Pearls From Peace: Recent Episodes
Pastor Brad & Pastor Glenn
Text: Isaiah 55:1–5; Romans 9:1–5 (6–13); Matthew 14:13–21By the Gospel of “the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever” (Rom. 9:5), we are “the children of God” (Rom. 9:8), “not because of works but because of him who calls” (Rom. 9:11). Therefore, “listen diligently” and “hear, that your soul may live.” By His sacrificial death in His flesh and blood, He has made “an everlasting covenant” for us. Since He now calls us to Himself, we come to Him “and eat what is good, and delight … in rich food” (Is. 55:2–3). He has come with divine compassion to save us from sin and death and to feed us with Himself. As our Lord Jesus once took bread, “said a blessing,” broke the loaves, “and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds” (Matt. 14:18–19), He also now takes bread, blesses it by His Word to be His very body, and distributes it to His Church by the hand of His called and ordained servants. Just as “they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces,” there is more than enough for His whole Church to eat and to be satisfied (Matt. 14:20).
Text: Deuteronomy 7:6–9; Romans 8:28–39; Matthew 13:44–52The Lord our God has chosen us to be “his treasured possession,” not because of any strength in us, but solely “because the LORD loves” us (Deut. 7:6–8). He is faithful, and He “keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments” (Deut. 7:9). He has searched for us and found us in love, and He has bestowed on us “great value” by the great price that He has paid on the cross (Matt. 13:45–46). In His joy, He has redeemed us by His cross and gathered us into His kingdom by the Gospel. Now we are “hidden in a field,” covered by the cross and subject to the persecution of the world (Matt. 13:44), not for destruction, but “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29). Since we “are called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28), and because Christ Jesus died, rose again and lives to intercede for us “at the right hand of God” (Rom. 8:34), there is nothing in all creation that can separate us from “the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).
Text: Isaiah 44:6–8; Romans 8:18–27; Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43The good Seed, which is “the Son of Man,” Jesus Himself (Matt. 13:37), brings forth a harvest of faith and bears good fruits in “the sons of the kingdom” (Matt. 13:38). Whatever is sown apart from His Word is of the devil, who plants the weeds of unbelief and sin, even among the people of God. Thankfully, the Lord is patient and He does not uproot the weeds, lest the plants also be destroyed. He lets “both grow together until the harvest” (Matt. 13:30), while He continues to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins. Thus, He preserves His Church in righteousness, because He alone is “the King of Israel and his Redeemer” (Is. 44:6). Since all things are in His gracious care and keeping, “fear not, nor be afraid” (Is. 44:8). For “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” (Rom. 8:19), and in this hope we also wait with patience. Though we do not yet see it, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Rom. 8:26) and, in truth, “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18).
Preacher: Rev. Harald Schoubye - As “the rain and the snow come down from heaven” and “water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout” (Is. 55:10), so the Word of God accomplishes the purpose for which He speaks it, granting joy and peace through the forgiveness of sins and producing the fruits of faith and love in those who are called by His name. Christ Jesus, the incarnate Word, has established the name of the Lord as “an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off” (Is. 55:13). He opens our ears to hear, our minds to understand and our hearts to believe His Word, lest the evil one come and snatch it away. He thus transforms our rocky hearts into good soil, which clings to the Gospel and “indeed bears fruit” (Matt. 13:23). He is Himself the firstfruits of all who “have received the Spirit of adoption as sons” (Rom. 8:15). Thus being “led by the Spirit of God,” we are not afraid, but we cry out in faith to our Father in heaven (Rom. 8:14–15). For as we suffer with Christ, the beloved Son, so shall we “also be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17).
Preacher: Rev. Harald Schoubye - Though we have died with Christ in Holy Baptism, and we are raised to new life in Him, we find “another law waging war” in our body and life, that is, between our old Adam and the new man (Rom. 7:23). By the Spirit of Christ, we “desire to do what is right,” but we are not able to do so because “nothing good” dwells in our sinful flesh (Rom. 7:18). “Thanks be to God,” therefore, “through Jesus Christ our Lord,” who delivers us from “this body of death” (Rom. 7:24–25). We rejoice in Him, our gentle King, who comes “righteous and having salvation” (Zech. 9:9). He speaks peace to our embattled hearts, and by His blood of the New Testament He sets us “free from the waterless pit,” and He returns us to the stronghold of our Baptism (Zech. 9:10–12). Though we “labor and are heavy laden,” He calls us to Himself and gives rest to our souls through His free and full forgiveness (Matt. 11:28), not because we are “wise and understanding,” but by the “gracious will” of God the Father, whom “the Son chooses to reveal” in love (Matt. 11:25–27).
Preacher: Rev. Mark Smith - False prophets preach what their hearers want to hear, promising peace even when the Lord has spoken “war, famine, and pestilence” (Jer. 28:8). But if “the LORD has truly sent the prophet,” he speaks what the Lord has spoken, and “the word of that prophet comes to pass” (Jer. 28:9). The preaching of God’s Law is hard, because it confronts sin, brings it to light and makes it worse, “sinful beyond measure,” thereby “producing death” in the sinner (Rom. 7:13). But through our Baptism into Christ, “we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive” (Rom. 7:6). Now we belong “to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God” (Rom. 7:4). Belonging to Him puts us at odds with the world and divides us from all earthly ties, not only from our human family, but each person from his own life. For Christ does not come “to bring peace, but a sword” (Matt. 10:34). Yet, whoever takes up his cross to follow Christ, and “loses his life” for Christ’s sake, finds new life in Him (Matt. 10:38–39).
when someone is going to do something that someone else REALLY does not want them to do. Whether it's because it's dangerous, or because it is not a positive or beneficial thing to their life. As we hear Paul speak in Romans that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, we see that that path to heaven through Jesus Christ and His dead and risen body, and the path to hell goes over Christ's dead body rejecting His death and resurrection.
Matthew the tax collector is called to come and follow Jesus, and then they gather at Matthew's house with other tax collectors, and sinners for a meal. The Pharisees see this and question the disciples of Jesus why Jesus would eat with tax collectors and sinners? Is Jesus doing this to show that He cares about them? Is being with them condoning their behavior? Or is there a greater reason why Jesus associates and eats with tax collectors and sinners. And what does that mean for how Jesus connects with us?
On this Trinity Sunday we think about God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three persons, one God. In the beginning we see all three present, and that man is created in their image, the image of God. Much has happened since that time, and that begs the question: Are we created in the image of God? And that might make us first ask this question: What is the image of God? As we see Jesus who is fully God and fully man, maybe He can provide an answer for us.
As we celebrate the day of Pentecost, we know that many were baptized that day after they heard the Gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus is what we are baptized into. And in Baptism we receive forgiveness of sins, we are rescued from death and the devil and given eternal life. Faith is also present in Baptism as given by the Holy Spirit. As we also celebrate Confirmation, we see these young people who had been brought to the baptismal font confirm their faith that was given to them in their baptism.
Sometimes the question can come up of whether or not Jesus is saying that He is not God because He separates Himself from God in this prayer. And whether or not Jesus is God will depend on what that eternal life actually is. So, did God, and Jesus, actually say?
As Paul was in Athens he found many objects of worship, including an altar to an unknown God. As we remind ourselves of Peter's words to always be prepared to make a defense of our faith, Paul takes the opportunity to tell the people of Athens about the true God that is unknown to them, that he will make known: the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As we go about our daily lives, walking in faith, Christ is in us, has given us the Spirit of truth, and He helps us to do that same: share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
Jesus has chosen us, prepared a place for us, and done everything possible to make sure we end up there, with Him.
The Lord is my Shepherd. These famous words of Psalm 23. We are the sheep of the Shepherd. The Gospel of John talks about hearing the voice of the stranger versus the voice of the Shepherd. In the world we live in, there are many voices that try to lead us astray from the Shepherd, from the rest of the flock, into dangerous places. Amidst all the other voices, amidst all the lies, how can we hear the Good Shepherd's voice?
A revelation is a type of revealing. On Easter Sunday, on the road to Emmaus, Jesus walks with some disciples who do not know that it's Him, and they invite Him to stay with them. In the breaking of bread, their eyes are opened and Jesus is revealed to them as risen from the dead. Has God revealed Himself to you recently? As we think about how God has revealed Himself in the past, we look at how He reveals Himself to us today: specifically in His means of grace.
The resurrection is the greatest and most important miracle for us. It means that we have forgiveness for our sins, and we who believe have eternal life. It means that because Jesus lives and is risen from the dead, we and eternal life and will have our own resurrection. As we see Thomas not believing Jesus is risen from the dead unless he sees and touches Him, do we also make requests from God that we have to see in order to believe? Or are there other miracles that happen in our where God is working even if we cannot see and touch Him?
We live in a world that makes promises full of emptiness. That is, we make promises that we cannot or do not keep, and so they become empty promises. God is the exact opposite. He keeps His promises. And as we explore the empty tomb of Easter, and see the empty cross where Jesus was crucified for us, and now risen from the dead, in means Jesus completed the work He was born to do. In the cross and tomb, we see emptiness full of promise. The promise of forgiveness and eternal life.
Good Friday is just that. Good. Good for us. Bad for Jesus, because He is the one who has to endure all the pain, the suffering, the punishment, the wrath of God, for us. He takes death to bring us life. He takes hell to give us heaven.
On Maundy Thursday we think about Jesus instituting the Lord's Supper, we think about Him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, ultimately being arrested there. Amidst all these events the disciples are there, but they are betraying Him, sleeping while He is praying, fleeing from Him, and denying Him. If were in their shoes, do we think we would respond the same?
? Now, imagine being Jesus, and seeing those same people at different times who change their tune. How do you feel? Finally, think of yourself today, many years after these moments. What does Palm Sunday and Holy Week do for you?
The Gospel reading is 45 verses long. 45 verses to see how Jesus handles the sickness and death of his friend Lazarus. 45 verses of how Jesus interacts with the sisters of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, and for us to think about their previous interactions. 45 verses to learn just about who Jesus is in this moment of sorrow and death. The He IS the resurrection and the life, and everyone who believes in Him though they die, yet shall they live.
The Gospel reading is 41 verses long. 41 verses about a man born blind that Jesus heals, and many people do not believe that he was born blind, and so there are many questions asked of him and even his parents. When the blind man finally meets Jesus, He worships Him. We who are born spiritually blind because of sin, who have had Jesus die and rise for us. What is our response to Jesus?
There is a difference between wants and needs in our life. The things we want are not always the things we need. As Jesus makes His way through Samaria and talks to the woman at the well, there is something that He wants and there is something that she needs. As we look at ourselves, Jesus came not because of our wants, but because of our needs.
As we hear Jesus' words, we ask the question, is Jesus talking about baptism here? And if He is talking about baptism here, does this mean that baptism is necessary for salvation? As Lutherans, we have a view of baptism as God's work and not ours, and we baptize ALL people, from infants to the elderly. How do we answer this question?
Rev. Jacob Quast, Director of Domestic Missions for Lutheran Church-Canada joins us to share God's Word from Genesis chapter 3 regarding deceptive words.
As Jesus is transfigured on the mountain, He appears with Moses and Elijah, the representative of the Law and the Prophets. The Law and the Prophets that Jesus comes to fulfill. As they are on the mountain Peter thinks it a good thing that they are there (he, James, and John) and wants to put up three tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. While this is a good moment, they cannot stay there, because Jesus needs to continue His journey to the cross. Maybe in our own lives we want to stay in the good moments, the safe moments, rather than the more difficult ones in life.
When we think about callings in life, sometimes we might ask God for a sign, a direction, a word spoken to us to help us figure things out, what He wants for us. God does speak to us, in His Word, and His Word tells us that there are those who will come along and give false words and false signs to lead us astray. His Word does tell us what He wants, and His Word also tells us who we are. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says you are salt and light.
As Jesus calls us to faith, calls us to follow Him, we are blessed whatever we go through in life, even if it means persecution. What He has also promised us in our callings in life, whatever they may be, is that He is with us always, every step of the way.
? Jesus wasn't baptized because He needed forgiveness, so why did He do it? He said that He did it to fulfill all righteousness. What does that mean, and what does this mean for our own Baptism?
We don't hear much about Jesus' childhood, except that time as a twelve-year-old boy where He stays in Jerusalem, unbeknownst to His family, in His Father's house, listening to the teachers, asking them questions, and answering questions. This happened at Passover. If we fast forward many years to Jesus' ministry, we see Him again celebrating the Passover, with His disciples, right before HE becomes the Passover Lamb for us, so that death will pass over us, and we will be given eternal life.
Guest preacher Rev. Dave Haberstock speaks on the slaughter of the innocent boys two years old and younger as Herod sought to kill the Christ-child, and what it means for us?
In the beginning was the Word. That Word is Jesus, because the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. That Word was also rejected by men, crucified, and died. But the Word, Jesus, did that in order to bring us life. Because the Word of Life IS life. And that Word rose from the dead on the third day. Faith, which comes through the hearing of the Word, given by the Holy Spirit, believes this. And eternal life comes through faith, therefore the Word brings eternal life.
When you think about gifts being given at Christmas, they may not always appear to be fair, based on the size or the number of the gifts. But does that mean they are not equal, based on the amount of money that was spent on each individual regardless of size or numbers? When we think about Jesus coming for us at Christmas, does He come in order to deal with us in a fair and equal way, or does he NOT deal with us in a fair way? And how does He deal with us today?
As we get closer to Christmas, we all have things going on in our lives. What does God want us to do? Be in worship. Where does God want us to be? In worship. Why? Because He's here, after all, He is Immanuel, God with us. He's here in the means of grace, the Word, the Sacraments, to give us what we need. And where He is, there salvation is.
Now, because John sends this question along, we might think that John is experiencing doubt while in prison. Is this true, is John the Baptist doubting John, before we ever hear about Doubting Thomas? Or might there be some other reason for asking this question?
Two things that we are told to do. Two things that we are not able to do because of sin. We cannot repent of our sins and change our sinful ways on our own. And we cannot believe in Jesus on our own. So, whether this was John's message or Jesus' message, it is the same. The call to repentance is the call for God to repent us, and the call to believe, is the call for the Holy Spirit to create faith in us.
Advent means coming. And in the season of Advent we prepare ourselves to celebrate the coming of Jesus in His birth that first Christmas. We also think about Jesus coming on the Last Day. And for those who believe, who have been called to walk in the light of Christ, Advent brings hope, sure and certain hope in what Jesus has done, when He continues to do, and what He will do. And we who believe, are called to be ready at all times for the days of Christ's second coming.
We could say that wherever Jesus is, that is where paradise can be found. And so, when we take a look around our worship service, we find Jesus in the Word, in the Absolution, in Baptism, in His Supper. So, when we gather together as God's people, that might just be paradise on earth.
that we can see to know that the end is near, yet these signs have been present since Jesus told us what these signs would be. What Jesus wants us to know as we get closer to the end, is that our redemption is drawing near. That is, the final redemption, when eternal life, the salvation of our souls, will be fully realized, and for those who believe, this is Good News.
The Sadducees ask Jesus a hypothetical question about a woman who had seven husbands who were also brothers and who all died. The question was which one would be her husband in the resurrection. The problem with this question is that the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection, which is why they're sad... you see... For those who believe in Jesus Christ who did die AND rise from the dead, there is no reason to be sad because they do have eternal life and will rise again.
because of Jesus' death and resurrection, who will one day join all the saints, in heaven and on earth, to Himself.
On this Reformation Sunday, we take a look at the context of God's Word to find out some of the issues that led to the Reformation happening over 500 years ago. Much of that has to do with context, and how one reads the Word of God. As Martin Luther read through the book of Romans he found the truth of God's Word: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24). We are justified not by our own works, rather we are justified by the words of Christ.
As we think about the use of our time, talents, and treasures during this October Stewardship month, we find ourselves hearing about the unrighteous judge and the persistent widow. The unrighteous judge does not give justice to the widow because justice is what she deserved, rather because he did not want to be bothered by her anymore. As we see that we are not always persistent with the use of our time, talents, and treasures to God, we see that God serves justice to us as Jesus goes to the cross.
