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For better or worse, Christmas is filled with traditions. Some of these traditions help celebrate Jesus’ birth—the Christmas Eve candlelight service or the children’s Christmas service, for example. Others may…
We all have favorite hymns to sing. They become our familiar friends as we worship and our companions when we experience joy, sorrow, doubts, or trouble. Their familiar melodies and…
The apostle Paul was under arrest in Rome for the second time. His first arrest had ended in his acquittal and release from prison. The second time would end differently.…
“Where are your former mercies, O Lord, which you swore to David in your faithfulness? . . . Remember the scorn with which . . . they have scorned the steps…
While weighing the responsibilities that children bring, a father looks to the church for direction. During his growing years, Brad Harris had some ties to different religions but never attended…
I always hear that I should be reading my Bible. I pray every night. Do I really need to read the Bible to have a relationship with God? The natural…
We listen to God’s voice through his Word, that is, the Bible. Imagine you live in a world exactly like our own but with one exception: The Bible does not…
YOU WORKED DILIGENTLY to make the arrangements. It wasn’t easy, but the dignitary you booked is someone famous. Now it is time to begin the celebration banquet. But the guest…
All of us are going to face not just the evaluation of society in the world today but also the judgment of God on the Last Day. “If you were…
We spent a couple of days in the northern part of Wisconsin. The leaves were green at home when we left. When we arrived, the trees were mostly green except…
We are children of God filled with gratitude for many blessings. Psalm 136 starts simply enough, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.” The second part of the…
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). It’s a familiar passage, and it’s also my…
As divisions and hatred rage in our world, Christians overcome evil with good. A yard of someone you consider a friend is covered with campaign signs for the wrong candidates.…
After God created Eve, he presented her to Adam. “The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,” for…
People need a day of thanksgiving. Like children, clutching new presents, they need the reminder, “Say thank you.” Christians can forget their words of thanks too. Their backs can become…
Remember who you are as you conduct yourself during this political season. Even though this is about politics, I’m not going to tell you who to vote for or try…
Disfigured by cancer, one woman lives in hope and confidence. I know why you stare. I notice when you gawk. I get the message if you turn away. I even…
In my opinion, this is the toughest part of being a Christian parent—letting the gospel shine in how I deal with my kids. It just seems to come naturally to…
After a long week of work and worry, the weekend always feels good. From the time I was little, I loved Saturdays. You get to sleep in. You get to…
“Our Father in heaven.” So Jesus taught us his prayer. It’s actually our prayer. It begins, “Our Father.” Yet we say it so often it might have become only words…
A WELS nurse explains how her vocation allows her to share her faith and show love to those in need. Jesus calls us to follow his example by living lives…
Luther made God’s Word speak to people in their own language. The Lutheran Reformation is important! Through it the Lord of the church restored many eternal spiritual truths to us…
“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before…
Fall is the time of year when most congregations begin to discuss and plan their budgets for the coming year. Ministry plans are developed, and then those plans are prayerfully…
A family discovers a focus on Scripture, consistent messages, and a warm and welcoming atmosphere at their local WELS church. Consistency. Structure. A focus on Scripture. These are just some…
Jesus controls everything. Ephesians 1:22 says, “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.” What a comfort to know that…
Aesop’s fables, a good sermon illustration, an analogy—these are all ways to communicate complex concepts in a way that is easier to understand. Similarly, Jesus used parables (Matthew 13, Mark…
Three parables teach us what God is like and how he treats us. If you had one week to live, what would you discuss with your loved ones? Would you…
Paul is described as “the apostle of faith,” John as “the apostle of love,” Peter as “the apostle of hope,” and James as “the apostle of works.” For James, as…
Helping friends see that God’s way is best may be challenging. One of the hardest things that we can deal with as Christians is seeing our friends and loved ones…
As divisions threaten our Christian churches, God’s Spirit unites us in Christ. “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). Doesn’t that sound…
Citizens of two kingdoms Christians are citizens of two kingdoms: the church (i.e. the kingdom of God) and the state (i.e. civil government). The kingdom of God is the ruling…
Last time, James spoke about trials; this time, he speaks about temptation. Though he uses the same Greek word for both, their meanings are far different, as the context shows.…
More than four million infected and 148,866 deaths. Those are the coronavirus statistics shared by the US Centers for Disease Control at the end of July. Meanwhile, the World Health…
A teacher retires full of memories—including monarch butterflies, baby chicks, and Jesus—after 43 years Do you have a favorite teacher? One who really understood or motivated you? One who made…
My kids and I have spent almost no time apart since mid-March. With school starting soon, I’m a little nervous about how my youngest, who is six, is going to…
A girl from Guatemala discovers the light of the gospel in Alaska. As the morning mist mixed with the bright beams of the sun’s first rays over Baja Verapaz, Guatemala,…
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the…
It had been another busy stretch for Jesus. With his disciples in tow, he had been traveling all around Galilee preaching, teaching, healing, and amazing large crowds of people. He…
Does God really care? Look at the trouble we see. Why does he seem so distant and disinterested? God has a higher goal for us Deism is the belief that…
Does God really care? Not only does God care for this world, but he is also genuinely interested in each one of us. The Bible is full of beautiful passages…
I’m looking out my study window this morning. The grass is green. The birds are flying from branch to branch. The robins are hopping on the grass to find lunch.…
Joel Russow has written a new four-part Bible study for teens based on Colossians 3:12-15. Here he introduces the four parts, with several WELS teens sharing experiences that relate to…
We are to forgive others the way God forgives us—freely and often. Every Sunday, we and thousands of other believers gather for worship in various congregations. We are greeted by…
One veteran Christian adds the certainty of heaven to a familiar prayer. Many of us have tucked our children to bed with the words of a familiar prayer: Now I…
When do you find it easiest to place your trust in God and to remember his promises? Wouldn’t you agree that it’s easiest to place your trust in God’s care…
After serving 27 years in Africa, a missionary reflects on how ministry changes but God’s grace remains constant. Go in without expectations. That’s a maxim I’ve found useful when I…
How should families prepare to go back to school? That’s quite a question this year, isn’t it? After all, education is likely to look different depending on what school you…
The same Jesus proclaimed in Lutheran Campus Ministries one hundred years ago still receives the focus today. A picture on the TODAY Show or the local news. A letter from…
This article’s title comes from a Michael W. Smith song from the late 1980s. The lyrics say, “Friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the lord of them.” Smith’s point…