EXAMINATION! A word that makes many eighth grade confirmation class students break out in a cold sweat and lose sleep at this time of year. Those who grew up in the Lutheran Church no doubt remember well their “confirmation examination” when they were publicly questioned on Christian doctrine as summarized in the Catechism. Oh, the… Read More »Let A Man Examine Himself… Read More

MEDITATIONS ON JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT: MATTHEW’S GOSPEL, CHAPTERS FIVE THROUGH SEVEN Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and… Read More »Christ’s Rock-solid Foundation for Life Read More

In the early 20th century a woman from West Virginia named Anna Jarvis began petitioning prominent leaders, including President Woodrow Wilson, to establish a national holiday which honored mothers. By 1914 “Mother’s Day” in America had taken root. Yet it comes as little surprise that less than a decade latter, Ms. Jarvis decried the commercialization… Read More »“HONOR YOUR MOTHER” Read More

MEDITATIONS ON JESUS’ SERMON ON THE MOUNT: MATTHEW’S GOSPEL, CHAPTERS FIVE THROUGH SEVEN [Jesus said:] “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to… Read More »“Jesus—the Way which Leads to Life” Read More

“Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 8:3, ESV) It’s just not Thanksgiving without football? While it might be missed, we could enjoy the festival without watching a game. What about celebrating Thanksgiving Day without family around?   Or what about a Thanksgiving… Read More »“Please Pass…the Word!” Read More

“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”   Our worship services typically begin with our calling upon the name of our God in the “Invocation.” Read More

“The Works That I Do In My Father’s Name, They Bear Witness Of Me.” (John 10:25) Please have your Bible open to the Gospel of John chapter 5:1-16.  Imagine for a moment that back in in the year 1975 you took sick with some debilitating illness and for the last thirty-eight years you have been unable… Read More »Jesus Cares For Body and Soul! Read More

“…(Jesus) who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) The term joy is not one we typically associate with the seven weeks of the Lenten season. Joy is an emotion usually reserved for the… Read More »LENTEN . . . JOY? Read More

In today’s fast-paced life, there are choices to be made–especially in how a family makes use of its time. While the summer months were once a time to catch your breath and take a vacation, they’re now a time for camps and sporting events. As summer turns to fall, the hectic back-to-school schedule resumes. Again,… Read More »Remember the Ants and the Lizards Read More

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.” So says Juliet to her love, Romeo, as they part ways for the evening. It was a sorrow for Juliet to part with her loved one for a time, but it was made sweet for her when she realized she would be able to see him in the morning. Read More

(Matthew 3:16-17) The church season known as Epiphany is largely misunderstood and to a certain extent even ignored. Unlike the seasons of Advent and Lent, Epiphany is not marked with special services in many churches. There are no special Epiphany sales at the department stores nor are there any special Epiphany family dinners which relatives… Read More »Behold, the Son of God Read More

“But that’s not fair!!!”  You can almost hear the whining voice of a four-year-old complaining about not receiving the treatment he thinks he deserves. To the child’s young mind, it doesn’t seem fair that older brothers and sisters get to stay up later than he does to watch TV because that’s unwarranted favoritism. But how… Read More »Unfair Treament Read More

There is a change that takes place somewhere between 4th grade and High School. When we were young, going back to school was an exciting time—new folders, new pencils, and we got to spend the day with our friends! But as we grew older, we realized how fun the summers could be and how much… Read More »Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic to the Glory of God Read More

“Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made… Read More »The Reformation Blessing Above All Others Read More

“…Submitting to one another in the fear of God”  Ephesians 5:21 Most of you have probably heard the stunning statistic that 50% of all marriages in America end in divorce. When we look at different statistical websites, the breakdown is even more alarming: 40% to 50% of all first marriages end in divorce, around 65%… Read More »Christian Marriage Read More

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies… Read More »Harvest Festival Service in Hecla Read More

Thanksgiving Devotion Please read Philippians 4:10-20 If ever there was a holiday when it was fitting to talk about being “full,” Thanksgiving would be that day Eating is what most people associate with Thanksgiving Day. Families travel great distances to share a special meal together. Turkey is almost a requirement along with the staples of… Read More »I Am Full Read More

In the closing scene of the movie Cast Away, Tom Hanks’s character is standing at a crossroads in Texas. After being stranded alone on an island for four years, he has returned to civilization to find that he has been declared dead and his girlfriend has moved on and gotten married to another man. As… Read More »Confirmation Crossroads Read More

DEVOTION – THE MAJESTY OF GOD When Abraham Lincoln became president, he had an open-door policy to the public. For a couple of hours each week, Americans could air their grievances to the President, or ask for a job. As the Civil War waged on, President Lincoln asked the applicants to keep it short, “as… Read More »Approaching the Unapproachable Read More

An Army paratrooper recalls the story of having a bad jump from an airplane that left her with a bloodied mouth and tangled parachute cords. As she hurtled toward the earth, she remembered the words of her instructor: “Trust your equipment. It will not fail you.” Sure enough, her parachute did what it was supposed… Read More »Trust Your Equipment Read More