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

A worship from the series “Romans.” The Book of Romans is full of deep theology, but the word “peace” occurs for only the fourth time in chapter 5, in which Paul develops this idea: we are at ease because of what God has done in Christ. With so many unknowns in life, so many crises we cannot guarantee we will avoid, so many possibilities that are out of our hands, we can hang our hats on something. We have been justified. Let’s rejoice in the blessing of peace together.

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

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” A Lenten devotion by Pastor John Boggs from Luther Preparatory School.

A worship from the series “Romans.” Irish singer-songwriter Bono wrote a song called “Grace.” Grace, she takes the blame. She covers the shame. Removes the stain . . . Grace, it’s a name for a girl, It’s also a thought that changed the world . . . What once was hurt, what once was friction, what left a mark no longer stings because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things. When interviewed about the song, he said, “There is atonement built in [into the world]: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Then enters Grace and turns that upside down. I love it.” So do we. Grace brings us together to hear the good news of how God, by grace, turns the world upside down. In Romans 4, Paul teaches us through Abraham. Don’t expect God to jump for joy over your obedience; instead, you can jump for joy over what he’s done for you. It’s grace. And we’re delighted you’re here to receive it with us.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” A Lenten devotion by Pastor Clinton Kreuziger.

A worship from the series “Romans.” Imagine someone gives you a generous gift for your birthday. A new car. A trip. A sailboat. Wouldn’t it be ridiculous and wrong for you to tell a friend, “Look what I earned!” To brag about what you’ve done for the gift would not only be untrue, it would also be an insult to the giver. The only thing you could boast about would be the generosity of another person on your behalf. In Romans 4, the apostle Paul describes a gift the patriarch Abraham received from God but couldn’t boast about. We’ve received the same gift. We can’t boast about what we’ve done to deserve it, but we certainly do boast about the generosity of the One who gave it. We call that worship, and we’re glad you joined us for it today.

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

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” A Lenten devotion by Pastor Jon Bilitz from Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel.

A worship from the series “Romans.” Some jobs require you to “beat last quarter’s numbers.” It drives some to continuous improvement, but it drives others to find employment elsewhere. Who can live with the constant push to do better, do more, and be better? Well, we all do. It is in our fallen nature to imagine that if we’re just a little better, God will be on our side. But part of us knows we’ll never get there. It drives some to search for God elsewhere. There’s a better solution. In Romans 3, we find the Spirit’s answer to stress we can’t bear and the truth we need. We’re glad you’re with us today to enjoy the banquet table of God’s grace. If you want to explore more of what you experience today, please let us know. We’d love to help you.

A worship from the series “Cross Peace.” A Lenten devotion by Pastor Randy Hunter.

A worship from the series “Romans.” What kind of advantages have you had that you did not utilize? In what areas have you not lived up to your potential? Last week, the apostle Paul reminded us of our status before God: sinners because of our innate disposition toward evil but holy through the blood of Christ. This status is ours even as Gentiles. So what advantage did the Jews have, if any? What advantage do we have as God’s people today? Let’s continue to study Romans together, seeking God’s wisdom in utilizing our advantages.