This lesson is born from a concern about “vain repetition” in our worship liturgy. In our Divine Services on Sunday, we rotate settings of the Liturgy based on the season. However, during our midweek Advent and Lenten services, we have used the exact same service, Evening Prayer, for the last few years. Thus, are we […]
Roman 8:18-27:Prayers of groans too deep for words
July 20, 2014 by
On August 31, 1422, King Henry V of England died. Henry V’s one-and-only son, Henry VI, then became king. However, a problem then confronted that island nation in the sea: Henry VI was only eight months old! So, because of Henry’s young age and inexperience, the English Parliament appointed Humphrey, the Duke of Gloucester, to […]
Psalm 3: Arise, O LORD! Save me, my God!
December 18, 2013 by
People are more likely to pray when life is going badly than when life is going well. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. The Old Testament book of Judges shows that exact pattern of a prayer life. According to Judges, most people then would chase after what they wanted in life, forgetting about […]
John 16:23-30: Praying as We Ought
May 5, 2013 by
God put on the robe of human flesh, being born from the womb of Virgin Mary. As God, He knew all; as a human, He had to learn, grow, and develop. As a man, God, in the person of Jesus the Messiah, made Himself a sacrifice for our sin–for us and our salvation. He ascended […]
Sunday of the Fulfillment: Jude 20-25: Contend for the Faith Once Delivered to the Saints
November 25, 2012 by
We know almost nothing about St. Jude, the author of today’s epistle reading. In the introduction to his letter, Jude only gives us a few facts about himself. He tells us that he is a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. That’s it. That’s all the autobiographical data he gives us. It […]
1 John, Lesson 4: Conclusion
July 3, 2012 by
Eternal Life, Prayer, and Sin Read 1 John 4:13 – Who has eternal life? – What does believing in the name of the Son of God mean? Read 1 John 5:14-15 In 1 John 5:13-15, John moves from the greater to the lesser. If God has given us eternal life in Christ, then […]
2 Samuel 12:11-25: Prayer as the First Resort
July 1, 2012 by
You’re forgiven. So, now what; what do you do now? That’ worth asking, for the Christian life doesn’t end with forgiveness. That’s where it begins. So, what do you do now? And so we ponder our Old Testament reading. But that reading begins where we usually end the story of King David and Bathsheba. Earlier, […]
James, Lesson 6 (Chapter 5): Warning, Patience, and Prayer
June 7, 2012 by
Warning to the Rich Scripture is clear that wealth isn’t something we are to place out trust in. Of course, this is contrary to the way of the world. Nonetheless, for the Christian, he is to trust in God. For example, King Solomon warns, “The one who trusts in riches, this man will fall, but […]
James, Lesson 1: Introduction and Theme
April 30, 2012 by
James: Lesson 1 Introduction and Theme Among the books of the New Testament, James has suffered much because it was one of the disputed books of the New Testament. It also suffered because of its content (for example, does it teach that works save us?). When Martin Luther was translating the Bible into German, he […]
The Didache, Lesson 12: Prayer and Fasting
March 20, 2012 by
After the Didache goes over what brings someone into the New Covenant of Christ, it immediately moves into the spiritual disciplines for someone who is in the covenant: Prayer and fasting. The spiritual disciplines that Jesus’ disciples are to bring into their lives help keep the sinful nature from taking over and causing them to […]
