Lent 1

“The devil made me do it!” cries the child, trying to convince his parents why he shouldn’t be punished. Parents quickly see through that charade knowing that the only thing that made their child disobey was their own selfish desire to do what they should not do.

Temptations to do what we should not do abound. They come in forms as subtle as TV commercials and as blatant as friends saying, “c’mon give it a try.” Jesus as He walked this earth was not exempt from temptations. And He even had a batch handed out by the Devil himself.

Jesus overcame all of these temptations by using God’s Holy Word to live a spotless life in our place. When we succumb to our own temptations, cling to God’s Holy Word of promise of forgiveness of sins in Jesus death and resurrection.

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

Ash Wednesday

Even though we are in the midst of cold temperatures and snow, we are coming upon a dusty season. No, I’m not predicting another dry spring. Instead I am talking about the dusty season of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday.

God cursed our first parents Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, “for you are dust and to dust you shall return.” We also live under that same curse. Ash Wednesday then is a reminder of our mortality caused by our first parent’s sin and yes even our own sin. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Death.

And God sent His Son, Jesus into the dust of our flesh so that the dusty mortal’s curse would be placed on Jesus, leaving us with His immortality.

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

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

One more happy time. One more glimpse of glory. One more precious moment to make a memory last forever. These are things that people wish for when they are in the midst of sorrow and suffering. One last hurrah.

In the church calendar we get one more high point before going into the somber season of Lent. We see Jesus standing on a mountain with his clothes as white as light hearing a booming voice from the Father, “This is my beloved Son, with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”

Why the glimpse of glory before the slew of sadness? So that we, who live most of our lives in the valley may know that we can listen to the Word of God and trust that He ascended the mountain of the cross for you and me.

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

Epiphany 5

When Isaiah beheld the glory of the Holy Triune God in the Temple, he confessed, “Woe is me because I am sinful and unclean.” The seraphim touched Isaiah's mouth with a burning coal from the altar, manifesting the glory of the Lord, forgiving Isaiah’s sin, and making his lips holy for the proclamation of His Word.

When Simon Peter witnessed the glory of God in the miraculous catch of fish, he was brought to his knees and confessed, “I am a sinful man”. Jesus calmed his fear and raised him up with His gracious forgiveness.

With this same forgiveness, Christ gathers people into His Church and pours out His Spirit upon them. The gifts of that same Spirit are manifested in the speaking and hearing of the Gospel for the forgiveness of your sins.

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

Epiphany 4

Jesus was sent to “preach the good news of the kingdom of God”. His preaching is an epiphany of God, because His Word reveals the authority of His Cross and Resurrection, by which He has atoned for the sins of the world. By the preaching of His Gospel in every place, He silences the unclean spirits and casts out demons, heals the diseases of body and soul, and restores life and health to His creation.

Sound too good to be true for you? Want to know where to receive this epiphany? Seek Jesus’ Word. Hear it proclaimed into your life for the forgiveness of your sin. It is just as powerful and active today as it has ever been. Where all the works of Jesus are proclaimed, you can be sure that even the demons tremble that Jesus is the Son of God.

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

Epiphany 3

When Jesus opened His mouth and told the people in the synagogue that many in his own hometown would not accept him, and mentioned many non Israelites that had been healed in Old Testament days, they became angry and wanted to throw Jesus off a cliff.

The Law of God is harsh reality. Yet it doesn’t changed another reality.

When Jesus opens His mouth to preach, gracious words flow from His lips. The Scriptures are, indeed, fulfilled in your hearing. For Christ was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord “to proclaim good news to the poor,” “to proclaim liberty to the captives,” and “to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor”. By this proclamation, Christ releases His people from captivity and gathers them to Himself in His Church.


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

Epiphany 2

Water into wine. You’d think Jesus’ first miracle would have been a little more spectacular. But this was not some parlor trick to appease some drunkard wedding guests. This was the first of His signs that manifested His glory.

And so in the stone jars used to ceremonially purify people, there becomes wine for the glory of God.

Which glory? The glory that the man Jesus is also true God sent to manifest the glory of forgiveness to His people.

Purified by the washing of water with His Word in Holy Baptism, His disciples confess that “Jesus is Lord,” and they return thanks to Him “in the Holy Spirit”, as they drink the good wine that He pours out for them, which is the new testament in His blood. Water to wine, wine to blood, for your forgivness.

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

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.

New Years

Happy New Year!

So when will the resolutions start? After all the Christmas cookies are out of the cookie jar? Or maybe when all the family goes home? Or is your response… “what resolutions?”

The New Year has been a popular time to try and change our own lives. Resolutions come and go and few actually become permanent

So in this time of out with the old and in with the new, it might be a good time to ponder a change that is good and does happen without any effort on our part. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

Being a forgiven child of God is a great way to begin the new year!

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

Christmas 1

Bells are ringing, gifts are being given, family and friends are celebrating, songs are being sung. It is a joyous occasion.

Really, it is, despite whatever disagreements you’ve had over what to get the kids or who’s family to spend more time with.

What? You still don’t believe me? I’m sorry to hear that. I guess you’ll have to try harder next year.

Don’t want to wait until next year? Tired of the Christmas frustrations? Then stop what you are doing for a moment and hear God’s Word on the topic. “The Virgin will bear a Son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

That infant in diapers in the manger is God himself. He is bigger than any disagreements you will have this Christmas, for He has taken away the world’s sin.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

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

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas! The angels sang! The shepherds saw. Mary pondered. The shepherds rejoiced and told all that they saw and heard.

