This is how God works in the lives of people. He sends his Holy Spirit to show us the love and power of Jesus Christ to save. Though the Spirit sometimes works dramatically, as at Pentecost, most of the time his presence is invisible and silent, yet no less effective. He plants faith through the preaching of the Word and Holy Baptism, he mediates our prayers before our heavenly Father, and he gives us the very words to speak when we share our faith with others. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Although some imagine that Confirmation is like graduation, it is really quite different.  Graduation from a school, like high school or college, implies that one has completed their studies and is now eligible to begin a profession or at least advance to the next higher grade.  Students leave the school they've been attending and go somewhere else.  But with a church Confirmation, students are entering into, not leaving their life in the church.  Confirmation is only the beginning of one's life with God as a mature Christian.  It affirms that each one confirmed will dedicate their lives to Christ, attending worship, participating the Lord's Supper, and furthering their Christian education as an adult through Bible study and personal devotion.  It signifies that their parents are no longer responsible for nurturing their faith, but that now they themselves have this responsibility.  One of my favorite Bible verses for a Confirmand is Revelation 2:10  Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.  It reminds everyone that faithfulness is a lifelong endeavor.

Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

On September 11, 2001, hundreds of people fled for their lives as the twin towers burned with jet fuel. As they were running out of the buildings, the firemen and policemen were running into the buildings, to try and save as many as they could. The sight of these courageous men charging into the towers has remained in the memories of all who were saved that day.

Paintings of Jesus as 'the good shepherd' generally depict him leading a flock of sheep, a shepherd's hook his hand, a smile on his face, the sheep looking content and peaceful. Yet Jesus' words depict a shepherd with a club in his hands, bravely charging predators as they try to attack his sheep. Jesus conquered sin, death and the devil for us, by putting his own life at risk, by suffering and dying on the cross, and then by victoriously rising on the third day to proclaim his victory. His cross is not a symbol of defeat but of victory. His victory is our victory. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

After the first Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus had a profound effect on his disciples.  They were transformed from frightened fugitives into fearless witnesses; from selfish supplicants into generous givers, from depressing doubters into irrepressible, joyful believers.  Can the same be said of our lives?  Does Easter transform our view of life?  Does it make a difference or do we need an Easter attitude adjustment?  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

The apostle Paul indicates the resurrection of Jesus Christ was well documented. It was predicted by Old Testament prophets hundreds of years before it happened. The apostle Matthew, in his gospel, tells us the soldiers guarding the tomb saw the angel roll away the stone to reveal that the tomb was empty. They fled to tell the Jewish authorities, who made up a story to account for the empty tomb, and then bribed the soldiers to keep silent. The appearances of Jesus alive from the dead, however, overwhelmed this feeble attempt to hush up the truth.   Even Paul, who once persecuted Christians, was so convinced of Jesus' Resurrection after he appeared to him on the road to Damascus that he changed sides and became one of the greatest Christian apostles, convincing others of Jesus' resurrection from his own experiences with the risen Lord. Even hostile witnesses, like Tacitus, a Roman historian who hated Christians, grudgingly admitted that something happened in the days following Jesus' crucifixion to so excite his followers that the church rapidly expanded, reaching distant Rome and filling the city with new disciples. Josephus, a Jewish historian writing for the Romans also acknowledged that Jesus' disciples claimed he was alive from the dead. So many eyewitnesses and such extensive documentation require even the strongest skeptic to take a second look.

Why is this important to us? The apostle Paul says,

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

If we belong to Christ, that is, if we believe in him as our Savior and have been baptized into his name, we will rise back to life to live in paradise with him. There is no better news than this!

Come and hear more this Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Pontius Pilate knew that the chief priests, scribes and Pharisees wanted Jesus crucified because they were envious of his popularity with the people. What's more, they hated him because he had repeatedly outwitted them as they tried to trap him in his own words. It is ironic that the only claims they could make about him were that he said he was the Son of God, which is, in fact, correct. In other words, they indicted him for speaking the truth. They were so filled with hatred that they couldn't see that his miracles proved he was sent by God As a result, they lost their salvation.

Hatred is more destructive to the hater than the one he hates. Jesus did not return evil for evil, but asked his heavenly Father to forgive these violent and vicious men. God had not sent him into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world by sacrificing himself to obtain the forgiveness of sins for all people. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30.

