Listen Here:
Whatever good things we have, we have received them from the Lord. He freely provides all that we need for this body and life, and especially for our body and soul to life everlasting.
Therefore, Jesus says, “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on” (Matt. 6:25). As our heavenly Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the field, much more will He feed and clothe us.
Though we may be faithless and forgetful yet the Lord remains faithful, and He “will not forget you” (Is. 49:15). As He has comforted His people in the past, He also has compassion on us in all our afflictions. He favors us and helps us in the day of salvation, which has appeared in the flesh and blood of Christ.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Epiphany 7
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God reveals His perfect holiness in compassion as “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45). By His grace in Jesus Christ we are holy just as He is holy (Lev. 19:2) and we are “God's temple” in whom “God's Spirit dwells” (1 Cor. 3:16). This gift of holiness begins with fearing, loving, and trusting God above all things and leads us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev. 19:18).
Though we were His enemies, our Lord Jesus Christ has loved us and forgiven us. Nourished and sustained by His holy body and blood under the bread and wine of His holy Supper, we “shall be holy” (Lev. 19:2) even as the Lord our God is holy.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
God reveals His perfect holiness in compassion as “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45). By His grace in Jesus Christ we are holy just as He is holy (Lev. 19:2) and we are “God's temple” in whom “God's Spirit dwells” (1 Cor. 3:16). This gift of holiness begins with fearing, loving, and trusting God above all things and leads us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Lev. 19:18).
Though we were His enemies, our Lord Jesus Christ has loved us and forgiven us. Nourished and sustained by His holy body and blood under the bread and wine of His holy Supper, we “shall be holy” (Lev. 19:2) even as the Lord our God is holy.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Epiphany 6
Listen Here:
The God who reveals Himself in His incarnate Son promises life and blessing to all who obey His commandments. However, we are “people of the flesh” and “infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1) among whom “there is jealousy and strife” (1 Cor. 3:3).
Jesus must teach us against the human ways of anger, adultery, divorce, and false witness (Matt. 5:21-37), because all who live in these ways “shall surely perish” (Deut. 30:18). On the cross He died to forgive our sins and free us from the ways of curse and death.
Since Jesus Christ is our “life and length of days” (Deut. 30:20), we can be reconciled to our brother, live in chastity and marital faithfulness, and speak with honesty. He who serves from His cross also offers His gift of reconciliation at His altar, and we can be at peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
The God who reveals Himself in His incarnate Son promises life and blessing to all who obey His commandments. However, we are “people of the flesh” and “infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1) among whom “there is jealousy and strife” (1 Cor. 3:3).
Jesus must teach us against the human ways of anger, adultery, divorce, and false witness (Matt. 5:21-37), because all who live in these ways “shall surely perish” (Deut. 30:18). On the cross He died to forgive our sins and free us from the ways of curse and death.
Since Jesus Christ is our “life and length of days” (Deut. 30:20), we can be reconciled to our brother, live in chastity and marital faithfulness, and speak with honesty. He who serves from His cross also offers His gift of reconciliation at His altar, and we can be at peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Epiphany 5
Listen Here:
Jesus warns that you have to be better than the most perfect person you know or “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). Yet He also calls His imperfect people “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14). That's because the Lord Jesus came not to abolish the Law, “but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17) in perfect faith and love.
Since He does and teaches all of God's commandments, He is “called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19). God manifests His “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” in “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2-4). Christ gives this perfect righteousness to His people and it leads them “to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house” (Is. 58:7)
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Jesus warns that you have to be better than the most perfect person you know or “you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). Yet He also calls His imperfect people “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14). That's because the Lord Jesus came not to abolish the Law, “but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17) in perfect faith and love.
Since He does and teaches all of God's commandments, He is “called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19). God manifests His “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” in “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2-4). Christ gives this perfect righteousness to His people and it leads them “to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house” (Is. 58:7)
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Epiphany 4
Listen here:
The Lord tells His people, “I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery” (Micah 6:4). By the sacrifice of His beloved Son He has redeemed us from our slavery of sin and death; He has forgiven our transgressions by the shedding of His blood.
We boast only in the Incarnate and Crucified Lord Jesus. He is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24). He is our life and salvation,
Now He opens His mouth and teaches us His wisdom. By His Cross and Passion the kingdom of heaven is ours, we receive mercy and are satisfied, we see God, and we are called sons of God in Christ.
“Blessed are you,” therefore, on account of Christ (Matt. 5:11).
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Epiphany 3
Listen here:
It can be one of the most heated battles in childhood games. To be the first to get that checker all the way across the table and get to cry out…. “King Me!” Your kingdom is at hand.
In Matthew 4:17 Jesus says, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This isn’t some childhood game of checkers where Jesus marched across a table and claimed an earthly crown.
