Increase our faith! Is the call of the disciples. Forgive your neighbors. If he keeps doing things against you and he keeps admitting it, keep on forgiving him.
Don’t lead anyone astray with your actions.
Indeed! Increase our faith because surely I don’t have enough to do that.
And what is Jesus’ response to the plea of increase our faith? If you have faith the size of a mustard seed. In other words, “Size doesn’t matter!” Faith receives the gift Either you have faith or you don’t. No faith building exercises can make it bigger or better.
Faith in Jesus grants you forgiveness and a new life with His good gifts given to you. No special mathematics can increase it. It’s as good as it gets. If this faith in Jesus is good enough to sustain you into eternity, how much more for the trials of this world.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Proper 21
Surely if my long dead relative just came back and told me what I needed to know, or whispered comforting words then….
Jesus tells us in the story of the rich man and Lazarus that, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”
Once this physical life ends, earthly work is done. Any messages that need to be given won’t come from the grave. No ghost will come back to tell you to straighten up your life to give you an earthly second chance.
But someone did rise from the dead with a perfect message and people still don’t listen to Him! Jesus offers eternal life as a free gift won for the world on the cross. Nothing more, nothing less. Are you listening? This message is for you!
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Jesus tells us in the story of the rich man and Lazarus that, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”
Once this physical life ends, earthly work is done. Any messages that need to be given won’t come from the grave. No ghost will come back to tell you to straighten up your life to give you an earthly second chance.
But someone did rise from the dead with a perfect message and people still don’t listen to Him! Jesus offers eternal life as a free gift won for the world on the cross. Nothing more, nothing less. Are you listening? This message is for you!
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Proper 20C
To climb up the corporate ladder, sometimes you have to walk on a few people. It’s not really stealing if it is their mistake. It’s so much work to take care of Grandpa, let’s just let him die.
Such is the wisdom of the world. It makes our hearts yearn for more and take advantage of whoever gets in our way to get ahead.
The prophet Amos proclaims, “Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end…” “I will turn your feasts into mourning….”
Though we try to justify ourselves “in the sight of men,” God knows our sinful hearts and calls us to repentance. Though we are “not strong enough to dig,” and we are “ashamed to beg”, He justifies us by His grace and welcomes us into His “eternal dwellings” by the cross of Jesus.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Such is the wisdom of the world. It makes our hearts yearn for more and take advantage of whoever gets in our way to get ahead.
The prophet Amos proclaims, “Hear this, you who trample on the needy and bring the poor of the land to an end…” “I will turn your feasts into mourning….”
Though we try to justify ourselves “in the sight of men,” God knows our sinful hearts and calls us to repentance. Though we are “not strong enough to dig,” and we are “ashamed to beg”, He justifies us by His grace and welcomes us into His “eternal dwellings” by the cross of Jesus.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 19C
“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). To deliver His flock, Jesus “will seek the lost, bring back the scattered, bind up the broken, and strengthen the sick” (Ezek. 34:16). He sets over them one great Good Shepherd, the Son of David, who “will feed them himself and be their shepherd” (Ezek. 34:23).
For Christ Jesus is the one Man who, “if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them,” would “leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it” (Luke 15:4). When He finds the lost one and brings it home rejoicing, “the angels of God” and all the company of heaven rejoice with Him, with great joy (Luke 15:7, 10). That lost one is you.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
For Christ Jesus is the one Man who, “if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them,” would “leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it” (Luke 15:4). When He finds the lost one and brings it home rejoicing, “the angels of God” and all the company of heaven rejoice with Him, with great joy (Luke 15:7, 10). That lost one is you.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Proper 18C
Discipleship is costly because it crucifies the old man with “all he that he has” (Luke 14:33), in order to raise up the new man in Christ. The disciple gives up “his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life” (Luke 14:26), in regard to Christ.
That way of the cross is impossible, except that Jesus has already paid the cost. His cross is set before you as “life and prosperity, and death and adversity” (Deut. 30:15). Taking up His cross is to “choose life in order that you may live, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him” (Deut. 30:19–20).
To live that life in Christ is also to bear His cross in love, “that your goodness [would be]t of your own free will” (Philemon 14).
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
That way of the cross is impossible, except that Jesus has already paid the cost. His cross is set before you as “life and prosperity, and death and adversity” (Deut. 30:15). Taking up His cross is to “choose life in order that you may live, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him” (Deut. 30:19–20).
To live that life in Christ is also to bear His cross in love, “that your goodness [would be]t of your own free will” (Philemon 14).
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 17C
“Everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled,” Jesus proclaims, but “he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11). For your hope is in the name of the Lord, who humbled Himself unto death on the cross and was exalted in His resurrection.
So are you humbled by His cross, and “at the resurrection of the righteous,” He will say to you, “Friend, move up higher” (Luke 14:10; 13–14). By His grace, the King will honor you “in the place of great men,” where your eyes will gaze upon the Prince, His dearly-beloved Son (Prov. 25:7).
As He has dealt so graciously with you, “Do not neglect doing good and sharing” (Heb. 13:16), and “do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers” (Heb. 13:2). Be humble yourself and exalt your neighbor, not for the sake of your salvation, but for your neighbor’s earthly benefit.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
So are you humbled by His cross, and “at the resurrection of the righteous,” He will say to you, “Friend, move up higher” (Luke 14:10; 13–14). By His grace, the King will honor you “in the place of great men,” where your eyes will gaze upon the Prince, His dearly-beloved Son (Prov. 25:7).
As He has dealt so graciously with you, “Do not neglect doing good and sharing” (Heb. 13:16), and “do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers” (Heb. 13:2). Be humble yourself and exalt your neighbor, not for the sake of your salvation, but for your neighbor’s earthly benefit.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
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