This is an article I wrote for the September 1st, 2011 edition of the Stone County Gazette. ——— “Sola Scriptura” literally says “scripture alone.” It’s a shortened statement Martin Luther used during the Reformation. But as with all sound bites, we lose much when a sound bite replaces the truth it originally promoted. Today, Sola […]
Parable of the Dishonest Manager: Luke 16:1-13
August 21, 2011 by
Jesus tells us a parable about a useless, money manager. We call this parable, “The Parable of the Dishonest Manager.” We’re not exactly sure how this manager handled the owner’s money. But this we know: everything he did as a manager was a failure. So the owner fired him and told him to turn over […]
New Church Directory is Close to Completion
August 17, 2011 by
We’ve been working on a new pictorial church directory for Shepherd of the Hills. Our last was printed in 2007. So it was time for a new one. Here’s what the front cover will look like for our new directory. It’s very Lutheran yet also artistically pleasing. This new directory will be more than be […]
St. Mary, Mother of God: Luke 1:39-55
August 13, 2011 by
Whenever possible, artwork has always adorned the chancels of Christian churches. Since the beginning, the Church has never sought after stark and stern places of worship. Even in the Old Testament, beautiful artwork and engravings adorned God’s holy Temple, according to His own specifications. This longing to have beautiful art within God’s house continued even into […]
Jesus Feeds Us: Mark 8:1-9
August 7, 2011 by
When we think about Jesus feeding the multitude, in this case, a crowd of 4,000, we normally pay little attention to the setting. We stand amazed by what Jesus did. He multiplied a minute amount of bread and fish to feed an enormous crowd. But that’s just the obvious part. If you look at the […]
The Ten Words: Exodus 20:1-17
July 31, 2011 by
If you remember your confirmation instruction, you may remember the three purposes of God’s Law. God’s Law serves as a curb, a mirror, and a guide. The curbing part of the Law helps restrain our sinful behavior. The mirror of the Law shows us that we can’t fully do what God expects of us. The […]
Blessings at Reeds Springs, MO
July 30, 2011 by
This year at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, we have chosen to help support Blessings in Reeds Springs, Missouri. Blessings is a need-based boutique run by Craig and Gina Foster. They want to provide many needed items for the home and family based on one’s ability to pay. They are friendly folks who do […]
Fishers of Men
July 24, 2011 by
What a strange miracle: a miracle of catching many fish. That was a miracle tailor-made for fishermen. And that’s who Jesus’ first disciples were; they were fishermen. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all partners in a fishing business. One day, Jesus was teaching a crowd that converged at the Sea of Galilee. Running out […]
Issues Etc.
July 20, 2011 by
As part of our National Missions Budget, we at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church have chosen to support Issues Etc. Issues Etc. is a cool, informative radio talk show with a two-fold focus. First, they defend and teach the truths rediscovered at the Lutheran Reformation: Grace, Faith, Scripture, and Christ alone. Second, they challenge–in […]
Genesis 50:15-21: Evil Turned to Good
July 17, 2011 by
If anyone thought that he could be a god in the place of God, Joseph might have thought that. After all, he was second in command of Egypt, the powerful empire of his day. The only authority higher than Joseph was Pharaoh himself. And Pharaoh thought that he was divine. So it might be that […]
