An offering is an important part of the Christian’s life. What is that exactly – an offering? How much is enough? Aren’t there confusing and contradicting messages from the pages of Scripture? And finally, isn’t money in the church the most uncomfortable topic anyone can think of?
Conversion from unbelief to a life of faith can be difficult to quantify. Part of the problem is that we can never see the work that God the Holy Spirit does on a heart. Jesus compares this process to the wind. You can see the trees blowing in the breeze, but you can’t see the wind working – it’s that way with the Holy Spirit.
Redemption is costly. Jesus paid the price. The 2nd Article of the Apostle Creed is all about Jesus. Who do you say Jesus is?
Creation and Preservation are the themes of the 1st Article of the Apostle’s Creed. It simply states, I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
The Word is one of two foci of the worship service. The other being the Sacrament. These are the means of grace that God gives to his people when they gather for worship.
Do you always feel like praising God? I have to confess that I’ve had bad says in the past when I don’t really want to praise my God. The life of the Christian can have its ups and downs, but the Gloria has consistently pointed God’s people to praise. A great time to sing this song is right after we hear about the peace he gives us in the Absolution. Glory to God in the highest!
Confessing our sins corporately might sound like you were just caught insider trading, but it’s really just an important part of the Western Rite. Did Mr. Mister write the first Kyrie? …or has it been a cry of God’s people sins Jesus walked the earth? Watch this week’s lesson from our series Worship Windows.
We start at new Bible study for the New Year! In Worship Windows we’ll look at the Western Rite and see the meaning behind all that we do. The invocation is how we start the worship service. We call on God to be present and bless us.
Just one verse long, the parable of The Yeast has one simple point. The Kingdom of Heaven spreads like yeast through alot of dough. How much dough? You’ll have to watch and find out. How many people can know about Jesus in the world? The Gospel spreads as quickly as lips can share the message to ears that want to hear.
The parable of the Wedding Banquet is the final in a series of three that Jesus told to the crowds on “Busy Tuesday” of Holy Week. The first was about the ministry of John the Baptist. The second was about the ministry of Jesus. The final parable, the Wedding Banquet, is about the ministry of the church.
The Parable of the Two Debtors is short, but the circumstances surrounding the parable are powerful. Jesus isn’t preaching to the masses on the mount. He’s at the house of a pharisee who invited Jesus over for a meal just so he could trap him in his words. Jesus instead gives them a lesson in mercy and forgiveness.
In the parable of The Ten Minas the king will return. While he is gone, he gives his servants work to do. What will he fine when he returns?
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells three parables to explain some of the details he gave in Matthew 24 about the end of the world. In the parable of The Ten Virgins he encourages us to wait and be ready for his coming.
Heard of the Lost Son? Some have called it the crown jewel of Jesus’ parables. As we continue our series on Jesus’ divine stories you should know that the Sunday this is being offered is Last Judgement Sunday. I did this because there are so many people who are fearful of the Last Day.
“We spend how much on pet costumes?!” Halloween isn’t what it used to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s a warm fuzzy commercialized American holiday either. There are some pitfalls with the dark day. This Sunday we looked at some of the dangers that you might find as the occult can creep into your trick or treating fun.
God has given us many things, family and friends might be at the top of that list of gifts. Our finances are a large part of how we relate to the world around us and worship our God. This Sunday we close out our annual stewardship focus – One in Christ – with a look at our finances.