Hello Family!

We’re journeying through Lent, and we’re about midway through it. What a wonderful time to reflect on God’s Creation as we not only march through Lent, but we’re also marching on toward spring.

God reveals Himself to people in two ways. One way is through Creation. This is called the natural knowledge of God. The other way God reveals Himself to people is to reveal His will for all human beings through His Law. The world “law” is from the Hebrew word “Torah,” which means “instruction.” These are God’s instructions for people. They’re not suggestions, but rather His law. This is called the revealed knowledge of God. Psalm 19 gives voice to both with Creation pointing toward the true Source, namely the One True God in Jesus.

Reading for Lent 3: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19, 1Corinthians 1:18-31, John 2:13-25

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I love you guys! Dad

Psalm 19:1,14 God’s MARVELOUS Creation!

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Romans 5:3-5 What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger

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Hello Family!

Well, we’re in the Lenten season. The Christian Church, as always, has eyes set on the cross. There is where Jesus suffered for all humanity.

But what about suffering in this world? And what about suffering in your own life? Christians aren’t exempt from suffering. However, the Bible tells us what the purpose of suffering is and what that means for the Christian.

EVERYONE suffers somewhere along the line. Can we find purpose in suffering? What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Except for bears. Bears will kill you.

Lent 2 Readings: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-31; Romans 5:1-11; Mark 8:27-38

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I love you guys! Dad

Faith Is A Lonely Journey (1st Sunday In Lent)

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Hello Family!

Have you ever felt all alone? Isolated? Separated? Wondering? Everyone experiences loneliness at some point in their lives for various reasons: financial, health, relationships, facing death.

The 1st Sunday in Lent always begins with the Temptation of Jesus. Jesus knows the lonely road. Jesus knows the journey. Jesus knows loneliness first hand. At the end of His lonely journey of faith was the cross.

Lent 1 Readings: Genesis 22:1-18, Psalm 91:9-13, James 1:12-18, Mark 1:9-15

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I love you guys! Dad

Welcome Aboard! Prepare For Takeoff. Mark 2:9; Transfiguration Sunday

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Hi Family!

I know you’ve flown at least once or twice. I like flying. No. I LOVE flying. I flew a gazillion time when I worked at Concordia Seminary when we lived in St. Louis. It also meant that I was away from you guys a lot, which I regret. Mom held down the fort and did a fantastic job with you guys. You’ve got the BEST Mom!

Does flying and The Transfiguration of Christ Jesus have anything in common? What does this mean for you? Listen to find out.

Readings for Transfiguration Sunday-B: 2Kings 2:1-12, Psalm 50:1-6, 2Corinthians 3:12-18, 4:1-6, Mark 9:2-9

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I LOVE you guys! Dad

Isaiah 40:21, 28-31 Back to the Basics

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Hello Family!

Well, it’s Super Bowl season. And what better coach is there but the legendary Coach Vince Lombardi! He is arguably the best coach of all time and in all of sports. He’s truly a legend

This legend needed to have his team get back to basics: “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Then Max McGee quipped, “Slow down Coach. You’re going to fast. We can’t keep up.”

The world was topsy-turvy for God’s people who were in refugee camps during their exile in Babylon. They had wondered if God was around, if God had been defeated by the Babylonian gods, and if they had absented themselves from God because of their sins. People today wonder the same thing, and Isaiah has a word for them, “Get back to the basics.”

Readings: Isaiah 40:21-31, Psalm 147:1-11, 1 Corinthians 9:16-27, Mark 1:29-39

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I love you guys! Dad

Epiphany 4 Mark 1:24 The Great Meddler

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Hi Family!

When Aunt Kate and I were little, we would do our chores on Saturday morning before watching cartoons. Back in those days the cartoons were great! One of our favorites was Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? They’d always solve the mystery and get to the truth of the matter. The show would end with the culprit/s being hauled off to jail saying, “If it weren’t for those meddling kids …”

In today’s message we hear about meddling with the Great Meddler, Jesus.

Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 111, 1 Corinthians 8, Mark 1:21-28

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I love you guys! Dad

Baptism of Jesus; Mark 1:9-11 Jesus & ZIP Files?

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Hi Family! And Happy New Year!

This is the 1st Sunday after Epiphany (Epiphany is January 6), and the Christian Church celebrates the Baptism of Our Lord. We don’t often think about Jesus’ baptism and what this means for humanity and each individual, including you and me.

I’m sure you might be wondering what this all has to do with ZIP files. Well, give a listen!

Readings for Baptism of our Lord: Genesis 1:1-5, Psalm 29, Romans 6:1-11, Mark 1:4-11

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I love you guys! Dad

1st Sunday After Christmas; DESPOTS, Luke 2:29-32

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Merry Christmas Family!

It’s still Christmas in the Christian Church. There are literally 12 Days of Christmas beginning December 25 through January 5. January 6 begins the season of Epiphany in the Christian Church. If you want to know what the song The Twelve Days of Christmas means with each of the day’s representative symbols, let me know. I’ll send you an article on it.

Today’s message for Christmas focuses on despots, despotism, and despotic authoritarian rule. This hardly seems like a Christmas message, especially given some of history’s most horrific despots: Hitler, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, and Kim Jong-Il. Nevertheless, Simeon’s Song from Luke 2 deals with despots, and is surprisingly very applicable to our lives today.

Christmas 1 Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Psalm 111, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40

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Have a blessed and Mighty Christmas! And a Happy New Year!

I love you guys! Dad

Advent III; Psalm 126:3-4 The Present Catches Up To the Past

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Good day Family!

It’s almost Christmas! It’s just around the corner. I love Christmas, and it’s my favorite holiday of the year. I love the decorations, the Christmas music, the lights, and a whole lot of other stuff!

But Christmas is also a time to take a time-travel trip–a trip to the past. It’s what happens in the past that gives meaning to our present. And sometimes–often times–we need our present to catch up to the past.

Readings for Advent 3: Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126; 1Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28

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I love you guys! Dad

Advent II; Mark 1:2-3 The Staging Area

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Happy Advent Family!

Christmas is right around the corner. It’s only 2 weeks away! Are you ready? We’re looking forward to having some of you out here–those who can make it. We’ll miss the ones who can’t.

When I was in college I would always look forward to the Christmas Season in downtown Milwaukee. The decoractions were wonderful as the Christmas lights would warm us the cold, winter evenings. The one thing always looked forward to was to working the Pabst Theater during the live production of A Christmas Carol. The staging area was always so well done, and I always looked forward to how the scenes would move along with the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

In the reading for today John the Baptist is in the wilderness calling people to repentance and shining the light on Jesus. He’s in the staging area, and so are you and every human being.

Advent II Readings (Cycle B): Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 85, 2Peter 3:8-14, Mark 1:1-8

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I love you guys! Dad