Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Teaching kids to say please and thank you is one of the first lessons in language. But, it’s also a lesson in a kind of attitude — a way of understanding one’s self in the world and in relationship to others. This same attitude is carried by those of us who follow Jesus, acknowledging our dependence on God. A Thank you…goes a long way.

Jesus is really clear: life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. The surprisingly better life is  NOT one in which we simply get more. Rather, the life and way of Jesus is to give one’s whole self: possession, time, love, money, etc. We give in order to have life.  AND, we give, in order to share life. As the Psalmist reminds us, God “…released those condemned to death...so, write it...

Jesus is really clear: life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. The surprisingly better life is  NOT one in which we simply get more. Rather, the life and way of Jesus is to give one’s whole self: possession, time, love, money, etc. We give in order to have life.  AND, we give, in order to share life. As the Psalmist reminds us, God “…released those condemned to death...so, write it...

Jesus is really clear: life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. The surprisingly better life is  NOT one in which we simply get more. Rather, the life and way of Jesus is to give one’s whole self: possessions, time, love, money, etc. We give in order to have life.  AND, we give, in order to share life. As the Psalmist reminds us, God “…released those condemned to death...so, write it...

The Church is a community unlike any other. It is the only community designed to help us walk with Jesus; to be a place of both encouragement and accountability to the life Jesus offers. In our Christ-centeredness, in our mission-sentness, in our rhythms together, permeating through it all is LOVE. Love is what binds us together, it’s what shapes us, it's what compels us, it’s what sends us. Love...

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the birth of the New Testament Church…now fueled by a God who dwells NOT in a temple, but in the heart. Like God’s people of old, the New Testament Church knew that their life together, and the rhythms of that life were formative both as individuals and as a community; we are shaped by the things we do…and do often. Our life together is shaped by the rhythms an...

When we join with saints around the globe and through history to profess faith in the words of the Nicene Creed, we boldly say together I believe in one holy, Christian and Apostolic Church.  In other words, we believe the Church is HOLY, CHRIST-CENTERED, and MISSION-SENT. The Church is only Christian when it not only looks up to Jesus BUT OUT to the world.

When we join with saints around the globe and through history to profess faith in the words of the Nicene Creed, we boldly say together I believe in one holy, Christian and Apostolic Church.  In other words, we believe the Church is HOLY, CHRIST-CENTERED, and MISSION-SENT. The Church is only Christian when it is built on the confession that Jesus is the Christ.

Promises are often made and just as often…broken. In fact, our experiences with broken promises have created a kind of chronic distrust. God is a promise-maker…and more importantly, a promise-keeper. If we are to understand the nature of the Church, we must accept that it was begun with a promise…His promise. And it is a promise that he has, is and will keep until he comes again.

What do you want? It feels like a rather simple question. And yet, it is a question that gets to the very depth of one’s heart and spirit. Jesus came to bring us an abundant life…that we know. But, do we WANT the life Jesus came to bring us? Do we want what Jesus has to offer? Even if it means dying to myself? Even if it means saying no to things I “love?” What do you want - this is the question J...

Someone once said, “Everybody ends up somewhere, some people end up there on purpose.” We are all walking toward something: pleasure, financial success, social prominence, influence, and/or power. Some of us are walking away from something: trauma, broken promises, embarrassment, fractured relationships, disappointment, and/or shame. Whether we’re walking toward something or away from something -...

What if God’s greatest work happens not in the noise, but in the silence? This Sunday we’ll step into the awkward silence Jesus creates, so that we too can tune in to His invitation to a better life...where we get to let go of striving and find joy in trusting.

'The truth hurts.' 'The cold hard truth.' 'The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.' "The truth," author Joe Klass notes, "will set you free...but first it'll tick you off." Truth is something every human being must reckon with at some point. In our text this week, those of us who follow Jesus, must wrestle with the truth of God's Word - and that sometimes that truth is hard, and it h...

In Christ’s death and resurrection he brought his kingdom. As Christians, now it is our calling to live in that kingdom until Christ returns. The question is how do we do that. The answer Jesus gives in the parable of the ten minas is to be faithful. While it’s tempting to have other things as our highest priority such as politics, our kids sports schedules, work, or vacation, the only way we can...