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Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court caused a lot of conversation, and much of it touched on issues connected to marriage and the family. In the wake of a contentious national dialogue that left many divided, what does God's Word say about how men should treat women or how to have a united marriage or how we should view children?
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On the Christian church's calendar, September 29 is set aside to celebrate the Festival of St. Michael & All Angels. Below, you can read a brief history on this festival, but, in short, this day is dedicated to praising and thanking God for the protection he gives his believers through his angels. Psalm 91 beautifully teaches us about what God created the angels to do.
The History of St. Michael & All Angels
‘Feasts’ or ‘Festivals’ were times of great rejoicing in the Middle Ages. In an age where backbreaking work from sun-up to sun-down was the rule, a special religious festival could provide some time off for worship and relaxation even in the middle of a week. One very popular festival in Lutheran Churches was the festival of St. Michael and All Angels. (Michael is the only archangel mentioned in the Bible.) This festival has been celebrated in Germany since 813 A.D. and in England since 1019 A.D. St. Michael and All Angels has remained a popular festival in the Lutheran Church throughout her history. This festival falls on September 29 in the church calendar.
This festival does not praise, worship, or honor angels. That would be idolatry! This festival is meant to thank God for his gift of angels – much like we thank God for the harvest at Thanksgiving or thank God for another year of grace at New Year. We live in dangerous times. Thank God for the protection that his angels provide. In an age where angels are often misunderstood, it is good to hear what the Bible has to say about these ministering spirits who do his bidding!
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Even the best sibling relationships have their problems. From time to time, siblings hold grudges, gang up against each other, and speak against one another. Moses handled such a confrotation with humility that only God can supply to his believers. From Moses' model of humility, we can draw applications for our various callings and confrontations.
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Nike made headlines recently by using former NFL Colin Kaepernick as a feature for the new "Just Do It" ad campaign. In it, Kaepernick tells you, "Believe in something, even if it costs you everything. Just do it."
The Apostle Peter writes something similar but about something much different and more important. When we understand what Peter is saying, the Christian gets joy even in the face of suffering.
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We have good reasons to fear God's vengeance and our personal condition. But Isaiah shows us that there are even greater reasons to find comfort in God and not to fear our condition.
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Traditions can be good, even very good, but sometimes we take them to heart more than God's Word. When that happens, we fail to see the heart of our problem -- sinful hearts -- and the solution to that problem -- the cleansing God gives us.
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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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Feeding 5,000 people was just the beginning. Jesus really wanted people to feed on his life-giving words. So, before he closes our his so-called bread of life discourse, Jesus makes sure everyone gets his invitation to eat and have eternal life.
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"You are what you eat," the saying goes. You can say that about your spiritual diet, too. The writer to the Hebrews forces you to wrestle with this question, "What does your spiritual diet need?"
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The feeding of the 5,000 is one of Jesus' most famous miracles, but if we're not careful, we will miss the point and end up going spiritually hungry.
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Paul reminds us that a Christian's life is not about increasing our stock of earthly goods. The life of a Christian is about recognizing the bountiful grace God has given and then expressing thanks with good works.
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Are you afraid or terrified of this life? Jesus shepherds and protects you. Are you afraid or terrified of the life to come? Jesus shepherds you into safety with his righteousness.
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Even when he faces opposition and challenges, Jesus has always found ways to reach sinners like you and me with the good news of his forgiveness. He shows us how in Mark chapter 6.
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Throughout his ministry, the Apostle Paul had seen it all. Now, at the end of his ministry and his life, Paul predicted what the Christian Church would have to deal with long after he was gone. Was his outlook pessimistic or optimistic? Realistic or idealistic? Discover Paul's first century predictions which are coming true in your life during this twenty-first century.
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It can be hard for people who grew up in "Midwestern Nice" culture to ask others for help; they don't want to bother other people. Forget what Midwestern Nice culture has taught you and watch how Jesus deals with Jairus, a man who knew he had to bother Jesus.
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This sermon concludes our four part series on 2 Corinthians, and this particular theme is almost redundant with the overall series theme. Today, we focus on Paul's words, "Christ's love compels us," which is more or less another way of saying, "We conduct ourselves according to God's grace." Paul's message here isn't a new message, but it's so powerful it never stops moving and affecting everythign we do. Christ for us motivates us to live for God and for others!
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Part three of our four part sermon series on 2 Corinthians. With all the blessings we have in America and southeast Wisconsin, it can be very easy for us to get pretty comfortable in this life. But that's not the Christian's purpose here on earth. With an eye towards something more permanent, we have a different aim and purpose.
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Part two of four from our sermon series, "Conducting Ourselves according to God's Grace."
Sure, we may be fragile jars of clay (part 1), but Christians do not lose heart. Not because our lives are always trouble free. Not because we have such great willpower. Christians do not lose heart because of what they know is coming, and that affects what they focus on.
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This sermon introduces a four part sermon series from 2 Corinthians entitled, "Conducting Ourseslves according to God's Grace." Before we know how we can conduct ourselves, we first need to know who we are. Paul's famous metaphor compares us sinners to weak, fragile jars of clay -- but jars of clay that have a valuable treasure placed inside them by God himself.
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Every single Sunday we pray, "through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever." Three persons -- Father, Son, Spirit. But just one God. That does not make logical sense. It'll never make logical sense. But on Trinity Sunday we confess that and accept it in faith because the teaching of the Trinity (three persons, yet just one divine Being) assures us that we are children of that God who will inherit heaven.
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Last Sunday we celebrated Jesus' ascension back into heaven forty days after he rose from the dead. This Sunday, we celebrated the Festival of Pentecost. Ten days after Jesus ascended (and fifty days after he rose), he sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. That was a miraculous day filled with fire, wind, and speaking in foreign languages. Is that Holy Spirit with us? Does he work among us now? Absolutely! And in John 14:25-27, we meet the Holy Spirit through our risen and ascended Savior's words.
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40 days after Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended back into heaven. Ascension Day is sometimes overlooked but is just as important as Christmas or Easter because it makes us happy -- for Jesus who ascended and for ourselves who will ascend into heaven.
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There is only one road that leads to eternal life: the good news about Jesus as our Savior from sins. The evangelist Philip helped an Ethiopian man travel along that gospel road, and that's the path we want our faith to travel as well.
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In this sermon from Good Shepherd Sunday, Pastor Wayne Shevey encourages you to stand guard with your Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus attentively watches over his sheep - his believers, so we watch out for one another as Satan tries his best to snatch us from Jesus' hand. Pastor Shevey serves as a campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee.
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In today's America, it is so easy to witness events with our eyes. Even if you weren't there in person, you can catch the latest news on TV, streamed online, or from a friend's phone. Then you're ready to talk about that with others. While you can't see Jesus and what he did on YouTube or in long lost home videos, the Bible makes you a witness. Through faith in God's Word you can witness Jesus and then be a witness for him in the world!
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More and more people are saying that the Christian faith is pointless and useless. The Apostle Paul sets out to convince you otherwise, based on a historical fact and God's Word.
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The Easter Festival service is always one of the most attended worship services of the year. What moves so many people to show up? A lot of different reasons, I guess. But once inside church, the Holy Spirit uses the good news of God's Word to move our hearts.
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In just one sentence, could you explain what Palm Sunday is and why it's important? Here's one way: On Palm Sunday, King Jesus comes to YOU.
