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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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Our Lord Jesus helps us to see what needs to be seen spiritually -- both the darkness of our sinful nature but also the light he himself provides through his death and resurrection.
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Pastor Wayne Shevey (Wisconsin Lutheran College) served as our guest preacher this Sunday.
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Jesus is willing to go into physical locations and potentially awkward situations, so that he might give thirsty souls the gift of God--what he calls here "living water."
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We ought to feel an affinity to Abraham because we share the same faith. Therefore, there's a lot we can discover from his journey of faith, especially as it begins in Genesis chapter 12.
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The devil tries to get us to question what God said and why he said it, just as he did to Adam and Eve. But the Holy Spirit has enlightened us to know that we can rely on God's written word to expose the devil's lies and to find comfort in how God has justified us in Jesus Christ.
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Pastor Wayne Shevey served as our guest preacher. Pastor Shevey serves as a campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran College.
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When his disciples were scared and vulnerable, the glorious Son of God dealt with them tenderly. In doing so, we see how he wants to deal with us, despite our sins.
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Our King, Jesus, tells us like it is in regard to some of the Ten Commandments. He does so to protect our earthly relationships and our eternal destination.
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The Sermon on the Mount begins with the Beatitudes which emphasize that by his grace, God has a place for you in his kingdom. In light of that promise, as Jesus continues his famous sermon, he then stresses that God has a use for you.
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The Beatitudes are about what it's like to have Christ conquer your heart, and they assure you that when Christ conquers your heart, it changes the way you view yourself... and the way you view others.
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Isaiah prophesied a lot of darkness and gloom, and he didn't mean winters in southeast Wisconsin. But the prophet also promises "a great light" that would come from God himself and changed your relationship with him and your outlook on the world.
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John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the greatest of all time because Jesus appeared as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."
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Pastor Wayne Shevey serves as a campus pastor at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee.
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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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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".
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A person's stomach can sink when he hears, "Your father wants to speak to you." But when you hear that about God the Father in the context of Christmas, your stomach doesn't sink. Instead, your spirits soar! Scripture assures you that God the Father wants to speak to you in the person of his Son, Jesus, and about the work Jesus came to do for you.
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Saint Paul gives us the confidence that Jesus is not only God, but that he is still God with us, just as he was in the days of the apostles. Jesus is God with us as we live our daily lives and as we face death.
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During Advent, we celebrate especially Jesus' coming to us. But you can also come to Jesus with your questions of faith and about greatness in his kingdom.
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Normally, when a judge has entered your life, it means that something has gone wrong. But Isaiah's prophecy of a certain judge gives comfort to us Christians because this judge is promised to do the right thing for all Christians.
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Matthew doesn't record Jesus speaking a single word during his royal entrance into Jerusalem for Holy Week. Instead, we learn about who Jesus is and what he came to do from others. That has implications for the way we prepare for his coming at Christmas and from the clouds.
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Habakkuk was personally concerned about the unrighteousness he saw around him. So, when God promised him that there would be a day of justice for the arrogant and a day of salvation for the believer, he took that to heart. In the same way, we let God's promises about the Last Day have a personal impact on our faith life.
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Jesus predicts all sorts of signs that will lead into the end of the world. It's enough to frighten souls. So, Jesus makes sure to promise, "Stand firm, and you will win life."
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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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As we celebrate Reformation Day, Saint Paul's words to the Galatians invite us to contemplate what the rest of our spiritual story will look like.
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Jesus intentionally saddens a rich ruler who seems like a good guy. Our Savior lovingly does this so that when it comes to eternal life, the rich ruler, the crowds, and we depend soley on God.
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In his love, Jesus made sure to "hook" us with the gospel. This is the same gospel he used to hook -- and then train -- the apostles.
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Professor Aaron Christie serves as our synod's seminary, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS). After pastoring congregations in Antioch, IL, and Waukesha, WI, he accepted the call to teach homiletics (sermon writing and delivery) and to be the dean of the chapel at WLS.
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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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God wants you to take his commands seriously, but he also wants you to have confidence in his promise to comfort you in this life and in the life to come.
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This is arguably Jesus' most difficult parable to understand, but the more we ponder it, the more we see the blessings we have in our relationship with our gracious Master and with those around us.
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Saint Paul makes us aware of who the bad guy is when things go wrong in a congregation. He also shows us what to focus on as we sort things out.