As Jesus heals the ten lepers of their leprosy, only one returns, the Samaritan, to thank Jesus. That's not to say that the other nine lepers were not thankful for the healing, but they were going to show themselves to the priests like Jesus had told them to do. The Samaritan return to thank Jesus directly, because it was from Him that the healing came. We might think that there are certain things in our lives that ONLY we can do. But when it comes to our forgiveness, our salvation, that ONLY comes through Jesus.
As we think about the end of our life, whenever that may come, we want to hear those words from Christ, "well done, good and faithful servant." As we think about our lives, our struggles with sin and temptation, we may find that we are unworthy servants. Worthy to be called good, and faithful, and... worthy of eternal life. This is where Christ steps in and is good and faithful on our behalf, and through His death and resurrection makes us worthy. Worthy to be forgiven, worthy to receive eternal life, not because of anything we have done, but all because of what Christ has done.
The rich man, who is in torment (hell), sees Lazarus in paradise with Abraham. The rich man wants Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers so that they do not join him there. Abraham says, "If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." The Word of God is enough, and the Church is called to share the Word of God with others, so that they hear, believe, and receive eternal life. This is the work of Peace Lutheran Church. This is the work of those who serve the people of Sachigo. Bringing the Good News of peace and joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the young and old of our hurting and troubled world.
When we hear the Parable of the Dishonest Manager, it makes us think the emphasis is on the one after whom the parable is named. Similar to the Parable of the Lost/Prodigal Son (which takes place right before this one). Sometimes what we think a parable is about, isn't always what the parable is about, because a parable (an earthly story with a heavenly meaning), is sometimes more about how God works in and through fallen humanity compared to how humans deal with their own selfish/sinful decisions.
The National Youth Gathering that took place from July 4-8 in Waterloo, ON where Peace sent youth and youth leaders to go and learn what it means to be UNBREAKABLE with the whole armour of God. And in the life of the church, the first place where we see that we would see the armour of God being placed upon us, is in the waters of Baptism, where God calls us as His own dearly loved child, marks us as ones redeemed by Christ the crucified one, clothes us with Christ, gives us the forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe, and we know that parts of the armour we hear about like faith and salvation are given in baptism. And it is HE who makes us UNBREAKABLE.
As we continue to look at divisions between those who believe in God and those who do not, and the divisions between Christian churches, we find that when we bear the cross, as Jesus says in Luke, it means that we will end up in opposition to some of the people closest to us: parents, siblings, spouses, children, ourselves. As we count the cost of standing firm on God's Word, it means we might lose all of those people we hold dear. Is it worth it? Sometimes it doesn't seem like it. But we must remember that Jesus counted the cost and still went to the cross for us.
Hebrews talks about leader who "are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account." As we journey through this life as Christians, we see not only division between those who believe in God and those who do not, we also see divisions between Christian churches. As we have previously looked at Baptism, we now look to the Lord's Supper to find out whether "is" means "is" or if it means something else. We will also look at the role a pastor plays in the distribution of God's means of grace, as one who has to give an account.
Someone asks Jesus if only a few will be saved. Jesus responds with, "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." It is faith in Jesus and His death and resurrection that gets us to heaven, and only that. He IS the narrow door, as the path to heaven goes through Him. As we journey through this life as Christians, we see not only division between those who believe in God and those who do not, we also see divisions between Christians and other churches. We will continue to explore some of those divisions.
The prophet Isaiah said that the Messiah, the Savior, would be called Prince of Peace. The angels sing of peace on earth the day Christ is born. Yet in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells us that He did not come to bring peace but division. Which is it? Peace or Division? Or can it both? Because the kind of peace that Jesus brings may not be what we think peace means, and it is in His coming as Savior and Messiah that He creates division between those who believe in Him (and have His peace) and those who do not. What does that division look like in our world today?
If someone says, "don't be anxious, don't worry" does that make you more anxious and more worried? Jesus tell His disciples not to be anxious, not to be worried about things like food and clothing. And then He compares them to birds and flowers that neither sow, reap, toil, or spin, yet God still feeds the birds and clothes the flowers beautifully. How much more valuable are people than flowers and birds?!? God will provide for all of our needs, and not just the earthly needs, but our eternal needs as well.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool, who decides to tear down his barns in order to build bigger ones to store the abundance of his crops. However, Christ warns about storing up and focusing on earthly treasures for ourselves, that we may not ever get to enjoy. Paul in Colossians also calls us to put to death those earthly temptations, like greed, covetousness, and instead focus on the things above, setting our minds on the true treasure, Jesus Christ.
As the disciples see Jesus regularly going off to pray, one day after Jesus is finished, one of the disciples says, "Lord, teach us to pray." Jesus then gives the disciples what we know as the "Lord's Prayer." This has been our go-to structure of prayer for a very long time. The Lord's Prayer pretty much covers everything we could ever possibly need: forgiveness, daily bread; and when we pray for these things, we pray "thy will be done." In all things, we pray according to God's will. Even Jesus did this in the Garden of Gethsemane. Praying for specific things, multiple times, always according to God's will. And God's will is done for us, especially as we look to the cross, and the empty tomb.
Jesus visits the home of Martha, and while Martha was concerned with service, hospitality, and getting things ready, her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to Him teach. When Martha approached Jesus about Mary’s lack of help, Jesus commended Mary’s choice compared to Martha’s large workload, likely preparing food for dozens of guests. Jesus says that Mary chose the “good portion” and when you look at what that good portion that Mary chose is... it's Jesus. It's easy to get caught up with the busyness of life and focus less on the best portion, that being Jesus and what He gives us: His Word, His Sacraments, and with that comes forgiveness and salvation.
Jesus often speaks in parables, which we describe as earthly stories with a heavenly meaning. The earthly story is something that we can connect with and understand, something that would or could happen in our world. Yet, behind that story, there is a deeper meaning, something more that is meant, something more that is said. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, we often want to think of ourselves as the Good Samaritan, when in reality, we are more like the priest, the Levite, and most often the one who is left for dead, and needs to be rescued, lifted up, cared for and brought back to health. Thanks be to God that Jesus is our Good Samaritan!
Message 07/06/2025 - Text: Luke 10:1-20 - Guest Preacher: Rev. Oboya Ochalla by Pastor Brad & Pastor Glenn
Jesus set His sights on Jerusalem because He is preparing for His death (and resurrection). As He travels He planned to enter a Samaritan village, but because His sights were sent on Jerusalem, the people do not receive Him. We heard in the Gospel last week that some people did not receive Jesus after He drove out a legion of demons from a man. Jesus is rejected many times during His ministry on earth, but He still dies for those who reject Him. How do you feel when you tell people about Jesus and they do not receive Him or His Word?
Last week we heard the Jews claim Jesus had a demon inside Him. This week we see Jesus healing a demon possessed man. Before He does, Jesus asks, “what is your name?” The response is “Legion.” Just how many demons is a legion? In the Roman military a legion was 4,000-6,000 soldiers. I can’t imagine being possessed by one demon let alone thousands! And even then, these thousands of demons knew WHO Jesus was and the power that He had over them, because the call Jesus by name, and then add "Son of the Most High God." The only other place that phrase is found is when the angel tells the virgin Mary that Jesus "will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High." Jesus is the Son of the Most High God, who shows us His love and grace, and to this legion of demons, He shows mercy.
As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, we confess our faith in the Triune God, that being three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, yet One God. In the Gospel reading, the Jews claim that Jesus has a demon in Him, to which He makes an even more outrageous claim, that being that He is the great "I Am," that He IS God, that He is the One who was there before Abraham, that He was there in the burning bush with Moses. Yet, regardless of how crazy those words would have sounded to the Jews, they were indeed the truth, Jesus IS God, one person of the Trinity, in unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and this belief is what we still confess today.
Our Life IN Christ also means a life IN the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the One who creates faith in us. In Acts chapter 2 we see the Holy Spirit works in the lives of God’s people so they can hear the Gospel in their own language. Jesus had promised, before He ascended into heaven, to send the Holy Spirit who would lead them into all truth. The truth of His life, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins, and for eternal life. This timeless truth for all people.
In what we know as the “High Priestly Prayer” Jesus prays specifically for those who will believe in Him through the Word. Who are those who believe in Him through the Word? You. Me. All of us who have believed after Jesus prayed this prayer, praying for… us. He prays that we would be one just like He and the Father are one. He prays that He would be in us and that His love would be in us, and that we would join Him and see His glory.
Jesus gives words to the disciples to bring them peace. Because there are times coming where there will not be peace in the world for them. There will be trials, tribulations, trouble. Amidst of all that, the disciples are told to take heart, because Christ has overcome the world. Maybe the same words can be applied to us as we go through trials, tribulations, trouble in our own lives.
Jesus talks about the connection of the joy of childbirth to the joy of His return. As a woman goes through the sorrow (pain) of childbirth, when she meets her baby face to face, the feeling turns to joy. For the disciples, as Jesus was taken from the earth, died on the cross, the disciples went through the sorrow (pain) of His death. Soon that sorrow would turn to joy in the resurrection. For us we have the promise of our sorrow (pain) turning to joy as well.
Babies can hear the voice of their mother early on while they are still in the womb. The first of many voices, but mom's will always be the one they hear the most. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” As the Good Shepherd, Jesus lays down His life for His sheep to give them eternal life. He calls us by the Gospel, because Jesus has the words of forgiveness, love, and eternal life. How often do we hear Jesus' voice?
Jesus appears to His disciples for a third time after the resurrection, and this time they are fishing on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus first called disciples (Peter, Andrew, James, John) to leave their life of fishing and to come and follow Him and be fishers of men. They left everything to follow Jesus, and now, it appears, they have gone back to their former ways of fishing for fish. Maybe Peter, because of His denial, didn't feel like he could be a fisher of men like Jesus had called him to be. Maybe he thought his sin was too great, that he was unworthy to serve Christ. Jesus speaks with Peter and asks him a question three times (probably reminding him of his three times denial) and bringing Peter back to that first call: fishing for people, taking care of the Good Shepherd's sheep.
On Easter Sunday, Jesus appears to the disciples, but Thomas missed that first appearance. His response to the disciples seeing the resurrected Christ was basically saying, “I won’t believe it until I see it.” More specifically, he wanted to touch Jesus’ hands where the nails were and His side where the spear pierced Him. So, he would believe it when he saw it, and touched it. When Jesus shows up, again, it changes everything for Thomas. Sometimes, we treat God in this way as well. We will believe in Him, and who He is, only when He shows up and reveals Himself to us, otherwise maybe we will doubt Him just like Thomas, and the rest of the disciples, who believed because they saw.
On Easter Sunday, the women go to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body. He isn't there. The angels tell them. But still, they are looking for His body, they're perplexed. The disciples hear from the women. They go to the tomb, it's empty. They're confused, they don't understand, they go back home. Mary Magdalene sees Jesus who she thinks is the gardener, asking if He knows where Jesus' body is. Eventually they will all see, they will all believe, but that first Easter Sunday did not begin with shouts of "Alleluia! Christ is Risen!"
As we gather on Good Friday, we see Jesus' beaten, bruised, bloody body on the cross. His body that is nailed for us. His blood that is shed for us. His death that is died to give us life. Seeing what Jesus went through can create many feelings for us. Sometimes we want to feel all those emotions. Sometimes we don't. Even though we can't begin to understand all that Jesus went through for us, we know that He did it to save us, to redeem us, to rescue us, because He loves us. And because of His death, all the God required of Jesus to bring us forgiveness, it is finished.
On Maundy Thursday Jesus washes the feet of His disciples, giving them an example of service. He eats the Passover meal with them and shares His own Supper with them, a Supper we still partake of today. He prays in the Garden of Gethsemane that God's will would be done, knowing full well that it meant His death. And He loved His people until the end. That ending comes on Good Friday as He says, "it is finished." What began with the Palm Sunday entrance begins to build on Maundy Thursday.
Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. The crowd that saw these things happen was the crowd that welcomed Him into Jerusalem with shouts of "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Little did they know that their shouts of joy might soon turn to shouts of "Crucify Him!" And even though Jesus had told His disciples, His entrance into Jerusalem also meant His own resurrection would soon take place, but first His death. And Lazarus' own resurrection pointed not to just Jesus' resurrection, but to ours as well.
When we think about parables being an "earthly story with a heavenly meaning" we might often think about where we fit into the story. In this parable we are the wicked tenants. And unlike last week when Jesus was the father in the Parable of the Lost Son(s), here Jesus is actually the son and the owner of the vineyard is God the Father. The wicked tenants who do not want to give to the owner of the vineyard what is His. So, when previous attempts have failed, the owner eventually sends his son to win the tenants over. The tenants reject the son and kill him. Jesus will be sent by the Father and be rejected by the people and ultimately killed. And His death is Good News for us.
This may be one of the most famous parables we know, and if you know the story, the title makes you think the story is about the son, when in reality, the story is about the father, and the costly love that the Father shows. And when we see the deeper meaning in the parable, we discover that the father is actually Jesus. And how the father deals with the son, is exactly how God deals with us: with His costly love.
When you look around at the world today, and see all the people in it. Are any of us THAT different from one another. Or to put it another way, are there people who are “worse sinners" in the world compared to others. This is the question Jesus was faced with. His answer for all people is: repent or perish. For those who are sinners, which is all of us, the answer is the same: repent! And you can look at the parable of the fig tree and see how repentance is brought about.
Jesus looks at the city of Jerusalem wanting to gather the people to Himself as a mother hen gathers her chicks under the shelter of her outstretched wings. Unfortunately, the people of Jerusalem are not willing and instead of finding refuge in Him, they will take Jesus and stretch out his arms and nail them to the cross. Thankfully for us, all who take refuge in Christ and Him crucified, who believe in Him, we be gathered with Christ for all eternity.
Jesus faces temptations of all kinds in the wilderness from the old evil foe, Satan. Every temptation that Jesus faced He responded with the Word of God. We face similar temptations daily, and we have the same weapon that the Christ used to overcome His temptations: the Word of God. Today, Satan comes knocking on our door, at an opportune time, with the same kinds of temptations Jesus faced. Because Christ was victorious in His temptations, we can be victorious as well, through His power at work in us. That is our victorious life IN Christ.
Sometimes Jesus says things that we are okay hearing, and sometimes Jesus says things that we are not as okay hearing. In Luke's Gospel for today Jesus says to "love your enemies." Sometimes it's hard to love the people we like, let alone our enemies. However, how does Jesus treat His enemies? He dies for them. And if Jesus is going to give up His life for His enemies, whom He wants in heaven with Him, then people are not truly our enemies. And if people are not really our enemies, and we view them as such, people that Christ died for, then maybe it makes it easier to love them?
When Jesus is transfigured on the mountain, Moses and Elijah appear with Him and talk about His departure, His exodus. Peter, James, and John witnessed this, but have you ever wondered how they knew it was Moses and Elijah, even though they had never seen them before? And what about you? Have you ever thought about how you can believe in a God that you cannot see? A God that you cannot touch? A God that you cannot hear? Or is it possible to hear God's voice, to touch a part of Him, to see Him at work in your life? And what would this type of encounter do for you?
We know the famous Beatitudes in Matthew, and here, from Luke, we get from Jesus blessings and woes, and this is where Jesus says the unexpected. The rich will get nothing, the poor will get everything. The satisfied will be hungry, hungry will be satisfied. Those who laugh will weep, those who weep will laugh. Those who live their lives for earthly things will find themselves longing in the life to come. Those who focus on heavenly things in this life, will find all they need in Christ. And that will make one truly... Blessed.
We see Jesus calling the first disciples to come and follow Him. But before He does this, He gets into Peter’s boat, as these disciples were fishermen who had caught nothing all night. Jesus brings them such a large number of fish their nets begin to break. Rather than cash in on this haul, these men give up the fish to go and catch people. Not with nets and hooks, but with the Word of God, and the power of the Spirit. Sometimes we might question whether or not we are called by God, like those first disciples. As Jesus joins our journey, we all can be like the first disciples and be fishers of men to the people in our own lives who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.
On February 2, we remember the purification of Mary and the presentation of Jesus as the temple. According to the law of Moses, after birth, the woman would go through a time of purification and then bring sacrifices for atonement. Also, according to the law, the firstborn was given, dedicated, to God. As we see Mary and Joseph following God's law, they become the example for our lives, that even though they had God among them, in the person of Jesus Christ, they didn't just worship God by staying home and worshipping their Son. They joined with God's people, one of those being Simeon who was promised that he would not die until he saw the face of salvation, the Lord's Christ. As we gather in worship, we see salvation before us, as God presents it to us.
