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Graduating to the Real World

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DEVOTION – GRADUATION

“Do all things without complaining and disputing,  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  holding fast the word of life.” (Phil. 2:14-16)

Formal education is a time of preparation. That is the way it is seen in the world, and by Christians as well. We strive to prepare our young people for what is coming in life. Of course that includes preparing for a job, profession, or vocation. In the world it is seen as especially important that an education expose young people to new and different ways of thinking, challenge their values, and broaden their intellectual and cultural standards. The Christian educator would agree that it is important to open the eyes of the student to what is out there in the world; however, it may be with much more caution and far less blanket endorsement. 

Luther Begins Teaching: 1508-1509

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The ROAD TO REFORMATION In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, we are presenting a brief survey of the life of Martin Luther. The series will culminate in the October 2017 issue… 

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS April 2017

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TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Verse Reading Comments

Apr 1 TLH 148:9-11 John 17:24-26 After all your sin and all your rebellion, Jesus still wants you to be with Him. That’s amazing. That’s divine grace.

Apr 3 TLH 142:1-2 Isaiah 53:1-5 What did Jesus look like? He looked very ordinary, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. He was, after all, our Substitute.

Apr 4TLH 142:3-4Isaiah 53:6-9The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Apr 5 TLH 142:5-6 Isaiah 53:10-12 You just can’t bury the good news! Can you find the hints of Easter in these verses?

Apr 6 TLH 162 Matthew 21:1-17 Jesus comes in the name of the Lord, the One chosen by heaven to bear our sins.

Our New Life in the Risen Christ

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DEVOTION – NEW LIFE

The year is 1753, in America. As long as you can remember, you have had to obey every whim of your master. He determines everything you do. He tells you when to get up and when to go to bed. He determines what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat. He even picks your spouse for you and sells your children at the slave market. You have no rights and no hope of freedom. There is no underground railroad to freedom, no Abraham Lincoln defending your cause, and no hope of an Emancipation Proclamation.

You are a slave.

But then someone comes along, someone you’ve never met, someone you’ve never done anything for, and says he will help you. He will pay the ransom price to free you from this horrid, hellish slave owner. Having been freed, what then? Would you choose to go back to that slave owner and serve him again? Wouldn’t you instead want to use your newly given freedom to live for the one who set you free?

From Recluse to Scholar: 1506-1507

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The ROAD TO REFORMATION In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, we are presenting a brief survey of the life of Martin Luther. The series will culminate in the October 2017 issue… 

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS March 2017

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“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS March 2017 

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Verse Reading Comments

Mar 1 TLH 166/LSB 418; Psalm 51:1-6 Upon recognizing our sin, we trust ourselves to God’s mercy and unfailing love.

Mar 2 TLH 144 Psalm 51:7-12 With sins forgiven and clinging to the joy of salvation, we ask God to help us lead a holy life.

Mar 3TLH 498Psalm 51:13-19The joy of salvation doesn’t stop with us, but we share it when we open our mouths to declare God’s praise before others.

Mar 4 TLH 411 Ephesians 1:1-8 God gave us the riches of His grace and arranged for us to be brought into His spiritual family.

Christ Loves You with a PASSION

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“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.” (John 4:34, NIV84)

What’s your passion?

Is there a hobby you especially enjoy doing? Cooking? Playing piano? Fixing cars? Long distance running? Most folks have a set of activities they choose to include in their schedules depending on their interests. It’s good to have such diversions. They have a way of adding spice to life. They can also revitalize us for the respective callings in life which the Lord has given us (in the home, at work, at church, and so on).

Speaking of “callings,” we will soon enter the season of Lent.

It’s the time of year when we ponder in a special way the calling God gave to His Son, Jesus. We are reminded how Jesus’ one burning desire—His passion—was to finish the mission His Father assigned to Him for our eternal blessing. For Jesus it was, of course, more than a hobby. It was THE reason He was born into the world. As we meditate on His work for us, it saddens us to think how it was our transgressions that brought such woe on Him. At the same time, it makes us happy. The basis for our happiness could be pictured by an acrostic on that word PASSION, as follows:

The P in “PASSION” stands for PREDICTED. We hear again and again in the passion account that everything took place so the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled (for an example, read Matthew 26:55-56). This is important because it proves that Jesus is our true Messiah, chosen by God to serve us in love.

A Care Package from Jesus

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DEVOTION – THE LORD’S SUPPER

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18)

Who is the most popular person in the dormitory at Immanuel, Eau Claire? On any given day, that would be the one who has received a care package from home. When I was in high school
there and a brown-paper-wrapped box arrived from Seattle, my fellow dorm-dwellers naturally expected me to share some of the homemade goodies inside. I was genuinely glad when the box would arrive, and generally willing to share. Nothing says “love” like cookies, dried fruit and packaged soup, along with news from home! Oh, I was aware on other days, too, that my parents cared about me and were thinking of me. But the personal touch that came with a care package was an immediate and comforting expression of that love.

Have you received that kind of comfort lately from your true home—that is, your home in heaven?

Caught in a Storm (1504-1505)

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The ROAD TO REFORMATION In preparation for the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation, we are presenting a brief survey of the life of Martin Luther. The series will culminate in the October 2017 issue… 

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS February 2017

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“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS February 2017 

TLH = The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941; WS = Worship Supplement 2000; LSB = Lutheran Service Book, 2006

Date Verse Reading Comments

Feb 1 TLH 295 Romans 7:13-20 The Law is good, but it only leads us to recognize sin. It has no power to create spiritual life.

Feb 2TLH 297Romans 7:21-25Jesus Christ alone can set us free from sin and death.

Feb 3 TLH 446/LSB 418 Matthew 4:1-11 Although He was true God, Jesus went before the tempter as one of us. His defense is ours too: The Word of God.

Feb 4WS 771Matthew 4:12-22Jesus preaches and then shows His first disciples the joy of spreading the Gospel.

Feb 6TLH 557Matthew 4:23-25Along with sin came disease, sickness, and death into the world; but the Lord demonstrates His power over all these ills.