Turning on the Lights

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“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot…

Why Reconciliation is so Hard

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You can’t be human and completely avoid conflict.  Sin has…

Maybe Playing Church is a Good Thing!

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It’s a fairly common criticism that churches face.  “They’re…

The Remant Pathway

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Bewildered.  That’s how I would describe so many faithful…

Mission on the Edge

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Living on the edge?  While we like to talk about how exciting…

Helping and Being Helped

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One of the highlights of my vocation as a pastor is spending…

Be a Christmas Light!

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When I was a kid I loved to decorate the house for Christmas. …

The Theology of Stuff: Kingdom Resources

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I just bought a brand new smartphone.  It’s fun to play with…

How to Love

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Remember a birthday like this?  It’s present opening time…

Speaking the Truth in Love

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Things have changed in America. Christianity and the teachings…

Love Good More

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Recently, our church had the opportunity to spend some time in…

Joy on the Journey

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Christians have a unique way about them.  When faith in Jesus…

God Does More

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For over a decade, Bethel Lutheran Church has held an enormous…

Lessons from Limping

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On the Tuesday of Holy Week I found out the hard way that tennis…

Dear LCMS, Our Works are Fruit – not Exhaust

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Dear Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, Recently, you published…

A Sabbatical?

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The year was 2009, and I can remember the meeting vividly. …

The Irony of the Incarnation: Jesus Needed Us

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Holiday travel time is upon us.  Chances are at one point or…

Leaving Tomorrow for Tomorrow

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"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry…

Iron Sharpens Iron

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When I was in college I took music composition lessons with a…

Reclaiming the Heart of Membership

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Over the last two years, God has led me on a journey of deepening…

Pray First

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If you are anything like me, you like to have control of your…

To Belong

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"Where do I belong?"  For a long time, this question was answered…

Neighborhood Missionary Season

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"...be ready in season and out of season." - 2 Timothy 4:2 In…

From the Heart

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The heart is a tricky thing.  In one sense, it's that rhythmical…

The Tyranny of the Comfort Zone

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Has the comfort zone taken over our discipleship? Everyone has…

Reading Paul, Hearing Jesus

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It's no wonder why we love to read Paul's letters. We love to…

Bringing them to Baptism

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There are few things that get me more excited than a baptism.…

“Jesus’ Baptism IS our Baptism”

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In Jesus' great commission, he tells his disciples to be "teaching…

Keeping the Cross in Christmas

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At Bethel Lutheran Church we have been reading through the book…

On Following Jesus… Gluten-Free

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As many of you may know, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac…

Live Your Baptism – Share Your Stories

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The Bible is filled with ideas. Some ideas are beautiful, others…

Are We Mammonaholics?

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Mammonaholic?  What's that?  What's Mammon in the first place?…

Turning the Cheek, Standing the Ground

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We are so easily insulted. We take offense at the smallest of…

Join the Resistance!

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The cause is worthy and we must succeed.  The enemy is powerful…

Tracing the Truth: Stand on Creation

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At the trial of Jesus, Pontius Pilate famously exclaimed, "What…

Cross-Cultural Parenting – Jesus Style!

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A few weeks ago I got an email from a concerned parent about…

Overcoming the god of Personal Preference

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At Bethel Lutheran Church, where I serve as Pastor, we have different…

Leaving Jesus Behind (in a good way!)

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It seems to me we travel through life generally seeking our own…

The LCMS and Interfaith Prayer Vigils: A Shrewd and Innocent Approach

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Over the past week, my denomination, the Lutheran Church - Missouri…

Joining the Family Business

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Have you ever wondered what the big deal is about the name of…

A Shocking Discovery: The Great Commission

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Maybe it’s happened to you.  You've read a particular passage…

Merry Christmas! Be Still…

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They don’t go together well, do they? If I’m being honest…

A god by any other name…

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“You shall have no other gods before me.” Those are the…

Free and Focused

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The theme of the 2012 Minnesota South District Convention was…

Expanding the Lord’s Prayer

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It sounds like scary stuff. We’re not supposed to take the…

On Being a Shepherd of God’s Flock

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I am a sheep, complete with all the misguided, helpless stupidity…

Worship = Rest

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As a boy I remember the hustle and bustle of Sunday morning.…

Undeserved: God’s Gift of Grace

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We've all met people whose perception of themselves far exceeded…

WaterLife: Living Baptism, Sharing Stories

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Which tense to we use? When we refer to ourselves as being baptized,…

Chicken or Egg? Church or Discipleship?

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I recently heard Rev. Dan Hudson from Sanctuary Church in Manhattan,…