1 Thing Matters

Jesus made the world. Jesus made you. Sin marred the world. Sin marred you. But Jesus is better. He redeemed the world. He redeemed you - and he redeemed you to make the world better and brighter. Go and be what he has made you to be.

Pay attention the next time someone shares some good news and follows it up with, “I am so blessed.” Are they referring to spiritual blessings? Probably not. When we consider how blessed we are, often we are thinking in terms of physical blessings, temporal blessings, worldly blessings. That isn’t bad… but it isn’t all! We have an abundance of spiritual blessings, and we have them right now. That’...

The prophet Isaiah vividly described humanity as “people walking in darkness.” We are completely enveloped by sin and suffering and death. Worse, when we honestly assess the content of our minds and hearts, we find darkness there too. However, the prophet also foretold that within this deep darkness, a light would shine. The light would be so brilliant that it would be impossible to miss. As Jesus...

For centuries the priests of Israel offered sacrifices to God for sin. Over and over blood flowed, testifying that the penalty of sin was death. But over and over a substitute stood in the place of the sinner. Countless animals died under the priestly knife as generations of the faithful brought lamb after lamb to the temple. This week we see the Lamb that God himself was bringing to the temple. T...

As our celebration of Christmas winds down and we head into a new year, we look back on the past year and see a trail of broken promises - both to ourselves and to others. We said we were going to do something or maybe stop doing something, but our actions didn’t match our words. This morning then, and with the remaining days of Christmas, celebrate that our Savior’s words and actions on our behal...

Families cherish their Christmas traditions. Year after year, they decorate the tree with the same ornaments, play the same music, bake the same Christmas cookies. Without asking, family members know when they will open presents. If you try to change your family’s Christmas traditions, you just might pick a fight! When it comes to family Christmases, people generally don’t like things to change. B...

We want control. We want to be able to determine the outcome. We want to be able to follow the prescribed set of rules so that everything works out the way that it should. But then it doesn’t. Even when we did everything we thought we were supposed to. This happens in all areas of life, but the one that matters most is our inability to make up for or account for our sin. This problem we cannot fix...

The Messiah who came at Christmas will return on the Last Day. How do we wait for him? Patiently. But patient waiting is not passive waiting. Patient waiting expresses itself in a confidence displayed both in words and actions. Such patience will graciously be rewarded by a Messiah who, at just the right time, will return to permanently fix all that is broken in this life. "Come, Lord Jesus" Serie...

No one wants to be judged. Being judged is a deflating experience. Our culture has made that clear by how it treats anyone it sniffs out as being judgmental. It’s perceived to be about one of the worst accusations our society can throw at you - that you’re guilty of judging someone. But, like it or not, when Jesus comes back, he will do so as Judge. And everyone will face one of only two possible...

It is an odd sight, this man riding into Jerusalem on a baby donkey, to cheers and the celebratory waving of palm branches. Understandably, many asked, “Who is this?” The answer: This is not just a rabbi. This is the King of all Creation. This is God Almighty wrapped in flesh. This is a King unlike any other ruler who has ever lived. For he is infinitely greater than all other kings, while simulta...

When the Israelites clamored for a king, yearning to be like all the other nations of the world, God warned them. Their desire for an earthly king was a rejection of the Lord as their leader. It would also result in their world being turned upside down as their kings would abuse their authority and suit their own selfish purposes. Nevertheless, in his grace, the Lord did promise - and ultimately d...

Jesus will return again on the Last Day. That day will be a day of judgment - his. His judgment will not be based on popularity or performance. It will not be determined by good intentions or bad behavior. Jesus’ judgment will come down to one all-important matter: do you believe him to be the Savior you need or not? It’s that simple. Our answer to that question determines whether the Last Day wil...

Jesus’ words, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” are commonly quoted by anyone searching for any truth today. While many in the world take these words and misapply them in any generic sense in which it suits their purpose, Jesus had a specific relationship in mind between truth and freedom: a spiritual one. Truth in general does not guarantee freedom. It cannot. But t...

