Take the Word of God "as it stands," as it is written, and be transformed by the Holy Spirit who works through that very Word in all his people.
More
A Christian glories in the things of which other men are ashamed — in the cross and in his sufferings. For the world will not long endure the Word.
More
As much as you are able, live in peace with all; spend time with those of humble circumstance. Be a blessing to your neighbor.
More
Marriage, because it is God's institution, will be a difficult work, as the flesh will resist and rebel, as it always does against doing God's will.
More
Love desires the best for its neighbor, even when one's neighbor does not desire the best for you, so one must pray for them even when they are not neighborly.
More
Jesus allowed for believers and unbelievers alike in the church, so that both might be spared, believers from violent uprooting, and unbelievers an opportunity to believe.
More
Each Christian has been given a calling, and with that calling a particular gift or gifts to fulfill the calling. These do not make her better or happier than another.
More
God permits us to fail in order to make us seek him in his Word. Do not despair when things do not go your way. God is calling you.
More
Paul does not put much emphasis on foretelling the future, but on the explanation of the Scriptures, so that there may be faith in the gospel.
More
Love is virtue pure and precious. It neither utters, nor thinks any evil of its neighbor. It rather covers sin; not one sin, nor two, but a “multitude of sins.”
More
Our worship and good works are to be done for Christ's sake, not because we think that we earn salvation through our deeds or piety.
More
Good and bad happens to bad and so-called good people alike. The difference is how one responds, and why, and from where their peace comes.
More
If salvation in Christ's light is to be brought about, all other righteousness in ourselves, sought outside of Christ with works, must be rejected.
More
Christians are not to be ruled by their feelings or reasoning, for these are matters of their will. But God's will revealed through his Word transforms them.
More
Simeon was not impressed by appearances and so, could bless Christ Jesus. If appearances are our motivation, we will not bless Jesus.
More
Let us be clear; Luther is not saying that God rewards our works and obedience with salvation. God grants salvation through faith in his grace alone (Eph 2:8–9).
More
Christians are priests, each and every one of them, and as priests, are to offer acceptable sacrifices to God. That sacrifice is self for the honor God.
More
This section of John’s gospel is not in the earliest manuscripts. The story intrigues me, nonetheless. We wonder what Jesus wrote in the dirt. I like to imagine it was the name of a woman each of the accusers had secretly committed adultery with...
More
To be sure, the precise meaning of today’s verse is that one who reads the Revelation to the church is blessed. The church is also blessed if they listen and obey.
More
Christians should not curse—in the sense of wishing evil in a person's life. However, Christians are to censure and reprove evil in the hope of good.
More
There is more to being persuaded than for a child to believe the Fourth Commandment. Another side of the persuasion is adults teaching it to the little ones.
More
God allows suffering to guard against presumption, as example to others to repent, and as preparation for finding Christ, and keeping him.
More
One must walk in God’s light; you cannot invent your own well lit pathway. God is the way, so we must walk in his truth. Many would spin God’s truth into their own brand of truth...
More
Would you do things to brighten your standing with God? Then you would simply shine with your own dim, human qualities. The Christian, however, reflects a divine glory...
More
Having Christ's Spirit within us, we are to love our neighbors so fully through that it seems as though we are indebted to love our them.
More
When the scroll of life is opened, what will it say about you? How will it record your response to the great commandment? Will you have loved the Lord your God so much as to believe in him and take him at his word?
More
Love of neighbor does not justify us to God. Faith in God does however, compel us to love our neighbor, and this is evidence of faith, and love of God.
More
Faith embraces its vocation because it is freed to do so, because it trusts in another. The one who has faith, trusts in God instead of his or her own talents, work ethic, labor, or cunning.
More
The light exposes the darkness of human reason, doctrine, and works, and displays our need of the grace and glory of he who is Light from Light, true God from true God.
More
Should the created vaunt itself over the Creator? This logic follows downward. Next to the Father come father and mother, those whom God has put in charge.
More
The magi may not have known who the newborn king truly was, but you and I are called to attend to our vocations, then think only how we may know Christ.
More
If you will not do your job, it will be taken from you. Parenting is important, especially godly parenting. There is no difference between the old leaders of Israel...
More
The gospel is not the light but the expression of that eternal Light that has risen upon us.
More
Why does God promise such a great blessing as long life? How does it work out that his promise may come to pass? He does so by delivering the faithful from sin and its consequences.
More
This video was recorded in 2021, just as I was packing up my old study to move it to St. Paul's in Salisbury, NC.
More
Looming heartbreak had brought the disciples to the point of collapse, and so naturally, they were dead to the world when Jesus returned to them.
More
Your beliefs, especially doctrine about Christ, must come from the Scriptures. Rest your faith on Christ as found in the Word alone.
