This Sunday I’m trying How would you respond if someone asked you, “Are you a Christian?” If your answer is, “Well, I’m trying,” you really don’t understand what it is to be a Christian. Maybe you aren’t. That’s not meant to alarm anyone as much as it’s meant to make us hunger for the truth…

This Sunday Give thanks, but why? Blogs, articles, and gurus of all kinds advocate for an “attitude of gratitude.” But for what and to whom? The answers they’ll leave up to you. But the Lord, the author of Psalm 65, takes that burden from us and enlightens and inspires a different kind of “attitude of…

This Sunday A serious argument We have a record of one of the earliest serious arguments in the Christian church. No, it wasn’t about style of music, building costs, or the appropriateness of the pastor’s humor. It was about bacon. And a rare steak. What makes such things serious? Because it would have been possible…

This Sunday Necessary suffering No one, given the option, would choose to suffer. No moral person likes to watch another suffer. Yet, the Bible tells us suffering is necessary on our way to the kingdom of God. Moses, Paul, Peter, Jesus, and a host of other biblical characters suffered necessarily. What about you? What good…

This Sunday Church today Gather with the saints this weekend to learn from the pattern of the very first Christians. They loved the needy. They called out the idols. Idols? I’ve never bowed down to anything. Yes, but everybody lives for something. Something gives meaning to your life. That’s your god. The good news is that there is…

This Sunday Why Lutheran? Martin Luther was on his way to becoming a successful lawyer in 1505 when God intervened. He became a monk, a priest, and a professor instead. But he was confused and troubled by the teaching of his church until he began to teach the Bible, especially the book of Romans. His…

This Sunday That’s bold! The last time you said that, were you referring to a gutsy move, an offensive statement, or guacamole? The adjective bold covers a lot of ground, doesn’t it? The apostle Paul spoke the word of God boldly. While it’s interesting to ponder what that meant, it’s more meaningful to determine how we will boldly…

This Sunday An inconvenient truth Aren’t facts bothersome? Your doctor, mechanic, or accountant tell you, “This is the way it is.” You wish it wasn’t, but you can’t deny the fact. We’ve come to the first of three of Paul’s sermons recorded in the Book of Acts, and it deals with facts of Jesus. Some people found…

This Sunday An irresistible force meets an immovable object Paul and Barnabas sail from Antioch (Syria) and to the island of Cyprus, about 130 miles westward into the Mediterranean Sea. Imagine their excitement. But one of the first people they met was an agent of Satan who does his best to discredit the message of Jesus.…

This Sunday How you got your name Have you asked your parents why they gave you the name you have? Sometimes a deep meaning emerges, sometimes not. Either way, most of us want to know how we got our names. Do you know how you got the name Christian? The Bible says believers were first called Christians…