Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) We emphasize grace a lot in our tradition. It is the strength of the Lutheran message and a gift to us and the whole church. ...

And all ate and were filled; they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:20-21) Our culture teaches us to think about things scarcely. Advertisers spend entire careers convincing us ...

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) We often worry about WHAT we treasure. Are we focused on the right things or are we distracted by the wrong ones? This is a natural concern and one that all of us should pay attention to. It ...

“Let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) In Matthew 5-7 we have the largest collection of Jesus’ teaching in any one spot. Matthew has an incredible assortment of important tings that Jesus ...

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14) This text is the message of Christmas. In fact, it is the message of Christianity! The same word that spoke ...

The angel said to Joseph, “She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 Maybe you are more naturally trusting than I am, but I have to think that when Mary told Joseph that she was ...

“I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” Isaiah 42:6b-7 We often forget that we are called by God, not just ...

Doing What Matters “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14 The book of Esther is the one book in the Bible that never mentions God. It implies God in some ways. The people are Jews, they fast, etc. So ...

“Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me…” Jeremiah 1:9  When Life Takes a Detour Jeremiah was a young man when he was called by God to help change the course of history. Like a lot of people, he came up with excuses as to ...

Swords Into Plows “He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into p plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2:4) You don’t have to read ...