“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21) Who ever said Jesus had nothing to say about money and taxes?
Yes, that’s right. Pay what you owe. No matter which politician is going to try and save you the most money this election season, whether your taxes go up or down, we have a God given responsibility to pay our taxes. Don’t seek loopholes and a way to bend the truth.
But there is a greater, equally true message that has to do with a lot more than money. “Give to God, what is God’s.” What can we give God, after all, He has it all? He doesn’t need your money. What He needs is what you need; for you to believe that Jesus has taken away all your sins.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
My apologies
I apologize for there not being updates to the blog. I will give you a nice backlog of them shortly.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Proper 22
Let’s say you own some choice land. You put all of your time, effort, and money into making it produce a perfect crop. When the time comes to harvest the crop, your tenants who you entrusted with this prized land refuse to respond to your communications with them. You send some of your hired hands. Some return beaten and bloodied, others don’t return at all. You know they are dead. Surely they will respect your son. Yet those tenants have delusions of grandeur. They think that if they kill your son, then they will inherit this prized land all for themselves.
And so we have delusions of grandeur whenever we think we can take the eternal life that isn’t ours on our own merit and kill the very Son of God with our sin.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
And so we have delusions of grandeur whenever we think we can take the eternal life that isn’t ours on our own merit and kill the very Son of God with our sin.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 21
And being found in human form, [Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2.
What does it mean for God in human flesh Jesus to be exalted? Simply this: He did what no one else could do, that is die for the world’s sin. And this is the very same exalted name placed on you in your baptism. Your name is with His. You are forgiven all your sins. So we boldly confess with our lips and our lives all that Jesus has done for us!
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
What does it mean for God in human flesh Jesus to be exalted? Simply this: He did what no one else could do, that is die for the world’s sin. And this is the very same exalted name placed on you in your baptism. Your name is with His. You are forgiven all your sins. So we boldly confess with our lips and our lives all that Jesus has done for us!
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 20
It seems unfair that if someone puts in more work on a project that they would get paid the same as someone who does less work. At some point in time many have felt that way over those who lead such a scandalous life, yet as the scandal’s life draws to a close, he confesses with his lips that Jesus Christ died for his scandalous life as well.
We can relate to the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 20 when those who had labored long and hard get the same wage as those who had just been hired.
Yet we must rejoice that Jesus has indeed chosen to reward all who do the good work of believing in the one God has sent, even Jesus Christ our Lord, receive the same gift, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
We can relate to the parable that Jesus tells in Matthew 20 when those who had labored long and hard get the same wage as those who had just been hired.
Yet we must rejoice that Jesus has indeed chosen to reward all who do the good work of believing in the one God has sent, even Jesus Christ our Lord, receive the same gift, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 19
It is easy to get fed up isn’t it, especially when they keep doing it to you over and over and over again? Enough is enough. If they do it one more time, I’m never speaking to them again. Peter thought he was being pretty generous when he asked Jesus if he should forgive a brother in the faith seven times.
How it is that we so continuously sin against our holy God. Not seven times in a life or seven times a year or even seven times a day. So great is the debt that we owe our heavenly Father that we could never repay it.
So great is God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. He has forgiven us in Christ that which we could never repay, not seven times or 70 times. For everyone in Christ he forgives us each and every one of our sins, now and into eternity.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
How it is that we so continuously sin against our holy God. Not seven times in a life or seven times a year or even seven times a day. So great is the debt that we owe our heavenly Father that we could never repay it.
So great is God’s love for us in Christ Jesus. He has forgiven us in Christ that which we could never repay, not seven times or 70 times. For everyone in Christ he forgives us each and every one of our sins, now and into eternity.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 18
It is impossible to forget that it is an election year. Once again we will put the next few years of our lives into the hands of our newly elected officials. It is easy to think that we are in control. Paul’s letter to the Romans gives a different image of our election year.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Romans 13:1
Those whom are elected to office are there under God’s authority. They are to act on His behalf. Whether they make good decisions or bad, our ever faithful God will work His glory.
May our elected officials always know that they too are to ever seek God’s will and that Christ died for them so that they may have His eternal home.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Romans 13:1
Those whom are elected to office are there under God’s authority. They are to act on His behalf. Whether they make good decisions or bad, our ever faithful God will work His glory.
May our elected officials always know that they too are to ever seek God’s will and that Christ died for them so that they may have His eternal home.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Proper 17
What is the work of Satan? To create havoc in the world? To spread horrible outward acts of violence? To be a visible embodiment of evil? Many of these things can come from the hand of Satan. But it is not his greatest work.
