- Oct 6, 2019Spiritual Relationships
- Jul 14, 2019InvolvementInvolvement
God’s people have been rescued! The heavenly Father has “delivered us”—rescued us—from the darkness of sin, death, and the power of the devil. He has “transferred us” into the kingdom of grace in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:13). Against the backdrop of God’s great rescue or deliverance, our Scripture Readings point to the redeeming, restoring work of God. We have been set free to serve God in the power and example of Jesus: He seeks, He loves, He saves. - Jan 20, 2019Escape from the PastEscape from the Past
Right here. Right now. Jesus is present. Take a moment and let that sink in. Jesus—the very Son of God and King of the universe—is present! As He was at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee, where He gave the first sign of His glory, He also is present with us today through the Word proclaimed and the “sign” received in His body and blood. The Table will be prepared. The bread and the wine will be plentiful. And you will be invited to come: “Take, eat. Take, drink.” Christ’s true presence is here for you, and you are richly blessed! Savor this hour as we gather and receive Jesus into our midst. What a holy hour this is! Right here. Right now. You are blessed by Jesus’ presence. - Jan 21, 2018A Time to FishA Time to Fish
Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen by trade. Jesus invited them to follow Him, promising He would make them fishers of men. What could this possibly mean? The prophet Jonah may provide a clue. Swallowed, and then regurgitated by a great fish after running from God, Jonah was given another chance to cast a Gospel net for the people of Nineveh. With only the lure of Jonah’s brief, Law-heavy sermon, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”, God reeled in a bountiful Kingdom-catch, saving more than 120,000 people and animals in that city. Jesus’ own preaching announces the fullness of time, the presence of God’s reign, and invites repentance and faith in the Good News from God, which He embodies and enacts. This message-proclaimed and sacramentally enacted-is the net by which Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies people under God’s gracious reign - Sep 24, 2017PeacePeace
Our lives can get out of control! Jesus knew this too. When He tried to get some rest, needy crowds interrupted His plans. When the pace of life becomes too fast, how do we find rest? The short answer is not always by changing our pace, but by turning toward Christ. - Jul 2, 2017In BetweenIn Between
We live in a world where leadership is lifted up, yet we forget that leaders first learn to follow. Following is never easy, especially when the going gets tough. It can be hard enough to follow people we know, respect, and trust. It can be even harder to follow an unseen God who speaks to us through His eternal Word, strengthens us through bread and wine, and leads and guides us by His Spirit. Yet, that is our calling. In the midst of struggle, persecution, famine, joblessness, and conflict, we listen to the One we know, respect, and trust because He is our Creator, our Savior, and is always with us to the end of the age. - Jun 25, 2017What Must We SayWhat Must We Say
There are many things that cause us to be afraid. We become afraid anytime we perceive our sense of security is threatened. This can be a perceived physical, financial, intellectual, relational, or spiritual threat. In these last days, these threats may only appear to be real or they may actually be real. No matter what it may be, our security and our strength lie in our God, who is our refuge and strength. In Him we put our trust. - Apr 23, 2017Here I AmHere I Am
On Easter evening and again the following Sunday, because the disciples saw Jesus alive, they knew the resurrection was real, and they believed in Him. They were then able to witness to their faith in spite of opposition and persecution from the Jewish council. Though grieved by various traits, it was the “living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3) that enabled the Early Church to rejoice. The reality of the resurrection becomes evident to people around us as we live out our faith, confessing Jesus as Lord and offering peace and forgiveness in His name. As they come to faith, they join us and “have life in His name” (John 20:31). - Jan 22, 2017Who Turned Off the LightsWho Turned Off the LightsThe journey of a disciple of Jesus may take many directions. As one of the first men called to discipleship by the Lord, Peter found that his world was turned around and changed forever. And yet, in following the Lord, he found a peace that passed all understanding. In the final words of his second epistle, he wrote to his Christian flock, “Therefore, beloved . . . be . . . at peace” (2 Peter 3:14). The people of God are peaceable people through whom the Spirit works, fashioning them as peacemakers and peace-bringers to a world in need of the peace that is in Christ alone.