There are people that say things to us, and we might respond by saying, or thinking, "who do you think you are?" As Jesus goes to the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath, He reads from the scroll of Isaiah and tells the people that what He has just read has been fulfilled in their midst, that the one that Isaiah speaks of is Him. The people marveled at His words, but then He went on to say things that made people react with "who do you think you are?" and thus they tried to kill Him. When it comes to you, it's not about who you think you are or who you say you are, rather, who you are is who God says you are. His words matter most.
The first miracle of Jesus takes place at a wedding in Cana, where He shows that the glory of God is manifested in Him. This first miracle of Jesus, turning water into wine, was not requested, but almost demanded of, by Jesus' own mother. Do we ever treat God like that? That we just expect Him to do miracles in our own life? And what if He doesn't? Does that mean that God has failed us, or that He is not God? As we explore Life IN Christ, we will see what this first miracle of Jesus means for us.
Born and raised in the Gambella province of Ethiopia, Pastor Oboya Ochalla emigrated to Canada in the early 2000s following political unrest within that region of Africa.Pastor Oboya trained for pastoral ministry here in Canada through the pastors-with-alternate-training program of Lutheran Church-Canada. He was ordained and called to serve as assistant pastor at Saint James Lutheran Church in Winnipeg in 2019 where he coordinates outreach and ministry to the local (and Canadian) Anyuak and Amharic communities.
We saw on Christmas Eve that Jesus came to be "with us" (Immanuel) and that He came "for us" to save us ("Jesus"). On Christmas Day we go back to the manger scene, where we see that the "Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us." But where was the manger? A stable? A cave? An inn? A guest room? Where exactly was Christ born? And this manger that He was laid in after He was wrapped in swaddling cloths, what did that look like? And why does any of that matter? Maybe, just maybe, some of it has a deeper meaning than we thought.
Jesus Christ is Immanuel, which means, God with us. In that, we see that He came to be "with us." And the reason He came is to save us, which is what the name Jesus means, the Lord is my salvation, which means that Jesus came "for us." This Christmas as we gather as God's people, around the manger, and see the tiny child that the world is blessed with, you can look at Him and know that He came to be "with you" and He came "for you" to save you.
There are many things that we have in this life that we might call "sentimental," like a box full of old letters. Some of us hold on to those types of things more closely than others. Some of us dwell on them much more often than we ought. However, all of these earthly objects, memories can do nothing to save us. Jesus Christ is the one who saves us. And He does not have a box full of stuff, with letters addressed to you. He has a book of life, with your name written in it, because of the faith that He has gifted you through the Word and Sacraments.
At the birth of Christ was Mary, baby Jesus, and a... dragon? Well, that is how John describes the story of Jesus' birth in the book of Revelation. The dragon waiting to devour the child. The child who would become king. The King of kings and Lord of lords. The dragon doesn't devour the child at His birth, but certainly continues to try and destroy Him and all the rest of His people. Unfortunately, the victory will never belong to the dragon. After this, though, maybe you'll consider adding the red dragon to your nativity/manger scene!
In Revelation, an angel tells John to eat a scroll, and as he eats it, it will be sweet in his mouth, and will make his stomach bitter. We like things that are sweet, we don't like things that are bitter, especially when it comes to what goes in our mouth. However, when it comes to things that touch our ears, we also probably would prefer to hear things that are sweet compared to things that are bitter. When it comes to God's Word, we need both. We need the bitter words of the Law, and the sweet words of the Gospel.
"... Filled with glory and grace, I want to see my Savior's face, cause heaven is a wonderful place." This was a song I grew up with as a kid. I don't know how often you think about heaven, what it will look like, what we will do when we're there, who will be there, and all the other questions we've always wanted to ask God. Revelation gives us an image of what heaven looks like, and it is full of angels, and people from every nation, tribes, peoples, languages worshipping the Lamb, the Savior. As we gather in worship we get a taste of what heaven will be like, and that is why the Word and the Sacraments are important to us.
As we celebrate the Last Sunday of the Church year, we begin going through the last book of the Bible, Revelation, as we near the end of our two-year journey reading through the Word of God. Next week starts the season of Advent and we'll think and prepare for Christ's first coming at Christmas. As we celebrate this Last Sunday of the Church year, also know as Christ the King Sunday, we think about Christ's Second Coming, something Revelation certainly talks about.
The Bible covers many topics. And if you were to say what the main point of the Bible is, the most important thing it contains, what would that be? Would you talk about love? That love for God, love for other people is the most important? And that if you're not loving you're actually hating? And if you hate than are you truly a believer? 1 John 4 digs into the topics of love and hate, and ultimately the most important thing... Jesus.
As we read through the Word of God we see many things about Jesus. That He is light and in Him there is no darkness. That He is the light of the world who calls us to be lights in this world, shining in the darkness the light of Christ. That He is the Word, and that in the beginning was the Word. Therefore, in the beginning was Jesus. So, what does it mean for us and our faith that Jesus is the light, the Word, and in the beginning?
Salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, and we know this through the Word alone. However, as Peter writes, there are those who will come into our world, our lives in order to lead us away from eternal life. They are the scoffers who come scoffing, tempting us to believe things about God that are contrary to His Word. On this All Saints' celebration let us be confident that nothing can separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus, and because Christ has overcome all things, we will overcome all things as well, including death.
When we think about celebrating the Reformation, we think of the time when Martin Luther sought to bring the Church back to the truth of the Word of God. He pointed to Christ's redeeming work, and not our own good works. He pointed to how we are saved by grace through faith and not anything we can do to earn our eternal life. He pointed to how we are made right with God, justified, which comes from as Peter says, "the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ."
Peter writes, quoting Proverbs, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." We see a practical version of this in the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. One is proud, one is humble. One leaves justified, one does not. As we look at our own lives, do we live lives boasting in ourselves and in our works, or do we humbly boast in Christ and His work?
The Bible talks plenty about love, not as much about hospitality. We hear in 1 Peter that love covers a multitude of sins, and to show hospitality to one another. Hospitality literally means "love of a stranger." As we also remember Thanksgiving this time of the year, we give thanks for the many things that God has given us including His love. We love because He first loved us. We show hospitality to others because God has been hospitable to us, taking care of us, out of His divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in us.
Peter writes, "in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." We have a living hope because we believe in a living God, and in the world we live in people may ask us questions about our faith, and we're called to always be ready, prepared, to give an answer, make a defense for the reason for the hope that we have. That reason is none other than Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection.
If you are a little older, you might be able to easily sing the lyrics of the song. Or you may think about some comedian that talked about how he got "no respect." Who is respect for? Is it earned? Is it freely given? If we use another word synonymous with respect, we might use the word honor. In a world that often lacks respect or honor, what does God's Word say about it, and how is God Himself, in the person of Jesus, treated with honor and respect?
As we hear the stories of a number of team members who were a part of this trip, we keep in mind the words of Peter who tells us that we "are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Each of us have been called and chosen by God to be proclaimers of the One who has called us out of darkness, out of sin and death, and into His marvelous light, into eternal life.
God has done many great things for us. None of them more important than the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He did it for the forgiveness of our sins, and for our salvation. Yet, while we are here on this earth we go through many trials and temptations. And even though these earthly problems may never go away, God has secured our place in heaven, free from all sin and death and struggle. As Peter writes to fellow Christians who are undergoing various kinds of afflictions, he writes to them giving them hope, a living hope, in the life that is to come for them, who by faith will receive it.
If you like to read, you might know that there are different categories of books: mystery, romance, fiction, science fiction, and even self-help. If you've ever read a self-help book it's about improving yourself regarding whatever area the book is about (certain habits, characteristics, quirks, etc.). Sometimes as Christians, we want to know how we can improve ourselves, or even what we can do for God. As we get to the end of the book of Hebrews, the author lays out a number of things that you can do as you live out your Christian life... Understand, in the end, it's NOT just about you!
Hebrews tells us to "run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..." We all have a race that we run, a marathon race of this life. Each of our races is different, but the goal is the same, to finish the race. Jesus helps us finish our race in life and finish it in faith, so that we join that great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us in the faith.
Do you ever feel like you're not good enough? If so, how does that make you feel? Unworthy? Unloveable? Not worthy of the love of other people? Not worthy of the love of God? Even though we know the difference between right and wrong, we never are good enough for God, because we are not perfect. So, God sent His perfect Son to be perfect for us. And through Jesus' death and resurrection, through His means of grace (His Word and Sacraments), God says we are good enough, that we are loved, and that we are worth dying for.
The high priest would enter the Mosty Holy Place once a year, on the day of atonement, and offering forgiveness of sins for himself, and on behalf of the people. The way to receive forgiveness was through the sacrifice of animals, the practice God established for His people. For without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Jesus because our Great High Priest because He sacrificed Himself for us, to bring us forgiveness. His death on the cross was our Day of Atonement as Jesus died for the sins of the whole world once and for all. For without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
As we think about the world that we live in and sharing the Word of God with those around us, what exactly are we asking people to do? Consider Jesus. Consider Jesus who bled and died for you. Consider Jesus who won your forgiveness on the cross. Consider Jesus who rose victoriously from the dead triumphing over sin, death, and the devil. Consider Jesus whose resurrection give you the promise that you shall rise again on the Last Day. Consider Jesus who gives you eternal life by faith. Consider Jesus who sent His Holy Spirit so that you can consider Him in the first place.
We often tell stories to things we were witnesses to. Those stories sometimes begin with something like, "back in my day... A long time ago... When I was your age..." Hebrews tells us that a long time ago God used prophets to speak to His people, but now He speaks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. And those witnesses to Christ and His work wrote them down, as carried by the Holy Spirit. These words that we have today. The words of Christ, who back in His day, died for all of us, and rose for all of us, because of His great love for us.
As Paul heads to Jerusalem he spends time with the Ephesian elders, he commends them to God and the Word of His grace, and he encourages them to take care of themselves and the flock because after his departure wolves will come to attack the flock and wolves that look like sheep will twist things to draw them away from Christ. Does this happen in our world today? And if so, what do these attacks and deceptions look like?
As Paul wanders around the city of Athens, a city full of idols, he finds an altar to an unknown god. Having had conversations in the synagogue, marketplace, speaking about Jesus' death and resurrection, he is brought to the Areopagus, and Paul takes the opportunity to witness to the people, to take this unknown god, and make Him known to them: the only True God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How are you at witnessing to others about the only True God?
After an earthquake, Paul and Silas are freed from their chains in prison, and the jailer thinks they've escaped. After announcing all the prisoners are still there, the jailer asks, "what must I do to be saved?" This question is still important for us today. What must WE do to be saved? How do Paul and Silas answer the jailer? How do answer you? The same: Believe in the Lord Jesus. But is it that simple?
As the Word of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, spreads throughout the world, many people, Jews and Gentiles believe. Some Christian Jews thought that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised (a sign of God's covenant with His people) in order to be saved. After much debate it was decided the Gentiles did not need to be circumcised, because it is Jesus that saves, not the act of circumcision. Are there requirements for people to be saved in our day today? If it's not circumcision, what might it be? Or is it still just Jesus that saves?
Saul, the one who persecuted the Christ followers, was there approving the stoning of Stephen, goes from persecuting the Church of Christ, to being persecuted himself. What would make someone change their entire way of life? Nothing less than meeting Jesus Christ, the One whom he also persecuted. But this isn't really a come-to-Jesus moment, it's a Jesus-comes-to Saul moment. The same goes for us too.
On Father's Day, we give thanks for the fathers or father figures that God has placed in our lives. We might even thank them by allowing them to sleep in. We may also think about the impact they have had in our lives, and the message they would leave us with. As we read the story of Stephen, he addresses fathers and brothers giving them a message that ends with him being stoned to death. In his death, he falls asleep in Christ, something that he and God wants for all people.
What are you willing to stand up for in this life? Is it the things that you believe in? Is it things you don't believe in? I mean, who would stand up for things they don't believe in, or things that go against God's Word? Sinners. Like me. Like you. And so we need somebody to stand in our place, to succeed where we fail. That's Jesus, who dies on our behalf, for us, to save us, to give us repentance and forgiveness, and to help us stand in Him, and the truth of His Word, even if it costs us our life.
The Christ-followers of the early Church, that expanded rapidly at Pentecost, devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the breaking of bread, to prayer, and to fellowship. As we take a look at the Church of our world today, is it characterized by those same things, or is it different? And as we think about the Church expanding, numbers increasing, who is actually responsible for that growth?
God is Trinity, Triune, Three-in-one, one God yet three persons. That means 1+1+1=1. That's how the Trinity works. On this Trinity Sunday, we don't just confess our faith in the Trinity, we get to hear the Confirmation class confess their faith in the Trinity. That faith that was planted in them at their Baptism, through the water and the Word by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in whose name they were baptized in. That faith that we who were baptized and confirm confess our faith in. God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Can you imagine what it must have been like that first Pentecost? The feeling of the Holy Spirit allowing you to speak in other languages. Hearing the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ in your own language from someone that couldn't speak it before. Having 3,000 believe that life-saving message. But Pentecost is more than just feelings. And the life of the church today is more than just feelings when we revisit that original Pentecost.
As we read the story of Jesus' birth we hear of the virgin Mary being visited by the angel and told she will give birth to the Savior. Mary visits Elizabeth, a woman previously barren, who is pregnant as well, and confesses her faith in the child that is in Mary's womb. Mary and Elizabeth, become mothers during unusual circumstances. Mothers who believed in the Savior of the world. Mothers who would do anything for their children. As we celebrate Mother's Day, we all have mothers. Yet there are many who struggle with this day, because of their own experiences with their mothers, or for their desire to be a mother that has never been granted. Wherever you are on this day, the Savior, who was born of the virgin, laid down His life for you, and is always with you.
As we move from the Old Testament to the New Testament, we look at the genealogy of Jesus, going all the way back to Abraham. What we find is that there are many names that stand that Matthew mentions, as we remember stories of the Old Testament. Names like "Father" Abraham, Jacob, Judah, Tamar, Rahab, and "the wife of Uriah." All this is to say: God worked through sinful people AND their sinful actions to bring about his plan of salvation.
The name Habakkuk means to "embrace." The prophet Habakkuk has a conversation with God about the sin of the people and how God will deal with it. While Habakkuk does not expect the response God gives him, he embraces who God is even amidst God's answer. As we think about our lives and the answered prayers that maybe aren't the answers we want from God, do we "embrace" God like Habakkuk, or do we wish we never made that prayer request in the first place?
The story of Jonah is one that we might all be familiar with. We often picture him being swallowed by a whale. But the part of the story that is more important is what happens after he's no longer in the belly of the fish. The people of Nineveh repent, and God spares them from destruction, but this doesn't make Jonah happy. While he may not wail, he certainly is angry. Angry at God's mercy towards people. And that's what the story of Jonah is about. Not Jonah, not a whale, but God's mercy and grace toward His people.
The story of Jonah is one that we might all be familiar with. The prophet called by God to go to Ninevah runs away from God's calling. In the end, he's swallowed by a whale. Is it a whale? And while he's in the belly of the "whale" he repents. Does he repent in the belly of the "whale"? And because he repents the "whale" throws him up back on shore? Is that how the story goes? Are we really that familiar with it? And what does Jonah have to do with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? Maybe we don't always know the story as well as we thought...
In the Old Testament, sometimes God's messages to His prophets are clear. And sometimes they make us scratch our heads. So, when God tells Hosea to go marry an adulterous woman, we might find that odd. This adulterous woman, who also indulges in prostitution, ends up leaving Hosea. Hosea is then called to buy her back, bring her home, and love her. To buy back, is a way we can define redemption. The relationship of Hosea and his wife was a picture of the relationship of God and the people of Israel, and it's also a picture of us. God is the one who loves us and we cheat on Him. God is the one who redeems us with the precious life of Christ, and who makes us His people by His grace.
