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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…
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.…
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,…
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…
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…
At church we find believers because the Holy Spirit works through the gospel, but we also find hypocrites. It’s Sunday morning at Midtown Evangelical Lutheran Church. The late service begins…
An Army captain matures in his faith as he works to help other cadets grow in their understanding of God’s Word. Captain Kent Gavin opens his laptop to Zoom, the…
If God did not create the world, then humans become superior animals struggling to survive instead of the crown of God’s creation. Survival or serving oneself instead of glorifying God…
I believe that the world came about by the process of evolution. However, I still consider myself a Christian. Does it really matter how God made the world? Creation matters…
Jesus described the kingdom of God like a field in which weeds grow together with the wheat. The suggestion to pull up the weeds would also mean to uproot the wheat. So…
This is my third or fourth try at this thought. The past months have brought all kinds of things to mind: first, COVID-19, then the protests, the violence, and the…
A husband and wife’s passion for serving leads them to the front lines of a pandemic. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon in May. Jon and Paige Fricke were sitting…
DID YOU EVER hear anything so strange? “Consider it pure joy,” James said, “whenever you face trials of many kinds” (1:2). To some that sounds about as sensible as stepping…
Ever ask yourself, “Who are these people who write for Forward in Christ?” Through this series, you can find out. This summer, Forward in Christ welcomes Richard Lauersdorf to the…
She was lying in the hospital bed awaiting the test results. She was facing surgery and a long recuperation. As I stood by her bedside, she asked, “Why is God…
My neighbor is super kind and always treats others well. He wants God to do the same. Every time we speak about the Bible, he always asks, “How can you…
Technology offers opportunities to teach a woman from Peru more about God’s grace How does a native of Lima, Peru, become a confirmed member of a WELS church in Wisconsin?…
Universalism says that the biblical teaching of eternal damnation is incompatible with the concept of a loving God. Universalists believe that God will eventually destroy all sin and save all…
Each phase of childhood comes with its own unique set of blessings and challenges, doesn’t it? Teenagers get a bad rap, but as my daughter enters high school, I have…
It’s been a test for us all. It included self-quarantine and social distancing. All the while businesses were closed, and contacts with friends and family became digital. Churches stood empty…
What’s a book like James doing in the New Testament anyway? Quickly reading through its 108 verses, we find no direct mention of the Christmas manger, the Good Friday cross,…
Good job and thank you! I thought this but couldn’t say it to everyone I thought should hear it. As I write this, we have been asked—mandated—to avoid unnecessary contact…
Using Bible stories to examine characteristics of God that we never thought about, characteristics that apply to what we’re facing right now. You are not what you have done She…
All of my life, I have heard the phrase “Death is natural.” I never questioned its truth until I watched my grandma pass away. Even though she believed in Jesus,…
This month’s column might not be what you are expecting. It doesn’t include endorsements for the latest security apps to keep your child safe online or to measure how much…
How are you doing in the midst of this epidemic? I’m not talking about the COVID-19 epidemic, but another one which has been around much longer. It doesn’t claim as…
After attending a Lutheran school and getting a chance to study God’s Word in depth, two brothers become members to prepare for adulthood. “At the time, I didn’t appreciate it…
All believers have a ministry, but we call it “public ministry” when believers ask or call someone to serve them. To understand what public ministry is and why it matters…
First, it is important to answer the question, “What is death?” Very simply, death is separation. The Bible speaks of three types of separation: physical, spiritual, and eternal. Physical death…
Have you ever found yourself on your own: leaving home to launch your adult life, traveling in a foreign country, or losing a spouse or parent? What did it feel…