Holy Cross Lutheran Church

On October 31, 1517, an unknown priest caused a stir in the church - and the world - that has continued to reverberate today. When Luther posted his 95 theses, his intent was to relieve the burden so many of his parishioners were feeling. And yet people continue to feel burdened and weighed down. Luther relentlessly pointed to Jesus as the one who brings rest and freedom. What began in 1517 - an u...

If we want to become fully human, then we must give our lives to the harvest field - where people are waiting to hear about Jesus. And statistically, they are waiting to hear about Jesus from someone they know. God has always been about bringing people back into a relationship with Him - and His Plan A is...you and me. We will never experience the surprisingly better life if we don’t give it in se...

The church is a diverse group of people with varied gifts — and those gifts are to be a blessing to one another. Our lives together are to be marked by serving one another in love so that when one weeps, we all weep, and when one rejoices, we all rejoice (Rom. 12:15). If we want to become fully human, then we must give our lives in service to the church — to the fellowship of believers in this tim...

Jesus has every expectation that His disciples will not only know His words, but will put those words into practice. Jesus expects that the disciples lives looks shockingly similar to His own. Why? Because Jesus shows the world what it looks like to live the surprisingly better life. If we want to become fully human, then we can’t simply learn the words of Jesus like information from a google sear...

We live surrounded by words. Some are obvious; others quietly shape what we believe about ourselves, other people, success, happiness, and the good life. Jesus invites His disciples to something different: “Remain in me, and let my words remain in you.” The whole of Scripture gives us the words of the living Christ—words through which He teaches, corrects, forgives, comforts, creates faith, and gi...

People have lots of different communities they are part of: work, hobbies, sports, etc. But there is something distinct about the Christian community; namely, that it’s founded on the confession that Jesus is the Christ — that He is the Savior and King. The Christian community is one in which we are known and know others with the explicit purpose of following Jesus — or, as we say here, with the p...

Few people want to look back on their life and think, "Well, that was a waste.” So we spend a lifetime filling our lives with activities, people, and experiences that we hope delivers “fullness.” But like disciples who have worked all night for no return, we find ourselves coming up empty. If we want to experience the surprisingly better life, if we want to discover our full humanity, we must heed...

In the ancient world, children held little value in the eyes of the culture. Yet, Jesus would use those same children to teach adults. There's something about the faith of children that we must learn from if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven. Not only should we learn this child-like faith, but Jesus calls us to guard it at all costs.

We spend enormous energy trying to hold everything together and build a life that feels secure...afraid of what might happen if we don't. Jesus gives His life to secure the life we could never secure for ourselves. So, we're free to receive our lives from Him instead of endlessly trying to secure them ourselves. Secure in Christ, we can care wisely for the life God has given us and freely give our...

We are tempted to find our best life in the things of this world. Advertisements, social media, even our own hopes and dreams promise us a fulfilling life. Paul, however, reminds us that true life is only found in Christ's death and resurrection - not in our pursuit of the law.

In a world shouting for your attention, carving out a regular rhythm for faith at home can feel nearly impossible. Join us this Sunday to discover three simple, life-shaping prayers that can cut through the noise and transform your family's relationship with the Good Shepherd.

Have you ever seen an adult act like a toddler? There are moments in our lives (perhaps more than one wants to count) where we simply don't want to do what's asked of us. We stomp the feet of our heart and say "I don't want to." But we're reminded, in the parable of the prodigal son, of the Father's reckless giving in spite of our reckless living.

There are big, hairy, theological questions that have been asked for generations. As the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us, "there is nothing new under the sun." One of the biggest, perhaps, is the question WHY? Why is there suffering...and why am I suffering? The best response comes in two unequivocal truths: the world is broken AND it will one day be redeemed. Simple. And hard.

Jesus invites us to join Him on the adventure of living the Great Commission life! We know the “what” and the “why” of the Great Commission Jesus gave us, but the “how” is often missed, mistaken, and made far too complicated. Discover the “how” to disciple like Jesus from two powerful examples in the Bible: the Old Testament prophet Elijah and Jesus Himself. Let's say "no" to a great omission life...

We live in a world that rewards productivity, praises busyness, and quietly teaches us that rest must be earned. But Jesus offers something radically different: rest not as a reward for finishing your work, but as a gift for weary souls. In Him, we discover a surprisingly better way to carry the weight of life.

Often times, the water begins to get rough well before one encounters rapids. It doesn’t take long before the early church would encounter rough water. But, rather than retreat, the early church presses into prayer, asking for the strength and endurance to keep going…even if it means rougher water still.

Anyone who has ever rafted down a river quickly recognizes the power of moving water. Jesus promised that His disciples would do “greater things than Him,” and it’s the Spirit who keeps us connected to the POWER. As the church begins to expand, Jesus’ ministry of power — particularly in healing — continues to be a primary tool for witness. And while all that power could go to one’s head, the disci...

Learning the pace, tempo and rhythm of the water is key to any rafting trip - especially as one approaches the power and unpredictably of the rapids. In the wake of the Spirit’s outpouring, the early church discovered spiritual rhythms that kept them intimately connected to Christ - and prepared them for the rough rapids that would come.