New Beginnings Lutheran Church

The politics of fear has become the standard. Regardless of which party, candidate, or news source you lean toward, they all sound the same: the other side is going to be the worst case scenario. How does Jesus factor into the election cycle?

Even the most “out of it” texters know the acronym FOMO. Some people don’t just know FOMO, but live with it. Related to this is FOBO: Fear Of a Better Offer. Afraid of not living their best lives, we can miss many God-given gifts right in front of us!

Woody Allen famously said, “I’m not afraid of death; I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Are you afraid of dying? Are you afraid of flying? We approach both of these events with apprehension, but also with knowledge that mitigates our fears.

Fear can be healthy. God programmed fear into our nervous systems to give us survival instincts needed to keep ourselves safe and to prepare for goals. But fear can spike in ways adverse to God’s intent. How do we live our faith in the face of fearful circumstances?

You don’t lack commitment; you’re overcommitted! You have so many great options in front of you that the glut of choices has created a form of paralysis. As we approach the new year, we will begin to consider resolutions. We all want our lives to demonstrate more productive habits. So, it’s time to make a choice!

What is the birth of Jesus about? It’s about every knee bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus is Lord! The birth of Jesus is the prequel to the parousia--known only by God the Father Himself. Prepare the way of the Lord!

Some things just feel right, right? Like singing Silent Night to candlelight with the approach of Christmas. And we plan to repeat an act of corporate generosity and donate the night’s entire offering to Grace’s Place, an emergency shelter in Washington, MO that provides crisis care and other services for Children and Youth.

What is the birth of Jesus about? It's about His reign. We likely fail to grasp what “King Jesus” means, for we live in a representative government, after all. King Jesus is not elected; we don’t vote for Him. He rules. Period.

What is the birth of Jesus about? It’s about God being with us. Through the birth of Jesus, we see the lengths God will go to in order to be with us come hell or high water, life and even death. Nothing will separate us from His love.

What is the birth of Jesus about? It’s about salvation. Christ the Savior is born! The birth of baby Jesus highlights the fact that we are sinners needing to be saved. What stands out even more is that Jesus is our Savior who came to save us!

What good can we do on behalf of others this week? -- Got Bread? Jesus does. What little bit do you have that you’re holding back because it’s not much? You never know what God will do with it when you put it into action. So, go ahead, heed that nudge in your heart and ante-up!

What are some faith-filled conversations you’ve had this week? -- Got Messiah? Jesus is. I love controversy. It’s more interesting than all-figured-out opinions. The moment we have to reconsider what we think we know, we are prepared to grow. And Jesus wants us to grow in conversations.

How are you seeing God working in and around you this week? -- Got wine? If not, ask Jesus. Who knew that Jesus showing up to the party was going to be a God-event. Nobody expected to see God at that wedding in Cana, but that is what happened. Where don’t you expect to find Jesus?

What has God been saying to you through His Word this week? -- Got Word? Then you’ve got Jesus. God’s people have always geeked out for the written Word. And, lo and behold, that Word came and lived among us! Everything, literally, begins for us with God’s Word.

Prayer is hand-to-hand combat. Living in contested territory, we are deployed to bring precision to God’s intervention. As we’ve learned, it is not that God needs our prayers to deploy His aid, but we pray to remain open to His actions.

Prayer admits that we cannot, and that God can. We acknowledge our complete dependence and also discover God’s complete provision. If Jesus needed prayer, we certainly do too!

Ever give someone the silent treatment? Why? Your conversation or lack thereof demonstrates the state of your relationship. The object and author of prayer is what makes talking to God possible.

We easily talk with others, but praying together is not as commonly practiced. If prayer is just talking, then we can pray together as easily as we discuss sports or weather, right?

We become like those we are with. Talking to God is formative. Rather than seeing prayer as way to change God, prayer actually changes us. We become what we pray. So, let’s talk to God (Let’s pray)!

“Lord, teach us to talk.” They really asked Jesus to teach them to pray, but we spell prayer, “t.a.l.k.” After all, prayer is just talking. Like talking, it’s as easy as breathing. In fact, it’s easier to breathe than not to. Want to learn how to breathe more heavenly air?

We spell prayer, “t.a.l.k.” Prayer is just talking. But we often feel deficient in our prayer lives. Wanna learn how to pray better? Jesus only begins one prayer saying, “Pray like this.” If you want to know how, this prayer will show you.

The history of the world is a salvation story. This metanarrative overlays every other detail we are told or tell ourselves. It defines our dreams, whether waking or sleeping. Every plotline culminates here.

There is no way to understand the human world without stories. They fill our newspapers, court records, sports events, political debates, playgrounds, private thoughts, and public conversations. The Bible frames our stories.

Our experiences shape our conversations--the stories we tell each other and ourselves--and we want these tales to work in our favor. These stories have power to shape our lives and change them.

Stories are what make our societies possible, and impossible. Stories make us or break us. Conspiracy theories and disinformation serve a purpose--they satisfy our hunger for order. The truth will actually set us free.