Although the world was seeing some earthly consequences to the kingdom of God being at hand in Jesus. The deaf hear, the lepers cleansed, the blind see.
This is just a small glimpse at the true Kingdom of God. Jesus did march, not across a table but up a tree, to die to take away all sin. By doing so He opened up the eternal Kingdom of God to all believers where there is no more sickness and death.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
It can be one of the most heated battles in childhood games. To be the first to get that checker all the way across the table and get to cry out…. “King Me!” Your kingdom is at hand.
In Matthew 4:17 Jesus says, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This isn’t some childhood game of checkers where Jesus marched across a table and claimed an earthly crown.
Although the world was seeing some earthly consequences to the kingdom of God being at hand in Jesus. The deaf hear, the lepers cleansed, the blind see.
This is just a small glimpse at the true Kingdom of God. Jesus did march, not across a table but up a tree, to die to take away all sin. By doing so He opened up the eternal Kingdom of God to all believers where there is no more sickness and death.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Epiphany 2
During the Civil War a company of Confederate irregulars known as the Bushwackers were arrested by Union soldiers. Because they were not in uniform, they were not recognized as prisoners of war but were sentenced to be shot. A courageous boy in the Union Army touched his commanding officers arm and pleaded, “I know one of the condemned men. He has a large family who needs him badly. Please let me take his place. My parents are dead and I have few friends. No one will miss me. Let me take his punishment.” Hesitant, the officer finally consented. His marker reads: “Sacred to the memory of Willy Lear. He took my place.”
Behold the Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes our punishment of eternal death onto himself so that we no longer must face the wrath of God, but rather have his good pleasure. He took my place.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Behold the Lamb of God, Jesus, who takes our punishment of eternal death onto himself so that we no longer must face the wrath of God, but rather have his good pleasure. He took my place.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Baptism of Our Lord
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Which one? The one standing in the muck of the Jordan River? The one who had water wash over his head by God’s servant, John? The one who the Spirit descended on in the form of a dove? Yes this one! The Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are present there to attest to it!
Well, that’s nice Jesus, just go and dry off now and let us ponder more important things.
Woah! Put on the brakes for a moment. Let us not hurry too quickly past this seemingly small event in Jesus’ life. If the Father is well pleased with His Son, that means he is pleased with all those who are baptized into Jesus. You are my beloved child, with you I am well pleased.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Well, that’s nice Jesus, just go and dry off now and let us ponder more important things.
Woah! Put on the brakes for a moment. Let us not hurry too quickly past this seemingly small event in Jesus’ life. If the Father is well pleased with His Son, that means he is pleased with all those who are baptized into Jesus. You are my beloved child, with you I am well pleased.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
The Epiphany of Our Lord
Today is the celebration of Epiphany*, that is, the coming of the Wise Men to see the infant Jesus. It was made clear to them that God had indeed brought about everything He had prophesied would take place. The Wise Men were shown the King of the World wrapped in diapers. God told it. They saw it with their eyes and their eyes of faith. It is certain.
We call these men wise, not because they had any greater knowledge than anyone else but rather because they knew to listen to God’s direction to see Jesus. Oh to be wise like the Wise Men who followed the light of the star.
We don’t need astronomical skills to be wise like the Wise Men. Simply put, open God’s Holy unerring Word. Its light will always point you to your Savior, Jesus.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
*To make clear or certain by showing or displaying
We call these men wise, not because they had any greater knowledge than anyone else but rather because they knew to listen to God’s direction to see Jesus. Oh to be wise like the Wise Men who followed the light of the star.
We don’t need astronomical skills to be wise like the Wise Men. Simply put, open God’s Holy unerring Word. Its light will always point you to your Savior, Jesus.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
*To make clear or certain by showing or displaying
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Christmas 2
How quickly in the church year that we depart from the infant Jesus. We aren’t saved in Jesus’ infancy. The Lord Jesus "grew and became strong" (Luke 2:40); He "increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man" (Luke 2:52). As His body grew and developed, His mind also increased in knowledge and understanding.
As our brother in the flesh, Jesus lived by faith in the Word of His Father. Thus, He was taught by His parents, who took Him up "to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover" (Luke 2:41); and when He was of age, He gave attention to the Holy Scriptures in His Father's house (Luke 2:46, 49). Christ Jesus is still found in His Church, in "the Word of truth, the Gospel," by which we are adopted by His Father and sealed with His Spirit (Eph. 1:5, 13).
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
As our brother in the flesh, Jesus lived by faith in the Word of His Father. Thus, He was taught by His parents, who took Him up "to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover" (Luke 2:41); and when He was of age, He gave attention to the Holy Scriptures in His Father's house (Luke 2:46, 49). Christ Jesus is still found in His Church, in "the Word of truth, the Gospel," by which we are adopted by His Father and sealed with His Spirit (Eph. 1:5, 13).
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
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