Love is Alive: Going with Us

May 17, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Standing on Holy Ground

The disciples stood together, necks craned upward as Jesus vanished into the clouds. Their sandals pressed the same Olivet dirt that had absorbed His resurrected footsteps. Two angels broke their gaze: “Why stand looking into heaven?” The question hung like windchimes after a storm. Below their feet lay the soil where Jesus promised power. Above stretched the sky where He disappeared. Between both, purpose waited. [55:41]

Jesus anchored their transition in holy ground. Ascension didn’t erase His presence—it expanded their mission. The angels’ question reframed their posture: don’t freeze in awe; move in obedience. Heaven’s work would now flow through their hands.

When life shifts beneath your feet, do you fixate on the sky or feel the sacredness underfoot? Name one transition you’re navigating—a career change, grief, or a child leaving home. How might this liminal space become holy ground for encountering Christ’s purpose?

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.”
(Acts 1:8-9, NIV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal the holy ground beneath your current season. Thank Him for planting purpose in your transitions.
Challenge: Write down one memory of God’s faithfulness during a past transition. Share it with a friend today.

Day 2: Love Moves Outward

Peter wiped sweat from his brow as the cloud dissolved. Just days earlier, he’d huddled in locked rooms. Now he stood on a hillside, watching love ascend to fill the cosmos. Jesus’ final words echoed: “You will be my witnesses.” The disciples’ grief melted into anticipation. Love wasn’t leaving—it was multiplying. [56:38]

Ascension turned receivers into releasers. The same Spirit that raised Christ now fueled ordinary fishermen to heal, preach, and plant churches. Their small stories merged with God’s global redemption.

What ministry makes your heart quicken? The food pantry? Summer VBS? Praying for peace? You aren’t just supporting programs—you’re partnering with the expanding kingdom. Identify one “outward” step: invite a neighbor to Strawberry Festival, donate to theological education, or text an encouraging verse.

“While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.”
(Luke 24:51-52, NIV)

Prayer: Confess any resistance to “outward” living. Ask for joy in joining God’s global mission.
Challenge: Sign up for one June ministry (Strawberry Festival, VBS, or Summer Luncheon) before sunset.

Day 3: Watching the Balloon Rise

The disciples squinted until the last wisp of Jesus’ robe vanished. Like children tracking a helium balloon, they lingered—awestruck, uncertain. Hands shielded eyes from the noonday sun. Sandals scuffed the dirt. Time thickened. Then angelic interruption: “Why stand here looking up?” [58:29]

Jesus’ departure wasn’t abandonment but invitation. The disciples needed to turn their gaze from clouds to crowds, from spectacle to service. The real miracle wasn’t the ascension—it was the church about to birth.

Where are you “looking up” instead of forward? A stalled dream? A closed door? Write down one situation where you’re tempted to spiritualize inaction. How can you shift from spectator to witness this week?

“Suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky?’”
(Acts 1:10-11, NIV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His nearness in ordinary moments. Ask for courage to stop staring and start serving.
Challenge: Text someone facing transition: “I’m praying for your next faithful step.”

Day 4: Enough for the Next Step

The disciples descended Olivet with dusty feet and burning hearts. No five-year plan—just a promise: “Wait for the gift.” They didn’t know Pentecost’s timetable, but they knew the Promiser. Daily bread became daily obedience as they prayed, broke bread, and chose Matthias. [01:00:15]

Jesus gives grace for the next step, not the whole journey. The disciples’ “waiting” wasn’t passive—it was active preparation. They trusted the Spirit’s arrival more than their own readiness.

What “next step” has God made clear? A hard conversation? Serving in children’s ministry? Forgiving an old wound? List one practical action you can take today, even if the full path remains unclear.

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”
(Acts 2:46, NIV)

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight your next step. Thank Him for providing daily manna.
Challenge: Set a 2:00 pm alarm to pray for Seth Koval’s family and all military families.

Day 5: Telling It in the Cornfield

The disciples’ final image of Jesus wasn’t a tomb but open sky. As they walked downhill, their story shifted from “He is risen” to “He is reigning.” Fishermen became evangelists, carrying gospel seeds to sow in Jerusalem’s streets and Ethiopia’s courts. [01:05:32]

Ascension fuels mission. Our testimonies—whether shared in cornfields or coffee shops—become the continuation of Christ’s story. Every VBS craft, every strawberry shortcake served, whispers: “Love is alive.”

Who needs your “cornfield testimony” this week? A grieving friend? A VBS child? A stressed cashier? How can you weave God’s faithfulness into everyday conversations?

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
(Romans 10:14, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God for divine appointments to share His love. Thank Him for using ordinary stories.
Challenge: Tell one person today: “Jesus’ love changed my life because…”

Sermon Summary

We gather to worship with gratitude and expectant hearts. We name the reality that life moves in seasons, and transitions bring excitement, uncertainty, grief, and hope all at once. We hold the Ascension narrative as a lens for our present moment: the risen Christ commissions the church, promises the Holy Spirit, and then departs, leaving blessing, purpose, and companionship by the Spirit. We affirm that the departure does not mean abandonment. Instead, love continues to move outward through ordinary people who receive power, testify to mercy, and carry the gospel into every neighborhood and program.

We notice how ministry lives at the intersection of worship, prayer, and practical service. Prayer lifts community needs and honors those who served, while offerings underwrite theological training so leaders across the globe can be formed and equipped. We name the local rhythms that keep the church alive: shared meals, festivals, Vacation Bible School, and summer ministries that connect us to neighbors and form us for mission. We commit to showing up, present in both grief and celebration, because presence itself becomes a ministry.

We claim the promise that the Holy Spirit supplies what we need for the next faithful step. We do not wait for complete certainty before we move. We accept enough grace, enough strength, and enough light for today. We trust that the Spirit will continue to guide our discernment as the church adapts, remembers, and reaches outward. The story does not stop at the Ascension. Love keeps going into new chapters through small acts of kindness, congregational ministries, and the steady witness of people who have been filled and sent.

We leave with a clear charge to go and tell the story. We embrace both the memory of what has been and the call to move forward, carrying hope and compassion. We go into our mission field with the assurance that love travels with us, that ministry continues in change, and that the Spirit empowers ordinary lives to become faithful witnesses.

Key Takeaways

1. Love goes with us into transitions We recognize transitions as holy ground where conflicting emotions coexist. When we stand between what was and what will be, love does not abandon us; it accompanies and reshapes our choices. In practice, we let love govern our response to change, so our actions become signs of God’s presence in uncertain places. [60:40]
2. The Spirit equips ordinary witnesses We receive a promise of power to witness not by position but by Spirit. Witnessing grows from being filled and then speaking plainly about what God has done. Our testimony becomes the method by which love moves from heart to community, transforming ordinary encounters into sacramental moments. [56:02]
3. Ministry continues amid change and grief We name grief and keep working; both can coexist without contradiction. Presence, prayer, and practical care sustain community through loss while ministry adapts to new realities. Holding both sorrow and mission refines our compassion and deepens our participation in God’s redemptive work. [38:59]
4. We receive enough for the next step We accept provision that meets the immediate call rather than waiting for full certainty. That grace empowers small faithful acts which compound into lasting ministry. Trusting sufficiency frees us to move forward in obedience and hope, one step at a time. [60:06]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[15:03] - Call to Worship and Singing
[27:55] - Children’s Moment and Local Presence
[29:20] - Miracle Sunday Offering Appeal
[37:37] - Prayers for Community Needs
[50:25] - Music Reflection and Gratitude
[51:21] - Longing for Direction and Certainty
[53:24] - Disciples Ask Is This the Time
[56:02] - Promise of the Holy Spirit
[60:06] - Love Goes With Us into the Future
[65:49] - Go Tell It on the Mountain
[68:23] - Benediction and Sending into Mission Field

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Acts 1:6-11 (ESV)
6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Observation questions

What question did the disciples ask Jesus about the future, and how did He redirect their focus (vv. 6-8)?
What specific promise did Jesus give the disciples regarding their ability to carry out His mission (v. 8)?
After Jesus ascended, the disciples stood gazing into heaven. What did the two men in white robes challenge them to do (vv. 10-11)?
The sermon described transitions as “holy ground” where conflicting emotions coexist. What examples of these emotions were mentioned? [55:06]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus emphasized the disciples’ role as witnesses rather than answering their question about restoring Israel’s kingdom?
The sermon said, “Love goes with us into transitions” and “the Spirit equips ordinary witnesses.” How do these ideas connect to Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:8?
The men in white robes asked, “Why do you stand looking into heaven?” How might lingering too long on past blessings or losses hinder the church’s mission today?
The sermon described grief and mission as coexisting. How does this align with Jesus’ departure and the disciples’ call to action?

