Our celebration of the Reformation this weekend is less about lauding Martin Luther and company and more about maintaining God's Word as is. We thank God for preserving his message of free salvation by grace through faith. The "re-" in "reformation" tells us that we are doing something again or going back to something. With God's Word, we never nee…

When circumstances force you to rearrange your budget, you still only have so many dollars. When you take a stand in hopes of some kind of a reset, you are still only one person. Ultimately, you don’t have much control, and you’re usually going to be working with the same resources you had before. How much difference was there between what went int…

Isn't it nice to have an opportunity to reset? This might come with a new house, new job, or new school. For Noah and his family, it came with a new world. After the flood, everything went through Noah. His family established the beginning of culture and civilization. God gave some rules for this reset. Read through them in the first part of Genesi…

Have you ever felt as though God had forgotten you? Maybe a relationship wasn't working out as you had planned. Maybe your health took a sudden turn for the worse. Maybe the job you thought you'd keep for a long time is going away. God, where are you? The opening words of Genesis 8 are not only written for you; they're written about you. We’re glad…

Do you stand by the microwave and tap your fingers? Is your finger ready on the horn if the car ahead of you doesn't move on green? Most of us aren't very patient. God is. Genesis 6 – 9 not only leads us to a deeper understanding of God's covenant of grace, but along the way we grow to appreciate his patience. We’re glad you’re with us today and pr…

"Righteous" is a word that usually has either a theological connotation or "self-" in front of it. Genesis 6 describes Noah as righteous and blameless. Read the chapter and see his actions. He didn't say a word, but he acted. But these actions showed his righteousness; they didn't establish it. Like ours, Noah's righteousness was through God. Like …

The book of Genesis isn't just about what happened, it's also about what is happening. This weekend, we begin a fall series on the Covenant of Grace described in Genesis 6 – 9. Our day is more like Noah's than we realize. We have cars and power tools, but hearts haven't changed. God warned the people of Noah's day judgment was coming, and he warns …

Finishing a book of the Bible is a big deal. It's been God's source of truth and inspiration for us for all of 2024. We'll miss you, Romans. But not really. We still have and we still need the message of Jesus we find in Romans. It's not going anywhere, except going more deeply into our hearts as we read it again. We’re glad you are with us today f…

After Paul plumbed the depths of the knowledge of God for 15 chapters of Romans, he concluded by naming 29 church members and 6 groups of church members in the final chapter. Why? The Spirit wants us to know God's Word matters, and the Spirit wants us to know God's people matter. It's true, we don't know much about Tryphena and Tryphosa. But we kno…

“Let the gospel predominate” is an old Lutheran preacher's maxim. As sinners, all of us (not just preachers) have ways of binding up the gospel of Jesus. We hide it. We water it down. We empty it of its comfort. The end of Romans 15 is one part of Scripture that shows us the apostle's Spirit-led thinking: let the gospel not be bound by time, space,…

Teachers, parents, and even returning students are often surprised by changes that have occurred over the summer. Some examples from the past week: "You got new furniture in the atrium!!" And, "You must have grown six inches over the summer!" And, "You got glasses! I love them." Those kinds of changes are nothing compared to the changes you see in …

The first 13 verses of Romans 15 show a theme of acceptance. Acceptance is a word and a concept with a positive connotation in most contexts, but what does God's Word say? How and why have you been accepted? Whom should you accept? How and why? We’re glad you’re here to explore this with us.

Imagine a rich uncle tells you that for your birthday he'd like to buy you a car, "Just go pick it out." You go to the used car lot and choose a 20-year-old rusty compact with 200,000 miles. You didn't fully understand your uncle's offer. He meant for you to pick out a new Cybertruck or Eurocar. You were thinking too small. In his letter to the Rom…

Do you remember COVID? Unless you’re a newborn or have a failing memory, of course you do. Remember the unknowns, the fear, the divisiveness, and the decisions? Leaders of St. Andrew prayed often as we entered that season that the Lord would guide us to make decisions that would reflect our love for Christ and his people, weak or strong. COVID is i…

The first half of Romans 13 tells us to give to everyone what we owe them, even to the government. The second half of the chapter gives us one more specific thing we owe everyone. Then, we are encouraged to conduct our lives as if we live in the light, not the darkness. Clothed with Jesus, we stand out.…

