Seeds of Faith

If all the world’s greatest dignitaries appeared on your doorstep and asked to come in, what would you do? Of course, invite them in!

And then they began to discuss issues that were important in your neighborhood and community, would you go make coffee? Pretend not to listen? Act busy? Sit at their feet?

The greatest dignitary ever in the world did visit a humble home in Israel. Two ladies resided there; one sat and listened to the great dignitary between heaven and earth, and the other busied herself at the work of hosting the dignitary.

That greatest dignitary between heaven and earth was Jesus. His response was “you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”

That one thing is to sit at the feet of Jesus, hear His Word and receive His gifts of grace and forgiveness.

These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.

Seeds of Faith

What happens when I die? Will I wander around chatting with a few select people who can understand me? Will I share messages from the afterlife reassuring my loved ones? Will I become an angel, like one of those cute little cherubs that sit on my mantle?

While all those spirit shows on TV try to point us to something solid that gives us hope after we die, those things are not good enough in God’s plan. The work He has given us to do, we need to complete now, before we die. He doesn’t desire us to be disembodied spirits floating around, or to change us into what we are not.

Instead, all those who believe in Jesus as their Savior are only to rest after they die, eagerly awaiting when we will be reunited with our bodies in perfection.

These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.

Seeds of Faith

The old saying goes something like this. Nothing good in life is free.

So that means if you want quality, you better be ready to shell out the dough, put in the blood sweat and tears and work your tail off.

Surprise! Free gift for you!

The unerring Word of God states, “for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast.

That means that there is something good in life that is free for you. It cost our Savior his entire life. But for you, it is a free. Don’t try and buy it. You can't afford it. Don’t try and add to it. It is perfect as it is. For you, there is nothing left to work for. Surprise!

These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.

Seeds of Faith

You think you’re so smart!

You think you’re so good!

You think you’re so …. __Fill in the blank.___

These snide comments usually come in the middle of an argument. And usually imply that they think you think you are better than them.

Paul says to the “Galatians, For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Still think you’re something? Think again. “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”

Is that message a downer to you? Boast in this.

“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Crucified in Christ, we are now something! Forgiven, redeemed, children of God.

These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.

Seeds of Faith

Do I have the right equipment? This is the most important question for backpackers to ask before they head off into the wilderness plodding along with the bare minimum that they need to survive.

They need water filters, shelter, water proof matches, and lightweight high energy food.

Do you have the right equipment for the daily plodding you do in the wilderness of this life?

All Scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be equipped for every good work.

The difference between the hiker and you is that you don’t have just the bare essentials, but rather ALL the equipment that God has provided to you through Jesus Christ our Lord. His holy unchangeable never erring Word in the person of Jesus gives you all you need.

These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.

Seeds of Faith

Fireworks! Explosions! Celebration! Grilling out! Family and Friends! Party!!!

Let freedom ring!

We pour much of our summer energy into celebrating this all important day for our country. Independence from someone over a distant sea ruling our land. Waving flags and banners, parades and carnivals. The victory that gives freedom.

And then we go back to our daily lives feeling as if freedom from ourselves and our addictions and bad habits and behaviors seems far away. Is the freedom given in this country enough?

No, it isn’t. But there is a greater freedom.

Paul says to the Romans “We know that our old self was crucified with (Jesus) in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. [For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”]

These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.