Text: Daniel 6:6b-23, 25-27; John 20:1-10; Mark 16:1-8What does Daniel and the lions' den have to do with the empty tomb on Easter Sunday? So much! As we walk this two-year journey of reading through the Bible, we can see many parallels to the story of Daniel and Jesus, lions, Satan, and the miracles that God works through the lives of His people. Daniel triumphed over the mouths of hungry lions, and Jesus triumphed over sin, death, hell, and the roaring lion Satan in His resurrection. And because of Jesus, we will triumph too!
Text: Matthew 27:11-14, 24-26, 28-31, 38-44; Luke 23:34-45a; John 19:23-37On Good Friday, Jesus is beaten, mocked, scourged, abused, and ultimately crucified. As He looked on at all those who were responsible for Him being on the cross, He loved them. As Jesus hung on the cross, He loved us until the end. He loved us until He breathed His last breath, and it was finished. The price paid for the sins of the whole world. Taking on our punishment, the death, and hell that we deserve. Because He loves us and He wants us to have eternal life. In His death there is victory.
On Maundy Thursday, as we celebrate Jesus washing the disciples' feet and instituting His Supper, we see that Jesus "loved them to the end." Judas who would betray Jesus, Peter who would deny Jesus three times, and all the other disciples who would flee in the Garden of Gethsemane... He loved them to the end. Jesus loves us to the end, and He invites us to come and eat of His flesh and drink of His blood.
As Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego remained faithful to God, ready to face death, they were cast in the fiery furnace, only to go unharmed, while a mysterious fourth person (Jesus?) appeared with them. King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges that their God is the only one who can rescue them like that. As Jesus heads into Jerusalem, He’s heading into the “fire” if you will, as He knows what lies ahead for him in the next week: death. As He faces that, we know Jesus will not go unharmed, but He is the only one who can rescue us because He is not just a man, but He is the same God who rescued Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
Ezekiel is brought before the Valley of Dry Bones. And the question is, "Can these bones live?" In other words, can life come from death? The answer: God can. And by His Word the dry bones came back to life. This is just like we, who are dead in our trespasses and sins, can be brought from death to life. This happens through Christ's death and resurrection. This happens through the means of grace, God's Word, and His Sacraments. And this isn't just about our earthly life, this is also about our eternal life.
As the Israelites are in exile, God promises that He will rescue the people, who are like sheep scattered. He will be their Shepherd and will seek out the lost and the strayed sheep. Fast forward many years, and we know that Jesus is the Good Shepherd who seeks out the lost and straying sheep and rescues them through His death and resurrection, so we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
God told Jeremiah that He was going to give His people a new covenant. We think about the covenant God made with Noah, sending the rainbow as the sign never to flood the earth again. Jesus comes along as the fulfiller of the new covenant and the Lord’s Supper He gives as a new covenant in His blood for the forgiveness of sins. Whereas we do not always keep our promises, God always keeps His.
Jeremiah was chosen by God to be a prophet, even though he was just a youth. And the message he would bring to the people is not one that they would want to hear. We are chosen by God, called by Him in Baptism, and we can be like Jeremiah and bring God’s Word to His people. It might also mean that they don’t want to hear it, but it is the most important message to be told.
In God's call to Isaiah, He asks the question, "who shall I send?" To which, Isaiah responds with, "Here am I! Send me." When we think about our own lives, and God's call in our lives, do we respond to God in the same way? Do we excitedly say, "Here I am, Lord!" Or do we respond in a way that makes it seem like we do not want to go, do not want to be sent, do not want to follow His call? And if we do this with God, do we do it with the Church?
Solomon speaks of wisdom and Solomon also speaks of love. Yet even the wise King Solomon also makes mistakes when it comes to love. So, what does the recipe for love and marriage look like? We turn not to Solomon for that, but to God. And the picture of a husband and bride is also a picture of Christ and His Church. And it's in Jesus where we see what true love really looks like.
Jesus invites the little children to come to Him. Tells us that the kingdom of God belongs to them. Proverbs tells us to train our children in the way they should go. That way is the way that leads to Jesus. So, where should children be? In worship, with their parents, following their example, following their lead, where Jesus and His Word and Sacraments are. There is nowhere else God would rather have them be, than right there will ALL God's people.
As Job suffers through the loss of his children, his livestock, and his health, he is tempted by his wife, and Satan, to "curse God die." His friends come and sit with him, supporting him in silence for seven days. As we go through suffering the question is how do we deal with it? How are we supported in our suffering? And how do we support those who suffer? Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes we get it wrong. Jesus suffered all things for us, so that He can help us in our suffering, and so we can help others.
God offers up to Satan his servant Job, someone who is upright and blameless, who fears God and turns away from evil. Satan tempted Job to sin, to curse God to His face. What about you? Does God see you as His servant, upright and blameless, who fears God and turns away from evil? If not, we can look to the suffering, faithful servant Himself: Jesus Christ.
What are you willing to do for those you love? What are you willing to do for those you do not know? What would you be willing to do when your entire race is faced with destruction? This is what Queen Esther faced with the potential Jews being wiped out. She had to face to the king and the potential of death for seeing him without an invitation. In the face of death, Esther had courage. Courage to save her people. So, too with Jesus. He stepped up to save His people, and in order to do so, He did perish.
As the Jews return to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, they faced attacks from those who did not want them to rebuild. So with one hand they rebuilt the walls, and with one hand they defended against their enemies. In the church, we are also in the business of building and defending. Building up the body of Christ through the Word and Sacraments. Defending our faith against the attacks of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh.
With a New Year comes new beginnings. In the story of Ezra, the people are building anew the temple of God that had been destroyed. As we look ahead to the year to come, we also remember what led us to this point. It’s easy to focus on the things that tear down and destroy, but we focus rather on the building up of the body of Christ, and the One on whom our body is built.
Genesis tells us that in the beginning God created light. John tells us that in the beginning Jesus was there and that He is the light. The light that shines in the darkness, the light of men. The light in us to help us be lights in this world, sharing the Good News of Great Joy with them.
As we gather together this Christmas and give gifts to one another, we may remember gifts we have received in the past. We may remember how we used to celebrate Christmas with our family. These memories may be joyful, these memories may be ones we’d rather forget. Today, as we gather in the present, we remember the greatest gift we’ve been given at Christmas in Jesus Christ, the one who is love come down for us.
We explore the lives of King David, King Solomon, King Amon, and King Josiah, and find out which one we would most like to be, and which one we are the most like. The answer may be surprising.
In the story of Naaman the leper and Elisha coming to heal him, Naaman’s expectations were not met by Elisha and as a result he almost did not get healed. Sometimes our expectations of God are not met, and as a result we can be disappointed. Yet, through it all, God deals with us not necessarily in how we expect, but in how we need Him to.
God is a God who punishes sin, but He is also a God who makes the promise to save us from sin. The wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Whereas our but’s and promises are often conditional, God’s but’s and promises are unconditional.
Elijah flees for his life after God’s incredible display of power against those who followed false gods, like Baal. God comes and speaks His Word to Elijah not in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary, in a whisper. God uses us in our own lives, wherever we are, that we may speak His Word to those who needs to hear it, and today we hear real life examples of how God uses us in the lives of others.
God had worked many times in the history of Israel to lead them through the impossible. Sometimes we have this idea that if God brings us to… something, whatever it is, God will bring us through it. While that phrase is not found in the Bible, that doesn’t mean that it’s not true. The truth of God’s Word is that God can lead you through the impossible, God can raise the dead, like the widow’s son at Zarephath, and God will raise all who believe on the last day, not because of our work, but because of His work.
King David wanted to build a temple for God. God said no. It is his son King Solomon that ends up building the temple of God. The place where God would make His dwelling place. Each part of the temple is important and many parts have meaning for us today, some of which is still in use in our very own worship, where God dwells with us.
Solomon is told by God that he can ask for anything and God will give it to him. Solomon being a young king, asks for wisdom and discernment so that he can better rule the kingdom. We too can use wisdom and discernment in our daily living.
Sin leads to death. Because of David’s sin, the child born to him and Bathsheba dies. Sometimes we don’t always understand God’s ways, especially when someone we love dies. On this All Saints’ Sunday as we remember those who have gone before us in the faith, we remember that where there is sin and death, there is also God’s grace.
David does great things for the Lord. But he is also a sinner like everyone else. And much like he made a giant fall, he also fell into sin in giant ways. And his sin had consequences. Our sin has consequences. Yet, where sin increases, so does God’s grace, and on this Reformation Sunday we remember that we are saved by God’s grace.
Broken People, Perfect God. The Theme of this years’ Kids Camp in Sachigo Lake. Hear the stories of a number of imperfect people who were a part of this trip that were blessed by a perfect God.
As King David rules, as most of the former kings family had been wiped out, he wanted to show kindness to anyone in Saul’s family, for the sake of his friend Jonathan, Saul’s son. There was a man named Mephibosheth who was brought to David’s table, and Saul’s land was restored to him and he was given a seat at David’s table always. Jesus invites us to His table, where He gives us His body and blood and forgiveness and salvation.
King David lived in a palace and God made His dwelling place in a tent. God wanted to build a temple, a house, for God. God said no. Instead, God was going to build up David’s house, and by doing so He would establish the line of David forever, because from David’s line comes the One True King who came and dwelled with His people.
King Saul sought to take David’s life, and so David flees from him. Hides in a cave from him, and feels like he has been abandoned, forgotten, and forsaken by God. In our lives, though it may feel this way, we are not abandoned, forgotten, or forsaken by God.
David was a man after God’s own heart, and that is why he was anointed to be the next king after Saul. After David defeats Goliath, he gets all the praise and this does not make Saul happy. Saul was not a man after God’s own heart. What do we do in life when we are faced with those who are not after God’s own heart, or when we ourselves are not following after God’s own heart?
This famous story of David and Goliath is a picture of good vs. evil, or rather, God vs. evil, the evil of non-believers. We still have a battle today, not a giant like Goliath, but the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. Thanks be to God that He sent Jesus to defeat them, not with stones but with nails.
In the world that tells us to live our lives with no regrets, we hear in God’s Word that He regretted making Saul king. God has regrets? His Word makes that clear. There is, however, one thing God does not regret. Sending Jesus.
The people of Israel wanted to be like all the other nations, and so they asked Samuel for a king. In doing so, they reject their one true king, God. Even though we may reject God with our words and our actions, God does not abandon us, but instead sends Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, to be rejected and killed by the people He came to save.
God directly called to Samuel, and Samuel began to serve as a prophet, and judge, of the Lord. God calls to us too, though not like Samuel. He speaks to us through His Son, He reveals Himself to us through His Word and Sacraments. He calls us in Baptism, into His family, into His body, and one day He will call us home.
In the history of Israel, we find another barren woman with the story of Hannah. And then we find another answered prayer when Hannah is able to conceive. That child, Samuel, is then dedicated to God. What do we do when life doesn’t seem to go our way, or when it doesn’t seem like God is listening? Does God hear us, and will He answer us?
As Naomi goes through the loss of her husband and two sons, Ruth the Moabite goes back to Naomi’s land and people with her. Though she had no people of her own in Israel, Ruth becomes a part of the family of God by faith, and becomes part of the people of Israel because of a redeemer named Boaz. This family line leads all the way to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Samson was a man that was set apart from birth, as a Nazirite. He was strong and his hair was not to be cut. However, he was deceived multiple times by the women in his life, and it cost him his hair and it cost him his strength. But his power was not in the length of his hair, his power came from the Lord.
Sometimes God doesn’t just use the unlikeliest of people for deliverance, he uses the unlikeliest of ways for deliverance, for victory. As Gideon leads an army, that army becomes just a small number of men, with some torches, trumpets and jars. Not the deadliest of weapons, but with the power of God, it gets the job done.
The cycle for the people of Israel goes like this: sin, judgment, repentance, deliverance. Judges were sent to bring deliverance and sometimes it comes from the least likely people. As we see three different judges with three different stories, we are reminded that God can use anyone, because it's His work in us that truly brings deliverance.
Jephthah is a Judge over the people of Israel. Judges came along before kings and were the ones who would save or deliver the people of Israel against other nations. As Jephthah goes off to battle he makes a vow, a promise, to the Lord that ends up costing him dearly. In our sin, God makes us a promise that ends up costing HIM dearly.
As Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land, they are set to take the city of Jericho. And the way to defeat your enemy is to march around their city, and to blow trumpets, and to shout, after all it just means you’re listening to the commands of God. Something that we all fail to do perfectly. Sometimes, it means our walls need to fall.
Because she was welcoming to the spies sent to check on the land of Canaan and had faith, Rahab the prostitute was adopted and became part of Jesus' family tree.
Last week we talked about the minority vs. the majority, the popular opinion vs. the unpopular opinion. As Moses lifts up the bronze serpent in the wilderness to save the people who have been bitten by snakes, we'll take a look at what kinds of things get lifted up in today's society that we make out to be our savior, or at least what the world wants to be our savior. But there is only ONE who was lifted up that is able to save.
God led the people of Israel to the Promised Land, and Moses sent out twelve spies to check out the land that God had promised them, to see who inhabited the land, and if it was a land flowing with milk and honey. When the spies returned after 40 days, 10 spies brought back a bad report because of those who were living there, and 2 faithful spies told the people to trust in God. The people listened to the majority, the popular opinion, instead of the faithful few. The result was having to wander 40 years in the desert. Do you want to be in the minority or the majority?
The Tabernacle is set up, and God lays out very specific plans for sacrifices, and very specific rules for the place where He dwells, the Most Holy Place. Only once per year could the high priest enter it, on the Day of Atonement. What is atonement? When was the last time you celebrated it? And if you never have, what does it have to do with us today? Even more so, what does it have to do with Jesus?
We celebrate Trinity Sunday and recognize God as 3-in1, three persons, one God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As the Israelites wait for Moses to come down from Mt Sinai, they aren't patient enough and instead make for themselves a god, a golden calf. They worship this idol, not the One true God. What is your golden calf? What are your idols? The things that you place as a higher priority than God. Maybe it's not even a what, maybe it's a who.
We celebrate Pentecost and think about the tongues of fire descending upon the disciples allowing them to speak in other languages, so that the word of God is spread. Today we journey to Mt. Sinai where smoke and fire have descended upon the mountain and God gives Moses the Ten Commandments. Which one is your favorite? The one you commit most often? The one you commit least often? Do the Ten Commandments still apply to you today? As we continue our two-year reading through God's Word, is it even applicable to you today?
As the people of Israel are freed from the slavery of Egypt, they have one response: complaining. They're hungry, they're thirsty. Sounds much like the children in our lives who are constantly hungry and thirsty even after they've just been fed. How does God respond to hunger and thirst? He meets our needs. He gives us food and drink, just like He did with the Israelites. God doesn't want us to just be physically nourished, He wants us to be spiritually fed, and so Jesus comes to us as the bread from heaven, the bread of life, and gives us exactly what we need.
As the Israelites make their way out of Egypt, Pharaoh has a change of heart and chases after them. As they get to the Red Sea, God parts the Sea, to allow the Israelites to cross on dry ground. As the Egyptians close in on them, the walls of water on the Red Sea collapse on them once all the Israelites are safe. When Jesus comes along, He doesn't part the sea, rather He walks upon it, showing His power over water, just like He did in the Exodus. God still works miracles with water today, and all we have to do is look at the baptismal font.
There were a total of ten plagues that came upon Egypt, and it was only after the last plague, the plague of the firstborn, that Pharaoh let the people of Israel go. To prepare for this plague and to save the Israelites, God gave instructions about sacrificing a lamb, having a meal, and painting the doorposts so that the Lord would pass over their homes and not take the firstborn. The Passover feast was celebrated yearly, and it's during that feast that Jesus institutes a new meal, because a new, perfect lamb was about to be sacrificed to save the people.
As Moses unexpectedly meets God in the burning bush, God tells Moses to take his sandals off, because the place where he is standing is holy ground. It was because Moses was in the presence of God that made the ground holy. As we come into God's presence, as we enter into worship with Him, do we understand and recognize that God is in our midst, and does that make the ground that we are standing on, the sanctuary, holy? Come and see, and maybe take off your shoes!
