Honoring the Fallen, Living with Gratitude

This Memorial Day, we pause to remember those who gave their lives in service to our country—men and women who laid down their lives so others might live in freedom. As a church, we are deeply grateful for the ultimate sacrifice made by these individuals. Their courage and selflessness echo the words of Jesus in John 15:13:

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Because of their sacrifice, we are able to gather freely. We worship without fear. We pray in public. We preach the gospel openly. These freedoms are not free—they were purchased with lives.

And as followers of Jesus, we believe their sacrifice also invites us to reflect more deeply on another reality: the Kingdom of God.

Though I’ve never personally stood at a military funeral, there’s something deeply symbolic in what happens there.

There’s weight and reverence in the way a flag is folded, in the hush that falls over the crowd, in the final salute. It’s not just about a life lost; it’s about honor. About purpose. About legacy. In those moments, we see the collision of grief and glory.
And in many ways, that tension mirrors what we call the “now and not yet” of the Kingdom of God.

Just like we mourn the fallen while hoping for something more, we live today in a Kingdom that has come but isn’t yet complete. Jesus has already defeated death, but we still face loss. We know resurrection is real, yet we attend funerals.

We live between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in a thousand ways. We grieve with hope (1 Thess. 4:13). We honor sacrifice while holding on to resurrection promises. Memorial Day reminds us that love often looks like sacrifice, and that true freedom is always costly.

So how should we live in response?

1. With Gratitude: Let every prayer today be a thank-you. Thank God for the freedoms we enjoy. Thank Him for the families who have lost loved ones in service. And thank Him for Jesus, who showed us what sacrificial love looks like.
2. With Purpose: The freedom we have isn’t just for comfort, it’s for mission. Let’s use our freedom to love radically, to serve boldly, and to advance the Kingdom wherever we go.
3. With Hope: When we see a folded flag, let it remind us not only of what has been lost, but of what is coming. The day when swords will be beaten into plowshares. When every tear will be wiped away. When every sacrifice will be seen, honored, and redeemed.

To all who have lost loved ones in service to our country, we see you. We honor you. We are praying for you.

And as a church, we commit to living lives worthy of the freedom we’ve been given—both as Americans and as citizens of a greater Kingdom.

Grace and peace to you this Memorial Day.

-Pastor Brian