Divine Savior Church-Sienna

I Peter is a letter written to encourage Christians who were under severe pressure to renounce their faith. They were arrested or imprisoned, held without bail or rights, physically abused by their captors, subjected to seizure of property, exiled, and even killed. Peter’s letter offered living hope in a world that seemed to have none. For that reason, I Peter is relevant to our lives today. Thoug...

It’s not easy being a Christian in our world. It never has been. Jesus said that would be the case. We need a deeper joy, a deeper hope to live for to make it through. Easter gives that to us. So does the fact that God was thinking about us since before creation! The God who chose us before time began isn’t going to let go of us now. The future we have to look forward to will make everything worth...

Jesus finished his race as he gave his final breath on the cross. We have run together with him as Mark announced each step of this race. Now Mark is elated to give us this final account. The account of victory - Christ is risen up from the grave. He was victorious. Because Jesus was victorious, so are you. His race is over, but yours continues. He tells you to run out into this world and declare...

The finish line. The pain. The exhaustion. The final breath. The tired muscles that finally fail. This is what we witness at Jesus’ cross. There is tremendous agony and pain there, but he crosses that finish line for one, incredible, remarkable purpose - our salvation. The curtain stretched out and torn as he died on the cross, reminds us that the separation from God we would have suffered is no l...

Jesus wanted his disciples to never forget his race to the cross. He wanted them to remember his race because of what he would do - for many, and for you. Jesus gave up his body and his blood to the cross for each one of us. As he institutes Holy Communion, he does so so that we remember and receive that assuring truth again and again in a special way - bread and wine, body and blood, for the forg...

They come around the final turn and now it is a sprint to the finish, but just because it is near the end of the race doesn’t mean the steps become less important - they become more important. Every stride takes the runner closer to the finish, closer to victory, but every step becomes more challenging, more difficult. The crowds may roar around the turn, but the celebration can’t fully begin yet....

How many of us easily buy into the thinking, “If you’re not first, you’re last.” The Kingdom of God flips this thinking around. Jesus turns the ways of the world upside down. Which is so good for us. We need Jesus’ revelation and teaching to help us with this. Worldly wisdom takes us the opposite direction and we’ll never finish the race. Jesus guides us in understanding what is truly valuable and...

Family support is often a massive part in the story of an athlete’s success. In addition to physical talent, determination, and practice, a support system is necessary for success in competition and life. Jesus knows this better than anyone - he was part of the creative acts that instituted marriage and the family. So on his own race, Jesus speaks clearly and directly about the support system God...

No one likes to lose. No matter how much our competitive nature drives us, we still prefer to win. But sometimes you win by losing. If you want to follow Jesus you have to lose to win. You have to give up your life for Jesus in order that he can save that life. You have to deny yourself and follow him, just as Jesus denied himself to take up his own cross. Support the show ~ Changing lives with Je...

When teammates train together, compete together, travel together, eat together, have fun together, they develop a deep bond. They may known each other better than anyone else, and because they know each other so well, they often are able to offer the exact encouragement needed. Jesus is our compassionate teammate and he knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows exactly what we need - every...

Proper form makes all the difference in the race. How your feet hit the ground, the way your toes push off, the rotation of your legs, the pumping of your arms, the position of your chest, the focus of your eyes - it all matters. Runners practice proper form and technique for a purpose, but not just an external one. It is to ensure their whole body is in sync, including their lungs and heart. It a...

As you run your race, what do you find vital and essential in your life?  What do you need - more than anything else? Can you find it here, in church, in the ashes, in the religious motions, rites, and ceremonies we employ and practice? Maybe, the better question to ask is what don’t you need?  Of what do you need to let go, give up? Guilt, shame, fear. Let Jesus take them. He is what you need. Fi...

Glory and celebration await the victorious runners of the race, but that glory never comes easy. It only comes through the intense agony of the pain, even suffering, as every step becomes harder and harder; every breath becomes more strenuous. Only through that pain can the runner gain the glory that is to come, if they finish. Throughout his life Jesus showed glory in his miraculous power, and on...

