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Questions about trying this “Confirmand for A Summer". idea: A group decided we'd like to go thru THE Catechism" again, and are inviting others: "Join us during Donut Hour this summer Sunday AMs.. Become a Confirmand again..We’ll use Luther's Small Catechism and the Lutheran Study Bible, start from "Page One", reading and discussing the chief parts in a casual reprieve of our Confirmation years. We’ll even hold an“Examination Sunday” at the end for those that want the challenge. Welcome all…

“Parthians and Medes at Pentecost” (Acts 2:1-21)

One of the ironic things about the readings for the Day of Pentecost is when the lector--that is, the person reading the lessons--when the lector comes to Acts 2, verse 9, and has to read the following list of persons and places: “Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome,…

Paul tells us the ascended Christ seated at [His Father’s] right hand in the heavenly places,--more than having eyes in the back of His head, [having] all things under his feet … as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.…

“Jesus Prays for Us” (John 17:20-26)

Did you know you are mentioned in the Gospel reading for today? You are. Jesus is talking about you--in fact, he is praying for you--in the passage known as his “High Priestly Prayer” in John 17. In the first part of that chapter, Jesus has been praying for his disciples, the ones he would be sending out soon as his apostles. You know, Peter, James, John, Andrew, Matthew--those guys. But then at verse 20 of John 17, Jesus shifts his…

“Hands of Blessing” (Luke 24:44-53)

“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” This is our text.

“Lifting up his hands he blessed them.” On this Ascension Day, I invite you to consider with me those hands of Jesus. The hands with which he blesses us, as he ascends into heaven. For these hands of Jesus are “Hands of Blessing.”

As I was thinking…

Many church members are Americans first and Christians second and somehow miss the things that ARE Christian and are accepting of the western society concept of divorce, drugs, homosexual rights, tattoos, immodest clothing.  And how does the church, or should the church, deal with this problem? Do we continue to ignore these issues for fear of being wrong headed?

Dear children of Go d, the spirit is indeed willing, but our flesh is still weak. So we come to our Lord in prayer because prayer is for the asking—the asking of the Father for everything that is good, everything that is true, everything that is lasting, everything…

“In Jesus, Peace; In the World, Tribulation” (John 16:23-33)

Hear again the words of Jesus at the end of John 16, verse 33: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” This is our text.

“In Jesus, Peace; In the World, Tribulation.” This is what our Lord says his followers can expect. It was that way for his disciples back then. It is that way for his disciples…

One definition that I read for the word, tolerance, defines it as “the virtue of being prepared to accept people and their viewpoints.” And isn’t this the popular view and cry of our culture and country today?…

Background

I have heard many times that we are to have a 'childlike faith', but I rarely hear any explanations as to what this means or any reasons as to why that is a good thing. Lately I have heard people use 'a childlike faith' as a reason to NOT explore and grow in their faith. I think that is, at best, a bad thing and a perversion of the phrase. What does it mean to have a childlike faith? Is this childlike faith something we should yearn…

And herein lies the suffering of the disciples and every generation of believer  to come. The world doesn't like the forgiveness of sins. Because that means  first confessing one is a sinner. Have you ever tried to forgive someone only to  have them become…

“A Little While” (John 16:12-22)

“We do not know what he is talking about.” Maybe you say that sometimes towards the end of my sermons. “We don’t know what he’s talking about!” Well, if so, then I’m in good company, because that’s what the disciples said about a sermon Jesus was preaching. We heard it in today’s Gospel from John 16. “We do not know what he is talking about,” the disciples said. What was it they were puzzled about?

It was this. Jesus had just told…

Am I the only one in this country to think that Islam is not a peaceful religion?   

I know American Muslims who are just as peaceful, kind, and loving as the folks at coffee hour in church, however THEY are American Muslims not true believers.     

Which when you think about it how many of our church members are American Christians first and not true believers?

This past weekend we had a discussion of the Boomer Generation and the effects of their licentious lifestyles on the progeny of the X Generation. Exodus 20: 5-6 was offered as commentary on the liberalism of their lives and the deleterious effects on their children. ??The sins of the ancestors visited upon the children to 3rd and 4th generations.?!!! I thought it was a misuse of that passage for this day and age when we live in the time of the New Covenant. The Law has been…

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11

Our passions are the very things our Lord warns us against as enemies of life and that from which we must be saved and delivered. Those very things which we have…

Knowledge and faith certainly can go together but knowledge and faith are not the same thing.  Now there are some that confuse knowledge with faith and think that if someone displays knowledge about Christianity, for instance, that they must have faith.…

“The Good Shepherd Cares for His Sheep” (John 10:14-15, 22-30; Acts 20:17-35; Revelation 7:9-17)

Today is what is usually called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Every year on this Sunday in the Easter season, the theme of all the parts of the service is Jesus as the Good Shepherd of the sheep, his flock, the church. He lays down his life for the sheep and takes it up again--that’s the Easter connection. On Good Shepherd Sunday, the Holy Gospel is always a portion of John 10, in…

Hi every Lutheran all over the Wittenberg Trial. I wasn't here for a long time.

In her April 15th blog, At a weekend Bible study group on Acts 1:14 the question came up: Who were Jesus's " brothers" ? Did he actually have any siblings? , Carolyn Burns asked the titled questions, but so far has not approved any comments to be displayed.



Here is one comment to her questions:

The (half)brothers (James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas) of Jesus are named in Matthew 13:55. The…