Podcasts about united states license

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260721dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.” Matthew 13:24-26 Weeds If you have ever planted a garden, you know that there is one kind of plant that will always grow. The green beans may not germinate, the corn might get scorched and produce little, and the bugs might eat up your cucumbers. But weeds are guaranteed. I have never once planted them in my garden. And yet every year they are my most “successful” crop. In today’s Bible reading, Jesus puts on his farmer’s hat for us and teaches us some lessons from the fields. The farmer will work the soil, remove the stones, add fertilizer as needed, and carefully plant his crops. But the weeds will always grow. So, it is in our lives. Our gracious God has carefully planted the seed of the good news of Jesus in our hearts. He seeks to grow us by raining down his Word onto the field of our hearts. He watches in eager anticipation for the seed to sprout and grow, and our lives to show the fruits of that planted faith. And yet, there are weeds. They can sprout up in a moment and overwhelm the good seed that has been planted. Sin will always be a struggle for the child of God as long as the Lord allows us to keep growing in his field. So, what should you do? Ignore them? Allow them? Give up? Of course not! To do so could choke out your faith entirely. Instead, kill the weeds of sin by exposing them to the light of God’s Son. Trust the forgiveness that Jesus has won for you. Live as a forgiven child of God. And never tolerate the weeds. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for planting your Word in my heart. When weeds start to grow, bring me back to the light of Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260720dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me?” Isaiah 44: 6-7 The Bible Stands Alone In Old Testament times, God gave his people a visible reminder of his presence called the Ark of the Covenant. There was a time when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines who had defeated Israel in battle and claimed the ark as their prize. Since they already believed in many gods, why not add the God of Israel as well? So, they placed the ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. The next morning, when they went to worship Dagon, there he lay, facedown before the ark of the Lord! So, Dagon was put back in his place. The next morning, it was the same result—Dagon facedown before the ark of the Lord, but this time his head and hands had broken off. Message received! The ark needed to go back to Israel because Dagon could not handle being in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 5) God has placed in our hearts an awareness that there is a God and a desire to know that God. Throughout the course of human history, different gods and goddesses, spirits, and mystical powers have been proclaimed as gods. But “who then is like me?” asks the Lord. The best that the false worshippers could hope for is that their gods and goddesses would send rain and grow their fields and grow their families and flocks. If they gave the right sacrifices, perhaps those gods would listen. The Lord God stands alone. He does something that sinful minds couldn’t have even imagined. He came to us, wearing our flesh and blood. He redeemed us, taking our sinful failures upon himself. He loves us, promising his presence with us through life and preparing a place in eternity with him when this life comes to its close. Truly, the God of the Bible stands alone. Prayer: Lord God, help me to see you for you who are—eternal, powerful, and singular in your love for fallen humanity. Move my heart to serve you in my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

(0:00) About the Boardroom Governance Summit (Aug 26-27, 2026)  (1:17) Intro (2:45) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (3:31) Start of interview.  (4:39) AI and Governance Today (5:34) Data Center Politics (reference to moratorium by New York State) (6:48) About the 3rd Rome Conference on AI, Ethics and Governance (9:06) AI Hype and Job Fears (14:45) Birth and focus of The Chairs Circle and Limerick Lane Cellars. (22:53) CEO Succession Lessons (30:58) Founders versus Boards (37:04) EVs and China's Rise (44:58) Semiconductors, Chips and Geopolitics (49:03) Boards in a Fractured World "[W]e now need to have engaged board members, board members who are curious, who read, who stay up to speed on things, who keep asking more questions. You cannot have directors who are just calling it in anymore." (53:31) Government as Shareholder Karen Francis DeGolia is a board member at Vontier, CelLink, and NAUTO. Penny Herscher is a board member at Lumentum, Penguin Solutions, Forvia SA, and Modern Health. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260720dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me?” Isaiah 44: 6-7 The Bible Stands Alone In Old Testament times, God gave his people a visible reminder of his presence called the Ark of the Covenant. There was a time when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines who had defeated Israel in battle and claimed the ark as their prize. Since they already believed in many gods, why not add the God of Israel as well? So, they placed the ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. The next morning, when they went to worship Dagon, there he lay, facedown before the ark of the Lord! So, Dagon was put back in his place. The next morning, it was the same result—Dagon facedown before the ark of the Lord, but this time his head and hands had broken off. Message received! The ark needed to go back to Israel because Dagon could not handle being in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 5) God has placed in our hearts an awareness that there is a God and a desire to know that God. Throughout the course of human history, different gods and goddesses, spirits, and mystical powers have been proclaimed as gods. But “who then is like me?” asks the Lord. The best that the false worshippers could hope for is that their gods and goddesses would send rain and grow their fields and grow their families and flocks. If they gave the right sacrifices, perhaps those gods would listen. The Lord God stands alone. He does something that sinful minds couldn’t have even imagined. He came to us, wearing our flesh and blood. He redeemed us, taking our sinful failures upon himself. He loves us, promising his presence with us through life and preparing a place in eternity with him when this life comes to its close. Truly, the God of the Bible stands alone. Prayer: Lord God, help me to see you for you who are—eternal, powerful, and singular in your love for fallen humanity. Move my heart to serve you in my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260720dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion “This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me?” Isaiah 44: 6-7 The Bible Stands Alone In Old Testament times, God gave his people a visible reminder of his presence called the Ark of the Covenant. There was a time when the Ark of the Covenant was captured by the Philistines who had defeated Israel in battle and claimed the ark as their prize. Since they already believed in many gods, why not add the God of Israel as well? So, they placed the ark in the temple of their god, Dagon. The next morning, when they went to worship Dagon, there he lay, facedown before the ark of the Lord! So, Dagon was put back in his place. The next morning, it was the same result—Dagon facedown before the ark of the Lord, but this time his head and hands had broken off. Message received! The ark needed to go back to Israel because Dagon could not handle being in the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 5) God has placed in our hearts an awareness that there is a God and a desire to know that God. Throughout the course of human history, different gods and goddesses, spirits, and mystical powers have been proclaimed as gods. But “who then is like me?” asks the Lord. The best that the false worshippers could hope for is that their gods and goddesses would send rain and grow their fields and grow their families and flocks. If they gave the right sacrifices, perhaps those gods would listen. The Lord God stands alone. He does something that sinful minds couldn’t have even imagined. He came to us, wearing our flesh and blood. He redeemed us, taking our sinful failures upon himself. He loves us, promising his presence with us through life and preparing a place in eternity with him when this life comes to its close. Truly, the God of the Bible stands alone. Prayer: Lord God, help me to see you for you who are—eternal, powerful, and singular in your love for fallen humanity. Move my heart to serve you in my life. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/family-devotions/20260720fam.mp3 Listen to Devotion Read: Isaiah 44:6-11 “This is what the LORD says—Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.” All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Isaiah 44:6,8-9 God Isn't Monopoly Money! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Every Monopoly game comes with $20,580. That's a lot of money! But imagine walking into a toy store with a handful of Monopoly money and trying to buy your favorite LEGO set or stuffed animal. It won't work. It's fake money. Sometimes people make a similar mistake with something much more important. They put their hopes for happiness and even heaven in created things instead of the Creator. In Isaiah’s time—and, in some places still today—those created things were statues—idols—made of wood or stone. But idols don’t have to be made of wood or stone. An idol can be anything or anyone that we fear, love, or trust more than the true God. Today idols may look like sports, video games, being the best at something, friends, money, or being popular. Wood and stone are real. Toys, money, friends, and popularity are real too. But none of these are God. They are false gods that cannot bring us real joy, peace, forgiveness, or eternal life. Isaiah says, “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless” (Isaiah 44:9). What are the idols that tempt you? Money? Are you more in love with the stuff of this world than with the One who created it? Popularity? Is your life focused on being the most popular person in the room with the most “likes” and “followers”? This is what makes believers in Jesus different. Christians may or may not be famous or wealthy, and they may or may not have lots of nice things, but they have Christ. They believe God’s words, “Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one” (Isaiah 44:8). By grace, the one and only God found them and called them into his family of faith. They also know that Jesus has forgiven all their sins, even the sin of so often wanting their own selfish desires above what God wants. Living as God's people in this world is not always easy. Advertisements whisper that happiness is found in what we own. Social media suggests our value depends on how many people notice us. Yet none of those can save us. Christians are different because they listen to the voice of their Savior, who alone forgives sinners. To have the true God is to have everything. God forgives sins, promises the resurrection from death, and reserves for us a room in his heavenly mansion. Those are gifts that never wear out, never break, and can never be taken away. When we have him, we possess treasures that never fade and a future that never ends. Prayer: Dear Jesus, forgive us when we love other things more than you. Help us trust you above all else and find our joy in your forgiveness and promises. Amen. The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire. Questions for Younger Children Why wouldn’t Monopoly money work at a real store? How many true Gods are there? Questions for Elementary Age Children Name three idols that people today might be tempted to love more than God. What are some things that the true God gives that idols cannot give? Questions for Middle School and Above Luther says that a “god” is whatever we trust most or run to first for help. When kids are scared, sad, or worried, what are some things they might be tempted to trust instead of God? How can a Christian enjoy God’s gifts—such as family, success, possessions, or popularity—without turning them into idols? Download Family Devotions Family Devotions are brought to you by WELS Discipleship. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260719dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20 No Excuse Why are apples red? What does electricity look like? Anyone who has been a parent or teacher has heard questions like these. Sometimes we can give an answer that makes sense to the child, and sometimes not. How do you know that God exists? If he does, what is he like? These are not new questions. How they are answered is just as important now as ever. Sometimes we know who has been in a room by the smell of the perfume she has left behind. Sometimes we can tell who designed a building by its architectural style. In the same way, God has provided evidence that he exists. God’s eternal power is always on display. The world cries out that it was created by someone. And what power its creator must have—to be able to put atoms together into molecules and then exert the power to keep them all together. What power the creator of the stars must have. How far above us he must be! All around us, there is ample evidence of God’s power, wisdom, and divine nature. There is no excuse for anyone to doubt God’s existence or his involvement in the world. Does God exist? That’s not the right question. How should we serve God? What more might God have for us?” These are the questions we should ask. And the answers are given to us in the Bible. Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for revealing yourself in the world you created. Today I praise you for its wonders. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260719dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20 No Excuse Why are apples red? What does electricity look like? Anyone who has been a parent or teacher has heard questions like these. Sometimes we can give an answer that makes sense to the child, and sometimes not. How do you know that God exists? If he does, what is he like? These are not new questions. How they are answered is just as important now as ever. Sometimes we know who has been in a room by the smell of the perfume she has left behind. Sometimes we can tell who designed a building by its architectural style. In the same way, God has provided evidence that he exists. God’s eternal power is always on display. The world cries out that it was created by someone. And what power its creator must have—to be able to put atoms together into molecules and then exert the power to keep them all together. What power the creator of the stars must have. How far above us he must be! All around us, there is ample evidence of God’s power, wisdom, and divine nature. There is no excuse for anyone to doubt God’s existence or his involvement in the world. Does God exist? That’s not the right question. How should we serve God? What more might God have for us?” These are the questions we should ask. And the answers are given to us in the Bible. Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for revealing yourself in the world you created. Today I praise you for its wonders. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260719dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Romans 1:20 No Excuse Why are apples red? What does electricity look like? Anyone who has been a parent or teacher has heard questions like these. Sometimes we can give an answer that makes sense to the child, and sometimes not. How do you know that God exists? If he does, what is he like? These are not new questions. How they are answered is just as important now as ever. Sometimes we know who has been in a room by the smell of the perfume she has left behind. Sometimes we can tell who designed a building by its architectural style. In the same way, God has provided evidence that he exists. God’s eternal power is always on display. The world cries out that it was created by someone. And what power its creator must have—to be able to put atoms together into molecules and then exert the power to keep them all together. What power the creator of the stars must have. How far above us he must be! All around us, there is ample evidence of God’s power, wisdom, and divine nature. There is no excuse for anyone to doubt God’s existence or his involvement in the world. Does God exist? That’s not the right question. How should we serve God? What more might God have for us?” These are the questions we should ask. And the answers are given to us in the Bible. Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for revealing yourself in the world you created. Today I praise you for its wonders. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260718dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Build Your Spiritual House “And he huffed, and he puffed…and he blew the house down!” Remember that story? The first two little pigs hastily built houses with cheap, weak materials. The Big Bad Wolf easily blew them down. The third little pig was different. He used the better, more costly materials. He invested the right amount of time and effort to build a strong house. “And he huffed, and he puffed, but he could not blow that house down!” “Be careful how you build!” That’s advice from a messenger of Jesus named Paul. It was first written some 2,000 years ago. But that advice is meant for us today, too. Careful construction and high-quality materials will provide comfort, peace of mind, and a good return on investment for our physical dwellings. But Paul had something different in mind when he wrote these words. Be careful how you build…your spiritual house! Where does one even start when trying to follow Paul’s advice? So many convenient and compelling options. So many building materials and blueprints. Let’s start where he did. Paul, the expert builder, laid a solid foundation—the good news message of Jesus Christ. Jesus laid down his life as payment for the sins of the whole world and rose from the dead in victory. Paul and others continued to build on that firm foundation by speaking and teaching the words and promises of Jesus. Those words don’t always make sense to us and don't promise a life of ease and success. But they do give great comfort when we struggle with the guilt of sin— “Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” They do give us peace of mind when confronting the reality of death— “You will be with me in paradise.” Carefully build your spiritual house on Jesus, and yours is a house that will last. Prayer: Jesus, help me to build my spiritual house on the firm foundation of your Word and works. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260718dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Build Your Spiritual House “And he huffed, and he puffed…and he blew the house down!” Remember that story? The first two little pigs hastily built houses with cheap, weak materials. The Big Bad Wolf easily blew them down. The third little pig was different. He used the better, more costly materials. He invested the right amount of time and effort to build a strong house. “And he huffed, and he puffed, but he could not blow that house down!” “Be careful how you build!” That’s advice from a messenger of Jesus named Paul. It was first written some 2,000 years ago. But that advice is meant for us today, too. Careful construction and high-quality materials will provide comfort, peace of mind, and a good return on investment for our physical dwellings. But Paul had something different in mind when he wrote these words. Be careful how you build…your spiritual house! Where does one even start when trying to follow Paul’s advice? So many convenient and compelling options. So many building materials and blueprints. Let’s start where he did. Paul, the expert builder, laid a solid foundation—the good news message of Jesus Christ. Jesus laid down his life as payment for the sins of the whole world and rose from the dead in victory. Paul and others continued to build on that firm foundation by speaking and teaching the words and promises of Jesus. Those words don’t always make sense to us and don't promise a life of ease and success. But they do give great comfort when we struggle with the guilt of sin— “Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” They do give us peace of mind when confronting the reality of death— “You will be with me in paradise.” Carefully build your spiritual house on Jesus, and yours is a house that will last. Prayer: Jesus, help me to build my spiritual house on the firm foundation of your Word and works. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260718dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Build Your Spiritual House “And he huffed, and he puffed…and he blew the house down!” Remember that story? The first two little pigs hastily built houses with cheap, weak materials. The Big Bad Wolf easily blew them down. The third little pig was different. He used the better, more costly materials. He invested the right amount of time and effort to build a strong house. “And he huffed, and he puffed, but he could not blow that house down!” “Be careful how you build!” That’s advice from a messenger of Jesus named Paul. It was first written some 2,000 years ago. But that advice is meant for us today, too. Careful construction and high-quality materials will provide comfort, peace of mind, and a good return on investment for our physical dwellings. But Paul had something different in mind when he wrote these words. Be careful how you build…your spiritual house! Where does one even start when trying to follow Paul’s advice? So many convenient and compelling options. So many building materials and blueprints. Let’s start where he did. Paul, the expert builder, laid a solid foundation—the good news message of Jesus Christ. Jesus laid down his life as payment for the sins of the whole world and rose from the dead in victory. Paul and others continued to build on that firm foundation by speaking and teaching the words and promises of Jesus. Those words don’t always make sense to us and don't promise a life of ease and success. But they do give great comfort when we struggle with the guilt of sin— “Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” They do give us peace of mind when confronting the reality of death— “You will be with me in paradise.” Carefully build your spiritual house on Jesus, and yours is a house that will last. Prayer: Jesus, help me to build my spiritual house on the firm foundation of your Word and works. