While on vacation this summer, I helped my parents put new siding on their house. The worst part was the chase around the chimney. It was (of course) on the tall side of the house, and it intersected with the roofline. So I was standing on three levels of scaffolding, swaying in the wind, and… Read More ›
1) Get ready for church, just as you normally do. Take a shower, put on a nice shirt, etc. You can skip the “We’re going to be late” panic. 2) Go to our website early (about 10:00 instead of 10:30) so you can download the bulletin, print it if you like a paper copy, and… Read More ›
God commanded Israel, through the prophet Moses, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18). Jesus taught the same thing as the second great commandment (Matt. 22:39). But how do I do this if I don’t love myself? If I don’t love myself, does that lower the standard of love I am required to… Read More ›
“Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation” (Ps. 146:3). “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man” (Ps. 118:8). In 303 ad the Roman Emperor Diocletian unleashed an aggressive campaign of persecution against the Christian Church. And by “aggressive… Read More ›
What if I would have tried out for the golf team instead of track? What if I had apologized twenty years earlier? What if I hadn’t even had that first drink? We all have those “what if?” moments in our lives—those times when we wonder what would have happened if we had made different choices…. Read More ›
Whenever we confess the Apostles’ Creed (which is basically every week except communion Sundays, when we use the Nicene Creed) we confess this Biblical truth that Jesus descended into hell. But we don’t really talk about it very much. I suppose the primary reason for this is simply because there is only one Scripture passage… Read More ›
What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you? Notice I didn’t ask, “What does it mean to you.” That would be too subjective. When we talk about the resurrection of Jesus, we are talking about a real, historical event with eternal implications. So we ask, “What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you?” Because it does impact… Read More ›
A very bad man was getting what he deserved, and he knew it. He said to another criminal, “We are receiving the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). He was speaking of Jesus, who was hanging on a death instrument between these two criminals. I suppose both… Read More ›
During the season of Epiphany (the time between Christmas and Lent), the Scripture readings progressively reveal Jesus to us. As we observe Jesus’ baptism, miracles, and teaching, the Scripture readings answer the question, “Who is this guy whose birth the angels heralded?” In The Gospel According to Matthew, one of the first events in Jesus’… Read More ›
2017 is the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. It’s a good time to ask, what does it mean to be Lutheran? Does it mean we have the best potlucks in town? Coincidentally, we do. But that is not what makes us Lutheran. Does it mean the back pews always fill up first? No; that… Read More ›