A nutshell of this past Sunday’s Adult Bible Class. “Honor your father and your mother.” In a way, the Fourth Commandment is the First Commandment, because it is the first commandment of the Second Table (commandments four through ten). Paul writes, “This is the first commandment with a promise, ‘that it may go well with you and […]
“…and he threw himself into the sea” (John 21:7). “Peter waits for nothing more, Plunges in to swim ashore” (hymn). If John is called “That disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:7), then Peter should be called “That disciple who loved Jesus.” Not that John didn’t do that too, and the others. But we may learn […]
“If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). As Lutherans, we don’t have Rome or St. Peter’s. We don’t have icons, as beautiful as they may be. We don’t have The Purpose Driven Life. What we have, however, […]
“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day…” (Rev. 1:10). Someone has said, “Our great-grandfathers called it the holy Sabbath; our grandfathers, the Sabbath; our fathers, Sunday; but today we call it the weekend.” But John, on the island of Patmos near the end of the first century, calls Sunday the Lord’s Day. The […]
Take a moment to study this picture. It was taken on Easter 2013 at an outdoor sunrise devotion. We sang, prayed, and read Luke 24:1-12, including: “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from […]
“Take heart, child, your sins are forgiven.” The only thing more important than prayer is to become silent so as to hear the Word of God – the voice of God from the lips of Jesus. When you pray, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” what does this God say back to you? His […]