The First, First Responder

John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.”

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Hello, it’s Vic Johnson and this is your Monday Morning Spirit Spark.

Today, we pause to remember those who didn’t just wear a uniform — they gave everything in it.

Men and women in our military… firefighters… police officers… paramedics… first responders of every kind who ran toward danger so others could live.

They didn’t just serve. They sacrificed.

And on this Memorial Day, we honor their courage, their calling, and their ultimate gift.

But there’s another sacrifice we must also remember today — the one that makes all others eternally meaningful.

Jesus Christ — the First, First Responder — didn’t just risk His life… He laid it down willingly, not for duty, but for love.

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

Every soldier who falls in battle, every responder who doesn’t come home, is a reflection of that same heart:

To stand in the gap. To bear the cost. To save others.

The difference?

Jesus didn’t just save us from danger — He saved us from death.

He didn’t just rescue our bodies — He redeemed our souls.

And the result? Eternal life.

A freedom no enemy can touch.
A peace no war can shake.
A victory that never fades.

So if this Monday feels heavy — If you're missing someone, grieving something, or feeling the weight of it all…

Remember this:

His sacrifice didn’t just happen. It still speaks.
It still covers.
It still saves.

Let His love be the spark that lights your gratitude, and the strength that carries you forward.

>“Lord, thank You for every brave soul who gave their life in service to others. And thank You, Jesus, for giving Yours — so we could live forever. Help us walk worthy of that love today.”

That’s your Spirit Spark for today:

Their sacrifice gives us freedom. His sacrifice gives us forever.

And that’s worth waking up for.