The coach observes his athletes, jots down his notes, compares the times, and then he speaks. He teaches. He gives important directions. Those with the humility to accept his instructions and encouragements will grow in their abilities. Those who think they know better will struggle and fail. Jesus is so much more than a coach. He is our God - our Savior! When he teaches and instructs us, it’s imp...

All along the course the runners find distractions. Some in the crowd cheer you on, some in the crowd cheer on your opponents. Some praise your form and skill. Some accuse you of cheating. But you can’t get distracted. You need to stay focused on what is most important. Jesus faced many distractions in his ministry, but he always stayed focused on the most important thing - drawing more and more t...

What inspires you to get up each day?  What allows you to live with joy? With the hardships and struggles we experience in this world, we need something to encourage us and empower us to live well each day. Money, philosophy, and technology might be tools we use, but they aren’t the reason we live. Jesus uses tools to bring his incredible and miraculous grace into our hearts. That grace can inspir...

Some athletes are simply incredible. When they compete, you can’t help but stare in awe and wonder at the strength they exert, the focus on their task, the abilities with which they have been blessed, and what they are able to accomplish. It tells you something about their origin, their work ethic, their determination, and you wonder what drives them so hard. You can’t help but stare in awe and wo...

Every race has a start. As they prepare, and step up to the line, the competitors already have their minds and hearts on the finish line. They take their mark. There’s silence. The gun cracks and muscles instantly respond with action. The race is on! The eyes of the crowd are drawn in. Every race has a start, but it all began far before that moment. As did Jesus’ race to the cross. It began in tim...

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. As we mark the passing of one year and the beginning of a new one, there is time for reflection and expectation, for remembrance and determination, a time for confession and celebration. Support the show ~ Changing lives with Jesus! Facebook | YouTube Instagram @dscsienna

Home - is there any better place to be for Christmas? Surrounded by family. Joy, laughter, and love become favorite memories. Christmas is all about home, unless you have no home or the home you have is broken. Will the warmth of Christmas be met by the coldness of a close relationship? Will your memories be of loss? Do joy, laughter, and love seem out of reach? Brokenness impacts our whole world....

Home - is there any better place to be for Christmas? Surrounded by family. Joy, laughter, and love become favorite memories. Christmas is all about home, unless you have no home or the home you have is broken. Will the warmth of Christmas be met by the coldness of a close relationship? Will your memories be of loss? Do joy, laughter, and love seem out of reach? Brokenness impacts our whole world....

Have you ever asked God for a sign? Did he deliver? Today God tells us to ask for a sign - to test him? He tells us to pray: “Thy Kingdom come.” He wantsus to see the signs of his kingdom. The sign of his holy Word preserved through millennia The sign of water combined with that Word of God. The sign of the most fulfilling feast laid out upon his table. The signs that remind us that God remains &q...

A barren landscape bursts into vibrant blossoms. What an amazing sight to witness, but Isaiah speaks of the miraculous and instantaneous power of God. God's kingdom truly does bring joy; everlasting joy. He miraculously works it out of the chaos we see in the world and the chaos that churns isnide our own hearts. We are all blind, dead, lame, and mute in our own ways. Jesus changes everything...

When we ask, “Thy kingdom come,” don't we want to know what we are asking? Shouldn’t we know exactly what we are asking. Isn’t that important as we look forward to Christmas?  If you’re going to celebrate Christmas – the lights, the carols, and the food, the time with family – shouldn’t we know what’s behind it? Isaiah describes in detail the Kingdom. When we ask “thy kingdom come,” we ask Je...

Philippians 4:10-20 guides us in creating meaningful worship. Imagine your service like a harmonious symphony, each part contributing to a beautiful whole. Just as the Philippians supported Paul generously, let your music and leadership come from a heart of sharing and uplifting. Paul's contentment, even in tough times, shows his true satisfaction in Christ. Support the show ~ Changing lives...