More
These traditions that we have learned from our parents (if only our parents in the church) are a great and lifelong blessing. Through these, God is faithful...
More
Just as little as it lies in one’s power to be born and to receive natural existence, so little does it lie in his power to be without sin or to escape from it. He who created us must take it away.
More
Most of us have encountered a willful child whom we conjectured would either not live a long life or would be the death of his parents. But there is more to being an obedient child than civil order.
More
We have received a mark, the sign of God's hand upon us. We are sealed with God's promise of salvation and eternal life through baptism and faith.
More
These verses urge us to honor those who do the principal work of ministry in congregations. But it is good counsel to think of our parents along these lines too.
More
You can't wrap your mind around the Trinity. God is above the world and very different. We cannot imagine. So, God reveals himself and those with faith believe what he says about himself.
More
We garner our initial knowledge of the Lord in the home. There, we learn how to honor our parents, and in so learning, we learn that we are not the center of all things.
More
You can't wrap your mind around the Trinity. God is above the world and very different. We cannot imagine. So, God reveals himself and those with faith believe what he says about himself.
More
Being obedient does not always make sense to us. This was especially the case when we were children. My father drove me crazy with his demands and discipline. He makes more sense to me now, some 50 years later.
More
Because God is a righteous judge, things must be eventually different: the godly must have eternal good — and the wicked, on the other hand, must be punished forever. Otherwise, he would not be either righteous or God. So, we must keep faith in him despite wickedness and persecution and other troubles in this life.
More
Being obedient does not always make sense to us. This was especially the case when we were children. My father drove me crazy with his demands and discipline. He makes more sense to me now, some 50 years later.
More
"Whoever believes the Word, does not care who the person is that speaks the Word, and neither will he honor the Word for the sake of the person; but on the contrary, he honors the person because of the Word, and always subordinates the person to the Word."
More
Frankly, things look practically dark. It is difficult to look at the world and think otherwise. Look at all the young people out there who did not learn enough sense from their parents...
More
Had you been in Bethlehem on that night, you would have paid as little attention to Christ as they did; but since it is now made known who Christ is, you profess to serve him, but you would hardly have done it before. If you do nothing for the needy now, you would not have done it for Jesus and his family then.
More
True holiness and enlightenment is that which receives its righteousness and revelation from the living Christ, rather than trying to squeeze piety and secrets from the dead husk of works and religion.
More
Jesus was a natural man in every respect just as we are — the only difference that he was without a sinful nature. It should be therefore, a great comfort to us that Jesus took upon himself our nature and flesh.
More
We are the workmanship of God, and have been created in Christ for good works. Though God’s grace saves us through faith in Christ Jesus, we are nonetheless, expected to bear fruit...
More.jpg)
What lovelier and more comforting message can be heard than that our sins are not ours any more, that they no more lie on us, but on the Lamb of God.
More
“I will give up heating this year for God! He will respect me for that sacrifice and grant me entrance at heaven’s gates.” As some old friends of mine used to say mockingly, “Let me know how that works out for you.”
More
What lovelier and more comforting message can be heard than that our sins are not ours any more, that they no more lie on us, but on the Lamb of God.
More
Mothers and fathers are given a great honor; let them rise to the responsibility of that honor. Let them teach their children the commandments and the whole Word of God...
More
The gospel is the final message of God, that which clearly directs people to Christ. So should we, like John the Baptist, direct people to Christ.
More
Those who depend upon their works instead of their hope and faith in the great work of Christ Jesus have already bowed to the beast. In doing so, they have knelt before the dragon...
More
"Preparing the way" is a metaphor for confronting people who need to repent. Preparing the way is proclamation of the law so that people do not depend upon themselves and their religion but trust in Christ alone.
More
It is not easy to be a child. Nor is it easy to be followers of Christ, his church. One may, at first, imagine the difficulty lies in keeping the commandments—for who can do so with the slightest measure of perfection?
More
We must first tell the sinners how they can be liberated from their sins and perceive a merciful God. When they have been released from the power of an evil conscience, joy will naturally result.
More-800.jpg)
How ironic that we consider the Fourth Commandment while reading today’s gospel lesson. A woman in the crowd seeks to honor the mother of Jesus, and Jesus improves upon her blessing...
More
It is not enough to put off the works of darkness. One must put on the armor of light by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ.
More
We cannot imagine how something could be so; the Lord surely did not mean it that way. Perhaps it was just a man writing down his own thoughts that came to be considered The Holy Bible.
More
The gospel has not the least in common with the self-righteous. They want to become rich in works, but the gospel wills that they are to become poor.
