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Devotions

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS NOVEMBER 2020

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Nov 2 TLH 393 (LSB 713) 1 Kings 16:29-34 Things weren’t getting better in Israel. Enter Ahab, the worst of their kings to date. Even Joshua foretold that the Lord’s curse would be upon him (Joshua 6:26).
Nov 3 TLH 28 1 Kings 17:1-24 But the Lord is not asleep! To counteract Ahab, the worst of kings, God raised up Elijah, the greatest of prophets. How faithful and loving is our God toward His people!
Nov 4 TLH 612 Amos 1:1-15 The Lord not only had His eye on the sins of Israel, but also on the sins of the nations around her too. Their cruelty and wickedness would bring down judgment from God. The way of the wicked will perish.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS NOVEMBER 2020

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS OCTOBER 2020

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Oct 1 TLH 450 1 Kings 9:1-9 The Lord answered Solomon’s prayer at the temple dedication, reaffirming His faithfulness toward those who put their trust in Him.
Oct 2 TLH 567 1 Kings 10:1-13 The Lord had promised wisdom and wealth to Solomon, and He delivered on both. Even the Queen of Sheba was astonished to see all that Solomon had.
Oct 3 TLH 446 (LSB 663) 1 Kings 11:1-13 The foreign women Solomon married were a bad spiritual influence on him and he began to build shrines to their false gods. The decline and loss of His kingdom was now coming.
Oct 5 TLH 448 Revelation 3:14-22 The congregation here was wealthy and comfortable and it had led to an attitude of indifference toward Christ. They were “neither cold nor hot” but only lukewarm.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS OCTOBER 2020

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS SEPTEMBER 2020

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Sep 1 TLH 578 Acts 22:22-29 Paul’s Roman citizenship was a blessing to him and helped him advance the Gospel. Does God use your citizenship to do the same?
Sep 2 TLH 350 Hosea 1:1-2:1 Hosea’s wife was an illustration of the nation of Israel which committed “blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord.” Yet God’s compassion had not departed entirely (v. 7).
Sep 3 TLH 277 (LSB 699) Hosea 2:2-13 Forgetfulness was the way of Israel. She did not remember nor call to mind Who had blessed her in the past. The people only looked for the next “new” thing.
Sep 4 TLH 282 Hosea 2:14-23 Even though Israel was unfaithful to the Lord, He was always ready to love her, turn her from her sin, and take her as His own.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS SEPTEMBER 2020

Go into All the World and Proclaim the Gospel, Starting Next Door

DEVOTION—CONGREGATIONAL OUTREACH

The beginning of our title should sound familiar, as they are the words of Jesus recorded for us in Mark 16:15. The second half of the title is also an encouragement from our Lord, but more on that later.
I wonder how many of our readers have traveled in foreign lands? And of those who have, how many for the purpose of mission work? I am in no way criticizing anyone for vacationing abroad. I’m simply pointing out the reality that very few of us Christians will actually step on foreign soil for the purpose of bringing the Gospel. This does not, however, let us off the hook for doing foreign mission work. After all, Jesus spoke the Great Commission to all of us. We can give of our treasures to support the work of the church overseas. We can search for and fulfill the needs of Project Kinship and the MEF (Mission Extension Fund). And easiest, but perhaps most important, we can keep our foreign missions and missionaries in our daily prayers. But where does the “rubber meet the road” in your mission life?Read More »Go into All the World and Proclaim the Gospel, Starting Next Door

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS august 2020

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Aug 1 WS 795 Daniel 12:1-13 What comfort we have in the promise of our resurrections! “You will rest, and then at the end of days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
Aug 3 TLH 508 Acts 16:6-15 The Holy Spirit takes an active role in the spreading of the Gospel.
Aug 4 TLH 382 2 Samuel 20:1-13 Although Joab was loyal to King David, he was also ruthless and vindictive toward his enemies (or those he perceived as his enemies), as seen here in the murder of Amasa. David would not forget.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS august 2020

The Brief Statement of 1932: A Landmark of Confessional Lutheranism

“Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.”
(1 Peter 3:15)

In the early New Testament church, identifying yourself as a “Christian” (Acts 11:26) was all you needed to say to let others know what you believed. “I am a follower of ‘the Way.’” (Acts 9:2) “We preach Christ crucified and risen.”
It was not too long before the devil began to divide the church by questioning the Word of God and presenting false doctrine. Even at the time of the Apostles, there were many “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” In the epistles of Paul, Peter, and John you can find warnings against false teachers, and also find clear, confessional statements of the truth. We are admonished, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2)Read More »The Brief Statement of 1932: A Landmark of Confessional Lutheranism

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS June 2020

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Jun 1 TLH 148 John 18:1-11 Jesus demonstrates His willingness to suffer for our sins.
Jun 2 TLH 150 John 18:12-24 We see the contrast between Jesus’ words and Peter’s—Peter’s that He didn’t know
the Lord, and Jesus’ that He was the Lord.
Jun 3 TLH 159 (LSB 436) John 18:25-27 Peter eventually recognized His sins of denial. May the Spirit grant us to see any sins of denial in ourselves and repent of them.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS June 2020

The Edible Gift

DEVOTION – THE LORD’S SUPPER

The Eucharist, Breaking Bread, Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper—this sacrament has many names and, unfortunately, many misconceptions concerning it. We ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to His Word as we revisit this gracious gift of our Savior.
At the outset we wish to establish that this precious meal is a sacrament; that is, a sacred act graciously given us by our God. Holy Communion does fulfill the three prerequisites for the traditional definition of a sacrament. Firstly, it is divinely instituted—Jesus Himself gave us the practice on the night He was betrayed. Secondly, the Sacrament gives or conveys the forgiveness of sins, and finally the meal contains earthly elements, namely the bread and wine.Read More »The Edible Gift

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS May 2020

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
May 1 TLH 336; LSB 695 1 Samuel 18:1-11 It’s difficult for us to see the success of others without feeling jealous, but jealousy in the heart leads to other sins too. May God preserve us!
May 2 TLH 590 (LSB 755) 1 Samuel 19:1-7 Jonathan interceded for his friend David. It is a blessing when the Lord gives us friends who stand up for us.
May 4 TLH 435 Psalm 63 In his loneliness, David longs for fellowship with God. Then he remembers the Lord’s faithful help and this encourages him, leading him to sing praises and rejoice.
May 5 WS 766 (LSB 671) John 14:1-14 We don’t have to worry about finding the way to Jesus’ place ourselves. He finds us and will take us to be with Him. Trust Him!
May 6 TLH 59 (LSB 398) 1 Samuel 20:30-42 The Lord used Jonathan to save the life of David— who was to be king and the ancestor of Jesus. Saul would not stop God from bringing His Son into the world.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS May 2020

“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS April 2020

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

Date Hymns Reading Comments
Apr 1 WS 725 (LSB 444) Mark 11:1-11 Jesus was truly coming “in the name of the Lord.” He embodied the plan of the Lord our God to save us from our sins.
Apr 2 TLH 152; LSB 424 Mark 11:12-19 The people had not been using the temple court for the spiritual role it had been intended, so Jesus reminded them again of its purpose.
Apr 3 TLH 354 (LSB 427) Mark 11:20-25 Our faith is what connects to us to God and to His blessings. Remember that the righteous will live by faith.
Apr 4 TLH 162 (LSB 441) 1 Samuel 7:2-13 Samuel interceded for the people before God and then He answered, accepting their confession of sins and faithfully helping them against the Philistines.Read More »“BREAD OF LIFE” READINGS April 2020