A worship from the series “Romans.” Are you a “glass half full” or a “glass half empty” kind of person? Most of us are a little of both. If you find yourself in a pickup basketball game with Caitlin Clark, you might be pessimistic about the outcome. But if you plan a night out at your favorite restaurant, you might be optimistic about how much you’ll enjoy it. The apostle Paul, in Romans 7, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to paint a pessimistic picture about our human nature. And he was inspired to paint an optimistic picture. The key is moving from one to the other. Today, we ask the Spirit to use his means of grace, the gospel in Word and sacrament, to show us how to do that.

A worship from the series “Romans.” In Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novel by that name, the good Dr. Jekyll fights against an evil man who arises from within him, Mr. Hyde. The apostle Paul speaks for all of us when he writes, “that’s our battle.” But our battle is real. Although Dr. Jekyll lost his battle, Christ’s resurrection is your guarantee that you’ll win yours. Welcome to the gathering of sinners/saints to receive grace.

All rights reserved. Music used by permission under CCLI #1600166, OneLicense #A-709447, and Worshipflow.com. Video images used by permission from Igniter Media; Pre-service music all rights reserved by Koine (koinemusic.com) & Michael Schroeder.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” Romans 6 tells us about our response to Jesus’ resurrection. It is freedom! But what do we do with our freedom from sin? Freedom from righteousness, that is, living in sin, only leads to death. But now, having been raised with Christ, we are free to be slaves to righteousness, and the result is eternal life.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” On Easter Sunday, the white cloth was folded up, no longer covering Jesus’ dead body. He had risen, so it no longer had any use except to serve as the surrender flag of sin, death, and the devil.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” On Good Friday, before Jesus was put on the cross, he was given a scepter and mockingly hailed. The king of the world accepted subhuman treatment and shunned earthly glory in order to reign with his people in heaven.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” On Maundy Thursday, Jesus was within hours of death, but he offered the bread of life to his followers. He gave his body for the forgiveness of sins and the Lord’s Supper as tangible evidence of his love.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” Jesus on a donkey…crowds shouting praise…palm branches on the road. The crowd on the first Paul Sunday welcomed Jesus as a hero and a king. He deserved every bit of it and oh, so much more.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” A Lenten devotion by Mr. Steve Pelischek from Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel.

A worship from the series “Romans.” On December 7, 1972, we saw our planet for the first time from outer space. All of a sudden, we were able to see our planet for what it really is. The second half of Romans 5 is like that. It lets us see our planet and our lives from God’s perspective. Today we look for our ruin, our rescue, and our reign, and we find the best news ever in Romans 5:12-21.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” A Lenten devotion by Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad