Church in Panama City rededicated after hurricane
What a difference a year makes. On Oct. 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael blew through Panama City as a category five hurricane, severely damaging the church and parsonage of Amazing Grace…
Mission trips provide new perspectives and opportunities
For the past five years, teens from St. John, Wauwatosa, Wis., have hit the road each summer to drive across the country. What were they doing? Helping mission churches reach…
Lutheran leadership conference a success
WELS Congregational Services hosted the first ever WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership in Chicago, Jan. 21–23. Approximately 800 people, representing about 350 WELS congregations, met to hear five plenary…
Book nook: 5-minute Bible Studies for Teens
Bible studies for teens Clark Schultz’s 5-Minute Bible Studies for Teens is a great devotion book for modern teenagers. The short devotions are meaningful, yet they do not take up…
Parent conversations: Should I give something up for Lent?
Should I or shouldn’t I? It’s a question I ask myself each Lenten season. Should I give something up? I know I don’t need to, but would it help me…
A Bible story just for me: Depression
Longing for the mountaintop, sitting under a shrub: Depression Gregory C. Lyon Loneliness. Hopelessness. A lack of motivation. A lack of purpose. It’s been described as a black cloud that…
My Christian life: Spencer Beach
A modern-day Job story reminds us of God's grace and love. Julie K. Wietzke For most people, it would have been the worst day of their life. Maybe it was…
Teen talk: You are not alone
When you feel at the bottom with nowhere to go, turn to the Lord. Emmilee S. Hillier Empty. Forgotten. Worthless. Defeated. Hopeless. Alone. I feel all these things when I’m…
Dust you are
The smudged ashes announce that our story does not end in the dust of death. Peter A. Panitzke Look hundreds of people in the eye and tell them that they…
Devotion: Jesus’ last will and testament
“And he took bread, . . . saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ . . . He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup…
Please explain: Whom do we blame for bad things?
Whom do we blame for bad things? Jeffrey L. Samelson It’s a question the disciples asked Jesus, and it’s not an unusual one: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his…
Ever been tempted like that?
We are all tempted and often fail. Only Jesus has been perfectly obedient. Stephen G. Helwig Have you ever fasted 40 days and 40 nights out in the wilderness? Have…
Q&A: How can we say that the Old Testament God is the same as the New Testament God?
The God of the Old Testament wiped out the world with a flood, sent plagues on the Egyptians, and commanded his people to kill the Canaanites. He revealed himself only…
President’s message: What’s love got to do with it?
Mark G. Schroeder From time to time I receive questions about why our synod puts a particular doctrine into practice the way we do. I had such a question recently…
Confessions of faith: Holly Vaden and the Thorsons
The Holy Spirit used individuals, life circumstances, and a yearning for clarity to draw three friends around God’s Word. Rachel Hartman More than 20 years ago, Holly Vaden and Anna…
A man with unclean lips
Glenn L. Schwanke The word “hell” keeps popping up in my reading these days. No, I’m not talking about my daily study of Scripture. I’m talking about the newsfeeds on…
Bible study: God has not grown soft on sin
David Scharf God certainly showed himself to be holy and willing to punish sin and disobedience in the Old Testament. At the same time, he also desired the salvation of…
A thought: The Christ
John A. Braun Christianity is not just a label, a category, or a space to be filled in for some pollster. We are named after Christ. The shepherds heard the…
A new twist on vacation Bible school
Last summer, St. Peter, Modesto, Calif., decided to try something new with its summer programs for kids. The congregation had been conducting a morning soccer Bible camp each year aimed…
Lent means love
Lenten Bible readings and hymns remind us of God’s love and our opportunity to reflect that love. Mark W. Tiefel Each year, as winter yields to spring and as February…