THE STARFISH APPROACH
OUTREACH TAKEAWAYS (SIXTH IN A SERIES) These brief topics were written to help Christians think about the ways in which they share the Gospel with… Read More »THE STARFISH APPROACH
Lutheran Spokesman
July 2015 Bread of Life
July 2015 TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; SC = Martin Luther’s Small Catechism; [ ] = Minor… Read More »July 2015 Bread of Life
The Christian Pentecost
“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4).
An expression I remember from my childhood is Emma go ‘het. It didn’t make much sense, but I knew what it meant. Forward with zeal and determination! I suppose the words were a rendering of a German-English phrase Immer go ahead! Always forward!
The Jewish festival of Pentecost was named Shavuot in Hebrew—meaning weeks. It fell seven weeks, or a “week of weeks,” after the Passover Sabbath. The festival, by count, was on the 50th day after the Passover Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16). The Feast of Weeks marked the end of the grain harvest and was the time to offer the first fruits (Leviticus 23:20). The name Shavuot later became Pentecost—Greek for fiftieth.
On the first Christian Pentecost, the one after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the promise Jesus had given to His disciples was fulfilled. He had said, before ascending, “Tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49), and “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, was poured out upon the disciples on Pentecost (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit had already brought the disciples to faith in Christ. Now the Holy Spirit was giving them special blessings to proclaim the saving Name of Jesus—courage, zeal, wisdom, understanding of the Scriptures, ability to speak other languages, power to work miracles—all to further their witness that the crucified and risen Jesus was the Savior from sin.Read More »The Christian Pentecost
THE BELC: Building on the Foundation of Christ
NOTES FROM THE FIELD (FOURTH IN A SERIES) In this series, those involved with CLC foreign missions profile one area of our overseas endeavors. (Note:… Read More »THE BELC: Building on the Foundation of Christ
The Art of Inviting
Do I doubt that church will be a blessing in someone else’s life, as it is in mine? Perhaps I fear rejection, or being seen… Read More »The Art of Inviting
June 2015 Bread of Life
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; SC = Martin Luther’s Small Catechism; [ ] = Minor Festivals or… Read More »June 2015 Bread of Life
Audio Spokesman
A new addition to the Lutheran Spokesman website is Audio versions of each article. You will find them at the end of each article starting… Read More »Audio Spokesman
May 2015 Bread of Life
TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; SC = Martin Luther’s Small Catechism; [ ] = Minor Festivals or commemorations in the Christian Church Year
May 1 John 6:1-14 PS 61
[St. Philip and St. James, Apostles]
Jesus strengthens Philip’s faith in His redeeming work using five loaves, two fish, and twelve baskets in the feeding of the five thousand.
May 2 Luke 18:1-8 SC Lord’s Prayer Address
Does God forsake His children? No, He hears each and every prayer of the faithful.
May 4 1 John 4:1-11 TLH 346
The great theological test question is “What do you
think of Jesus?”Read More »May 2015 Bread of Life
ENTERING GOD’S REST
So I swore in My wrath,`They shall not enter My rest’” (Psa 95:11).
Please read Hebrews 4:1-10
It was a tragic story with which every Hebrew was familiar; how, at the brink of Canaan, the Israelites refused to go in. “Our enemies are too big,” they said, implying their God was too small. They wept, whimpered, and faithlessly wished, “If only we had died in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:2).
Furious at their constant rebellion, God granted their request. Instead of marching into Canaan, they spent forty years dying in the wilderness. Read More »ENTERING GOD’S REST
Why Can’t Non-members Serve as Sponsors at our Baby’s Baptism?
Before you ask who can serve as a sponsor for your child’s Baptism, there is another, more important question to consider: Should you have sponsors at all?… Read More »Why Can’t Non-members Serve as Sponsors at our Baby’s Baptism?