Divine Peace Church Garland

Jesus came to defeat our enemies of sin, death and the devil. That gives us Christmas peace forever. Check out Pastor Hering's message, "Today, A Savior Has Been Born!" from our Family Christmas service, to learn more! #gospel #faith #Christ #Christian #lutheran #welslutheran #garlandtx

The Messiah is an important person. “Messiah” is the same word as “Christ” or “Anointed One.” He is someone who has been anticipated for a long time. Now we look at a time when his arrival is imminent! The historic Christian Church gave Latin titles to each Sunday. They titled the Third Sunday in Advent “Gaudete,” which means “Rejoice!” As we reach the midway point of Advent, we ask Christ to empo...

The judge is an important person. You stand when they enter the courtroom. What they say must be obeyed. If you are the one on trial, their determinations make a big difference in how your life will continue. You might be quite nervous if the judge is about to arrive. John invited people to turn their nervousness to repentance. He says that the arrival of the Judge is imminent, and the kingdom of...

The king is an important person. His arrival at our place can mean something quite different to us depending on our relationship with him. We might fear his arrival if we expect him to punish us. We might welcome his arrival if we expect him to validate us. Either way, we expect his arrival to be a big deal. How would it make us feel if we heard that his arrival would be informal and familiar? Adv...

The Church has marked the passing of yet another Church Year, waiting for its Lord to return. How long will we have to wait and watch for Jesus to return? We do not know. Jesus said he would return soon. However, the definition of “soon” for the One who has no beginning or end will naturally differ from ours. Jesus returns, it will take us by surprise. So, how do believers avoid growing lethargic?...

If you were making a list of things that might make society more peaceful, would you include “more judgment”? Likely not. Many people assume that judgement leads to conflict, not peace. However, a lack of judgment is a luxury many cannot afford. Our world is full of victims of abuse, violence, and oppression. In many cases this evil goes unnoticed and unpunished. A future without the hope of judgm...

King David once said that guilt makes you feel like your very bones are rotting. Guilt makes you feel weak . . . sick. Guilt can make it hard to focus on anything else . . . hard to function. And guilt is an inescapable fact of life. Everyone carries guilt about something. Worse, our efforts to deal with guilt—minimizing our mistakes, making excuses for our sin—don’t help, but only make us feel wo...

God grants the status of “saint” (which means “holy one”) to every believer. It might appear that status is of little practical value. If you achieve the status “billionaire” or “celebrity” or “senator” your life is going to be vastly different than most other people, most likely better. But if God calls you a saint, just like everyone else, you will struggle with trials, temptations, and sin. Bei...

Christ WITH Us! As He has in the past through grace alone, faith alone, and scripture alone — so He will be with us into the future! Check out Pastor Hering's sermon, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," to learn more! #reformation #faith #gospel #Christ #Christian #lutheran #welslutheran #garlandtx

How would you like to change a person's life forever? Just say this: Because of Jesus you have a New Status—forgiven! Because of Jesus you have a New Life—so live what God has made you. Because of Jesus you have a New Work—that will change a person for eternity! It’s Christ Through Us! So, Just Say It. Check out Pastor Hering's sermon, "So Just Say This," to learn more! #gospel #...

Our synod held it’s convention in New Ulm, Minnesota this past August focusing on, “Christ Through Us.” That can only be understood properly if we first establish the concept of “Christ For Us” (Christus pro nobis in Latin). Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection were not for his own benefit but specifically for humanity’s salvation. He lived a perfect life, fulfilling God’s law on behalf of...

As someone rises through the ranks at work, there are typically benefits: higher salary, more authority, better benefits. However, there is often a corresponding increase in responsibility: longer hours, more meetings, raised expectations. So, if someone is offered a promotion, they might ask, “Is this worth it?” It is similar in God’s kingdom. As our faith grows, there are obvious benefits: the c...

What do John D Rockefeller, King Solomon, Henry Ford, and Joseph Stalin all have in common? Two things. First, they are all in the list of the twenty wealthiest individuals who ever lived. Second, they are all rotting in the ground. The reality is that while money may help you achieve some objectives, it fails to prevent death. So Jesus speaks some sharp words this week, warning that those who liv...

There are more than 2,300 Bible passages that speak about money. Why? Money is a master Satan frequently tempts us to serve. In fact, out of all the masters competing for our service besides God, money is probably at the top of the list. Money provides us with a false comfort and sense of security. Money serves as a source of pride. This week, Jesus’ sharp words identify the impossibility of servi...

“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 life on her own: los...

This week Jesus’ sharp words expose our desire to pursue comfort and avoid pain at all costs. Jesus explains that following him will be hard. Jesus’ disciples will be called to let go of things they love and embrace things we naturally loathe. Jesus promises that discipleship comes with crosses—a unique type of pain. So, Jesus tells us that we must count the cost of following him. He wants us to d...

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 all desire acclaim, recognition, and praise. Jesus’ sharp words this week teach us that seeking exaltation in futile and fleeing ways will only result in receiving the opposite. Those...

When it comes to the 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 more theoretical questions. “What is heaven like?” “How old will we be there?” Today someone asks, “Lord, are only a few going to be saved?” Jesus brushes all such questions aside. Instead, he answers the question we should...

We often divide humanity into groupings that are not really significant: this ethnic group versus that one, men versus women, wealthy versus poor. Yet, every ethnic group is under God’s law. That law equally convicts men and women of sin. Because of sin, both the wealthy and poor will die. Only through faith in Christ is sin forgiven and the sting of death removed. God’s Word creates that saving f...

Last week Jesus warned us against overvaluing earthly wealth. This week Jesus warns against undervaluing heavenly treasure. Last week, Jesus exposed the folly of greed. This week, Jesus exposes the folly of worry, even when faced with the prospect of having a seeming shortage of resources. This week might be the bigger challenge! When it seems we lack providence or protection for our daily lives,...

Money. Possessions. Perhaps more than anything else, those things have the power to turn our attention away from what is truly important. It is no surprise, therefore, that Jesus frequently teaches about wealth. Christ wants us to understand that it is our heavenly Father who provides us with those useful resources. But we need to know why our Father gives them: what they are useful for, and what...

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. Natural! What does not come naturally, however, is a proper understanding of the privilege of prayer. Prayer is a privilege, based entirely on the unique and unearned relationship we have with God, our Father. And the purpose of prayer is really not to...

Most would agree with Jesus’ teaching that “Few things are needed” (Luke 10:42). We understand that people often confuse their wants with needs. We might want many things; but in reality, we only need a few things. So, we would agree with Jesus. “Few things are needed.” However, Jesus said more. “Few things are needed—or indeed only one.” Now we might object. There seems to be more than one true n...

We tend to think of distraction and focus as opposites. If someone is focused, they are not easily distracted by random events and encounters. If someone is focused, every decision about how to spend time and resources is calculated. Apart from Christ that type of focus spells disaster for our neighbor. We may dismiss the needs of our neighbor thinking, “If I spend time helping him, that will dist...

In recent weeks we learned that everyone who has seen the grace of God will, whenever the opportunity arises, serve as a witness for Christ. However, Scripture teaches that there is also a need for individuals for whom gospel proclamation is their full-time focus. There are many different terms for these workers: shepherds, pastors, teachers, ministers, missionaries, etc. These workers are called...