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260717dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. . . Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. . . But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:3,8,23 One Seed Multiplies The farmers where I live recently planted their corn crops for the year. At the time of writing this devotion, those corn kernels have sprouted and are about six inches tall. They don’t look like much. But by late summer, those little plants will stand taller than the farmer who planted them. From one kernel of corn, one stalk grows. On that stalk, an ear of corn forms. And on that ear, there may be hundreds of kernels. One seed can produce far more than itself. That is the picture Jesus gives us when he describes the seed that falls on good soil. It produces a crop that is one hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. The seed is God’s Word. When God plants his Word in the heart, he produces what we could never grow on our own. First, God produces faith in Jesus. Through the gospel, the good news of what Jesus has done, God teaches us to trust that Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and gives us forgiveness and life. But the Word doesn’t stop there. Where God gives faith, he also grows fruit. Love where there was selfishness. Joy where there was despair. Peace where there was anxiety. Patience where there was frustration. Kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control where sin had made the heart hard and tangled. And then the fruit multiplies. A person comforted by the Word speaks comfort to someone else. A forgiven sinner tells another sinner about forgiveness. A parent teaches a child. A friend shares a promise. A congregation supports a mission. The same seed that took root in one heart is scattered into another. One seed produces much fruit. That's what God's Word does. Prayer: Lord Jesus, plant your Word deeply in my heart. Grow faith and good fruit in me and use me to share your Word with others. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260717dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. . . Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. . . But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:3,8,23 One Seed Multiplies The farmers where I live recently planted their corn crops for the year. At the time of writing this devotion, those corn kernels have sprouted and are about six inches tall. They don’t look like much. But by late summer, those little plants will stand taller than the farmer who planted them. From one kernel of corn, one stalk grows. On that stalk, an ear of corn forms. And on that ear, there may be hundreds of kernels. One seed can produce far more than itself. That is the picture Jesus gives us when he describes the seed that falls on good soil. It produces a crop that is one hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. The seed is God’s Word. When God plants his Word in the heart, he produces what we could never grow on our own. First, God produces faith in Jesus. Through the gospel, the good news of what Jesus has done, God teaches us to trust that Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and gives us forgiveness and life. But the Word doesn’t stop there. Where God gives faith, he also grows fruit. Love where there was selfishness. Joy where there was despair. Peace where there was anxiety. Patience where there was frustration. Kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control where sin had made the heart hard and tangled. And then the fruit multiplies. A person comforted by the Word speaks comfort to someone else. A forgiven sinner tells another sinner about forgiveness. A parent teaches a child. A friend shares a promise. A congregation supports a mission. The same seed that took root in one heart is scattered into another. One seed produces much fruit. That's what God's Word does. Prayer: Lord Jesus, plant your Word deeply in my heart. Grow faith and good fruit in me and use me to share your Word with others. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Kari, Shan, and Greg highlight what to do while the thermometers top out. Leaf sampling, fire blight protection, and insect monitoring are all on the docket.Host: Don SeifritSpeakers: Kari Peter, Shan Kumar, Greg KrawczykPhoto Credit: K. Peter, PSUMusic Credit: “The Raven and the Swan” by Josh Woodward is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License. Courtesy of FreeMusicArchive.orgMake sure you sign up to get notified of future Extension events for tree fruit growers! Sign UpFlight Seasonalities of Main Fruit Pests During the Growing Season

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260717dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. . . Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. . . But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:3,8,23 One Seed Multiplies The farmers where I live recently planted their corn crops for the year. At the time of writing this devotion, those corn kernels have sprouted and are about six inches tall. They don’t look like much. But by late summer, those little plants will stand taller than the farmer who planted them. From one kernel of corn, one stalk grows. On that stalk, an ear of corn forms. And on that ear, there may be hundreds of kernels. One seed can produce far more than itself. That is the picture Jesus gives us when he describes the seed that falls on good soil. It produces a crop that is one hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. The seed is God’s Word. When God plants his Word in the heart, he produces what we could never grow on our own. First, God produces faith in Jesus. Through the gospel, the good news of what Jesus has done, God teaches us to trust that Jesus died for our sins, rose from the dead, and gives us forgiveness and life. But the Word doesn’t stop there. Where God gives faith, he also grows fruit. Love where there was selfishness. Joy where there was despair. Peace where there was anxiety. Patience where there was frustration. Kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control where sin had made the heart hard and tangled. And then the fruit multiplies. A person comforted by the Word speaks comfort to someone else. A forgiven sinner tells another sinner about forgiveness. A parent teaches a child. A friend shares a promise. A congregation supports a mission. The same seed that took root in one heart is scattered into another. One seed produces much fruit. That's what God's Word does. Prayer: Lord Jesus, plant your Word deeply in my heart. Grow faith and good fruit in me and use me to share your Word with others. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260716dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 The Solid Foundation Every building needs a foundation. You can touch up paint. You can change the carpet. You can move furniture. But if the foundation crumbles, the whole building is in trouble. The apostle Paul knew that the church in Corinth had plenty of problems. They argued. They compared leaders. They acted immaturely. They misused the sacraments. They were tempted to build their faith on personalities, wisdom, talent, and human success. Paul pointed them back to the only foundation strong enough to hold them: Jesus Christ. That is still the only safe foundation. Your life cannot fully rest on your intelligence. It will eventually fail you. Your reputation can change in a moment. Your health can weaken. Your money can disappear. Your family, as precious as they are, cannot carry the weight of your soul. Your own faithfulness is not a strong enough foundation either. You know how often you stumble. But Jesus does not crumble. There is no storm in life stronger than him. There is no earth-shaking event that can make him waver. He is strong and secure through it all. That means when guilt accuses you, you have a foundation: Jesus died for you and your sin. When your faith feels weak, you have a foundation: Jesus holds onto you. When you are scared, you have a foundation: Jesus is with you. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Find your rest in it. Be at peace in it. That foundation is the one you need in this life. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me from building my hope on anything that cannot last. You are my foundation in life, in death, and forever. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260716dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 The Solid Foundation Every building needs a foundation. You can touch up paint. You can change the carpet. You can move furniture. But if the foundation crumbles, the whole building is in trouble. The apostle Paul knew that the church in Corinth had plenty of problems. They argued. They compared leaders. They acted immaturely. They misused the sacraments. They were tempted to build their faith on personalities, wisdom, talent, and human success. Paul pointed them back to the only foundation strong enough to hold them: Jesus Christ. That is still the only safe foundation. Your life cannot fully rest on your intelligence. It will eventually fail you. Your reputation can change in a moment. Your health can weaken. Your money can disappear. Your family, as precious as they are, cannot carry the weight of your soul. Your own faithfulness is not a strong enough foundation either. You know how often you stumble. But Jesus does not crumble. There is no storm in life stronger than him. There is no earth-shaking event that can make him waver. He is strong and secure through it all. That means when guilt accuses you, you have a foundation: Jesus died for you and your sin. When your faith feels weak, you have a foundation: Jesus holds onto you. When you are scared, you have a foundation: Jesus is with you. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Find your rest in it. Be at peace in it. That foundation is the one you need in this life. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me from building my hope on anything that cannot last. You are my foundation in life, in death, and forever. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260716dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 The Solid Foundation Every building needs a foundation. You can touch up paint. You can change the carpet. You can move furniture. But if the foundation crumbles, the whole building is in trouble. The apostle Paul knew that the church in Corinth had plenty of problems. They argued. They compared leaders. They acted immaturely. They misused the sacraments. They were tempted to build their faith on personalities, wisdom, talent, and human success. Paul pointed them back to the only foundation strong enough to hold them: Jesus Christ. That is still the only safe foundation. Your life cannot fully rest on your intelligence. It will eventually fail you. Your reputation can change in a moment. Your health can weaken. Your money can disappear. Your family, as precious as they are, cannot carry the weight of your soul. Your own faithfulness is not a strong enough foundation either. You know how often you stumble. But Jesus does not crumble. There is no storm in life stronger than him. There is no earth-shaking event that can make him waver. He is strong and secure through it all. That means when guilt accuses you, you have a foundation: Jesus died for you and your sin. When your faith feels weak, you have a foundation: Jesus holds onto you. When you are scared, you have a foundation: Jesus is with you. