Life This Side of Heaven

Where do you begin when it comes to sharing your faith?  And what does Peter means when he tells us, “Always be prepared?”  On the surface it sounds as if he’s warning us that a pop quiz is coming and we’d better be ready.  But have a listen again to what he says and the context in which he says it.  It’s not as frightening as it sounds.  In fact, it’s pretty exciting.

That person with whom you want to share the Gospel, your spouse, the friend with whom you enjoy coffee on Wednesday mornings, your next-door neighbor or coworker, may think that they already know everything there is to know about Him.  They’re not expecting you to tell them anything that they haven’t already heard.  So, don’t be surprised if they seem bored, or even dismissive.  Is that discouragi...

There aren’t many houses that have generated interest more than the one Jesus describes here in John. It’s hard to imagine a home that has created more buzz and discussion than the one our Savior describes as “My Father’s house.” And needless to say, it sends our imaginations soaring …but not always in the right direction.

Did you know that you’ve been given the opportunity to do something even greater than the astronauts aboard the Artemis II launch to the moon? If that sounds remarkable, then just wait until you hear what Jesus has promised here in John's Gospel. As Jesus was preparing the disciples for the Ascension, and His return to the Father, the sharing of this news was about to be launched to a whole new le...

Here in 1 Peter, the apostle describes our hunger for God’s Word, and likens it to thirst for milk.  However, he encourages us to crave it “like newborn babies.”  What’s the difference?  While as adults it’s tempting to think of milk as a snack, or something to have on the side at dinner, newborn babies make a whole meal of it!

What does Jesus mean to “have life and have it abundantly”?  The Greek adverb our Savior uses to describe it means “surpassing, superior, extraordinary.”  It’s life at its very best.  It sounds pretty good!   But, what does this life look like?

When it comes to modern Christian art on the internet, there’s almost no end to pictures of our Savior, and images depicting Christian life.  However, many of them can only be described as, well …  “upside down.” Thankfully, in John's Gospel Jesus describes Himself, and has given us a beautiful picture of our salvation, in His portrait of the Good Shepherd. Piet Mondrian, Public domain, via Wikime...

When it comes to our church buildings, furnaces to be fixed, roofs need to be replaced and parking lots that need to be paved.  If we’re not careful, the emphasis can move from the Word and Sacraments to paint swatches and carpet colors. But when you strip it all away, what matters is what Luke describes here in this remarkable verse in Acts.

During dark times we struggle. And in our weakness, we may feel as if we’ve been abandoned by God. However, we have a risen and living Savior who comes to us in the midst of our struggles to share the victory of Easter.  Christ isn’t simply standing by to greet us in heaven when we die.  He’s with us right now and He reveals His grace, strength and presence in two remarkable ways. Episode Artwork:...

Have you ever dumped two jigsaw puzzles into the same box?  What a mess!  Unless you sit down and carefully sort out the pieces nothing is going to make any sense when you try to put it all together. Ultimately, you're left with only confusion, frustration and disappointment.  That’s certainly what two of Jesus’ followers were experiencing on the after of that first Easter. Trying to mix our own m...

Have you ever found yourself disappointed with God?  There are times when the events we experience in life may leave us so shook up that we’re left scratching our heads and confused.  A traumatic event may leave us so crushed that it causes us to step back and question what we know about God. If you can relate to these feelings, then you have an idea of what confront the disciples on the road to E...

John tells us that on the day of our Savior’s resurrection, Jesus showed Himself alive to the disciples.  But then he tells us that, “Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’”  Imagine Thomas walking into a room full of jubilant disciples and asking, “What did I miss?” All has been recorded so...

In recent years, this expression, "according to sources," has become a means of announcing information that may not have been verified but, instead, is based hearsay and unsubstantiated claims.  So, when Paul announces that the news he is sharing with us is, as he puts it, “of first importance,” it’s not wrong to want assurance that what he’s telling us is based on fact.  After all, our...

If you’re like me, you may have enjoyed seeing the successful Artemis II mission. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman called the voyage “a perfect mission.” However, it’s worth noting how many obstacles stood in the way of the mission’s success. We have just celebrated Easter and continue to rejoice in our Savior's resurrection. No matter how great the obstacles in your life, that would make it appe...

Matthew tells us that that when the women saw our risen Savior, alive before them, “They clasped His feet and worshipped Him.”  With all that was taking place this detail may sound incidental but it’s not.  It tells us a lot about what it means that you and I have a risen Savior, how we worship Him, and even gives us a glimpse of something to which you and I can now look forward.

“Why are you crying?”  What a remarkable question!  It’s the first thing that our risen Savior said as He greeted Mary on Easter morning. Tears are an important part of this narrative. However, this first question finds its focus with the follow-up question that came next, "Who is it you are looking for?” Episode Art: Giuseppe Calì, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Easter! Yesterday, in church, you and I also heard the wonderful news.  Unlike the disciples, we have the blessing of knowing what the disciples would soon discover.  Jesus had risen from the dead.  Nevertheless, staring into the empty tomb, they didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of what it meant that the tomb was empty.  But, as remarkable as it may sound, neither do a many Christians t...

Last Christmas, we celebrated the birth of our Savior.  We rejoice to confess that “For us, and for our salvation He came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.”  In other words, Jesus, the royal Son of God, put on the uniform of our flesh and blood and joined our ranks. And in all the events that followed, culminating with His crucifixion for us...

False claims, that Jesus never said He is God, get repeated in the media every year in the lead up to Easter. Coincidence?  I don’t think so.  You can be sure the adversary wants you to believe this is all just one big April Fool’s joke. But, if Jesus was just another man, another prophet, you can be sure that no one, let alone the ruling council before whom Jesus appeared, wouldn’t have been work...

Can you tell the difference between a parade and a protest?  That question may sound silly.  Even small children can tell one from the other.  Were there some among the crowd who misunderstood this truth?  Sure, just as there are those today who seek to co-op the message of the Gospel and turn it into little more than a political statement. But this was a festal parade!  This was worship. And on t...

It’s an unexpected scene that comes at the end of a movie … the very end.  It comes after all of the credits have rolled. All of a sudden, the screen lights up and there’s one more scene.  And in that scene is the set up for a future story line, a sequel, an eye-opening glimpse of what’s coming next.  With the raising of Lazarus, God gave Martha, and us, a joyous glimpse of what's to come.

In a criminal trial, the jury is charged with determining a defendant's guilt or innocence beyond a reasonable doubt.  It’s the kind of trial made famous by such characters as Perry Mason on TV.  It’s the type of trial where the judge then asks the foreman of the jury,  “Have you reached a verdict?”   Here in Romans, a verdict is about to be read.  However, in this case, we’re not seated on the ju...

Having shown Ezekiel a vision of a valley filled with bones, God explained, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’" And then He asked, "Can these bones live?" And when you and are crushed with guilt for things that we’ve said or done our redemption comes down to a matter of will. However,...

If sin was something that simply overshadows our life, we could fix it.  We could revise our plans, pick ourselves up, make adjustments and move on. It's a whole different matter, though, if you find yourself in the cemetery. And that’s Paul’s point. Take another look at the beautiful phrase, a gracious invitation, that the apostle uses to describe the light and life God has given to us in His Son...

It’s always fun sharing this account, of Jesus’ healing the blind man, with small children.  Once you get to the part where Jesus made some mud with saliva, they immediately recoil, scrunch their faces and exclaim, “Ewwww!”  And, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that some of you may be thinking the same thing.  So, why did Jesus spit onto the dust, make mud and rub it the man’s eyes? E...