James in his epistle is true for all of them and us - ‘Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be’ (James 3:10). Even well-quoted people do not always use their tongues appropriately.
We already focus on giving gifts and sharing kind actions during this Advent season. But let us also focus on our tongues. Martin Luther instructs us in his Small Catechism on the eighth commandment:
Do not give false testimony. What does this mean? We should honour and love God and so we should not tell lies about other people, give their secrets away, talk about them behind their back, or damage their reputation in any way. Instead, we should speak up for them, say only good things about them, and explain their actions in the kindest way.
It takes effort to use our tongues appropriately, but with a focus on the giver of every good and perfect gift, we are on the right track. Let us all challenge ourselves to take note of our tongue and pray daily that we may use it solely for blessing.
Holy Spirit, living water, we need your help and guidance. We do not want to be a spring from which fresh and saltwater flow simultaneously. But we trip up and fail. Fill us with your living water so our cup overflows into our lives and the people around us from the spring of life inside us. Store the fruit of your Spirit in our hearts abundantly, so our mouth speaks of what our hearts are full of. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Maria is overjoyed to be a candidate for ordination as a pastor of the LCANZ while serving the St Johns Perth congregation and supporting the ministry of her pastor husband, Michael, at Concordia Duncraig congregation in Western Australia. They are parents to three children who are busy with primary and secondary schooling. Maria also serves the church as a member of the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
Consider the hollyhocks
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown (Matthew 13:8).
Read Matthew 13:1–9,18–23
Today’s reading reminds me of a picture that I have seen many times illustrating this story. It is of a man resting a basket on his hip. He is walking along a path and throwing seeds onto the ground. It’s quite a contrast to the large machinery used on farms these days, in which our paddocks are vast and trees are removed. Land is used efficiently, with efforts to ensure plenty of good soil is available for crops to thrive and for machinery to access it as it ploughs, sows and reaps.
I used to admire hollyhocks in other people’s gardens. Then some seeds arrived in our yard, and I welcomed the hollyhocks as they grew and flowered, bringing colour and height into our garden.
Hollyhocks have a very efficient seeding habit – all of those pretty flowers end up as seed pods, and hey presto! We now have hollyhocks popping up and growing throughout our backyard. They are growing in the lawn, in cracks in the cement – wherever they land, they seem to grow. I’ve also seen how they grow taller with the more rain we have.
The hollyhocks spread despite my lack of dedication to gardening. They arrived through no effort on my behalf – maybe through the good graces of a passing bird or a wind over which there is no control.
The seeds grow where they land – even when the environment provides minimal space or food. They adapt to their situation and grow, producing flowers and more seeds. Do you see the connection?
The spread of God’s word does not rely on my efforts. The Holy Spirit moves without any direction from me or you, working in people’s hearts and bringing them closer to God. Maybe our role is to encourage the spread of God’s word and of the good news of the gospel, which is a bit like a gardener preparing soil, fertilising, providing water in the dry season and doing everything to encourage plants to grow – rather than pulling them out of the ground or mowing over them, which may happen in our garden from time to time.
Holy Spirit, help us to do what we can to help – not hinder – the work that you do. Thank you for not being solely reliant on our efforts to bring God’s love to life. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is retired and lives in Adelaide. She enjoys reading, writing and drinking coffee with her husband, John, and their friends. Colleen and John enjoy regular fitness classes, particularly when they include opportunities to throw frisbees.
Great invitation
by Greg Fowler
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full’ (Luke 14:23).
Read Luke 14:15–23
I love receiving invitations to special events. In the electronic age, it’s delightful to get a paper invitation in an envelope. It says that the event is special and my attendance means something.
In the Parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus tells of the greatest invitation. A master prepares a lavish feast, but the originally invited guests make a series of trivial excuses – a new field, some oxen, a recent marriage. Rather than cancelling the celebration, the master’s response is breathtakingly expansive. He first sends his servant into the streets to bring in the poor and broken, and then issues a final, urgent command: ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full’ (Luke 14:23).
This verse reveals the relentless, pursuing nature of God’s grace. The ‘roads and country lanes’ represent the margins of society, those who feel entirely outside the boundaries of religious or social acceptance. The master’s instruction to ‘compel’ them is striking. The original writer does not mean physical coercion or force, but rather a passionate, persuasive urgency. It is the kind of love that refuses to take ‘I’m not good enough’ or ‘I don’t belong’ for an answer.
God’s heart is not satisfied with a partially empty banquet hall. He desires a full house. The gospel is not merely a passive, polite offer; it is an active, relentless pursuit. The king of the universe is passionately committed to ensuring that every seat at his table is occupied by those who will experience his lavish, transforming grace.
God is calling us to the roads and country lanes of our own lives. Who is the coworker who feels like an outsider? Or the neighbour going through a silent crisis? The estranged family member who believes they have blown their chance at redemption? We testify to the grace that lovingly, persistently and warmly invites them to come in. Praise God for his relentless grace.
Lord, give me your heart for the lost and the hesitant. Forgive my comfort and complacency. Make me a bold, persuasive agent of your grace, actively inviting others to the abundant feast of your love, so that your house may be full. Amen.
Pastor Greg lives in beautiful Redland Bay with his wife, Connie, where they enjoy the beaches, weather and outdoor lifestyle of south Brisbane. He serves as the college pastor at Faith Lutheran College, Redlands.
Generosity
by Greg Fowler
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted (Luke 14:11).
Read Luke 14:7–14
I can’t help but feel this parable is more relevant today than ever. Jesus identifies a familiar human tendency at a Pharisee’s dinner party: people jockeying for the places of honour. Is this all that different to judging each other by how many social media views we get? In a culture deeply obsessed with status, reputation and public recognition, securing the best seat was a primary way to validate one’s self-worth. Jesus, however, interrupts this social climbing with a radical, counter-cultural invitation.
He advises his listeners to intentionally choose the lowest place. This is not a manipulative, reverse-psychology strategy to get promoted, but a profound reflection of a genuinely humble heart. Jesus reveals the divine economy of honour: ‘For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
The world’s ladder to success is built on self-promotion, networking and demanding recognition. But in the kingdom of God, the pathway to true honour is paved with humility. When we stop fighting for the spotlight and willingly serve, we align ourselves with the heart of Christ, who ‘made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant’ (Philippians 2:7). God is the ultimate host, and he reserves the highest places of honour for those who do not demand them.
Today, we face countless subtle opportunities to ‘exalt ourselves’. It happens when we fish for compliments, take undue credit for a team’s success at work or curate a flawless, exaggerated image of our lives on social media. It happens when we feel bitter because our actions go unnoticed.
Jesus tells us to fear not. Simply serve where there is need. Our God sees us and will elevate us at the time that is right for the kingdom. Praise God for his wisdom and timing.
Lord Jesus, you are the ultimate example of humility, leaving heaven’s glory to serve us. Forgive my constant striving for human recognition and my fear of being overlooked. Give me the grace to serve joyfully, trusting that you see me, you value me, and in your perfect timing, you will lift me up. Amen.
Pastor Greg lives in beautiful Redland Bay with his wife, Connie, where they enjoy the beaches, weather and outdoor lifestyle of south Brisbane. He serves as the college pastor at Faith Lutheran College, Redlands.