New Beginnings Lutheran Church

Is new always better, or should we stay with the old ways? God declares He is doing something new, but what does that mean for you? Prepare this 4th of July weekend by reading Isaiah 43.

Do you like surprises? God’s Word is full of them. We’re not talking about fortune cookie predictions drawn from the Bible by randomly opening and placing your finger on God’s Word for today. Today a divinely planned Word will be applied to your life.

What makes something a miracle? Do you still see them today? Read Luke 7:11-17 as we seek to understand the power of Jesus’ words that make the dead come alive again.

Trials. Family vacations have been described as ‘plans to induce Stockholm Syndrome.’ God is not abusive, but he redeems the pain of life to form in us a stronger attachment.

Study. Study is more than being studious. We lean into the Word for sustained, joyful reflection upon the object of our devotion: God. And this Word nourishes and sustains our faith. AND today we will celebrate the God inspired FAITH STEPS of various members of our faith family.

Prayer. We spell it: T.A.L.K. We could spell it S.E.E.K.I.N.G. Or we could spell it: K.N.O.C.K.I.N.G. However you think about prayer, for most of us it is God-ward looking. Jesus says that’s a good perspective to have.

Life experiences are frequently used by God to form and fashion us as disciples. Often these determine our interests and passions. What do you take for granted that may actually be a unique qualification for living out your calling in life?

Square peg, round hole? You know what that means: not fitting in. But we all have a fit. We all have people and places we are meant to be. On the flip side, there are gonna be people and places we do not fit. And that’s ok.

One person’s treasure is another person’s trash? Yikes! Can Christians value different things so vehemently as this adage sounds? Apparently we can. But, after a couple thousand years, we’re learning how to better relate, right?

Just in Missouri, 390 birds flit from yard to yard, from bluff to plain. God certainly expressed Himself through diversity. So why do we struggle so much with conformity to a cookie-cutter model of discipleship? Let’s not.

Christians are not hamburgers. Ray Kroc leveraged assembly line technology to improve fast-food and then franchised McDonald's. God didn’t assembly line you. If God made everybody different, let’s not.

Consider the various resurrection accounts. Jesus unveiled the best possible news the world has ever seen with a slow drip method. The Lord appeared to different people differently. How does Jesus relate to you?

There is no Easter without Good Friday. We resume a rich tradition for this service by listening to the seven words of Jesus spoken from the cross and hearing their significance for us today.

We learn how important prayer is even when we know the answer is no. Jesus had the cross in his sights from before the creation of the world, but still He travailed in prayer as He approached it.

How might this enormously familiar event foster greater hunger in our hearts for what Jesus gives? We easily take this meal for granted, but the historical context you may not know brings new flavor.

A woman lavishes an expensive gift on Jesus. She creates quite a stir. Jesus puts it all in perspective, though not all might agree with Him. After all, the same issues continue to create squabbles today.

We are in the middle of a seven day journey over six weeks. One might say what got Jesus killed was what He said. If only Jesus had known the maxim not to talk about politics or religion.

We are in week two of the seven days of Holy Week. Jesus Christ suffered for us; His passion also involved His zeal to provide reconciliation for God’s people. Therefore, Jesus clears the way for all people to stand before God.

We will spend the 40+ days of Lent focused on one week: the week of Christ’s passion. Palm Sunday will begin five weeks early, therefore, as we join the throng heralding Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem riding upon a donkey.

During our day, we get to hear and see many amazing sights. But, we often wonder if this is real or fake. It may be too good to be true. Sometimes, we also think this way about the truth of God’s Word. Is Jesus really God? Did He live and die as the Bible says? Even the disciples had doubts, but in a powerful moment on the mountain, Jesus reveals His divinity. Join us this Sunday as we explore the...

Jesus’ cry is said to have been so loud that it silenced heaven. It is an expression of abandonment, pain, suffering, and anguish. Some say that Jesus's cry was an invitation for people to bring their own questions to God.

There’s always gotta be one. And this series would be remiss not to include doubting Thomas’ encounter with the resurrected Jesus. We may learn it is safe to be honest, even if we are in a different place than the rest of the group.

Where is God? Even Isaiah the prophet exclaimed God hides Himself. The feeling of God’s absence is especially sharp during hardships in life. And when you feel uncertain, you stand in the place of faith… and doubt.

The opposite of faith is not doubt. Doubts are “the ants in the pants of faith.” In fact, God uses unanswered questions, not unquestioned answers, to lead us to places of faith. Put on your singlet.

There is nothing like a shared goal to form a connection between two people. And differences of opinion about how to achieve that goal can break the best of friends. Paul and Barnabas knew this, but that’s not the end of the story.