We learn a lot about Satan’s work when Peter and Jesus have an interchange in Matthew 16. Jesus is telling his disciples that He must suffer and died and be raised from the dead. That this is His primary work of salvation.
Peter vehemently disagreed with Jesus and told him it would never happen. Jesus’ response? Thanks for looking out for me. NO! “Get behind me Satan.”
The primary work of Satan is to prevent Jesus from forgiving your sins. To stop the benefits of Jesus’ cross from being delivered into your life.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
We learn a lot about Satan’s work when Peter and Jesus have an interchange in Matthew 16. Jesus is telling his disciples that He must suffer and died and be raised from the dead. That this is His primary work of salvation.
Peter vehemently disagreed with Jesus and told him it would never happen. Jesus’ response? Thanks for looking out for me. NO! “Get behind me Satan.”
The primary work of Satan is to prevent Jesus from forgiving your sins. To stop the benefits of Jesus’ cross from being delivered into your life.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 16
How do you get into your locked house? You need a key! But not just any key, you need the RIGHT key. That key lets you into the safety and security of your own home. Without it, you have nothing. But that key does something else. Those who don’t have it, the thieves and the intruders, are kept out.
Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
He has given the church on earth the keys to our eternal home. The forgiveness of sins won by Jesus on the cross is shared to all who confess Jesus’ name and all He has done for us. Thanks be to God for Jesus’ forgiveness shared through His Church!
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Jesus said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
He has given the church on earth the keys to our eternal home. The forgiveness of sins won by Jesus on the cross is shared to all who confess Jesus’ name and all He has done for us. Thanks be to God for Jesus’ forgiveness shared through His Church!
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 15
What do you feed your dog? His own special food? Table scraps? Or maybe your dog is a canine vacuum cleaner gobbling up anything that touches the floor under your table.
Your canine vacuum doesn’t deserve to eat those crumbs. It happens to be one of the benefits of being in your household. Some days he reaps greater rewards than others. But none the less, his presence in your house is of tasty benefit to him.
This is the understanding of a woman who approaches Jesus to heal her daughter. She trusted that even the food that fell from the Master’s table was enough to sustain her.
Jesus then said to this woman something He never said to even His chosen disciples: “Great is your faith!”
Great is the faith of those who trust in Jesus’ undeserved care.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Your canine vacuum doesn’t deserve to eat those crumbs. It happens to be one of the benefits of being in your household. Some days he reaps greater rewards than others. But none the less, his presence in your house is of tasty benefit to him.
This is the understanding of a woman who approaches Jesus to heal her daughter. She trusted that even the food that fell from the Master’s table was enough to sustain her.
Jesus then said to this woman something He never said to even His chosen disciples: “Great is your faith!”
Great is the faith of those who trust in Jesus’ undeserved care.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Proper 14
Jump in! The water is fine! The sounds of summer at the pool. Peter in Matthew 14 made such a jump; from the boat to the sea. At Peter’s request, Jesus bid him to walk on the water to meet up with his Lord. And in did he jump without a splash.
If we would pause the frame right there, life is pretty good for Peter. He’s living a miraculous life standing on the water. But there is no pause button in life. The wind and the waves began to crash and Peter began to sink because he was afraid.
In reached his Savior’s hand. Thank you Peter, for what you experienced, so do we. The wind and waves do crash in on our miraculous lives, and we are afraid. And in reaches our Savior’s hand and pulls us out of the drowning water into His marvelous eternal arms.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
If we would pause the frame right there, life is pretty good for Peter. He’s living a miraculous life standing on the water. But there is no pause button in life. The wind and the waves began to crash and Peter began to sink because he was afraid.
In reached his Savior’s hand. Thank you Peter, for what you experienced, so do we. The wind and waves do crash in on our miraculous lives, and we are afraid. And in reaches our Savior’s hand and pulls us out of the drowning water into His marvelous eternal arms.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Pentecost 11; Proper 12
How precious are you in the sight of God? How about a treasure that He hides in a field to keep you safe and then sells everything to buy the field?
Or how about he compare you to a fine pearl that He is willing to sell everything to acquire you?
It may sound strange but that is how our heavenly Father views all of you. Jesus told these parables in Matthew 13 to show us that God is willing to give everything so that He may have you. Everything, that is, His own dear Son to pay for you, so that you may be in His kingdom forever.
Don’t feel that precious or valuable? Look at yourself through the fountain of the blood of the Son of God and see the reflection of your Savior.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Or how about he compare you to a fine pearl that He is willing to sell everything to acquire you?
It may sound strange but that is how our heavenly Father views all of you. Jesus told these parables in Matthew 13 to show us that God is willing to give everything so that He may have you. Everything, that is, His own dear Son to pay for you, so that you may be in His kingdom forever.
