Blog Posts

When we read with children, we know how to correct their mistakes, but sometimes we don’t know how to help them pronounce, understand, and retain new words. Here are some tips for...

One of the challenges that pastors face as they prepare sermons is what to do with texts that are heavy on Law and light on Gospel. As I look at the four assigned lectionary texts for...

I periodically see a meme floating around the internet jokingly mimicking those who praise musicians with phrases like “Wow, how did you get such great talent?” and “How do you play so...

“Let’s go, push yourself!” the exercise instructor yelled. “We didn’t come here to be mediocre!” I laughed, or possibly just grimaced, and clumsily attempted the physical feat she...

Do you usually write or speak when you communicate with another person? With rapid advances in technology and widespread use of social media, you probably switch back and forth between...

Think back to how you began your day yesterday. Take time, think it through. What did you do? What was the order? I’m guessing you either woke up to an alarm or just woke up at the...

This blog post is adapted from Male & Female: Embracing Your Role in God’s Design.  The order of creation and the unique relationship between head and helper in marriage intersects...

This blog post is excerpted from Engaging the Psalms: A Guide for Reflection and Prayer.  The Psalter was ancient Israel’s hymnal, and it was the hymnal for Jesus and His...

God has blessed us all with different talents, and sometimes, it might feel like other people’s abilities are better or more useful than your own. I know I have felt like this at times,...

Relief had finally come. God created Adam and Eve perfectly. But their wicked transgressions brought sin into the world, taking the Lord’s unblemished creation into destruction. Adam...

This blog post is adapted from Engaging the Psalms: A Guide for Reflection and Prayer.  Unquestionably, of the 150 psalms, Psalm 23 is the most familiar. It has been used on...

I’m coming up on one year of marriage and let me tell you—it has been great, but it’s also been hard. We got married during a global pandemic and spent almost our entire first year of...

This blog post is an excerpt from the Lutheran Bible Companion, Volume 1: Introduction and Old Testament.  By breaking the seemingly innocuous command to “make no covenant with the...

Jonathan D. Campbell has arranged a medley, or three hymn tunes, associated with Christ the Good Shepherd, including BROTHER JAMES’ AIR, BRADBURY, and RESIGNATION. Arranged with...

Reaching out to others about Jesus Christ requires learning about them, their perspective, and the place that they are coming from. Most important, it requires intention. Read an...

A book I read recently suggests that, given the increased use of electronic media (television, cell phones, social media, iPad, the internet) our collective attention span has shrunk....