As the baby boys of Israel are commanded to be thrown into the Nile, one family keeps their boy safe. That boy would become Moses who was drawn out of the waters of the Nile and would one day save His people. Jesus came as a baby boy, just like Moses. And He would one day give up His life to save His people. And Jesus gives us His means of grace to bless us and bring us salvation. In the waters of Baptism, He draws us to Himself, calling us His dearly loved children. In the Lord's Supper, He gives us His body and blood. In the words of Absolution, He gives us forgiveness. And in the Word, the Scriptures, He gives us the words of eternal life. All for our forgiveness, life, and salvation, because He loves us.
The people of Israel go from prospering in Egypt to be forced into slavery, all because Pharaoh was scared of them. Amidst all the changes that happened in their life, God was working His plan for His people to rescue them from the bondage of slavery. God worked a plan to rescue us from the bondage of sin and death. God is faithful to His Word and promises amidst all the changes and all the struggles.
The world is full of sin. The world is full of sinners. The world is full of sinners who sin. Sinners who do terrible things to others. We saw Joseph sold into slavery by His brothers. We saw Jesus sold to the hands of the Pharisees by Judas' betrayal, ultimately leading Him to the cross. Yet, God can take the worst things and work good in them. He does it with Joseph who ends up saving his family and reuniting with them as famine sweeps across the land. We see God do it through Jesus who dies on the cross for us sinners, and for our sins, only to rise from the dead, saving us from the power of sin, death, and the devil.
In a series of messages, we look at the events that took place on Good Friday as Christ is crucified and dies for us. We compare Him and His life for us to that of Joseph as well. We look at what Joseph's life was worth, what Jesus' life was worth, and what our life is worth, ultimately as we look to the cross and see the price that Jesus paid for us.
In a series of messages, we look at the events that took place on Maundy Thursday: Jesus washing His disciples' feet, giving them the Lord's Supper, and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. We parallel these stories to the life of Joseph being carried off to Egypt as a servant, later becoming highly powerful and eating a meal with his family, and interpreting the dream of a cupbearer. In this, we see how Joseph becomes a type of Christ.
The favorite son of Jacob, who is given a robe of many colors, Joseph's life did not go according to plan after his brothers sold him into slavery. The Only Son of God, who has a purple robe mockingly placed on Him, Jesus' life DID go according to plan as He is welcomed into Jerusalem as a king, and nailed to a cross as a king.
Have you ever wrestled with God? Maybe you have life-altering news, a horrible diagnosis for you or a loved one, relationship issues you can’t solve, financial uncertainty and fear of the future, or something that has caused you to be in a very dark and lonely place. And you are afraid. Jacob wrestled with God. And this story is recorded for our learning because the book of Genesis is not just about what happened, it's about what always happens. God is a God who keeps His promises. He is also a God who loves to bless, grow, mature, and save us for life with Him in the Promised Land. Thank you for joining us as we worship and learn about the God of our salvation.
Jacob, the deceiver gets deceived. He wanted to marry Rachel, his true love. He worked seven years to marry her. And then on the wedding night, Rachel is replaced with Leah. Jacob does not love Leah. In the end, he takes both women as his wife. Throughout their life together, Leah is blessed with children, more of them, and sooner than Rachel. There are also children of Jacob born from Rachel and Leah's maidservants. Eventually, Rachel bears Jacob children, who becomes the favorite son. But the favorite, the one who is loved most, doesn't always mean the chosen one.
After Jacob steals his brother Esau's blessing he runs from him, because Esau wants to kill him. While he is running he has a dream of a ladder, with angels going up and down it, and God speaks to him. When he comes out of that dream, he acknowledges that God was in that place even though he didn't realize it. God makes Himself known to us today in very specific place. His Word and His Sacraments, the means of grace. And sometimes when we gather together as God's people, we may take for granted that God is always right there with us.
Esau was the firstborn, and Jacob followed right behind, clutching his heel. Esau was loved by his father, Isaac. Jacob was loved by his mother, Rebekah. When the time came, Isaac was ready to bless Esau with the blessing reserved for the firstborn. Jacob dressed up as Esau and stole the blessing from his brother. The blessing that promised Jacob that his older brother Esau would end up serving him, and that his family will be blessed through all generations. It may not have been his to receive, but it was God's blessing to give. And sometimes we don't always understand how God works, even in the midst of deceivers.
As Lot and his family flee from Sodom and Gomorrah as it's being destroyed, Lot's wife looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Sometimes, we get caught up in things that cause us to turn back, look behind us, remember the past, and it only leads to our death. When we seek to preserve our life, and get caught up in things of this world instead of God, we actually lose our life. So, we remember Lot's wife... but we remember Christ's life even more, because of His past actions that we should look to.
Isaac was the son that was promised by God who would make Abraham's descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. Then God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. A sacrifice of obedience. Abraham was going to do it because he believed God could raise the dead. God intervened before Isaac was sacrificed. Jesus comes along as another of God's promises, the one who would be the Savior of the world. And God intervenes again, except He does so by allowing Jesus, His promised Son, to be the sacrifice for the whole world.
God promised to give Abram a land for his people. God promised Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. And as a seal of this promise, God cut a covenant with Abram. A covenant that only He could fulfill, and if He broke that covenant, He would pay the price with His life. We as descendants of Abram (Abraham) make promises with God that we do not often keep. And rather than us paying the price for breaking our promises, God pays the price with His life, because He is the covenant keeper.
The world had one language and began to build a tower to the heavens to make a name for themselves. God came down to earth and intervened, ultimately confusing their languages so the tower was never finished and the people spread all over the earth. In our sinfulness, we have a tendency to make towers for ourselves. We build towers of pride and selfishness. We build ourselves up, and boast in ourselves and our accomplishments. And God has to come down to earth and intervene because of our sinfulness. This intervention is Jesus going to the cross for us. Not to spread us over the whole earth, but to forgive us and bring us back to Him and His loving arms as His people.
Noah and his family were saved by building the ark. They gathered all the animals God had told them together. They gathered all the food they would need while on the ark. If you were living in Noah's time, how would you have looked upon him as he builds this massive boat in his front yard? Would you see yourself believing? Would you see yourself mocking? Would you want to join him, or would you see no need for it with the clear skies all around you? What about today? Do you need to be kept afloat with all that life brings? Are there still arks among us?
Do you see yourself more as Cain, or more as Abel? Abel the one who pleases God with his offering? Or Cain, the one who gives into temptation and kills his brother? And what is a life really worth? We probably think of ourselves as Abel's, when in reality we are more likely Cain's. Whoever we connect to, God still values us and our lives.
Adam and Eve had the perfect life, the perfect relationship, and the perfect world. And one little bite of the forbidden fruit changed everything. Sin enters the world. And along with sin, punishment. But where there is punishment, there is also promise. The promise of the Savior who would come and set the world right. And that's exactly what He does.
On the sixth day, God created man, from the earth. The man's name was Adam. The name Adam is a description of where he came from: the ground, the earth. God created woman from the side/rib of the man. The woman's name was Eve. God created man and woman and it was very good. It was perfect. Their names mean something. Your name means something. And sometimes the names we choose are descriptors of something about us. Certainly works with the name of Jesus.
We begin a journey this new year of reading through the Bible from the beginning and as we start in Genesis, we read those first three words: In the beginning... God created. God created something out of nothing. He created light that was called day, and He created darkness that was called night. Then many years later He created the light that led the wise men, the magi to Jesus. The light of Christ that shines in the darkness of sin and death. And that light, just like God's creation, is very good.
As we celebrate the birth of our Savior, we start at where the promise of the Savior was first given, when the darkness of sin first entered the world. But the darkness of sin and death doesn't last forever because the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it. That's what the tradition of gathering at Christmas is all about.
In a series of seven short sermons following the traditional Christmas readings, we'll journey to the home of Mary and Joseph, we'll journey to the place Jesus first makes His home, and we'll journey to our own homes to take a look at what Christmas is like for us this year, and finally, we'll journey to our church home where Jesus welcomes every one of us to receive His gifts.
As we approach the holidays, it can be a time where we have all different kinds of feelings and emotions, and sometimes joy is the farthest thing from how we're actually feeling. But God's Word does have the good news of great joy, and Jesus' actions bring good news of great joy, and salvation means everlasting joy.
On this Second Sunday in Advent, we think about peace. Having peace or harmony within all of our relationships can be complicated, especially with those that are hard to love. But where we fail to make peace with others, Christ came to make peace between us and God. And thus, we in turn can make peace with others because Christ is at work in us, giving us peace through His Word and Sacraments.
On this First Sunday in Advent, we think about hope. The hope that we have in life, the hope that we have for ourselves, for others, our health, etc. Sometimes, as we look at our life and the world and all the suffering and struggles, it's hard to have hope. Our hope comes from God, who promised to send His Son, and as we get closer to Christmas, we remember that first coming of Christ, when the hope was realized as the babe that was born in Bethlehem, becomes the object of our hope.
On this Last Sunday of the Church Year, also known as Christ the King Sunday, we see Christ nailed to the cross with a sign above His head which reads, "King of the Jews." The one thief says to Jesus, "remember me when you come into Your kingdom." As we gather around God's Word and His Sacrament, we ask the same of Jesus, to remember us in His Kingdom. By faith, his answer to us is the same as to the thief, "today you will be with me in paradise." Paradise is a present reality for those who believe.
Christ the King Sunday comes next week, but today we think about Christ's Second Coming, as King, as we hear about the signs that lead up to Christ's return. We also hear, in His Word, how Christ will be the One to keep us steadfast in the faith, until He comes again.
On All Saints' Sunday, we think about all those faithful followers who have gone before us in the faith. As we look in the mirror and think about our lives, ourselves, our history, even our failures... God looks at us in the mirror and sees His Son, and because of that, He sees us as saints, even on earth, by grace through faith.
It has been over 500 years since the work of Martin Luther started what we know as the Reformation. A Reformation that is all about bringing God's people back to the heart of His Word: the life-changing, life-saving Good News of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for our forgiveness and salvation. A work that is started by God and completed by Him on our behalf, without us doing anything to deserve it or earn it.
We give thanks to God for the 50 years of Peace Lutheran Church as a congregation of Lutheran Church-Canada. And we give thanks for God's love, grace, forgiveness, and death and resurrection for our salvation that has been the cornerstone of our faith.
In this third week of our 3-week series on Stewardship, we not only talk about the giving of our time, talents, and treasures, but we focus on the fourth part of stewardship: testimony. Not only are we managers to all that God has given to us, we are also witnesses to all that God has done in our life, and we can share that Good News with the world.
The Importance of Producing (The Grace of Giving) - Matthew 21:23-44 - Pastor Glenn by Pastor Brad & Pastor Glenn
In this first week of our 3-week series on Stewardship, we look at the difference between who we are as managers of God's creation, and who God is as the creator of all things. Do we love and serve God above all other things, or do we have other masters that we love more, and how does that play out with our time, talents, and treasures?
Here is what those in attendance at the National Youth Gathering have to share about what it means to live IN the world, but not OF the world.
What are you willing to do for that which you most treasure? And what it is exactly that you most treasure? As we consider our own willingness to the sacrifices we might make for that which we most treasure or love, we see Jesus who was willing to give everything for that which He most treasures and loves.
In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd will leave 99 sheep to go and find the 1 lost sheep. At some point in our lives, we're all like that sheep. We're all a little lost. We wander, we stray, we get lost, and sometimes we even want to stay lost, And that's why we need the Good Shepherd to find us, carry us on His shoulders, and bring us back home because we can't do it on our own. We can't find our way home, and we certainly can save ourselves from our lostness.
If you could choose between life or death, living a long life or no longer having a life, what would you choose? May seem like an easy answer, but it's not. That's because there's only one answer that we will choose in our sinful condition. And that's why we need God to come and choose the better/best option for us, on our behalf, and by choosing the best option for us, He also chooses the other option for Himself.
Hebrews tells us that by showing hospitality to strangers, some have entertained angels unaware. Angels appear many times throughout the Bible as messengers of God, and even to minister and strengthen. Are there angels still among us today? And if there are angels appearing as strangers, how should we treat them? And is it any different than how we would treat strangers who are not angels?
In His death, Abel's blood cries out to God from the ground. Abel's blood speaks. In Hebrews, we hear that the blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel's. Jesus' blood speaks. It doesn't speak out for vengeance, cry out against death, or call for justice, like Abel's. His blood speaks forgiveness and life, even in His death.
We continue looking at Hebrews and the heroes of the faith, focusing specifically on Abraham and Jephthah. Two stories deal with sacrifice, and each story has a different outcome. One leaves us asking why God does certain things at certain times for certain people, but not for others. We will look at how God interceded in each of these stories, what it means for us today, and what God does for each of us.
Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Believing without seeing. In Hebrews, we see many people regarded as heroes of the faith, because they are commended for their beliefs and how they lived their lives. As we look at these examples, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, we will see how their faith can be connected to our own lives today and to our faith as well.
We are called to set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth, storing up for ourselves treasures on earth. In this, we talk about stewardship, and we look at being managers of all that God (the true owner and master of all things) has given us. And so, the question becomes: how can we be good stewards of all that God has given us?
How far are you willing to go for the sake of others? In Genesis, we see Abraham talking with God about the number of righteous people in Sodom and how many it will take to save the city. Eventually, the number goes as low as 10. But no lower. Why didn't Abraham go any lower than 10? Maybe because there wouldn't even be 1 righteous person found in Sodom. As we think about our current condition, the question isn't how many righteous people will be found where we are, but how far is the (only) 1 righteous person in the world willing to go for you?
Many people who were following Jesus were sent to go and proclaim the Word of God. In the Gospel reading, we see what can happen to those who hear the Word of God and believe and those who hear the Word of God and reject, and what it means for us today.
Many people have come along and wanted to follow Jesus. In the Gospel reading, as Jesus sets His sights on Jerusalem, He lets everyone know just what the cost of following Him means. What's the end result of those who wanted to follow Him? How does this impact us today?
A demon-possessed man is asked what his name is, and he responds with "Legion" for many demons had entered him. What is your name and what does it mean? Ultimately, Jesus frees the man of the demons who have possessed him. Jesus' name means "the Lord saves" or "God is salvation" because He came to save His people from their sins. Jesus came to save you. This is what He wants to do with you. Rescue you from sin, death, and the devil, and that is what He did in His death and resurrection.
We fuss getting ready for church. And right in the middle of the service, we get distracted. Thankfully, in the center of worship is our Triune God. Through Jesus, we are fully embraced and welcome.
We often celebrate Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday. In both of these events, the Holy Spirit is actively at work in the lives of God's people. The Holy Spirit who came that first Pentecost is with us in Baptism, in Confirmation, in the Lord's Supper, and in all parts of life. The Holy Spirit who creates faith in us sustains that faith, helps us lead a God-pleasing life, and tells others the Good News of Jesus, just like the disciples on the first Pentecost.
In Acts 1 the disciples need to replace Judas. They pray to God that He would show them who He had chosen to replace Judas. They cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. We had never heard of Matthias before and may have never heard of him had he not been chosen. Sometimes, God works through people who are lesser-known, who are nobody's, in order to accomplish His will.
Jesus said to His disciples, "In this world, you will have tribulation (trouble), but take heart I have overcome the world." What is tribulation or trouble? What did these words of Jesus mean for the disciples? What does it mean for us today?
Peter shares the Good News of Jesus with the Gentiles, and there were some who were none too pleased about this. Who are those who have been chosen and called by God to be His children and to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Jews? Gentiles? Me? You? ALL people?
There are many voices that we hear in our lifetime, and that speaks to us, many of which try to lead us away from God. Jesus tells us that "my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Jesus, the Good Shepherd, speaks to us His sheep through His Word and Sacraments, and He lays down His life for His sheep to bring them forgiveness and salvation.
After the resurrection, Jesus has a conversation with Peter that we see as Jesus restoring Peter as a disciple. On the road to Damascus, Jesus appears to Saul, and he becomes the apostle Paul. Jesus changes people. How has he changed you?
On Easter Sunday, there are many things that happen that we read about in the next number of weeks. Jesus on the road to Emmaus; Jesus appears to His disciples when Thomas isn't there. When we look at Thomas, who is doubting Thomas and believing Thomas in the same reading, we can ask ourselves: Are we at all like Thomas? And what does it mean for us in our world today?