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Find your rest in it. Be at peace in it. That foundation is the one you need in this life. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me from building my hope on anything that cannot last. You are my foundation in life, in death, and forever. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260715dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Only Servants Paul worked as a missionary bringing the good news about Jesus to the people of Corinth for the first time. He spent a lot of time there teaching the basics of the Christian faith. He faithfully and diligently shared how Jesus forgives sins by his death and resurrection from the grave. After Paul left, another gospel worker came to Corinth: a man named Apollos who was a gifted and passionate preacher. He watered the seed that Paul planted. Both Paul and Apollos were talented in their own ways, but the people in Corinth had picked their favorites. One said, “I like Paul.” Another, “I like Apollos better.” Still another, “I like this other teacher best.” The Corinthians were doing what people still do today. They made too much of the messenger and too little of the God who sent the message. Paul brings them back to reality. He and Apollos are only servants. They did not make the seed grow; only God could do that. It is natural to have preferences for preachers. Some are fiery, some are thoughtful. Some make you laugh; some make you think. Some are great storytellers, and some preach verse by verse. But the best preacher is the one who faithfully shares God's Word with you. A preacher’s style cannot save you. A preacher’s personality cannot forgive your sins. A clever illustration cannot raise the dead. Only God can make faith grow, and God does that through the Word of Christ. When the Word is preached faithfully, Jesus gives you what you need most. He gives you the law that exposes your sin. He gives you the gospel that forgives your sin. He gives you himself. One servant plants, another waters, but God makes it grow. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for faithful servants who bring me your Word. Help me listen past human style and hear the saving voice of Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260715dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Only Servants Paul worked as a missionary bringing the good news about Jesus to the people of Corinth for the first time. He spent a lot of time there teaching the basics of the Christian faith. He faithfully and diligently shared how Jesus forgives sins by his death and resurrection from the grave. After Paul left, another gospel worker came to Corinth: a man named Apollos who was a gifted and passionate preacher. He watered the seed that Paul planted. Both Paul and Apollos were talented in their own ways, but the people in Corinth had picked their favorites. One said, “I like Paul.” Another, “I like Apollos better.” Still another, “I like this other teacher best.” The Corinthians were doing what people still do today. They made too much of the messenger and too little of the God who sent the message. Paul brings them back to reality. He and Apollos are only servants. They did not make the seed grow; only God could do that. It is natural to have preferences for preachers. Some are fiery, some are thoughtful. Some make you laugh; some make you think. Some are great storytellers, and some preach verse by verse. But the best preacher is the one who faithfully shares God's Word with you. A preacher’s style cannot save you. A preacher’s personality cannot forgive your sins. A clever illustration cannot raise the dead. Only God can make faith grow, and God does that through the Word of Christ. When the Word is preached faithfully, Jesus gives you what you need most. He gives you the law that exposes your sin. He gives you the gospel that forgives your sin. He gives you himself. One servant plants, another waters, but God makes it grow. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for faithful servants who bring me your Word. Help me listen past human style and hear the saving voice of Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260715dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Only Servants Paul worked as a missionary bringing the good news about Jesus to the people of Corinth for the first time. He spent a lot of time there teaching the basics of the Christian faith. He faithfully and diligently shared how Jesus forgives sins by his death and resurrection from the grave. After Paul left, another gospel worker came to Corinth: a man named Apollos who was a gifted and passionate preacher. He watered the seed that Paul planted. Both Paul and Apollos were talented in their own ways, but the people in Corinth had picked their favorites. One said, “I like Paul.” Another, “I like Apollos better.” Still another, “I like this other teacher best.” The Corinthians were doing what people still do today. They made too much of the messenger and too little of the God who sent the message. Paul brings them back to reality. He and Apollos are only servants. They did not make the seed grow; only God could do that. It is natural to have preferences for preachers. Some are fiery, some are thoughtful. Some make you laugh; some make you think. Some are great storytellers, and some preach verse by verse. But the best preacher is the one who faithfully shares God's Word with you. A preacher’s style cannot save you. A preacher’s personality cannot forgive your sins. A clever illustration cannot raise the dead. Only God can make faith grow, and God does that through the Word of Christ. When the Word is preached faithfully, Jesus gives you what you need most. He gives you the law that exposes your sin. He gives you the gospel that forgives your sin. He gives you himself. One servant plants, another waters, but God makes it grow. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for faithful servants who bring me your Word. Help me listen past human style and hear the saving voice of Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260714dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 Watered with the Word It doesn’t look like much from a distance, just a white line on the horizon. But as you get closer, the line has contours and dips and domes. It turns into a white ridge of snow-covered mountains. That snowpack may look quiet and still, but in the spring and summer months, it’s doing an important job. Melting. In places like the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the snowmelt is crucial for area agriculture. As snow melts, water runs down into rivers and reservoirs. It waters farms and orchards and carries communities through the dry months of summer. God says his Word works like that. Rain and snow do not fall from the sky and return without watering the earth. They accomplish God's purpose. So does his Word. It may not look powerful. Bible passages read around the family dinner table. A devotion next to a hospital bed. A Sunday sermon. But God says his Word does not return empty. That promise is great comfort, especially when we feel spiritually dry. Maybe your faith feels weak. Maybe guilt has hardened your heart. Maybe grief has left you cracked and tired. God’s Word is not powerful because of how strongly you feel it. It is powerful because God is working through it. The same Lord who sends rain to make the earth bud and flourish sends his Word to give faith, forgiveness, peace, and life. The good news of Jesus is not empty. Jesus’ death for your sins was not empty. His promise to forgive you is not empty. He left the tomb empty so that every promise he made is fulfilled. So, use God’s Word. Read it. Speak it. Share it. Rest in it. God will use it for his purpose. Prayer: Lord, water my dry heart with your Word. Make faith grow in me and use your Word through me to comfort others with Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

(0:00) About the Boardroom Governance Summit (Aug 26-27, 2026)  (0:55) Intro (2:37) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (3:24) Start of interview.  (4:23) Origin story Mayree Clark (6:08) Origin story Linda Riefler (8:23) About their Leading-Edge Stewardship framework and personal road-map. (11:38) Teamwork and Long-Term Value Creation (16:03) On board diversity and pace of change (19:02) Boards in distress: Mayree joining Ally Financial in financial crisis (2009) (21:39) MSCI Culture and CEO Relations (26:02) Tough calls on CEO transitions (example of CSX CEO transition) (32:39) Private Equity Board Lessons (flexibility on decision-making and talent pools) (36:22) Handling under-performing directors (43:11) German Governance Across Borders (Mayree's experience serving on Deutsche Bank's board) (48:06) Purpose, Adversity, and Stewardship (50:42) What are the 1-3 books that have greatly influenced your life:  Mayree: Self Renewal : The Individual and the Innovative Society, by John Gardner (1963) Linda: A Brief History of Everything, by Ken Wilber (2017) How the Word is Passed, by Clint Smith (2021) The Spark Within, by Michael Neal (coach) (53:36) Who were their mentors, and what they learned from them. (56:37) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that they love. (1:00:16) The living person they most admire. Mayree Clark is a longtime corporate director, founder and Managing Partner of Eachwin Capital, and former senior executive at Morgan Stanley. She currently serves on the boards of Ally Financial and Deutsche Bank AG.  Linda Riefler is an experienced corporate director and former senior executive at Morgan Stanley. She currently serves on the boards of CSX Corporation, MSCI Inc., and North American Partners in Anesthesia, and is chair of Pencils of Promise. