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READ: JOHN 14:18; REVELATION 21:1-5\n\n\n\nHave you ever been really homesick? When we\u2019re traveling someplace far away from loved ones\u2014even if we\u2019re traveling for good reasons\u2014it\u2019s totally understandable that we miss our friends and family. God created us with a need for community with Him and other people. That\u2019s why Jesus said the two most important things He wants us to do are to love Him and other people (Matthew 22:36-40). But in our broken world, sometimes loving others means we feel the pain of being apart from them.\n\n\n\nIn a way, all Christians are homesick\u2026because our home is with Jesus. Even though He is always with us\u2014and He is present in our lives here and now through His Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church)\u2014we can\u2019t see Him face-to-face. But one day we will, either when we die or when He returns and restores all of creation. On that day, everyone who knows Jesus will get to live with Him together, and we will never be homesick again.\n\n\n\nAs we continue to live in our world that\u2019s broken by sin, we long to be with God\u2014and His people\u2014the way He intended, without all the effects of our sin wreaking havoc. Separation is one of the effects of sin. Even if we don\u2019t have to physically travel away from the people we love, we will eventually be separated from them, either when we die or when they do.\n\n\n\nDeath is the ultimate effect of sin, but Jesus defeated death when He let Himself be put to death on the cross\u2026 and then rose from the grave. Without Jesus, we are all separated from God. But if we\u2019ve put our trust in Jesus, we\u2019ve been brought near to God and become part of His family. Whenever we experience hard things like homesickness and death, Jesus comforts us. He knows firsthand what it\u2019s like to be separated from the people you love. And He reminds us that we get to look forward to the day we will finally be home with Him and God\u2019s whole family forever. That\u2019s real hope we can cling to even in our most homesick moments. \u2022 A. W. Smith\n\n\n\n\u2022 Have you ever felt homesick for Jesus? As Christians, it\u2019s hard to understand the mystery of how we can be with Jesus here and now, and yet still long for the day we\u2019ll see Him face-to-face. Can you think of a time you felt Jesus\u2019s nearness and love? If you\u2019ve never experienced this, you can ask God to reveal His nearness and love to you anytime\u2014He delights in answering these prayers.\n\n\n\n\u2022 What are you most looking forward to about Jesus coming back? What questions do you have?\n\n\n\nI heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, \u201cLook, God\u2019s home is now among his people!\u201d Revelation 21:3a (NLT)