On Easter Sunday, come and step inside the empty tomb and see that Jesus is not dead, He is alive! The silence of His death on Good Friday is met with Angels and Alleluias on Easter Sunday. What does it all mean for us? And why do we need Jesus, on Easter Sunday?
On Good Friday we follow Jesus to the cross where He lays down His life for the world. He was crucified with a sign that said "King of the Jews." This reminds us of the Wise Men who came to worship "the One who had been born king of the Jews" so many years before. Do the gifts of the Magi still mean anything? And why do we need Jesus, on Good Friday?
On Maundy Thursday Jesus washes His disciples' feet, celebrates His Supper with them, and prays in the Garden of Gethsemane. All the while, the betrayer is at work. Would you have betrayed Him? Like Judas did? Like Peter did? How about today in your own life? Why exactly do we need Jesus, on Maundy Thursday?
On Palm Sunday, Jesus journeys into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, and the city welcomes Him with shouts of "hosanna!" Can you imagine what it must have been like back then? And what does it mean for us today? Why do we need Jesus, on Palm Sunday?
We see Paul give a detailed description of himself in Philippians. Who are you? How would you describe yourself? Paul will tell us that ultimately knowing who we are, and how we describe ourselves, is not worth much. What matters is knowing Jesus Christ and what He's done for us. What matters is who He says we are.
We view this as the parable of the prodigal or lost sons, but it's possible to view this as a parable of the lost sons, as both the older and younger son are lost in their own way. But really, this parable is not about the sons, it's about the father and his actions for the sons, which is a reflection of God's actions for us, His people.
God won't give you more than you can handle. A phrase you may be common with may have said yourself or had someone say to you. What does it mean? Is it Biblical? And is it true? One thing that is true: God won't give you more than HE can handle.
A mother hen seeks to gather her chicks under her wings, to keep them close, to protect them, and keep them safe. Jesus seeks to gather His children under His wings, but many are not willing, and they walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Those who are gathered are the ones who have the Holy Spirit working in them, believe, and will receive eternal life.
When God gives what He promised and what we need, His children respond with an offering and rejoicing.
Transfiguration can also mean Transformation. As we celebrate the Transfiguration of Christ, where his physical appearance is changed, transformed, transfigured, we will also take a look at our own lives and see where, when, and how Christ has transformed and changed us.
In a world full of peril, pain, and problems God can use the bad things that happen to us for the greater good. That is why we always pray ‘Thy Will be done.”
As we enter the 15th chapter of Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, he is going to tell us what is most important for us. That, of course, being the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and what it means for us. That is of first importance, IF in fact Christ has been raised from the dead.
We are seeing a lot of frustration in our society. People don’t know what to do, but they’ve got to do something, so they protest. Rebellion. Where is that coming from? And what is God doing about it?
As we explore the love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, we think about hearing these verses at a wedding as the bride and groom are joined together as one. Maybe they were even read at our own wedding. If we look at this chapter in the context of the relationship between the bride, the church, and the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, we will see what true love is about, what it really looks like, and what it means for us.
God led His people out of Babylonian captivity. They responded with utter reverence and adoration for the reading and teaching of God’s Word. As we move out of the captivity of the coronavirus, how shall we respond?
As we see Jesus' first sign or miracle happen at the wedding at Cana, it all begins because His mother, Mary, comes to Him to let Him know there is no wine left. Mary's motivation for coming to Jesus, was from faith in Him as the one who could do something about the situation. What are your motivations for coming to worship? As we explore the answers, we'll see where our motivations line up compared to what actually happens in worship.
Our loving Heavenly Father had the Baptism of our Lord recorded for our benefit. When we know who and who’s we are then we know how we should live and what we should do.
As we begin a new year, with new hopes, new beginnings, new opportunities, many people pick a "word of the year" that becomes a theme to guide them in daily living. As we look to God's Word, we can very clearly see a word that stands out to us every day of every year, because this word is timeless.
Relationships are tested during trying circumstances. Colossians 3:12-17 is a timely word from our Heavenly Father to bring you peace.
God doesn’t just want us to know the truth. He wants us to experience it and be convinced of it. That is why He sent His Son Jesus into our world. John 1:14. Merry Christmas indeed!
When we think about Good Friday, we sometimes hear Seven Sayings from Christ on the cross. This Christmas Eve, we're going to hear seven sayings from God's Word about Christmas. It begins with the first promise of Christmas, another promise of Christmas, the words of an angel, the joy of a baby, the birth of the Savior, the message to the shepherds, and the response from Mary. Promises given, promises realized, promises fulfilled, and promises proclaimed.
The familiar song that is sung at Christmas, lets us imagine the thoughts and feelings that Mary may have gone through as she held the Christ child in her arms. As we read God's Word and hear Mary's song of praise, her Magnificat, we will see if we can answer the question of; Mary Did You Know?
How does God feel about you? The prophet Zephaniah gives us 5 really important truths of what God does and will do, for us. Knowing this verse will help us face each day with confidence and joy.
The season of Advent is a time of preparation. John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ. He pointed others to Christ and away from himself. God's Word points us to Christ. It prepares us to celebrate Christ's first coming, and it prepares us to be ready for Christ's second coming.
Jesus teaches us that when we see some of the signs of the end of the world, we should stay awake and watch, so we are ready when He comes.
Soon, we will be celebrating Christ's First Coming at Christmas when He was, as the Magi called Him, " the one who has been born king of the Jews." On this Last Sunday of the Church Year, we hear about Christ's Second Coming, as He comes as our Conquering King of Heaven and Earth.
In a day and age when we’ve had to delete a lot of good stuff from our calendars, God’s Word reminds us of some good events that He has placed on our calendar that cannot be deleted.
As we celebrate All Saints' Sunday, we remember the saints who have gone before us in the faith, those who have died and now rest in the arms of their Savior. While this may be an emotional time for some, we take comfort and hope to know that there will be no more tears in heaven, as the saints on earth follow in the steps of the saints in heaven.
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Another word that can be used for a pastor is a priest. This message is not intended to focus on pastors, it's intended to focus on the One whose priesthood continues forever. Pastors come and go, but Jesus, our Great High Priest, continues forever.
Behave or Believe, which is it? In Romans chapter 3 Paul makes it very clear how we are justified before God and thus saved. This Good News is the foundation of how we live our lives.
Children are helpless in every way without their parents. We, adults, are helpless in every way without our Heavenly Father. We cannot save ourselves.
We are at the same time (simul) saint (Justus) and sinner (Peccator). This is what life looks like for those who are in Christ. We have been forgiven and saved by grace through faith because of Jesus' death and resurrection, and this makes us saints. Yet, we also still have a sinful nature and still continue to sin while we are on this earth. But who we are is not based on our sin and what we've done. Who we are is based on what God has done for us.
We have conflict in this world because of sin, which means we will all face conflict at some time or another. It might be with someone outside the church, and it might be with someone inside the church. James gives us a few words as to what to do when conflict comes, while ultimately looking to the cross where all conflict can be healed.
As James tells us in chapter 2, faith without works is dead. Now, as we look to chapter 3, we're going to see the difference of faith in your words compared to faith in your actions, and the significance and effect that they can have on the body of Christ. Finally, we'll look to see how God impacts our faith by His actions.
James warns us about a counterfeit faith that he calls ‘dead faith’. Counterfeit means that some aspects look real, but it's not the real deal. Real faith shows itself in the work that Christ continues to do in and through us.
The Word of the Lord is taught from generation to generation, to children, and their children's children. God does not want His Word to depart from our hearts, but He wants it to be instilled in us all the days of our lives so that we can fight against the devil's schemes. God wants all people to hear His Word, believe, and be saved. That is God's will, and from generation to generation He uses sinners like you and me, to bring His plans and purposes to completion.
A Study in 1 Peter 4 - Part 4: Preparing for the Worst in Suffering - Pastor Brad by Pastor Brad & Pastor Glenn
The opposite of darkness is light. The opposite of death is life. What do these things have to do with our world today, and with God's Word? We find the answer when we look at Jesus.
As we celebrate Confirmation, we know that Confirmands kneel to receive a blessing and a Confirmation verse. They will also kneel and receive the Lord's Supper for the first time. Many of us in our Confirmation kneeled in the same way. Many of us (who are able) still kneel at the altar to receive Christ's body and blood in the Supper as well. We kneel in humility before God because He is worthy of all honor, glory, praise, and worship.
Remembering that we are not the owner of our lives but the stewards will help us to focus on doing the right thing when we are suffering, and that is serving.
Part 2: Glorifying God through Suffering - 1 Peter 4 - Pastor Brad by Pastor Brad & Pastor Glenn
Suffering happens to everyone. Sometimes suffering chooses you. Sometimes you choose to suffer. One thing we learn from Jesus is that suffering can lead to serving.
As we look at the story of John the Baptist being beheaded, we take a look and see that the church of God is made up of believers as the body with Christ as the head. The world, our sinful flesh, and Satan want to separate us from the head, want to separate us from Christ, because a body without a head cannot function. A body without a head is dead.
Have you noticed that Christians and non-Christians think differently? About a lot of things. And they keep butting heads. God is not tolerant, He is patient. Here is a good question: Do you want God to tolerate you or do you want him to save you?
The buzzword in our culture today is tolerance, but what does that word really mean? If God were merely tolerant then there would be no point in sending His Son Jesus to save the world. God is patient.
As Jesus and the disciples head across the Sea of Galilee, a storm arises and the boat begins to fill with water. Jesus, who is sleeping, is woken up by the disciples who need to be saved. Jesus calls the storm to be still, and the waters become calm. In the storms that we go through in life, we want Jesus in our boat. And as we celebrate Father's Day, we want fathers in our boat as well.
Who we say we are, and who God says we are can sometimes bring very different answers. As we read Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, we find that "if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come." By faith, because of Christ's death and resurrection, we are in Christ and are new creations.
One of the hardest things for us to do is to explain how the Trinity works, how God is 3 distinct persons yet 1 God. So rather than try and explain how the Trinity works, on this Trinity Sunday, we'll take a look at the works of the Trinity. The works that each person of the Trinity is responsible for and what they mean for us today.
Jesus promises to not leave His disciples alone, and sends them a Helper, the Holy Spirit who helps, advocates, counsels, comforts, teaches, convicts, reminds and gives Himself to all who believe.
In John 17 we see the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, where He prays for His disciples and their future, whom He will be leaving soon as He goes on the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Then He prays for those who will believe in Him, the future people who will hear the message of the disciples and believe. That's you and me, as the word of God has been proclaimed for centuries! As we think about our future, looking at Jesus praying for the disciples' future and ours, we see God not only prays for His people, but He does everything possible to give them eternal life.
In a day and age when everyone is feeling a bit overwhelmed by what is happening in the world, God reminds us that we are overcomers through Jesus Christ.
As we continue through this pandemic, we think about the connections we have with family and friends and whether those have been impacted positively or negatively. As we hear the Gospel tell us that Christ is the vine and we are the branches, we think about the connection that we have with Him and with His Church and whether or not it has been impacted positively or negatively. Are we branches bearing fruit, or dead sticks?
As the body needs good nutrition so does the soul. Peter teaches us 5 things that make us and our world unhealthy and ONE that will make us healthy living in a sick world.
Many people say that they believe in Jesus, but what Jesus do they actually believe in? Do they believe in Jesus being true and and true God? Or do they believe that Jesus was just a good teacher or prophet? Those are two very different things. As we read through the Gospels we'll find out not only what it means to believe IN Jesus but also to believe HIM.
Not only do we gain eternal life in paradise because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but our life now improves dramatically because our attitude and priorities change. The Resurrection of Jesus Changes How we Think About Things.
What would you do for someone that you love? Would you take on a lion? How about a shark? A Dinosaur? Most of us don't have to worry about facing ferocious animals in order to save those we love. But Christ has stepped in between us and death/devil/hell in order to save us for all eternity. Easter Sunday proves that Christ has won the victory over sin, death, and the devil once and for all.
The Bible is clear – Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. This is so important!
As Jesus makes His way to Jerusalem riding on a donkey, He is welcomed with shouts of "Hosanna in the highest!" As we take a look at what "Hosanna" means, we will see that it is a fitting cry to Jesus, but not just for the journey of Palm Sunday into the city. The hosannas of the people are more fitting for the journey that Jesus takes to the cross, where He goes to save all people.
Do you fear death? I don't think we would be surprised to find out that many people in the world fear dying. And maybe there would be less to fear about death if we knew what happens after we die. Guess what?!?! We do! As we look at the actions of Christ during Holy Week, death no longer has any sting, any power over those who are in Christ, because Christ has triumphed over death and the grave.
Why did God have to make a new covenant with His people? Because they broke the old one. So God restructures our relationship with Him by making it all about Jesus Christ.
As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness to save the people of Israel, so the Son of God was lifted up on the cross to save the entire world. While some may think that God is a God of wrath and condemnation, we see through Jesus that God is a God of salvation.
The hymn ‘Abide With Me’ was written by a physically sick man. The words, however, lift us towards the One who never changes and promises incredible healing for all who put their trust in Him.
Jesus abides in us and His Word abides in us. In Malachi 4 we hear that the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. As we view this as a prophecy of the Son of righteousness, who rises from the dead and gives life to His people. We see this most clearly done in His outstretched arms on the cross, where sins are forgiven, where brokenness is restored, and where ultimate healing is found because it's the only place where life comes from death.
What do Abraham, Peter, and Paul all have in common? They were all sinners. The Bible is full of sinners. And Christ died for sinners, while were in our sin. Because He loves us. Christ died for sinners, like you and me. Not because we deserved it, because we didn't deserve it, and because it was the only way to save us.
What God doesn’t say, and what God does say from the book of James as we face trials in our lives.
To abide means to stay, to remain, to dwell. So when we sing "abide with me" we're asking Jesus to stay with us, to remain with us, through every single moment in our lives. And, spoiler alert, He does! And for those who believe, in life, and in death, Jesus abides with us.
As we celebrate the Transfiguration of Our Lord, where Jesus' appearance changes and Moses and Elijah appear with Him, we can think about how these things are all connected to us and how God works in the past, present, and the future not just in our lives, but in the lives of all people.
A look at the prophet Jonah is like looking in the mirror. We all struggle with issues of anger and despair, and yes, even God’s grace when it is showered on others.
A question that is asked of Jesus by a man with an unclean spirit, is a question that we ourselves can ask of Jesus. To put it in a little different way, we could ask: What do you want with us, or for us, Jesus? As we look at the interaction Jesus has in the Gospel reading, we can take look, also, at how Jesus interacts with us in our lives.
How God uses a reluctant prophet to change a wicked city. This is the story of the pursuing power of God’s Word. What has God been saying to you lately?
Can Anything Good Come Out of Nazareth? A question that was once asked about Jesus, can be asked about any number of things if we just replace "Nazareth." From times of struggle/suffering/loss/pandemic, the question is often asked regarding negative experiences. So, it really is a matter of asking: Can anything positive (good) come out of something negative? Of course, the answer is yes, and even though this question was asked about Jesus, He is often the answer to finding the positives amidst the negative. Fill in your own blank. Can anything good come out of (fill it in)? And see how Jesus fills in that answer.
St. Paul teaches us that we can maintain our joy in the coming year by thinking about what God thinks is true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable.
When you take a look at the stories in the New Testament, especially in the Gospels, you're going to see one long narrative of a faithful God, who sent His faithful Son, Jesus Christ, to die for His people who are not faithful to Him. They/We are sinners with a sinful nature, and are more often than not, faithless. Yet God works even in sinners, to help them lead faithful lives, and today we will look at one of those faithful individuals who is often forgotten in the long list of faithful followers. And from this person, maybe we can learn a little about our own faithfulness.
This is the follow up to “Joyful in Stressful Times”. When you know what you don’t want, figure out what you do want, and make your request known to God.
As we take a look at the world and our lives over the past year, there are many words we could use to describe it, but the word today is: inconvenience. But inasmuch as our lives have been inconvenienced because of a pandemic, we have reason to be thankful, and it's all because Jesus Christ inconvenienced Himself by being born for us, identifying with our inconveniences, only to give up His life for us, in order to give us the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.
Christmas is all about Jesus. Why would Jesus us love us so much to come down from heaven?