More
Even Jesus obeyed the commandment to honor his earthly parents, as well as his heavenly Father. Honoring one’s parents is an extension of the greatest commandment.
More.jpg)
Christ is the Sun, the source of the spiritual day, from whom the gospel brightness shines throughout the world through the apostles' preaching.
More
Feeling angry, arrogant, rebellious? Would you vent your frustrations on the Lord using insolent words? Of course not; you should not do so with your parents either.
More.jpg)
All is well because of the peace of the cross, the peace of God, the peace of conscience, Christian peace, is the work of God that gives eternal calm.
More
The harvest begins at home. Knowing how the kingdom laborers will be limited, God orders matters efficiently from the outset. There are two workers assigned to each of us so that we may each be properly gathered into his harvest.
More.jpg)
Let no one decide that he will be utterly careless and rest upon God, making no effort, no exertion, not even resorting to prayer. Prayer is trust in God.
More
Peter failed to recognize what was happening in this singular event that showed him the glory of Christ Jesus.
More.jpg)
To serve God is nothing else than to serve your neighbor in love, whether enemy or friend, or whether you can help in temporal or spiritual matters.
More
Peter failed to recognize what was happening in this singular event that showed him the glory of Christ Jesus.
More.jpg)
The offense of doctrine may be the most beautiful religious ceremonies, the noblest works, so that only faith through the Spirit recognizes that it is all wrong.
More
We have seen what Peter would do if left to his own reason. Religion and abandonment are the outcomes.
More
Do you think that God cannot preserve in his care the souls of men so that they will never know how heaven and earth passed away? You are in God’s hands.
More
You may think that Paul’s warning to the centurion was not inspired. Yet, see how it finds its way into Luke’s account, into the Scripture? There is great danger in not paying attention to biblical counsel.
More.jpg)
The coming of Christ will not be attended by drums and bugles and the like worldly pomp, but by spiritual power and grace.
More
Does it seem to you that some time has passed since you have heard from the Lord? Or, on the other hand, does it seem like it was only moments ago that God spoke?
More.jpg)
We are not waiting for a Messiah and Savior yet to come. We are waiting each Advent for the Messiah and Savior who has come and will come again.
More
Who was hounded by the devil more than Jesus? Now ask yourself: who has ever prayed more? Knowing the need, Jesus modeled the life of prayer to his disciples.
More.jpg)
For the sake of gain, we rise from sleep and go to work. How much greater the need for us to awaken from our spiritual sleep, to engage the works of light.
More
Look at all the trouble that Paul and Luke went to just to preach the gospel. This is the great mission of the church, and they undertook it with passion. We should receive the proclaimed gospel with a matched passion...
More.jpg)
There is no one so prepared for the judgment day as he who fears God and longs to be without sin. What do you fear? You are well prepared for that day.
More
Troubles come and troubles go, but we must abide in the ship. We hear the Word on the Lord’s Day, but we should remember it and keep it throughout the week.
More.jpg)
If we are true Christians we will earnestly and heartily join in Christ's prayer, saying "Thy kingdom come." If we do not so pray, we are not yet true Christians.
More
Hosea’s agricultural imagery depicts the results of idolatry. It is the same as sowing your seed in the wind. The outcome is more wind, or if the seed blows to other properties, they will eat the grain.
More.jpg)
Let the unbeliever doubt and despise God’s signs and speak of them as simply natural; but let us hold fast to the Word that gives us sufficient warning.
More
“There’s the rub!” as Shakespeare had Hamlet say. What is the origin of this famous saying? Believe it or not; it comes from bowling.
More.jpg)
"People will eat and drink, buy and sell, marry and be given in marriage and wrap themselves up in this present life as if they expected to abide here forever."
More
Laws are not established as mere prohibition, but as protection and benefit for the people. This is the case with divine law as well as human.
More.jpg)
God sent his own Son into the world to do what humans cannot do by reason or religion. This is who we await in Advent, remembering again God's grace.
More
What do you have to do in order to become holy? Nothing but follow him who makes one holy. We are called to follow him so we may be present for his great blessings.
More.jpg)
We should not think of an earthly kingdom, nor of bodily salvation, but give attention to the promise of a spiritual kingdom and of a redemption.
More
What greater words are these, spoken by God himself? The promise, “You are forgiven.” is received by God’s grace through faith alone.
More
"The nature of faith is that it does not judge nor reason by what it sees, but by what it hears. It depends upon the Word alone and not on vision or sight."
More
God’s word, the gospel, is the very power of salvation. This is how God bequests the eternal inheritance of the saints. He constructs a Christian through the word of his grace—in other words, through the righteousness of Christ.
More
“Your King comes to you” does not mean that you find him, but that he seeks and finds you. Faith and works too, come from him, not from you.
More