Application questions

What transition are you currently navigating (a relationship, job, season of life, etc.)? How might recognizing it as “holy ground” change how you approach it? [55:24]
The sermon said, “We do not wait for complete certainty before we move.” Where are you hesitating to act because of uncertainty? What “next faithful step” could you take this week?
How can you practice holding both grief (for what has ended) and hope (for what is emerging) in your current relationships or ministry?
The disciples were told to stop staring at the sky and start witnessing. What distractions or habits might be causing you to “stand still” instead of engaging your mission field?
The sermon mentioned “small acts of kindness” as part of love’s movement. What ordinary moment this week could become a “sacramental encounter” if you intentionally show Christ’s compassion? [56:38]
What practical need in your neighborhood or community (e.g., loneliness, poverty, crisis) could you address as a “ministry of presence” this month?

Sermon Clips

62s

#LoveGoesWithUs

“The story is already continuing. The ministry is already expanding outward into the world. Love is already going with them, and I think that's really the heart of Ascension Sunday. Love continues moving outward into the world through the holy spirit, through the church, through ordinary people who continue showing up and living faithfully and compassionately in everyday life. And what's beautiful is that Jesus leaves the the disciples with exactly what they need for the next part of the journey. He gives them blessing. He gives them purpose. He gives them one another. He gives them the promise of the holy spirit, and those gifts become enough for that next faithful step ahead, and the same is true for us.”

69s

#GraceForEveryStep

“We receive enough grace for the next step. We receive enough strength for today. We are given enough light to keep moving forward, and somewhere along the way, we begin realizing that Christ continues traveling with us into every changing season of our lives. Love goes with us into uncertainty. Love goes with us into transitions. Love goes with us into new beginnings and new chapters and new possibilities that are still unfolding. And this scripture speaks beautifully into the life of the church because churches experience seasons and transitions just like people do. There are moments of celebration. There are moments of change. There are moments of remembering. There are moments of preparing for what comes next.”

52s

#FaithInAction

“The ministry of Jesus continues moving into the world through ordinary people who are filled with the holy spirit, who are sent forward with love and grace and hope, and that matters deeply because the disciples are beginning to discover that the love and the presence of Christ will continue going with them into this new chapter ahead. And then comes probably my most favorite moment in this entire story, Jesus ascends. And I kinda picture this like like we let off a helium balloon and we're just following. We're just following it up and up and up as far as we could possibly follow it. You've probably done that before.”

66s

#LoveIsAlive

“And in all of these seasons, the spirit continues to move. Love continues to work. The ministry of Christ continues to unfold in beautiful and meaningful ways. And this is what we have lifted up. Each Sunday in this Eastertide sermon series, love is alive. Love is alive because love meets us in our doubts. Love is alive because love walks beside us on the road. Love is alive because love was already waiting for us on the shoreline. Love is alive, and love continues calling us forward. And now today, we discover that love is alive and love is going with us. Love is going with us into the future, going with us into every changing season, going with us into all of the places where compassion and grace and hope are still needed.”

40s

#AreWeThereYet

“And honestly, I think we can hear the longing and clarity when they ask, Lord, is this the time? It sounds a lot like the question that we have heard a thousand times. Are we there yet? I mean, who can remember their kids saying that at least a thousand times on a trip, but the disciples disciples say say it it this this way. Way. Lord, is this the time? And it's a great question because it sounds so incredibly real. It sounds like people trying to orient themselves in a changing season. It sounds like people who know something important is happening, and they are trying to understand how all the pieces fit together.”

43s

#SeekingClarity

“And honestly, isn't there something deeply human in that desire? Because most of us move through life wanting to know where things are headed and how long it will take to get there. We want clarity. We want understanding. We want to know what comes next, and that's exactly where our disciples find themselves in our holy scripture for today because this is a moment of transition. Jesus has been raised from the dead. The disciples, they have seen him. They have walked with him. They have talked with him. They've shared meals with him, and now they are trying to understand what happens next.”

53s

#SeasonsOfTransition

“It sounds like a lot of us when life begins shifting and changing and unfolding in new ways because there are seasons in life when we naturally begin asking these types of question. What comes next? Well, how exactly will this unfold? Where is all of this leading us? How long will this transition last? And, honestly, those questions become even more meaningful during seasons of change because transition has a way of stirring stirring up all kinds of emotions within us at the exact same time. You see, there is excitement, and there's uncertainty. There is intense gratitude, and there's sadness.”

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