Take Up Your Cross
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. ...
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A God of Abundance
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 ...
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Where is Your Treasure?
“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 ...
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Let Your Light Shine
“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 ...
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The Word Became Flesh
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 ...
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Behind the Scenes
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 ...
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Bringing Light to the World
“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 ...
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Doing What Matters
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 ...
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When Life Takes a Detour
“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 ...
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Swords into Plows
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 ...
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