The Christian and the government Just those two words together might make you squirm a bit and probably with good reason. Fear not, no preacher here will tell you how to vote. You'll have to decide that for yourself. But the Spirit guides all of our lives, including our relationship with and responsibility to the government. The basic distinction b…

Lord, give me patience . . . You know how that petition concludes, "And give it to me right now!" You know some people who are given to demonstrating patience sometimes, but no one does so all the time. Something "sets off" everyone. What is it you have no patience for? In Romans 12, the apostle Paul is inspired to give us God's plan for how we res…

“Why are you so gifted?” That question might make you sit up a little taller. I suppose that's because we focus on the last two words and congratulate ourselves. There might be something to that. After all, the Bible does say each of us is uniquely gifted by God. But let your eyes go back to the first word of that question. Rather than sitting tall…

Have you gazed upon the infinity of the heavens, the vastness of the sea, or the beauty of a child and muttered, "Oh, my." It's not just that you don't know the words to say, it's that words can't express what you're feeling. Paul does something like that at the end of Romans 11. He's not done with the letter. We'll benefit from 5 more chapters. Bu…

Do you know any World War II veterans? Probably not—few are left. Maybe you are part of a group that you would call a remnant. It could be original homeowners in your neighborhood. It could be smartphone holdouts. At one point in our world, 100% of the population knew the true God. That makes you part of a remnant. At times, that reality confronts …

In church, the word “testimony” makes some people uncomfortable. It conjures up images of a tearful speech, filled with regret and sadness but then ending with happy outcomes and more ups than downs. Fear not, this Sunday is not "Testimony Day." You won't be asked to "give your testimony." Yet, according to Romans 10, every day is testimony day. Pl…

Trying to do too much - Have you heard that phrase? Used that phrase? Maybe the context was "overacting" in a drama setting or refusing to take a break from work. Can we try to do too much in our spiritual lives? In Romans 10, Paul describes a zeal not based on knowledge. It doesn't end well. Let's focus our zeal where it ought to be focused. We’re…

Have you seen a little quiz or game that asks you what road sign most accurately describes you? Maybe those in the throes of raising children can relate best to speed limit – 70 (or 140). Perhaps a series of rejections in life has you feeling like your motto is do not enter. But when Romans 9 describes God, only one response (and road sign) seems a…

How do you respond when someone gives you a gift? Do you ask, "Where did you get that? Where did it come from? Where did you buy it? How did you buy it?" Or do you just enjoy it? God has given you a gift that by faith in Jesus you can enjoy. Don't get tripped up in asking questions to which you may not be capable of knowing the answers. The best re…

We love security. We must. We have security systems, security alarms, and security dogs. We talk about national security. We want secure jobs. We diversify our financial resources for security. We put some of our money in securities because we aren’t sure social security is all that secure. We buy deodorant, mouthwash, and odor eaters to feel more …

A single acorn has within it the power to create a huge oak tree which will then have the power to produce thousands of oak trees, each producing thousands more acorns. In other words, a single acorn has the power to cover the entire earth with wood. But that acorn's potential will never be released unless it goes into the ground and is buried. The…

This weekend, we continue the powerful chapter of Romans 8. In verses 5-17, the apostle Paul emphasizes the dichotomy between the sinful nature and the Spirit. Which controls you? How? Why?

Have you heard the expression, "It's like putting lipstick on a pig”? It means the solution to the problem might look good, but it doesn't address the real issue. It's really no solution at all. Some people have the mistaken notion that being a Christian means doing the right things. The old campfire song, "They'll know we are Christians by our lov…

Are you a "glass half full" or a "glass half empty" kind of person? Most of us are a little of both. If you find yourself in a pickup basketball game with Caitlin Clark, you might be pessimistic about the outcome. But if you plan a night out at your favorite restaurant, you might be optimistic about how much you'll enjoy it. The apostle Paul, in Ro…

In Robert Louis Stevenson's famous novel by that name, the good Dr. Jekyll fights against an evil man who arises from within him, Mr. Hyde. The apostle Paul speaks for all of us when he writes, "that's our battle." But our battle is real. Although Dr. Jekyll lost his battle, Christ's resurrection is your guarantee that you'll win yours. Welcome to …

Romans 6 tells us about our response to Jesus' resurrection. It is freedom! But what do we do with our freedom from sin? Freedom from righteousness, that is, living in sin, only leads to death. But now, having been raised with Christ, we are free to be slaves to righteousness, and the result is eternal life.…

On Easter Sunday, the white cloth was folded up, no longer covering Jesus’ dead body. He had risen, so it no longer had any use except to serve as the surrender flag of sin, death, and the devil.