In the 2003 Christmas movie, Love Actually, you here the opening line show you that amidst whatever is going on in life, if you look hard enough you'll find that "love actually is all around." If we view those words in our lives of faith, we'll find that love actually is all around because Jesus Christ is actually all around, and at Christmas we don't just celebrate His birth, but His death and resurrection, and His eternal presence.
Using the LASSIE method from Everyone His Witness, we find that being a witness means we Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, and Encourage. As we look at what it means to be a witness in our world, we see that it happens in the context of relationships. Relationships are built on communication. We've already heard about the listening, asking, seeking, sharing, and inviting parts, and now we hear about encouraging: following up and following through. But amidst encouraging those that we witness too, we can also find encouragement as well.
One of the most encouraging things we can do for someone else is telling them that we are praying for them. Better yet, as part of our witness, let’s offer to pray for them right there and then at that moment.
Using the LASSIE method from Everyone His Witness, we find that being a witness means we Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, and Encourage. As we look at what it means to be a witness in our world, we see that it happens in the context of relationships. Relationships built on communication. We've already heard about the listening, asking, seeking, and sharing parts, and now we hear about inviting: inviting to keep the conversation about Jesus going. The invitation to come and see the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, because He is the one who opens the door to eternal life.
A little time spent, a little kindness, a little grace given, a little hope shared can go a long way in paving the way to hearing the Good News.
Using the LASSIE method from Everyone His Witness, we find that being a witness means we Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, and Encourage. As we look at what it means to be a witness in our world, we see that it happens in the context of relationships. Relationships built on communication. We've already heard about the listening, asking, and seeking parts, and now we hear about sharing: sharing what can change people's hearts - God's Word. We are called to be the beautiful feet that share the Word, shine the light of Christ, sow the seed in the world, and let God be the one to change hearts and lives.
Jesus has all authority. He gave some to Adam & Eve. They blew it. Jesus comes to fix that. He gives us authority once again.
Using the LASSIE method from Everyone His Witness, we find that being a witness means we Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, and Encourage. As we look at what it means to be a witness in our world, we see that it happens in the context of relationships. Relationships built on communication. We've already heard about the listening and asking parts, and now we hear about seeking: seeking points of connection. As we read from Acts 17, we see Paul connect to the people of Athens using the altar to the unknown god, to make known to them the One True God.
In order for us to see what Jesus is up to in our lives or the lives of those around us, we need to understand what Jesus has always been up to. Jesus came to usher in the kingdom of God - his work of redeeming and restoring all creation back to his Father.
Using the LASSIE method from Everyone His Witness, we find that being a witness means we Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, and Encourage. As we look at what it means to be a witness in our world, we see that it happens in the context of relationships. Relationships built on communication. We've already heard about the listening part, and now we hear about asking: asking questions that encourage discussion. As we read the Gospel of John, we see a question asked of Jesus (by Pilate), that may very well be at the heart of every question we ask: what is truth?
We have a God who listens. He listens to the cries of His people and has compassion for them. God calls us to do the same with all those He puts in our lives. Let love start with listening.
Using the LASSIE method from Everyone His Witness, we find that being a witness means we Listen, Ask, Seek, Share, Invite, and Encourage. As we look at what it means to be a witness in our world, we have to go where witnessing begins and ends: with Jesus. As a 12-year-old boy Jesus, what did Jesus do? He listened. He sat and listened to the religious leaders in the temple, He asked questions, and answered some. And He grew is wisdom and stature with God and man.
Sometimes we value efficiency over people. It happens to all of us. Jesus values people and enjoys them. “He came eating and drinking. . .” In loving us, He showed us how to be a friend and love others.
John's Gospel concludes with him mentioning that if you took all the things that Jesus did that aren't recorded, and write them down, the world does not have enough room for all those books. We can speculate all day about what kinds of things those books would contain. What matters for us, though, is that what God's Word, His book, the Bible, does contain all we NEED to know about who Jesus is and what He's done for us.
Jesus wants us to continue to follow Him on His mission to redeem the world. He appears to His disciples by the Sea of Galilee to remind them to keep following Him in being fishers of men.
After His resurrection from the dead, and another fish miracle by the Sea, Jesus shares a meal with some disciples and has an important conversation with Peter. As we think about Peter’s denial of and his love for, Jesus, we’ll see what we can learn from this story and what it means for our own lives.
What makes this miracle any different than the Feeding of the 5,000. We'll take a look at those differences and what it meant for the people who received the miracle, how Jesus had compassion on the crowd, and what it means for us today, and the compassion He has for us.
When we feel God is absent from our lives and the storm clouds are rolling in here are 4 big assurances we learn from the story of Jesus walking on the water.
The Parable of the Sower is more about the Sower's seeds and what happens after they land than it is about the actual Sower. The seed is the Word of God and in the four different seed fallings and their subsequent reactions, we can see how we, and the world around us, respond to the Word of God. In the Sower, we can learn something about sharing the Word of God with others.
Jesus does the impossible in the miracle of the feeding of the 5000. God provides. He sends us into the world on an impossible mission. God provides.
As we journey with Jesus by the Sea, a man by the name of Jairus asks Jesus to heal his daughter. On the way to the house, the little girl dies and when Jesus tells those gathered at the house that she is not dead, but asleep, they laugh at Him. This is not the first time someone has laughed at God, and maybe we have done it ourselves. But God's response to being laughed at/mocked might not be what we expect.
There is more wheat than weeds in a field. That’s why we call it a wheat field and not a weed field. Our world is good, but evil rears it’s ugly head time and time again. What will God do about it?
As we journey with Jesus by the Sea, He gets out of the boat and we see Him surrounded by a great crowd of people. Amidst the multitude, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years reached out and touched Jesus' clothes and was healed. As we journey in our lives, do we recognize who Jesus is, do we see the power of what He has done for us, and do we come to dwell with Him, be in His presence, and do we look to Him for healing in all that we go through, or is He just another face in the crowd?
As we journey with Jesus by the Sea, we see Him calm the storm on the Sea of Galilee by bringing peace on it. As we journey in our lives, we all face storms of different kinds, and Jesus is still there to bring us His peace.
Jesus casts out thousands of demons from one man. What does that have to do with us? Often we feel conflicted or troubled or tormented from within or without. We might not see it as being possessed but quite often we are not happy with ourselves for lots of reasons. The reasons don’t matter. What matters is that if Jesus has the power over demons, then He can help us in torments and troubles and put us back in a ‘right frame of mind’.
As we journey with Jesus by the Sea, we see Him call Levi (Matthew), the tax collector, to come and follow Him. He joins the other disciples and begins ministry with them and Jesus, we don't hear about the history of who they are and where they come from. Not that it doesn't matter, but what matters most is the mission of Christ, and what He has called them to.
Jesus wants all people to be saved. He calls Peter, an ordinary Charlie Brown-type businessman, from catching fish to catching people. If you’d ever wonder if God can use you, then listen to this story.
The Gospel of Matthew ends the same way that it began: that God is with us always, to the very end of the age. A message and promise that we can take to the world, as we baptize and teach.
The Holy Spirit removes the barriers that stand in the way of the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ and His Church. If He does that for the Church, He will do that for you.
The Teacher reminds us to remember our Creator by hearing His Word, which comes to us and brings pleasure, pain, perspective, and preparedness.
As we wrap up the book of Ecclesiastes, we will read the concluding sentences of the author; see what words of wisdom we can be left with; and how it applies to our lives today.
The big lesson that Solomon is driving at in this section aimed at the young is “Fear God, and do what you want.” Live! To God’s Glory! Before the troubles of aging sets in.
God wants us to enjoy life on this earth, so He gives us wisdom. Wisdom in the form of practical principles for daily life.
Ever find yourself saying "life's not fair"? When you look at the lives of others compared to your own, do you feel this way? Do you feel this way given the current state of things in our world? As we look at Ecclesiastes we see that sometimes life doesn't seem fair, especially for those who are wise compared to those who are foolish. Is this who God intends life to be for us? And if not, where and when do we see the fairness in our life?
We can influence our lives, but we do not control our lives. There are circumstances, unexpected tragedies, that fall upon us, that we cannot control. But we can control how we respond – with wisdom and faith.
Broken hearts, weak hearts, and strong hearts. This can also describe faith: broken, weak, or strong. When we look at Ecclesiastes and Luke in our individual lives on earth, and how it's connected to our spiritual lives we can see not only where our hearts are, but also where our faith is at.
We see fear talked about in different ways when we look at Ecclesiastes and John. Ecclesiastes says "it will be well with those who fear God." In the Gospel of John, the disciples were hiding after the resurrection "for fear of the Jews." So, what is exactly is fear, and how does it connect to a healthy "fear of the Lord"?
Fear of the virus turns our world upside down and leaves us scared, anxious, paralyze, and powerless. The followers of Jesus felt the exact same way on that first Easter Sunday. Jesus appeared to them and gave them peace, purpose, and power. He does the same for us.
From Christ's arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, we journey with Him all the way to the cross and find out exactly why we can thank God for Good Friday. Three little words: It is finished.
In the Garden of Gethsemene, we learn a lot about prayer and a lot about the cup of God’s wrath.
Hosanna means save us. The people waving palm branches may have expected a different kind of saving than the one Jesus came to bring. So, even if we question God's actions in our lives, He knows exactly what He's doing.
The Teacher is going to get us thinking and asking questions about what we believe. Why? So we can make adjustments and get healed up, tuned up, and back to enjoying life with God.
God wants us to live as His children and He gives us the grace, the strength, and the wisdom to do that. This chapter of Ecclesiastes gives us simple proverbs that we can remember and live by.
It’s hard to be content. Envy doesn’t help. If Jesus was like us He would have never stepped off His throne to save us.
When the temptation of greed leaves us never being satisfied, how can we ever find satisfaction in this life? How can we be content if we have everything, or if we have nothing?
The Bible is far more concerned about how you received, given, spent, and shared your wealth than how much wealth you have.
Solomon asks us to check our motives and heart when meeting with God. Practically this means sitting in silence to listen to God's Word, read and preached. Then we can respond with gratitude in song and petition.
What makes someone foolish or wise, especially in regard to the truth of God's Word? Listen to and hear that answer.
We hear the words "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and they remind us of funerals, death. We hear the words "to dust you are and to dust you shall return" on Ash Wednesday, and it reminds us of the consequences of our sins, is death. We come for a time of confession and repentance of our sin, but we also focus on the Absolution, Christ's forgiveness for our sins.
Wisdom is like gold, hard to find. But there are places we find it and where God gives it.
People can drive us crazy. They can hurt us, or use us, or they can love us. We are going to take a crash course in people and also learn about the great gift of family and friends and how important it is to be a family and a friend to the people God has placed in our lives. Two are better than one.
King Solomon is looking over his kingdom and sees the struggle and oppression of his people in a world that is often so unjust. One day God will judge. In the meantime, we are encouraged to comfort the oppressed and find opportunities to enjoy the work that God has given us to do.
As Solomon wrestles with the injustices of life under the sun, we don't look to our own lives and experiences for an answer, rather we turn to God's Word.
When you know what season you are in you can act accordingly. God is going to make everything beautiful in its time.
Book of Ecclesiastes - There is a season for every matter under heaven, and today we look at a time to speak and a time to keep silence, specifically within the context of worship, in the divine service. We will find that worship is more than just speaking and listening, and keeping silent, it is God's service to us.
We spend the better part of our life learning and working, only to end up accomplishing little and dying. What makes life meaningful? SomeOne. Would you say that you primarily see God as a teacher who wants you to learn, a boss who wants you to work, or Father who wants to enjoy life with you?
Solomon filled his life with many worldly pleasures, only to find them all meaningless. Jesus gives our lives meaning and fulfillment. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11
Nothing really matters when life is lived apart from God. But a life lived with God makes everything meaningful and valuable.
Solomon is considered one of the wisest men who ever lived. Before picking out his casket he wrote one of the most brutally honest, painfully helpful books ever written on life.
I can’t get no satisfaction! That’s so true, from our stuff! But why? Solomon would know. He had everything! Yet none of it satisfied. Do the math. Everything - God = Nothing. Or Nothing + God = everything. Sunday Morning Bible Study with Pastor Brad.
As the Christ child is born in Bethlehem and placed in the manger, the mighty dragon waits to devour Him.
The greatest gift at Christmas is Jesus. The second greatest gift at Christmas, might just be forgiveness. - Christmas Eve Service
During the Sunday School Christmas Service there were six short messages shared to expand on the children's program.
What does this world need more than anything? Think about it. Now let’s see what God will provide.
In this first week of Advent, we focus on Hope. In the context of Hope, we will also look at commitment, and covenant, and promise and see how they have been realized for us in Christ, and how they are connected to other relationships.
God give us prophecies concerning the last times not to scare us but to warn us that there will be things that come that will challenge our faith. There will be a rebellion against God’s law. God has given us the truth so we can stand firm and faithful.
It really matters what you believe, what you put your faith in. The Bible articulates very clearly who Jesus is and what He has done. Thank You God for the words. Yet, we also thank God for the person of Jesus Christ, Himself.
We keep our heads up, eyes focused on the cross, and in this we can see the redemption Christ won for us.
As Martin Luther did 500 years ago, we stand on the Word of God that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.
All Saints' Day reminds us of those who have gone before us in the faith. All Saints' Day also reminds us that we who believe in Christ are also counted as saints.
Jesus teaches us not to give up when we pray, but be persistent and patient. God talks to us in His Word. We talk to God in prayer. Let’s review a little bit about what our conversation with our Heavenly Father looks like and does.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we can be thankful for the kinsman redeemer that came into Ruth's life, which ultimately led to Christ our Redeemer coming into ours.
As you read the Parable of the Lost Sheep, do you see yourself as the shepherd, the lost sheep, or the 99 sheep who are not lost?
A brief recap on the National Youth Gathering Sunday, as we spoke with those who were in attendance about what they learned.
God is at work in the world preparing people’s hearts to believe in Him and His Son Jesus Christ for the salvation of their souls. They just need someone who knows and loves Jesus to come an speak to them about His love. Who will that be? This is the mission of the Church.
Jesus uses this parable to teach us to use our wealth wisely. One way to do that is by being generous to, and making friends with, those in need especially those who do not yet believe, in the hope that we will see them in heaven.
Salvation is something God does for you. Discipleship is something you do with God. Salvation occurs in a moment. Discipleship takes a lifetime. Our relationship with Jesus is in a category above all other relationships. No matter how difficult following Jesus may get, do not quit. He will see us through to the end.
What are your biggest fears in life? What are you most afraid of? And is it possible for us to be set free from fear?
Life is hard. The struggle is real. It's a good thing we have God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who make it all better.
Sometimes when people get really passionate about something there is usually conflict not far behind. Jesus speaks passionately and urgently about His mission and warns His followers that as they too share that passion and urgency they will experience opposition. How do we maintain a passion and urgency for the Gospel?
The things we put our time, effort, and even money into, are the things that we treasure the most, but can also be the things that become our master. Who is your master?
Jesus calls us to unequivocally follow Him. But some things get in the way. Oddly enough, sometimes its something in the past. We can’t plow a straight line forward if we are constantly looking back. Why on earth would we look back when we have such a glorious future? This is part III of our study of Luke 9:51-62
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a story that we can easily learn the lesson that we should be like the Good Samaritan. Is that the only thing that we can learn, or is there something even great that we can learn, not about ourselves, but about God and who He is and what He's done for us. - Pastor Glenn
In Luke 9:51-62 Jesus challenges us to put Him before our tribe, our comfort, our security, and our past. In this episode we’ll deal with security. This is Part 2 of 3.
