Everyday Lutherans

John 8:31-36 31Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. Reformation Sunday, this is the one Sunday in the year in which we recall that we are Lutherans and different from other divisions of other forms of Christianity. So to coin the popular phrase that Martin Luther asks within his Catechisms, What does this mean? Today I wish to talk about what we as Lutherans believe and where we came from. It all started on the cross some 2000 years ago. Here we have Christ dying for...

Today we are reminded of the determination and struggle that we shall face within the world.  Remember the gift of faith is something that is given to us within our life every single day, yet the challenges that we face become a distraction and is directly in front of us.  Especially over the days, weeks and years of our lives. Those distractions can become our focus.   Years ago, horses were used to do the work on the farm.  The horses were used to do everything like plowing, hauling, and so many other jobs.  The farmers placed blinders on the horses so that they could focus on what was right in front of them.  They would be led and guided by the farmer to do the task that was needed.  These blinders help the horse to do the work.  We do the same thing with our smart phones.  It helps you focus on a particular conversation and keep track of all the things that you need to take care of.  It helps you focus.  However, there is a down...

Have you ever noticed that small words can have a big impact upon a person’s life? Some of these words that Jesus shares with others are: “You are loved.  You are healed, your faith has made you well.”  These are some of the words that Jesus speaks within people’s lives that change their life.   Think about it when a person says that you are healed, they are freeing you from the ailment and struggles that have been holding you back within your life. When a person says that You are loved, they are saying that they approve of all that you are, all that you are going to be, and they want to share life with you.  They want you to know you are treasured.  Above all, when a person reminds another person that their faith has made them well, we are reminded that it is the work of God that has truly done the work that you could not do.   These words are spoken to you when you least expect it. When they are spoken to you, you can truly believe them and don’t have to ...

Faith is something that we hear a lot about, but it is a hard word and concept to really understand.  What is faith?  Where does it come from?  It is a word that we talk about a lot within the church.  It is the very thing that we are told we need more of, that we need to have and wish we could share with others.  Faith is a word, a concept, an understanding, but most of all it is a gift.   So what could faith look like?   A husband and wife had been going to church for 45 years together.  Each Sunday they sat in their pew.  They sat in the same pew Sunday after Sunday. She attended Bible studies and would often share insight and remind people of other stories that made connections for everyone there.  People thought that they were the most faithful people within the church.  One day the wife simply would not wake up.  She had passed away in her sleep.   Her husband became angry, didn’t want to see anyone.  He st...

When a child is growing up, we often give a child a piggy bank.  A place to put all their quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies.  Here through the collecting of coins, the smallest amounts of money, the children begin to learn the importance and value of each of them.  Over the course of time, they learn that without the penny, the smallest measure of money, the rest would not have any value.  We teach our children that the smallest part of something is also the most important and should be regarded as such.   By teaching this lesson to our children with money, they will be able to apply it when they get older and have even more money.  Whoever can be trusted with a little, can be trusted with much.  Whoever can not be trusted with a little, can not be trusted with much. For within every aspect of life, we use money.  We use money for the house in which we live, the clothes we wear, the shoes we have, and even the food that we eat.  Every sing...

Today is a day of new beginnings and celebrations. Today we begin the Fall as we start another year of Sunday School, we begin a new chapter within this church, the ministry that God is calling you to and we begin our time together. Today we gather as the whole church, to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the ELCA. Yes today is truly a day to celebrate. Since today is my first day with you, I would like to share a little about myself. Who I am. Where I have come from. Even within the time of Jesus, people wanted to know about him. Where he had come from. Who his parents were. It didn’t matter  who he was until Jesus began performing the works that only God could do among them.  Even though I cannot do those miracles Jesus did, you may be curious about who I am.   I was born and raised in Fremont NE, a town of about 25,000 people. My parents were my Sunday School teachers, they helped me with school, and even supported me when I wanted to try a sport. I played the t...