On Good Friday, before Jesus was put on the cross, he was given a scepter and mockingly hailed. The king of the world accepted subhuman treatment and shunned earthly glory in order to reign with his people in heaven.

On Maundy Thursday, Jesus was within hours of death, but he offered the bread of life to his followers. He gave his body for the forgiveness of sins and the Lord’s Supper as tangible evidence of his love.

Jesus on a donkey…crowds shouting praise…palm branches on the road. The crowd on the first Paul Sunday welcomed Jesus as a hero and a king. He deserved every bit of it and oh, so much more.

A Lenten devotion by Mr. Steve Pelischek from Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel.

On December 7, 1972, we saw our planet for the first time from outer space. All of a sudden, we were able to see our planet for what it really is. The second half of Romans 5 is like that. It lets us see our planet and our lives from God's perspective. Today we look for our ruin, our rescue, and our reign, and we find the best news ever in Romans 5…

A Lenten devotion by Minister for Nurture Mark Kjenstad

The Book of Romans is full of deep theology, but the word "peace" occurs for only the fourth time in chapter 5, in which Paul develops this idea: we are at ease because of what God has done in Christ. With so many unknowns in life, so many crises we cannot guarantee we will avoid, so many possibilities that are out of our hands, we can hang our hat…

A Lenten devotion by Pastor John Boggs from Luther Preparatory School.

Irish singer-songwriter Bono wrote a song called “Grace.” Grace, she takes the blame. She covers the shame. Removes the stain . . . Grace, it's a name for a girl, It's also a thought that changed the world . . . What once was hurt, what once was friction, what left a mark no longer stings because Grace makes beauty out of ugly things. When intervie…

Imagine someone gives you a generous gift for your birthday. A new car. A trip. A sailboat. Wouldn't it be ridiculous and wrong for you to tell a friend, "Look what I earned!" To brag about what you've done for the gift would not only be untrue, it would also be an insult to the giver. The only thing you could boast about would be the generosity of…

Some jobs require you to "beat last quarter's numbers." It drives some to continuous improvement, but it drives others to find employment elsewhere. Who can live with the constant push to do better, do more, and be better? Well, we all do. It is in our fallen nature to imagine that if we're just a little better, God will be on our side. But part of…

A Lenten devotion by Pastor Randy Hunter.

What kind of advantages have you had that you did not utilize? In what areas have you not lived up to your potential? Last week, the apostle Paul reminded us of our status before God: sinners because of our innate disposition toward evil but holy through the blood of Christ. This status is ours even as Gentiles. So what advantage did the Jews have,…

Everyone loves a good shortcut, but they’re usually called that for a reason. If it were truly the best option, it would just be the way. With a shortcut you’re sacrificing something or taking a risk. In Romans 2, the apostle Paul warns about spiritual shortcuts, a temptation that plagued ancient Israel and first century Christians. Today’s world i…

One of the biggest stumbling blocks that keeps people from listening to Christ and giving him a fair hearing is the hypocrisy of religious people. Yep, that would be us. The Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to speak to us about it in the book of Romans. He doesn’t speak to crush us, but to show us every reason we have to rejoice in the kindness, to…

Think of a gigantic spring you're trying to compress. While you're pushing down with all your might, it's resisting you and wanting to spring back up into its original position. In Romans 1, Paul says that's what we do with the truth of God. By nature, we take that truth of God and press it down to get it out of our minds. Yet even with all of the …

John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople in the 4th century AD had the book of Romans read to him four times a week so that he would remain familiar with it throughout his life. English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge said Romans is "The most profound book in existence." Martin Luther wrote, "The epistle to the Romans is the true masterpiece of t…

Isn't joy something that happens to you? Can you really control it? A recent Westside Christian School staff Bible study discussed the differences among joy, happiness, and gladness. Maybe the distinctions are arbitrary, but one that was proposed was that joy is more constant and less dependent on precisely what is happening in a given moment. Be i…