St Andrew's Messages

A Maundy Thursday devotion by Pastor Randy Hunter

We will be suspending our Matthew series until the end of May to accommodate Holy Week and our A Place of Peace series. So, this weekend it's . . . Matthew. Ha, but not where we were; we will skip ahead to chapter 21 where shouts of "save us now!" were heard on Palm Sunday. The question we need to ask is this: from what are we asking for salvation?

A Lenten devotion by Vicar Ronny Nguyen.

Turn the other cheek -- that's probably one of Jesus' most famous statements. No one criticizes Jesus' command to "turn the other cheek" or to "love your enemy" because to do so would be vile or disgusting. Everyone agrees such actions would be lofty and admirable; but to do it is just impossible. Who can do that? Who wants to do that? Only those radically changed by the love of God in Christ can...

A Lenten devotion by Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad

Have you ever been called a prude for the way you think about sex and marriage? Or maybe for not going along with the messages many movies and much music send about sex and marriage? The living Jesus has something to say to us about that. In the sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) Jesus offers us the most relevant, free, and attractive way to think about everything in life.

A Lenten devotion by Steve Pelischek

Everyone has standards. Some have double standards. Read Jesus' words in Matthew 5:17-26, and you'll know that the Son of God upholds standards and the penalties for not living up to them. He says something alarming in verse 20, but he also gives us a solution. Hint: it's not getting rid of all our standards.

A Lenten devotion by Pastor Clinton Kreuziger.

Everybody knows about salt and light, so they should make for easy spiritual comparisons, right? But when Jesus calls you the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), the difficulty does not lie in understanding, but in embracing and responding. May our Lord and Savior enable and empower us to make everything salty and bright.

A Lenten devotion by Pastor Jon Bilitz from Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel.

This week we come to Matthew 5:1-12, one of the most famous sections of the Bible, the Beatitudes. They sound so appropriate and so honorable. And they are. But when you read them, you must also be horribly unsettled. What do we do when we haven't lived them out? Find an answer in this the first and longest of Jesus' sermons we have on record. Read Jesus' introduction to his sermon on the mount, t...

A Lenten devotion by Pastor Randy Hunter.

What happens when you come alongside the hurting? You are, in Paul's words, "participating in Christ's sufferings." Oh, you're not suffering as the substitute for sinners. You're doing it to show the love of Christ, our substitute, to the person who is hurting. That's better than any physical healing. All of Jesus' miracles teach us something about Jesus, but his healing miracles prove who he is,...

If you like what you see in some social media apps, you're invited to "click, like, and subscribe." Other apps are more direct and simply say, "If you like what you see, follow me." They stole that from Jesus! Early in his ministry, Jesus invited four people to "follow me." They did, but why? What did they see in Jesus that made them "click, like, and subscribe"? What do you see in him that makes...

What comes as second nature to you now, was once a beginning. That goes for everything from walking to driving a car to writing a computer program. After about 30 years of living a "normal" life, Jesus began his public ministry. Matthew records this beginning with some unique details. What he began then, continues now. By his Word, Jesus continues to live among us and teach us. We're thrilled that...

Imagine that you lived 2,000 years ago and Jesus invited you to follow him. Your first question might be, "Who are you?" Matthew's first record of Jesus' "active ministry," after his baptism, would have given you the answer. He's the one who's not tricked by Satan. He's the one who puts the will of God first. He's the one who won't let his feelings dictate his actions. He's the one who perfectly o...

With what or whom are you well pleased? Was it the same a decade ago? Will it be the same in a decade? In Matthew 3, God the Father said he was well pleased with Jesus, and he never withdrew that status. Can God say the same about you? Why or why not?

Of all the good things you can do, and you can do plenty, what could be better than pointing someone to Jesus? That good thing could have eternal results. That good thing was also the special role God gave to John the Baptist and the special role God gives to us, too. Today, the Spirit will not only teach us about John the Baptist, but he will encourage us and give us wisdom for pointing others to...

Are you impressed by people born in impressive places? A small restaurant chain in the south is named for a man born while his parents were climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, inspiring his parents to carry him to the top. Or was it all a marketing gimmick? Still, no one would name a restaurant after someone born in Possum Grape, Arkansas or Burnt Corn, Alabama. You might not expect much from towns like tho...

No one likes a detour. It always means a longer drive in a direction you didn't want to go. It's one thing to encounter a detour on a trip, it's quite another to encounter a detour in your life, a change of plans you can't avoid and don't like. On that kind of detour, when your life takes a turn for the worse, it's tempting to hear Satan's muttering that God has left you. But a detour doesn't mean...

Come far to follow him. That's what the wise men, or magi, did. Join us to celebrate the Epiphany of our Lord, which means Jesus was revealed not only to one people, but to all nations. May our response to Jesus' presence be like that of the wise men. We're glad you're here to worship the Savior of the nations with us.

Right on the heels of the joy of Christmas comes the reality of another year. Undoubtedly some of it will be easy to take; some of it will be hard to take. We all pray for more of the former and less of the latter. But we don't know, do we? How do you plan to face the unknown or even the unpleasant of 2025? God's children can do so much better than whistle in the dark, think positive thoughts, or...

One of the privileges of having a child is the authority to name that child. Parents get to name their child because it's their wonderful privilege to manage their child, to help him or her find his or her talents, to find his or her capacities, to develop their child, and to bring their child to fullness. It's a wonderful thing to be a parent. But Mary and Joseph were not allowed to name their ch...

The story of David and Bathsheba is probably one of the best-known stories of all time, but not because it's such a good example for anyone to follow. Still, when you think of it, if God was going to take on a human body through a human mother, what choice did he have but to do so through sinful human beings. That's all there are. The most wonderful thing about the story of David and Bathsheba is...