This Week Bold claims What is the boldest claim you have made? Perhaps in ignorance or in youth, you have declared yourself the best at something. Bold claims are easy to disprove if they are wrong, but in Matthew 9, Jesus made bold claims with his words and actions. Unlike us, Jesus can always back…

This Week Power and priority The end of Matthew 8 (verses 28-34) presents a disturbing account, but as Jesus continues to show who he is with his actions, we can find comfort in his power and in his priority. God’s Word before us touches on demon possession, rejecting Jesus, and even the role of creatures…

This Week Authority Matthew’s Gospel continues, and so do Jesus’ miracles, but what we especially notice in Matthew 8:18-27 is Jesus’ authority. In some ways, it is like the authority we see and would expect, but in some ways it is very different. Join us to learn how and why it’s an authority to follow.…

This Week Worthy Are you worthy? At times we all think we are worthy of this or that, but God’s Word is clear we are not. This week, St. Andrew member and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary student Andrew Fritz will deliver a message based on Matthew 8:5-17 in which Jesus teaches about the only one who is…

This Week Untouchable What do you think of when you hear “untouchable”? John Stockton’s record number of career assists in the NBA? The Bill of Rights? The skill level of a favorite musician?  As we leave the Sermon on the Mount behind, Matthew 8 introduces us to an untouchable leper, but with God, all things…

This Week Hard truths Truth is better than untruth. As we pursue truth in God’s Word, we notice that not everything we find is immediately appealing to us, but the truth being unlikeable does not make it untrue. Let’s shape our hearts to embrace God’s truth because God is good. Read Matthew 7:13-29, and be…

This Week Good Judgment “Don’t judge me!” has become a societal mantra, but we must not believe that all judging is bad because of phrases like “use good judgment.” This weekend we resume our study of Matthew, so take a look at 7:1-12. You’ll notice Jesus himself said “stop judging.” What did he mean? What…

This Week Here we go! Someone admires you, he or she is watching you, learning from you and wants to imitate you. Maybe it’s a friend, or a coworker, or, if you’re a parent, for better or for worse, it’s your child. In a way, that makes him or her your disciple. You’re watching someone…

This Week Deo volunte What do you worry about? At the risk of being simplistic, doesn’t it seem that our worries are either about not getting what we want, getting what we want and then losing it, or getting what we don’t want? Worry isn’t always sinful, but some of it can be. Ancient Christians…

This Week Lord, teach me . . . If you could ask Jesus for anything at all, what would you ask him? His disciples once asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They must have noticed something about how he prayed and wanted to know more. So Jesus taught them what we call “The Lord’s…