Unbelief takes a variety of forms, some more subtle than others. There is outright atheism, which is at one end of the spectrum and, at the other end, is faith weakened by doubt, or fear, or some other worldly distraction, even pleasure. The apostle to the Hebrews (anonymous) was writing to a group of Christians who apparently were overcome with the fear of being persecuted. Instead of turning to God, they were considering the alternative of abandoning Christianity and returning to Judaism. The trouble was, to abandon Christ was also to abandon their heavenly Father because the two are inseparable. The apostle chose to wake them from what he called "the deceitfulness of sin" by reminding them of Old Testament history. The Israelites also abandoned God. They let their fears and doubts destroy their faith in God. Instead of trusting in him, they complained constantly and even rebelled against his leadership. As a result of their unbelief, they not only lost their chance to live in the promised land of Canaan, but also in the eternal promised land of life everlasting.

Do we believe as we should, or do we harbor doubts and fears? Do we give ourselves wholeheartedly to Christ and his church, or are we distracted by the cares or pleasures of this world? Unbelief can be deceptive. Asking God why things happen to us in our life without sufficiently trusting in his providence is a form of unbelief. The Holy Spirit, however, stands by, ready to help us with our doubts and fears. Praying for stronger faith is a wise prayer and we should pray for it often. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

About A.D. 27, Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea, found Jesus innocent of any crimes against the Roman government but because of the political pressure exerted by the Jews decided to give them what they wanted--the execution of Jesus. By publicly washing his hands, Pilate hoped to cleanse his conscience of guilt but, of course, he remained guilty before God. It takes a different kind of cleansing to remove guilt, especially for a sin as grievous as the murder of God's own Son. Ironically, it is the death of Jesus which provides universal atonement, the forgiveness of sins for the whole world, past, present and future. As each Christian is baptized into faith in Christ's atoning death, he or she is cleansed of all their sins. The water of Christian baptism is the cleansing we must have in order to clear our consciences and restore a right relationship to God. Whenever we sin, we remember our baptism and God's promise that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. Christians try not to sin, but when they do, they know they can turn to God for cleansing.

Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Judas was so driven by lust for wealth that he sold God's Son for thirty pieces of silver.  This is the power of lust.  It destroys lives.  It destroys souls.  Every single person walking the earth experiences lust as part of our sinful condition.  There are all kinds of lust: lust for wealth, sexual lust, lust for power, beauty, fame, drugs, alcohol, revenge, etc.  Lust is a craving deep within mankind that seeks to fill the emptiness in our souls.  But there is nothing on earth that will ever satisfy what is causing that emptiness.  Only God can do that, and he has done that through the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus Christ.  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Mark 14:27-31 And Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.' 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 29 Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not." 30 And Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times." 31 But he said emphatically, "If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same.

Peter swore he would never cave to intimidation or fear, yet when his time of testing came, he failed, just as Jesus predicted. The shame of what he had done (denying he had ever known Jesus, not just once, but three times, with curses) caused him to weep bitterly, but he did the right thing in confessing his sins to God and seeking his forgiveness. Peter was forgiven by Christ and restored to his apostleship.

All of us commit sins, but sometimes the shame of particularly bad sins stay with us all our life. The Devil waves our past failures under our nose to demoralize us, but Jesus assures us of our forgiveness and resurrection to eternal life. The sting of shame is washed away by the blood of the Lamb who, out of love for us, gave his life for ours. Peter's example of restoration encourages us to let go of the past and embrace the future.  At the end of his life, Peter was tested again, and this time he stood firm, bravely enduring his own crucifixion rather than deny Christ.

Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

What does God know about us? Does he see us in our private moments, when we are alone? Does know our thoughts, our desires, our hopes and dreams? Is he aware of our fears, our concerns, even our guilt and shame? Does he know everything about us?

Though no other human being knows what is in our private thoughts, as Paul acknowledged in his letter to the Corinthians ("For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?" 1 Corinthians 2:11), Nathanael discovered that one man, Jesus of Nazareth, knew all about him, even in a private moment as he stood alone beneath a fig tree.

The Gospels indicate, on many occasions, that Jesus knew what people were thinking. Since knowledge of man's thoughts is attributed only to God (Psalm 44:21 "For he knows the secrets of the heart"), Jesus' divine knowledge reveals his divine nature.

The amazing thing is, though Jesus knows everything about us, even the bad things, he does not condemn us, but seeks to forgive, restore and heal us in body, soul and mind. He gave his life for us that we might be whole. Even when our consciences bother us, the Bible assures us of God's love and forgiveness in Christ.