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260714dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 Watered with the Word It doesn’t look like much from a distance, just a white line on the horizon. But as you get closer, the line has contours and dips and domes. It turns into a white ridge of snow-covered mountains. That snowpack may look quiet and still, but in the spring and summer months, it’s doing an important job. Melting. In places like the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the snowmelt is crucial for area agriculture. As snow melts, water runs down into rivers and reservoirs. It waters farms and orchards and carries communities through the dry months of summer. God says his Word works like that. Rain and snow do not fall from the sky and return without watering the earth. They accomplish God's purpose. So does his Word. It may not look powerful. Bible passages read around the family dinner table. A devotion next to a hospital bed. A Sunday sermon. But God says his Word does not return empty. That promise is great comfort, especially when we feel spiritually dry. Maybe your faith feels weak. Maybe guilt has hardened your heart. Maybe grief has left you cracked and tired. God’s Word is not powerful because of how strongly you feel it. It is powerful because God is working through it. The same Lord who sends rain to make the earth bud and flourish sends his Word to give faith, forgiveness, peace, and life. The good news of Jesus is not empty. Jesus’ death for your sins was not empty. His promise to forgive you is not empty. He left the tomb empty so that every promise he made is fulfilled. So, use God’s Word. Read it. Speak it. Share it. Rest in it. God will use it for his purpose. Prayer: Lord, water my dry heart with your Word. Make faith grow in me and use your Word through me to comfort others with Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260714dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:10-11 Watered with the Word It doesn’t look like much from a distance, just a white line on the horizon. But as you get closer, the line has contours and dips and domes. It turns into a white ridge of snow-covered mountains. That snowpack may look quiet and still, but in the spring and summer months, it’s doing an important job. Melting. In places like the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the snowmelt is crucial for area agriculture. As snow melts, water runs down into rivers and reservoirs. It waters farms and orchards and carries communities through the dry months of summer. God says his Word works like that. Rain and snow do not fall from the sky and return without watering the earth. They accomplish God's purpose. So does his Word. It may not look powerful. Bible passages read around the family dinner table. A devotion next to a hospital bed. A Sunday sermon. But God says his Word does not return empty. That promise is great comfort, especially when we feel spiritually dry. Maybe your faith feels weak. Maybe guilt has hardened your heart. Maybe grief has left you cracked and tired. God’s Word is not powerful because of how strongly you feel it. It is powerful because God is working through it. The same Lord who sends rain to make the earth bud and flourish sends his Word to give faith, forgiveness, peace, and life. The good news of Jesus is not empty. Jesus’ death for your sins was not empty. His promise to forgive you is not empty. He left the tomb empty so that every promise he made is fulfilled. So, use God’s Word. Read it. Speak it. Share it. Rest in it. God will use it for his purpose. Prayer: Lord, water my dry heart with your Word. Make faith grow in me and use your Word through me to comfort others with Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260713dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7 Easy to Find My children love to play hide-and-seek. They can get creative with their hiding spots. But when I play with my three-year-old, and it is my turn to hide, I keep it simple. I might leave a foot sticking out from behind the chair or make a little noise from the next room. At age three, she does not have a long enough attention span to seek more than a few minutes. So, I make sure that I am not too hard to find. When Isaiah says, “Seek the LORD while he may be found,” we might picture God as someone who is hidden far away, waiting to see whether we can find him. But God is not playing that kind of game. He is not trying to make himself hard to find. He is calling out to us. He is near. The problem is not that God has hidden himself too well. The problem is that sin leads us to look in the wrong places. We search for peace in our own plans. We search for comfort in distractions. We search for validation by making excuses or comparing ourselves to others. We go our own way and trust our own thoughts. But God calls us back. “Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them.” We find him in his Word, in his promises, in the good news of Jesus. Jesus did not come to stay hidden from sinners. He came near. He came into our world. He went to the cross to pay for our wandering ways and sinful thoughts. He rose so that mercy and pardon would not be hard to find but freely given. So, seek the Lord where he promises to be found. Call on him. Open his Word. Hear his promise. He is not hard to find. He is near with mercy in Jesus. Prayer: Lord God, when I seek peace and forgiveness in the wrong places, call me back through your Word. Thank you for coming near with mercy and free pardon in Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260713dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7 Easy to Find My children love to play hide-and-seek. They can get creative with their hiding spots. But when I play with my three-year-old, and it is my turn to hide, I keep it simple. I might leave a foot sticking out from behind the chair or make a little noise from the next room. At age three, she does not have a long enough attention span to seek more than a few minutes. So, I make sure that I am not too hard to find. When Isaiah says, “Seek the LORD while he may be found,” we might picture God as someone who is hidden far away, waiting to see whether we can find him. But God is not playing that kind of game. He is not trying to make himself hard to find. He is calling out to us. He is near. The problem is not that God has hidden himself too well. The problem is that sin leads us to look in the wrong places. We search for peace in our own plans. We search for comfort in distractions. We search for validation by making excuses or comparing ourselves to others. We go our own way and trust our own thoughts. But God calls us back. “Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them.” We find him in his Word, in his promises, in the good news of Jesus. Jesus did not come to stay hidden from sinners. He came near. He came into our world. He went to the cross to pay for our wandering ways and sinful thoughts. He rose so that mercy and pardon would not be hard to find but freely given. So, seek the Lord where he promises to be found. Call on him. Open his Word. Hear his promise. He is not hard to find. He is near with mercy in Jesus. Prayer: Lord God, when I seek peace and forgiveness in the wrong places, call me back through your Word. Thank you for coming near with mercy and free pardon in Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260713dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Isaiah 55:6-7 Easy to Find My children love to play hide-and-seek. They can get creative with their hiding spots. But when I play with my three-year-old, and it is my turn to hide, I keep it simple. I might leave a foot sticking out from behind the chair or make a little noise from the next room. At age three, she does not have a long enough attention span to seek more than a few minutes. So, I make sure that I am not too hard to find. When Isaiah says, “Seek the LORD while he may be found,” we might picture God as someone who is hidden far away, waiting to see whether we can find him. But God is not playing that kind of game. He is not trying to make himself hard to find. He is calling out to us. He is near. The problem is not that God has hidden himself too well. The problem is that sin leads us to look in the wrong places. We search for peace in our own plans. We search for comfort in distractions. We search for validation by making excuses or comparing ourselves to others. We go our own way and trust our own thoughts. But God calls us back. “Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them.” We find him in his Word, in his promises, in the good news of Jesus. Jesus did not come to stay hidden from sinners. He came near. He came into our world. He went to the cross to pay for our wandering ways and sinful thoughts. He rose so that mercy and pardon would not be hard to find but freely given. So, seek the Lord where he promises to be found. Call on him. Open his Word. Hear his promise. He is not hard to find. He is near with mercy in Jesus. Prayer: Lord God, when I seek peace and forgiveness in the wrong places, call me back through your Word. Thank you for coming near with mercy and free pardon in Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260712dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6 God is Near Does something strike you as amazing in today’s Bible verse? What jumps out at me is the idea that the Lord is near us, that he allows himself to be found by us. After all, why should he? Why should he be near us? Why should he allow himself to be found by us? Just look at us! We’re angry, bitter, selfish. We’re lustful, greedy, rebellious. We fail to love God; we fail to love each other. Instead of loathing sin as we should, we find ourselves listening to the devil’s temptations, perhaps even desiring to give in to those temptations. We fail to see the value and importance of eternal matters and get far to focused on temporal matters. Shouldn’t God turn his back on us? Shouldn’t God banish us from his presence forever? Yes, he should! Instead, he stays near! In amazing grace, he even allows us to “find him” in his Word and in the sacraments. And when we find him, what do we discover? We discover that he loves us dearly and treats us with amazing compassion and boundless love. And so, call on him! Seek him! Rejoice in the fact that your God is near, near to you! Prayer: O Savior, continue to draw near to me, and no matter how I might struggle, continue to draw me near to you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260712dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6 God is Near Does something strike you as amazing in today’s Bible verse? What jumps out at me is the idea that the Lord is near us, that he allows himself to be found by us. After all, why should he? Why should he be near us? Why should he allow himself to be found by us? Just look at us! We’re angry, bitter, selfish. We’re lustful, greedy, rebellious. We fail to love God; we fail to love each other. Instead of loathing sin as we should, we find ourselves listening to the devil’s temptations, perhaps even desiring to give in to those temptations. We fail to see the value and importance of eternal matters and get far to focused on temporal matters. Shouldn’t God turn his back on us? Shouldn’t God banish us from his presence forever? Yes, he should! Instead, he stays near! In amazing grace, he even allows us to “find him” in his Word and in the sacraments. And when we find him, what do we discover? We discover that he loves us dearly and treats us with amazing compassion and boundless love. And so, call on him! Seek him! Rejoice in the fact that your God is near, near to you! Prayer: O Savior, continue to draw near to me, and no matter how I might struggle, continue to draw me near to you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260712dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6 God is Near Does something strike you as amazing in today’s Bible verse? What jumps out at me is the idea that the Lord is near us, that he allows himself to be found by us. After all, why should he? Why should he be near us? Why should he allow himself to be found by us? Just look at us! We’re angry, bitter, selfish. We’re lustful, greedy, rebellious. We fail to love God; we fail to love each other. Instead of loathing sin as we should, we find