Swiss psychiatrist Paul Tournier opens one of his most popular books with these words. “Basically we are always looking for a place–for somewhere to be.” I think the good doctor is right. From the first breath of birth to the final breath of death we are in need of a place, a place to be.

Maybe that’s why John 14 is such a beloved passage of the Bible. “Let not your hearts be troubled. In my Father’s house are many rooms. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” Jesus is providing a place for you, a place to be.

I. When I Think About a Place to Be, I Think About Family

God made families so we could have a place to be. That’s why healthy families are so essential to society. We need a place to get our basic needs met, a place to love and be loved, a place to nurture and to be nurtur…