"By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:19-21

Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

For centuries the debate has raged over whether the star was actually moving or it was just the wisemen's movement relative to the star which gave that appearance. (I've also experienced that same sensation while riding in a car and watching the moon seem to move with me.) Yet Matthew says "the star went before them until it came to rest" over the place where the child was. That's good enough for me to conclude this was a supernatural phenomenon with one purpose--to lead the wisemen to the exact house where the Christ child was staying. The account is historical, not mythological. It actually happened, as did the worldwide flood, Moses' parting of the Red Sea, Jesus walking on water and other biblical miracles. Yet all around our country you will find astronomers attempting to explain away the miracle of the star as nothing more than the convergence of three planets or some other natural phenomenon.

These debates do nothing more than provide a distraction from the real point: The star reveals the identity of this child born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago. He is God's very own Son! God sent his Son into the world to become a human being, to suffer and die for the sins of the world, and to bring salvation to all who believe in his name. The visit of the wisemen foretells his coming death as they present gifts reminiscent of his burial, namely, gold, frankincense and myrrh. Perhaps the gold refers to the fact that though he was poor, Jesus was buried in the tomb of a rich man. The other two gifts were fragrant ointments commonly used in burials, including the burial of Jesus. What's more, the homage of the wisemen reveals that this child is the King of the Jews, and their worship indicates that he is divine, rather surprising coming from Gentiles from a distant land. This too, many believe, foreshadowed the fact that in the New Testament age, most Christians would be Gentiles, not Jews.

What do you believe? After all, the reader is also part of the story, for no one reads the Bible without having been impacted to some degree by the Holy Spirit. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

With this single sentence, Luke notes that, as an infant, Jesus was officially named "the Savior of the world." The name "Jesus" was an ordinary name in Israel; lots of Jewish boys were named "Jesus." But this particular Jesus was no ordinary child; he was God's very own divine Son, sent from heaven to become a human being for one all-encompassing purpose, to suffer and die to save the people of the world. The name Jesus means, "The Lord saves." Indeed, the Lord Jesus has atoned for the sins of the whole world through his suffering and death on the cross.  Furthermore, his resurrection three days later affirms that God the Father accepted his sacrifice on our behalf. Christ himself teaches that whoever believes this will be saved.

Believers already enjoy eternal life.  Though our bodies grow old and die, our souls are immortal and one day, like our Savior Jesus, we will be resurrected to a new life in a new world which will never end.  Every year, therefore, is a good year for believers, as we realize that no matter what our age, our lives have only just begun. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and start the New Year, not with your promise to God, but with His promise to you!

The apostle John is speaking of Jesus, a name known around the world, especially at Christmas, the celebration of his birthday. Though many in the world do not believe in Christ as their Lord and Savior or worship him, there are millions of Christians in the world who do. John says that those who believe in him have received an amazing gift: "the right to become children of God." Those who believe and are baptized into the name of the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) are born again into the family of God. His family is a holy family, a loving, caring, influential, powerful, eternal family rich in hope, joy and peace. It is like no other family on earth! Come and hear more this Sunday, Christmas Day at 10:30 a.m. We are also celebrating Christmas Eve Candlelight service at 7 p.m.

Like a bulldozer pushing tons of rock and gravel through the mountains to form a highway, so Isaiah the prophet called for a major transformation in people's lives to prepare them for their coming Savior. Isaiah prophesied in a time when Israel was extremely corrupt, riddled by idolatry, unbelief and immorality. Yet his words not only called for repentance and renewal in his own day, but looked forward to the day when God would send his Son into the world. Isaiah's words were fulfilled over seven hundred years later when John the Baptizer preached a message of repentance and baptism to prepare Israel for the coming of the Lord. In this Advent season, we remember that the Lord is coming to judge the world. The first time he came in peace, offering forgiveness and mercy for all. In our day, we need to embrace this offer of peace by confessing our sins, and believing our Savior's message of forgiveness and hope through baptism into his name. When he comes again, it will be to judge the world for its sins.  Now is the time to repent. Now is the time to prepare.

Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. Ezekial 34:16

Jesus said of his work, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." Luke 19:10

This is his purpose, to rescue lost sinners, to find those scattered throughout the world, those lost souls who have made a ruin of their lives and who have turned to God for help. These are the ones God is looking for--not people who think of themselves as spiritual successes--but those who know they are abject failures. Jesus strengthens the weak, forgives sinners, heals the sick, cures the blind, drives out demons, raises the dead. He does it all out of love for us and all sinful human beings. He is also the judge of mankind. He destroys those who do not believe in him, but saves those who do. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.' 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

Jesus told parables to illustrate the significance of the Gospel call. God the Father was inviting sinful men to be received at the wedding feast of his Son, to participate and enjoy all the benefits of eternal life in paradise. Imagine getting invited to a presidential wedding and instead of expressing joy, excitement and gratitude for such a privilege, you insulted and then killed the bridegroom, the son of the President. Unthinkable, right?! Yet that is exactly what happened when God sent his Son into the world to deliver his wedding invitation. The behavior of the Jewish leaders was abominable! Over the centuries, they persecuted the prophets and even killed them, and now they wanted to kill God's own Son. Forty years after Jesus told the parable, the Romans descended on Jerusalem, besieged the city, killed most of its occupants and burned it to the ground, fulfilling the words of the parable, "The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city."

Since the time of Christ, the invitation to believe and be saved continues to be proclaimed throughout the world. In some places the gospel is received with joy and thanksgiving, in others it is met with stiff resistance, violence and even death. In our culture, Christianity is often sidelined as irrelevant and illogical, a system of beliefs suited only for simpletons and fools. Others suggest that Christianity isn't the only invitation in town, that there are other ways to get in on the heavenly feast. Those who invent their own religion, however, end up like the man in Jesus' parable who came to the wedding feast but wasn't dressed for the occasion. He was tossed out on his ear. We would do well to pay attention to the words of Christ if we want to be part of his eternal kingdom. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

In the New Testament, the word "faith" refers to either one's faith in God (subjective) or the teachings of Christ (objective, i.e. "the Christian faith"). The third motto of the Reformation, "Sola Fide," faith alone, refers to the subjective kind of faith--that is, our trust in God. The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus:

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Salvation is not our work; it is God's work. He saves us by his grace--that is, his undeserved kindness and mercy towards sinners. This wonderful news only benefits those who believe it--that is, those who have faith. In this way our faith saves us. If we do not believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or live according to its precepts, we show we have no faith, which ultimately leads to judgment, eternal condemnation and death. Thus the meaning of the phrase from Habakkuk, "The righteous shall live by his faith."

Faith in God's mercy and kindness also includes faith in his power to forgive, heal, perform miracles and restore us, body and soul. Jesus said to a woman who had been sick for years, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well." Matthew 9:22

Believers live (eternally) by their faith. Life with God means a life of faith and trust in the one who gives life to mankind. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Romans 3:21-25 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it- the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 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, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Romans 11:5-6 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.

Ephesians 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Titus 3:4-7 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

As one reads through these passages one realizes that salvation is a gift of God, a free gift not depending on our own nature or good works. This is good news for all people who believe the words of Scripture, because all of us are sinners and deserve nothing but God’s punishment. Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

God appeared to Moses at the burning bush in the Sinai desert and told him he was to be God’s spokesman to Pharaoh and to lead the Children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt.  But Moses came up with all sorts of excuses as to why he could not do the Lord’s bidding.  God was having none of it!  God is our Creator and he knows each of us intimately.  He is able to make up whatever we lack.  All of us feel under-qualified to be God’s ambassadors or spokesman in this world.  Our sinful nature makes up all kinds of excuses as to why we cannot speak the words of God, but God reminds us that he will give us the words to say at just the right moment to accomplish his higher purposes.  When we put our faith in him, all sorts of amazing things can be accomplished through us.  Come and hear what the women of the Lutheran Church have accomplished in this last year alone to further the missions of our church throughout the world.

We have Bible study at 9:00 a.m. followed by worship at 10:30 a.m.  All are welcome!

 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  John 17:3  

 To know God is the very definition of eternal life.  Natural man knows there is a God—the evidence is easily observed in creation—but he doesn’t know that God loves him deeply, and would have all people to be saved.  He loved us so much he gave his one and only Son to save us from our sins.  Christians who know and believe the Gospel and are already enjoying eternal life with God here in this sad and fallen world, have this joyous hope to share with others.  We share that hope in three ways: Doing acts of compassion and kindness for others; personal sharing of our faith and trust in God; and inviting people to come to a church related function which will put them in contact with Christians and our gospel of hope.

 Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. (new worship time).

