Steadfast Because He Lives
Month 7: He Is Risen! — Why We Believe · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: 1 Corinthians 15:58
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Memory Verse
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”— 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Isaiah 50–53
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Isaiah 53 — the suffering Servant "wounded for our transgressions" — written 700 years before the cross.)The Heart of It
For fifty-seven verses Paul has been building a soaring argument about the resurrection. The eyewitnesses. The firstfruits. The defeat of death. Then he lands the whole chapter with one little word: "Therefore." Everything he has proven about the empty tomb now becomes a way to live. He writes, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." Notice he doesn't say, "Therefore relax, you've got it all figured out." He says, "Therefore get to work, and don't give up." The resurrection is not just a fact to believe on Sunday. It is the reason to keep going on the hard Tuesdays of life.
Here's the connection a family can feel together. Because Jesus rose, nothing done for Him is ever wasted. The kind word no one noticed. The prayer that seemed unanswered. The obedience that felt pointless. The small faithfulness of a busy parent and tired kids. None of it disappears into nothing. In a world without the resurrection, everything eventually fades, and we are to be pitied most of all (v. 19). But because the tomb is empty, our labor "is not in vain." That's why we can be steadfast. We are planted, not blown around. And we can be immovable. We don't quit when it's hard. This week we celebrated that He is risen. Today we ask what difference it makes on Monday morning. Here's the answer. It makes us people who don't give up, because we are serving a Savior who is alive and keeping every promise.
Around the Table
Because Jesus is alive, every kind and good thing you do for Him matters. Even the small ones!
Let's do it: Each person names one small good thing to do tomorrow "for Jesus." Cheer for each one!
Paul says our work for the Lord is "not in vain." That means it's never wasted. How does knowing Jesus is alive help you keep doing the right thing even when it's hard?
Let's talk: What's something good that feels hard to keep doing? How can the resurrection help?
"Therefore… be steadfast and immovable." The resurrection turns belief into endurance. Because Christ rose, nothing done for Him is ever wasted.
Let's go deeper: How would your week look different if you truly believed none of your faithful effort was wasted?
💬 Conversation Starter
Sing or say together a line from a favorite Easter song, then share: what's one way our family can "not give up" doing good this week?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
The resurrection isn't just a claim we argue about. It's a claim that changed people. Think of the millions across twenty centuries who have lived steadfast, joyful, even sacrificial lives, all because they were sure the tomb was empty. That may be the most powerful evidence of all. Changed lives are hard to fake ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
There's a reason Paul ends his great resurrection chapter not in a classroom but at a workbench, calling us to "excel in the work of the Lord." Sound doctrine is meant to produce steadfast disciples, not merely informed ones. As you close this week of family worship, resist the urge to grade yourself on whether the kids "got it" perfectly. The point of Family Worship is not a flawless lesson. It's a steady rhythm. You show up again and again. You plant seed you may not see sprout for years. That is exactly the steadfast, immovable faithfulness this verse commends, and it is "not in vain." On the discouraging nights when worship feels like herding cats, remember this: the risen Christ guarantees the harvest. Your job is to keep sowing, immovable, excelling in His work. Let your children watch a dad who doesn't quit, because his Savior is alive.
Draws on: Paul David Tripp, Parenting; Sam Rainer, The Surprising Habits of an Unlikely Disciple.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, because Jesus is truly risen, help our family be steadfast and immovable. Help us never give up doing good. Thank You that no work done for You is ever wasted. Keep us faithful all week. In Jesus' name, amen."
Because He lives, nothing I do for Jesus is ever wasted. So I can keep going and not give up.