At the worst of times, a king and his kingdom can be oppressive, a hierarchical arrangement most unwavering. Authority lies in the hands of one man, his word as the nation’s command. Obedient subjects bow to his every decree. The King’s word is final, and any infraction might punish or banish. At its best, a […]
Luke 24:47: Preaching Repentance into the Forgiveness of Sins
May 8, 2016 by
Before our Lord ascended into heaven, He gave His Apostles several enduring mandates, commanding them what to do until He returned. We’re most familiar with the one in St. Matthew’s Gospel. Having gathered His Apostles on the mountaintop, Jesus told them: “Disciple the Gentiles by baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 4: What God Gives, How He Gives It, and What Will Remain
January 4, 2015 by
After 1 Corinthians mentioned what God had called Paul and Sosthenes to do, to preach and teach the wisdom of God, Paul then again got personal. He said the Corinthian Christians had not grown in the Faith as they should have. They were still “fleshly infants”: they haven’t grown in stature and lost their “baby […]
Why go to Church?
November 1, 2014 by
This lesson topic stems from the idea that if God is a loving God, then why do we “have” to come to church? Like last week’s lesson on “God’s rest” for us from the book of Hebrews (4:1), we also look in the book of Hebrews to understand why God tells us not to neglect […]
Augsburg Confession, Articles 4-5
May 3, 2014 by
Last week, we didn’t finish Article 4 as we discussed some related topics and chose to spend time on those. AC IV: Justification 1Our churches teach that people cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. 2People are justified as a gift because of Christ, through faith, when they believe […]
Matthew 21:1-9: Your King Comes, Righteous and Having Salvation
December 2, 2012 by
“Behold, your king is coming to you, righteous and having salvation.” Are you ready for your King? Are you ready for His visit? Are you prepared for His grand and glorious advent? For that’s what it is: It’s Advent. It’s not the “holiday season.” It’s not Black Friday morphing into the pre-Christmas shopping season. It’s […]
The Way of the Donkey: Mark 11:1-10
November 27, 2011 by
When fishes flew and forests walked and figs grew upon thorn, some moment when the moon was blood then surely I was born. With monstrous head and sickening cry and ears like errant wings, the devil’s walking parody on all four-footed things. The tattered outlaw of the earth, of ancient crooked will; starve, scourge, deride […]
Walking in the Spirit: Galatians 5:16-24
September 25, 2011 by
Oh, how wretched we Christians can often seem! Through the waters of baptism, the Holy Spirit creates spiritual life in us, through which we are born from above (John 3:3-6). Yet, this spiritual birth is but the beginning of a constant conflict between our sinful nature and the Spirit of God. The Apostle Paul calls […]