There will be Santa and mistletoe and cartoons filled with gleeful characters that bring a nostalgic smile to faces all the while families sit around decorated trees tearing into presents.

These things are all good. Enjoy the moments that God has provided for you this season.

But don’t miss the opportunity to receive the greatest gift of all; God in human flesh. Receive Jesus this season in His Holy Word. See Jesus, just as the shepherds saw him that first Christmas night, Jesus, in body and blood, residing in His Word for you.

Be gathered together by the Gospel call, like a child calling the family around the tree to open presents. Only this is the greatest present of all, Jesus bestowing His forgiveness on you.

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

Advent 4

In the hustle and bustle of the season, where family and friends enter our lives to join our celebrations, take time to ponder another family who made a journey to their home town. There amidst a normally sleepy little town, now bustling with weary travelers for a census, came a normal looking family.

But this normal looking family awaited an event that was foretold from the fall of man into sin; the birth of the Savior of the world. The one who would destroy sin and death forever. The one who would reunite our heavenly Father with His children eternally.

They would call Him Jesus, just as the angel said, for He would save the world from their sins. Come to reside in human flesh. God and man inseparably united together. Come to reside with you.

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

Advent 3

Paul says in his letter to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Lord is at hand. Yes, how true. After all, isn’t that what we are preparing to celebrate, the birth of Lord of hosts? Where Jesus’ presence is, there is peace. When Jesus touches the lives of people, there is peace. When He walked on the earth, the deaf heard and the dead were raised up. Now, as His Word goes out, good news is preached. That good news grants eternal peace wherever it goes.

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

Advent 2

In Charles Dickens’ a Christmas Carol, the stingy, cranky, old Ebenezer Scrooge is confronted by 3 Ghosts. They prepared Scrooge’s heart to be receptive to a greater message.

John the Baptizer’s role was just like that of the Ghosts of Christmas in the Christmas Carol. To prepare the hearts of those to receive the work of the coming Savior.

Though your past may have been jaded, your present actions may be selfish, and your future is dim in your sinfulness.

Through messengers like John the Baptizer, God’s Law calls us to change our ways.

God reaches out: Like Marley did with Scrooge: he desires that you will not have an eternal life of pain and suffering. He calls you by the Gospel so that you may know that an eternal banquet feast has been prepared for you through Jesus Christ.

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

Advent 1

The First Sunday in Advent marks the beginning of a new year in the worship life of the church. The word Advent means “coming”. The coming is the fulfillment of the promise of Immanuel, God with us to accomplish the salvation the Father promised to us.

Advent is a season of preparation—not simply of our homes, meals, and presents, but also time of preparation for our hearts.

A time of recognizing with thanksgiving why our Lord came in the first place. We celebrate God coming to us in the flesh as a child in a lowly manger. A time to recognize why that infant child, born to be King, would one day receive a crown of thorns. We celebrate Christ as the Messiah, riding on a lowly donkey on His way to bear our sins on the cross and to rise again as our Savior.

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

Thanksgiving

Stop! Before you carve that turkey. Put that fork down! Fold your hands and bow your heads. On this day of National Thanksgiving it is easy to be thankful for the food on the plate and the family that is there to share it with you. But before you say grace and move on, hear God’s Word through Paul to Timothy:

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people… This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.”

Yes that is right, all people. Those government officials that you want to vote out of office. That schoolyard bully. Our nations’ enemies. Pray for them. This is good and pleasing to our Savior Jesus for He gave His life for them as well. Give thanks for that good and perfect gift!

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

Proper 29

The end is near! Will it be chaotic? Dark? What will bring it to an end? You say I need a Savior now. What good will this Jesus do for me?

For those who are in Christ, they need not fear all of the earthly calamity that is happening now. Jesus says, “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” His words of promise and salvation are for all who trust in Him. When you are in Him, eternity is yours.

Stay awake!

Be ever vigilant. One never knows when Jesus will return. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith. He is coming again. Don’t turn your eyes from Him. Don’t let all of the tribulation of this world divert your eyes or lose faith. Stay awake! Salvation is sure and certain in Jesus.

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

Proper 28

Signs are everywhere. They tell us where to turn, what store we are in, and warn us when there is danger. The world is full of signs: The leaves are falling. Wars and worldly strife. Broken families. Wildfires, earthquakes, and hurricanes that tear the world apart and take life.

What do all of these signs have in common? They tell us a change is about to take place. Unfortunately the change isn’t as tame as fall turning into winter. But it is just as obvious. When we see all the pain, suffering, and death, Jesus says these are the beginning of the birth pains.

Not the birth pains of a new earthly child, but rather the glorious return of Jesus to take all who endure in faith to the end to be with himself forever where there is no more pain and, only glorious eternal life.

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

Proper 27

Jesus talks about money a lot. So much so that one day, Mark records that Jesus sat down and watched the people putting money in the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums while a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins.

Jesus then said, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

She gave all she had to live on. That makes so many of our gifts look tiny in comparison. That’s the giving God requires. And that is the giving Jesus gave. All He had to live on. No, all of His life unto death for you.

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

All Saints Day

We have all seen those commercials that advertise the latest cleaning products. “Get’s out dried in stains, wine, and even blood.” Blood is something to be cleaned out, not cleaned with. But John writes in Revelation 7:

“They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.”

The blood of the Lamb, Jesus, is the greatest detergent of all. It cleanses every filthy stain of sin from our life. Jesus delivers that cleansing blood to us through water and word, bread and wine.

For this we rejoice for those whose robes have been washed in the blood of the Jesus; who’s trust was in the true Christian faith and now rest from their labors in death.

But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.
Alleluia!!

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