My Lord and My God
Month 12: Risen & Sending · Heart Matters
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 20:26-28
26 Eight days later, His disciples were once again inside with the doors locked, and Thomas was with them. Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”
Memory Verse
“Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.””— John 20:29 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Titus 3; Philemon 1; Hebrews 1
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Hebrews opens by declaring that God has spoken to us by His Son, who is the radiance of His glory.)The Heart of It
When Thomas finally saw the risen Jesus, he didn't merely say, "Okay, I believe you're alive." He fell into the deepest words of worship in the whole Gospel of John: "My Lord and my God!" (). Stop and feel the weight of that. Here was a faithful Jewish man, raised to confess that the Lord alone is God. He looked at the man standing before him with nail-scarred hands. And he called Him God. And Jesus did not correct him. He did not say, "Careful, Thomas, I'm only a teacher." He received the worship, because it was right. The resurrection doesn't just prove Jesus is alive. It proves who He always was. He is not a great example. He is not a wise teacher. He is not a kind martyr. He is the Lord. He is God.
But notice the little word Thomas uses twice. My. "My Lord and my God." This is where it gets personal. This is where it gets to the heart. It is possible to believe every true fact about Jesus and still never say my. The demons believe Jesus is the Son of God, and they tremble (). But they never bow and call Him "mine." Real faith is not just agreeing that Jesus is Lord of the universe. It is bowing your own knee and giving Him your own heart. So tonight the question for every person at the table, from the four-year-old to Dad, is not merely "Is Jesus Lord?" It is "Is Jesus my Lord? Is He my God?" You can't ride into the kingdom on someone else's faith. Each of us has to answer for ourselves.
Around the Table
When Thomas saw Jesus alive, he said, "My Lord and my God!" He knew Jesus wasn't just a nice man. Jesus is God! And we can call Jesus "mine" too.
Let's do it: Put your hand on your heart and say, "Jesus is MY Lord and MY God!"
Thomas didn't just say "a Lord" — he said "my Lord." It's not enough to know about Jesus; we each have to make Him ours.
Let's talk: What's the difference between knowing about a famous person and actually knowing them as your friend?
Thomas calls Jesus "God," and Jesus accepts the worship. That is strong proof that Jesus is fully God, not merely a teacher. And the word "my" makes faith personal, not inherited.
Let's go deeper: Why can't anyone be saved by their parents' faith? What does it look like to make Jesus your own Lord?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's one thing that's truly yours — not your sibling's, not borrowed, but yours? Faith in Jesus is meant to be like that: personally yours.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Some claim Jesus never said He was God. But here Thomas calls Him "my Lord and my God." And Jesus, who always refused false worship, accepts it. The risen Christ lets Himself be worshiped as God because He is God.
For Dad · Go Deeper
There is an old saying among Wesleyan believers that "God has no grandchildren." Every generation must come to Christ for itself. Faith cannot be passed down like a last name. This is one of the quiet weights of fathering. You can take your kids to the well, but you cannot drink for them. Your job is not to manufacture their "My Lord and my God" moment. You can't. Your job is to make it as easy as possible for them to come, and impossible to ignore the invitation. So pray for each child by name to make Jesus personally theirs. Resist the temptation to assume a child is saved just because they are well-behaved or grew up in church. And keep your own confession fresh. A father who says "my Lord and my God" with real warmth gives his children something far more compelling than mere religion. He gives them a glimpse of what it looks like to actually belong to Jesus.
Draws on: J. I. Packer, Knowing God (on faith as personal, not secondhand).
Let's Pray Together
"Lord Jesus, You are not just a good teacher. You are God, alive forever. We don't just want to know about You. We want to know You. Be our Lord and our God. Be the Lord of each one of us. We give You our hearts tonight. In Jesus' name, amen."
It's not enough that Jesus is Lord. He must be MY Lord and MY God.