Lord, Make Me More Like the Unbelievers!
He comes around to stun and trouble us every three years whether we want him to or not (and a part of me certainly does not want him around). He is the strangest protagonist in ...
Yes, Pastor, You Too Walk in Danger All the Way!
Who hasn’t wondered about the curious question in Sunday’s gospel (Luke 13:22-30)? “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” (22) We shake our heads at the unbelieving world and wonder: “Lord, are ...
Preach the Word – September/October 2019
Volume 23, Number 1 Simple Preaching “Preach to the milkmaids, and the doctors will be edified.” When I first heard that comment by Martin Luther, it instantly became one of my favorites. Let’s preach the ...
My Dear Brother, My Dear Brother, Please Sit Down!
In Sunday’s gospel (Luke 10:38-42), did Martha walk away disappointed because Jesus didn’t sanction her well-meaning but distracted busyness by rebuking Mary? Or, perhaps, initially stunned when Jesus’ gentle, loving rebuke came her way and ...
Is That “Daily” Part Really Necessary?!?!
Wisconsin’s governor has our country’s most sweeping line item veto power. While its use has led to court challenges, Wisconsin governors have crossed out single words or altered a single digit in an appropriations bill, ...
Preach the Word – July/August 2019
Volume 22, Number 6 Apologetics in Preaching: You have to Do Something with This Jesus Character God or bad man? This ancient dilemma has faced skeptics for centuries. If Jesus is not true God, then ...
Triple Comfort for You and Those You Serve!
The doctrine of the Trinity is not a set of abstract concepts revealed to delight our speculative brains. It is instead a revelation of the concrete realty of our awesome Creator’s saving love to comfort ...
Preach the Word – May/June 2019
Volume 22, Number 5 Apologetics in Preaching: Not without Testimony We are not left without testimony (Ac 14:17). This is true in every aspect of life. Imagine waking up to a world without any knowledge ...
Perfectly Protected Sheep
It just doesn’t seem fair at all to my enemies. (Not that I really want to play fair with them anyway!) What chance do my enemies have, really, when the morning begins by being wrapped ...
Thank God the Fleeting Privilege Is Still Yours!
It is a sad but very real ability of my sinful nature to turn any task - no matter how gracious a privilege it is - into a grievous burden. My life is littered with ...