Pastor's Midweek Message

Isaiah 55:10–11 10As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 11so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. We’ve had a dry winter. There is concern about water levels. Watering restrictions are in place. Low water levels

The Bible says Christians are different. Christians are people who believe in Jesus as their Savior. But they often look the same as those who do not believe in Jesus. How are Christians different? The answer is often something internal, attitudes or perspectives that come only from the work of the Holy Spirit in Word and sacrament.

1 Timothy 6:11–12 “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” Paul gives Timothy, and all of us, some clear direction for a life that loves God. There are things to flee from, and there are things to pursue. To flee means more than casually avoi

But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot. (Jeremiah 20:9) Jeremiah, the prophet, starts out verse 7 of chapter 20 with an unbelievable statement: You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. Are we ever let down when we speak the Word? How could Jeremiah say that? Those thoughts came into his head because he had preached and had go

2Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. (1 Corinthians 4:2-4) As we grow up, we learn to make more of our own decisions. We form our own views. We hopefully grow in wisdom and discernment. There is something good about that. God does not want

12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.1 Timothy 1:13-14 I don’t really follow horse racing, but I recently saw the replay of this year’s Kent

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14) We might be tempted to think that understanding God should be simple. Then we open the Bible and God is far beyond an easy human explanation. God is one. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And then God reveals himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. One God. Three persons. We call this the Trinity.

Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3) When has your faith been tested? For early Christians, that question could mean life or death. There was a real test. In the days of the Roman Empire’s persecution of Christians, believers were commanded to worship false gods and curse Christ. Refusal could mean imprisonment or wor

6Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8) The disciples stood with Jesus one last time before his ascension into heav

… now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31) When’s the last time you felt nervous talking about your faith? Maybe someone asked a difficult question. Maybe it was a coworker who loves debating religion. Maybe it was a family member who seems hostile to Christianity. Or maybe you simply fe

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. – Acts 4:12 Every day we’re searching for something. You look for your keys. There’s only one place they can be. Climbing a mountain, sometimes there’s just one safe path to the summit. You can try other routes, but they won’t get you there. In everyday life, those “only one way” situations can change. A new road is built. A better method is disco

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42) In Scripture, God often describes his people as sheep and himself as the shepherd. The sheep stay close to each other. They move together into pasture. They are gathered together into the pen. At night, they rest side by side in tight quarters. They follow the same patterns and listen to the same voice. It’s a closeness that might seem uncomfortable

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:37-39 Three thousand people in one day! That’s what happened at

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:27-29 “You had to be there.” We say that when words can’t do justice to the experience. When it can’t quite be captured unless you lived it yourself. I’ve had friends d

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.

You have seen many things, but you pay no attention; your ears are open, but you do not listen.” It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. (Isaiah 42:20-21) How can we see something and yet not really see it? Psychologists once ran a famous experiment. People watched a video of two teams passing basketballs and were asked

The Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” (Exodus 17:5-6) We have some colorful place name

What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:3-5) “Here you go. It’s a gift!” There is something bea