Matthew 22:1-14 THE GREAT INVITATION There are invitations and there are invitations. A casual, spontaneous call to a friend or loved one to meet them for lunch is one thing; a formal, personal, in-advance invitation to a banquet feast with a dignitary is something else. The first in an invitation which may or may not… Read More »Parables Of The Master Read More

Chancel Triptych As part of its new church, Berea Lutheran of Inver Grove Heights, Minn. asked one of its members, Jim Doring, to develop a chancel wall design to cover several organ and audio speakers. With the help of his family, Jim designed and built what is pictured and described below. The three panels behind… Read More »Special Effects at Berea, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota– Read More

Many of our eyes in recent weeks have been fastened on Atlanta — and the 1996 Summer Olympics. The sight of some of the world’s greatest athletes from 150 countries displaying their finely-honed skills has left us filled with awe and amazement. Any involved in sports well knows that these performances are products not just… Read More »RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! Read More

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood… Read More »God’s Amazing Redemption Center Read More

God’s Wonderful Marriage Math Equation There are more than a few Bible numbers that for many just don’t add up. The numbers 6 (days of Creation) and 6,000 (approximate age of the earth) present insurmountable obstacles for the evolutionary mind and society; 5 (barley loaves) and 2 (fish) cannot be multiplied to feed 5,000+ people.… Read More »First In A Series . . . Read More

STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?”… Read More »Best Friends Forever Read More

It may end up becoming the 2020 phrase of the year, as it has dominated our lives over these last months. You guessed it: social distancing. Maintaining a safe distance from others who may be virus-infected not only helps “flatten the curve,” but also is the safest and healthiest course for ourselves and our loved… Read More »Spiritual Distancing Read More

Luke 16:1-13 The Parable Of The Unjust Steward To retell Jesus’ parable in a modern setting: “A wealthy businessman had an administrator whom he had hired to manage his financial affairs. Through poor decision-making the administrator had ‘managed’ to squander some of the businessman’s financial empire. “About to be called to account and soon fired,… Read More »Parables Of The Master Read More

Second In A Series In our November Spokesman we spoke of God’s Wonderful Marriage Math Equation: 1 + 1 = 1. Even though our amoral society and our own sin-nature would emphasize other “new math” marriage equations: 1 + 1 = 2 (independence) or 1 + 2 = 3 (extra-marital relationships) we do well to… Read More »Christian Marriage: A Heaven-sent Blessing Read More

THE BILLBOARD GOSPEL I still remember from childhood the well-spaced “Burma Shave” road signs–little gems of advertising wisdom which caught our curious eyes, particularly in areas where little else did along the roadside. Recently some of you may have noticed the large, strategically-placed billboards all over the country bearing brief religious messages, all signed “God.”… Read More »FROM A PASTOR’S DESK– Read More

Christian Marriage: A Sacred Spiritual Commitment It is significant that Holy Scripture speaks of Christian marriage as much in terms of commitment as it does in terms of love. And even the term “love” (which the world sees primarily as romantic love), when used in Scripture (agape) includes something greater. The “love” in Christ’s relationship… Read More »Third in A Series– Read More

Football And Faith If spring is the time when a young man’s fancies turn to . . . , then fall is the season when watching the great American pastime of football takes over the spare time of many armchair quarterbacks. In tough times and in good, Americans have found escape and enjoyment in sports–playing,… Read More »FROM A PASTOR’S DESK– Read More

People often ask, “Why the name Berea?” With a large Twin Cities metro area filled with Protestant and Lutheran churches with familiar names, the name Berea does indeed stand out. More importantly, it has a rich biblical significance (Acts 17:10-12) as a city visited by the Apostle Paul and commended as a flock which “received… Read More »Berea Lutheran Church Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota Read More

Christian Marriage Faces Sin-Pitfalls It is no surprise that Satan’s strategy for winning souls would focus on those institutions God has established for the propogation and preservation of the Christian faith–the church, the family, and Christian marriage. In recent generations all of those sacred institutions have come under relentless siege and, to no one’s surprise,… Read More »Fourth in a Series– Read More

50th Anniversary Observance “Berea–Then and Now” was the theme of Professor Steven Sippert’s message to 50th anniversary worshipers at Berea Lutheran Church of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, on June 20, 1010. Exterior of Berea Lutheran Church, Egan, MN Prof. Sippert called attention to the fact that, guided solely by the truth of God’s Word and… Read More »Berea — Then and Now Read More

CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE IN AND WITH CHRIST Much can be learned about Christian marriage by observing one in action–especially from within the perspective of the Christian family. How blessed are those children who are reared in the wonderful atmosphere of a truly Christian marriage and family! There, in spite of the sin-weaknesses and struggles of all… Read More »Fifth in a Series– Read More

STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My… Read More »Forked Tongue Issues Read More

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and… Read More »Our “Go-To” Lord and God Read More

The IRS defines a dependent as one who relies on his parents or someone else for more than half his support. According to God’s family design “growing up”, in most cases, involves moving from a state of dependency to a state of independence. Yet even the most independent among us realizes that term is purely… Read More »Divinely Dependent Read More

“Treasuring Our Heritage of Truth” – Third of Three… The divinely inspired letter to the Ephesians is all about the Church of Jesus Christ – of which we are members by the grace of God, redeemed and forgiven by the blood of Christ, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ as… Read More »The Testimony Of Confidence Read More