This week we begin a three part sermon series on what it means to "Know Him - Live Him - Share Him."  Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father, “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”  John 17:3 

To know God is to know Him as He has revealed Himself to us through the Holy Scriptures… that is, that He is three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and most of all, that He loves all people and would have all people to be saved.  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

This text is commonly called "The Great Commission," Jesus' sending of his disicples into all the world to make new disciples.  At the time, it must have seemed to them a daunting task.  How could this mere handful of ordinary men, most of them fisherman and laborers, accomplish this God-sized objective?!  The answer follows Christ's command--"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  He promises to be with them as they carry out this task.  They will not be going out there alone.  Christ, the victorious risen Lord and Savior would be at their side, even within them, speaking on their behalf and performing miracles through them to convince even the hardest heart that God was at work through these simple men.  By the end of the first century, after all these men had died, the Christian church was well on its way to taking over the Roman Empire.  In just two more centuries, it became the Empire's first religion and continues to spread throughout the world today.  Thousands in South America, Africa and Asia are becoming Christians as the church of Christ continues to grow until he comes again at the end of the age.

At Lamb of God Lutheran Church, our mission statement is "Know Him, Live Him, Share Him."  It is not so much a command as an invitation to find the answers to life's biggest questions like ... "What am I doing here on Earth?"  "Does God exist?"  "If He exists, what is He like-- Does He care what happens to me?"  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.

The point of this story is—God doesn’t want to lose any of us—we are all precious to him.  Those of us who are already Christians need to recognize the heart of God; that he is always searching for the lost ones because they are precious to him.  We need to be engaged in that search as well, for we know that nothing pleases our heavenly Father more than to bring a lost soul back into his fold.  To engage in that search is first of all to pray—to be asking God to help us find the lost ones.  Secondly, we should be thinking about ways to find such people, to locate them, communicate the Gospel to them and welcome them back into God’s family.  Thirdly, we need to be spending our time and resources on practical strategies and methods to reach the lost.  Talk doesn’t do it; it takes action.  This is our responsibility and it needs to be at the forefront of our mind, not the back.  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.

 Paul’s letter to first-century Christians living in the bustling capitol of the Roman Empire is rich with godly wisdom for every Christian in every time and place, and is key to dealing graciously with the struggles in our life.  What are we like when things go wrong in our lives?  Do we become belligerent, short-tempered and morose, or do we remain confident, hopeful, courageous and gentle?  Tribulation tests our character and, depending on how we react to the trials in our life, we can either become a greater person as we learn from them, or a lesser person because we were defeated by them.  Whether we are victorious all comes down to faith—to trusting in God for our deliverance and vindication.  Paul wrote earlier in his letter to the Romans,

 We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28   

Do we believe this?  Do all things, both good and evil, work together for our good because God is at work through them, watching over us, protecting us, blessing us as his beloved children?  Paul was writing to people who were soon to experience severe persecution.  Would their souls survive intact?  Clearly Paul was concerned for Christians everywhere; the dangers were great, the trials brutal.  He wanted them to survive—but even more—thrive as they endured these things.  The church acted heroically in these troubled times!  People were amazed at the courage, faith, gentleness and joy of Christians--especially in the face of personal suffering.  Are we up to the challenges in our own lives?  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.

Paul’s letter to first-century Christians living in the bustling capitol of the Roman Empire is rich with godly wisdom for every Christian in every time and place, and is key to dealing graciously with the struggles in our life.  What are we like when things go wrong in our lives?  Do we become belligerent, short-tempered and morose, or do we remain confident, hopeful, courageous and gentle?  Tribulation tests our character and, depending on how we react to the trials in our life, we can either become a greater person as we learn from them, or a lesser person because we were defeated by them.  Whether we are victorious all comes down to faith—to trusting in God for our deliverance and vindication.  Paul wrote earlier in his letter to the Romans,

We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28   

Do we believe this?  Do all things, both good and evil, work together for our good because God is at work through them, watching over us, protecting us, blessing us as his beloved children?  Paul was writing to people who were soon to experience severe persecution.  Would their souls survive intact?  Clearly Paul was concerned for Christians everywhere; the dangers were great, the trials brutal.  He wanted them to survive—but even more—thrive as they endured these things.  The church acted heroically in these troubled times!  People were amazed at the courage, faith, gentleness and joy of Christians--especially in the face of personal suffering.  Are we up to the challenges in our own lives?  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."  Exodus 20:17  

After hearing the commandments, “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” the commandment not to covet seems almost anticlimactic.  Coveting?  How bad can it be?!  Isn’t this like envy, or jealousy or something?  Isn’t it more of a feeling than a sin? 