Don’t feel that precious or valuable? Look at yourself through the fountain of the blood of the Son of God and see the reflection of your Savior.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Pentecost 10, Proper 11
Before the advent of the use of weed specific chemicals to take care of a sugar beet or bean field, it was common to walk out with a hoe and chop out as many weeds as you could. But it was inevitable that you would end up chopping some of the crop along with the weeds. Call them casualties of war.
Our Savior Jesus, uses weeds in a field as an image in Matthew 13 to communicate that there will always be evil in this world. But our Savior doesn’t want any casualties of war. Those who are against Jesus are so entwined with the believers that separating them in this world is impossible.
Jesus will send His angels to take care of that when He comes again in all His glory.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Our Savior Jesus, uses weeds in a field as an image in Matthew 13 to communicate that there will always be evil in this world. But our Savior doesn’t want any casualties of war. Those who are against Jesus are so entwined with the believers that separating them in this world is impossible.
Jesus will send His angels to take care of that when He comes again in all His glory.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Pentecost 9, Proper 10
What do you think of a farmer who plants his seed in good soil? You think he is simply a normal farmer. What if this same farmer planted his seed along the road? Now you wouldn’t think he is very wise, would you? What about a farmer who didn’t prepare the soil first by getting rid of all the large rocks? Or what about a farmer who saw an extremely weedy plot of land and planted his seed there? Not very smart?
Although you might not think much about that earthly farmer, our heavenly Father is just that liberal with the seed of His Word. He doesn’t just give the Word to faithful believers, He casts it among those who get choked by the cares of this world. He throws it out even amidst all those who are hard hearted like rocky ground. This is how gracious He is for our salvation.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Although you might not think much about that earthly farmer, our heavenly Father is just that liberal with the seed of His Word. He doesn’t just give the Word to faithful believers, He casts it among those who get choked by the cares of this world. He throws it out even amidst all those who are hard hearted like rocky ground. This is how gracious He is for our salvation.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, NE. I’m Pastor Allen Strawn.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Freedom
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.
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.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Pentecost 7; Proper 8
“Do not think that I have come to ring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
These words are shocking to hear from Jesus’ mouth in Matthew 10. Yet since Jesus said it, it must be true. It is true that Jesus stood and never fought back as people wrongly accused him and told lies about him. It is true He never fought to prevent himself from going to the cross.
But Jesus is a fighter when it comes to sin on earth. Sin cannot stand next to holiness. Jesus cannot stand next to any other god. So the earth is divided. Those who follow Jesus by confessing their sin and being given His forgiveness and those who do not want forgiveness from Jesus at all.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Pentecost 6; Proper 7
It is reported that one day Abraham Lincoln went to a slave auction and noticed a young woman glaring at everyone with hate and contempt. When the bidding started,
The young slave asked
“Free? Free for what?” she asked.
“Just free. Completely free.”
“Free to do whatever I want to do?”
“Yes.”
“Free to say what I want to say and go where I want to go?”
“Yes.”
“Then,” she finally said, “I want to go with you.”
We are free from the slavery of sin. Completely free in Jesus Christ.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by
Friday, June 13, 2008
Pentecost 5, Proper 6
We fear genetic diseases because there is little we can do to prevent ourselves from getting them. Romans 5 says that sin is in all of our genes.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned….
It sounds like a pretty bleak outlook for all of us. God’s Word continues.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
If you think your genetic sin seems great, God’s love in Jesus is greater. Christ’s sacrifice gives the freest genetic cure for you, forgiveness of all of your sin.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Pentecost 4, Proper 5
An envelope comes in the mail. It looks very official with it’s gold seal on the outside. It seems almost too expensive for who you are. As you open the envelope you see an invitation to the grandest banquet given in your honor.
Someone must have made an error because it is being held because you had given of yourself sacrificially to benefit the world. But you never made this gift so how can a banquet be held in your honor?
“It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”
Jesus sacrifice for sins is counted as yours and you receive all of the benefits, even though you did nothing to deserve them. Christ did!
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Pentecost 3
Now that the school year is over, the conversations of reading, writing, and arithmetic will go into extinction for the summer. But what about your conversations of God’s Word?
Deuteronomy 11 says: “You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Formal education in the faith is great, but more invaluable is your everyday conversation about the things of God in the life of your family. Teaching all that Jesus has done FOR YOU in His death and resurrection does not have a beginning and ending date. That forgiveness is worthy of talking about every day, spring, summer, winter and fall. Do not graduate from God’s Word. Remain in it forever.
These Seeds of Faith have been sown by
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