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The coronavirus (and now civil unrest) has changed the way we work, sudy, shop, and even worship. What will things be like after we get the situation under control? The prophet Joel tells us and the Day of Pentecost shows us.
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At the midpoint of Lent, we take time to rejoice that despite being born spiritually dead in sin, God has saved us from death and for a wonderful purpose.
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Luke sums up years of Jesus' early life with one sentence, "[Jesus] was obedient [to his obedients]." This not only was a blessing to his parents (think of how "easy" of a child he was to raise!) but also to us.
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According to Isaiah's prophecy seven centuries before Jesus' baptism, Jesus of Nazareth had a lot on his plate as he got out of the Jordan River to begin his public ministry. How would he handle it all? Isaiah makes clear: "He will not falter or be discouraged." Now, this sort of thing can be said of all who are baptized.
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From the burning bush 1,400 years before Christ to Wind Lake two thousand years after Christ's ascension, you can be sure that the great I AM is sending ministers to you so that he himself can serve you and deliver you.
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When we endure hardships because of our faith in God, we don't have to "play the victim" before him. The Lord understands both what he will do through us and will do for us, just as he understood what he was doing through and for Jeremiah the prophet.
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Why did Herod not get to see baby Jesus? And why did the magi get to see him? The answers to the questions encourage and comfort in our desire to get closer to him.
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Lots of people think Jesus is just some life coach who gives you practical wisdom and to-do's for this life. If you think that, you miss Jesus' bigger point in Luke chapter 14. Jesus isn't concerned so much about where you sit at an earthly meal. He's concerned about where you will sit for all eternity.
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Our text shows that the Wicked Foe (aka, the devil) is real and has real forces of power at his disposal, namely, demons. And yet the Son of the Most High God knows how best to defend us and bring others under his protection.
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Joshua's words, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord," have decorated the walls of homes for years, but they're easier said than done. In his grace, God gives us spiritual leaders who help us know and serve God better.
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If someone walked up to you and asked you how to pray, would you know where to begin? Jesus did, and in twelve concise verses he teaches us Christians what we need to know about prayer.
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When Jesus calmed the storm, the disciples were left wondering, "Who is this?" When we ponder that question, we can look into this text and see that Jesus is someone we should respect, love, and trust.
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In the sermon, two of our stained glass windows are referred to. Both are pictured below.
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For over a year, Noah and his family lived in a boat full of animals. Once God told him to come out of the ark and to empty it, it was clear that Noah stepped onto dry ground with a boatload of gratitude.
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Just weeks after Jesus ascended, the apostles faced opposition to their preaching and an attempt to hush them up. How they responded informs us about how we can respond in our day.
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Our midweek Advent worship series explores the names by which Jesus would be, and still is, called. Our sermon texts take us through Isaiah the Prophet's book and through these names we better know who our Savior is and what exactly he came to do.
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Our midweek services have examined a comforting name (Immanuel) and a wonderful name (Prince of peace). Our third and final midweek Advent service looks at a glorious name -- the LORD Almighty.
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Sometimes, the grieving look for all sorts of messages from heaven. As Christians, we know where to find such a message and know what kind of comfort God gives us in it.
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We love Luke chapter 2 this time of year, but often only up until verse twenty. The eighth day of Jesus' life (January 1 on our calendars) encourages us to go at least one verse farther into Luke chapter 2 and see what is proclaimed to us sinners as the son of Mary is circumcised and officially given the name "Jesus".
A Parishioner and A Pastor Pray to the Living Lord
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What should Christians do when they are in "bitter distress" because of death? This woman and Elisha teach us to look to and pray to our God because he is the Living Lord.
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Jesus' blood has already made saints out his believers, but while we live as God's holy people on this planet, we still have to fight and struggle against sin, death, and the devil. The good news is that there's an eternal celebration waiting for us at the end. Along with the Apostle John we get a glimpse of what it will look like to be a saint triumphant in heaven.
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Promises made are supposed to be promises kept. But when it seems like a promise has failed or will fail, we feel anguish and sorrow. The Apostle Paul recalls how he felt anguish and sorrow about a promise and tells you why you should never feel anguish and sorrow about God's promises.
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Last Sunday we emphasized the Chrisitian education aspect of our congregation's ministry. Christian education is not just for cute Sunday schoolers, young adults in catechism class, or those at a Lutheran high school. Paul's letter to Titus makes it clear that if a congregation wants to be health, Christian education must be a congregational-wide affair -- young and old, male and female.
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On Sunday we celebrated the Festival of Epiphany which highlights how Jesus appeared in the flesh to be the Savior of all people -- Jew and Gentile. Because Jesus is the Savior of all people of all races, that means there are some surprising people who come to see him and some surprising ways they get there.
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Mary, the mother of our Lord, is a great example of faith in God and in his word. But even she wondered about how God would fulfill his promises. To give her confidence, God spoke through the angel Gabriel. These same words help reveal to us how God has done and will do wonderful things for us through Jesus Christ.
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Pastor Wayne Shevey served as our guest preacher. Pastor Shevey is a campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee.
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Part two of three of our midweek Advent series, "The Names by Which He'll Be Called", focuses on the wonderful name mentioned by Isaiah in chapter 9 of his book. The wonder is how a baby can do anything princely, let alone give us true spiritual peace.