Each new week sees fresh news headlines, but many continue to ask the same question: why? Why does God allow it all to happen? If he promises to work good through all things, where is the good? Why does it feel as if he is distant and removed? These are not uncommon questions to ask. But they aren’t the most important question that needs to be asked. There is one question that matters most… and th...

“You have to learn to walk before you run.” The expression serves to highlight the importance of starting with the basics before we move on to the more complex. We don’t start out with graduate school, but preschool and kindergarten. We don’t start out as the CEO of the company, but more likely in an entry-level position. In this way, we build on what we learn and gain more experience and knowledg...

"HARD TRUTH" Series While money and possessions matter in this life, they cannot bring true happiness and fulfillment. In fact, they often bring the opposite of what they promise to deliver! Yet, the ultimate failure of money and possessions is that they fail to deliver when it comes to death. Those whose hearts are filled with love for possessions and no love of God or for God will receive the on...

'HARD TRUTH" Series There are more than 2300 Bible passages that speak about money. Why? Money is a master Satan frequently tempts us to serve. And that evil foe knows how successfully he can manipulate us with money. Money provides us with a false comfort and a sense of security. It serves as a source of pride. It serves as a wonderful tool for a favorite pastime: justifying ourselves in our own...

"HARD TRUTH" Series “He’s lost.” We use that term not only to refer to someone who is bewildered about where they are but also to refer to someone who is in a helpless, hopeless state. Mankind’s natural state is one of complete spiritual helplessness, a profound lostness. It manifests itself in countless ways. The one who simply wants God to leave him alone: lost. The one who feels she can handle...

"HARD TRUTH" Series Everyone knows that humility is a positive trait and pride is a negative one. So, why bother talking about what we already know? Because in spite of that knowledge, we still helplessly fall into the trap of pride. We cannot help but think that our ascent to the exalted status we desire is our responsibility. We even take our exaltation into our own hands, either by treating poo...

"HARD TRUTH" Series When it comes to the difficult and uncomfortable topic of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, it is natural to want to avoid the issue. One way we do that is to direct our attention to theoretical questions. “What is heaven like?” “How old will we be there?” “Are there really baby-faced angels wearing diapers and shooting love arrows?” Today, someone asks Jesus that same t...

"HARD TRUTH" Series Ask others and you’ll find that most people want peace, but they want it on their terms and as they define it. That is well and good, that is, until someone else comes along with different terms of peace or an entirely different understanding of peace altogether. How likely is it that peace between those two individuals or groups will be achieved? Not very. So what happens when...

In a sense, prayer comes naturally to us. We want so we ask. We hurt so we cry out. We are frustrated so we vent. We are blessed so we give thanks. So we sometimes define prayer as “speaking to God from the heart.” Seems so easy. What does not come naturally, however, is the focused prayer God wants for us. We need focus when it comes to the basis of our prayers - the unique and unearned relations...

Jesus wants focused followers. However, one of the things that can most easily get in the way of our focus is our earthly possessions. It is no surprise, therefore, that Jesus’ words so frequently focus his followers on wealth. Jesus’ followers don’t reject earthly wealth or despise it. They can be grateful for every good gift that comes from the hand of God - while also being on guard against gre...

Today, Jesus teaches us that he has set us free to live a life focused on serving others. No matter the neighbor and no matter his need, we are free to act in ways that often seem senseless. We are free to actively seek out a neighbor in need. We are free to bear any cost and go any distance to serve them as Christ would serve them. We are free to be more concerned about being friendly to others t...

"God's Words Possess God's Power" Series Jesus not only gives us his powerful Word, but also pastors who proclaim it. Those entrusted with the care of Jesus' flock are expected to shepherd that flock just as He would. So they share Jesus’ words, not because of what they might gain from the flock, but because of what the flock might gain from Jesus. When Jesus’ shepherds minister to Jesus’ flock, t...