Coveting certainly isn’t one of those sins we would call a crime—like murder, robbery or perjury.  If anything, it’s common to just about everyone, including upstanding citizens.  Dr. Martin Luther observed,

“Such is nature that we all begrudge another’s having as much as we have.  Everyone acquires all he can and lets others look out for themselves.  Yet we all pretend to be upright.  We know how to put up a fine front to conceal our rascality.”

Any sin, unless forgiven, has the power to send us to hell, so no sin is minor, yet coveting seems so innocuous.  We must remember, however, that it was envy which caused the Jewish leaders to plan the murder of Jesus Christ.  Coveting sometimes escalates into murder, theft, adultery and all the other more serious sins.  Coveting is merely the beginning of much more destructive behavior.  Coveting is a symptom of our broken relationship with God, who has given us all things, making coveting unnecessary and foolish for those who truly trust in Him. On the flip side, to not covet means to help our neighbor in every way possible—to protect his marriage, to encourage his employees to be loyal to him and thus preserve his business and livelihood, to help him keep his possessions, etc.  If no one coveted his neighbor’s stuff, we would not need to “keep up with the Joneses” and we would probably save ourselves a lot of money.  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.

These are the words of Jesus from his “Sermon on the Mount.”  Like Moses fourteen centuries earlier, Jesus teaches the people the will of God.  The difference is—Moses taught the letter of the law; Jesus teaches the spirit of the law.  Of the two, Jesus gives the stricter interpretation.  This Sunday Pastor Malone will be teaching the Eighth Commandment, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  The commandment prohibits gossip, slander, lying and passing judgment on our fellow man.  Luther says in his Small Catechism: “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.”

To fear and love God is to recognize that He has forgiven us all our sins for Jesus’ sake.  He does not judge us, but declares us innocent of all sin by grace through faith in our Savior.  Can we do any less for our fellow man?!  Besides, all of us are sinful.  None of us is any better than anyone else.  Instead of judging each other, we need to protect each other’s reputation, defend each other, speak well of each other, and explain everything in the kindest way.  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.

 I like to call Zacchaeus the Danny DeVito of the Bible.  Some of the characters DeVito has played sound just like Zacchaeus—a colorful little man full of energy and determination, not letting his small stature prevent him from getting his slice of the pie.  Even Zacchaeus, however, could not have anticipated Jesus’ invitation to eat at his house.  The crowd was offended.  How could Jesus break bread with a public sinner, a man who made his living getting rich by taking the hard earned money of his fellow Jews?  Unthinkable!  What the crowd didn’t understand is how God could forgive such a person, but this was why God sent his Son into the world—to save sinners.  As Jesus proclaimed, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

 We’ve been doing a sermon series on the Ten Commandments.  This week we’re looking at the seventh commandment, “You shall not steal.”  Luther says these commandments no longer apply to Christians because Jesus has kept these commandments perfectly for us, in our place.  Today Christians use the commandments as a guide for Christian life.  Zacchaeus himself shows us how the commandment is to be used: , "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." 

Keeping this commandment certainly involves not stealing, but Christ shows us that it also involves a positive aspect, to protect our neighbor’s possessions and income, to take care of the poor and needy, to use our money for the good of mankind.  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.

I like to call Zacchaeus the Danny DeVito of the Bible.  Some of the characters DeVito has played sound just like Zacchaeus—a colorful little man full of energy and determination, not letting his small stature prevent him from getting his slice of the pie.  Even Zacchaeus, however, could not have anticipated Jesus’ invitation to eat at his house.  The crowd was offended.  How could Jesus break bread with a public sinner, a man who made his living getting rich by taking the hard earned money of his fellow Jews?  Unthinkable!  What the crowd didn’t understand is how God could forgive such a person, but this was why God sent his Son into the world—to save sinners.  As Jesus proclaimed, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

We’ve been doing a sermon series on the Ten Commandments.  This week we’re looking at the seventh commandment, “You shall not steal.”  Luther says these commandments no longer apply to Christians because Jesus has kept these commandments perfectly for us, in our place.  Today Christians use the commandments as a guide for Christian life.  Zacchaeus himself shows us how the commandment is to be used: , "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." 

Keeping this commandment certainly involves not stealing, but Christ shows us that it also involves a positive aspect, to protect our neighbor’s possessions and income, to take care of the poor and needy, to use our money for the good of mankind.  Come and hear more this Sunday at 10 a.m.