Understanding Hosea's Marriage to Gomer
The Lord and Israel are major characters in the Book of Hosea, but the drama of their relationship is acted out in the persons of Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. She bore him three...
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Repurposing Your Church Newsletter for Facebook
As you work on your church’s social media plan, making the most out of the content you already have should be on the top of your mind in order to get the most out of your limited time...
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Top Organ Chorale Prelude Collections
Preludes center your congregation’s hearts and minds on treasured hymn texts and tunes that inspire reflection and encourage their faith. Chorale preludes in particular draw upon a rich...
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Support for the Pastor’s Wife and Family: Bust the Fishbowl Mentality
I never wanted to marry into the ministry.There. I said it. Whew.The life that corresponds to marrying a church worker—whether pastor, chaplain, missionary, or so on—is messy and...
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Music of the Month: When I Behold Jesus Christ
This month's selected piece is a well-crafted modern hymn concertato scored for two-part voices, two treble instruments, piano, optional congregation, and optional violoncello by Matthew...
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Mental Health and Technology as Christians: An Interview with Heidi Goehmann
Mystery, tension, data, connection, and creativity. These were recurring threads throughout my discussion with licensed clinical social worker, author, and hope-driven mental health...
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Digging Deeper into Scripture: Matthew 2:1–12
When I work with couples in premarital counseling, there is a point at which we discuss leaving and cleaving, based on the creation account. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his...
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Athanasius on John 10:30
Given the high status the Gospel of John gives to Jesus, it is not surprising that certain passages from this Gospel would play important roles when questions arose concerning Jesus’...
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The Stories behind Three Favorite Christmas Hymns
Every Christmas tradition has an origin story, as do longtime favorite Christmas hymns. You may be surprised to discover what inspired three of your favorite holiday hymns: “From Heaven...
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Building: January 2023 Everyday Faith Calendar
“Can you please help me, Mom?”My six-year-old son asked me this when he was working on a new LEGO building bricks set and got stuck on a step in the directions.
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Shedding Light on Themes in Daniel
Daniel is best known for the story of the fiery furnace and the lion's den, but he is known amongst scholars for different reasons. Putting aside differences in receiving the text, here...
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Downloadable Sheet Music for Epiphany
Celebrate the coming of the Magi and the Epiphany season by joining in fellowship through music. As you prepare for the season, consider adding these pieces to your repertoire for your...
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7 Steps to Learning Social Media
In the process of creating new and fresh content for your church on different social media platforms, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Although the process may take a while...
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Digging Deeper into Scripture: James 5:7–11
I am dating myself to share that I was five years old when the movie Star Wars came out. Mind you, this was 1977. At this point, there was only Star Wars without the context of The Empire...
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Ezekiel: An Overview
Applying Ezekiel to one's own life can be a difficult process. The following chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Ezekiel from The Lutheran Bible Companion helps the reader apply knowledge from...
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The History of “Savior of the Nations, Come”
This Advent hymn is among the few that can be definitively attributed to the “father of Latin hymnody” himself, Ambrose of Milan. Listen to this beloved hymn and then check out its rich...
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Light in Darkness: December 2022 Everyday Faith Calendar
Have you ever walked through a familiar room in the dark? It is probably a room you would not think twice about walking through during the day. But suddenly, when you walk through it in...
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How God Uses Questions in the Bible
Questions are at the heart of the Bible. Many of the major events—in the Old and New Testament alike—are marked with a question. God uses these questions to reveal important truths about...
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