Recently, I was having a conversation with my daughter about what she wants to be when she’s “grown up.” For some reason, something so obvious struck a chord within me that I want to share my realization if nothing more than to serve as a reminder to my readers.
Maybe you’ve wanted to be a missionary since a real, live one spoke to your first-grade class. Maybe it’s been on your heart for a few years; you’re just waiting for the right moment...
Because the land is Yours, we are likewise Your inheritance; therefore, You, God, will build a dwelling, temple, and habitation there, where You will be found. Bring them in and plant...
Imagine this: After years of work and sacrifice, you experience the greatest achievement of your life. But when the excitement wears off, you don’t feel victorious, just depleted and alone.
The Feast of St. Michael and All Angels is celebrated on September 29 of each year. Lutheran Service Book (LSB)contains hymns that fit wonderfully with many of the feasts and festivals,...
There’s a lot of talk by social media influencers about dealing with emotions—for both adults and kids. There is a plethora of children’s books about dealing with big feelings (several of...
Several passages in the New Testament refer to the narrow circle of relationships that made up the first followers of Jesus (Luke 1:39–45; John 1:29–51; 21:1–3). The small-town, largely...
As Christians, we live outside ourselves. We do not forge our own identity and decide on our own purpose in life. Instead, we receive these from God. Since we are baptized into Christ, we...
The Food Bank Arch® Book Program from Concordia Gospel Outreach (CGO) continues to create opportunities for churches to share God’s Word with families in their communities. While each...
The start of the new school year can bring opportunities for new routines, patterns, and habits. But too often, our best intentions become unrealized goals when, three weeks after school...
Warm, expressive, and richly poetic, “My Beloved Sets for Me a Banquet from Above” by Benjamin M. Culli arranges Stephen P. Starke’s communion text with tender lyricism and gentle,...
From Texas to Wisconsin to California, I’ve gotten calls from churches and other ministries looking for answers about governance. That’s just this week, and it’s only Wednesday. Maybe...
Many, many, many books and essays have been written on the differences between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. (In other words, I am not going to tell you anything new. For the most...
We know that God is working powerfully through His living Word when we read the Bible. As 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for...
Lutheran Service Book has served as a trusted resource for worship and devotion for twenty years, providing congregations and families with hymns, prayers, psalms, worship services,...
Every year, August and September start a new school year. A new school year can bring new opportunities for Lutheran churches and schools to reach their families. For many families, the...
The Concordia Commentary Series has been an indispensable resource for pastors, church workers, and biblical scholars for decades—enabling them to share and understand the Gospel with...
“Is this a real story or a pretend one?”It’s a question I have to ask after my four-year-old tells me that her sister hit her and then sang “Let It Go.” Oftentimes, I’m in the same room...
The book of Revelation is one of the most controversial books of the Bible. It is the source of speculation about current events, life’s challenges, predictions of the future, and the end...
Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of teaching church history to several groups of high school students. One of my favorite parts of teaching is witnessing the...
From the heights of the great theater, one may look down the Arcadian Way to the harbor that made Roman Ephesus the first city of Asia. Its temple to Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of...
