Everything else being equal, a tried-and-true principle exists in this world: You reap the seeds you sow. Do you want to harvest a wheat crop during the autumn? You plant the seed in the spring, harvesting what you earlier planted. This principle is also true when it comes to the evil in life. Someone who […]
Our Life with God, Lesson 14: Evangelism, Part 2
July 2, 2016 by
Evangelism takes place within our everyday vocations. Through Word and Sacrament, the pastor evangelizes as He brings Jesus to others and the life Jesus gives. This is the pastor “discipling” others, as Jesus gives His pastors to do. The layperson also evangelizes in his everyday vocations. He does this by letting his light shine on […]
Luke 9:51-62: Preconditions Not Allowed
June 26, 2016 by
Jesus sets His gaze on Jerusalem, the city where He will be “taken up.” “Taken up” is shorthand for dying for the sins of the world, rising to life on the third day, and then returning to the Father in heaven. Jesus does this all for you and your salvation. So, He goes forward without […]
Our Life with God, Lesson 13: Evangelism, Part 1
June 25, 2016 by
Evangel: From the Greek word euangelion, meaning “good news,” the Gospel. Although evangel means “good news,” the evangel is more than information that happens to be good. This “good news” has the power within it to do what it says. Romans 1:16: I am not ashamed of the gospel [euangelion], because it is God’s power […]
Our Life with God, Lesson 12: Fasting
June 19, 2016 by
In part of these lessons, we’ve used Matthew 6 as a template for the Christian life. In that chapter, Jesus describes (not commands) what the life of being a disciple entails: helping the poor, praying, and fasting. Jesus did not command them because such a living of the faith was so obvious that it He […]
Psalm 3
June 19, 2016 by
So, when you woke up this morning, did you arise as royalty? Whether you felt like you were or not, Scripture says you are. “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). You are royalty. You will reign with God in eternity after Christ returns on […]
Our Take on Purgatory, Pt. 2
June 17, 2016 by
This is the concluding article on the Lutheran view of the Roman-Catholic doctrine of purgatory. Continuing our look into the Roman-Catholic doctrine of purgatory, Rome teaches: All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death, they undergo purification, so as to achieve […]
Our Life with God, Lesson 11: Christian Prayer, Pt. 4: Prayers for the Sainted Dead
June 13, 2016 by
After taking a look a one-lesson excursion on what it means to praise God, we again approach the topic of prayer. Today, we examine the topic of praying for those who have died in the faith, whose souls are now in heaven. Before we get to the “why,” we see if such praying is in […]
Luke 7:36-8:3: Generous Giving is not Accidental
June 13, 2016 by
Today, Scripture came to us and told us of a woman, a generous one. She expressed a deep devotion and affection toward Jesus in her generosity, by anointing His feet with expensive perfume. Her story is relational. Jesus loves her, and she responds with a deep love for Him. Her story is inclusive, for Jesus […]
Psalm 30: Weeping may lodge for the night, but joy comes in the morning
June 5, 2016 by
How well did you sleep well last night? Were you interrupted by some unexpected “visitor”? Someone or something came to you in the early hours of the morning. You tossed and turned, and sleep become a distant memory, even a stranger to you. This nighttime intruder is sinister. He wakes you up and worms his […]