ourselves listening to the devil’s temptations, perhaps even desiring to give in to those temptations. We fail to see the value and importance of eternal matters and get far to focused on temporal matters. Shouldn’t God turn his back on us? Shouldn’t God banish us from his presence forever? Yes, he should! Instead, he stays near! In amazing grace, he even allows us to “find him” in his Word and in the sacraments. And when we find him, what do we discover? We discover that he loves us dearly and treats us with amazing compassion and boundless love. And so, call on him! Seek him! Rejoice in the fact that your God is near, near to you! Prayer: O Savior, continue to draw near to me, and no matter how I might struggle, continue to draw me near to you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260711dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 A Heavy Burden We know what it is like to carry a heavy burden. Our arms begin to ache as we strain to hold up the weight. Our back muscles tighten, and our legs tire under the strain. We can only carry the load so long, and we are forced to put it down and rest. Sometimes the burden we carry is not with our arms, back, and legs, but on our hearts. Burdens of sadness, loneliness, discouragement, and dismay are very real and cause us to long for rest from their weight. Our spirits can be crushed if these burdens get too heavy and we carry them too long. While Jesus understands these kinds of burdens and is present to help us carry them, these burdens aren’t the most oppressive. When our Savior invites us to come to him for rest, he means a different kind of burden that makes people weary and tired. That is the burden of sin and how sin disrupts our relationship with God. The Bible tells us, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). The demand that the Law of God makes is impossible for us to keep. We cannot perfectly fulfill its requirements. We can’t get out from under the burden of sin by our own power. There is only one way for us to have relief. Jesus came to lift sin’s burden off our hearts. He carried that heavy burden of sin’s guilt for us and gives us rest. He gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven and that God doesn’t count us guilty. We have the peace of knowing that our relationship with God is restored. Through Jesus, there is now no fear of God’s strict judgment of condemnation against us. We are free from sin’s burden. In Jesus, we have rest! Prayer: Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned in many ways and the guilt on my heart is a burden that is too heavy to bear. I praise you for taking the burden of my guilt and carrying it for me—suffering and dying to free me of its load and giving me the rest of full forgiveness. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260711dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 A Heavy Burden We know what it is like to carry a heavy burden. Our arms begin to ache as we strain to hold up the weight. Our back muscles tighten, and our legs tire under the strain. We can only carry the load so long, and we are forced to put it down and rest. Sometimes the burden we carry is not with our arms, back, and legs, but on our hearts. Burdens of sadness, loneliness, discouragement, and dismay are very real and cause us to long for rest from their weight. Our spirits can be crushed if these burdens get too heavy and we carry them too long. While Jesus understands these kinds of burdens and is present to help us carry them, these burdens aren’t the most oppressive. When our Savior invites us to come to him for rest, he means a different kind of burden that makes people weary and tired. That is the burden of sin and how sin disrupts our relationship with God. The Bible tells us, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). The demand that the Law of God makes is impossible for us to keep. We cannot perfectly fulfill its requirements. We can’t get out from under the burden of sin by our own power. There is only one way for us to have relief. Jesus came to lift sin’s burden off our hearts. He carried that heavy burden of sin’s guilt for us and gives us rest. He gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven and that God doesn’t count us guilty. We have the peace of knowing that our relationship with God is restored. Through Jesus, there is now no fear of God’s strict judgment of condemnation against us. We are free from sin’s burden. In Jesus, we have rest! Prayer: Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned in many ways and the guilt on my heart is a burden that is too heavy to bear. I praise you for taking the burden of my guilt and carrying it for me—suffering and dying to free me of its load and giving me the rest of full forgiveness. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260711dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 A Heavy Burden We know what it is like to carry a heavy burden. Our arms begin to ache as we strain to hold up the weight. Our back muscles tighten, and our legs tire under the strain. We can only carry the load so long, and we are forced to put it down and rest. Sometimes the burden we carry is not with our arms, back, and legs, but on our hearts. Burdens of sadness, loneliness, discouragement, and dismay are very real and cause us to long for rest from their weight. Our spirits can be crushed if these burdens get too heavy and we carry them too long. While Jesus understands these kinds of burdens and is present to help us carry them, these burdens aren’t the most oppressive. When our Savior invites us to come to him for rest, he means a different kind of burden that makes people weary and tired. That is the burden of sin and how sin disrupts our relationship with God. The Bible tells us, “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). The demand that the Law of God makes is impossible for us to keep. We cannot perfectly fulfill its requirements. We can’t get out from under the burden of sin by our own power. There is only one way for us to have relief. Jesus came to lift sin’s burden off our hearts. He carried that heavy burden of sin’s guilt for us and gives us rest. He gives us the assurance that our sins are forgiven and that God doesn’t count us guilty. We have the peace of knowing that our relationship with God is restored. Through Jesus, there is now no fear of God’s strict judgment of condemnation against us. We are free from sin’s burden. In Jesus, we have rest! Prayer: Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned in many ways and the guilt on my heart is a burden that is too heavy to bear. I praise you for taking the burden of my guilt and carrying it for me—suffering and dying to free me of its load and giving me the rest of full forgiveness. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260710dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29 Carrying the Cross The Bible teaches that the burden of sin and selfishness is great because God’s judgment always follows. Simply put, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Adam’s first sin is a perfect illustration. He followed the path of self-indulgence. “When you eat of [the tree],” Satan promised, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). But when Adam pursued that path, he discovered that God's promises always stand. God had promised, “When you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). In our arrogance, we think we can get away with our self-centered sinfulness. But God’s all-seeing holiness hones in on us, noting every godless thought, word, and deed. His perfect law closes every loophole, rejects every excuse, and refuses every rationale. Which makes the saving work of Jesus and his glorious cross all the more stunning! Jesus took the shackles of God’s law on himself and carried the burden for us without stumbling. Then he picked up the heavy cross of God's judgment and laid aside his Father’s righteous verdict against us by taking up our sin and penalty. He truly became “sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness [perfection] of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took our great burden from us, and now he invites us to take up an entirely different cross, the cross of discipleship. “Take my yoke upon you,” Jesus says, “and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” Our Savior God offers free lessons in carrying crosses. He models for us the self-sacrificing love we are created to have for others. And this new glorious cross doesn’t end in judgment. It ends with his promise: “You will find rest for your souls.” Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the strength to carry every cross that comes my way as a result of following you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260710dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29 Carrying the Cross The Bible teaches that the burden of sin and selfishness is great because God’s judgment always follows. Simply put, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Adam’s first sin is a perfect illustration. He followed the path of self-indulgence. “When you eat of [the tree],” Satan promised, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). But when Adam pursued that path, he discovered that God's promises always stand. God had promised, “When you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). In our arrogance, we think we can get away with our self-centered sinfulness. But God’s all-seeing holiness hones in on us, noting every godless thought, word, and deed. His perfect law closes every loophole, rejects every excuse, and refuses every rationale. Which makes the saving work of Jesus and his glorious cross all the more stunning! Jesus took the shackles of God’s law on himself and carried the burden for us without stumbling. Then he picked up the heavy cross of God's judgment and laid aside his Father’s righteous verdict against us by taking up our sin and penalty. He truly became “sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness [perfection] of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took our great burden from us, and now he invites us to take up an entirely different cross, the cross of discipleship. “Take my yoke upon you,” Jesus says, “and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” Our Savior God offers free lessons in carrying crosses. He models for us the self-sacrificing love we are created to have for others. And this new glorious cross doesn’t end in judgment. It ends with his promise: “You will find rest for your souls.” Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the strength to carry every cross that comes my way as a result of following you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260710dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29 Carrying the Cross The Bible teaches that the burden of sin and selfishness is great because God’s judgment always follows. Simply put, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Adam’s first sin is a perfect illustration. He followed the path of self-indulgence. “When you eat of [the tree],” Satan promised, “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). But when Adam pursued that path, he discovered that God's promises always stand. God had promised, “When you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). In our arrogance, we think we can get away with our self-centered sinfulness. But God’s all-seeing holiness hones in on us, noting every godless thought, word, and deed. His perfect law closes every loophole, rejects every excuse, and refuses every rationale. Which makes the saving work of Jesus and his glorious cross all the more stunning! Jesus took the shackles of God’s law on himself and carried the burden for us without stumbling. Then he picked up the heavy cross of God's judgment and laid aside his Father’s righteous verdict against us by taking up our sin and penalty. He truly became “sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness [perfection] of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus took our great burden from us, and now he invites us to take up an entirely different cross, the cross of discipleship. “Take my yoke upon you,” Jesus says, “and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.” Our Savior God offers free lessons in carrying crosses. He models for us the self-sacrificing love we are created to have for others. And this new glorious cross doesn’t end in judgment. It ends with his promise: “You will find rest for your souls.” Prayer: Dear Jesus, give me the strength to carry every cross that comes my way as a result of following you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260709dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 First Weariness, Then Rest Jesus spoke in no uncertain terms about the details of Christian discipleship. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). At first blush, self-denial seems like a relatively easy standard to meet. But Christian self-denial requires us to keep God’s great commandments perfectly: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It requires us to abandon self-love completely and to concentrate all our time, energy, and effort on others. Jesus is the perfect model of self-denial and love for others. He came into this world “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Now he calls us to expend our lives completely on others. “As I have loved you,” Jesus commanded, “so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34,35). This kind of perfect love is difficult and wearisome, and not just because we are selfish and sinful. It was also a challenge for the perfect Son of God who “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death” (Hebrews 5:7). He was truly tempted to abandon his love for others (Hebrews 4:15). So, when he commands us to take up our cross and sacrifice ourselves for others, he knows the burden intimately. He carried that burden himself! Yet to us who now carry the cross of Christian discipleship, Jesus makes an astounding offer: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The one who carried the burden of the cross, loaded down by our sin, now offers his strength, help, and guidance as we pick up our cross of discipleship. At first glance, our cross looks heavy, covered with sharp splinters. But Jesus’ love and saving power replace our weariness with true rest and power for godly living, and we see our cross in all its glory. Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me carry the cross of discipleship with confidence and joy. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260709dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 First Weariness, Then Rest Jesus spoke in no uncertain terms about the details of Christian discipleship. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). At first blush, self-denial seems like a relatively easy standard to meet. But Christian self-denial requires us to keep God’s great commandments perfectly: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It requires us to abandon self-love completely and to concentrate all our time, energy, and effort on others. Jesus is the perfect model of self-denial and love for others. He came into this world “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Now he calls us to expend our lives completely on others. “As I have loved you,” Jesus commanded, “so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34,35). This kind of perfect love is difficult and wearisome, and not just because we are selfish and sinful. It was also a challenge for the perfect Son of God who “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death” (Hebrews 5:7). He was truly tempted to abandon his love for others (Hebrews 4:15). So, when he commands us to take up our cross and sacrifice ourselves for others, he knows the burden intimately. He carried that burden himself! Yet to us who now carry the cross of Christian discipleship, Jesus makes an astounding offer: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The one who carried the burden of the cross, loaded down by our sin, now offers his strength, help, and guidance as we pick up our cross of discipleship. At first glance, our cross looks heavy, covered with sharp splinters. But Jesus’ love and saving power replace our weariness with true rest and power for godly living, and we see our cross in all its glory. Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me carry the cross of discipleship with confidence and joy. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Osheaga 2026 is 23 days away! Our Unofficial Osheaga Podcast is back for 2026! We're into July already and that means it's time to take a look at Sunday's lineup (More or less) every two weeks Sarah and I have been digging into the entire lineup of this year's Osheaga to give you music recommendations all summer long. We pick ten acts from each day, we talk about them, play clips of their tunes to give you a feel for their music and tell you why we think they're worth checking. As always we'll be listening to music and talking about some of our favorite acts all summer long. If you're like us you might have heard of some of the bigger acts headlining each day of the festival but it's hard to be familiar with the entire lineup. We're here to make discoveries and let you know about some of the acts a little further down the lineup. So (for the purposes of this show) we ruled out the entire top line of each day of the lineup. Trust us, if you listen to all of these episodes you might find yourself running back and forth between stages all weekend and discovering your new favourite artists. Here is our first batch of 5 “non-headline” acts we think are worth checking out for Sunday: Not for Radio – Back to You Valley – Vending Machine BETWEEN FRIENDS – affection Mother Mother – Love to Death Spacey Jane – Do You Really Love Her See You at Osheaga! Osheaga runs from July 31st to August 2nd at Parc Jean Drapeau. Check out osheaga.com for more info and tickets. All audio clips are copyright of their respective owners and used solely with the intention of promoting and editorial previewing Osheaga. Our intro song is Paradise Engineering (instrumental) by YACHT and is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. Keith does all sorts of things here on 9to5.cc, he works with the other founders on 9to5 (illustrated), co-hosts our two podcasts: The 9to5 Entertainment System and Go Plug Yourself and blogs here as The Perspicacious Geek. Sarah is somehow still @femalewalter on Instagram. Follow her for pictures of our dogs and sometimes she remembers to post about all the arts and entertainment we take in all year long. The post Osheaga Podcast 2026 (Unofficial) – Sunday Part 1 appeared first on 9to5 (dot cc).

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260709dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 First Weariness, Then Rest Jesus spoke in no uncertain terms about the details of Christian discipleship. He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). At first blush, self-denial seems like a relatively easy standard to meet. But Christian self-denial requires us to keep God’s great commandments perfectly: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It requires us to abandon self-love completely and to concentrate all our time, energy, and effort on others. Jesus is the perfect model of self-denial and love for others. He came into this world “not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Now he calls us to expend our lives completely on others. “As I have loved you,” Jesus commanded, “so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34,35). This kind of perfect love is difficult and wearisome, and not just because we are selfish and sinful. It was also a challenge for the perfect Son of God who “offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death” (Hebrews 5:7). He was truly tempted to abandon his love for others (Hebrews 4:15). So, when he commands us to take up our cross and sacrifice ourselves for others, he knows the burden intimately. He carried that burden himself! Yet to us who now carry the cross of Christian discipleship, Jesus makes an astounding offer: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The one who carried the burden of the cross, loaded down by our sin, now offers his strength, help, and guidance as we pick up our cross of discipleship. At first glance, our cross looks heavy, covered with sharp splinters. But Jesus’ love and saving power replace our weariness with true rest and power for godly living, and we see our cross in all its glory. Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me carry the cross of discipleship with confidence and joy. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260708dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus said, “Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. . . No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:26-27 A Purposeful Choice Jesus and his cross are natural stumbling blocks to sinners like us. Why, then, do we believe something that seems so silly? Jesus explained when he prayed, “Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. . . No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” To be sure, God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). That's why he sacrificed his beloved Son to be “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). God is so patient and long-suffering with the people of this world that he even plays the part of the fool, holding out his hands “all day long…to a disobedient and obstinate people” (Roman 10:21), only to have those hands remain mostly empty because so many reject his free gift of forgiveness. Is that God's fault? Hardly! Jesus has won mankind’s salvation completely, yet God forces no one to be saved. Instead, he works mysteriously and powerfully through his Word and Spirit. Through his Word, he shatters our pride and self-reliance, then calls us to trust in him and to see the glory of Christ's cross. So, our Christian faith is no accident. It’s God's purposeful choice. “The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for graciously leading me to trust in you through the gospel. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260708dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus said, “Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. . . No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:26-27 A Purposeful Choice Jesus and his cross are natural stumbling blocks to sinners like us. Why, then, do we believe something that seems so silly? Jesus explained when he prayed, “Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. . . No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” To be sure, God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). That's why he sacrificed his beloved Son to be “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). God is so patient and long-suffering with the people of this world that he even plays the part of the fool, holding out his hands “all day long…to a disobedient and obstinate people” (Roman 10:21), only to have those hands remain mostly empty because so many reject his free gift of forgiveness. Is that God's fault? Hardly! Jesus has won mankind’s salvation completely, yet God forces no one to be saved. Instead, he works mysteriously and powerfully through his Word and Spirit. Through his Word, he shatters our pride and self-reliance, then calls us to trust in him and to see the glory of Christ's cross. So, our Christian faith is no accident. It’s God's purposeful choice. “The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for graciously leading me to trust in you through the gospel. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260708dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus said, “Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. . . No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Matthew 11:26-27 A Purposeful Choice Jesus and his cross are natural stumbling blocks to sinners like us. Why, then, do we believe something that seems so silly? Jesus explained when he prayed, “Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. . . No one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” To be sure, God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). That's why he sacrificed his beloved Son to be “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). God is so patient and long-suffering with the people of this world that he even plays the part of the fool, holding out his hands “all day long…to a disobedient and obstinate people” (Roman 10:21), only to have those hands remain mostly empty because so many reject his free gift of forgiveness. Is that God's fault? Hardly! Jesus has won mankind’s salvation completely, yet God forces no one to be saved. Instead, he works mysteriously and powerfully through his Word and Spirit. Through his Word, he shatters our pride and self-reliance, then calls us to trust in him and to see the glory of Christ's cross. So, our Christian faith is no accident. It’s God's purposeful choice. “The LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for graciously leading me to trust in you through the gospel. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260707dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” Matthew 11:25 A Revealed Glory The Bible teaches us that the glory of Christ’s cross is naturally hidden from us. It is hidden behind the horrific dreadfulness of God’s shameful suffering and death there. Martin Luther explained this important truth in his Small Catechism with these words: “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.” With that explanation, Luther was echoing the words of the apostle Paul, who wrote: “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no mind has conceived' [these are] the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Simply put, left to ourselves, sinful humans would never be able to see or fathom the hidden realities of God’s glorious, behind-the-scenes workings at Christ's cross. The Lord himself explains why this is true through his prophet Isaiah, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:9). In other words, the divine plan and purpose are far beyond our puny human senses. By nature, we see and sense the opposite of God's reality. God often does the opposite of what we expect. If that’s true, then how can anyone comprehend the divine truth? By ourselves we can’t, but the Bible tells us that, “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10). As Luther explained: “The Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” Through his Word—law and gospel—the Holy Spirit brings us to humble repentance, a change of mind. First, he shows us our need for a Savior, and then at the cross, he proclaims that we have one, a perfect One. Suddenly, the cross’s hidden glory is revealed! Prayer: Dear Jesus, lead me daily to repentance through your holy Word so that I see the glory of your cross through the eyes of faith. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260707dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” Matthew 11:25 A Revealed Glory The Bible teaches us that the glory of Christ’s cross is naturally hidden from us. It is hidden behind the horrific dreadfulness of God’s shameful suffering and death there. Martin Luther explained this important truth in his Small Catechism with these words: “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.” With that explanation, Luther was echoing the words of the apostle Paul, who wrote: “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, what no mind has conceived' [these are] the things God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Simply put, left to ourselves, sinful humans would never be able to see or fathom the hidden realities of God’s glorious, behind-the-scenes workings at Christ's cross. The Lord himself explains why this is true through his prophet Isaiah, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (55:9). In other words, the divine plan and purpose are far beyond our puny human senses. By nature, we see and sense the opposite of God's reality. God often does the opposite of what we expect. If that’s true, then how can anyone comprehend the divine truth? By ourselves we can’t, but the Bible tells us that, “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10). As Luther explained: “The Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” Through his Word—law and gospel—the Holy Spirit brings us to humble repentance, a change of mind. First, he shows us our need for a Savior, and then at the cross, he proclaims that we have one, a perfect One. Suddenly, the cross’s hidden glory is revealed! Prayer: Dear Jesus, lead me daily to repentance through your holy Word so that I see the glory of your cross through the eyes of faith. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

(0:00) About the Boardroom Governance Summit (Aug 26-27, 2026)  (0:55) Intro (2:44) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (3:30) Start of interview.  (4:16) Origin story Marie Bafus (5:30) Origin story Wendy Grasso (7:34) Diving into their article AI in the Boardroom: What Directors Need to Know Now (4:14) Why AI Needs Board Oversight (12:00) Caremark and Oversight Duties (15:12) Mission-Critical Risk Cases. Reference to Marchand case (2019) and Boeing case (2021) (19:18) Where AI Belongs in Governance (board level and board committees) (21:28) Defining Mission-Critical AI (24:45) Strategy, Capital Allocation, and Judgment (29:50) Board Minutes as Litigation Evidence (33:52) Private Companies, Same Duties (38:35) AI Washing and Disclosure Risks (43:10) How Boards (and Board Members) Can Use AI (47:08) Hallucinations, Confidentiality, and Privilege. Reference to U.S. v Heppner case (2026) (52:03) Building an AI Usage Policy (53:36) Recording Boards with AI (note taking apps) (57:05) Workforce Trust and Environmental Risk (1:00:00) AI for Oversight Itself (1:02:02) AI's Impact on Legal Practice Marie Bafus is a partner in Fenwick's Securities Litigation Practice and Wendy Grasso is counsel in Fenwick's Corporate Practice. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) About the Boardroom Governance Summit (Aug 26-27, 2026)  (0:54) Intro (2:15) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel. (3:01) Start of interview. *Reference to prior episode with Terry (E131) from 2024. (3:50) About Terry's role as Co-Chair of WilmerHale's Sports & Gaming Practice  (4:52) Sports Investment Boom, now including institutional investors and private equity  (8:40) League Ownership Models (ie. NFL, MLS, WPHL, etc) (14:24) Player Revenue Battles (example of WNBA) (16:34) Terry's sports governance practice (18:18) The Soccer World Cup, Global Expansion, and cross-border investments (20:35) U.S. Sporting Franchises  (23:09) Betting platforms and Integrity. Growth of prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi. (26:58) Women's Sports Surge (32:38) Family Business Governance (38:06) Family Office Structures (41:11) Wine Industry Pressure (44:27) Future of Sports Investing (47:03) College Sports Revenue Sharing. Reference to House case settlement (49:55) Promotion and Relegation Teresa (Terry) Johnson is co-chair of WilmerHale's Sports & Gaming Practice, and a partner in the firm's Transactional Department. Ms. Johnson is an experienced sports and corporate transactions lawyer with over three decades of experience advising clients on securities transactions, corporate governance and capital markets matters. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260625dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion [Jesus said] “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved . . . Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:21-22,32 When Confessing Christ Costs You On June 25, 1530, Lutheran princes and representatives stood before Emperor Charles V in the city of Augsburg in Germany and presented a confession of their faith. The emperor was among the most powerful rulers in the world. The pressure to stay quiet, compromise, or soften the truth was enormous. But they confessed Christ. One of the signers was John Frederick of Saxony. A few years later, Emperor Charles V went to war against the Lutheran princes in an effort to force them back into submission. John Frederick’s own cousin Maurice of Saxony sided with the emperor and invaded John Frederick’s territory. John Frederick was eventually defeated, captured, sentenced to death, and stripped of his royal title. The details of history are complicated. The pain was not. Confessing Christ had cost him dearly, even within his own family. Jesus had warned his disciples that this could happen. “Brother will betray brother to death,” he said. “You will be hated by everyone because of me.” Following Jesus would not always bring peace with the people closest to them. Sometimes it would bring division, rejection, and loss. But Jesus also gave a promise: “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” That promise gives courage. You may never stand before an emperor. You may never lose lands or titles for confessing Christ. But you will have moments when faithfulness costs you something. It may cost approval. It may strain a relationship. It may make you feel alone. In those moments, remember who stands with you. Jesus confessed you first. He claimed you as his own. He carried your sins to the cross. He rose from the dead. He speaks for you before the Father. So, confess him. Speak the truth humbly. Speak it lovingly. Speak it with confidence. The Savior you confess is the Savior who confesses you. Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for confessing me before your Father. Give me courage to confess you before others, even when it costs me. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.