In Luke 9:51-62 Jesus challenges us to put Him before our tribe, our comfort, our security, and our past. Can we? We’ll deal with tribe and comfort in this episode. This is part 1 of 3. - Pastor Brad
In the Gospel of Luke, two men give Jesus excuses as to why they cannot follow Him immediately. Do we give Jesus the same kinds of excuses, and can we even follow Him on our own? - Pastor Glenn
If Jesus can save a man possessed by many many demons and use him, He can certainly use us. The fascinating story of the healing of the demon possessed man in Luke 8:26-39 - Pastor Brad
We take a look at who God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has called us to be, specifically the men, as we celebrate Father's Day. - Pastor Glenn
The people of Babel wanted to make a name for themselves and you might know how that turned out. At Pentecost the people proclaim the name that is above every other name. - Pastor Glenn
When we read about heaven at the end of the Bible, we see that God spared no expense. Its fabulous! Typical of a God who gave His one and only Son to suffer and die for us. - Pastor Brad
We all long for a better day and the Bible says its coming. We can’t fix the world’s problems, but God can and He will. - Pastor Brad
How do we get from here to heaven? God has His Word preached to us which creates and sustains faith in us. - Pastor Brad
Sometimes things are said with the best of intentions, but the message doesn't come across that way. Jesus' message is said with more than just the best of intentions, because His Words are from God Himself, and His actions speak to His Words. Through His death and resurrection, we have the promise of forgiveness of sins and eternal life where we will be delivered from every trouble, we will have no more pain, and our sorrow will be turned to joy. - Pastor Glenn
There are a lot of opinions about Jesus. The one that really matters is His. He told us clearly, plainly, emphatically that He is God who came to save the world. - Pastor Brad
From rejection to redemption, the story of Peter's denial and his reinstatement can easily be seen as our story as well. John 21:1-19
Are you afraid? For yourself? For your Church? God comforts the Apostle John with a vision that has a very important message for us also: Jesus, is among His people.
Matthew 28:1-10, 1 Corinthians 15:1-26 - Does the Easter enthusiasm last past Easter, or do our shouts of "Alleluia! Christ is Risen!" become quieter and quieter, or even disappear until next year? What changes? Why is this year any different? Why does it matter?
What happened on the cross on that first Good Friday was up to that time the most important event in human history. It was prophesied a long time ago in the book of Isaiah. But even more astonishing than all that is the fact that it was all done ‘for us’ and ‘for’ our salvation.
Luke 22:39-46 - On Maundy Thursday, Jesus shares the Last Supper with His disciples and makes His way to the Garden of Gethsemane where He wrestles with God's will in prayer.
The antidote for pride is not humility, it’s Jesus. Humility is a by-product of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus exemplifies humility, saves us from our pride, and enables us to pursue godly humility. Philippians 2
Lenten Series "Behold the Tree" takes a look at trees of the Bible from their point of view, and how we see the life-giving tree of the cross on which was hung the salvation of the world. - Luke 19:1-10
Good Works. When we talk about our motivations for good works, is it to point others to ourselves or to Christ? - Philippians 3:4b-14
This series of Lenten services considers a number of significant trees in the Bible. Looking through their branches, so to speak, will give us an even more perceptive view of the cross of Christ.
God not only gives us His Holy Spirit to overcome the temptations of the devil, but He also gives us some very practical weapons: our identity, Godly perspective, the Scriptures, and faith to trust Him in the midst of the test.
Lenten Series "Behold the Tree" takes a look at trees of the Bible from their point of view, and how we see the life-giving tree of the cross on which was hung the salvation of the world.
Like the fig tree that is given another year to bear fruit, does God give us second chances in our lives of faith?
Lenten Series "Behold the Tree" takes a look at trees of the Bible from their point of view, and how we see the life-giving tree of the cross on which was hung the salvation of the world.
Are we able to find shelter in God, like a mother hen who gathers her chicks under her wings?
This series of Lenten services considers a number of significant trees in the Bible. Looking through their branches, so to speak, will give us an even more perceptive view of the cross of Christ. Join us every Wed. evening at 7pm for a time of meditation, prayer, and reflection
We learn a lot of things from the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. We learn how the devil works and we learn what God has given His Son, and also us, to overcome. - Pastor Brad
"Behold the life-giving tree of the cross on which was hung the salvation of the world." This series of Lenten messages considers a number of significant trees in the Bible. Looking through their branches, so to speak, may give us an even better perceptive view of the cross of Christ. Ash Wednesday: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The Transfiguration. Moses, Elijah, Jesus. They all did miracles. They all spoke the Word of God. They all were holy men. But only one is God in the flesh who came to die and rise and to save the world. Jesus is your only Saviour.
Loving others is hard. Loving our enemies is harder. As we look at God's Word and His actions, we see how He treats His enemies.
The Bible describes the follower of Christ as a tree planted by the stream in Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17. Confident. Where do we get our confidence from and what can help us stand firm in the face of temptation?
As Jesus calls the first disciples to be fishers of men, we can look at our own life and see God's call for us.
God’s will is that we love Him and love one another. Before we can do that we have to know what is meant by ‘love’. Today we are going to look at what real love is from God’s point of view.
Christ comes to fulfill prophecies of God in order to bring forgiveness and life to all people, but it wasn't easy.
Wise men come to worship the newborn king, not because they are worthy, but because He is worthy to be worshiped.
We all want our relationships to be better. They can be when we love others as God has loved us? We can’t do this on our own but when the character and love of Christ first rules in us and brings us His peace, we can. And that happens as the Word of Christ dwells in us. And that happens in worship. Who knew that worship can so profoundly affect our relationships with others? - Pastor Brad
St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians to put on Christ. Just as we clothe our physical bodies so too are we to put on the righteousness of Christ and His character. Then we can really love others as He loved us. This supernatural love can especially be seen in forgiving others.
Before God tells us how to act, He tells us who we are: chosen, holy and beloved. All this because of Jesus Christ, who came to save us from sin, death, and hell, and give us a new nature. When we apply these truths to our relationships, as Paul does in Colossians 3, wow, God is good!
As we gather on Christmas we think about Christ coming to us, and for us, in the flesh, because He wants all of us to have His forgiveness and salvation.
We see miraculous babies with the conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus. This final Sunday in Advent we see more of the miracles of Christmas.
Loneliness seems like an epidemic in our society. There may be more people living in proximity to each other but that does not automatically deal with the sense of isolation we all sometimes feel. Paul was in prison. He, of all people, should have felt lonely. Yet he shares with us the answer to loneliness in the first chapter of his letter to the Philippians.
The season of Advent focuses on coming. The coming of Christ into the world that first Christmas, and the second coming of Christ in glory. As we focus on the Christmas season, we want to keep the focus on Christ and what His coming means for us. - Pastor Glenn
Jesus Christ said He would return and that no one would know when. Here are five thoughts to help you live your life in a faith-strengthening, God-pleasing way whether He comes today or a thousand years from now.
The writer of Hebrews calls God's people to not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. But why is meeting together even important in the first place? - Pastor Glenn
It’s the little things in life that seem to end up making a bid difference. God calls us to be faithful in the little things. We get two examples from Scripture, from two seemingly insignificant characters, yet what they do is a lesson for all of us. Nothing is unimportant or “little” when used by God.
“Can a Christian use recreational marijuana in good conscience?” This is part 2 of the podcast series. You can find Part 1 about medicinal marijuana on the website. Printed/email copies of the messages are available upon request from the office, office@peacelc.com
All Saints' Sunday is a celebration of the saints who are in paradise with God because of having died in the faith. We also don't want to forget ourselves in the word "all" because we too are saints now, on account of faith. - Pastor Glenn
Members are going to be asking me if it’s okay to use marijuana now that the government has made it legal. What should I say? So I did a bunch of reading and I’m going to answer the question “Can a Christian use medicinal marijuana in good conscience?” and later “Can a Christian use recreational marijuana in good conscience?”
Jesus tells us “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free”. Free from what? Sin that enslaves us and comes to us in the form of lies. Oh how important it is to combat the misbeliefs and lies that we so often hold on to with the truth from God’s Word! This frees us to live the life God wants for us.
This past weekend at the youth retreat we talked about who we are; what defines us; who we are called to be; what prevents us from being who we are called to be; and how can we live as God has called us to live. We share with you those questions and answers as we look deeper in God's Word.
What’s wrong with being rich? Nothing…..unless, of course, it keeps you from God’s will for your life, which is loving your neighbour and spending eternity in heaven with God. Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter when a rich young ruler ask Him about entrance into heaven. What you do with your wealth says a lot about who you are.
Jesus welcomes children. In the Gospel reading, He takes them in His arms, lays hands on them, and blesses them. Does He still do that for us today? - Pastor Glenn
I don’t want to cause little ones to sin, do you? Of course not. But we can, and we do. Jesus teaches us how we should deal with sin in our own life, and thus model that to our children.
We live in a complicated world and we also make things more complicated than they need to be. Maybe we can find some simplicities of our faith.
Right after the Transfiguration Jesus casts a demon out of a boy. Why? Because no one else could. The religious leaders couldn’t, the disciples couldn’t, the faithless generation couldn’t. This story reminds us the value of our children and the need to bring them to Jesus, their only Saviour. Pray for our children.
The phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" means that we judge things based on outward appearances. When we look at God's Word, we're not talking about judging books, we're talking about judging people. People with their own stories. We are called not to judge those people, but rather to love them, because we have first been loved by God.
Sometimes when really bad things happen, or they happen all at once, we look up and say “Where are you God?” But really we need to factor in something else, the possibility of the devil. St. Paul warns us in Ephesians 6 that our struggle is not against people, but against the schemes of the devil. We are fighting a spiritual battle, and it’s a doozy. But we don’t fight alone. In Christ we have victory. Pastor Brad
Proverbs are wise sayings with advice on how to live your life. Traditions are the things people do to help people live their life, and remind them how those before them lived. In the end, what matters more, actions or words?
When faced with teachings that are hard to understand or believe, we either walk away like so many, or follow the One who has the words, and teachings, of eternal life. Pastor Glenn
Jesus, the bread of life, comes to us so that we will find satisfaction and fulfillment in Him.
Jesus feeds over 5000 people with five loves of bread and two fish. What a miracle! Just a few hours later the disciples fear for their lives in a boat in the middle of the lake in the middle of a storm. The Gospel of Mark chapter 6 says “they had not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened.” If the disciples have a hard time believing the promises of God, how much harder will it be for us? Lord, help us grasp how wide and long and high and deep is Your love.
As Jesus feeds 5,000 men, women and children not included, with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, we can ask ourselves whether or not He still works miracles in our life. - Pastor Glenn
A plumb line measures whether or not something is built straight and true. When we discuss living our lives on the right, true, straight path, we take a look at God's Word to see who holds our plumb line. - Pastor Glenn
God calls us to be His witnesses. He doesn’t ask us, He tells us, and then He empowers us with His Holy Spirit to witness in the circumstances He has placed us in, and to the people He has placed in our lives. He doesn’t ask us to ‘close the deal’, just to invite people to meet Jesus.
When Jesus lays His hands on the daughter of Jairus she is healed. Fascinating story. When Jesus gets a hold of a life, that life is transformed. The laying on of hands has been part of the Christianity throughout the ages as a symbol of God’s love.
As we look at Jesus calming the storm, we see that Jesus, through His death and resurrection, comes to bring peace before, in, and after the storms in our life.
The devil wants you fathers, but God wants you more. You have a very important job to do for Him. God wants you to guard, gird, and guide your family, and to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. - Mark 4:26-34
The way the world is, is not the way the world should be. Some thing has gone terribly wrong. Sin has infected everything. But we have a good good Father who pursues us and saves us. Genesis 3
In addressing the Pharisees who follow the rules of the Sabbath Day, and the issues they have with Him not following them, Jesus tells them that the Sabbath was made for man, and that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Mark 2:28-3:6
When life doesn’t add up, when we can’t make sense of things, what we believe, teach, and confess about the Trinity, the person and work of God, can help us makes sense of things and help us to witness to others about God.
We will be persecuted because of the Bible. Jesus said so. He also said He will protect us. How? We learn an important lesson from the early church. Acts 4
As we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples who then spoke in other languages the Good News of Jesus, we remember that we are here because of the Holy Spirit at work in our own life and because of that first Pentecost.
What happens between the day we confess our faith and the day we go to heaven? The answer might not be what you think. But I’ve got to tell you what to expect.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who cares for us His sheep, lays down His life for us, and searches for the ones who are lost.
In the wake of Jesus' resurrection things will never be the same. A man is healed, a crowd gathers, and Peter preaches. Times of refreshing come from the Lord!
Jesus is risen from the dead and appears to His disciples, but Thomas is not there. When he hears about it later, his response is that he'll only believe when he sees Jesus and touches Him. John 20:19-31 (Pastor Glenn)
We often wait for the right moment, but it can mean never doing something, or missing an opportunity completely. Jesus came at just the right moment for us. Pastor Glenn
We often wait for the right moment, but it can mean never doing something, or missing an opportunity completely. Jesus came at just the right moment for us. Pastor Glenn
As we conclude the "Help for the Hurried Life" series, we look at the help we need, and where it comes from. Pastor Glenn
“Are you Afraid of Dying?” No need to be. Satan uses fear tactics to keep us from living a confident life. Jesus is victorious over Satan. That is the clear and powerful message of the resurrection and Easter. (Pastor Brad)
“The Real Presence in Holy Communion” - God’s Method of Operating throughout history shows that He is present in the lives of His people for the purpose of saving them. The teaching of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion is part of this tradition. (Pastor Brad)
“In the Presence of God” – what happened to people in the OT who were unprepared, unconsecrated, or unrepentant when they were in the presence of God? What happened in Corinth during Holy Communion? (Pastor Brad)
“Where, When, With Whom?” – Where, when, and with whom should we celebrate Holy Communion. A look at the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed views of the Lord’s Supper. (Pastor Brad)
“How do you get ready for Holy Communion?” Corporate and personal preparation for the Lord’s Supper. (Pastor Brad)
If you’ve ever felt that you wanted to quit God’s got a word for you. Paul learned to be content in jail. How?
As we continue our "Help for the Hurried Life" series, we look at Philippians 3 and see that in our hurried lives our focus should be on knowing Christ. (March 4, 2018 - Philippians 3)
We introduce our upcoming Bible study and sermon series: "Help for the Hurried Life" based on Paul's letter to the Philippians. (Feb. 11, 2018 - Mark 9:2-9)
Part 2 of our Lenten Bible Study - What do you spend most of your time worried about? Your schedule? Your life? Paul reminds us the 2nd chapter of his letter to the Philippians to have the same attitude (eyes) as Jesus, and therefore, get busy serving others.
We are called to wait on the Lord. We don’t like waiting. We buck waiting. But waiting is good for us, because while we are waiting God is working and He is faithful and doesn’t disappoint.
In looking at the ladders of Jacob and Jesus we see how God has connected Himself to the world and His people. (January 28, 2018 - John 1:43-51)
As we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus we will focus on what baptism means for the baptized and those not baptized. (January 14, 2018 - Mark 1:4-11)
One verse in the Gospel of Luke talks about the circumcision of Jesus, so we'll focus on what that verse means to us. (December 31, 2017 - Luke 2:21)
God loves ALL people. The story of Jonah teaches us this. We need to make sure that neither our prejudices, our other responsibilities in life like people and things, or even our time constraints get in the way of our called purpose to spread God’s love.
This Christmas Eve we explore what gifts we can bring to God, and what he has given to us.
At the Sunday School Christmas program we explore what we can expect to hear in a worship service on Sunday. (From December 17, 2017)
Mary, the Angels, and the Shepherds respond to the Good News of Jesus Christ. There’s a lesson there for us.
Is there pain in love? We’ll answer this as we look at Paul encouraging the Corinthians to “do everything in love.”
Paul in his letter to the Corinthians assures them that sin and death have been defeated because of the victory Christ won for the world.
In light of all the sexual harassment allegations, in light of all the relationship strife that is so apparent in our world God reminds us of the importance of showing meaningful, holy affection to each other.
The most important event in the history of the world is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and how it has transformed lives.
Paul tells his church when and how they will get their new resurrected body. He also reminds them what they should be doing while they wait for it. Very important stuff.
Paul tells his church that they are going to get new bodies at the resurrection. As soon as he says that his church has questions? We look at some of those questions.
If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, what do we lose? If Jesus did rise from the dead, what do we gain? The answer to both questions is EVERYTHING.
The Bible uses the concept of prophecy in three different ways. This gift is so important!
I wonder what language is spoken in heaven? Heavenese? We will look at what the Bible teaches concerning the gift of tongues.
Having defined tongues and prophecy, Paul now has us look at the rules that are governing how tongues and prophecy are used in the church. Our gifts are little more than ways we can love each other in the Church.
As Paul writes to the Corinthians, we can ask ourselves if the primary purpose of worship is to build up those who are on the inside, or to bring in those on the outside.