“In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’” (Jeremiah 33”16) As Christians prepare to celebrate Christmas during the season of Advent (which means “coming”), our focus is on repentance. We are preparing for the coming…
“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed.” Isaiah 51:6 The people…
One of Martin Luther’s greatest theological insights was that believers in Christ are not perfect saints all the time, rather we are simultaneously saints and sinners. We are 100 percent perfect and sinless through faith in Jesus as our Savior but the sinful nature that has been ours since conception in our mothers’ wombs still…
The text for this sermon is Hebrews, chapter ten, verses twenty two to twenty five: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without…
A sermon for All Saints Day, 2021 It has become common today in difficult situations to use the word “trapped.” When people face physical disabilities and limitations they say things like,“I feel trapped in my body.” When people are in a job they don’t like they might say, “I feel trapped in my job or…
“I have just two days on my calendar: today and that day. As always, Luther’s approach to life lines up well with Scripture. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” As the Catechism explains, “These words teach us not to be greedy or wasteful or to…
For a news junkie like me, there are times when the news can be inspiring and other times disheartening. That was the case a few days ago. First, I read the fascinating story of how scientists pinpointed the date that Vikings were living in North America. It was long before Columbus showed up. They proved…
“When I look at myself I cannot see how I can be saved. When I look at Jesus I cannot see how I can be lost.” Those words come from Martin Luther, the father of the Reformation. When we honestly look at ourselves how can we possibly see that we could be saved? Sins pile…
Suicide Prevention Week and World Suicide Prevention Day are held each year in September. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Experts estimate that for every suicide there are 29 attempted suicides. Whites and American Indians have the highest rates of suicide…
Allina Hospital District One has received the go-ahead from the Faribault City Council to demolish Johnston Hall in Faribault, Minnesota. Many attempts had been made over the years to save the beautiful, historic building but in the end, no feasible arrangement could be worked out to keep the structure standing. The most recent attempt to…
Mirror Neurons 